Ranka

Background[]

OVA[]

A character in the OVA series, Ranka (爛火) is a shinma who is capable of transforming her victims into life-sized puppets, which she then drains their life forces. In the second episode, "A Banquet of Marionettes", Ranka was in pursuit of Kei, a handsome but lonely young boy at a high school in Kyoto - who was also being stalked by Miyu. Strangely, it seemed that Kei seemed to sense that Ranka had a special power to prolong life, and had asked her if she can keep him from aging.

At the same time, Himeko was at the school too, investigating the disappearance of one of Ranka's victims. She then ran into Miyu and Larva, and learned of a shinma's presence at the school. Both Miyu and Ranka confronted each other, but when it became evident that Kei had chosen Ranka and was transformed into a living puppet, Miyu banished both of them into the darkness.

She is last seen with Kei lovingly embracing and happily walking into the darkness.

Manga[]

Ranka's role in the manga was significantly different from her depiction in the OVA. In the manga, she is the leader of the Second Tier of the Japanese Shinma Realm, with Aoi and Ichiro as two of her closest allies. Ranka assisted Miyu in her battle against Cait Sith and his Western Shinma invasion. She also would occasionally make appearances and assist Miyu in her fights against stray Shinma.

Voice Actors[]

JAPANESE - Mayumi Shou (荘真由美)
ENGLISH - Belinda Bizac