Souryuu

Overview

Souryuu is a shipgirl from the browser game Kantai Collection, representing the lead ship of the Japanese Imperial Navy's Souryuu-class standard aircraft carrier. As a key member of the Second Carrier Division alongside her partner Hiryuu, she plays a prominent role among the fleet's mobile forces. Bright, friendly, and approachable, she maintains a casual and cheerful demeanor toward the Admiral and her fellow carrier fleet members.

Appearance

Souryuu has short, bluish hair bound into twintails with horn-like hair ribbons, and striking blue eyes. She wears a green kimono top featuring sleeves that gradient into white, paired with a dark green short pleated skirt resembling a hakama. She equips an archery glove leaving her ring and pinky fingers exposed on her right hand, wearing split-toed socks on bare legs with rudder-style sandals. Her equipment includes a flight deck shoulder shield on her right shoulder, waist side attachments resembling funnels, a front-apron armor plate, and a back-mounted quiver fitted with a radio mast, while wielding a bow. In her autumn casual attire, her hair is worn down with white hairclips, complemented by a white ribbed sweater, black flared skirt, black tights, black short boots, and a shoulder bag.

Personality

Souryuu is cheerful, innocent, and playful, often playing dumb about her dark historical fate with a lighthearted attitude. She interacts with the Admiral in a warm, friend-like fashion, though she firmly discourages inappropriate touches. Possessing a huge appetite, she frequently visits Mamiya's diner to eat and drink, revealing herself to be a surprisingly heavy drinker. In combat, however, her playful persona gives way to a stern and composed military discipline, showcasing deep pride in her carrier division.

Abilities

As a standard aircraft carrier, Souryuu conducts long-range aerial combat utilizing launchable carrier aircraft. Compared to other standard carriers, she operates with relatively low resource consumption. Upon undergoing her Remodel Kai Ni, her overall combat capabilities increase significantly, granting her access to highly specialized equipment including the Type 99 Dive Bomber (Egusa Squadron) and the Type 2 Reconnaissance Aircraft.

Background

Souryuu embodies the history of the Imperial Japanese Navy's first medium aircraft carrier built specifically as a dedicated carrier from the design stage. Historically, she served as a core fleet asset during early Pacific theater operations, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, before being lost to enemy dive-bombers during the Battle of Midway. Within the game, she stands as one of the most accessible standard aircraft carriers, frequently assisting Admirals from early sea area sorties onward.

Relationships

Hiryuu is her primary partner in the Second Carrier Division, sharing a bond as best friends and mutual rivals. She maintains close working ties with Akagi and Kaga of the First Carrier Division as fellow members of the Nagumo Task Force. She also shares an interaction with the British battlecruiser Glorious, whom she invited to Mamiya's diner alongside Hiryuu, overwhelming the foreign ship with their impressive food and drink consumption.

Trivia

Her name derives from the Azure Dragon (Seiryuu/Souryuu), one of the Four Mythical Creatures guarding the east, whose traditional color 'azure' encompasses green—inspiring her outfit's primary color. Her name was later inherited by SS-501 Souryuu, the lead ship of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Souryuu-class submarines.