History Anime / AKB0048

* InvincibleVillain: The DES, being funded by the DGTO, makes them nearly impossible to take down completely, having near-infinite manpower and AttackDrones at their disposal despite best efforts to hinder them. [[AndTheAdventureContinues The series even ends with the DES down, but now out and AKB vowing to keep the fight going until the Ban is appealed and their foes defeated for good.]]

* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: Rather obvious 3D effects are used for the idol's performances, certain dance sequences, and the mech battles.

* {{Crapsack World}}s: Those worlds under the Entertainment Ban. When the CulturePolice fires live ammo at both the idols and their audience, you know the planet has gone to the gutter. Comparisons can be drawn between the government in this anime and totalitarian governments both real and fictional. Nagisa's father won't be out of place working for the Party in ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''. In fact, Nagisa's class has an off-color Union Jack on the front wall. Makes you wonder whether the people involved actually read the book.

** In Next Stage the new ending is performed [[spoiler:to get the DES ground forces to stop fighting and triggers Chieri's ascension to the Center Nova position]]. The original opening theme makes a second comeback as the final song that [[spoiler:unites the power of No Name and forces the DES forces out of the system]].

* SpaceMarine: The elite DES soldiers who comb the ship for AKB candidates. Clad in PowerArmor, they are really rank and file above their planet-bound counterpart. They are prone to violence. ''They will open fire at little girls''. Yes, that's as terrifying as it sounds.

* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler:The entire population of Akibastar, after AKB is forced to retreat when DES attacks. Admittedly, considering the DES uses brainwashing and propaganda, it's understandable why.]]

** Also semi-averted in one way. They didn't have Chieri Sono or Mimori Kishida voiced by the same person as they become in ''Anime/AKB0048''.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: On their day off, Yuko explains to Nagisa and Chieri that all the idols who achieved the Center Nova position mysteriously disappear. While throwing out ideas as to why and how she mentions offhandedly that the last Minami Minegishi had been seen wandering Akibastar. Sure enough, she turns up alive and well [[spoiler:as their photographer in disguise]].
* TheFuture: Of the SpaceOpera variation. Taking place in the year 0048, it's features a space where people have conquered space traveling, managed to live on various different planets with ease, and the technology have become so advanced from hologram cellphones, to spaceship-like trains, mechas and also spaceships that can also fuction as a stage for AKB0048. On the other side of stuff however, music and many forms of entertaintment have been considered banned, and the iron gloved rule of the DES means that any planets are into a cold steeled no music dictation.

* NonActorVehicle: Only a few of the main cast members have acted in anime before this.

* NoNewFashionsInTheFuture: The fashions of the next century are suspiciously similar to the ones worn today. And by "suspiciously similar" that is to say "exactly alike". Some of the clothes worn by the girls are actually real life outfits of [=AKB48=] members!

** The DES Ace in Episode 8, [[spoiler: who splashes Takamina]], has a Skull emblem, another shout out to Macross [[note]]Skull Squadron has the reputation of being the best Valkyrie squadron in any Macross incarnation[[/note]].

* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler:The entire population of Akibastar, after AKB is forced to retreat when DES attacks.]]

[[quoteright:639:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_8381.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:639:It's [=AKB48=] [[InSpace IN SPAAAAAACE]]!]]

[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/akbposter_7446.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:285:It's [=AKB48=] [[InSpace IN SPAAAAAACE]]!]]

* NoPronunciationGuide: The English dub changed the pronunciation of a few characters' names. Mimori was originally "Mi-mo-ri" but was made to sound more like "Meh-mori". The cast also couldn't decide whether Sae's name was pronounced like "Say" or "Sigh", with some saying it one way and the rest the other. Also they had no trouble pronouncing Maeda Atsuko's name correctly in the first season, but jumped between "Ma-de-a", "Ma-i-da", and the correct pronunciation in the second season. The DES actually has all the letters pronounced, D-E-S, instead of just "des" like in the original.

** Former members have diamonds instead. Justified by the fact that there are LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, makes it easier for people to just identify who is in and who isn't.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: First there's the 77th and 75th Generation girls, then the actual AKB members themselves, the 75th generation, the support staff, and then the friends and family.

* AppliedPhlebotinum: Dualium. It's used in FTL transport, it's connected to various phenomenons related to the idols, and certain creatures are naturally sensitive to it. Just like TheForce!
* ArcWords: "No Name... No Name..."

* 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}}.

* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: This is believed to be what happens to Center Nova when they disappear. [[spoiler:It's true. This also appears to be Mr. Sono's true goal, as he wants to "transcend time and space"]].

* CulturePolice: The Destroy Entertainment Solders, or DES. As the name suggests, any entertainment driven media is targeted for destruction. Anti-entertainment radicals are also mentioned. And it is to serve the cause of a bunch of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive corporations]] who wants to control the monopoly on FasterThanLightTravel.

* [[{{Descriptiveville}} Descriptivestar]]: The word preceding "-star" in a planet's name will probably give you an indication of what that world is like. Some are obvious, like Tundrastar being an ice world. Others are more subtle, like Akibastar being named after the city of Akihabara, where the Real Life [=AKB48=] is headquartered.

* HakunaMatata: The song, ''"Uhho Uhhoho"'', is just that, a song about forgetting worries and not letting life get the better of you. While sung to the pack of angry fungi to calm them down, it applies just as much to the singers who were still smarting over [[spoiler:losing Yuko and being forced to flee Akibastar.]]

** Former members have diamonds instead. Justified by the fact that there are LoadsAndLoadsofCharacters, makes it easier for people to just identify who is in and who isn't.

* StormingTheCastle: The entire AKB group storms one of the most heavily fortified Anti-Entertainment planets in order to [[spoiler:rescue Chieri, Sonata, and Yukirin.]]

* ThemeMusicPowerUp: Frequently {{invoked|Trope}} by 00 members. Minami even starts playing music during [[spoiler:the invasion of Akibastar,]] because AKB shines the brightest at concerts.

** Episode 20, where [[spoiler:Mimori becomes Mariko the 8th and Mikako is revealed as a mole working for Mr. Sono. Also, after finally figuring out the conditions to initiate a Center Nova effect, Mr. Sono orders the DES fleet to mobilize and attack Akibastar.]]

** WOTA and AKB0048 are the stand-outs here. To promote the fact they are all innocents, they [[ActualPacifist NEVER attack to kill]]. Even in infiltration and close quarters combat, [[SetSwordsToStun they manage to never strike a killing blow]]. Their kill count in the entire series: ZERO.

* ThreeDEffectsTwoDCartoon: 3D effects are used for the idol's performances, certain dance sequences, and the mech battles.

* ConspicuousCG: Used for the idol's performances, certain dance sequences, and the mech battles.