![[EveTaku] AKB0048 - 11 (1280x720 x264-Hi10P AAC)[C25A8BCE].mkv_snapshot_17.11_[2012.07.11_05.54.23]](https://ghostlightning.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/evetaku-akb0048-11-1280x720-x264-hi10p-aacc25a8bce-mkv_snapshot_17-11_2012-07-11_05-54-23.jpg "[EveTaku] AKB0048 - 11 (1280x720 x264-Hi10P AAC)[C25A8BCE].mkv_snapshot_17.11_[2012.07.11_05.54.23]")
There are a lot of things going on in this episode, with so many characters’ getting lines or scenes that either flesh out their characters more, or further their little stories along: from the Takamina succession drama, to the Chieri vs. Nagisa (vs. Yuuko!) (t)rivalry this episode moved a lot of these along.
But it’s really Yuuka’s little story that I’ll focus on in this post, as I find myself curiously relating with the character that I least suspected of being set-up as a viewer-insert-kun. But with a name like Mamoru in a moeblob show, I should not have been surprised right?
Mamoru was the love interest that Yuuka left behind on Lancaster. He was not supportive of Yuuka’s desire to become an idol, he did not think much of it and had little interest in AKB0048. This was not surprising, given the entertainment ban that suppressed the information about the group, and that he was a football jock and not some kimoi wota. Why should he be into that idol crap?
This is similar to my attitude near the beginning – nowhere as extreme, but I certainly wasn’t interested in AKB48. I was only in this for the cartoon.
Somewhere along the way Mamoru read an article and before he knew it he became addicted. Then he became an freedom of entertainment fighter wota. Again, I’m nowhere as extreme but after a few episodes of watching and blogging this show I read a few articles and before I knew it I must have watched hours of AKB48 videos on YouTube, and perhaps favorited over 9000 versions of RIVER. Also, Acchan T_T…
Now I’m hardly a fanboy of the thing as a whole, but I definitely now have this affinity for this show, the band, and an appreciation of its existence as a thing in itself: the Human Instrumentality Project of Media as Product and Currency within Material Culture.
We Remember Love 
before I knew it I must have watched hours of AKB48 videos on YouTube: LOL Ghost! I heard AJ did the same thing when she was doing a post on idols…I will avoid searching youtube then! I think it would have the same effect on me haha
Interesting episode and I wonder if the girls are going to save Nagisa’s father!? Damn I bet he is probably so angry at his daughter right now or are they going to have some type of touching reunion? Hmmm I think they are going to go the “nice” moment instead of the angry one. OH the succession drama! I find that to be really annoying at times! WE NEED A BREAK FROM IT, but I get it all the girls want to be idols FOREEEVERRRR! And they don’t really like anyone taking their spotlight resulting in more drama….T_______T
As always! Great panel of characters especially with Char! Ahahaha so good!
You can’t escape now.
I get these girls (Takamina, Yuuko).
I mean, I want to be ghostlightning forever, but if I do that, ghostlightning won’t be ghostlightning for long. He’ll end up being more like me, a person who’ll get older and older, more jaded, less patient; harsher — narrower in focus of fanboying and less excited about what’s upcoming… updates his blog less and less, doesn’t respond to comments in a timely manner, if at all…
I’d rather graduate and have some retard in the future become a successor to the ghostlightning title; someone dumb enough to think of this as a good thing, to embody this open-mindedness to not only appreciate something unfamiliar, but to wholly throw himself into it, no matter how strange and out of character it seems. Yeah… and of course be an unrepentant Minmay faggot and Basara follower.
I’m still a bit uneasy being forced to admit AKB48 actually has couple of actually nice pop tunes – and River might be no. 1 among them… (I also like Beginner and AITAKATTA AITAKATTA AITAKATTA YES even if only for chorus in latter case :D)
I see you’ve had some worries and time issues lately but I’m sure you’ll pull through those just fine! Without WRL my slice of internet anime fandom would be a lot less fun and meaningful
I like River best, and yes Beginner next.
I’ve had time issues all of the past year. I actually have more free time now, but the difference is that my schedule matches that of my wife now which means we get to spend a lot more time together with our daughter. It really was bad how I almost only got to spend meaningful time with my kid during weekends. Thus, I have far less time to spend on hobbies, but that’s no tragedy at all right?
No, not at all. I haven’t realized you’ve been that pinched with time. Spend your free time in the obviously best way possible whenever chance comes!
I don’t really care for this group, but the one chick wearing the cut-off shorts is wayyyy too fine. Mmm mmm mmm.
I prefer Girls Generation to satisfy my J-Pop needs:
I really think these girls could be a break-out hit in the English speaking world since a few of them grew up in the States anyway.
They’re Korean (SNSD or Sonyeo Shidae). WE’RE ASIANS, SURE, BUT DO WE ALL LOOK THE SAME TO YOU?!?!?! wwwwww
Genie is much better:
I didn’t say they were Japanese – I said J-Pop. Of course they’re Korean and of course I know the difference.They sing in Korean, Japanese and HOPEFULLY one day in English too. And yes, “Genie” is a good song. Their newest song “Boyz” is pretty good too. They are so very very pretty.
Can’t be sure about people who vote against Variable Fighters in Sai Mecha.
I’m not voting against VFs per se. I’m voting against people who vote for VFs because I’m a butthurt Gundam/Getterfag who wants “my ‘bots” to win at all costs.
Neither of those are GEE GEE GEE GEE BABY BABY, ehhhh.
can’t believe I forgot to say: that’s k-pop, not j-pop. SNSD also makes you feel less pedo than your average japanese girl group because they’re all yummy legal adults instead of serious jailbaits
To me, the most interesting part of this episode was this very short exchange:
Yuuko: “We’re going to practice this song, too. We’re gonna sing it for the main performance as well!”
“You’re not acting like yourself.”
Yuuko: “Like myself? You mean my usual self? Or like Ooshima Yuuko the 9th?”
I’ve been really hoping the show would address loss of identity by assuming another one (especially in Yuuko’s case, where her dream of being Center has not been fulfilled), and I hope they follow through with this.
Definitely interesting, but I didn’t want to think too much of it because I’ll just get disappointed.
But, say it doesn’t disappoint. It has several pieces to work with… and given the example of this episode, it’s actually quite competent in pursuing the same thing using different characters. The pieces are actually Suzuko, who specifically does NOT want to succeed anyone, and Tsubasa who didn’t so much graduate from being Mariko as to forsake her.
Well, Yuuko also follows it with both of them being her real me – which makes sense since the souls of girls very much resemble those of members they “become”. It just becomes another cornerstone for their buildup identity and the problem precisely crops up when it gets shaken (like case Takamina shows).
Sure, I think there’s room for much more if they wanted to take the story into more psychological or philosophical direction but I don’t think we’re going to get much more than that.
BTW, if Nagisa’s father was arrested despite being an anti-entertainment supporter, does it apply to Chieri’s father too since she’s part of AKB0048?
Chairman & CEO of a Trans-planetary Defense Contractor >>> backwater planet culture affairs bureaucrat.
What I meant is does DES arrested Chieri’s father because her daughter joined AKB0048?
What Ghost meant is that the main military contractor of the galaxy can not be arrested. Chieri’s father has too much power, both political and military. It doesn’t matter that his daughter joined AKB, since DGTO and DES depend on him anyway.
I’m pretty sure Nagisa’s father was arrested just due to him being Nagisa’s father which makes him suspicious. Based on what I remember from episode 1 he was at most agnostic on entertainment issue and definetly not actively for it. At least back then, maybe he pulled a Mamoru conversion.
I don’t really care about AKB48, then when I heard Kawamori is directing this, I decided to see how much trolling he can pull off.
Then the first episode came, BAM, Aitakatta is echoing in my head.
Yes!
However, even he is but a cog in the wheel of verily, the Human Instrumentality Program of Popular Media as Product and Currency of Material Culture.
Man this series makes it seem like Acchan was the only member to ever get a solo song. Besides “Nagisa no Cherry” sucks anyway.
Listen to Takamina’s “Birth”. Now that’s a real song.
What the hell am I writing? This thing’s called Bird not Birth. Sorry.
Wow is that Mariko? Hot. Who’s the other backup? Hot too!
Yeah I think that is Mariko.
The other one I think is Miyazawa Sae. She’s the girl in the cut off shorts and pick and white striped bikini top in the river video.
Full confession: I have watched every video of AKBingo! I could find english subbed on youtube over the past 3 days and can still only name and distinguish a handful of the idols. This post of yours inspired me to check them out. Their music…eh I can pass but I really enjoy their personalities. Yuuko is love.
Beautiful. I’m nicking this for my own use.
I know exactly what you mean. I’m still no fanboy or anything but my feelings of ambivalent neutrality have changed into overall positive image. I went into this show as open minded skeptic regarding it’s quality and it has convinced me of it being a genuine, quality show. But I never expected it to convince me there’re things I might like about AKB48 itself!
I’ve seen this same project happen very forcefully in /a/’s 0048 fandom. The eternal “3D pig disgusting” mentality and party line has somewhat crumbled away in relevant threads in a way I’ve never seen before even in seiyuu threads. It’s fun to remember early threads after first episodes which still were “ignore 3dPD, enjoy the show” infested but now people openly and without much shame post AKB48 youtube vids there with not at all rare “halp /a/ I don’t want to turn into idolfag ;_;” comments
If this isn’t great propaganda victory I don’t know what is.
******
Speaking of the AKB48 impact for my part I’ve developed a genuine fondness for Mayuyu, the übercute otaku bishoujo of the group. Now it had been in making for a while even before the show with funny anecdotes my wotaku friend told now and then and her being a huge Rankafag (brofist! :D) but 0048 and the video searches it caused did much to develop this fleeting fondness.
That girl is incarnation of cruelty moe. Talk about ruining the day of bunch of people within span of few minutes but being so damn cute and charming through it I can’t feel anything negative towards her at all 😀
cyborg girl indeed ww
Nagisa Cherry? And there’s a character called Nagisa Chieri.
WELL DONE KAWAMORI.
No wait they’re separate characters. But still I slow clap.
you mean Mari Okada as she is the one who named girls after the song. She’s a huge AKB48 fangirl which explains a lot of the loving detail present in the series.
LOLOLOL
That is a fucking riot. I dunno about charming, but that was nuts out-of-control tactless craziness. Those other girls should kill her.
Cruelty moe! Plus she’s funny as hell as she does it. That kind of frankness is pretty refreshing too
I ended up watching a whole bunch of this AKBingo crap. The game is called “Honesty Shogi” and the questions really are like that. The Acchan vs. Takamina one was EPIC.
What distinguishes Mayuyu’s is the collateral damage LOL.
i like it!