Day one of AnimeJapan 2022 has brought a plethora of announcements including a new RWBY project and a summer release date for the Dr. Stone: Ryuusui special. On the AJ Red Stage, Kantai Collection fans finally got a November 2022 date set for the KanColle season 2 anime.
While Diomedéa (the animators behind Fall 2010’s The Squid Girl) produced the first season, season 2 of KanColle will be produced by ENGI and director Kazuya Miura who are best known for their latest works Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! and Full Dive.
The project’s website includes a cast list, but unfortunately, respective characters are not listed. Going off voices each actor has done for previous KanColle projects, here is an approximated cast list:
- Saki Fujita as Fusou, Yamashiro, Suzutsuki, and Yukikaze
- Yumi Tanibe as Shigure
- Aya Suzaki as Mogami
- Yui Horie as Yamagumo and Asagumo
- Wakana Miyagawa as Michishio and Kasumi
- Mana Komatsu as Hamakaze
- Yuki Yamada as Yahagi
- Nao Touyama as Shikinami and Haruna
There are several voice actors announced whose corresponding characters have not appeared in any promotional material for the second season. Included are Iori Nomizu (who voiced Shoukaku in the KanColle film), Yui Ogura (the voice of Amatsukaze and Taigei), Risa Taneda (who voices many characters including Akashi), Kozue Hayasaka (who voices Sazanami and Akebono among others), and Ayana Taketatsu (the voice of Yamato and more).
What will the plot of KanColle season 2 be about?
Similar to other mecha musume series such as the World Witches series and Azur Lane, Kantai Collection is about World War II warships that are personified as cute girls. Many ships are based on real-life fleets such as Japanese Admiral Shoji Nishimura’s fleet.
It’s speculated that KanColle season 2 may reference Operation Sho-Go as many of the characters shown in the promotional material are ships part of the real-life Southern Force which battled the US Navy in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. C2 Staff has tweeted images with the date 1944 — the same year the battle took place — making it more likely.
Whatever the case, fans won’t need to brush up on World War II history to enjoy the plot. While the cast is based on naval ships, they have personalities and cute designs all of their own. Based on the first season, much more of the show focuses on the interaction between the girls and flashy action scenes rather than historical trivia.
How do I play the KanColle browser game?
Unfortunately, the Kantai Collection browser game is only available in Japan. It’s possible to play the game in other regions, but note that it requires some knowledge about IP addresses and VPNs. There is also no official translation so non-Japanese readers will need to rely on browser extensions.
The KanColle wiki provides guides and tips for bypassing the game’s region lock. By default, all non-Japanese IP addresses are blocked. To subvert this, prospective players will need to download extensions that override the region flag or use a VPN with a Japanese IP address.
To create a new account, it’s required to create a DMM account. Once an account has been created, prospective players must use a VPN with a Japanese IP address to register a new account on KanColle’s website. A VPN isn’t required once the account is active, and a browser extension that overrides the regional flag can be used instead to access the site.
Perhaps wishful thinking, but if KanColle’s Season 2 proves successful, Kadokawa Games may consider lifting the regional block and allow international players access to the game without jumping through extra hoops.