A simple mini profile on each AKB girl, seeing how I happen to be very left behind when it comes to my super long screen capped ones XD And with girls graduating and being added left and right, it gets confusing even for the fans! Every thumbnail leads to a bigger version of the picture, and if you click on the girl’s name you will be able to watch her perform one of her unit songs. I chose the units in which each girl was more recognizable, so I hope that this is helpful at all.

Team A

1. Maeda Atsuko (Acchan): Also known as the face of AKB. Has been front and center in every single since the group formed. Fans have a bitter sweet relationship with her because she can look like she doesn’t give a damn at times.

2. Takajo Aki (Akicha): The Kenkyuusei (aka idol in training) who got promoted to a team the fastest in AKB history. Known for her incredibly awkward MCs and her cute face that has dubbed her the Manoeri of AKB.

3.  Minegishi Minami (Miichan): Known for being the best dancer of AKB, and also, the most mischievous loli in Team A. Relevant feature that you might recognize her for would be her asymmetrical face.

4. Takahashi Minami (Takamina): The voice of AKB, always featured prominently in almost every single. She is also known for being a bit of a tsundere and teasing all the new Team A members.

5. Kojima Haruna (Kojiharu/Harunyan): Known as the beauty of Team A, especially recognizable for her big ears and pretty lips. She’s a bit of a klutz, which makes her all the more entertaining.

6. Itano Tomomi (Tomochin): The “gyaru” of AKB, stylish and cool. Also known for her great dance skills and her ability to make you go MOE whenever you see her.

7. Shinoda Mariko (Mariko-sama): The model. She’s tall, glamourous and beautiful. And she also happens to model more that she performs at the theater, but this doesn’t stop her from getting spotlight in every single AKB release. Used to work at the AKB Cafe in the AKB Theater.

8. Kitahara Rie (Kitarie): Was a Kenkyuusei and then got promoted to Team A. Known for her beautiful black hair and radiant smile, currently being pushed as a frontgirl. (Special Cat Trivia: She’s my favorite Team A member!)

9. Fujie Reina (Reinyan): Started out as a cutesie Kenkyuusei and then evolved into a powerful performer. Famous for her unexpectedly deep voice and her close friendship with former A member Oshima Mai

10. Miyazaki Miho (Myao): Another former Kenkyuusei who got promoted to the spotlight of Team A. Myao is the newest Team A front girl, and she is know for being the cutest girl to ever walk the Earth.

11. Sato Amina (Amina): As a Kenkyuusei, she was disliked by some fans because of her helium pitched voice, but her spunky character and great stage presence have gained her a loyal fanbase now that she’s a full fledged member.

12. Sato Yukari (Yukarin): Gravure queen of Team A, has more solo DVDs than all of the front girls combined, and also serves as comedy relief in concerts. Has never stopped being an underdog, but still performs with a very cocky attitude that I find hilarious and endearing at the same time. (Special Cat Trivia: Favorite original member left in Team A)

13. Nakata Chisato (Chiichan): Chisato was also a Kenkyuusei before she got added to team A. She’s a very sweet girl with the longest hair ever.

Team K

1. Oshima Yuko (Korisu): Quintessential K frontgirl and actress extraordinaire. Yuko’s huge eyes and squirrel smile make her look ultra cute beyond her age, but her character is more on the goofy side. She is also capable of performing in a very powerful and sexy way, so watch out for her at concerts. (Special Cat Trvia: Favorite AKB48 member ever!)

2. Akimoto Sayaka (Sayaka): The unofficial leader of Team K. A vocal powerhouse and also, the strongest Team K dancer. You will recognize her because of her exotic features, as she’s half filipina. She’s the ultimate tsundere, being a black belt in aikido, yet having a caring and sensitive personality deep down.

3. Miyazawa Sae (GENKING): “King” of high energy. Sae is a REALLY energetic girl. She jumps and screams all over the place whenever she’s allowed to. But she’s also a wonderful performer when she has to be sexy or emo or whatever. Known for being Sayaka’s BFF.

4. Noro Kayo (Nontii): Constantly teased because of her weight, even though she isn’t even chubby by H!P standards. She’s a funny girl with a killer voice and perfect dance moves.

5. Sato Natsuki (Nacchi): Known as Nonti’s partner in crime, they form the comedy duo “Nacchinon” and rock MCs at big concerts. Nacchi is recognizable as the talented girl who only gets funny units, but I hope that changes in K5. Other talents of hers include eating salad endlessly and she’s also going to one of the top universities in Japan. Woot.

6. Kobayashi Kana (Kana): Kana is the dumbest girl in the whole history of Idols. Think Tsuji is an idiot? Kana can’t even multiply! But we all love her because she’s incredibly pretty and also quite a funny character. She’s recently getting her very own gravure DVD too!

7. Chikano Rina (Chikarina): She thinks she is a dinosaur. She was a Kenkyuusei and got promoted fairly recently. She’s a good performer with nice dance skills and a great voice, but she doesn’t really look like a dinosaur at all…

8. Naruse Risa (Naruru): A scrawny girl with a fierce attitude. She’s the skinniest girl in all of AKB48 but still manages to rock the stage. She’s recently injured, so she’ll be out for quite a while… Talk about pushing yourself too hard! (Special Cat Trivia: She’s my favorite Kenkyuusei turned member)

9. Oku Manami (Maachan): Recognizable because she doesn’t look japanese at all. And nobody knows what her other half is. She’s not very well liked by some fans because she doesn’t smile much, but screw them, I think she’s adorable anyway.

10. Ono Erena (Erepyon): Used to be the cute little girl of Team K and then grew up. She’s one of the most popular AKB members and has developed a bit of an attitude through the years, especially picking on the older members. She’s probably the prettiest girl in AKB, even though pictures don’t do her justice at all.

11. Matsubara Natsumi (Nattsumii): A quiet and gentle girl who looks a lot like Natsuyaki Miyabi. She’s a very good performer, but never gets enough credit for it. She’s also the AKB girl who looks the hottest in pants. (Special Cat Trivia: She’s my underdog of choice)

12. Umeda Ayaka (Umechan): Formerly known as “Kyura” (you know, Dracula? or Dorakyura?) because of her fangs. She got them removed and now looks hot. The best dancer of Team K, and a bit of a dork as well.

13. Kuramochi Asuka (Mochi): Another Kenkyuusei turned member. She has a beautiful deep voice and cute rabbit teeth that make her very recognizable. She also happens to be insanely hot. She’s being pushed to the front, so thankfully, her talent won’t go to waste.

14. Masuda Yuka (Yuka): Even Takamina lovers admit that she’s the best singer in AKB. Her powerful pipes make any song where she’s featured a classic. Also known for being unfairly shafted in most singles yet shining on stage units.

15. Ohori Megumi (Meetan/Meshibe): This girl needs no introduction. Love her or hate her, chances are that if you’re a Jpop fan, you’ve heard of her. She’s still the only AKB48 soloist, and the perviest idol ever. She’s famous for her blog pics of hugging and kissing other members and for her sweet hip joint

16. Kasai Tomomi (Tomomi-chan/Tomo): She’s the princess of Team K, an anime character brought to life. Her droopy eyes make her look a bit emo at times, but she’s usually quite cheerful. She also happens to be systematically chosen for all L style songs in AKB…

Team B

1. Kohara Haruka (Ohimesama): She looks like Tsugunaga Momoko’s older hotter sister. And her voice also resembles her. She’s a former Cafe Girl, then Kenkyuusei, who really wanted to go to Team A, but went to B instead. Bummer. She’s a very polished performer, with great dance moves. She still clashes a bit in team B, but hopefully, that’ll change in time.

2. Saeki Mika (Mikacchi): She rarely smiles in pictures, yet she’s not hated for it like Oku… Wota’s are unpredictable like that. Mikacchi is a very fragile looking girl with lots of spunk and a great voice. She’s been injured for quite a while so she’ll be out of the theater for 6 months. Let’s hope that she recovers soon so that we can see her fire up the stage again!

3. Sashihara Rino (Sasshi): She got the hardest job when she was chosen to replace Ayarin back when she was fired. Still, she proved herself as a talented and hard working girl. She’s also been given a huge push as a Team B front girl now, so you’ll probably see her often in singles and stuff.

4. Nito Moeno (Moechin): Improvised nickname is improvised. Anyway, Moeno is a girl with a great voice and a wonky eye, so all of you Tanaka Reina fans might adore her instantly. She works very hard, as she’s the replacement of Oshima Yuko in Team K, and Yuko’s absent most of the time XD

5. Katayama Haruka (Haachan): The girl with an older sister character, she’s very caring and nice, but on stage she’s just FIERCE! I think of her as the Masuda Yuka of Team B because she usually gets big parts in stages, but hasn’t been chosen for a single yet. Great voice and great stage presence. (Special Cat Trivia: She’s my favorite team B member)

6. Tanabe Miku (Tanamin): She never got a single line in a song until B4, where she rocks her unit song. Tanamin is recognizable because of her beautiful traditional japanese features and her elegance on stage, because she used to do ballet.

7. Watanabe Mayu (Mayuyu): The Team B frontgirl. A tiny cute girl with a soulstealing gaze. She also happens to have the most squeaky voice in Akihabara, but she works with it and doesn’t sound grating most of the time. You’ll recognize her because she’s just damn cute and pretty.

8. Nakatsuka Tomomi (Chris): A good performer, although she can look a bit dorky at times. She was a Kenkyuusei before, but not a very famous one, admittedly. Seems to enjoy herself a lot on performances.

9. Kashiwagi Yuki (Yukirin): The other B frontgirl along with Mayuyu. She was the girl who auditioned for 8th gen that we were all rooting for back then, and she really shines in Team B. She has the most beautiful voice in the Team, and she’s also improved a lot in the dancing department XD She’s also very fun to watch because of her insane reactions to almost anything. And her eyes are really BIG.

10. Oota Aika (Lovetan): A cheeky loli who has admitted to being a wota. She looks super cute and adorable and then backfires a witty comment… She can also twirl the baton like a pro. How cute.

11. Hirajima Natsumi (Nacchan): She used to be the biggest underdog of Team A and then she got transfered to Team B where she became the star. Nacchan has a huge fanbase, she’s kind of crazy, she’s super energetic and she’s really fun to watch, mainly because she seems to be on crack most of the time XD

12. Yonezawa Rumi (Yonechan): She evolved from a big sister character to the hottie of Team B. She’s always smiling which makes her very endearing, but it’s when she stops smiling that she looks sexiest XD

13. Urano Kazumi (CinDy): She wears a tiara all the time and that’s why you’ll recognize her XD She was also a Team A underdog before getting transferred to Team B where she calls the shots and keeps the crazy lolis under control. She’s insanely fun during MCs because of her fast thinking and her ability to make fun of herself.

14. Nakaya Sayaka (Nakayan): She used to be the “glasses girl” of AKB48, but now she doesn’t wear them anymore. She’s a shy girl with a pretty voice, and a special fun fact is that she appears in almost all units in stages, because she’s almost never absent so she replaces the girls who are. This is great for her fans because we get to see her in everything!

15. Nakagawa Haruka (Harugon): A girl who is tomboyish and energetic. She’s also known for having a very… peculiar kind of voice.

Graduated Members (yes they are VERY important)

1. Usami Yuki: Former A member. Graduated during their first stage, where she was part of the Hoshi no Ondo unit. She’s doing gravure now, and she appears in the A1 DVD, in case you want to check her out.

2. Uemura Ayako: I included her here for the sake of having a complete list She was a Team K member who left like a month after her debut. I don’t even know what she looks like XD

3. Takada Ayana (Takatan): Ayana was a K member who graduated after K3, she was a friendly girl who looked after the others, but everyone remembers her as “the chubby girl”.

4. Imai Yu: Yu graduated after K3 as well, and she composed a song for the occasion, “Arigatou”. I liked her because of her strong personality, she reminded me a bit of a nicer Nakazawa Yuuko.

5. Orii Ayumi (Ayu-nee): One of the girls I miss the most D: Ayumi was a Team A member, she graduated after A3, but has remained close to the group ever since. She was like a leader figure of Team A back in the day, and Namida no Shounan will never be the same without her…

6. Hoshino Michiru (Chiruchiru): Michiru was a Team A member who graduated after A4. She was a very special member because she’s a great singer and also a songwriter. Her graduation song, “Ganbare” is featured in the A4 DVD so check it out! Also, technically, she was the first AKB soloist with her “Boku no Hana” release for Densen Uta.

7. Watanabe Shiho: Shiho was a team A member who got transferred to Team B and graduated after B1. She was a very ladylike girl and a good singer.

8. Inoue Naru (Naruppe): Team B member who graduated suddenly during the run of B3. Naru was one of the best singers of Team B, and her sudden leave was quite shocking for the fans.

9. Matsuoka Yuki (Matsuyuki): Matsuyuki graduated after B3 as well. She was kind of popular overseas, because of her good english skills, but not much of a hit with the japanese fans.

10. Hayano Kaoru (Kaorin): Graduated on the K4 finale, a cute and smart girl who was always smiling. Also, the smartest underdog of Team K She has an agency, so she’ll probably pop up again soon

11. Oshima Mai (Maimai): Graduated during the run of A5, Maimai was one of the most popular Team A members, being featured as the MC in AKBINGO often and appearing in magazines and TV everyday.

12. Masuyama Kayano (Kayap): A little girl who was a Team A member and graduated after A4. Kaya was all smiles making her absolutely lovable. She graduated to become a full time actress.

13. Kawasaki Nozomi (Nozofisu): Nozomi was a Team A member who graduated during A5. She was also the most famous AKB gravure model. She left to open her own boutique and clothes line.

14. Tojima Hana (Hana): Hana was a Team A member who graduated after A4R. She was famous for comparing herself to a lion and for being a really fierce performer on stage. Check out more info on her at http://www.tojimahana.com

15. Narita Risa: Risa was  team A member who graduated after A4R. She was given a front girl spot in the Skirt, Hirari PV, but not really a lot of recognition beyond that. She graduated to become a gravure model.

16. Komatani Hitomi (Hiichan): A former Team A member who graduated after A4R. She was famous for her close friendship with Kojima Haruna. She graduated to become a gravure model.

17. Nakanishi Rina (Rinatin): A prominent Team A member who graduated after A4R. She was also featured as the lead vocal of the Chocolove subunit. Graduated to become a gravure model.

18. Ohe Tomomi (Ohyay): A wacky Team A member who graduated after A4R. She was famous for her friendship with Tojima Hana and her quirky personality. She’s a gravure model now.

19. Noguchi Reina (Gussan): A crazy and happy Team B member who graduated after B3. She was famous for being an airhead and making random funny comments about inanimated objects.