History Music / AKB48

* SpiritualSuccessor: To Onyanko Club; both groups have the same producer.
** The sub-unit Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 is one to a sub-unit of the same name (without the 7) that was part of Onyanko Club.

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Team 4's "Hashire! Penguin", complete with penguin costumes.
** One of the girls in "Ame no Doubutsuen" wears a penguin costume too.

In 2020, all AKB events were halted due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic and months later after the safety measures were implemented... they resumed however, the capital's ongoing state of emergencies are making it impossible. Also, the handshake events were suspended indefinitely. So one year later, they announced a mobile game called ''[=AKB48=] WORLD'' when you can be part of the group FOR REAL!![[note]]albeit, as part of managing the activities of the group[[/note]] It's not the group's first management game, though, since there was also the short-lived ''[=AKB48=] Cherry Bay Blaze'' for the Chinese market, launched in late-2019 and was shuttered in January 2021 after a major management change at AKB. In 2022, the group's Team 8 announced that they would be winding down their activities the following year.

* LoveIsACrime: The dating ban is long assumed to be a rule, especially in the aftermath of Minegishi's scandal. However, this was subverted in episode 19 of "Sayonara, Mouri-san", where Minegishi, of all people, clarified that there is no actual ban on dating, just that everyone is too focused on being an idol that they do not have any time for dating.

The franchise doesn't limit itself to music, and it also spawns mobile games, frequent commercial collaborations and even three DatingSim games published by [[Creator/BandaiNamco BANDAI]] released for [=PlayStation=] consoles.

In 2020, all AKB events were halted due to the ''UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic'' and months later after the safety measures were implemented... they resumed however, the capital's ongoing state of emergencies are making it impossible. Also, the handshake events were suspended indefinitely. So one year later, they announced a mobile game called ''[=AKB48=] WORLD'' when you can be part of the group FOR REAL!![[note]]albeit, as part of managing the activities of the group[[/note]] It's not the group's first management game, though, since there was also the short-lived ''[=AKB48=] Cherry Bay Blaze'' for the Chinese market, launched in late-2019 and was shuttered in January 2021 after a major management change at AKB. In 2022, the group's Team 8 announced that they would be winding down their activities the following year.

** The group's former management company AKS (now a holding company called Vernalossom, while AKB's management is handled by DH, one of its sister companies) was short for its three founders' names: '''A'''kimoto, '''K'''ubota, and '''S'''hiba.

* SlutShaming: In January 2013, Minami Minegishi was caught leaving the house of Alan Shirahama, a member of the J-Pop boy-bands EXILE and Generations. Since the girls of [=AKB48=] are contractually forbidden from having romantic relationships,[[note]]Depending on who you ask, this is either to keep them focused on work or to preserve the fans' fantasies of having a "pure" relationship with their idol. In any case, many have pointed out that this may technically be illegal.[[/note]] she was demoted to a trainee member status. Minami all-but [[TraumaticHaircut shaved her head]] - a symbol of contrition in Japanese culture - and uploaded a video of herself tearfully apologizing for her "thoughtless behavior" and begging for her fans' forgiveness. In August of 2013, she was reinstated as a full member and appointed the captain of Team 4.

** Team K's Tomu and Orin Muto are biological sisters. They participated in 2018 Janken Tournament as the Muto Sisters team.

In 2020, all AKB events were halted due to the ''UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic'' and months later after the safety measures were implemented... they resumed however, the capital's ongoing state of emergencies are making it impossible. Also, the handshake events were suspended indefinitely. So one year later, they announced a mobile game called ''[=AKB48=] WORLD'' when you can be part of the group FOR REAL!![[note]]albeit, as part of managing the activities of the group[[/note]] It's not the group's first management game, though, since there was also the short-lived ''[=AKB48=] Cherry Bay Blaze'' for the Chinese market, launched in late-2019 and was shuttered in January 2021 after a major management change at AKB.

* LoveIsACrime: The dating ban is long assumed to be a rule, especially in the aftermath of Minegishi's scandal. However, this was averted in episode 19 of "Sayonara, Mouri-san", where Minegishi herself clarified that there is no actual ban on dating, just that everyone is too focused on being an idol that they do not have any time for dating.

For more live-action TV, there's ''Series/MajisukaGakuen'', the group's longest and most popular drama series, and ''Series/MendolIkemen'', that features the members of no3b. And of course, the LongRunner VarietyShow ''Series/AKBingo''.

* TakeThat: When the group won the prestigious Japan Records Awards' Grand Prix in 2011, many people criticized them, because a group who didn't play any instruments (even less an idol group!) couldn't become that important. The group's answer? ''GIVE ME FIVE!'', where all the [[DoItYourselfThemeTune senbatsu members played instruments]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer For real]]. Some of them already knew how to play their instrument (such as Yuko Oshima, who played the bass in high school), but others had to train for weeks before recording the single.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted, with six girls named Haruka: Ishida, Shimazaki, Shimada, Nakagawa, Katayama, and Komiyama—and that's only in AKB alone! There are five more Harukas in the sister groups.

** There has been at least three Ayakas: Umeda, Morikawa, and Kikuchi.
** There has been at least four Rinas: Izuta, Kawaei, Chikano, and Hirata. There are three others in the sister groups. The graduated Rinas from AKB comprise of Nakanishi, and Kozuka.
** Currently, there are four Yuis in AKB alone: Yokoyama, (another) Yokoyama, Oguri, and Hiwatashi. There are three more Yuis in the sister groups.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: This happens a lot, in South-East Asia and China the popularity is ENDLESS!! (CD's, video games, Mobile games etc..) Even in Mexico, Central/South America (minus Brazil) and the Dominican Republic, since Annin went to Mexico to work at a soap-opera for ''Creator/{{Televisa}}''.

[[caption-width-right:350:The logo of the group, because getting a photo of all the girls would be... [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters quite hard]].]]

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Naturally, with sister groups across Japan. The main group is already this, with 88 main members, and the 47-ish Team 8 members. Justified since they need enough members to hold daily theater performances, but unfortunately only a few would ever be selected to represent the group to the general public.

* ''[=SGO48=]'': Formed in 2018, based in Vietnam.

* {{Qipao}}: Worn by the girls in the non-dancing scenes in the "Flying Get" [=PV=].

* NonuniformUniform: Especially for the main songs, the costumes for each song generally share a certain theme, but customized for each member.

* NonindicativeName: The original plan was to have Teams A, K, and B with 16 members each, but with the addition of trainees, Team 4, and the 47-strong Team 8, as of May 2022 the group has 84 members.

* NonindicativeName: The original plan was to have Teams A, K, and B with 16 members each, but with the addition of trainees, Team 4, and the 47-strong Team 8, the group now has ''more than a hundred'' members.

* CreatorThumbprint: New members who are appointed lead singers of the 48 and 46 groups (as opposed to given the role due to their experience and fanbase built over years, or through the Elections) tend to sport a short bob haircut, which lead fans to believe that it's producer Yasushi Akimoto's preference and dub it the "center bob".

* CreatorThumbprint: New members who are appointed lead singers of the 48 and 46 groups (as opposed to given the role due to their experience and fanbase built over years, or through the Elections) tend to sport a short BobHaircut, which lead fans to believe that it's producer Yasushi Akimoto's preference and dub it the "center bob".

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Usually, AKB releases each year a summer single, containing the ballots for voting in the elections. It's a tradition they've followed since "Baby! Baby! Baby!" They've only skipped in 2009, where it was a birthday song, and 2015, where they released the powerful in vocals and techno instrumental "Bokutachi wa Tatatakawanai". The latter has the summer song as it B-side, "Summer Side".

* CatchPhrase: "Always grateful! Composed, polite, and precise! AKB! 48!" (いつも！感謝！冷静、丁寧、正確に！AKB！48！)

** Hinatazaka: Nao Kosaka (shoulder-length bob)

* EndOfAnAge: The closing scene of the MV for "Mata Aeru Hi Made", showing 21 chairs each with a lighted candle, each one symbolizing a member of the 1st generation. With the graduation of the final 1st gen member Minami Minegishi. 14 years after their debut, this is truly the end of an era.

* LongTitle: AKB's 34th single, "Suzukake no Ki no Michi de 'Kimi no Hohoemi o Yume ni Miru' to Itte Shimattara Bokutachi no Kankei wa Dou Kawatte Shimau no ka, Bokunari ni Nan-nichi ka Kangaeta Ue de no Yaya Kihazukashii Ketsuron no Youna Mono" [[note]]"Sort of a little bit embarrassing conclusion I came up to after thinking for days about how our relationship would change if while walking along a road of plane trees I said to you, 'I dream of your smile'"[[/note]]

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Naturally, with sister groups across Japan. The main group is already this, with 88 main members, and the 47 Team 8 Members.