Akitsu Maru
Akitsu Maru is a character from the browser game Kantai Collection, representing the Imperial Japanese Army's amphibious assault ship of the same name. Introduced as the game's very first landing craft carrier, she stands out among the predominantly navy-based fleet due to her distinct army background and Taisho Retro-inspired aesthetic.
Overview
Akitsu Maru is a character from the browser game Kantai Collection, representing the Imperial Japanese Army's amphibious assault ship of the same name. Introduced as the game's very first landing craft carrier, she stands out among the predominantly navy-based fleet due to her distinct army background and Taisho Retro-inspired aesthetic.
Appearance
She has short black hair, black eyes, and exceptionally pale skin inspired by historical monochrome camouflage. Her base outfit consists of a grey military peaked cap, a long-sleeved grey shirt, a grey pleated skirt, grey thigh-high socks, white sneakers, a white backpack, and a rolled coat wrapped diagonally across her body. Her waist rigging is compact, complemented by an island unit on her right side and a camouflaged flight deck on her left arm. Upon her Kai remodel, her uniform turns black, her backpack becomes red, and her enlarged dark-green rigging features a splitting flight deck used with a hand-held revolving lantern. Damaged states reveal a unexpectedly substantial bust and exposed midriff.
Personality
True to her army heritage, she maintains a highly disciplined, polite, and formal demeanor, frequently concluding her statements with military-style phrasing. While respectful, she is surprisingly straightforward and speaks her mind without hesitation. As she becomes accustomed to life at the naval base, her tone softens, though she occasionally reflects on and scolds herself for becoming too relaxed.
Abilities
She inherently equips the Daihatsu Landing Craft, which boosts resource yield from expeditions. Prior to her remodel, her aircraft capacity is zero and her armament is limited to a single anti-aircraft machine gun; however, her Kai upgrade expands her equipment slots to three, granting a total aircraft capacity of 24. Equipping her signature Type 3 Command Liaison Plane or Ka-type Observation Autogyro transforms her into an exceptional anti-submarine unit. Additionally, she summons her aircraft via a unique mechanism, projecting shadow figures from a hand-held lantern onto her split flight deck screen.
Background
She can be obtained through Large Ship Construction, dropped in specific event sea areas, or developed using specific flagship configurations. Originating from the army's shipping unit (secretly designated as the Akatsuki Unit), she joined the fleet as a unique hybrid possessing both carrier capabilities and landing functions. In special operational sea zones, her distinct vessel classification often proves crucial for routing stability and air superiority support.
Relationships
She shares her army background with fellow army-affiliated shipgirls such as Maruyu, Shinshuu Maru, and Kumano Maru. Additionally, she acts as an instructor in handling landing crafts for shipgirls who gain the ability to equip Daihatsu after upgrades, leading characters like Abukuma to respectfully refer to her as a master.
Trivia
Her visual design was created by the artist Kuuro Kuro. Her distinct aesthetic features and voicelines draw directly from historical details regarding her camouflage paint scheme and planned autogyro operations.
