People keep saying that, but they're not as rare as Roma or Saratoga, and Yamato is notoriously difficult to achieve, but those shipgirls are all popular. Meanwhile, Hatsushimo is dirt common, and was known as the "ghost ship" for being the least-represented shipgirl in the game until she got a kai-ni and started appearing in all sorts of event formations, and even so is ludicrously under-represented. Frankly, being a rare prize people desire tends to make shipgirls more popular, while the commons are ignored or denigrated like Naka-chan is.
I still think it's mostly just people wanting to use Kisaragi for the same functional role, especially since the Mutsukis as a class are already more popular, and thus get doujins, and thus become more popular, etc....
People keep saying that, but they're not as rare as Roma or Saratoga, and Yamato is notoriously difficult to achieve, but those shipgirls are all popular. Meanwhile, Hatsushimo is dirt common, and was known as the "ghost ship" for being the least-represented shipgirl in the game until she got a kai-ni and started appearing in all sorts of event formations, and even so is ludicrously under-represented. Frankly, being a rare prize people desire tends to make shipgirls more popular, while the commons are ignored or denigrated like Naka-chan is.
It's also important to note that, while Yuugumos are rare (for new TTKs, especially) they don't come with strikingly better stats than your average potato ships either. For now, they have not yet received any Kai Ni so there's still chance to shine. Insofar, Asashimo, Kiyoshimo and Naganami are popular enough to represent their class. Frankly speaking, being underused rosters have its merits too, one of which protect them from flanderization.
I still think it's mostly just people wanting to use Kisaragi for the same functional role, especially since the Mutsukis as a class are already more popular, and thus get doujins, and thus become more popular, etc....
Really? IMHO, the one ship that shares similar trait is Ikazuchi. They're both motherly / doting to the admiral and other ships, with Yuugumo being gentler version and Ikazuchi being excitable / high-spirited version. Kisaragi is just too flirty to be taken seriously and her closest contender is actually Arashio Kai Ni rather than Yuugumo herself.
It's also important to note that, while Yuugumos are rare (for new TTKs, especially) they don't come with strikingly better stats than your average potato ships either. For now, they have not yet received any Kai Ni so there's still chance to shine. Insofar, Asashimo, Kiyoshimo and Naganami are popular enough to represent their class. Frankly speaking, being underused rosters have its merits too, one of which protect them from flanderization.
If you want to go by stats, then Houshou should be one of the least popular carriers, and Tenryuu among the cruisers.
I really think it's that snowballing effect - Shimakaze jumped off to an early lead, got tons of attention, and therefore she was one of the first ships anyone knew, and so got doujins centered on her because that was the character they knew and liked. 6th and to a lesser extent 7th desdiv are way more popular than nearly any other destroyers, even compared to other common ones, and except for Bep, they were just as stuck in the plain potato ship stats category as any other when they were getting popular (and their popularity pushed their Kai-ni).
Okinami and Fujinami were just also-ran easy drops while everyone focused upon the much more hyped ships that they were introduced alongside, so they never built up the attention that would create that virtuous cycle of compounding attention.
Frawnkenstein said:
Really? IMHO, the one ship that shares similar trait is Ikazuchi. They're both motherly / doting to the admiral and other ships, with Yuugumo being gentler version and Ikazuchi being excitable / high-spirited version. Kisaragi is just too flirty to be taken seriously and her closest contender is actually Arashio Kai Ni rather than Yuugumo herself.
6 P.M. Dinner with just the two of us, I'm looking forward to it.
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It's 9 P.M. Ah, Makigumo-san is watching from the gap. Sorry Admiral, I'll be heading back now.
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6 A.M. Makigumo-san.... t-this... I was with the Admiral all night... planning battle strategy...
7 A.M. Well then Admiral, I'll be heading back with Makigumo-san to our room.
8 A.M.... Once again, it's Yuugumo. Explaining to Makigumo-san and getting her to understand was difficult.
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1 P.M. hmm~ After eating, I get tired, no? Wait, Yuugumo didn't sleep yesterday!
So far as that 6 AM one goes, I remember seeing (but can't find after half an hour looking for it) an image where she's sitting in the sheets with a sleeping Admiral waving off a menacing Makigumo with a knife saying that "planning a battle strategy" line.
Compared to Kisaragi, who's trying REALLY HARD to be a seductive adult in spite of being a child (sort of between Suzuya and Akatsuki), Yuugumo is like an actual adult who's trapped in the body and has the voice of a child, surrounded by actual children little sisters torpedoing her efforts, so nobody regards her as such. (She seems a lot like a younger Camilla from Fire Emblem, really...)
If you want to go by stats, then Houshou should be one of the least popular carriers, and Tenryuu among the cruisers.
Again, both aren't rare and being weak at the same time. The good example for that would be Akitsushima lol. New TTKs can get Boatmom from world 1 at the earliest, while not burdening them with sortie and repair cost. While her popularity is strongly tied to 1st and 2nd CarDiv, I believe she'd still be somewhat popular with her warm and motherly personality alone. On the other hand, Tenryuu became increasingly popular because people had realized the potential gap moe between her tough orekko personality with her being a kind big sis to the destroyers. Not to mention, Tatsuta always brings the best kind of reaction out of her.
So far as that 6 AM one goes, I remember seeing (but can't find after half an hour looking for it) an image where she's sitting in the sheets with a sleeping Admiral waving off a menacing Makigumo with a knife saying that "planning a battle strategy" line.
Compared to Kisaragi, who's trying REALLY HARD to be a seductive adult in spite of being a child (sort of between Suzuya and Akatsuki), Yuugumo is like an actual adult who's trapped in the body and has the voice of a child, surrounded by actual children little sisters torpedoing her efforts, so nobody regards her as such. (She seems a lot like a younger Camilla from Fire Emblem, really...)
Personally, I haven't found that many R18 doujins of Kisaragi by herself to prove that she IS popular because of how she behaves. In the other hand, Kashima gets ungodly amount of lewd fanworks despite not even being close to deliberately seductive. If anything, Japanese fandom loves to fantasize about things that might not be there than the ones already there in the open. Kisaragi being blatant seductress she is, leaves little to nothing to fantasize with because she sounds 100% serious with her shameless advances already. I think that Yuugumo is better in this regard because not only she's more subtle, it's also not her ONLY notable trait.
I still stand by my point that Yuugumo being on the rarer side of common DDs does contribute on her lower exposure in fandom because she's easily overshadowed by more accessible ships with stronger upgrades.. or shinier trophy ships with rare equipments or extra fancy design. There's stil chance for surge of popularity when she either gets introduced in Kancolle Arcade, 2nd season anime proper or Kai Ni in the future :3
Maybe I should do something with this pile of Yuugumo (and Yuugumo-class) doujin I have sitting here, then...
I'm so sorry, I really just don't get any of this... Makigumo.B-But the Admiral, he'd never have that kind of boy-girl relationship... most likely...?I...... Defendent-
anything to say?Ohhh, goodness.
My head is completely spinning....*Bluuuuuush*...///it's just that the Admiral really is no ruffian, you know?
However... !But... but, don't think that the Admiral would perform such misconduct... !So therefore...... Ah!
But that's not to say that I'd never want to do this, that, or the other things with the Admiral...Yuugumo, she also yearned to do something improprietous with the Admiral and since I believe that... ! ...Is it fine if I pounce on her right now?Ah, no, to be perfectly honest, because I had so much to drink, I can't remember anything at all from then, so...