Akigumo

Overview

Akigumo is a character in the browser game Kantai Collection, categorized as the 19th and final destroyer of the Kagerou class. Due to historical classification intricacies, she wears the uniform associated with the succeeding Yuugumo class despite officially belonging to the Kagerou class. Known for her lighthearted tone and hyperactive disposition, her character incorporates a strong personality trait of drawing manga and producing self-published works, derived from her real-world counterpart's crew members sketching an enemy vessel.

Appearance

Akigumo has long, slightly wavy brown hair tied into a ponytail with a black ribbon, olive green eyes, and a mole under her right eye. She wears a Yuugumo-class uniform comprising a white long-sleeved shirt, a blue bowtie, a purple halterneck pleated dress, grey pantyhose, and lace-up boots. Her rigging takes after the Kagerou class, featuring a backpack element containing a bridge, chimney, and mast structure, along with quad torpedo launchers attached to her thighs. Her seasonal variations include an outfit with rolled-up sleeves and a cooling gel pad on her forehead, a yukata adorned with bellflower patterns, and a blue race queen attire.

Personality

Akigumo has a lively, buoyant, and somewhat restless personality, often flitting from one activity to another with high energy. She frequently speaks in a lighthearted, playful tone that gives her an endearingly mischievous aura. While she can seem flighty or distracted when interacting with her commander, she takes her creative endeavors quite seriously. When working on her art and self-published books, she demonstrates intense dedication, pushing through sleep deprivation to meet her project deadlines.

Abilities

In combat, Akigumo benefits from specialized equipment synergies, gaining boosted firepower bonuses when equipped with searchlights without suffering penalties to her evasion. She inherently possesses high evasion and luck attributes, and her anti-aircraft capability reaches notable levels after modernizing her fleet setup. Beyond military performance, she possesses exceptional artistic ability, capable of rapid drafting, detailed sketching, and hand-crafting intricate physical models.

Background

Constructed at the transition point between the Kagerou and Yuugumo classes, Akigumo experienced historical ambiguity regarding her warship class. Post-war records long categorized her alongside the Yuugumo class due to her naval unit assignments and naming convention, until official design blueprints verified her place as the 19th Kagerou-class vessel. Reflecting this peculiar history, she was introduced into the game featuring traits of both classes. Inspired by her real-life crew members who sketched an enemy aircraft carrier during combat, she is depicted as a dedicated artist balancing battle duties with her creative routine.

Relationships

Because she wears their uniform, Akigumo frequently associates with the Yuugumo-class destroyers, particularly her comrades in the 10th Destroyer Division: Yuugumo, Makigumo, and Kazagumo. Kagerou, the eldest sister of her actual ship class, maintains an understanding oversight of her dual identity. Additionally, her historical assignments link her to Oboro, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku during escort missions, while aircraft carrier Hornet and her fellow destroyers often become subjects for her artistic endeavors.

Trivia

Her victory gesture shown in her damaged art damaged pose is colloquially referred to by fans as the Columbia pose. In one of her casual autumn attire depictions, she is seen carrying a top-of-the-line professional drawing tablet, prompting fan speculation about her financial success as a popular creator. Her name was later inherited by the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Yamagumo-class destroyer Akigumo.