Kensuke Tanaka Interview: Comptiq Magazine October 2018

Introduction

Comptiq's October 2018 Interview with Tanaka page 1

Comptiq's October 2018 Interview with Tanaka page 2 with Kishinami an sillouete of Nelson

The following interview comes from Comptiq Magazine's October issue, which was released on September 10th, 2018.

In the article, Comptiq's T-ko interviews Kancolle's main producer, Kensuke Tanaka, briefly discussing the effort behind the launch of Phase 2 ("Second Sequence")and the Early Fall 2018 Event.

Tanaka then discusses the Early Fall 2018 Event in earnest, including some of the locations the Kanmusu will travel along with the Abyssals they will face.

He goes into some detail about some of the new Kanmusu that will be introduced such as Kishinami, Shinyou, Gotland, and Nelson, who may come with an experimental feature codenamed "The Nelson Touch".

He wraps up with the upcoming Naval District Saury Festival in the Fall and how it's going to be more elaborate than it was in the past.

Second Sequence, and the Dive into the Early Fall Event!!

The Second Sequence (Block-1) of KanColle has finally arrived. Ohh, the window's so big! This new sorting system's wonderful! The Early Fall Event has already begun, and I've got a lot of questions! But maaaan, it's been hot for days now. I want to drink something cool!

I: It's Comptiq! Thanks for the hard work! The Second Sequence's begun, and today's the day we'll be covering it! I gotta get some new info before I can go back to the Editorial Department! It was really hot outside, so I'd like a cool cup of tea please!

T: R-Right... Well, I'm sorry we didn't have time to field any reports from Comptiq. We were really rushing up until halfway through this month, sort of an all steam ahead kind of thing. Sorry. Here, iced tea. Perfect for this season, isn't it, iced tea.

I: Ah, thanks. Haaaah. That's good. What kind of tea is this?

T: Uhm. Today's is Ceylon tea.

I: Hehhh? That's nice. Ah, right, the migration to KanColle Second Sequence (Block-1) must've been tough. The Second Zuiun Festival, the Ice Festival, and Second Sequence - have you had the chance to relax after all that?

T: Not at all. Even today we're still barreling ahead. If we keep doing this the boiler room's gonna... anyway, how could we when we still have the first event of the Second Sequence, the Late Summer/Early Fall event, after this!

I: It was originally going to be late summer, wasn't it?

T: Yeah... sorry, a lot of things came up so we had to play it safe and move it to early fall. So both sides are still in swimsuit and vacation modes...

I: "Vacation mode"!?

T: Ah, you see, summer's hot for the Abyssals too, so they're always thinking it might be nice to take a little vacation. But the shipgirls come out and sortie or expedition in their swimsuits anyway, going "ura!" as they crash the vacation spots.

I: Ah, so "vacation mode" is the Abyssals in vacation outfits.

T: Yeah. We hope to put out new art this summer with the Abyssals in vacation mode.

I: So does the event feel a bit like a festival?

T: In a sense, during the first half (main operation) at least. Depending on your point of view, you could also say it's the shipgirls launching a fierce assault on the Abyssals' summer resort while they're on vacation. But! You could also say it's about taking back control of those areas!

I: And what would those areas be?

T: Bali and such.

I: Oh?

T: Or Phuket.

I: Ohh?

T: Or the Maldives.

I: Ohh... wait, those are all vacation spots! Seaside ones!

T: Y-Yeah. Sorta like a list of places you want to go to someday, to have a bang of a vacation. Someday.

I: Have you gone before?

T: Nope.

I: That's too bad.

T: It's okay. Work is like a resort... is what I tell myself.

I: So we'll be heading west this time, right?

T: To be precise, we're going from the southwest to the west.

I: I see, I see.

T: And so the name of the first event of the Second Sequence will be quite simply "Set Sail! Combined Fleet, to the West!".

I: Ohh!

T: The rhythm of that is totally stuck in the heads of everyone in my generation. Sorry... but yeah, you're young, T-kocchi, you probably don't get it.

I: I don't! But it does seem kinda familiar to KanColle.

T: The soundtrack for the western front is already "Combined Fleet, Westward" after all. It's a beloved song of mine, composed for us by Ookoshi-san. We also plan to use it as the motif in the new BGM for this event. Get a little... no, be very excited for the new soundtracks coming with this event.

I: I always look forward to the music! So this time we're headed west then.

T: Right. In the main operation!

I: The main operation... then what's in the EOs?

T: In the extra operation, the fleet will take decisive action to break through to the west by sea and deploy on the European Front.

I: So that's where!

T: The main operation will consist of three maps heading from the southwest to the west. The Extra Operation, deploying in far-off Europe to chase the enemy, will consist of one operation expanding the area of operations and another, final one deploying all the way to the North Sea. In total, the early fall event "Set Sail! Combined Fleet, to the West!" will consist of five maps spread across main and extra operations.

I: I see! So medium-scale, in terms of map count.

T: It's the first ordinary event in a long while, so I'd say it's a bit of a larger medium-scale event. The last map of the main operation and all of the extra operations are worthy challenges. Rally your prepared fleet strength and experienced ship girls and take on the challenge!

I: What are the new shipgirls like this event!? I can't wait anymore! Please tell me!

T: You can encounter the new Yuugumo-class destroyer Kishinami after making it halfway through the main operation. We're preparing art of her with her fellow ships Okinami and Asashimo, as well as the first to bat for this year's Yuugumo-class Kai Ni remodels, Naganami-sama, for Comptiq! Here's the rough draft!

I: Ooh! A Yuugumo-class! She'll be the first on Comptiq's cover! This lil' Naganami here is cute! I can't wait till it's finished!

T: Also, KanColle Management Naval District's Fujikawa-san, who's in charge of the Yuugumo-class illustrations, has been drawing up shipgirl and rigging reference materials in between illustrations. Like this one, see? I've shown them once in a while when you come to cover us at the Management Naval District, but we're thinking of a way to compile them all to show to Admirals.

I: That sounds nice. This is really cute!

T: Is it rigging reference or pajama reference material? (laugh) A sort of daily life touch is nice though, isn't it.

I: Ah, this Hamanami reference material is really good! Can I take this back to Comptiq!

T: Ah, nooo! It's not-

I: We're doing a special feature on KanColle this time, so please! It'd go great on a two-sided poster!

T: A-Alright, then please do. Wait, then won't both sides of the cover poster be Yuugumo-class?

I: That's OK! It is our first time featuring them on the cover!

T: Well, this year will be focused on the Type-A destroyers, so I guess it fits.

I: Exactly! Who's the new shipgirl waiting at the end of the main operation?

T: Good question. It's this converted escort carrier, Shinyou. She was born in Germany as a passenger liner but ended up stuck in Japan when the war began. When the Japanese Navy lost four of its fleet carriers in one fell swoop at Midway, she was converted into escort carrier Shinyou. Here!

I: It's one of Shibafu-san's carrier girls!

T: That's right! There's the historical Shin'you, who can be considered a Taiyou-class ship in a broad sense; Shin'you Kai, who has gained the experience needed to fight carriers; and Shin'you Kai Ni, a hypothetical "if" remodel had she survived the fierce convoy battles at sea and been further remodeled.

I: I hope to get her and raise her up!

T: Please do. If you raise her well, she'll grow to become a core part of surface escort squadrons. Also, as for this girl born in Germany, a Stuka... in fact, Japan actually imported a small number... this is a hypothetical "if" ASW variant. If you can obtain both, do give deploying them together a shot.

I: An ASW Stuka! I guess it comes with the territory when the event is "Combined Fleet, to the West!" and goes all the way to Europe. What kind of shipgirls will be appearing in the Extra Operation?

T: Can I confirm something with you? What day does this issue of Comptiq go on sale?

I: September 10th.

T: And when might the news actually break, at its fastest?

I: Well, depending on the situation... (mutter)

T: Cutting it close... oh well, I guess it'll be okay this one time.

I: Yeah! Do it! GOGO!

T: We plan on adding three new shipgirls in the Extra Operation. First is a ship we've always wanted to add, one you could call an aircraft cruiser, the Swedish light cruiser Gotland. Here she is. Isn't she fascinating? She displaces roughly the same as Japan's 5,500 ton cruisers, yet can carry this many seaplanes! And as a ship from the birthplace of Bofors-san, Sweden, she has substantial firepower and torpedo capabilities, and look! The Hein Matand the catapult. She's an aircraft cruiser that's like a seaplane tender! So wonderful!

I: I feel a really strange sorta energy washing over me! So is she pretty strong?

T: No! It's not about strength! Look at that silhouette, the concept art. Isn't it wonderful?

I: Ah, y-yeah. Then if that's the case, she'll carry even more when she gets her Kai or something, like Shin'you!

T: No! Unfortunately, when she remodels she becomes an anti-aircraft cruiser!

I: Oh my gawww! Wait, I think I'd actually prefer that!

T: "You'd" prefer that!? But the aircraft cruiser reference materials!

I: Ah, shoot! So she's a drop?

T: Yeah. But it'd be so painful to finally get a proper aircraft cruiser and then have it taken away, so we also have plans in the works for a hypothetical "if" Kai Ni remodel for her, a girl that completed service without ever engaging in a major battle.

I: I see! So that leaves two more shipgirls!

T: Admirals who break through the fourth map, the one expanding the area of operations, will encounter a new shipgirl related to one of the new Princess-class Abyssals.

I: Hohoh! A reward, not a drop, then! Thanks! But who is it!?

T: She's the older sister of a shipgirl that's already been implemented.

I: I'll look into it!

T: The Extra Operation has a bit of a festive atmosphere this time around, so for Admirals who don't yet have the European warships from Germany and Italy and such, you may be in luck this event. Depending on the situation, you may encounter German battleships, carriers, and heavy cruisers; shipgirls from the Land of Pasta; and British Swordfish carriers and such from the Land of Black Tea. Please make use of the first European Operation of the Second Sequence.

I: But what about the new shipgirl in the final map!?

T: Cutting to the chase, the last shipgirl, implemented in the final map, is a member of that famous Big Seven, the first of the Nelson-class battleships, Nelson.

I: Ohhhhhh! A battleship! From the Big Seven! She's here!

T: She's a battleship from the Land of Black Tea. Look at this unique silhouette. The artillery arrangement. It's somewhat like the French battleship Richelieu we already implemented, but her third turret is definitely something special. And look at her bridge. Hmph, as expected of the Land of Black Tea. She's wonderfully unique.

I: There's something mysterious about that silhouette.

T: She'll be the first battleship of the Second Sequence, so we figured we might as well take the opportunity to implement an experimental feature with her as the base.

I: What experimental thing are you implementing?

T: Well, in her case... I know, I'll refer to it by its development codename, the "Nelson Touch". It's a little bit of an experimental implementation. If it doesn't go well, we'll just do some more trial and error. It's a sort of hidden command that only activates under certain conditions... no, I guess it's more of a hidden special attack... I guess?

I: Not very clear there!

T: If it doesn't work we might just not implement it. To the Admirals looking to obtain her... it's something to look forward to a bit, I guess.

I: Ahhh, I'd love to learn more, but we're really pushing the page limit!

T: When do you plan on the next KanColle special feature?

I: Probably before spring of next year!

T: I see. In that case, I have a little more time. I might squeeze in something I've been wanting to do between now and then?

I: What?

T: Cuisine... food... been thinking about something like that.

I: Hohoh. I don't get it!

T: Also, we're eagerly working up plans for a sanma festival different from last year's. We're busily cooking up a sanma menu! I hope to announce more after the event begins! We also have many plans for this winter! And for the game itself, we plan on adding new maps, making balance changes, and put new systems in standby. Look forward to all that as well!

I: Ahhhh, we're really at the page limit! Kuh! Can't wait for KanColle this fall and winter!

Special thanks to User:-a-nonymous for his translation work