KanColle - Master FAQ / Kanmusu List (S1 complete)
Welcome to the Master FAQ thread for the anime series Kantai Collection -KanColle-.
Thanks to its huge popularity in Japan, many western anime fans are curious about the franchise but due to how the game isn't easily accessible for a foreigner, a lot of questions have arised over time.
Here is an FAQ and kanmusu lists for your convenience.
1) What's exactly Kancolle?
Kantai Collection -KanColle- is a browser game involving moe anthropomorphic version of naval warships from the Pacific War, called Kanmusu (literally Fleet girls / Ship girls). The player takes the role of the admiral who is responsible of the fleet management. Several tasks are performed like forming fleets, sending kanmusu to sorties/expeditions, tuning them with equipement and modernization etc.
While there isn't any specific plot whatsoever, players have to fight against a mysterious enemy known as the Abyssal Fleet. The game is split in worlds that contain several maps, and the goal is to clear the maps by deploying Kanmusu there. Pretty much like the concept of the Kanmusu, some maps (moreso in events) are also references to naval battles of the Pacific war.
As the admiral, the player has very little control over the combat system, as fights are dictated by your ships type/stats and RNG. However, the player contribution is quite important prior sortie since they can make critical decision such as choosing certain Kanmusu type for the sortie fleet, as well as equipping their fleet with the appropriate armaments or modernizing them. This is why the game is often described as a "management game" instead of a "tactical game".
The game is online since 23rd April 2013 and recently reached the 3M users cap.
Currently, the game has an oustandingly large cast: 167 unique characters as of 11/18.
They are designed by 21 different artists, and voiced by 34 seiyuu.
2) Why is it so damn popular anyway?
There are a lot of factors to consider. While I'm certain a lot of people caught wind of it because of Shimakaze's design popping everywhere, especially during cosplay events in Japan, it is more complex than that:
Spoiler for Non exhaustive list of the factors contributing to the popularity of the franchise:
-Not difficult to play
While its interface isn't completely user friendly, the game has no complex gameplay whatsoever. The tutorial itself doesn't last more than 10 minutes, and there isn't any intricate input required either.
-Time investment
KanColle is a browser game, not a mobage. As such, it doesn't use any stamina system that would force players to play in order not to waste stamina points. Depending how the player is invested in the game, they can either play several hours per day or only a short period once per week. Due to its lack of immediate need of player input, it is possible to do other things while doing usual quests and other actions with little to no consequence, assuming the player knows what they are doing of course.
The game system doesn't punish players who play very casually, and there isn't any core element that would force players to play more. Even the events are set on long periods so players can take it easy.
And speaking of the events, it is still possible to get the "event exclusive Kanmusu" later on if one couldn't clear the event maps and so on.
-Absence of "pay to win"
Unlike many free to play games, KanColle hardly incite players to make microtransactions whatsoever. While there are paid items, most of them have merely a cosmetic purpose or are not really cost efficient at all.
In general, any player can get the most powerful ships without spending any real money on the game, and item purchases do not give an edge to beat certain challenges.
Of course, certain features, such as dock expansions, are often bought for convenience sake. But these do not give any advantage whatsoever.
-Characters
Even right upon its release, KanColle had a very large and unique cast, with basically no clones in term of characters. They have distinct design and personality with a potential of appeal for a very large audience.
Not only it obviously has its appeal for moe fans, but these characters do have their design, personality and quirks based on the original ships which also appeal military Otaku. In fact, a lot of jokes require history knowledge about the Pacific War in order to understand them.
-Collection
Following the characters' own quirk, the large cast contributes also a feature that is particularly well received in Japan: collection.
Like any other game about collection, some girls are rarer than others, which also give a certain lasting appeal.
-Seiyuu
As stated already, the characters are voiced by many seiyuu, and some of them are quite popular to boot: Touyama Nao, Fujita Saki, Higuchi Yuuka, Sakura Ayane, Taketatsu Ayana, Endou Aya, Horie Yui, etc...
All the girls have at least 30 unique lines for actions taken in the game, which contribute even more to their personality.
-Permanent Death
In KanColle, everything isn't bright and sunny. After all, Kanmusu are fighting against ruthless and unknown enemies who are also using lethal armaments.
Under certain circumstances, it is possible for a Kanmusu's HP to drop to 0, and therefore sink. This mechanic is pretty much a permanent death similar to Fire Emblem series: once a Kanmusu is lost, she cannot be revived at all.
While the triggers for such occurence are known and some counter-measures exist, the risk is real and falls directly under the responsability of the player, as sinking a Kanmusu is not dependant of RNG at all.
Of course, it is possible for players to drop/craft the fallen kanmusu (assuming she is available with such means), but they would have to start from scratch as the new kanmusu is merely a "fresh copy". This means they have to grind her back from lvl1 and re-equip them.
This mechanic naturally make players care about their Kanmusu, even moreso in combination with their personality and rarity.
3) Isn't that an Apologia dedicated to Japan imperialism and the likes?
Far from it. The developpers of KanColle are known for being interested in the ships alone.
This is quite evident as the game gives a lot of details regarding the ships, but battles are never portrayed as a "fun thing to do" nor there is any mention of "nippon banzai" and the likes.
Also, the vast majority of the Kanmusu do not enjoy war at all, and the "Great Empire of Japan" is never mentioned. Even "Japan" is only mentioned once as a mere country, and there is arguably no glorification of the country nor any antagonization for the Allies, who are actually present as allied ships just like the Japanese ships. In fact, more often than not, the game pokes fun at the weird tactical/ship design decisions done by the Japanese.
The game doesn't have any peculiar political message behind its conception and presentation, and it quite obvious since it only refers to history from a trivia and technical perspective.
4) Do I need to play the game to understand the anime?
No, but many points might fly over your head since the adaptation is not destined for complete newcomers. You can still understand the overall plot if you have watched series like Arpeggio of the Blue Steel - Ars Nova, but bear in mind it is quite different, so don't expect it to be a "moe carbon copy". I'm referring to Arpeggio as a series with some shared features, nothing more.
Knowledge of the Pacific War sure helps to understand some quirks of certain characters.
5) What is the anime about then?
Simply put, it follows Fubuki, a destroyer who recently got transferred to the naval base. The story focus on her everyday life as a kanmusu, which isn't completely peaceful as an unknown enemy is threatening the seas. As Fubuki is learning and practising in order to become a reliable ship that can protect everyone, she will have to take part of battles against the Abyssals with other kanmusu.
The series is intended to balance the Slife of Life and the fights, which were confirmed to be set as the following ratio: 70% SoL and 30% fights, the latter being more numerous over time, particularly at the latter part of the series.
6) Isn't that simply Strike Witches and/or Girls und Panzer but with ships?
Yes and no. It indeed does involve girls in a military environment with a much less gritty presentation than their respective source.
However, please bear in mind that unlike SW and GuP, the characters ARE the ships (and not girls piloting/equipping the said ships parts), which means that their design, personality, quirks etc are roughly inspired by the original ship (i.e Kongou speaks gratuitious Engrish because she was built in England).
This also means that the series delivers some jokes that either require game knowledge or history knowledge about the Pacific War. This point is the main reason why the anime is a bit hard to grasp, since the presentation and execution are based on the aforementioned knowledge, which makes immediate understanding a bit harder than SW and GuP, as the latter deliver their overarching plot without direct references to the planes/tanks.
I recommend watching at least the first three episodes as many events and interactions will shed light to the obvious similarities and stark differences between KanColle and SW/GuP.
Please note the overarching plot of the anime is plainly explained with the narration at the start of episode 1. There is nothing more to add considering the franchise context, so it is mainly a matter of whether you appreciate the characters or not.
7) Destroyers, Light Cruisers, etc... I don't have much warships knowledge. Any quick description for them?
Here is a quick description for the different ship types present in the anime from history and game context. I've added their naval classification just in case.
Spoiler for Ship type descriptions:
*Destroyers (DD): these are small warships that boast high maneuverability while being not resource heavy. They were used as escort for larger vessels or convoy, serving as first line of defense. Because of this, they are the most numerous type of ships in any navy, and this is also why most characters in Kancolle are Destroyers.
Game wise, Destroyers are pretty much like their real life counterpart, being mostly not too expensive to deploy or repair. They are fragile, but it is compensated by their high evasion and the cheap repairs. Also, while they don't boast high firepower, they become extremely effective at night. They are also used for route requirements.
*Light Cruisers (CL): these are small to medium warships which are often used for scouting, raiding or escort. They are bigger than destroyers and thus, their range of actions is a bit larger, being able to make more independant actions. Due to this, they were often the flagship of a fleet for the IJN, especially for torpedo squadrons.
Game wise, Light Cruisers are more or less "bigger destroyers" with every stat being higher, although they have less evasion and are a bit more expensive to supply and repair. Similarly to destroyers, they shine during night battles.
*Torpedo Cruisers (CLT): these vessels are "advanced" forms of Light Cruisers, mainly armed with torpedoes, more accurately the mighty Long Lance oxygen torpedoes that were engineered only by the IJN. Their power and very long range were intended to be used during night battles to catch the enemy ships offguard.
Every Kuma-class Light Cruiser was supposed to be remodeled: Kitakami and Ooi were converted to Torpedo cruisers and while there were preparations to do the same for the remaining Kuma-class (Kuma, Tama and Kiso), the plan was aborted because the war shifted to aircrafts domination at that time, making this strategy ineffective. Soon after, Kitakami and Ooi were reconverted to transport ships.
Game wise, Torpedo Cruisers are very effective as they are able to equip Type A Ko-hyoteki, a minisubmarine that allows them to launch a pre-emptive torpedo which occurs right after air strike but before the first shelling phase. This feature allows them to sink or critically damage an enemy ship before any non carrier ships can attack, reducing the number of threats in a very efficient way. Since they still have Light Cruisers stats (albeit with much stronger torpedo stats but punny AA stats as a drawback), they are cost effective snipers, capable of sinking or critically damaging enemy ships, even Battleships. However, they are also very fragile and even more weak to enemy aircraft attacks than the other light cruisers.
*Heavy Cruisers (CA): these are medium warships that are focused on long range attacks while maintaining high speeds. The difference between Heavy and Light cruisers is mostly their gun caliber according to the the Washington Treaty. That said, while Heavy cruisers are sort of "better armed", Light Cruisers were much more beneficial due to being easier to maintain.
Game wise, Heavy Cruisers are much stronger than Destroyers and Light Cruisers, capable of dealing decent to great damage against medium/armored units. While Destroyers and Light Cruisers can only equip 3 equipments (save 2 exceptions), Heavy Cruisers can equip 4 of them which dramatically change their damage output depending of the equipment set. Also, they are pretty resilient with a much higher HP and armor value compared to smaller ships. Of course, their supply requirements and repairs bills are much more steep than the former two ship types, and they cannot attack submarines. Similarly to destroyers and light cruisers, Heavy Cruisers potential is even more notable at night.
Note that there is a variant of this type, Aviation Heavy Cruiser (CAV) who are a bit less powerful and less resilient, but gain the ability to launch bomber seaplanes, making them able to assist in initial air strike and attack submarines to a certain extent.
*Battleships (BB): these are large warships that are considered to be the most powerful vessels due to their battery consisting of high caliber heavy cannons. Although they often served as symbol of power, they quickly lose their prominence to aircraft carriers due to the importance of air superiority during the war. Also, even though they were powerful capital ships, they became more and more vulnerable to much cheaper weapons like torpedoes and mines, which shifted nations strategy during the Pacific War.
Game wise, they are the most powerful kanmusu, dealing major damage to any surface warships while sustaining punishment from most Abyssals. Conversively, they are pretty gluttonous in term of resources for both supplies and repairs. They also have a special feature: if there is at least 1 battleship in battle (be it a Kanmusu or an Abyssal), there will be 2 shelling phases instead of one.
While they have an impressive firepower, they don't have any major power boost at night unlike the other 3 ship types.
Note that there is a variant of this type, Aviation Battleship (BBV) who are a bit less powerful and less resilient, but gain the ability to launch bomber seaplanes, making them able to assist in initial air strike and attack submarines to a certain extent.
*Aircraft Carriers (CV and CVL): these are medium to large warships which served as sailing airbase. They all have a flight deck and facilities in order to arm, resupply, desploy and recover aircrafts. These became the primary capital ships during the Pacific War as air supremacy dictated the tides of battle. As they were very expensive to build, they had to be protected at all cost. This also explains why the Battle of Midway is the most disastrous battle for the IJN as losing Akagi, Kaga, Hiryuu and Souryuu completely destroyed their chances to even regain the air superiority during the war.
Game wise, Aircraft Carriers are very important to seize air superiority/supremacy which gives multiple benefits such as allowing Cruisers and Battleships to trigger special attacks, dealing more damage while limiting damage from enemy aircrafts. They also have an additional attack compared to other ships, which is the initial airstrike right at the start of the battle, before the pre-emptive torpedo phase and the shelling phase. However, not only they are quite expensive to deploy and repair, they also have shortcomings in battle: their accuracy during regular shelling phases is a bit iffy, and they cannot attack if they are half damaged or if the battle occurs at night.
There are 2 type of carriers: standard (CV) and light (CVL). The latter is, as its name suggests, less expensive to maintain but is more fragile and less powerful. However, unlike the standard carriers, light carriers can attack submarines.
8) Is it me or some characters sound a bit the same?
From the very beginning, the game developpers have assigned a seiyuu not just for a character but for a specific class (for instance, Kongou, Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima are all voiced by Touyama Nao). This makes sense, since ships of the same class are often considered as siblings as they are sister ships. Note that this rule isn't always true and that many kanmusu of a given class do not share the same seiyuu.
That said, even with that setup, there are still too many characters, so certain seiyuu were asked to do several kanmusu classes altogether (taking the aforementioned example, Touyama Nao voiced the Kongou Sisters, but also the Takao Sisters, some ships among the Ayanami-class etc).
Since the characters got their popularity due to their design, personality but also voice, the anime staff kept the original seiyuu cast.
Here are the lists of the Kanmusu who were present in each episode. They are all sorted by first appearance with annotation if it is a mere cameo or not and if it is the first time they have appeared in the anime series.
Opening:
[Looking for Shimakaze]
-Houshou-class Light Carrier, HoushouCameoNEW
[Kongou sisters performance]
-Myoukou-class Heavy Cruiser, MyoukouCameo NEW
-Sendai-class Light Cruiser, Naka
[Behind Naka]
-Yuubari-class Light Cruiser, YuubariCameo
-Kuma-class Light Cruiser, TamaCameo
-Kuma-class Light Cruiser, KumaCameo
-Mutsuki-class Destroyer, MochizukiCameo
-Mutsuki-class Destroyer, YayoiCameo
-Mogami-class Heavy Cruiser, MogamiCameo
-Mogami-class Heavy Cruiser, MikumaCameoNEW
-Takao-class Heavy Cruiser, TakaoCameo
-Takao-class Heavy Cruiser, AtagoCameo
[Right side of the Scene]
-Kagerou-class Destroyer, Shiranui Cameo NEW
-Kagerou-class Destroyer, KagerouCameo
[Left side of the Scene, next to Houshou]
-Asashio-class Destroyer, AsashioCameo
-Asashio-class Destroyer, OoshioCameo -Asashio-class Destroyer, MichishioCameo -Shiratsuyu-class Destroyer, ShiratsuyuCameo -Shiratsuyu-class Destroyer, ShigureCameo -Tone-class Heavy Cruiser, ToneCameo
-Tone-class Heavy Cruiser, ChikumaCameo
Master list Please note this list has every character that appeared in the anime listed with notes when they appeared, which might spoil you. You've been warned.
Spoiler for General Roster:
Color code:
*Episodes in teal: Cameo (appears as a background character without any line)
*Episodes in brown: main focus of the episode
For your convenience, here are questions and answers for each episode that shed light to some points you might not have understood. Of course, please be aware that you shouldn't read them before watching the said episode. If something is missing that you are curious about, please feel free to ask.
Episode-related Questions
Spoiler for Episode 1:
-So... why can't they just deploy warships instead of little girls?
Besides the obvious intent of the game design in appealing otaku audience, the reasons why kanmusu are deployed instead of real warships are never disclosed.
However, when you consider the situation at hand, it does make sense, since there are big issues with real ships: costs, management and manpower.
A real warship is awfully expensive due to its construction. That would require major installations, economy driven to this and so forth. This is particularly important since, regardless its era, Japan is a nation that is stuck with very limited natural resources. Since the Abyssal Fleet took the control of the seas, Japan would probably struggle quite a lot if they were to craft operational navy vessels.
Also, maintenance and resources consumption are also a major worry (which is the reason why the real Yamato was hardly dispatched during WWII considering its fuel consumption).
Managing warships is also much more complicated than having simply units that are... well, the size of a human. Logistic involving the warships and their respective equipement, supplies etc, is nothing to laugh at.
Finally, operating a warship require hundreds or even thousands of men who are skilled with naval operations. The same could be said for planes operations.
Therefore, operating that kind of war assets actually make more sense, if these fare efficiently like the actual warships. We can also argue that Kanmusu are much smaller targets to be hit while boasting similar firepower of real ships, which can be said as well for the Abyssals.
Also, there is no indication that the rigging* technology of the Kanmusu are purely manmade and could be from some reverse engineering after the appearance of the Abyssal Fleet. That or the Kanmusu appeared as well from nowhere like them.
In any case, the narration in Episode 1 implies quite well that conventional weapons are ineffective against the Abyssals and that only the Kanmusu can deal with them.
*Please note there was a major mistake in Crunchyroll translation of episode 1. The narrator used the term gisou (艤装) which means a ship rigging, not "outfit". Their arsenal is intended to be described as ship armaments, not just mere clothes whatsoever.
-What are the abyssals, exactly?
The abyssals are the mysterious enemies that are threatening the seas in Kancolle franchise.
In most source materials, their origins and objectives are completely unknown, even to gamers. There are a lot of theories about them, one of them is that they are the "kanmusu form of the Allies' ships". This theory is due to their cannons caliber being in imperial units, but recently, a lot of ships are obviously "corrupted" forms of Kanmusu, denying the assumption that they are Allies ships. Also, even early in the game, there is a certain enemy, Torpedo Cruiser Chi-class, that outright denies that theory, as only the IJN was operating torpedo cruiser.
Thus far, the consensus is that Abyssals are the manifestation of ships from the Pacific War (be it IJN or Allies ships). To be more accurate, the embodiements of the grudge and sorrow of the said ships and crew after sinking during the war.
-What's the deal with Sendai and nighttime?
The Light Cruiser Sendai took part of four naval battles, three of which were night battles. They most likely decided to make her a night battle freak due to her background, but also for the fact that light cruisers in KanColle are very powerful at night.
-Why is Naka acting as if she was an idol?
Naka's entry number in the ship index is 48. Due to this, they designed her as an idol as a reference to the idol group, AKB48.
-What are these Kanji during Fubuki's arming sequence? And why are they reversed?
These are the kanji for Fubuki's sister ships: Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Miyuki, Murakumo and Isonami.
The kanji (and also hiragana and katakana) order is reversed as during WWII, Japanese was read from right to left.
-Why are arrows transforming into planes?
This is a direct reference to the game. Many aircraft carriers like Akagi and Kaga are designed as kyuudou practicioners. So it feels natural to see them shooting arrows that serve as their airplanes.
-Wait, these planes are manned?
Yes. In the game, the kanmusu equipments are maintained by some sort of fairies. These are pretty much the workers at the base, but also those that are manning the Kanmusu's cannons and the likes.
Therefore, they are also pilots of the planes.
-Why didn't the boss move when Akagi started bombarding her?
Remember that the Abyssals have settled bases around to control the seas. That boss, known as the Anchorage Princess, is there as a "base of operation" for the Abyssals of that area. Please note that Abyssals also have structures like Harbors and Islands among their ranks, not only ships.
Spoiler for Episode 2:
-Why did Atago and Akagi assume that Fubuki is damaged?
In the game, when a ship is damaged, you have to put her in a dock so she can be repaired and the way the girls reacted to it in the game painted it as having a bath. Thus the bath serve as the repair facility, hence why Atago and Akagi thought Fubuki was damaged.
-You say damage, but it looks like they just have their clothes ripped off... they can't sink, right?
Bear in mind that while they look like girls, they are actually resilient as they are acting as ships, so don't expect any gruesome dismemberment or wound whatsoever. That said, it isn't really a complete fanservice gimmick, since they really sustain damage to their body and gear.
As I explained earlier, Kanmusu can actually sink under certain circumstances, and it is pretty much a permanent death without any phoenix down gimmick possible after the fact.
-What the hell... 15 hours?!
Indeed. For big ships like Battleships and Aircraft Carriers, even a scratch can take hours to repair. The repair time is also longer if the Kanmusu has a higher level.
Assuming Akagi is high leveled enough, even if she isn't in a critical condition, half of her HP can almost take half-day to repair. Since she got critically damaged, she probably was in the bath ever since that battle the day prio the events of episode 2. This does explain why she had some bubble wrap to kill time, somewhat.
-Did the bucket really cut short the repair time?
Pretty much. This is a direct reference to the game: by doing specific quests and expeditions, you get buckets that are used to instantly complete a repair process, no matter how long it originally was. This is one of the most important items in the game since using advanced ships have a very long repair time and having kanmusu not operational for several hours impairs the admiral progression (there are only 4 repair docks available at most, 2 of them are locked unless you pay a special key to unlock them).
For instance, A lvl 99 Yamato require approximately 32 hours to be repaired if she is critically damaged to the point she only has 1 hp left.
Note that Akagi is often considered a crit magnet, hence why you often see her with a bucket in many fanarts.
-It is already episode 2, but the admiral is still not visible. Why is that?
This is a deliberate decision from the anime staff. The reason is simple: the admiral is actually the player, and thus you are making the decisions when it comes to the fleet management.
Since there are many types of players around, the admiral was imagined and portrayed in various fashion, be it an old veteran, a young greenhorn, an adult woman etc... Therefore, this choice is the least risky at their disposal and contribute to the imagination of the fandom.
Spoiler for Episode 3:
-Why didn't the Admiral and Nagato dispatch Akagi or other large ships for this operation?
Torpedo Squadron forte is their mobility: they were used by the IJN for their ability to be deployed within a quick notice. Due to their mobility, fuel consumption efficiency and also size, Torpedo Squadrons were part of an effective hit-and-run tactic but also for scouting, which is exactly what they needed: luring the island patrols in order to ambush them. This strategy isn't exactly viable with Battleships and especially the Aircraft carriers (even moreso in Kancolle as players' Aircraft Carriers cannot attack at night).
Since it is a night cover attack, this is even more relevant in term of "game mechanics", since Destroyers and Light Cruisers are queens of night battles in Kancolle, easily outperforming larger ships.
Also, due to how slower and bigger Battleships and Carriers are, it would be much easier for the Abyssals to spot them.
Finally, if we were to consider every game mechanic, there are maps that force you to engage it with a light fleet, otherwise you will never reach the boss node.
-Why does Yuubari ask her squadron not to leave her behind?
The Light Cruiser Yuubari wasn't really fast as its boiler was a destroyer type, in order to avoid overweight. Also, the Yuubari was also a ship that was used to test a lot of experimental systems and weapons, which is the reason why the weight was a concern.
As result, Yuubari is often portrayed as a light cruiser who has the short end of a stick, being always late due to either her engine or for being overgeared (she is one of the only 2 light cruisers in the game that can equip 4 equipments, whereas standard Light Cruisers can only equip 3. The other one who can do that is Ooyodo).
This joke was already visible in episode 1: Yuubari actually had trouble to follow Kongou's squadron.
-What were these explosions that obliterated the Abyssals planes?
These explosions were caused by those red shells fired by the Kongou sisters: the Type-3 Shells (三式弾 - Sanshikidan) also known as beehives. The shell has a delay fuse set before firing that detonated it at a certain altitude. The explosion generates a lot of debris in a cone blast, heavily damaging aircrafts nearby.
However, these shells weren't that effective against aircrafts in practice because the blast disrupted smaller AA guns. Furthermore, since these were mainly designed for Battleships, the fire rating of the latter wasn't fast enough to deal with the Allies air supremacy.
That said, the Type-3 shells were very effective against structures due to the spread debris caused by the blast and the incendiary tubes within the shell. As such, the IJN used those shells in some bombardments such as the Henderson field.
In the game, the Type-3 Shells increase the AA stats of the equipped kanmusu and the fleet capability to shoot down enemy planes (slight fleet bonus). Also, certain event bosses take way more damage from Kanmusu equipped with them to reflect the effectiveness of those shells against structures.
-Kisaragi sunk due to a single bomb?! Isn't that a bit exaggerated? How is it handled in the game?
This is a reference to the fate of the actual Destroyer Kisaragi: a bomb from an Allies aircraft landed on her stern where her depth charges were stored. This created a major explosion, sinking her.
Of course, this kind of occurence isn't possible in the game, otherwise it would be absolutely frustrating since the battle system is RNG dependant. There is a single condition that would make a ship sink: if a Kanmusu engages a new battle while already in danger state (below 25%: 大破 - heavily damaged ).
Conversely, even if they were already half damaged or heavily damaged -during- the battle, a Kanmusu cannot sink at all as long as they initially started the fight with more than 25% HP.
Simply put, the anime staff took a more logical approach, because in the game, Kanmusu who weren't heavily damaged prior the battle are simply invincible and would never drop below 1hp, even if they were attacked consecutively by Battleships and the likes.
This is why sinking a ship is not due to RNG: it is the player's responsibility alone. Of course, this is not valid for the anime.
Please note that it is possible to craft/drop another "copy" of the fallen Kanmusu, but in term of game mechanic, the player recover a fresh duplicate and is by no mean the fallen Kanmusu somehow rescued.
Whether or not the anime staff plans to reintroduce Kisaragi is yet to be confirmed.
Spoiler for Episode 4:
-Why are Fubuki and Shimakaze dispatched for that kind of mission? Aren't Destroyers quite weak in general?
Historically, Destroyers are pretty much escorts to capital ships. Not only they are much faster and smaller for scouting, they also serve as "shield" against close range threats.
As for Kancolle, they are needed for certain maps where there are ship requirements for certain routes (I will cover this later on).
In term of the anime, Nagato probably designed Fubuki and Shimakaze for their spec: as explained before by Nagato, Special Destroyers are more suited for battle, and Fubuki is pretty much the first one of such generation. She also needs more experience, even if she can handle herself now.
Meanwhile, Shimakaze is a one kind of super destroyer, boasting a speed close to 41 knots thanks to her engine. In comparison, Fubuki can only go as fast as 38 knots. This is why she is often portrayed prideful when it comes to her speed (she actually boasts about it during her intro).
-So this is Kongou.. wait, is it me or her design is a bit different compared to her sisters? (rigging, hair band, top of the sleeves, socks, boots, etc)
Kongou's design in the anime is actually based on her second remodel, 金剛改二 (Kongou Kai ni), wherea Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima are in their basic/kai form. There isn't much explanations about why they made such distinction, except to put more emphasis that Kongou is the elder sister there.
-I see some drums and all... resources?
These represent the 4 kind of resources used in the game. Fuel is represented by green drums, ammo is represented by brown bullets, steel is represented by grey ingots and bauxite is represented by orange ore.
They have a very specific use in the game and admirals must keep in mind when they want to make sortie or constructions (be it ships or equipments):
*Fuel is used for resupplies, repairs and constructions.
*Ammo is used for resupplies and constructions.
*Steel is used for repairs and constructions.
*Bauxite is used for resupplies for carriers and constructions.
-Is there any weather issue in the game?
No. The situation involving the squall is pretty much anime exclusive, although it does make sense when you consider plane operations.
-Zekamashi?
On the Rensouhou-chan buoy, there is a ぜかまし written on it, which is the reversed hiragana reading of Shimakaze. This became a recurring joke when people discuss about her.
-Rensouhou-chan? You are talking about these little... cannons? What are they?
These are 12.7cm twin gun mount, similar to what Fubuki is using. Instead of using regular weapons, these are... well, "alive" I guess. There isn't really any specific explanation about this, except these are pretty much mascots.
-"Compass fairies"?
This is a reference to the fairies that are manipulating the compass. The compass is the gimmick that dictates where the fleet is going on the map if the player decides to make a sortie. However, the compass direction is mainly decided by the RNG which can lead the fleet to dead ends and undesirable routes.
Because of this, the compass and its fairies are often subject of jokes as they are the major bane of the players: with some bad luck, players might waste lots of resources and time on much rougher routes to the point they might be stalled for a very long time on the same map.
That said, in some specific maps, if the fleet has a specific compositions (i.e at least 2 destroyers etc), the compass will always give the expected direction or at least a higher probability to get the desired direction.
-Kongou talking about the admiral touching her?! What the...?
This is a direct reference to her line when she is "poked too much". In the game, you can click on the flagship of the first fleet who serves as the admiral secretary, and the latter will respond in some fashion. One of them is triggered if you click her too much leading to a unique reaction ranging from being annoyed or amused depending of the Kanmusu.
While it does look completely random here, Kongou actually tried to relieve a bit Fubuki's stress and went a bit too much with her imagination.
-Why is the camera making a close-up on Kirishima's head when they spotted the enemies?
That is because the Kongou sisters' hair bands are actually based on the mast of the real Kongou battleships, which is where the surface radars were placed.
-Why did Fubuki stop moving all of a sudden?
As implied by that scene, Fubuki was pretty much disabled. During the Pacific War, many ships got their engine room hit by a shell or torpedo, which stopped them cold. Here, Fubuki was heavily damaged and could have sink if it wasn't for Kongou's intervention.
-Wait, did Kongou really knocked off that battleship shell?
Battleships are reputed for their very thick armor, and this is reflected in Kancolle by their much better resilience (Armor and HP). Considering Kongou is in her second remodel form and the Ru-class was a regular one, it isn't surprising that Kongou could brush it off easily. Of course, should Kongou face an elite or flagship Ru-class, it is very unlikely she would vainquish them unscathed.
Note that the game has some similar feature, but only for Flagship protection: any non-flagship that isn't heavily damaged can intervene and take damage instead of the flagship. Usually the damage taken is reduced or completely nullified.
Spoiler for Episode 5:
-Why did the admiral decide to reorganize the fleet as a whole?
It is very likely the admiral wanted the Kanmusu to get acquainted with the rest of the fleet in an homogeneous fashion. Sure, some Kanmusu would probably fare better if they have their usual sister ships or partners in the same squadron or task force, but things would go haywire if someone got missing due to maintenance, repair or worse. Also, since squadrons, task forces etc have very different roles, it is very important that all operating crew get accustomed to the roles they may have in the future.
Finally, if conflicts were to arise in the middle of an operation because they weren't getting along beforehand, this could lead to a disastrous result. Hence why the whole fleet reorganization is a good idea, in order to have more flexibility and margin of errors if compulsory / emergency changes are to be done in the future.
-Why do Kaga and Zuikaku hate each other so much?
In the game, Kaga doesn't want to deal with "girls from the Fifth Carrier Divison", while Shoukaku states the Fifth Carrier Division tries to live up the names of the First and Second Carrier Division. Because of this and the fact Zuikaku tries to comply with Shoukaku's wishes, we often see spin-off with Zuikaku trying to get Kaga's attention but to no avail.
The reason is due to the historical reference surrounding the First Carrier Division, the Second Carrier Division and Fifth Carrier division. Historically, the pilots and the crew of the First and Second CarDiv were the veterans, while Fifth CarDiv were the rookies. However, the Fifth CarDiv were assigned to Shoukaku and Zuikaku, which were much more advanced than the First and Second CarDiv carriers: Akagi, Kaga, Souryuu and Hiryuu. Because of the rift of experience between the three divisions, the pilots of the First and Second CarDiv often looked down on the rookie pilots of the Fifth CarDiv. Moreover, the inexperimenced Fifth CarDiv crew also made some mistake, which tarnished even more the reputation of the Fifth CarDiv. For instance, during the Indian Ocean raid, they failed to rearm the torpedo bombers of Shoukaku and Zuikaku for two hours to the point the Second CarDiv had to deploy ahead in the meantime.
Ironically, Shoukaku and Zuikaku had to be repaired and couldn't take part of the operation which lead to the Battle of Midway. After the loss of Akagi, Kaga, Souryuu and Hiryuu, the Fifth CarDiv became the main carrier task force and even inherited the title of First Carrier Division.
This whole story pretty much explains why Kaga can't stand Shoukaku and Zuikaku as a matter of pride.
-Wasn't it dangerous for Fubuki's fleet to go all out just to decide the Flagship?
Actually, the way how the anime has shown this scene is a hint it is actually a reference to "practices" which are the PVP battles in the game.
Twice per day, players may challenge up to 5 player's fleet as practice. However, this isn't a real time pvp battle as the admiral is just fighting against a fleet that is based on the active fleet of the selected player, so nobody has to contact anyone to proceed with a pvp skirmish. Also, there is no penalty in doing so nor actual damage left after the pvp battle. In a sense, it is a very useful feature to get experience for the Kanmusu with absolutely no risk. They would only have to resupply the ship after a battle.
That's why they didn't need buckets for capital ships such as Kongou, Zuikaku and Kaga (otherwise Fubuki, Kitakami and Ooi would have to wait the very next day due to the very long repair time for the other 3), and also why they stopped after 5 skirmishes.
-Why did Fubuki order Kitakami and Ooi to prepare torpedoes for an attack on the port side? In fact, why did she expect the enemy ships to be there?
There are 2 possible explanations:
*Fubuki was planning to cross the T with the enemy squadron. By coming from the enemy right side in a perpendicular trajectory, they would be able to cross the line with the enemy squadron while the latter would struggle to attack with all their guns.
Please check the explanations in the crossing the T wikipedia article for further details.
*Alternatively, if we assume that the Chi-class Torpedo Cruiser and the Fifth Mobile Fleet keep their trajectory straight ahead while they started a head on engagement, it is very likely that the torpedo cruisers would be at each other port side if they ultimately pass each other.
-An impossible Fleet? Why is that?
Simply put, Destroyers, Torpedo Cruisers, Battleships and Carriers have very different functions, so having a fleet composed like that looks like a major mess. Destroyers aren't a problem at all since they are pretty much necessary in virtually all situations although it is a bit meaningless if Fubuki is alone for the first line of defense duty.
Meanwhile, Torpedo Cruisers are specialists in hit and run tactics like Light Cruisers and Destroyers in an usual Torpedo Squadron, which would leave capital ships vulnerable to sneak attacks.
Battleships purpose is the complete opposite, since their advantage is their long-range artillery while being able to sustain punishment. Hence, a progressive march towards the enemy while maintaining a long range barrage of shells would be the most beneficial approach with them.
Finally, Carriers are "indirectly" attacking the enemies with their planes, so the farther they are from the enemies, the better they are.
As you can conclude, their range of actions are completely upside down. One would expect a full fleet of Destroyers, Light Cruisers and Torpedo Cruisers for quick attacks OR Destroyers along with Heavy Cruisers and Battleships to handle the line with long range artillery OR Carriers escorted by Destroyers and Light Cruisers to attack from afar. This is the reason why such fleet composition looks completely whack from a naval perspective.
Likewise, since Destroyers serve as escorts and first line of defense, it wouldn't make sense for a Destroyer to be a flagship except in a flottilla. Since there are even capital ships in Fubuki's fleet, there is even less reason for a destroyer to be the commanding ship.
Ironically, save perhaps the presence of a destroyer, this is a very popular fleet composition in the game, since carriers' aerial strike and torpedo cruisers' pre-emptive torpedoes wear down the enemy fleet effectively even before the actual battle begin. Then the Battleship along with the rest of the fleet can do the clean-up.
Furthermore, players would usually put the destroyer as the flagship because this position is actually quite beneficial for a ship like that: the Flagship in the game has the most safe position, get additional bonus (better accuracy / evasion / chance to score a critical/double attack/cut-in), AND 50% more experience.
Spoiler for Episode 6:
-Expeditions?
A reference to the game. While resources regenerate naturally, this process is quite slow and is capped to a certain value depending of the admiral level. To compensate this issue, admirals can send Kanmusu in expeditions so they can gather resources and/or special items such as buckets, flamethrowers etc.
Since destroyers are quite numerous, cost effective but also required for most expeditions, every admirals keep several destroyers mainly for expeditions, which seems to be the case for the Akatsuki in the anime.
-Why did Akagi react that way when she heard about expeditions?
Akagi is generally the very first Aircraft Carrier for any player, since she is the reward of an early quest while other carriers are hardly obtainable that early. Prior that, players would usually have light carriers instead. The catch is that Akagi consumes way more resources than any other ship at that part of the game, save the Battleships. Also, while light carriers aren't that efficient early on, Akagi is very effective right from the get go, so admirals often deploy her in their main fleet, without realizing how much bauxite she usually consume before it is too late. Because of these 2 points, newcomers are often shocked to witness how much resources Akagi can drain with very few sorties.
Due to those usual reactions with most newbies, Akagi was often described as a heavy eater by the fandom. Thereafter, Akagi is times to times shown as a gag character with a gargantuan appetite in many media such as spin off, doujinshi etc.
Ironically, Kaga is often shown very composed besides her despite she consumes a little more than Akagi.
-Is curry really a special dish in Japan?
Curry was first introduced to Japan in 1872 by cooks working for a British company. At first, it was served in the British style of the time, kind of a curry-flavored beef stew served with bread. It was pretty unusual for the Japanese to have beef and spicy seasonings but it quickly became popular.
The IJN also took notice of the curry dishes and introduced it to their sailors. They appreciated so much that Curry was served every Friday.
-"Raiden"?
Ikazuchi's kanji, 雷, means thunder by itself, but also associate the meaning of thunder in a compound word and is read "rai" in that case. Likewise, Inazuma's kanji, 電, means the flash of lightning, and is read "den" in a compound noun.
If you combine both kanji together, it gives 雷電 (Raiden) which is "Thunder and Lightning".
This "pun" is often used as a joke when people refer to both Ikazuchi and Inazuma at the same time.
-Fast Cooking...? With that huge flamethrower?!
This is another reference to the game. This flamethrower is actually a "high speed construction material" item. Similarly to the high speed repair material (bucket), the flamethrowser is used in the game to immediately terminate a certain process. In this case, it instantly finishes the construction of a ship, regardless if it would take 20 min (average time for a destroyer) or 5 hours (Nagato-class battleship). That's why there was a 20 minutes timer above the curry pot.
-Why were the Akatsuki Sisters so afraid of the hammer noise?
Yet another reference to the game. This sound is played when the admiral "scraps" a Kanmusu, which grants little resources and removes the Kanmusu from the fleet. There is no real explanation to "what actually happen to the Kanmusu" but the producer of the game made a huge implication that the Kanmusu's gear alone is scrapped, while she is relieved of her duty, and thus returning to a normal life.
However, since this is only implied without any clear indication in the game, many fans think the Kanmusu is actually destroyed. This is probably why Akatsuki and her sisters are afraid of it, even if they don't know why.
-Expedition Failure?
As I explained, you send Kanmusu to some expeditions in order to get resources and/or items.
However, not only admirals are limited to the number of fleets they can use as expeditions, the expeditions have certain requirements such as number of ships (i.e minium 2 ships), type of ships (i.e at least 2 DD and 1 CL), flagship levels etc. Should one condition isn't met for the expedition, the expedition will fail and the fleet will come back without any expedition reward.
-Why did Shoukaku complain like that?
Historically, Shoukaku and Zuikaku were deployed together on several occasions. However, Shoukaku got severly damaged several times while Zuikaku was practically unscathed, almost as if Shoukaku was taking all the hits for Zuikaku.
Because of this, Shoukaku is often portrayed as the unlucky big sister in the game, always having the short end of a stick, while Zuikaku is often said to be blessed by the goddess of luck. This trivia is also portrayed this way in some spin off, such as in the manga 'Fubuki, Ganbarimasu' where Shoukaku is suffering from many hazard such as stray rocks etc which should have hit Zuikaku in the first place.
Spoiler for Episode 7:
-"Former Battleship"?
Initially, Kaga's construction started with the intent of building a Tosa-class Battleship. However, due to the Washington Naval Treaty, the IJN had to cancel the constructions of the Tosa-class battleships, and they planned to scrap them, Kaga included.
Since the treaty allowed conversions of battleships or battlecruisers hulls into Aircraft carriers, the IJN planned to use the Battlecruiser Amagi and the Battlecruiser Akagi to build two aircraft carriers. However, Amagi was damaged because of the Great Kanto Earthquake, so Kaga was thus chosen as a replacement for the conversion.
-Why didn't Zuikaku dodge the torpedo? They are "skating" on the water after all.
Some torpedoes during WWII were designed to detonate underneath the enemy ship, since directly colliding and exploding against the enemy ship hull might not be effective against heavy armored ships.
This was achieved by using magnetic detonator acting as a proximity fuse. Note that this wasn't exactly reliable especially at the start of WWII because engineers failed to take in consideration the Earth's magnetic field influence on the ships hull, which made some torpedoes detonate prematurely.
However, considering the setup, the technology used by both sides has to be different and much more advanced compared to WWII. Besides the naval base installations, it is impossible for "regular technology based on 40's armaments" to replicate the same firepower as original warships considering the Kanmusu are of the same size of normal humans.
Henceforth, it is very likely the Kanmusu and Abyssals have reliable magnetic detonators, which explains why they still use torpedoes against each other despite most of them are "skating" on the water. This is also why the torpedo aimed at Zuikaku detonated on Kaga without any apparent collision prior the explosion.
Also, Zuikaku was about to launch her planes, so it was hardly possible for her to proceed with emergency evasion manoeuvres.
Furthermore, due to the torpedo speed and the refraction of the light caused by the water, it was very unlikely she would be able to accurately dodge it.
-Why did Fubuki ask Shoukaku and Zuikaku to join Yuubari's fleet?Wouldn't it best for them to stick with Fubuki and the rest?
As Fubuki implied in that episode, it is too dangerous for Shoukaku and Zuikaku to follow them. Carriers forte is to attack from afar, giving the initiative but also reducing chances of being damaged during an engagement.
If both carriers were to follow Fubuki and the rest, they would be the primary target of the Abyssals and an incident similar to what happened earlier with Kaga might occur. Also, considering how far they were from the initial target, it was correct for Fubuki to assume that the Shoukaku sisters were safe, moreso since Yuubari's fleet was nearby.
-Why is that second Wo-class Abyssal Carrier glowing yellow? The first one didn't have any peculiar aura and had green eyes.
In the game, the Abyssals don't have any level progression whatsoever. Instead, they have different forms, reflecting their stats.
The regular form of the Abyssals don't have any special aura and their hue is generally grey/teal, which was the case for the first Wo-class.
The second category is the "elite" form which is visible due to their red aura (the destroyer which attacked Fubuki in Episode 1 was an Elite I-class).
The third category is the "flagship" form, which features a yellow aura, similar to the second wo-class. Unlike what the name implies, an enemy fleet isn't limited to only one "flagship" unit, so it is possible to have an enemy fleet composed of several "flagship" ships. Of course, they have only one ship that acts as the flagship for the said fleet.
There is also a fourth category which is their "kai" version, featuring a yellow aura and a blue flame around their eyes, similar to Black Rock Shooter.
These categories aren't for show, as the stats difference between these categories is quite large, especially for flagship enemies.
For instance, a flagship Wo-class has twice the armor and HP compared to a regular Wo-class, as well as actual evasion and attack stats (which is pretty much absent for the regular Wo-class). Hence why the second Wo-class was much more resilient than the first one.
This is also why I mentioned back in the Episode 5 question regarding Kongou deflecting a shell fired by a Ru-Class: this one was a regular Ru-class which explains why Kongou didn't really get damaged by the shell. However, if the Ru-class were to be an elite or flagship unit, Kongou would had probably been damaged, from slightly to severely depending of the Ru-class type.
Spoiler for Episode 8:
-Why is Yamato so tense when the word "hotel" is mentioned?Also, isn't she treated quite differently with this extravagant base?
This is a reference to the real Yamato. Not only Yamato boasted the most powerful armaments possible, the crew quarters were also fully equipped with air conditioner and bathrooms while officers were served full course meals and cold ramune thanks to the kitchen having refrigerators. Even some quarters were richly decorated with carpet and other ornaments to boot. Far from having an usual ship environment, Yamato could be likened to a hotel due to these luxurious features.
Meanwhile, there was also a hotel named "Yamato hotel" in China around that time.
Hence people cynically nicknamed her as a hotel considering the name coincidence, the ostentatious crew life and her nearly non-existent battle record.
-Why was Yamato never sent to battle?
Yamato, along with her sister ship Musashi, was the most powerful Battleship ever built, boasting unrivaled 46cm caliber triple cannons. However, as somewhat replicated in KanColle, Yamato's existence was concealed in order to keep her characteristics secrets. Drastic measures were carried out, including large cover sheets at the ship yard where she was built and thorough security measures with the workers such as daily inspections and body search.
Meanwhile, due to her status as the symbol of the Empire and her very steep fuel consumption, Yamato was rarely deployed and she actively took part of a battle only once before being sent to Okinawa for the suicide mission Operation Ten-go.
Regarding KanColle, Yamato is indeed the most resources heavy kanmusu ever, requiring 250 fuel and 350 ammo if she were to use all the supply she had, which is quite enormous even by Battleship standards. For reference, Nagato requires 100 fuel and 160 ammo, which is already a lot. In comparison, Fubuki needs 15 fuel and 20 ammo and Akagi needs 75 fuel and 75 ammo. Generally, deploying Yamato pretty much doubles/triples the supply costs all by herself.
That being said, Yamato's firepower is so great that she can one shot practically any non-boss abyssal or deal critical damage to boss, while being able to sustain most attacks without any problem whatsoever.
Spoiler for Episode 9:
-What's that "remodel" stuff about?
In the game, Kanmusu gain experience points after a battle or an expedition. Similar to your usual game with experience features, Kanmusu gain some stats when they level up, although not significantly. However, once they reach a certain level, the admiral can remodel them, thus increasing their stats. This is the first remodel, which is simply the same kanmusu with an additional 改 (kai) in their name.
However, certain Kanmusu have an additional improvement tier, the second remodel 改二 (kai ni) which increases their stats even further, often in a very dramatic fashion. Not only they gain a much more important stats boost, but they also have a completely new art, which can differ greatly from their original form. In this episode, Yuudachi's design is, as noted by Fubuki, quite different compared to her pre kai ni state.
Likewise, as I explained before, Kongou was shown in the anime in her Kai ni form. Originally, her outfit, headband, riggings etc would be very similar to Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima's, should she be introduced in her normal/kai form.
While it isn't obvious in the anime, Yuudachi's second remodel isn't just looks but also her stats: as noted by Tone, her firepower is beyond what a normal destroyer can do.
Her firepower jumped from 49 to 73, which is quite huge since most destroyers are stuck around 45-50 in their initial remodel. Not only that, but her firepower outmatches every light cruiser if they don't have any equipment (most are stuck around 60-ish). In fact, if it wasn't for the equipment differences and equipment slot disadvantage, Yuudachi could even match regular heavy cruisers.
Note that certain Kanmusu change their ship type upon their first or second remodel, which can lead to undesirable outcome for the admiral. For example, Ise-class and Fusou-class Battleships become Aviation Battleship upon first remodel, which lower their firepower in exchange for the ability to use seaplane bombers and other small stats increases.
Also, some Kanmusu changes are drastic, which includes design but also personality (and in rare occasions, even their name).
Since remodeling is irreversible, admirals have to use their own discretion whether or not they should remodel eligible kanmusu, although it has to be said that it is highly advised in most cases.
Spoiler for Episode 10:
-Wedding dress... really now?
This came a bit out of nowhere, but it is an actual reference to the game.
It is possible for admirals to marry a Kanmusu, only if the former has a "documents and marriage ring" item and the latter is lvl99.
Leveling a Kanmusu to lvl99 isn't an easy task as the experience curve is quite steep around lvl90. In fact, reaching lvl88 is only half of what it is required to grind a Kanmusu from lvl1 to lvl99.
Meanwhile, the required item is obtainable only as a reward of a one time only questline that requires a lvl90+ kanmusu to begin with. That said, it is possible to buy additional marriage items in the in-game shop for 700 yens.
Marriage effects are as follow:
-Immediately level up the married Kanmusu to lvl100, raising the level cap to lvl150 (levels do not have any effect on offensive stats except a hidden accuracy stats. Otherwise, it increases reconnaissance, evasion and anti submarine stats).
-Increases the max HP by a small amount (depends of the Kanmusu)
-Increases the Kanmusu's luck (random between 3-6)
-Decreases fuel and ammo consumption by 15% (does not affect repair costs)
-Features special effects such as the name being slightly pink, a ring icon on the Kanmusu and sakura petals appearing around her if she is the secretary ship
-Adds an additional "poke" line for the secretary role
Overall, this features doesn't give any definite advantage over the same Kanmusu stuck at lvl99, so the vast majority of the players do not see that as a "pay-to-win" mechanic, even moreso since a ring is obtainable without paying anything. For that reason, it isn't uncommon to see admirals marrying light/medium sized Kanmusu without worrying about the "gameplay benefits" which could be more effective on more expensive ships like battleships.
It has to be mentioned that there isn't any marriage limit: a marriage is possible so long the admiral fulfilled the aforementioned conditions. In other words, marrying several Kanmusu or copies of the same Kanmusu is possible. Also, there isn't any "divorce" feature either.
Please note that the actual name of this feature is ケッコンカッコカリ. Since it is in katakana, it "may be argued" that it isn't real marriage since kanji (結婚) aren't used. Meanwhile, if it were to be translated, it would be "marriage (temporary)".
-Unlike Yuudachi, Fubuki didn't really change it seems... was that really a remodel and not just additional equipment?
As Mutsuki stated, the second remodel doesn't always involve major change in term of physical appearance, and Fubuki is indeed one of those Kanmusu who don't really have an outstanding visual change about that.
However, due to her new gear (notably the Anti-Aircraft Fire Director on her left wrist), it is definitely her second remodel, not just the regular first remodel.
Note that her design should have been slightly more altered: the sleeves of her uniform should have changed into black, while the white lines should have been red.
Spoiler for Episode 11:
-What's the deal with Akagi's dream?
Akagi was dreaming about the actual Battle of Midway which explains why the actual Aircraft Carrier Akagi was visible at the end of that sequence, about to be scuttled by the destroyer Maikaze. The dream most likely overlapped both her knowledge (thus the Kanmusu) and the actual events of that battle.
Nagato was about to send a fleet, which is composed quite similarly to Admiral Yamamoto's. Akagi asked Nagato to swap few ships in order to avoid repeating past events, even if she doesn't realize how far they were doing the same things.
This part confirms that Kanmusu don't have actual memories of the ships they are based on, and the events of the Pacific War didn't happen in the anime.
Note that it is quite different in the game, as Kanmusu actually make direct references to real events and even make comments about past operations.
-Any reason why they would need to scuttle her?
Navies have considered that a crippled ship that didn't sink could be salvaged and used later on by their enemies. Not only it would bolster their opponent's war assets, but it could also give critical information about their own ships, be it their weapons (guns, shells and torpedo specs), ammunition storage locations, armor plating and belt of the hull, etc.
For instance, the Akutan Zero is one of the most important discoveries in term of intel got from salvaging an enemy ship/aircraft. This event allowed the USN to figure out the Zero specs and weaknesses.
As for Kancolle, we know from the game that corrupted Kanmusu exist, hence why scuttling Kanmusu still makes sense: a "mercy kill" would be more favorable than letting the Kanmusu dying in the ocean, potentially captured and "converted" by the Abyssals.
-"kawa, kawa, kawa"?
This is a direct reference to actual coded message used in WWII, such as "tora, tora, tora" used when Japanese pilots succeeded in their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
Spoiler for Episode 12:
-So, the Abyssals can speak?
Yes, although thus far, only special bosses actually have a voice and even so, their lines are a bit cryptic. They always have an antagonist speech upon engagement, but once they sink for good, most of them mutter a melancholic line. In fact, some sinking quotes along with a certain resemblance to a Kanmusu give heavy implication they are connected to that Kanmusu or the actual warships.
-Why are Haruna and Hiei surprised that Kirishima removed her glasses?
It is a reference to the game. At a specific time of the day, if Kirishima is the secretary ship, she tells to the Admiral that she can't fight without her glasses, implying she is quite short sighted. Hence why it is surprising for her to remove them during a fight.
-What's that brief fairy appearance when Kaga received that bow from Zuikaku?
This is another reference to the game. There are items that can prevent Kanmusu from sinking, called damage control (aka damecon) and must be equipped to Kanmusu to be effective which means forgoing an equipment slot that could be used for another gear. When a Kanmusu equipped with a damecon sinks, the damecon activates and stop the sinking process. Afterwards, the damecon is consumed as result.
There are 2 types of damecon: the regular repair team and the repair goddess (which is the fairy who appeared in this episode). The former barely save the sunk kanmusu by reviving her with a sliver of HP. In such state, the kanmusu will deal negligible damage but she is safe for the rest of the fight. Meanwhile, the goddess fully restore the kanmusu HP.
For anime consistency sake, it is very likely they didn't want to make Kaga fully healed.
Note these items are very rare: mostly rewards from one-time only quests and event maps. They can be bought with real money, but they are pretty much a last resort option since they use a precious equipment slot after all.
-The princess... evolved...?
This is pretty much anime original content. The airfield princess (nicknamed Henderson field) was a boss for the Ironbottom Sound event (Fall 2013) whereas her other form is the Midway Princess who was a boss for Midway event (Summer 2014). They actually don't have anything in common be it in the game and in reality aside of being a base. As of now, there isn't any Abyssal that change form like that. However, most bosses have a "berserk/serious" mode under certain circumstances.
-What's up with the regeneration?
Another anime original content, although it might be a reference to the boss HP gauge in the game.
In some instances (notably during events), bosses cannot be beaten by simply sinking them once. They actually have a much larger HP pool which requires several engagements to finally defeat them. However, once the HP gauge is depleted, the admiral must sink one last time the boss otherwise they won't be defeated.
In the anime, the regenation is tied to the wo class carriers, although there isn't really any explanation for this.
-Where did Taihou come from? They didn't mention her at all prior this episode. Is she important or something?
We have noticed the presence of Taihou in episode 11, but she indeed doesn't seem to come from another naval district. The popular theory is that the admiral actually left the base in order to find/craft Taihou. In the game, admirals can craft Kanmusu in the facility. That said, for larger kanmusu such as Yamato, they have to proceed with the Large Ship Construction (LSC) where some very rare kanmusu can only be found there. As the name imply, LSC is solely for building medium-large ships, so it is impossible to get more common ships like Destroyers, and even light cruisers are of the rare kind. Of course, it is also much more expensive: minimal construction with LSC require 1500 fuel, 1500 ammo, 2000 steel and 1000 bauxite, capped to 7000 each, while regular construction require at least 30 each, capped to 999.
This much more expensive construction is justified as Taihou has very high specs and has a unique ability: while regular and light carriers cannot launch their planes during shelling phases if they are moderately/heavily damaged, Taihou still can attack even in moderate damage which makes her invaluable.
[Approaching]
-Light Cruiser Ho-class
-Heavy Cruiser Ri-class
-Destroyer I-class
[Outside of the Squall with the Flagship Wo-class]
-Light Cruiser To-class
So, people who unfamilar with game/history understand when the show said ["x division" go to do something]
If you are talking about squadron, this is dependant of the anime since there wasn't any squadron with the 3 sendai, yuudachi, fubuki and mutsuki in actual history
If you are talking about specific points like Carrier Division 1 for Akagi and Kaga etc, I will do that later, but for now it really concern only 6 characters at best in the anime, 2 of them being nothing but cameos.
By the way Klash, just in case people are wondering about the weaponry the girls use, the show goes by the term gisou (艤装). Taken literally, it means the rigging used on a ship (and indeed, it's translated in this way in the Fubuki Gambarimasu 4koma).
Too bad Crunchyroll went with the awfully generic "outfit".
I might actually make some sort of glossary later and/or a list of CR mistakes (that and Mutsuki's "arm" for instance), although right now it is a bit light.
The FAQ has been updated for episode 5. I also updated some points in the general questions as well as some additional questions for Episode 1 and 3.
Kanmusu Lists are also updated. The anime pretty much confirmed that Ooi and Kitakami are torpedo cruisers, so I've corrected the entries and added that note for ship explanations.
@Klashikari
On this line:
Kaga doesn't want to deal with "girls from the First Carrier Divison"
Don't you mean Zuikaku instead of Kaga or Fifth Divison instead of First?
Also you forgot Akagi on ep5 characters list. First appearance on Fubuki's delusion just after the op and actual appearance on Mamiya's shop.
@Klashikari
Shoukaku somehow snuck into Fubuki's fleet roster on your list.
__________________
Those who forget about the past are condemned to repeat it - Santayana
Sidenote: I'm seemingly too dumb for my current keyboard, so if you see the same character twice in a row, when it doesn't belong there just ignore it.
Thanks again for the correction. I should really update both the general roster and the episode list back to back instead of doing them at different time frame.
Klashikari, you missed Akagi (first appearance is when back to the base they talk about her being on the docks), Mutsuki and Yuudachi (the two are on the scene after returning to the base).
Also while they are too far away to properly identify, when Yuubari sortie, isn't the five on the background Kako, Kinugasa, Aoba, Furutaka and Shouhou, considering what Nagato and Mutsu says?
2015-01-31, 14:16
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