(L) Azur Lane [anime]

[Infinite Zenith]

It'll take a bit of getting used to after Kantai Collection, but Azur Lane looks to be off to a solid start. The artwork is particularly nice

[serenade_beta]

The general setting is more or less the same as the game, but it is gonna be an original story, I believe. So in that way, kinda like Akiba's Trip or Ga-rei?
I totally wonder how Demonbane's writer (if I recall correctly) shapes this up. I have a friend who likes Demonbane but doesn't play Azur Lane. I'll have to ask his opinions once we are further into the season.

Spoiler for ep1:

I think it was a bit hectic, with a lot of explaining that I guess is necessary to introduce non-players to the setting, but hey, that was cool. The animation was definitely nice, and it was totally funny seeing the stuff like Kaga turning into a giant wolf or Unicorn... being a living being?! Oh yes, and the ships turning into Mental Cubes and forming into weapons. So those ships are unmanned? What happens to the people inside otherwise?

Like I kinda said, stuff like Kaga summoning a wolf spirit is definitely not from the game, so I think it is full of surprises for even players but still gives those players the fanservice of adding minor characters into the background.

Anyways, nice enough start. I really hope the animation quality stays this high throughout the anime.
But it just feels so weird seeing the characters moving.

[Sheba]

I can get behind the girls putting their riggings on a la Saint Seiya. But Unicorn going Pegasus Rider and Kaga riding Ookami? Not so much.

[belatkuro]

>no SKK
Dropped.

It was good. Some dialogues were too exposition-y just to give info to viewers. And too many cut shots to other shipgirl groups just to say that they're also in the anime since most of them are fodder ships in the game. Was fun to see them and remember their names but most are just forgettable.
Definitely made my head scratch when U-chan was alive(?) and even transformed to be ridden. But Kaga's summon was cool and a nice addition. Had low expectations but it's off to a good start.

[Vaans]

I think it would've been better if they made the Commander a character. Also now I know why he can come with them during battles in the game.

But its nice to see my fave ship girls come alive.

Also them pantsu shots.

[Liddo-kun]

Watched episode 1:

Totally enjoyed the first episode. Laffey is funneh.

I like the sleepy girl trope.

[arkhangelsk]

As a person who hadn't played a second of the game, I nevertheless liked the PV and thought it'll be a winner. And I did like the first episode. Lots of action, and let's face it many of the main ships had more character than Fubuki ever did

I'm not sure what's happening since I know nothing of Azur Lane lore, but the concept of the Japanese ships being the bad guys (at least for now) is actually enormously fresh!

I also find the shipgirl design choices interesting and they are more individualistic than much of KanColle. Unicorn is lucky she's in Azur Lane - in KanColle with that body she'll be a kaiboukan...

Originally Posted by Wandering Soul

Japan may have a history of denying their, well history, but I don't recall a single anime where they portrayed Nazi Germany or their own Imperial state as good guys, much less it being the norm.

It is rare to do it head-on, but they'll for example call themselves Fuso and Germany Karlsland and then get on with it (in some Strike Witches maps, China is replaced with a circle, as if the Neuroi ate it or something).

Or how about KanColle - back before the first foreign ships showed up the enemies and battlegrounds were so Anglo-American down to the inch people were thinking they'll never put in American ships. Then they did a heel-face turn, and now ships are integrated without even a single shred of friction.

[Chosen_Hero]

Just saying, but if you are portraying the Pacific theater in WW2 and you have the Enterprise as a character, you can't just change that piece of history. I seriously recommend to people to watch some documentaries on it, the ship to ship battles and the dog fights that happened are some of the most anime things to ever happen in real life.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

So, I tried watching the first episode just to give this show a chance and..........not a solid start for me (or maybe I just don't like the premise in general?).

First off, no real ship battles. Just girls wearing their ships like (barely) armors most of the time or transforming their ship-bodies into WTF animals. Speaking of, what the hell is with the animal traits? It's Strike Witches all over again. It's almost like whoever came up with the story thought that mecha-musume is not enough of a fetish and decided to slap kemono mimi & shippo onto the girls.

Second, no notable strategy to the battles. Just super-powered girls hitting each other with various weapons & projectiles. We already have a lot of that in anime & games. Merely changing the setting to open ocean won't add much excitement, at least not for me.

Third, the girls are bog-standard archetypes (so far) with no apparent charisma & are plagued with uninspired character designs that you've seen done better in other shows. The dialogues are also bland. The only one who managed to catch my attention is Enterprise coz she was mainly "less talk, more action"-kind of character.

Fourth, the story has potential but based on this first episode, I don't know if the show itself realized its own potential.

Originally Posted by arkhangelsk

I'm not sure what's happening since I know nothing of Azur Lane lore, but the concept of the Japanese ships being the bad guys (at least for now) is actually enormously fresh! .

I don't know what's so fresh about it. Arpeggio of Blue Steel already made the entire Japanese fleet as bad guys (or at least they started as such) except for one small submarine (I-401). Arpeggio did it years before Azur Lane game is even concocted (manga: 2009, anime: 2013).

Also, Iron Blood faction? Nowadays, whenever I read those words, this always comes to mind . Man, I hope that faction is as brutal & no-nonsense as Tekkadan .

I guess it's better than Kancolle.....but I think that's damning the show with faint praise.

[AC-Phoenix]

Random user on Abruzzio's Kancole wiki page "She is a plagiat from AL!"

Then, AL's first few minutes: "War. War never changes" I believe with almost, if not exactly, the same thing about era one of the FO games used too. I've heard it in other commercial works too (Tropico 5), but there it got used as a parody.


The girls turning their hulls into rigging is raising some questions , but it's fine. As for Kaga's equipment turning into a nine tailed fox, Sheba pretty much spoke my mind.

Originally Posted by Sheba

But Unicorn going Pegasus Rider and Kaga riding Ookami? Not so much.

Other than that the story seems fine as it is, I just wish they hadn't repeated Kancolle's mistake and made the Admiral an unseen background character (At least for now).
Enterprise seeming more worried about Zuikaku than both CarDiv1s was a nice touch.


What I don't understand is why some people are surprised the Japanese girl's are actually antagonist's, considering how the developers are Chinese and that the two countries relations aren't exactly good. (Just remember that one time Chinese news claimed Japan was building a war-ready Gundam because there was a model at an expo).

Btw guys, that animal Kaga's rigging turned into was supposed to be a fox(like herself), although I admit that I had to go back counting tails too before I got that.



Edit: Oh btw what I forgot... In case Japan was beaten differently in AL, they'll have to explain that later too, otherwise there is no reason not to nuke them after attacking the AL base.

[arkhangelsk]

Originally Posted by AC-Phoenix

Other than that the story seems fine as it is, I just wish they hadn't repeated Kancolle's mistake and made the Admiral an unseen background character (At least for now).

Not everyone likes having an Admiral in a girls' show. That setup was not why the KanColle anime sucked, at least for me. It was Fubuki.

What I don't understand is why some people are surprised the Japanese girl's are actually antagonist's, considering how the developers are Chinese and that the two countries relations aren't exactly good. (Just remember that one time Chinese news claimed Japan was building a war-ready Gundam because there was a model at an expo).

Because it took me a second to remember that Azur Lane is actually made by China. Then I was thinking "Oh, it's Chinese production origin is really showing." and "I'm surprised the Japanese side rolled with this. They could have, for example, just put the spot on the portion where they fought together, since one look at Ayamine and you can see that's where the show will head for eventually"

And then I was feeling very amused and thinking this is actually kind of fresh. Argeppio doesn't really count because for one thing, it's more like all the WWII warships being the antagonists rather than Japan and Germany being the bad guys. For another, the good guy ship, or sub, is Japanese. Oh, BTW, the other "human-owned" ship is German though the manga hasn't put him up for awhile in favor of showing shipgirls (Japanese) preparing for a school festival...

For them to so completely yield the "good guy" spot and accept the "bad guy" spot is ... rare.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by AC-Phoenix

I just wish they hadn't repeated Kancolle's mistake and made the Admiral an unseen background character.

The show is meant to promote the shipgirls. No one needs a random OC taking screentime from them.

[AntonKutovoi]

Beginning of the episode just casually dropping "War. War never changes" line made me go WTF.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

Beginning of the episode just casually dropping "War. War never changes" line made me go WTF.

It's part of a quote by Ulysses S Grant:

“I have never advocated war except as means of peace, so seek peace, but prepare for war. Because war... War never changes. War is like winter and winter is coming.”

[TnAdct1]

Originally Posted by James Rye

I can hardly remember any anime where german nazis were the "good guys".

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, anyone?

[Nachtwandler]

For now I find it better than KanColle. Not great but entertaining so I'll watch it unless it becomes bbad or boring.

Originally Posted by arkhangelsk

Not everyone likes having an Admiral in a girls' show. That setup was not why the KanColle anime sucked, at least for me. It was Fubuki.

That is why I hope they won't make the resident loli trio MCs.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by AC-Phoenix

What I don't understand is why some people are surprised the Japanese girl's are actually antagonist's, considering how the developers are Chinese and that the two countries relations aren't exactly good. (Just remember that one time Chinese news claimed Japan was building a war-ready Gundam because there was a model at an expo).

What a load of... it's not like historically the Axis countries were the ones that lit up the flames of war.

[Friday]

promising....see how the next episode goes

[Random Wanderer]

Hmm. I'll give it a shot.

[Dop]

I was amused by the naming of the factions. Eagle Union, Iron Blood, Sakura Empire and... Royal Navy, which is actually a real name! What, they couldn't think of anything more imaginative to represent Britain? Not even something silly like "Tea Kingdom"?

Unicorn launching Seafires was a nice touch but then I'm a bit of an aviation geek.

Shall give this a few more episodes.