【艦これ】提督「瑞鳳が駆逐艦だと？」
The recurring joke among KanColle admirals that "Zuihou looks like a destroyer" is once again gaining traction.
Despite being a light aircraft carrier historically, her initial in-game character design and somewhat helpless demeanor have led some players to perceive her as destroyer-like.
This amusing phenomenon draws reactions from veteran admirals like "Oh, that old meme again, lol" and "New admiral classic," alongside renewed surprise from others.
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Kantai Collection (KanColle)
"Kantai Collection -KanColle-" is a browser game jointly developed and operated by DMM.com and KADOKAWA. Since its service launch in April 2013, it has been loved by many players (Admirals). In this game, players collect and nurture "Kanmusu" (Fleet Girls), which are moe anthropomorphizations of Imperial Japanese Navy vessels, and form fleets to fight against enemies called "Abyssal Fleet." Various ship types appear, such as destroyers, light cruisers, heavy cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers, each with different abilities and roles. Players train their favorite Kanmusu, equip them, and strategically deploy them to challenge battles and events in various sea areas. This title has been highly praised not only for its charming characters but also for its historically based settings and deep game system, leading to anime adaptations and console game releases. The current topic, "Zuihou is a Destroyer?", arises within the world of "KanColle" as an amusing perception gap concerning a specific Kanmusu and her ship type.
Zuihou (Kanmusu)
Zuihou is a light aircraft carrier Kanmusu appearing in "Kantai Collection -KanColle-." Historically, she was a unique vessel that was originally built as a submarine tender and later converted into an aircraft carrier. In-game, she is depicted as a somewhat unreliable yet adorable character, perhaps reflecting her unique history. Especially in her early graphics, she appeared smaller and more delicate compared to other large aircraft carriers, leading some players to jokingly call her "destroyer-like" or "destroyer Zuihou." Her lines and actions also often show clumsy traits, with cute phrases like "Admiral, please watch me properly, okay?" further reinforcing this image. In terms of actual game performance, as a light aircraft carrier, she significantly contributes to fleets from the early to mid-game, and after her Kai Ni remodel, she becomes a powerful ship with enhanced air attack capabilities. However, due to the visual gap and her beloved character, the meme "Zuihou is a Destroyer?", as seen in this article's title, has become one of her iconic memes within the admiral community.
Destroyer
A destroyer is a small, high-speed combat vessel that forms the core of modern navies. Its main roles are diverse, including escorting larger ships (such as battleships and aircraft carriers), searching for and attacking enemy submarines, surface ship attacks with torpedoes, and minelaying. In "Kantai Collection -KanColle-", destroyers are one of the most numerous ship types, and the first Kanmusu players receive at the start of the game is almost always a destroyer. In terms of game mechanics, destroyers possess high evasion and torpedo armament (torpedo attack power), showing powerful offensive capabilities, especially during night battles. Furthermore, many sea areas have fleet composition requirements like "〇 destroyers," making them indispensable for conquest. As characters, they are highly varied, ranging from pure and energetic girls to calm elder sister types, and are loved by many admirals. The reason Zuihou is discussed as "Is she a destroyer?" is because destroyers and aircraft carriers fundamentally differ significantly in their roles, scale, and operational methods, and this sense of mismatch is perceived as humorous. While destroyers literally fulfill the role of "destroying" enemy ships, aircraft carriers operate aircraft to control a wide area, and this fundamental difference highlights the gap that leads to mistaking Zuihou for a destroyer.