(This review covers the anime series, the movie and the OVAs)
A bunch of high school girls are entrusted to pilot historical warships on their own as part of their nautical training. Welp, I'm sold. This is a hilariously creative premise. Haifuri is such a unique show in many ways, and I really think people overlook it a little bit. The worldbuilding is fascinating, they really sell Japan as a maritime country with all the jet skis as their primary transportation method, the decks and piers everywhere, the floating structures and islands, it's aesthetically compelling. The plot is pretty fun too, with some interesting twists, and if you're into nautics and/or Japan's maritime history (which I am totally not, for the record), BOY DO I HAVE THE ANIME FOR YOU. Haifuri can also get really technical sometimes regarding sailing expressions and the ships' inner workings, which might be a little annoying for some people, but despite not being familiar with any of that, I really enjoyed watching this show, and I think it's worth your shot as well.
The cast of characters is... overwhelming. VERY OVERWHELMING. In the first episode, you're thrown into an entire classroom of OVER THIRTY students who wear the same uniforms and have similar hairstyles, on TOP of having to keep track of characters from other ships, from the school, from OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL, it's REALLY damn hard to remember all of them. Admittedly, for the Harekaze crew, you're mostly concerned with the bridge gals, which are just a handful, but it's still a little overbearing. The characters' personalities are extremely simple, even the protagonists Misaki and Munetani don't have much going for them. Misaki has a very straightforward arc of overcoming the pressure of being a captain, whilst recognizing that she doesn't have to be perfect, because they're a crew and they all make up for each other's flaws. Munetani's arc on the other hand revolves around her journey through accepting where she is and learning to love the people around her, even though none of it is what she initially wanted. Munetani and Misaki have really good chemistry, however, and it's very sweet to see their relationship growing. I will be honest, though, the rest of the characters in the show are veeeery superficial, except for a couple who get the spotlight every now and then (namely Kouko and Maron). Their personalities usually narrow down to whatever their role on the ship is and not much more than that, which is unfortunate, but you kind of let it slide since the show has a stronger emphasis on action rather than anything else. Regardless, I'd still prefer if the girls had a little more depth.
Speaking of the action, though, HOLY FREAKING LORD HAIFURI KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK. Action segments are absurdly well animated, masterfully paced, and oftentimes the Harekaze isn't too strong a ship to face others head-on, so they have to come up with THE MOST INSANE BATTLE STRATEGIES YOU CAN IMAGINE, and as a result you get some of the CRAZIEST stunts EVER PULLED OFF in animation. I don't know if it's the unique setting of this show, but the way they handle these warship battles is simply out of this world. The soundtrack also deserves a lot of credit on that department, it complements the visuals so well, conveying just the right amount of tension and enhancing the epicness of every scene. It's an absolute blast to just sit back and enjoy these girls in action, watching them going over strategies, trying their damn best carry out the operations, sweating cold because any misstep can cause them all to die, it's actually incredibly entertaining. The action makes you root for the girls and even care a little more about them, despite them not being the most fleshed out characters out there, and that's a commendable quality by itself.
High School Fleet is a really well executed anime, with many adorable, tragic, funny, and suspenseful moments. The worldbuilding is top-notch, and the spectacular combat sequences literally redefine the word "action," delightfully animated all the way through and absurdly creative with their direction. I cannot understate how good this show handles its action element, especially considering the eccentric maritime setting. You can really tell how passionate the production team is for the nautical field; the ships' designs, their specs, everything feels so faithful to their real versions, it's really damn impressive. If it weren't by the lack of characterization and overwhelming cast, this show could've been one of my favorite anime of all time. But please don't let ANY OF THAT keep you from checking it out; it's still lots of fun as it is. Trust me, you won't regret setting sail with the Harekaze.
