Posted by OP Sequence
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「出撃の日」 (Shutsugeki no hi)
“Sortie Day”
Hard to believe we’re halfway into fall and shows are still premiering, yet here’s one to bring just that fact to light. After nearly seven years Kancolle returns to the television screen and so far I’ve got say it’s not all that bad. Sure, it’s certainly not all that good, but after the first season I think we’re already one step ahead.
Right out the gate it’s very good to note that Kancolle: Itsuka Ano Umi de is both not a true sequel and still not particularly friendly to those coming to this franchise blind; don’t expect much broad overview here because Kancolle ain’t the easiest franchise to delve into detail with. Basically this show is veritable (PG13) mecha musume fan service, with ship girls aplenty all making their appearance and story given only the bare minimum of explanation. You want to know exactly what’s going on universe-wise and why little chibis are flying miniature planes from samurai-esque flightdecks as armour? The game is there to fill in the blanks and ideally hook you in the process.
What stands out to me so far however is the improved approach; outside of the key ship girls central to this season many of the appearances were cameos (looking at you especially Shimakaze) and the initial plot is very much constrained in terms of knowledge. In a sense it’s what Arknights is doing with its own adaptation this season in emphasizing viewer friendliness over pure fan indulgence, trying hard to straddle the line in a way that infamous first season never did – i.e. going all in on franchise fans over new recruits. I wouldn’t expect it to rise to the imaginative level of say Priconne or Shingeki no Bahamut, but this Kancolle has the right idea in mind and gives me some optimism it won’t completely fall on its face.
Partly giving rise to this optimism is the story this season will follow – or rather the battle it will rip from. While the importance or naval history behind names like Shigure, Mogami, Yamashiro, and Fusou will definitely be lost on the average person, anyone familiar with the Battle of Leyte Gulf will understand exactly who they are and just what happens to all of their real-life ships (though Fusou doesn’t waste much opportunity foreshadowing). In short our motely ship girl crew are on the backfoot, the enemy in the Abyssal are going for the kill, so the plan is one final Hail Mary to try and turn the tide. You can guess how well that worked in real life for the Imperial Japanese Navy, so seeing how this outcome is altered here will be interesting to see, particularly given the improved animation work already on display.
Overall while I don’t expect Kancolle’s latest anime affair to really change minds or seriously grow its fanbase, with structural improvements on display and a plot which will invite some nice tension later on, it’s a show set to right the wrongs which have plagued this franchise’s adaptations to date. We’ll simply have to see what the next couple of episodes hold.
ED Sequence
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Preview
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Death flags everywhere. Let’s see how this one goes. The only one I’m sure will survive till the end of the season is Yamato.
Looking at how they’re using accurate IJN division numbers and with the year in consideration, I guess “Poi” is dead. Same with with most of the cast of the first season too.
I tend to like Kancolle designs, especially the ones with a joystick on ther mechanical parts. But boy do those Fusou sisters look so unbalanced. Every time they show them from the side, I have a hard time figuring out why they don’t fall backwards. XD
Always got a kick out of how Kancolle designed its characters, they’re so ludicrous you cannot help but love them.
Just one more thing indicating how much Azur Lane learned when designing its art and story 😛
“The only one I’m sure will survive till the end of the season is Yamato.”
Considering what this “season” might be going for (if the inclusion of 1944 in the title is any indication), we might see some foreshadowing for Operation Ten-Go.
When I saw the announcements that KanColle: Itsuka Ano Umi de was finally given the green light and would be airing this season (seven years since the first season and six years since the movie, including the ‘Rona-related delay[s]), the main question in my mind has been: “Is this a case of too little, too late?”, especially in the face of competition from Azur Lane (and its two recent anime adaptations released in a relatively short time-span). While I’ll have to wait until I’ve seen the entirety of this season before attempting to answer that question, I wanna start with what was good (and amusing) about the premiere episode.
The good and amusing:
– The animation is definitely a step up from the first season and is pretty comparable to the movie. Of note is the attention to detail to individual moving parts on the kanmusu‘s rigging, like Shigure’s AA guns.
– Speaking of Shigure, her serious personality is a complete contrast from
PoiYuudachi’s genki, gung-ho vibe. Props to Yumi Tanibe’s voice work making a clear distinction between the two (and if I’m gonna be honest, it feels like she hasn’t missed a beat voicing Shigure). And continuing on the topic of voice work/seiyuu fanboying…– Had a little chuckle at the bar scene with Ashigara and Nachi, a.k.a.: “Almost 30 seconds of Risa Taneda talking to herself”.
– Hearing Yui Horie’s voice as Asagumo and Yamagumo, especially after voicing (best maid) Belfast in Azur Lane (and also her “Little”/”-chan” version in Slow Ahead).
– Yamashiro being wound up too tight…and keeping her “I’m so unlucky” (“Fukou dawa”) catchphrase.
– Seeing the fan-favorite “boing-boing destroyers” (Hamakaze and Ushio), and the “tsundere destroyers” (Akebono, Kasumi and Michishio) in anime for the first time. Ditto for other fan-faves like the motherly Ryuuhou (formerly Taigei–moar Yui Ogura, yeah), lethal chef Isokaze, the beaver(hamster?)-like Yukikaze, and more (along with the other returning/surviving kanmusu from the first season and movie).
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Uchuu SenkanYAA-MAA-TOOO! (OT: I miss that Mighty Jingles meme. F**king draconian copyright crap…)And now for the questions:
– Was that Nao Touyama doing the intro narration?
– And since the upcoming operation is the kanmusu-fied version of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, would this mean Samuel B. Roberts, Johnston and Gambier Bay (who are also kanmusu in the game) will be appearing in their Abyssal forms? (Ditto the Abyssal-fied PT boats and “Tin Cans”?)
Stuff I can’t wait for (if any):
– Musashi in all her glory. I wonder if the anime will hew close to how she was sunk IRL?
Can’t really say I’m excited for this as, say, Berserk: The Golden Age – Memorial Edition (I haven’t seen the movie trilogy version), but still interested in seeing if KanColle: Itsuka Ano Umi de is an overall improvement compared to season 1.