I don't blame you, a lot of kanmusu cyborg designs are so well done and convincing. Though I do think you could mix the two together pretty easily - Artificial humanoids, programmed to be personifications of warships of the past. I'd be willing to buy into that.
Honestly, I like the depiction of Kanmusus as some kind of cyborg/artificial humanoid instead of just "personification of the warships of the past"
It makes much more sense as well. They're ships. So it makes sense for them to be personified as some sorta mechanical with human flesh and heart. Also no ordinary girl can carry rigging that big and huge without breaking spines and lose balance
As much as I don't mind the cutesy-lovey theme of warship personifications that grow stronger with love, as far as alternate canon and character theories go, I like the cyborg superheroines theme too. Surprisingly, there's not a lot of art for it though.
It looks kinda similar to this if you were looking for some others.
It makes much more sense as well. They're ships. So it makes sense for them to be personified as some sorta mechanical with human flesh and heart. Also no ordinary girl can carry rigging that big and huge without breaking spines and lose balance