In a recent comment, Michael Peterson mentioned the existence of the Combined Fleet Girls Collection. This is an online and tabletop game that has a related TV series that features anthropomorphised Japanese World War II warships that are depicted as cute girls.
Whilst this is not quite my cup of tea, the model company Aoshima has produced a series of model ships that they call the 'Deformation Combined Fleet' models ... and they are similar in size (if not quite style) to the Chibi-Maru models featured in a recent blog entry.
These models seem to be less cartoon-like that the Fujimi ones, and therefore look more accurate when viewed from the side. Prices for the two ranges seem to be similar and if they were available in the UK I would certainly buy a couple to see what they looked like on the tabletop.
Whilst this is not quite my cup of tea, the model company Aoshima has produced a series of model ships that they call the 'Deformation Combined Fleet' models ... and they are similar in size (if not quite style) to the Chibi-Maru models featured in a recent blog entry.
These models seem to be less cartoon-like that the Fujimi ones, and therefore look more accurate when viewed from the side. Prices for the two ranges seem to be similar and if they were available in the UK I would certainly buy a couple to see what they looked like on the tabletop.
.jpg)
see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AOSHIMA-Deformation-Combined-Fleet-vol-2-set-AKAGI-NAGATO-MUTSU-CHOKAI-F-TOYS-/252208387379?hash=item3ab8ca9533:g:DLMAAOSwI-BWIB5L
ReplyDeleteUnder £17 for six models, two carriers two cruisers two battleships. Including shipping from Japan.
"This is an online and tabletop game that has a related TV series that features anthropomorphised Japanese World War II warships that are depicted as cute girls."
ReplyDeleteHoly jaysus.
Nigel Drury,
ReplyDelete£17.00 for six models sounds like a bargain ... and I am giving it serious consideration.
All the best,
Bob
Conrad Kinch,
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote, it isn't my cup of tea ... and strikes me as being more than a bit odd.
All the best,
Bob
OK my youngest daughter and her girlfriend are both huge anime/manga/cosplay fans and I thought that prepared me for most anything. However, even I am having a problem with getting my head round "This is an online and tabletop game that has a related TV series that features anthropomorphised Japanese World War II warships that are depicted as cute girls."!
ReplyDeleteJapan responsible for 90% of the worlds weird shit since 1945. Mind you I prefer that to their earlier material.
Fatman
Fatman,
ReplyDeleteI tried watching a couple of clips on YouTube ... but it was too weird for me to get to grips with. I know that ships are always thought of as being female ... but not as cute girls!
All the best,
Bob
I was surprised to learn that in some countries ships are generally male, it was either the Germans or the Russians but can't recall which.
ReplyDeleteFor more Japanese weirdness see http://www.sweetaviationmodels.com/ Quite normal 1/144 aircraft kit models but the box art is a bit different with cartoon cats etc.
Nigel Drury,
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that ships were not regarded as female by everyone ... although it would be typical of the Germans or Russians to be different.
For the life of me I just cannot understand why anyone would use cute cartoon cats, dogs, and/or girls to help to sell models of military hardware ... but then I am getting to an age when not a lot of what I see going on around me makes sense anymore.
All the best,
Bob
I've checked and it is in Russian that ships are referred to as 'he' rather than 'she'. For some time Lloyds has used 'it' rather than 'she' and I think the US Navy be also do so now at least in official usage.
ReplyDeleteNigel Drury,
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting ... and I suppose that 'it' will no doubt become common usage in due course.
All the best,
Bob
Interesting. Thanks for the heads up, Bob. Rather cheaper than Chibi-Maru it seems. Not quite sure on the styling, perhaps over the top cartoonish like Chibi-Maru is the way to go here & no half measures, but then again perhaps not.
ReplyDeleteYes, some strangeness going on with the anime girls mixed with WW2. I'm a big fan of Japanese PC and video game strategy title maker SystemSoft. That's the DaiSenryaku WW2 and modern era turn-based wargames. And straightforward they are too. But even SystemSoft caters to fans of this odd genre by publishing games in this vein. Have to agree with the other posters here, bikini clad Anime school girls and Tiger tanks are a jarring mix.
No sign of my Chibi-Maru battleship kit yet but I expect it to arrive before long.
Merry Christmas,
Steve
Corporal_Trim (Steve),
ReplyDeleteI think that I actually prefer the Chibi-Maru to the Deformation models ... but I suspect that the latter look more realistic when seen side on.
It would be very easy to see the way that the Japanese and Koreans depict so many cartoon characters as young girls in scimpy clothing as some sort of institutionalised, latent paedophila... but I don't think that those societies see it in a that way. It jars with western ways of looking at things, but not with theirs. What we see as sexual, they seem to see as cute and innocent.
I look foward to seeing your finished model battleship.
All the best (and have a great Christmas!),
Bob