Hm... I'm not sure if I like the idea of muscular Iowa or not. On the one hand, she's very athletic and powerful... but on the other, it kinda doesn't fit her image.
I can enjoy a lot of body types, and "muscular" is no exception (hell, I actually get annoyed whenever I see fanart of Hoshiguma Yuugi where she isn't muscular), but it has to match the character, and here, I'm not sure if it does or not.
As far as i´m concerned, all battleships should be muscular to a degree. The more powerful, the moreso. They have to carry their heavy artillary and they should pack the brawns to back up their arguments should the shells run out.
Plus, i like myself a strong woman, one that isnt just moe.
As far as i´m concerned, all battleships should be muscular to a degree. The more powerful, the moreso. They have to carry their heavy artillary and they should pack the brawns to back up their arguments should the shells run out.
Plus, i like myself a strong woman, one that isnt just moe.
Oh, in terms of realism, they should absolutely be muscular. But, I'm not generally a big stickler for realism, and I think character design should focus more on matching appearance to personality, rather than matching appearance to what they're capable of and what they do. Bringing back the example of Hoshiguma Yuugi, I feel like muscles match her personality because she's a loud, boisterous woman who likes nothing more than drinking and fighting. The muscles emphasize her boisterous nature and her love of fighting, so taking them away weakens her character a bit. It's not just that she is a fighter, it's that she absolutely loves fighting, and it's a big part of who she is. With Iowa meanwhile... she just fights because it's her job. She doesn't really come off as having a lot of passion for combat beyond "it's what she was made for" and "it's the right thing to do". So, if her muscles do belong, it's not because she's a battleship, but because she's athletic and has a powerful personality. To me, anyways. And, like, I absolutely don't think that muscles belong on, say, Saratoga or Mutsu, because they're both more calm and relaxed people than Iowa.
And, again, I can like pretty much any body type on a woman (and, in fact, I'm not really a big fan of moe at all). Muscular girls, chubby girls, and skinny girls are all capable of making me melt into a big puddle of lesbian goop. It's just a matter of making the body type fit.
