that "when she read the manga, she felt like she was in that dressing room as illustrated by the author.". Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀) AKB48 team B's leader. Mayu Watanabe (渡辺 麻友) AKB48 team B member. Yasushi Akimoto (秋元 康) The producer of AKB48. He is also featured in this manga as the producer of this group. Tomonobu Togasaki (戸賀崎 智信) The manager of the AKB48 Theater. Media Manga AKB49: Renai Kinshi Jourei was first announced by AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto on 5 August 2010. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 25 August 2010, to 20 January 2016. Kodansha released twenty-nine tankōbon volumes from 17 December 2010, to 17 March 2016. AKB49: Renai Kinshi Jourei is the first manga to be based on the group AKB48, although some of its members have been featured in the manga Den no Uyugi Club and Ugirino. Volume list Stage play The first five volumes of the manga were adapted for a stage play, directed by Kayano Isamu. The play was performed from September 11 to September 16, 2014 in Shibuya AiiA Theater in Tokyo. Various members of AKB48 and its sister groups were cast for the musical, with Sae Miyazawa taking the male lead role of Minoru. Other main cast roles are played by Akari Suda (Ai Okabe), Mako Kojima, and Nana Owada (sharing the role of Hiroko). On January 10, 2015, it was announced that a second edition of the musical would be performed by March in Nagoya, this time focusing on a cast of actors chosen exclusively from sister group SKE48. The main cast roles would be played by Nao Furuhata (as Minoru Urayama), Akane Takayanagi (as Ai Otabe), Ryoha Kitagawa and Ami Miyamae (double cast as Hiroko Yoshinaga). References Notes External links 2010 manga AKB48 Cross-dressing in anime and manga Japanese idols in anime and manga Music in anime and manga Shōnen manga