Talk:Iowa/@comment-17703786-20160520014253

Excerpt of an interview with Tanaka from Comptiq magazine apparently:

''I: One of the new shipgirls added this time is the first American ship, Iowa. There's a lot I want to ask you about regarding her, but firstly, how long was she in production? T: She actually took a long time. I think it took about half a year after we first began discussing her. S: Yeah, she was the first American ship, so I had to do a lot of research, and that took up a lot of time. I was curious as to what kind of girl was popular in America back then, so I also looked through a lot of aircraft nose art.

I: That kind of research really was critical, wasn't it? What concept were you aiming for when you drew her? S: The most important thing in my mind was making sure anyone could tell she was an American shipgirl at a glance. T: The most direct route of all, you could say. And clearest, too. S: Right. Making her bright and cheerful was a very important part of the design, but my approach also included small details like putting stars in her pupils. T: We also had her appear at the end of KanColle Kai. Her smile really is wonderful. I can't give any details, but Iowa will also appear this year on an item for a certain fair we attended last year. S: Please look forward to it.''