Azur Lane: Slow Ahead!

Alternate Titles

アズールレーン びそくぜんしんっ！
Azur Lane Bisoku Zenshin!

Synopsis

Things are always lively at the naval port of Azur Lane with these ship girls around! Join the cheerful and bright Javelin, the quiet and unsociable Ayanami, the laid-back and perpetually tired Laffey, the diligent and serious Z23, the elegant and refined Formidable, the sophisticated and mysterious, Prinz Eugen, the sweet and sistery Dunkerque, and others as they live out their lives to the fullest through fun everyday shenanigans!

Background

Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! began as a four-panel manga by Hori based on the popular iOS and Android game Azur Lane, which was released in China in May 2017 by bilibili and Japan in September 2017 by Shanghai Yostar. An English version was later released in May 2019 by Yostar. In the game, players collect and fight battles with anthropomorphized ship girls. The manga is one of several to be spawned from the series including Azur Lane Queen's Orders and Azur Lane Comic à la Carte and is published in Ichijinsha's magazine Manga 4-koma Palette as well as on the game’s Twitter account.

A short-length anime adaptation of Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! was announced in December 2019. It is being produced by Yostar Pictures and Studio Candy Box and features Masato Jinbo as director, Yu Sato as scriptwriter, Hiromitsu Hagiwara as character designer, Hiromitsu Hagiwara and Kengo Saito as chief animation directors, and Shade as music composer. It will premiere on Jan. 11, 2021 on Tokyo MX and BS11, and will be streamed in North America through Crunchyroll.

Characters

Javelin (Voiced by: Nozomi Yamane)
Javelin is a J-class destroyer belonging to the Royal Navy who believes that cheerfulness and honesty are the best. She goes to school at the home port while trying to live a fun and happy life with everyone. She sometimes gets carried away with wild ideas.

Ayanami (Voiced by: Yo Taichi)
Ayanami is a Fubuki-class destroyer who has a one-track mind about fighting. She is usually quiet and unsociable. Due to the influence of her friends at home port, she tries too hard at games and gets absorbed in them.

Laffey (Voiced by: Maria Naganawa)
Laffey is a Benson-class destroyer of the Eagle Union who wears bunny ears and always seems to be tired.

Z23 (Voiced by: Rika Abe)
Z23 is a Type 1936A destroyer and an honors student who loves to study. She has a serious personality and can’t leave her friends alone, which can get her into trouble.

Akashi (Voiced by: Sumire Uesaka)
Akashi is a repair ship of the Sakura Empire. She is a member of the Science Club and may be developing a device that will save everyone...for a price.

Baltimore (Voiced by: Minami Takahashi)
Baltimore is the ace of the Eagle Union and excels at all kinds of sports. She is the main ship of the Baltimore-class cruisers.

Prinz Eugen (Voiced by: Ayane Sakura)
Prinz Eugen is a heavy cruiser of the Iron Blood adult-like sophistication and a somewhat mysterious air.

Formidable (Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya)
The third ship of the Illustrious class, belonging to the Royal Navy. A beautiful lady of royalty, she behaves elegantly at high-class parties. Don't call her “heavy.”

Dunkerque (Voiced by: Sayaka Harada)
Dunkerque is a cruiser belonging to Vichya. On the battlefield, she is a dignified guardian knight, but in everyday life, she is a sweet older sister type who loves to make sweets. Her confectionary ability is enough to tantalize the taste buds of friends and foes alike.

Admiral Graf Spee (Voiced by: Mai Fuchigami)
Admiral Graf Spee is the third ship in the Deutschland-class armored cruisers. She tries to live a happy “normal” life while fighting, but hasn’t yet gotten close to the rest of her friends in the home port.

Music

• Opening Theme Song: “Longing for” by Emi Nitta
• Ending Theme Song: “Mahiru-iro Siesta” by Yui Sakakibara

International Streaming

Crunchyroll

• Anime Site (Japanese)
• Anime Twitter (Japanese)
• Game Site (Japanese)
• Manga Site (Japanese)

• Original Manga: Hori
• Original Story: Azure Lane Management
• Director: Masato Jinbo
• Script: Yu Sato
• Character Design: Hiromitsu Hagiwara
• Chief Animation Director: Hiromitsu Hagiwara, Kengo Saito
• Art Director: Kazuhiro Arai
• Color Design: Koji Hamaoka
• Director of Photography: Tadashi Kitaoka
• Editing: REAL-T, Motoki Niimi
• Music: Shade
• Sound Director: Masanori Tsuchiya
• Sound Effects: Hiromune Kurahashi
• Sound Production: Delphi Sound
• Animation Production: Yostar Pictures, Candy Box
• Production Cooperation: Yokohama Animation Laboratory