Before starting the show, I think it’s also important to understand the background and setting of the story. It takes place in an alternate modern world although events from 100 years ago (shift in tectonic plates) has changed much of Japan. The country attempts to preserve territories and establish costal colonies and cities. The primary focus of the story is about the Blue Mermaids, a group that is tasked to keep the sea safe and is also apparently every female student’s dream job.
The series starts off quickly and reveals that a girl named Akeno Misaki (nicknamed “Mike”) with a big dream. She enrolls at an academy known as “Yokosuka Girls' Marine High School” with the goal to join the Blue Mermaids. For the first episode, the show establishes that Akeno and her crew faces unexpected circumstances as they are accused of mutiny. Furthermore, Akeno becomes the captain of the destroyer ship Harekaze. Make no mistake though, the show has a rather serious vibe despite the misleading atmosphere. The crew faces against battleships armed with real firepower capable of destroying them. Furthermore, Akeno is a newbie with lack of experience and tries hard to earn the respect of her crew. In essence, the show makes it clear that it’s no joke and pushes the idea of naval warfare to a level that you may not be prepared for.
Among the crew, there is a variety of characters. One thought that crossed my mind is how the show can fit characterization with so many. After all, introducing all the girls at once seems like a mistake because there’s nothing in particular that makes them stand out individually besides the main protagonists. Most of them seems to have generic characteristics as well ranging from being stubborn, class clown, nervousness, etc. It’s also hard to ignore the similarities between this and Girls und Panzer especially with how talent is developed from both series. In some ways, the show does a neat job at making each episode relevant with its premise. In other ways, I have to say that the character cast is perhaps just too big for its own good.
Either way, you’ll probably find some characters from the series to be more noticeable than others. Besides Akeno, we have Mashiro Munetani, the deputy captain of Harekaze. Unlike Akeno, she seems more like the serious type that takes everything a bit too straightforward and even has a case of allurophobia. Then, there’s quiet girls like Shima Tateishi with elite gunning skills, Mei Irizaki with her passion to fight, Kouka Nosa with a theoretical mind, and timid Rin Shiretoko with decent steering abilities. They make up the bulk of the characters’ screen time so keep in mind while watching their roles. What I also find insightful about the show is that it divides the Blue Mermaid crew well with division to make each of them unique. For instance, there’s the Bridge of the crew with their central command objectives, the combat unit with their fighting talents, navigation division with their abilities to navigate under any circumstance, engineering department for construct and repair, and Logistics for aid in operations. The point is that the show doesn’t neglect any part of the Blue Mermaid crew and makes each role important to ensure the team’s success. On the downside, there isn’t much concrete characterization. The sheer amount of characters for this one cour show just seems a bit too much and perhaps the most characterization we’ll get is between Akeno’s childhood with her friend.
Between the story and the slice of life feeling, High School Fleet feels more like a marine school/military hybrid adventure. The show makes it clear that Blue Mermaid is in danger at times especially when combating other ships (the most prominent one being the infamous Musashi). At other times, it feels like a school floating on water. This is because of the inner storytelling that goes inside the ship with the girls living their dream job. They want to have fun while working so on occasions, there will emerge “breather” episodes to show their lifestyle. At other times, they must be prepared for what’s ahead. That is, one particular part of the story baffles me with the way it’s executed when it involves peculiar experimentations. I’m all in for surprises but that took me by storm, almost like the way that Akeno is taken by her unexpected role. For some, this could drive away viewers from further pursuing the series but for others, it may also spark more interest. In retrospect, High School Fleet is one of those shows that you’ll have to expect the unexpected.
It’s an anime original first and produced by TMS Entertainment. For artwork standards, it’s fairly well done in terms of ship designs. This is important because it gives more viewers interest to see how they work. I’m also impressed by the way Harekaze is designed with its 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval gun turrets and MK 16 naval guns. The 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 and Mark 37 also looks surprisingly realistic. In terms of character designs, it’s generally moderate with a decent effort and budget poured towards making the girls look adorable and professional. Remember, there are at least 30 girls on just one ship alone! Like most shows that takes almost exclusively at sea, expect fan service with an even inevitable “beach episode”. However, the show itself excels the most at combat choreography. Even the night battles gives a strong impression of what naval warfare about. And in essence, the series knows how to expand its limits to make the fights believable.
On the subject of soundtrack, the show is crisp and knows what it’s doing most of the time. This is especially true for the intense battle orchestrated OST that really gets the adrenaline pumping. Character voices are also accurately portrayed to reflect their personalities and expressions. Remember, these girls are practically part of the military so it’s interesting to see how they react under extreme circumstances. The voice mannerism does just that. OP and ED theme songs are catchy as well that gives the marine vibes and cool atmospheric feeling.
High School Fleet is like the love child of Girls und Panzer and Kantai Collection. If you’ve seen either series, then you may find yourself quite familiar with this show. Still, as an anime original, the show has its own merits with the storytelling, characters, and overall style. For the majority, the show is perhaps a refreshing idea by taking cute girls and put them on a warship for their adventure. For others, it may be more of a forgettable attempt to revolutionize the female gender role. Still, I’d give this show a try because it’ll be an experience that sails with high spirit.
