Crunchyroll adds season 1 of AKB0048 to anime catalog

A little bit of an update to the previous story for anybody who is a fan of the AKB0048 anime which is based on the real life very successful idol group AKB48. The anime and J-drama streaming site Crunchyroll has now obtained the licensing rights to legally stream season 1 of AKB0048 and has launched the first season yesterday at 7:30am PST which is also the same time that new episodes of the 2nd season, AKB0048: Next Stage are launched and 2 to 3 'new' episodes will be made available each week for both free and premium users of the legal streaming site!

So if you haven't seen the first season of AKB0048 or have only watched it through illegal fan sub sites and want to watch it again through legal means, then this is you're chance to do so and also watch the legal fan subs of the 2nd season at the same time, so it's a "win win" situation for everybody.

Sentai Filmworks licenses "AKB0048"

This has come as a bit of a surprise, but thanks to my former co-host Mike Maverick, I have recently learned that Sentai Filmworks, a successor to ADV Films which was a company responsible for dubbing anime into English for anime fans here in North America has licensed the rights to "AKB0048", the anime based on the hugely successful real life idol group AKB48!

It has also come to my attention that Crunchyroll has started legally streaming the 2nd season called "AKB0048 Next Stage". Why Crunchyroll didn't get the rights to stream the first season is unknown at this time, and it's currently unknown if  the first season will be dubbed into English with an English voice cast. If an English voice cast is announced, I'll let you know! But this is a step in the right direction for those of us who want to watch this anime legally without having to resort to fan-subs.

While I regularly don't condone downloading fan subs with tokusatsu being the only exception to that rule, you should go to http://evetaku.com/ and watch the first half of "AKB0048" there and then sign up for an account at crunchyroll.com and start a free trial for their premium membership service.

Here's the official press release!

HOUSTON, January 16, 2013 — Get ready to rock in the New Year with Sentai Filmworks’ newest acquisition: AKB0048!  This epic 26 episode series is directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike (Kaleido Star, Amagami SS) and features series composition by Mari Okada (Vampire Knight, Canaan), character designs by Risa Ebata (Macross Frontier), sound director by Jin Aketagawa (Samurai Girls, Canaan) and music by Hiroshi Takaki (Tytania).

The year is 0048, and in the wake of the great wars, all forms of entertainment have been banned by the dystopian and iron-gloved rule of the anti-music DES.  To combat this threat to intergalactic harmony, a group of bold young women have resurrected the legendary J-Pop band AKB48 and formed an all new Band of Sisters – AKB0048!  But these rocking rebels aren’t simply singers!  Trained in combat as well as choreography, these striking strike team members are equally at home in concert halls and in the trenches.  Under the leadership of the mysterious Sensei Sensei, they’re ready to lay down their lives in order to make the universe a safe place for getting your groove on!  And as a fresh new team of singer-soldiers join the cause and enter basic training, the batons and battle gear are about to be passed to a new generation of daring divas!  Get ready to polish your dancing boots and dive into danger with the latest hard hitting hits as the new recruits take the staging ground and the veterans provide the musical soundtrack to their own action epic in AKB0048!

AKB0048 will be available soon on select digital outlets and later this year on home video.

AKB0048 season 2 has begun!

Time sure has snuck up on all of us fans of AKB0048, the anime inspired by the hugely successful real life idol group AKB48 because season 2 of the anime entitled "AKB0048: Next Stage" has recently aired in Japan!

And to be very honest, I haven't been keeping up and have to watch the entire first season to get caught up because of the fact that the remainder of Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters and Kamen Rider Wizard as well as Choujuu Sentai Liveman and Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger have been keeping me busy among other things. (Sorry AKB0048 fans :(

What I will say based on the information that I have learned though is that I'm very glad that they worked Atsuko Maeda's departure from AKB48 back on August 27th of last year into the story which has also set up what I think to be a very good premise and story for season 2!

For all of us that don't understand Japanese and are fans of this anime and have been keeping up, you can download the premiere episode of season 2 here: http://evetaku.com/blog/2013/01/akb0048-episode-14-next-stage-01-released/

My thoughts on the premiere of "AKB0048"

I just recently got finished watching the debut of the anime based on the very popular J-Pop idol group AKB48 called "AKB0048"! And to be quite honest, it is very different from your usual anime that you find watching nowadays. Like I said on the last episode of The Nerd Fortress Podcast before the hiatus, I have no idea what is is about stories with a post apocalyptic future with an oppressive government that feels like that they have to have control of everything or vice versa, but it just absolutely fascinates me!

AKB0048 tells the story of 4 teens who decide to audition to become members of the fictional group AKB0048 that are the successors to the real life popular Japanese Pop idol group AKB48  in a dystopian future where music is deemed illegal after an interplanetary war broke out where the Earth's ecosystem was damaged, and humanity was forced to flee the planet.

Not only does AKB0048 perform free concerts, they also take up arms to defend not only their careers, but their fans as well from the illegal ban on art and entertainment which also labels the idols as terrorists! And did I forget to mention that there are giant mechas in this anime also? 

Unfortunately, the only way for you to experience the anime for yourself is to download the first episode at http://evetaku.com/blog/2012/04/akb0048-episode-01-released/ since the Youtube video I previously had posted has been taken down because of a copyright claim!

Also, some of the members of AKB48 like Sumire Sato, Mayu Watanabe, and Amina Sato voice the 77th generation trainees of AKB0048 while popular voice actresses such as Mamiko Noto known for her work on the Japanese versions of Gunslinger Girl, Hell Girl, Witchblade, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, and many others voicing the real life AKB48 member Haruna Kojima, Yukari Tamura, known for her works on the Japanese versions of games like Soul Calibur II, III, and IV, NIGHTS: Journey into Dreams, and Star Ocean: First Departure, as well as animes like Ouran High School Host Club, Fullmetal Panic!: The Second Raid, and S-CRY-ed, as well as the voice of Navi on the 35th anniversary season of Toei's Super Sentai Series, Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger as real life AKB48 member Mayu Watanabe among others!

If your a fan of AKB48 or are a fan of action and sci-fi anime like the Gundam series, then this anime is definitely worth checking out! Sadly, I don't think this anime will be dubbed into English and given a North American release since AKB48 is mostly considered either underground or unknown in the American music market that is vastly different to the Japanese music market in Japan!

So don't feel bad about downloading fan-subs of this American AKB48 fans!