Headscratchers / KanColle

• In the anime, every now and then we can see that ship girls make use of an incredibly elaborate Fighter-Launching Sequence to arm (and launch) themselves from the base. However, in episode 8, the main trio were able to arm themselves presumably without authorisation from the higher-ups as they were trying to tow Yamato out to the sea despite being ordered not to, and thus unlikely to have used whatever launch platform the forward base might have. In the next scene, Yamato seemingly pulled her massive armament out of nowhere in a short time without notable side effects. Does that mean ship girls can be armed without the Awesome, but Impractical sequence? If so, why would it be what seems to be standard operating procedure apart from Rule of Cool?
  • Definitely operating under Rule of Cool, but according to the staff the real reason was that Yamato was carrying her rig with her on those boxes she was sitting on the raft. Fridge Logic comes in of course when one wonders HOW those 46cm guns managed to fit in those teenie-weenie boxes...
    • It's Bigger on the Inside. Of course, that probably makes the in-universe choice of not having them to pick their gear out of a crate seems even stranger, as arming themselves this way does not seem to have any discernable negative effects. The best reason I can think of is that either the effects were not apparent enough in the scene where they only need to take down a few planes, or Yamato's ability to arm herself that quickly is an exception rather than rule. Another question it brings up is how much authority the naval base has on the ship girls, if they are allowed to equip themselves even if it goes against order.
  • The arming sequence might be ammo resupply and final checks and adjustments. As it wasn't a battle mission, it wasn't really necessary.
• What exactly is Admiral doing? He lets his ships use their own judgement on tactics (formations, flagship, etc.), go on unsanctioned operations and expeditions and build equipment for personal non-combat use. He uses Mutsuki-class destroyers in combat operations, while more powerful Akatsuki class is stuck with expeditions. He has Yamato and Taiho, but doesn't seem to have any submarines. ^note Although conveying the usual Stone Wall nature of submarines would be silly in any serious media.
• Er....how often are WWII veterans aware of this anime or pop culture in general? I figure they have much better things to worry about. From YMMV for context:
  "It is also not well-liked in certain parts of United States (particularly Hawaii and among many WWII veterans or family members of WWII veterains), since nearly all the protagonists are personified Japanese warships from World War II"
  • I can't speak for anyone else, but apparently a member of Yahagi's crew was presented with a picture of his old ship's KanColle counterpart. He approved.
    • I think they're referring to Allied vets, as the Abyssals carry heavy implications that they're a stand-in for the Allied fleet.
    • I was talking about Allied vets. Response from IJN veteran was surprising too.
    • Then answer to what American vets think or would think about the game is that there isn't a single answer. People who have had a similar background and experiences can still have very different opinions. You could try finding a WWII navy veteran and asking them about it, but all that would tell you is what that specific person thinks about it. Someone who'd served on the Hornet or Intrepid could like the way their old ships were personified. Somebody who'd served on Fletcher might take offense to the concept or find the exact portrayal too gentle-looking. Somebody who'd served on Samuel B. Roberts could find the idea of personifying the ship as an eight-year-old in a sailor outfit with a submachine gun inane or apropos. They might get mad at the game for existing and get mad at whoever brought it up. Or you might find a centarian Guadalcanal veteran who plays the game themself and laughs maniacally whenever he sends Kirishima to the scrapyard. Or anything else.
    • At least, a Spacebattles poster claims to have shown Iowa's design to veterans who served aboard her (though in the 80s, not during World War 2) and got a very positive response.