09% Complete: 0048 Handshakes and WOTA

After yesterday's somewhat cursory post about AKB0048, I ended up marathoning the rest of the season (plus a bit of the next) with my bro. What an amazing experience it was indeed.

I'll probably string a few posts along following this quick ride through this series that really surprised me.

First fan letters! This is going to be good right?

For now I'll start at episode 6, an episode about anti-fans and mainly focusing Orine plus their first handshake event. The handshake events are, from what I gather, an actual tradition for the real AKB48. Of course their original, and possibly current, motto was something like "We are the idols you can meet!", which at their main stage at Akihabara was really true when they first started. Though of course, they're now ultra famous so that might not be quite as true anymore.

The anti-fan of the future(?)

Handshaking. The best way to meet your idol.

A great reference introduced in that episode are the WOTA's who are these super fans that do more than loud chants and wotagei. They also protect the idols with their own machines and cyalumissles! They even have their own itasha robots that they use to fight!

Tiger! Fire! Cyber! Fiber! Diver! Viber!

This episode really brought together a greater sense of community with the fans, and brought about more than just bitterness from even the so-called "Antis" or "Haters". It also provides ongoing growth and exposure for the 77th understudies as they aim to be successors.

And now for some assorted episode screencaps.