The popular, Chinese-made, mobile shipgirl game Azur Lane will celebrate the 2021 Lunar New Year by adding the native Chao Ho-class cruisers to the roster of the China-inspired Dragon Empery. Although the ships were historically protected cruisers, the World War II era-focused game will categorize them as light cruisers.
The Japanese official Twitter account described ROC Chao Ho as the elder sister who excels in dancing. She looks like a completely different person when she dances elegantly. However, she has a tsundere personality to cover her true shy self, so she is often mistaken as short-tempered.
Meanwhile, ROC Ying Swei is described as the younger sister who is good at calligraphy. Although Ying Swei speaks and acts politely, she also has an impish personality. She enjoys causing trouble for Chao Ho.
While there were three ships listed in the Chao Ho class, only two of them actually went into service for the Republic of China’s navy. The Chinese government canceled the purchase of the third ship, which was then taken by Greece and named Elli. Both Chao Ho and Ying Swei were sunk by Japanese carrier-borne aircraft when Japan invaded China in 1937.
Though unrelated to the Chao Ho class, Azur Lane will also add the Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Penelope at the same time. The third Arethusa-class cruiser will be depicted as a quiet shipgirl who does things at her own pace, but will faithfully do her orders to the letter. Her inclusion will complete the class roster in Azur Lane, as HMS Arethusa, Galatea, and Aurora were already added beforehand.
ROC Chao Ho, Ying Swei, and HMS Penelope will all be featured as Elite-rarity shipgirls with a limited pickup rate in the Small Ship Construction pool after maintenance is completed in early February 2021. The update will replace the “Empyreal Tragicomedy” rerun that added RN Pola and Vincenzo Gioberti. It will also bring new Lunar New Year-themed costumes for many shipgirls, including a Live2D skin for the Vichyan light cruiser MNF La Galissonnière.
Azur Lane is immediately available on Android and iOS mobile devices worldwide.
