Azur Lane: Ship of Fate, Unsinkable Bulolo

Author's Note: The Future & Clearing Things

This isn't really a chapter but more of a regards to the story moving forward. If any close enough readers would have noticed, this followed the story as close as possible to the original anime with some creative liberties to make it work. Now we've reached where episode 12 ended (sort of because we have the New Years-themed chapter), where do we go from here? Well, I've been thinking of continuing it as sort of a season 2 but as a crossover with the series intended being obvious: Kantai Collection or "KanColle". While many have explored this concept including "Like looking into a mirror (Azur Lane x Kancolle Kantai Collection)" by Nukemd, which I do recommend reading as it's pretty good.

Unlike previous ones, I employ the OCs featured in this story and taking some inspiration from a series known as "GATE: Thus the JSDF Fought There!" on how to link the worlds of Azur Lane and Kancolle. This will take time to write so it will be a while before the finalised concept would be released. Given how many characters appeared in the first season of this story, you can see how I have to make them work alongside the characters of Kantai Collection, which has just as much as Azur Lane (AL having 660 playable characters and counting while KanColle has 263 playable characters. The latter I did the maths for.)

In the meantime, this might as well answer questions during the story.

Q1: Why was HMS Bulolo selected as the MC?

A: During WWII, one of my great, great grandfathers served on HMS Bulolo as a stoker or mechanic. This family connection I have with the vessel made me choose her. Not to mention that HMS Bulolo had a huge part to play in WWII but is more often overlooked (most infamous being the command post of the Gold Beach landings on D-Day).

Q2: Why does Jeremiah O'Brien swear so much?

A: She's from the United States and swearing is quite common when it comes to the military. Her persona was influenced from the cocky Californian and an American drill sergeant, minus the very sexual innuendos.

Q3: What characters were supposed to die but changed your mind about them?

A: In the original draft idea of "A Hard Goodbye", U-110 was supposed to live but I altered this as I thought that as while I do like her little friendship with Bulldog, which I've seen in fanart, I went ahead with her being scuttled as to reflect that in real life, U-110 was being towed by HMS Bulldog but sank under tow before reaching the UK. Another was with Juneau and Atlanta, which it was supposed to be Juneau that died and the USS Juneau to explode, but I switched it to USS Atlanta as both were sunk in the same battle but Atlanta was the first to fall, mainly due to friendly fire by USS San Francisco (whoops!).

Q4: Before Rukuriri from Girls und Panzer was chosen as Bulolo's kansen, who was originally going to be Bulolo's kansen?

A: Bulolo was a hard girl to think of and I thought a GuP character would work. As I wanted Bulolo to wear a Scottish outfit to reflect her being built on the Clyde, which only Darjeeling, Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri had outfits that matched, which originate of the "Great Tankery Operation" game. Pekoe was ruled out for being too short and Darjeeling having red just didn't fit right while Rukuriri's was a mix of a blue-green-white-orange tartan with a suit. Thought this would reflect on Bulolo being built as a cruise ship, so went with that. Orange Pekoe would be reused as MV Karrabee, albeit in a different outfit and Darjeeling will get her chance.

Q5: Why so many Girls Frontline characters as kansen?

A: Of the moment thing. I thought the character designs would suit the vessels. M1918 being fitting for HMT Aquitania as she had those fitted in WWI (her armament is her WWI armament based on what I can find online).

Q6: Will any other Girls und Panzer characters be reused as kansen in the future?

A: I have mentioned that Darjeeling will be used eventually. As for others, maybe Megumi, Alisa, Miho and Alice. As for ships, maybe the TSMS Lakonia (ex-Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt), HMS Havant, one of the Fletchers. Nothing concrete yet.

Q7: Funniest part to write?

A: Bulolo pouring scalding hot water on San Diego while the latter is singing near the Bulolo. That moment was to make fun of San Diego and to rub salt into her wounds after her shocking landing in episode 6 of the anime, which are the events of "Respect my Privacy". Having a huge amount of electricity enter your body is one thing and having boiling hot water is another.

Q8: Hardest character to write:

A: All of them when you have a heap in one place.

Q9: Will there be any more yuri?

A: The yuri moments are only played for laughs and aren't full-on, even if they appear to be written as such. The moment of Bulolo walking in during Dido and Sirius' little "fun" was inspired by a moment in the anime 'Unbreakable Machine-Doll' at the beginning of episode 5.

Q10: Can you draw anime?

A: Not really.

Q11: Will any shipping happen in season 2?

A: This is basically an extension of question 9 but yes, there will be shipping of characters. A unique one I haven't seen anyone do is an Ayanami x Shigure one, which was based on that one scene in episode 7 of the anime. Seems that while Yukikaze is lucky to survive a war, Shigure is lucky to get herself a girlfriend. And if anyone has issues with that, forever hold your peace. Btw, the final chapter kinda alluded to this with Shigure's confession to Ayanami. For others, this won't be a shipping but Arashio with something of a spotlight on what she tends to doing her spare time with another member of Sakura Empire. Both are known for it (starts with "s" and ends with "i").

Q12: Will any characters make a return?

A: U-110. Even if she "died" in 'A Hard Goodbye', I can say that U-110 will make a return in season 2. This is inspired by Arizona's return from the dead in the fanfic story "Chronicles of the Siren War" by SabatonBabylon on fanfiction.net (shout-out to that). As for who I'll pair her with the most? I'll be having her with Bulldog.

Q13: Are there going to be any changes to existing characters such as retrofits?

A: Yes. All the characters with retrofit skins will wear them in Season 2. As for existing changes, some ships will receive upgrades while I have plans for two to have their Wisdom Shards transferred into a new hull, with the old hull being stripped for spares before either being scrapped or used as a target. 

Q14: Some of the girls speak in their native tongues. Is this a reference to something?

A: It just refers to the actual ship's origins or their nationality. One deviation of this in the last chapter is Pamiat Merkuria. Rather than saying "privet" ("привeт"), she says "pryvit" ("привіт"). This is supposed to mean that while she's from the Northern Parliament, she's actually Ukrainian and not Russian (Slava Ukaini).

Well, that's all for this season. I'll be back to writing 'Flying Fury from the Seas' as I've left that on the back burner for too long now. Second season will scheduled for a planned release in either October/November 2023. Stay safe everyone and I'll see you all next time.