Movie
Description
Takao serves as the Mental Model avatar for the Fleet of Fog's Takao-class heavy cruiser. Originally assigned to the First Oriental Fleet, her defeat in combat against I-401, orchestrated by Captain Gunzou Chihaya, sparks profound introspection and her subsequent defection from the Fog. Convinced that obtaining a human captain and crew, particularly Gunzou, is vital for her growth, she hides among humans in northern Japan. There, she meets and forms a deep bond with Gunzou's mother, Saori Chihaya. Saori teaches her human domestic skills like cooking and sewing, while also sharing concepts of family and relationships, forging a mother-daughter connection between them.
Her personality undergoes significant transformation post-defection. Shedding her initial arrogance, haughtiness, and dramatic flair, she becomes notably calmer and develops a strong romantic attachment to Gunzou. This complex demeanor, outwardly aloof yet deeply devoted, earns her the nickname "Tsundere heavy cruiser" among other Fog vessels. She cultivates a fascination with human culture, especially human-ship dynamics and social customs, and uniquely experiments with her appearance through varied clothing and hairstyles.
After defecting, she allies with Hyuuga, the Mental Model of a defeated Fog battleship, and relocates to Iwo Jima. Initial attempts to join Gunzou's crew falter due to misunderstandings, but she eventually gains acceptance into the Blue Steel fleet. She aids the crew during an attack on Iwo Jima by creating decoys and remotely piloting a decoy submarine to divert enemies. While escorting this decoy, she is ambushed and critically damaged by the Fog submarine U-2501. Though she destroys half of U-2501's fleet and triggers the secret Mirror-Ring System, her vessel is sunk and her Mental Model severely injured.
Rescued by the Fog submarine I-402, Takao is delivered to the supreme flagship Yamato. Reactivated but imprisoned, her memories of the battle with U-2501 are suppressed. Yamato assigns her a covert mission: infiltrate human society under the alias "Aoki Takao" as a transfer student at the Japanese National Maritime Institute of Technology in Yokosuka. This mission, depicted in the spin-off *Salty Road*, focuses on her daily human interactions and cultural assimilation. She remains under I-402's supervision during this period.
In the anime continuity, her storyline differs. Defending Iwo Jima, she transports the vibration warhead prototype and aids I-401's escape. Locating the damaged I-401 and its crew, she sacrifices her vessel by merging its nanomaterials with I-401 to create the advanced submarine Ars Nova, losing her physical form. Her Union Core persists within the new vessel, enabling limited interaction. The film *Cadenza* later shows her regaining a physical Mental Model.
Key relationships define her character. She views Iona, I-401's Mental Model, as a rival for Gunzou's attention but cooperates tactically in combat. She forms a pragmatic alliance with Hyuuga based on mutual romantic interests—Hyuuga toward Iona and Takao toward Gunzou. Her bond with Saori Chihaya remains deeply significant, representing her closest human connection. She also develops curiosity about Kotono Amaha upon learning of Gunzou's past affection and Yamato's use of Kotono's appearance.
As a warship, her capabilities include a Super-Graviton Cannon, photon cannons, torpedo systems, missile launchers, and Wave-Force armor. Her computational processing power is less than flagship models like Yamato. After joining Blue Steel, her vessel's color scheme shifts from red and dark gray to blue and dark gray.
Her personality undergoes significant transformation post-defection. Shedding her initial arrogance, haughtiness, and dramatic flair, she becomes notably calmer and develops a strong romantic attachment to Gunzou. This complex demeanor, outwardly aloof yet deeply devoted, earns her the nickname "Tsundere heavy cruiser" among other Fog vessels. She cultivates a fascination with human culture, especially human-ship dynamics and social customs, and uniquely experiments with her appearance through varied clothing and hairstyles.
After defecting, she allies with Hyuuga, the Mental Model of a defeated Fog battleship, and relocates to Iwo Jima. Initial attempts to join Gunzou's crew falter due to misunderstandings, but she eventually gains acceptance into the Blue Steel fleet. She aids the crew during an attack on Iwo Jima by creating decoys and remotely piloting a decoy submarine to divert enemies. While escorting this decoy, she is ambushed and critically damaged by the Fog submarine U-2501. Though she destroys half of U-2501's fleet and triggers the secret Mirror-Ring System, her vessel is sunk and her Mental Model severely injured.
Rescued by the Fog submarine I-402, Takao is delivered to the supreme flagship Yamato. Reactivated but imprisoned, her memories of the battle with U-2501 are suppressed. Yamato assigns her a covert mission: infiltrate human society under the alias "Aoki Takao" as a transfer student at the Japanese National Maritime Institute of Technology in Yokosuka. This mission, depicted in the spin-off *Salty Road*, focuses on her daily human interactions and cultural assimilation. She remains under I-402's supervision during this period.
In the anime continuity, her storyline differs. Defending Iwo Jima, she transports the vibration warhead prototype and aids I-401's escape. Locating the damaged I-401 and its crew, she sacrifices her vessel by merging its nanomaterials with I-401 to create the advanced submarine Ars Nova, losing her physical form. Her Union Core persists within the new vessel, enabling limited interaction. The film *Cadenza* later shows her regaining a physical Mental Model.
Key relationships define her character. She views Iona, I-401's Mental Model, as a rival for Gunzou's attention but cooperates tactically in combat. She forms a pragmatic alliance with Hyuuga based on mutual romantic interests—Hyuuga toward Iona and Takao toward Gunzou. Her bond with Saori Chihaya remains deeply significant, representing her closest human connection. She also develops curiosity about Kotono Amaha upon learning of Gunzou's past affection and Yamato's use of Kotono's appearance.
As a warship, her capabilities include a Super-Graviton Cannon, photon cannons, torpedo systems, missile launchers, and Wave-Force armor. Her computational processing power is less than flagship models like Yamato. After joining Blue Steel, her vessel's color scheme shifts from red and dark gray to blue and dark gray.