Because straight guys and lesbians in anime have no taste? I mean, I often find myself gravitating towards the "Christmas Cake"-type characters at least a little bit... (though I wonder how much the "and lesbians" part matters, because while the shipgirls are all bi in canon, fanon is a different story, and the "Christmas Cake" aspect of Ashigara is entirely fanon (not counting the anime), at least last I checked). EDIT: I'm actually pleasantly surprised nobody's tried to argue with me about the whole "shipgirls are all canonically bi" thing.
Because straight guys and lesbians in anime have no taste? I mean, I often find myself gravitating towards the "Christmas Cake"-type characters at least a little bit... (though I wonder how much the "and lesbians" part matters, because while the shipgirls are all bi in canon, fanon is a different story, and the "Christmas Cake" aspect of Ashigara is entirely fanon (not counting the anime), at least last I checked).
It makes it all the more satisfying for "the one" to show up. Their miraculous success amounts to them having their Cake and eating it too (pun definitely intended).
Otherwise, Ashigara just has competition, that's all. If the role was moved over to another equally-attractive shipgirl, the same principle would apply. "Why isn't X-shipgirl getting more love?", because the joke is virtually the same in fanon no matter who you choose, lmao
Is that opinions of three pillar man on Santana? lol
Among other things. The whole "there are four villains, and one of them gets defeated very early on because they're so much weaker than the other three" thing is a fairly common trope in anime (to the extent that The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruh-Chan parodied it (that's what I was quoting up on my first comment)), so it's not just specific to JoJo.
I'm pretty sure it's just a characterization based upon her "Hungry Wolf" moniker (gained for being thinner than other cruisers), which the Japanese took as meaning "highly aggressive" and "hungry for victory".
In Japan, they talk a lot about whether someone is an "herbivore" (someone more passive), or a "carnivore" (aggressive), especially when it comes to dating.
And obviously, a hungry wolf is a desperate carnivore, is it not? (Actually, they're omnivorous and aren't above just foraging roots or berries, but that's not what is in the popular consciousness.)
Hence, for joke material, Ashigara isn't hungry for victory, she's hungry for finding a man to settle down with. The part about being Christmas Cake just comes from being one of the few shipgirls that actually appear to be working women, where concern that their time to settle down is slipping by is a common trope, and she may have been something more like Suzuya's compensated dating meme, but with a "find a rich man and pry a ring out of him" angle if the Myoukou class had been portrayed as high school girls like the other cruisers.
I'm pretty sure it's just a characterization based upon her "Hungry Wolf" moniker (gained for being thinner than other cruisers), which the Japanese took as meaning "highly aggressive" and "hungry for victory".
In Japan, they talk a lot about whether someone is an "herbivore" (someone more passive), or a "carnivore" (aggressive), especially when it comes to dating.
And obviously, a hungry wolf is a desperate carnivore, is it not? (Actually, they're omnivorous and aren't above just foraging roots or berries, but that's not what is in the popular consciousness.)
Hence, for joke material, Ashigara isn't hungry for victory, she's hungry for finding a man to settle down with. The part about being Christmas Cake just comes from being one of the few shipgirls that actually appear to be working women, where concern that their time to settle down is slipping by is a common trope, and she may have been something more like Suzuya's compensated dating meme, but with a "find a rich man and pry a ring out of him" angle if the Myoukou class had been portrayed as high school girls like the other cruisers.
I've already heard that explanation, but that's the Doylist answer, and I think Jarlath was asking for a Watsonian one. The only Watsonian answer I can come up with is that, well, straight guys and lesbians in anime have no taste.
Battleship HimeAircraft Carrier Water OniSeaplane Tender HimeVWRAGHHHHH!E-5 CLEAR!This is the Shima Fleet's interim flagship, Kasumi!We shall transition to a running battle!The enemy's main fleet is crushed!
Operation Ta-Go Kai is a success!Losing to a Shipgirl - she disgraces the Abyss...Fufufu... she's the weakest of us Four Heavenly Queens...It appears that Heavy Cruiser Hime got done in, no?