AKB0048

In a dystopian future where music is deemed illegal, AKB0048, successors to the idol group AKB48, rebel against the government to bring music to people's hearts. In the year 0048, three thirteen year old girls, Nagisa Motomiya, Orine Aida and Yuuka Ichijō, decide to audition to become members of AKB, although Nagisa has trouble singing due to the restrictions placed upon her by her father. As the girls hear they've passed the first round of auditions, Nagisa becomes downhearted as she wouldn't be allowed to go. However, after hearing about Yuuka's and Orine's reasons for wanting to join AKB, Nagisa decides to join Yuuka and Orine and head off to the auditions.

As all the applicants are gathered, they begin intense idol training which, to their surprise, involves combat skills and self defense. The manager, Tsubasa Katagiri, reveals that, in order to be selected, the applicants must protect AKB during a guerilla concert. As Nagisa and Yūka argue about Chieri's change in attitude, they stumble across AKB0048 practising and learn how hard they practise and how their occasional squabbles help improve each other. The day of the concert come and the applicants find themselves up against the DES, with many of the girls failing under pressure. As Nagisa and Chieri fight together, Chieri gets shot whilst protecting Nagisa. Thankfully, it is revealed the DES attack was simply a simulation using paint balls. Having taken note of their friendship and teamwork, Tsubasa announces that Nagisa, Chieri, Yūka, Orine, Suzuko, Makoto and Sonata have all successfully passed and will become the 77th generation understudies.

As the trainees are given a day off from their lessons, the girls split off into various groups doing various activities with their seniors. Nagisa decides to follow Chieri as she goes shopping, where they meet up with Yūko, who tells them about the last successor of Atsuko Maeda who disappeared during a concert. Meanwhile, Suzuko and Sonata becomes curious about AKB0048's producer, Sensei-Sensei, whilst Yūka and Orine meet with Tomomi Itano and her ancestors. As all of the current members teach the trainees about what gives them inspiration, Nagisa and Chieri decide to follow in Yūko's footsteps.

With some of the AKB successors attending a peace ceremony, Kanata, Mimori, Chieri and 76th gen understudy Megumi are chosen to be stand-ins for the next concert. As Chieri's standing in for Yūko invokes jealousy from the 76th gen understudies, they dig up dirt on how her father is a manufacturer of DES weapons. Chieri explains to Nagisa about how she ran away from home when she heard her father's machines were being used by DES. As Kanata chases after Chieri, reminding her that her father should not affect her dream, Minami, Yūko and some other successors who believe Kanata should be made into a successor follow Tsubasa to where she meets Sensei-Sensei. There, they discover a cave full of Kirara, which shows a mirror of who succeeds the original AKB48 member, predicting Kanata will succeed Minami, who does not take it well.

Due to Minami's injuries, Kanata is asked to fill in for her in an upcoming concert on the snowy planet Thundristar, much to Minami's dismay. As the understudies explore the planet and see how people under the entertainment ban are like, they meet a group of young fans who are looking forward to the concert. As Nagisa sings to cheer them up, Tsubasa decides to hold a multiple co-ordinated concert with the understudies in order to distract the DES whilst the main concert takes place. Before the concert begins, Minami demands to participate despite her injuries, much to Kanata's disappointment. As Kanata escorts Minami after she comes down with a fever at the end of the concert, Minami understands a bit more about Kanata's passion and once again feels she deserves to be Minami more than herself.

Nagisa, Chieri and Orine manage to evade capture until they are rescued by the WOTA, who offer to help Nagisa rescue her father. Arriving at the detention center, Kanata and Yūka join the WOTA forces in diversionary tactics whilst the rest of the understudies sneak in underground. However, Nagisa's father refuses to be rescued and they are forced to retreat empty handed. Whilst recouping at Yūka's family restaurant, Nagisa hears from Yūka's parents how her father was arrested because he didn't want Nagisa to be forced to quit AKB0048. Due to all the stress she has been feeling, Nagisa ends up losing her voice, so Chieri decides to fill in for her song. Meanwhile, Minami confesses to Yūko that she intends to graduate after the concert, whilst Chieri tells Nagisa not to think about quitting until after their performance.