Might be a good idea to start making comparison between those two (please no extreme language) 1. Different style (Different Hair color, different clothing) 2. Similar personality (both are refer to as Bongou - little bit "air-headed")
ZJSN's is a typical anime Brit/caucasian, blonde hair, blue eyes. Change her rig, replace the insignia and Imperial seal on her caplet thing, and she could pass as a RN (or USN/SN) girl. Kinda lazy, but it's about what I expect a run-of-the-mill animefication of a British-built battleship to be.
Kancolle Kongou mixes her Japanese/British origins surprisingly well in comparison. That's not to completely shit on the ZJSN design, though - I'll be honest, in a time before Kancolle, I think my own depiction would be closer to ZJSN's.
ZJSN's is a typical anime Brit/caucasian, blonde hair, blue eyes. Change her rig, replace the insignia and Imperial seal on her caplet thing, and she could pass as a RN (or USN/SN) girl. Kinda lazy, but it's about what I expect a run-of-the-mill animefication of a British-built battleship to be.
Kancolle Kongou mixes her Japanese/British origins surprisingly well in comparison. That's not to completely shit on the ZJSN design, though - I'll be honest, in a time before Kancolle, I think my own depiction would be closer to ZJSN's.
Okay that does make sense.
If I am tasked (hypothetical) to create a shipgirl design for PLAN Aircraft Carrier Liaoling, my first impression of the design would be a blonde Caucasian girl wearing the People's Liberation Army Navy Uniform while carrying a bow. If I were to use a Chinese girl as the base, then it could have a Russian flag armband in its hands, speaking a few Russian or using some Russian weapons as a way to "shoot" the aircraft arrows.
To give credit to KC Kongou designer, Kongou as you had said got a very good mix of her British origins and Japanese characteristics. One aspect of her personality however is disconnected from British origins - she was too hyperactive and open regarding her emotions. Usually British were more reserved and subtle (not minus their British sense of humor). Otherwise, her favorite teatime is an homage to the British's popular afternoon activity.
