This review is spoilerfree This review was completely overhauled and though the opinions and final rating remain the same maybe youd be interesting in seeing what the previous versionhttps://archive.ph/NEt2Y that had a 21/22 agreement rating was Its very hard for me to talk about this manga. Since I posted this review a few months ago I came back to edit bits of it every month because I thought that I didnt convey my feelings well enough and now after 9 months Im completely rewriting it. I love this manga and I want to share that love with others but at the same time I know this manga isnt for everyone and I dont wanna give expectations that will be betrayed if someone reads it and it isnt their cup of tea. With that out of my chest lets talk about the manga. So what exactly is this manga is about? By now Im sure youve read the synopsis so let me tell you what the synopsis DOESNT tell you. This manga tells the story of the protagonists journey through the rankings of the biggest idol group in Japan AKB48 all in order to help the girl he loves reach the top of the idol world. Though this sounds romantic its important to note that romance while everpresent is also secondary to the main progression of plot: this manga is first and foremost about the protagonist adventures as a male who is somewhere he shouldnt be. So what are the protagonists adventures? Throughout the manga Minoru and his companions are subject to multiple challenges be it competitors unreachable goals or even haters theres always something blocking their pathes to success. And its the journey that the protagonist and all other characters take in order to force their way through these obstacles that make this manga so captivating. The true appeal of this manga is how these obstacles are depicted and how the characters face them. I think its safe to say that the main theme of this manga is hard work. Alongside the protagonists journey many different faces show up as friends and foes. Minoru and Hiroko are the main characters but you also have Okabe and Alice as great companions to them. You can also find real life people that are part of the story like Takahashi Minami or Maeda Atsuko. These characters not only add a lot of interesting moments to the journey but also have their own backstories and personal conflicts which lead to a fun dynamic story with lots of developments. All characters have some relatable aspect to them and the more you read it the more you find yourself rooting for their success. Now I also need to emphasize one thing: this manga was sponsored by the real group AKB48 so dont expect it to show the dirty side of the idol industry. Of course itll try selling a perfect image of the industry one that we all know isnt really true. If you dont like that chances are youll not enjoy it too much. It needs to be said that this manga never feels like a promotion of the real idol group it just doesnt show the dark side of the idol industry. Personally I dont really care since I am not the target audience and I cant consume the product they offer at all so I can enjoy the story with no qualms but I also can understand someone who thinks its pretty lame and thus feel like leaving this warning. Overall this manga tells a really good story about hard work has characters youll fall in love with and root for and I really couldnt recommend it any more to anyone. All you need to keep in mind is that while love is one of the themes of this manga romantic development is not the main focus and not the reason you should read AKB49. If thats what youre looking for youre better off reading something else because AKB49 isnt as much about that as it is about other things. I love the characters their motivations their arcs the story everything really and I hope that if youve read until this point you give it a chance. If this manga has on you even 1 of the impact it had on me I will be glad that my review was worth it because I really really love this manga. And in case youre still on the fence I would recommend you reading until chapter 37 which is when the first arc ends and you can grasp how the manga will work. Thank you for reading my love letter. 220https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/559187369861840910/1020809956376719411/AKB49RenaiKinshiJoureiChapter3820.png