Line #3 YMMV/AKB0048


1	* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: One popular theory is that instead of a freedom fighting group, ''[=AKB0048=]'' is actually unknowingly trying to awaken an EldritchAbomination. The DGTO and DES forces are merely {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s taking measures to prevent said abomination from awakening, which explains their fanatical zeal in wanting to curb the idol industry.
2	%% * DieForOurShip: Mamoru. %% Zero Context Example
3	* EnsembleDarkhorse: Mayuyu by far has one of the most dedicated followings, despite the fact that she has little screentime compared to the other characters. However, being a BigEater RobotGirl with an ArmCannon and being based on one of the more popular Music/AKB48 members does tend to help.
4	** Megumi has also picked up a small and dedicated following, being the only 76th generation understudy to get any sort of screen time and CharacterDevelopment. Her LesYay moments with Sae also certainly helped.
5	* FanNickname: The DES are oftentimes called the Fun Police.
6	* HarsherInHindsight:
7	** Episode 6's "I won't let anyone tarnish Sashiko's name!" Fast-forward to June 2012... the RealLife Sashiko gets caught in a scandal after a fan defames her in a tabloid, and she gets transferred to another group as punishment. Oops.
8	** Mii-chan the 5th's whole role in Next Stage seems to echo creepily with her real-life love scandal. In episode 22 Ushiyama comments that Mii-chan seemed liable to fall for the wrong sort of guy. Also at the end Mii-chan muses that she'll have to start over from square one... just like when the real-life Minami Minegishi got demoted to kenkyuusei status after breaking the group's "no boyfriends" rule.
9	** Episode six involves a deranged fan trying to murder members of ''[=AKB0048=]'' during a fan meeting. Two years after the episode aired, a man would attempt to murder members of ''[=AKB0048=]'' with a hacksaw during a fan meeting -- though he claimed not to be a fan, and was instead angry that made more money than him.
10	* HilariousInHindsight: Anime/MacrossDelta has several of the major setpieces of ''[=AKB0048=]'', and strongly seems to be a SpiritualSuccessor '''for''' this series, when this series is one to ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' '''itself'''.
11	* IronWoobie: To state how much suffering Kanata goes through for nothing is an understatement.
12	* LesYay: Episode 10 has loads of this, specifically Kanata/Takamina, Suzuko/Makoto, and Nagisa/Chieri. The RealLife Music/AKB48 is ''no stranger'' to doing LesYay moments.
13	* NarmCharm: The premise. In a time of government tyranny, the galaxy's only hope for freedom is...a group of manufactured pop starlets who are (in the real world) driven by mass commercialism and stifled by overbearing managerial edicts and fan demands that prevent them from ''dating''. The whole thing reeks of TheManIsStickingItToTheMan and blatant fan-pandering about how [=AKB48=] fans are ''literally'' heroes fighting a corrupt system by supporting an "underground" idol group (which brings in billions of yen annually). It's ''so'' clueless about its faux-revolutionary message and it plays everything ''so'' seriously that it swings right around to being endearing and charming again.
14	* OlderThanTheyThink: A group of singers leading a revolution against a government bent to destroy all entertaiment. Does that sound like the plot of ''VideoGame/RevolutionX'', except replacing Music/{{Aerosmith}} with Music/AKB48? And let's not go into it]s similarities to the [[Anime/{{Macross}} animation juggernaut]] Shoji Kawamori is much more well known for... Too much.
15	* SpiritualAdaptation: A famous real-life band leads a revolution against a tyrannical regime that has [[CulturePolice banned everything fun]]? This is an anime adaptation of ''VideoGame/RevolutionX'', except with Music/AKB48 instead of Music/{{Aerosmith}} (and a ThouShallNotKill approach). It's also been described as "anime ''Film/{{Footloose}}''.

Context YMMV / AKB0048