Ran Shibuki



"It's because we're together that I can run my hardest."

- Ran to Ichigo and Aoi in Episode 37, right after she quit Tristar.

Ran Shibuki (紫吹 蘭) is a character in the Aikatsu on Parade! series and was one of the main characters in the first and second season of the Aikatsu! series. She is a student at Starlight School. Ran is a sexy-type idol whose preferred brand is Spicy Ageha.

Appearance
Somewhat taller than Aoi and Ichigo, Ran has fair skin, long auburn hair with bangs mostly brushed to one side, and amethyst eyes.

Personality
Ran is a quiet and independent girl with a professional air about her. She is talented and mature with has a short tether and does not like being pestered. Despite her popularity, Ran is a kind person who dislikes being nicknamed "Ran-chan" (蘭ちゃん) and prefers to just be known as "Ran".

Background
Ran is a veteran idol who has been working in entertainment since she was young. She is known for her modeling and style even going as far as to challenge the saying "young models can't be beautiful" and through that has continued to polish her refined beauty. Ran is nicknamed "The Beautiful Blade" (美しき刃), for her professional demeanor and beauty. Her favorite and primary brand is Spicy Ageha.

Before Ichigo and Aoi transferring to Starlight School, Ran worked alongside her roommate, Mako, at Starlight School. However, Ran advanced further than Mako did, which caused Mako to lose confidence in herself as an idol and drop out of the academy. As a result of Mako's departure, Ran was filled with feelings of loss and loneliness, eventually causing her to become very serious, anti-social, and highly independent.

As Ran continues as an idol, she later encounters Ichigo and Aoi, two best friends who have just recently enrolled in Starlight School. Ran became very skeptical of their friendship, but eventually became friends with and grew close with them.

Relationships

 * Ichigo Hoshimiya
 * Ichigo is one of Ran's closest friends and her fellow member in Soleil. At first, Ran wasn't too confident in how close she and Aoi were and even told them "don't disappear together" due to her past with a friend. When they were paired together for a fashion show, Ran taught Ichigo what it means to be an idol and Ichigo showed Ran that although their steps may be different, their feelings are the same which ignited a friendship between the two.


 * Aoi Kiriya
 * Aoi is another of Ran's closest friends and fellow member in Soleil. After Ichigo broke the wall that surrounded Ran, the two were shown to get along well and together, they both acted as Ichigo's minders.


 * Yurika Tōdō
 * Yurika and Ran are shown to be close but tend to argue sometimes. Overall, they care for each other.


 * Sora Kazesawa
 * Ran was amazed at Sora's easy-going and free nature, and after talking with her, Sora's anxieties about an upcoming competition were eased. In later episodes, the two were paired up for the Partners Cup and the drama Rhapsody of the Desert Moon. Sora is also the only one of Ran's friends who gets away with calling her "Ran-chan".


 * Ema Shinjo
 * Ema is Ran's senpai who she holds great respect for, being one of the previous muses for her preferred brand, Spicy Ageha. Ema was shown to be encouraging of Ran to step on the same stage she is.

Etymology
Shibuki (紫吹) Shi (紫) means "purple", referring to her theme color, and Buki (吹) means "blow".

Ran (蘭) means "orchid" and is also the past tense of English word "run", albeit not having the same meaning.

Trivia

 * Her favorite foods are vegetable sticks and yogurt.
 * Ran dislikes fried fish because she doesn't like removing the bones.
 * Her specialties are model walking and posing.
 * Ran is the third idol to change her aura after Ichigo and Aoi, as well as first idol to have three Premium coords.
 * It is theorized that her surname Shibuki was taken from Jun Shibuki (紫吹淳), a top star of Takarazuka Revue.
 * Ran shares her singing voice with Sora Kazesawa.
 * Following Sunao's graduation from STAR☆ANIS, she now shares her singing voice with Kaede Ichinose, Kī Saegusa, and Shion Kamiya.
 * Ran has stated that she is a marathon swimmer, able to swim a length of 10 kilometers (about 6.2 mi).
 * Ran is one of the two idols to not have a solo performance in her debut season, with the other being Kaede Ichinose.
 * If both appearances in the anime and DCD game are counted, Ran has been a member of all four units formed in Season 1.
 * She is the member of Soleil to never make it to the Starlight Queen Cup final.
 * Ran shares her voice actress with Yozora Kasumi from the Aikatsu Stars! series, as well as Mirai Asuka from the Aikatsu Friends! series.
 * Ran also bears great resemblance with Yozora, having the same idol type and theme color.
 * Furthermore, it was revealed in the second special episode between Aikatsu! and Aikatsu Stars! that Ran has the same scent as Yozora.