Chikuma
Chikuma is a ship girl in Kantai Collection based on the second vessel of the Japanese Tone-class heavy cruisers. Characterized by her exceptional reconnaissance abilities and seaplane operations, she can be remodeled into an aviation cruiser. She is depicted as a calm, refined, and deeply caring companion to her elder sister, Tone.
Overview
Chikuma is a ship girl in Kantai Collection based on the second vessel of the Japanese Tone-class heavy cruisers. Characterized by her exceptional reconnaissance abilities and seaplane operations, she can be remodeled into an aviation cruiser. She is depicted as a calm, refined, and deeply caring companion to her elder sister, Tone.
Appearance
Chikuma has waist-length black hair and gentle brown eyes. She is taller than her sister Tone, possessing a slender yet well-proportioned figure. Her default uniform is a tight, willow-green jacket featuring a white collar, orange accent lines, a red bowtie, and sleeves rolled up to her upper arms. The jacket acts as a short dress without a separate skirt. She wears a single brown elbow-length glove on her left arm equipped with a seaplane catapult, a single black thighhigh on her left leg with a leg strap, and black knee-high boots. Her combat rigging concentrates four 20.3 cm twin gun mounts on her right side, alongside a quadruple torpedo tube mount on her left hip. Her Kai Ni remodel changes her attire to a cheongsam-style outfit.
Personality
Chikuma exhibits a polite, serene, and courteous demeanor, blending feminine attentiveness with a cheerful disposition. She holds profound respect and affection for her older sister Tone, frequently referencing her and looking out for her childish nature. Despite her mature appearance and speech, she also retains an innocent and charming side. Toward the Admiral and her fleet comrades, Chikuma is exceptionally friendly and gracious, reacting with gentle warmth during casual contact and enjoying seasonal festivities.
Abilities
Chikuma boasts reconnaissance capabilities on par with light aircraft carriers, enabling high performance in search and spotter operations. She carries more seaplanes than standard heavy cruisers, expanding her slot capacity further after her first remodel. Armed with four 20.3 cm twin gun mounts concentrated on her forward deck, she delivers strong torpedo output, solid anti-aircraft defense, and robust armor. Upon undergoing her Kai Ni remodel, she transitions into an aviation cruiser, gaining specialized rear-slot plane capacity that enhances her operation of seaplane bombers.
Background
Chikuma is based on the second vessel of the Tone-class heavy cruisers built at the Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard. During the Pacific War, she operated alongside her sister ship Tone as the vital reconnaissance element of the Nagumo Task Force in operations such as Pearl Harbor and Midway. At the Battle off Samar, she engaged enemy carriers before sustaining fatal damage when air-dropped bombs detonated her torpedoes. In Kantai Collection, she is available via construction and early sea area drops, receiving her aviation cruiser Kai Ni remodel in April 2014.
Relationships
Chikuma harbors intense affection and admiration for her older sister Tone, looking after Tone's childish antics while constantly upholding Tone's pride as the elder sister. Toward the Admiral, she is warm, polite, and trusting, frequently offering homemade food during seasonal events. She also shares historical ties with ships like the destroyer Nowaki, which rescued her surviving crew during her final battle.
Trivia
Due to the shading and perspective in her original official art, a fan meme emerged claiming she appeared to be wearing a mask. Her Kai Ni illustration also generated widespread discussion regarding her unique costume design. Additionally, her name is preserved in the modern Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force by the Abukuma-class destroyer escort JS Chikuma.
