I'm leveling up the BB side, currently on the Agano. I have a BO, two gunners, two
armament sailors (for future AA), a repair, and two engineers (with more upcoming).

The thing is, I really want to use AA before I get to Yamato. Are there any options that
I could utilize that won't totally cripple my AA gunners?

I've played KM extensively before and I loved using their AA from CL and up... My ship
was satisfying and complete. Also, it fulfills the proper role of a cruiser in a battle line,
supporting the battleships, but maybe I'm too historically minded about it.