Arpeggio of Blue Steel (Volume 1) - Humanity's Last Hope

Humanity lost much of the land thanks to rising sea levels. Then, they lost the seas to the Fleet of Fog, mysterious ghost ships with unrivalled weaponry. However, when one ship switched sides, humanity had a chance!

Arpeggio of Blue Steel (Volume 1) – Humanity’s Last Hope

What happened?

Gunzou Chihaya is the commander of the I-401, a sentient submersible battleship. He acquired it when the personification of the ship, Iona appeared before him. Previously, she was a part of the Fleet of Fog, a mysterious fleet of ships that have taken control of the seas, driving humanity to the land. Gunzou takes on contracts and uses the I-401 to complete them. However, he’s just been offered the job of a lifetime. This one comes with a full pardon and official recognition that he owns the I-401.

Gunzou doesn’t really care about either, however, the cargo he’s been asked to transport could very well change the world. Currently, the I-401 is the only ship with corrosive torpedoes, the only thing that can destroy the Fleet of Fog ships. A Japanese organisation has come up with another solution but lacks the means to mass produce it. Gunzou needs to deliver the plans and a prototype to the United States of America.

If he takes the job, that would mean fighting across the Pacific Ocean, and with corrosive torpedoes at a premium, it’s not going to be easy. They’ve been invited to see the product before they agreed to the job, but to get there, they’ll need to get past a Heavy Cruiser, marshalling the entrance. Sounds like a cake walk!

Arpeggio of Blue Steel Volume 1 Heavy Cruiser Takao prepares to fire

What did you think?

Some of the artwork in this volume is spectacular. It’s quite clear that Ark Performance is obviously a Navy Otaku and that can only be a good thing. However, even if the Navy side of things doesn’t float your boat (lol!), there is plenty to enjoy. At present, there are a lot of unanswered questions as we’ve been dropped right into the thick of it. The Fleet of Fog already has supremacy of the seas, Gunzou has the I-401, and he probably did something shady in the past. Why else would he need a pardon?

Of course, that’s before you even start to wonder where the Fleet of Fog came from and what its goal is. This was a great way to grab the readers’ attention and pique their interest. I love the science fiction elements of the book and the mental models of the ships’ sentience are great. It reminds me a little of Azur Lane, but this is far more serious as if it were mashed together with Black Lagoon. Hopefully, it will continue in this mold and allow us to get to know the crew a little more.