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Kantai Collection(Japanese: 艦隊これくしょん, Hepburn: Kantai Korekushon, translated as "Fleet Collection", subtitled as "Fleet Girls Collection"), known as KanColle(艦これ,KanKore) for short, is a 2015 Japanese television anime series created by Diomedéa, based on the game of the same name by Kadokawa Games. The series was announced in September 2013, and aired 12 episodes on Tokyo MX and KBS, and later on other TV stations, between January 8 and March 26, 2015. An animated film, titled KanColle: The Movie(劇場版 艦これ,Gekijō-ban KanKore), was released on November 26, 2016.
The series features Fubuki as the main character, with the storyline based on her point of view. In a world where humanity faces the threat of the abyssal fleet which has taken over the seas, special human girls who don weaponized outfits and possess the spirit of historical naval vessels known as kanmusu(艦娘, literally "fleet girls" or "ship girls") are the only ones capable of countering them. The kanmusu live together at a naval base, where they spend their everyday lives as they train for battle.
Fubuki arrives at the naval base, where she meets other girls that she will eventually fight alongside. Despite lacking adequate combat training, she is recommended into the Third Torpedo Squadron by the admiral, and quickly finds herself sortied into battle. Upon being rescued by Akagi in a dangerous situation, Fubuki strives to do her best in order to train, with the hopes of eventually being able to fight alongside Akagi.
Destroyers
Fubuki (吹雪)
Voiced by: Sumire Uesaka
A newcomer destroyer to the naval base, and assigned to the Third Torpedo Squadron (第三水雷戦隊,Dai-san suirai sentai), Fubuki is the main protagonist of the series. Meek and timid, at the beginning of the series she has no combat experience prior to transferring to the base, and performs poorly at physical activity. She is assigned temporarily to the Southwest Area Fleet (南西方面艦隊,Nansei hōmen kantai) during the Battle of Southwest Area, before being transferred to the Fifth Mobile Fleet (第五遊撃部隊,Dai-go yūgeki butai) during Operation MO and Operation FS, where she earns the respect of her peers, who choose her as their Flagship. Having a deep admiration for Akagi, she dreams of eventually becoming her escort, eventually doing so following her first remodel.
Mutsuki (睦月)
Voiced by: Rina Hidaka
One of the members of the Third Torpedo Squadron. The first kanmusu Fubuki meets on the base, Mutsuki has a cheerful and responsible personality. She is later transferred to the Fourth Fleet (第四艦隊,Dai-yon kantai) with Mogami during Operation FS.
Yūdachi (夕立)
Voiced by: Yumi Tanibe
Another destroyer of the Third Torpedo Squadron, alongside Fubuki and Mutsuki, who has a laid back attitude. She has a verbal tic as she speaks, often inserting "poi" into her sentences. She is later transferred to Naka's fleet during Operation FS, before getting a second remodel and being transferred again to the First Carrier Task Force (第一機動部隊,Dai-ichi kidō butai) (consisting of Akagi).
Kisaragi (如月)
Voiced by: Rina Hidaka
Another destroyer who is instead assigned to the Fourth Torpedo Squadron (第四水雷戦隊,Dai-yon suirai sentai) during the Battle of W island. She has a mature personality, even more mature than her older sister Mutsuki. She is sunk during the Battle of W island.
Yayoi (弥生), Mochizuki (望月)
Voiced by: Rina Hidaka
Two destroyers whom Fubuki and Mutsuki met during the briefing session of the W Island raid. Mochizuki is quite a sleepyhead, while Yayoi is rather emotionless. Both are later assigned to the Fourth Torpedo Squadron during the Battle of W island.
Voiced by: Aya Suzaki
Four destroyers belonging to the Sixth Destroyer Division (第六駆逐隊,Dai-roku kuchikutai) and assigned to the Second Support Fleet (第二支援艦隊,Dai-ni shien kantai) (Akatsuki and Hibiki) and the First Carrier Task Force (Ikazuchi and Inazuma) during the Battle of the Sea in Front of the Naval Base. Akatsuki considers herself an adult lady, while Hibiki tends to speak Russian frequently, rarely saying anything but "хорошо" (Khorosho, "Very well" in Russian), Ikazuchi has a very caring and confident personality, and Inazuma is a timid girl. Akatsuki and Ikazuchi do not get along very well, as they constantly argue about whatever went wrong, such as Inazuma using a flamethrower to boil their curry faster only to end up burning the entire pot, making Inazuma cry and blame herself for the failure.
Shimakaze (島風)
Voiced by: Ayane Sakura
A destroyer who claims herself to be the fastest in her fleet, who assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet during the Battle of Southwest Area. She has a hyperactive personality and tends to jump around rooms like a rabbit while waiting, to the point of forgetting what her next mission is.
Light aircraft carriers
Shōhō (祥鳳)
A light aircraft carrier of another naval base. During Operation MO, She is assigned to the MO Strategy Main Force (MO攻略本隊,Emu Ō Kōryaku Hontai) along with Aoba, Furutaka, Kako and Kinugasa, is sortied along with the Covering Force (掩護部隊,Engo Butai) of Tenryū and Tatsuta, but she is badly damaged by the air raid of enemy aircraft carriers.
Chitose (千歳), Chiyoda (千代田)
Two seaplane carriers briefly appearing in a reconnaissance before Operation MI.
Voiced by: Nao Tōyama
These four battleships are assigned to the Second Support Fleet (Kongō and Hiei) and the Fourth Fleet (Haruna and Kirishima) during the Battle of the Sea in Front of the Naval Base. During the Battle of W island, they operated together as members of the Second Fleet (第二艦隊,Dai-ni kantai), and later as part of the Southwest Area Fleet during the Battle of Southwest Area.
These four kanmusu have different personalities. Kongō is cheerful and has a habit of mixing English words into her speech, reflecting the fact that the ship whose spirit she represents was built in England. Hiei has an elder sister complex towards Kongō, right down to being jealous whenever she is ignored. Haruna is humble and speaks in third person, while Kirishima has a habit of testing microphones.
During Operation MO and Operation FS Kongō is transferred to the Fifth Mobile Fleet, where she operates separate from her sister ships.
Nagato (長門), Mutsu (陸奥)
Voiced by: Ayane Sakura
Two battleships who take on a command role from within the communications room of the naval base, relaying orders from the admiral to the fleets. Nagato does most of the commanding, while Mutsu acts as an assistant. Nagato is the serious and no-nonsense voice of authority but has a soft spot for cute animals and acts gruff to conceal her softer side, while Mutsu is more demure and seductive.
Yamato (大和)
Voiced by: Ayana Taketatsu
The most powerful naval vessel ever floated, she is the navy's trump card and her existence has been kept a secret. She runs a forward base in Truk Lagoon during Operation FS. However, due to her need for large quantities of food and supplies, she has limited experience at sea. Historically, her living conditions were luxurious hence her nickname "Hotel Yamato", a moniker she dislikes.
Light cruisers
Sendai (川内), Jintsū (神通), Naka (那珂)
Voiced by: Ayane Sakura
Three light cruisers belonging to the Third Torpedo Squadron. They give Fubuki different training sessions unique to them. Sendai trains Fubuki in balancing (since Special Type Destroyers tend to randomly lose balance), Jintsū in target accuracy, and Naka in confidence (i.e. smiling and standing out in front of other kanmusu). Jintsū is the flagship of the Third Torpedo Squadron.
These three kanmusu have different characteristics. Sendai looks energetic and loves night battles. Jintsū is gentle and quiet but also responsible. Naka is always active and happy, likes singing and dancing, even identifying herself as the idol of the fleet.
Naka would later be transferred to another fleet which also consists of former Third Torpedo Squadron member Yūdachi during Operation FS.
Others
Mamiya (間宮)
Voiced by: Yui Horie
A food supply ship who works as a chef at the naval base's restaurant and sweets cafe Mamiya(甘味処 間宮,Kanmi-dokoro Mamiya). She mostly makes sweets like parfait for the kanmusu.
The admiral of all the kanmusu, only shown through shadow or first-person view. It's assumed that the faceless and voiceless portrayal is in order to not interfere with the viewers' own vision of the admiral, as the game's admirals are the players themselves. The Admiral's gender is also ambiguous, though Crunchyroll's subtitled release refers to them as male.
Broadcast and distribution
The series is directed by Keizō Kusakawa, with the script written by Jukki Hanada, and features the voice cast from the original game. The show's premiere screening event took place at Shinjuku Piccadilly on December 27, 2014. The series aired in Japan between January 8 and March 26, 2015 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. The series is licensed in Australia by Madman Entertainment. The Blu-ray and DVD editions of the first volume were released on March 27, 2015. The opening theme song is "Miiro" (海色, "Ocean Color") performed by Akino from bless4, and the ending theme is "Fubuki" (吹雪, "Blizzard") by Shiena Nishizawa.
Reception
The first volume of the anime ranked second place within Oricon's weekly anime Blu-ray sales charts during its first week of release, selling 16,789 units and trailing behind the limited edition Blu-ray boxset of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works; the same volume also placed third within the anime DVD sales charts, with 3,184 units sold.
Jonathan Gad of Vice said that the Kantai Collection television anime series is historically revisionist, criticising the show's depiction of the Japanese protagonists being victorious in the Battle of Midway.
