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 Kantai Collection
Anime Review
By now, chances are high that the wildly popular Kantai Collection has sailed into your pop culture cross-hairs. KanColle (as it's commonly known) might seem a tad unusual at first, even to otaku: the free-to-play web game features a wide collection of cute girls who're all anthropomorphized Japanese warships from World War II, such as the destroyer Fubuki, the aircraft carrier Akagi, and of course, the iconic battleship Yamato. Just imagine all of these hulking metal boats as cute girls, and you've started to understand the basic premise of KanColle. Let's check in on the latest anime adaption of the game!
The game proper focuses on building a powerful squadron of "fleet girls" and then sending them on various missions. KanColle has gotten so popular that it's gotten a manga, light novels, an upcoming PlayStation Vita game, a tabletop RPG, an arcade trading card game, and countless other iterations. So how does the anime version of KanColle compare?
 We're first introduced to destroyer Fubuki, a fleet girl from the game who is the main character in the anime. She's not exactly the "destroyer" her name implies, and falters at real combat and struggles to hit her targets. However, she puts in effort to learn, and soon starts to improve. Perhaps most notably, she sets a goal for herself: to serve under her idol, the aircraft carrier Akagi.
There are two critical elements to mention in regards to KanColle. The first is that this series is an advertisement for the game, and you might think that would restrict it in its storytelling. This isn't the case, as the series enjoys frolicking in its own canon and doesn't adhere to any of the game storylines (although it does borrow plenty). If you're a fan of the games, you'll find a lot to enjoy. The second element, though, is a warning to history buffs or lovers of naval warfare: you probably won't find what you're looking for here. While many of the fleet girls feature character designs inspired by the ships, the history mostly stops there -- at least for this anime adaption (there appears to be more of that in other KanColle media).
 That said, as a slice-of-life show with some interspersed battle scenes, KanColle succeeds. If you want to see all your favorite fleet girls in one place and adventuring together, this packs in plenty of that. It even features the (probably) required-by-law swimsuit episode!
Fubuki's story is mainly about her growth, especially as it leads up to a "remodeling." In fact, you can probably dig out a few interesting allegories comparing a young girl growing up to the events the fleet girls go through, such as the upgrades (changes) they go through. The opening episode features the prerequisite info-dump, and then bails. As far as antagonists go, the evil Abyssals look cool, but lack any real characterization or motive. They're content to just hover over the horizon, waiting to strike.
The animation is a mix of digital animation and CGI. Anytime Fubuki and her fellow ships set sail, they're CGI versions, speeding across the waves with (sort of) skill and grace. There are some rare flubs, but generally the CGI is typical for a production of this scale. Your own tolerance for CGI will probably tilt the scale of acceptability. The other art, particularly the character designs, is the real draw here for fans, and will capture new ones as it has for the game overall. They're just plain fun and creative!
 KanColle dives headfirst into some larger waters, but comes up guns blazing. It does a good job of supplying cute characters to root for and giving you the chance to see them in action. In the end, we think existing fans of the game will get the most out of this series, due to the way the story drops you into the world and the plentiful references. Still, the character designs and art make this anime attractive, and one that new fans could use as a spot to dip their toes into the larger ocean. If you're curious about KanColle, this is a solid place to start.
Reviewed by Ben Huber, April 2015
Below: Scenes from Kantai Collection.
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Below: Promotional illustrations for Kantai Collection.
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