Talk:Nagato/@comment-111.95.209.115-20150526145334/@comment-1335411-20150526180624

Just a guess, but it might be related to these points, aside from the ones mentioned:

1. Nagato, along with Mutsu, provided aid to the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. She proceeded towards the site in full speed, in spite of previous efforts to hide her top speed. This made her quite popular among the masses (which of course, would have included children.)

2. She gives her utmost effort to hide her girlish side owing to her duties as flagship of the combined fleet- which only breaks down when the admiral is close to her (look at her kai secretary line.) This was taken up a notch in the anime, which shows her obsession to cuddle cute things in private, like that squirrel. Of course, the fandom extended this obsession to include the small-critter-like ships - the destroyers.