If I had to explain Kancolle to someone in a few words… it would be a game where shipgirls do battle against bikini monsters with the goal of  taking just enough damage to blow your girls clothes off! To be serious, Kantai Collection originally started as a web browser game back in 2013 and is region locked to Japan only. Even though google will say Kadokawa developed the game, the studio involved was C2 Architecture (C2機関) and these are the guys largely responsible for it's growth, both in and out of the game. The theme of the game is collecting a fleet of cute girls that are actually anthropomorphized warships from World War II. You use them to do battle against the “abyssals,” a fleet of monster ship girls. 

Commanding a fleet of adorable, but deadly warships may sound interesting but the true success is with the character design and personality reflecting the history of each ship. The Kanmusu (fleet girls) have their history showcased as easter eggs within the game through voice lines and interactions. Ever wonder why Kongou likes to have tea time? The battleship Kongou was originally designed and built in Great Britain so she frequently adds English words and phrases into her dialog as a reference. It makes her quirky, memorable and makes you want more BURNING LOVE! The Japanese destroyer Shimakaze was one of the fastest destroyers of World War II so she is depicted as a speedy girl in artwork and most of her lines revolve around speed and racing.

The physical appearances of the girls correlate in some way to the real-life vessels and tend to follow general themes. For example, the larger displacement tonnage ships such as cruisers are usually depicted as young women, while smaller ships such as destroyers look and behave like school girls. Characters which share particular links also have similar physical traits with ships of the same class having very similar accessories or clothing. This adds an extra layer of interest and creates a new playing experience if and when you learn more about their history. The most recent anime followed suit by using inspiration from historical events. If you want a new viewing experience, do some research about the real WWII ships and rewatch it. It will give a totally new perspective to some of the scenes. The sheer number of ships that have been created in the game provide a myriad of archetypes and there is literally something for everyone.

 

The other big selling point which other games like Azur Lane have copied, is the ability to marry your most faithful ship girls. In Kantai Collection, the admiral is Mormon, because as long as you pay for the ring and marriage certificate, there is no limit to the number in your harem. When your waifu becomes your wife, it's always a plus! 

Thanks to a large and active fan community, I think many people may be familiar with the games success and media endeavors. Despite being 10 years old, it still has one of the largest sections at the bi-annual doujinshi event, comic market which definitely helps it gain attention to overseas otaku (everything is still very much locked to Japan only). The fandom has grown far, far outside of the game with tons to do in the real world while you farm E-7. 

You may be surprised to know that there is an official “Fleet Girls band” called 1MYB. Each member takes on a character from the game, dressing up while performing. They attend most of the events (which I'll mention later on) and perform rock versions of the in-game music and pre-existing soundtracks. They are such a big part of the fandom outside of the game that they decided to put them in the arcade version to celebrate their first solo tour. They will also make appearances at the curry restaurant to greet and talk with fans. 

That's right, there is also an official KanColle curry restaurant in Tokyo. Introduced by British sailors in the 19th century, curry quickly became a favorite aboard the ships of the Japanese Navy, creating a dish known as kaigun (navy) curry. If you travel to any big port town in Japan, you will definitely find plenty of curry restaurants so it makes sense for KanColle. Entry is through a lottery system only (and is pretty difficult to get in). It features a three course meal of fairly fancy cuisine, with a menu that rotates monthly and drinks named after the ship girls. Prices start around 4000 - 6000 yen, plus drinks and optional extra sides of specialty dishes (Kobe beef and caviar anyone?). They don’t allow photography but the inside is decked from floor to ceiling with KanColle merch and it is a great place to talk with other teitoku. 

Members of the Kanmusume yuugeki-tai ( Kanmusu guerrilla squadron) will also greet you and act as a host for your dinner. They are a group of professional cosplayers and entertainers that are the “official” character. I never thought I would have dinner with Hiei or Akashi by my side, but it is now a recurring event. They also attend many of the events.

A band, a restaurant, and that's only the start. Hatsune Miku might have been first in terms of race cars, but if you travel to Fuji Speedway (FSW), you may find some unexpected KanColle goodies. Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) has a few Toyota (mostly 86) cars dedicated to the franchise! They aren’t really used much for racing but can sometimes be found on display along with character panels at the tracks restaurant. There is also a special banner that can be found year round depicting a ship girl ready to watch from the stands.

It would be impossible for me to list each and every one, so please just take my word for it. For the 10th anniversary, they partnered with the popular convenience store chain, Lawson, as well as Mitsukoshi who is celebrating their 350th anniversary. Mitsukoshi is one of Japan’s largest department store chains and their collaborations with KanColle focus on high end specialty goods, pretty unexpected for otaku. 

The best part from the Mitsukoshi collabs is seeing the girls in their new, oshare outfits!

Several times a year there will be various events planned throughout Japan. They range from your usual concert or voice actor talk show to more unique things like a figure skating show or camping! Depending on the size, they may extend over multiple days and could include additional activities and collaborations with surrounding businesses. For the 10th anniversary event, we returned to the port city of Sasebo in Nagasaki! 

The main attraction was the live event featuring voice actors, special guests and performances by 1MYB and the Kanmusume yuugeki-tai. This was also the first appearance of the new guitarist for the band and the unveiling of her character, Shikinami.

The JMSDF was also there to lend their support and get in on the fun. As part of the ondo (mini, free outdoor live) the JMSDF band performed their own covers of popular KanColle songs and parked Shirataka at the nearby dock for photo ops. 

Customary for these events, a stamp rally was also held, taking you to some of the historical locations for the city. 

The Kanmusu guerrilla squadron was out and about around the city, greeting fans and participating in the same activities (minus waiting in very, very long lines). These events and collabs have tons of new character panels of the girls in cute outfits for you to find. These panels are usually still around well past the event and allows KanColle to leave a somewhat permanent mark on the area! If you visit Sasebo, you should be able to see KanColle goodies from previous years. 

In addition, almost every KanColle event has these special stickers that are given for purchasing specific items, usually food. Sasebo was no different, with over 10 restaurants collaborating. These stickers have become an admiral's true currency!

Since Tuscaloosa was recently added to the game, her voice actor was part of the event and she had a fair bit of new merchandise available. Since she is a US ship…

...she is of course going to eat plenty of Sasebo burgers!  

I would probably need several hours to explain each and every way the fandom has grown over the past 10 years and all of the wonderful things us teitoku get to enjoy. One thing hasn’t changed much however! The presence of one ship in particular has never waned.

Over the past 10 years, one ship has had a special place in the fandom's heart. Shigure, whose name means drizzling rain (in late autumn and early winter) has been with us teitoku from the very start. Her importance is thanks to her voice actor, Yumi Tanibe. Tanibe has only worked on Kantai Collection and has become an integral part to activities outside the game. She frequently appears at events in the character of Shigure and is the vocalist and trumpeter with 1MYB. She has gone out of her way to personally thank admirals for their support by making sudden appearances at the previously mentioned curry restaurant. 

This figure made by Bell Fine is the best Shigure figure I have seen and is absolutely perfectly timed with the 10th anniversary. It is currently available for pre-order and expected to release at the end of October 2023! Having logged thousands of hours playing the arcade and witnessing her both damaged and using her cut in attack on a weekly basis, I can say they have done a great job replicating it! With an abundance of bishoujo-esq KanColle figures, I am happy to see a battle mode one! The first thing that jumps out at you is the amazingly high level of detail. 

And from the back, we can see the consistency in quality with everything previously mentioned. There are plenty of half-damaged or chuuha figures in the series but most of which are just recreations of their illustrations. I really hope we get more Kesson mode figures like this in the future!