DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 to be continued (DVD)

The idol genre of Asian pop music never really interested me due to it's seemingly over produced and superficially constructed face. But then I got wind of the group known as AKB48 and their "idols you can always meet" concept. It intrigued me and gave me a reason to give this style of music a try. Long story short, it was quite a welcome surprise...from generally wholesome music down to the dignified nature that the girls typically carried themselves with. They definitely earned my respect.This documentary in particular, really captures the human and imperfect charm that AKB48 has. To be sure, this documentary is not a "History of AKB48" (though small tidbits of history and timeline are thrown in). It is mainly a compilation of experiences spanning the entirety of their 2010 year...if that makes sense. It also is jam packed with tons and tons of interviews provided by founding members as well as some newer faces.I could fill this review with tons of details and features about the DVD, but I think the other reviews have done excellently with that, already. Instead, I'll just tell you simply why I particularly enjoyed this documentary. I've seen several different interviews of various idol groups and celebrities and one thing that I particularly disliked was the very superficial answers given as well as the obvious hyper-restraint in the responses due to "damage control" needs. I mean, I understand that, and totally agree that it should exist to a degree. There are also the types that try to over intellectualize things...in the end both types seemed "fake" to me.This Documentary breaks that stereotype. I'm sure there was still some "damage control" to a degree, but Mr. Akimoto really gave these girls significant leeway to express themselves honestly and sincerely. We get to hear the girl that came into the group thinking she had to follow the "bubbly idol" stereotype, but over time she realizes that's not what AKB48 is about and begins to let her own individuality define her character, instead. We hear about the the girl who dislikes AKB48 because of the risk that she may grow too dependent on it...but that she cherishes AKB48 at the same time because of the support and friendships that carried her through. We learn about the girl who turned what would have been a weakness for idols into a unique strength of hers...as well as the slacker girl that took a 180 degree turn in her life because of her involvement with AKB48. And there's tons more.We also get to explore several of the leaders and how each has a unique approach to the role that somehow also adds a unique spice to each of their teams. Finally, even though this documentary doesn't directly approach the topic of AKB48 politics and procedures, just by watching and paying attention you can gain so much information and details concerning that. Apart from all this, it is just plain interesting to see how the japanese idol culture is.As to "extra features"...there really isn't any save for some movie trailers.All in allThe Candid & relaxed nature of this documentary (and it's interviews) made for a very compelling production. It's amazing that girls so young can have very profound tidbits of life wisdom. They really matured a lot in their experiences with AKB48 it seems. Though, this DVD will mostly appeal to AKB fans and such, I think this is a documentary that any musician (professional to amateur) should take the time to watch. There's a lot of good things about music and expression to consider, here. It definitely inspired me to work harder and be more ambitious, myself.As a fun extra note...if you watch this, you'll better understand how closely they modeled the characters in the Japanese anime "AKB0048" to reflect the real members that they are based off of. *EXTR EXTRA NOTE* this is the first of currently 3 AKB48 documentaries...each one spanning a year's time. ALSO IT'S ENGLISH SUBTITLED WITH JAPANESE DUB.

Ok, this documentary is made in mind that those who are watching are already familiar with AKB48, but to be honest, you wouldn't even know about this documentary unless you were so that shouldn't be a problem. Although this English version is a little short compared to the original Japanese it is well worth a watch for any fan of AKB48, especially those who aren't fluent in Japanese and need subtitles.Rather than start from the group's humble beginnings in 2005 where a small group of poorly organised girls poured their hearts out to tiny crowds, To Be Continued follows the group through the year of 2010, a tumultuous time in which their popularity had skyrocketed changing the group forever. Through a series of in-depth interviews we learn more about the emotional struggle of the Team Shuffle and the General Elections as well as the difficulties in preparing for their huge tours to sell-out crowds all around Japan and indeed the world. Seeing the girls at their most vulnerable is truly fascinating. Beneath the smiles and bright lights on stage these girls live a tough life and seeing the real world these girls live in is very interesting.The members interviewed in this version are your standard fan favourites but that's because the English language version was trimmed down quite a bit. The interviews are all quite intriguing and reveal some sides to the girls very different to what we see on stage. And between all that you have the obligatory live shots and snippets of video clips to remind you that it's not all tears and seriousness.As far as special features go, there aren't any. Just some trailers for Japanese movies and the original TV commercials for To Be Continued. Compared to the hours of extra footage in the Japanese version it's pretty poor in comparison, but at least you have a good 2 hours of fully translated AKB goodness to enjoy in the documentary itself. All in all though, it's a great documentary and a must-see for any AKB48 fans that don't have the luxury of being able to speak Japanese.Now if only they could make English versions of the other documentaries it would be even better!

How do you understand how a group (whole bunch) of young ladies, ages 12, 14, 16, etc. that started in 2005 became the BIGGEST Jpop group to hit Japan and maybe Asia and maybe The World? Well begin by studying the beginnings! This DVD covers the beginnnings and interviews some (not all) but some of the most favorite performers the started with the group in 2005 at ages ranging from 14 to 18 years of age). The struggle to learn to sing and dance and when they start in their own theater (8th floor don Quixote) they perform before up to 7 customers and sometimes less. To understand this dvd you should download "A History of AKB48; 8 parts). After playing before almost no one = Bang they explode into Jpop scene in 2010 and 2011. Breaking CD sales records by having 5 hits with over a million CD sale each. Their 2nd Documentary "Show Must Go On" is AKB48 after the March 2011 tsunami hit and how AKB48 responded. Can't wait to get a English sub version. They just released their 3rd documentary "No Flowers without Rain". Coverin scandels and their main performer ("Ace") decided to leave (graduated). Ok you are Not interested. Fine. Don't bother. But just how did this unknown group of no bodies become the biggest Jpop (over 200 members, with groups covering Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and more to come) in Japan. Amazing