Akeno Misaki, nicknamed "Mike" by Moeka China and Susan Reyes, commands the destroyer Harekaze and later the renamed Okikaze at Yokosuka Girls' Marine High School. Her childhood includes a traumatic incident approximately nine years prior when a cruise ship sinking claimed her parents' lives during a storm. Rescued by the Blue Mermaids, this event inspired her career path and cemented a promise with childhood friend Moeka China to join the organization together. She embraces Moeka's motto "comrades at sea are like family" as foundational to her leadership. Physically, she stands 152 cm (5'3") with a light build, blue eyes, and light brown hair typically styled in twin pigtails. She wears the standard maritime school uniform and dons a captain's hat during command duties. Her personality blends optimism, action-oriented decisiveness, and notable luck. She frequently uses the phrase "We’ll figure it out!" reflecting her adaptable resilience. Academically, she excels in Japanese but struggles with mathematics. Her journey begins when barely passing the entrance exam earns her command of the Harekaze. Engine failure and navigation errors during the maiden voyage separate the ship from the fleet. After the Sarushima attacks unexpectedly, she disables it with a dummy torpedo, inadvertently branding her crew as mutineers and forcing her to lead while evading pursuit. Her leadership prioritizes crew safety and unity, often treating them as family. This sparks disagreements, particularly with deputy captain Mashiro Munetani, who argues Akeno’s willingness to rescue others—like Wilhelmina from the Admiral Graf Spee or Moeka from the infected Musashi—endangers their own ship. These actions save multiple lives, including Ritsuko and Kayako during minesweeping. A pivotal moment occurs when the Musashi threatens the Uraga Channel. Overwhelmed by self-doubt, Akeno confesses previous successes relied more on luck than skill. Encouraged by her crew, she rallies for a final confrontation. The Harekaze succeeds in rescuing the Musashi but sustains critical damage, sinking shortly after evacuation. Akeno salutes the ship as it submerges, symbolizing her growth in accepting loss and responsibility. Subsequent adventures, including an OVA set one month later and a movie set three months post-OVA, see her face new maritime crises. These experiences further refine her tactical ingenuity and reinforce her commitment to protecting her crew and civilians. Additional traits include a fear of thunderstorms and lightning rooted in her parents' disappearance, a dislike of raw oysters, and a fondness for curry, pudding, and festivals. She enjoys canoeing, stargazing, and cheerleading, and has an affinity for cats, notably the ship’s cat Isoroku. She remembers names easily, assigning personalized nicknames to every crew member.