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Kensuke Tanaka Interview: Kancolle Style Vol. 3
Introduction
The following interview comes from within the Kancolle Guide Book "Kancolle Style Vol.3" which was released on December 14th, 2016. Within the book, Chief in Editor has an interview with Kancolle's main producer, Kensuke Tanaka. Within the article, Takana discusses about details regarding his involvement in the Kantai Collection Movie, discusses plans on how the Fall 2016 Event was planned out, the new Kanmusus, and the furture plans to Kantai Collection as enter into the year of 2017.
Our editor-in-chief asked KanColle HQ Naval District's Producer Tanaka about the latest news and developments. We also discuss retrospectives on management and development!
Editor-in-chief (E): Congratulations! KanColle: The Movie is finally out in theaters!
Producer Tanaka (T): Thank you. With the movie, we were able to conclude one of KanColle's stories for our admirals. To all the admirals who watched our movie in theaters, thank you very much!
E: How was the response?
T: I was involved in not just the overall plot and concept art but also the screenplay, setting design, and recording as well. It was thanks especially to [Shouta] Amano-san (a producer at Diomedea) and his colleagues that we were able to get KanColle across on the silver screen.
E: Hiryuu and others had a big role, even if they didn't appear on screen!
T: Yeah (sob). We put a lot of work into the Eighth Fleet's night battle at the beginning of the movie [Aoba, Choukai, etc.], but in the end we unfortunately had to cut out a lot due to production constraints... All the fleets, CarDiv 2 included of course, were fighting. You can still catch a glimpse of it in the movie, I think.
E: This year's Fall event has ended. I wouldn't have believed we would go from a search operation in "Shangri-La" to that atoll if you had told me beforehand - it was quite the shock.
T: It left a big impression on me seeing that cola bottle as a student[1]... We had decided far ahead of time to make Saratoga the final map of this event, so the rest of the event was actually designed working backwards from there.
E: Yamakaze is another new ship that leaves quite the impression!
T: The actual Yamakaze was kept back near the mainland, which makes her rather unusual. She had the shortest career of any of the Shiratsuyu-class. She sank alone into the dark sea, so close to the mainland and at the beginning of the war, so that tragic demise is a part of her...
E: The first French ship, seaplane tender Commandant Teste, and Asakaze were also implemented this event.
T: Yes, and we are already working on implementing one of Asakaze's partners next year.[2]
E: With Saratoga, we finally get to see American carrier aircraft!
T: Indeed. With improvement, the F4F series will be upgradable into its powerful successor, the F6F-series. We're also planning another remodel for Saratoga herself.
E: Woah! When you're preparing new ships, do you discuss it with Shizuma Yoshinori-san a lot?
T: Yeah. I especially talk with Shizuma-san, Shibafu-san, Konishi-san, and also Jiji-san frequently during development.
E: Jiji-san!
T: Jiji-san, yeah... even just on the phone, once you start talking to him, you end up losing track of time. I might've interrupted quite a lot of his work now...
E: That's no good!
T: Yeah (laugh). It's fun, though.
E: Ah, what're these?
T: These are designs for Saratoga's equipment. I asked Shizuma-san for the drawings.
E: Ooh! Ooh! So that's what these are! Cool! What are you preparing for now that the event is over?
T: It's already December, so the Christmas things. Ah, and also that. There's also that.
E: That?
T: Jet plane equipment.
E: Jets!?
T: Sorry for the wait, but we've finally implemented a system so admirals can use the Ne-type engine. By improving the Prototype Keiun, one can use the Ne-type engine to obtain the Jet Keiun Kai.
E: To be honest... I don't... have a Ne-type engine...
T: It's okay! With some effort, you can obtain the Ne-type engine, Prototype Keiun, and such by completing some quests and submarine expeditions.
E: Oh!
T: The jet bomber Kikka Kai will also be obtainable in the same way, with some more effort. So you can obtain them slowly but surely at your own pace. We're starting with fighter-bombers.
E: Which means...
T: Right, well, I want to implement pure jet fighters as well, paper designs though they may be. Also, and I'm getting ahead of myself again, I also hope to implement the pioneer of anti-submarine patrol bombers, the Toukai. You'll be able to suppress those enemy So-class subs! Maybe!
E: Please, hurry!
T: Roger that!
E: With regard to seasonal and the new shipgirls, what are you working on at the moment?
T: As far as new shipgirls go, we're currently planning on Japanese submarines, Type B and D destroyers[3], escort carriers, and the like. And for KanColle's fifth year, we have something interesting planned as far as foreign shipgirls go.
E: I see. The fourth anniversary, so the fifth year. Time sure flies...
T: Next month happens to be 3 years and 8 months since KanColle launched. It feels like just yesterday that I told Okamiya-san (DMM) prior to launch that I thought we could last at least half a year.
E: 3 years and 8 months... it really feels it all happened in the blink of an eye.
T: It's thanks to the admirals who received a niche game like KanColle so readily that we've been able to get this far. I am truly grateful. Please continue enjoying KanColle with your shipgirls this December and New Year.
November 2016