| "Chen is my shikigami. She has recovered, and grown stronger than before."
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| "... She was supposed to be strong? Wait, she's your shikigami? Aren't you a shikigami yourself?"
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| — Ran Yakumo and Reimu Hakurei (Perfect Cherry Blossom Extra Stage.)
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Ran Yakumo (八雲 藍, Yakumo Ran) is the kitsune shikigami of Yukari Yakumo and the master of the nekomata shikigami Chen. Ran's first appearance was as the Extra stage boss of Perfect Cherry Blossom and the Phantasm stage midboss in the same game. She also frequently appeared as part of Yukari's attacks in fighting spinoffs and appeared in Imperishable Night as Yukari's focus shot. Ran made her first fully playable character debut in Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost.
General Information
Personality
Ran is described as a gentle youkai, unless provoked. Although Ran is a shikigami, she sometimes "forgets" her position as a servant and acts of her own volition, such as deciding to attack the heroine in Perfect Cherry Blossom to avenge Chen.
Abilities
- Using Shikigami
Ran is an extremely strong shikigami, to the point that she can use shikigami of her own. Her shikigami, Chen, only possesses the wisdom of a child, implying that Ran lacks the level of power that Yukari has with respect to shikigami. While Ran cannot act against Yukari's orders, Chen is capable of disobeying Ran. Because of this, she sometimes has to lure or manipulate Chen with catnip.
- Clear intellect
Ran has super-human intellect equal to that of Yukari's, and excels at mathematics. According to Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red, she was able to formulate and prove an equation for figuring out the width of the Sanzu River. The shikigami of Gensokyo have been often likened to personal computers found in the outside world.
Shikigami are able to process large amounts of data in a instant. Ran used this ability to find an outlier Phantom among a large group of Phantoms by analyzing their movement patterns and difference in spiritual power.[2]
- Miscellaneous
One of Ran's spellcards shows that she is capable of quickly increasing her physical capabilities.
As part of Yukari's attacks, Ran typically spins at high speed. Ran is shown to use Chen in a similar way in Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost.
Occupation
As Yukari's shikigami, Ran must do whatever Yukari commands her to do, such as doing Yukari's chores or checking the Great Hakurei Barrier around Gensokyo for problems. Apparently, Ran's own shikigami, Chen, is too unreliable to be entrusted with doing chores. Sometimes she might be sent as a messenger, or be entrusted with investigating incidents.[3]
In her spare time, Ran often calculates various things such as the width of the Sanzu River. She may also be seen in the Human Village shopping for tofu.
Species
- Shikigami
Ran's true identity is that of a shikigami possessing a kitsune, or youko (妖狐, "mystic fox"). The fox she is possessing is an entirely separate being, but since it never comes to surface, there's no problem in thinking of Ran as a nine-tailed fox herself.[4] Because she is a shikigami herself, it's highly unusual that Ran has a shikigami of her own.
- Youkai fox
Ran's body is that of a youkai fox with nine large tails, which is a clear sign of great power and intelligence, as described by Akyuu[5].
Backstory
Ran was formerly a resident of the Animal Realm, presumably being one of the many spirits inhabiting it. At one point, disgusted by the beastly ideology that pervaded the place, she fled to Gensokyo.[3] It is unknown when Ran met Yukari and became a youkai-possessing shikigami, but based on her interaction with Yuuma Toutetsu, it was likely after Ran left the Animal Realm.
Official Profiles
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ExpandOfficial Profiles
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○すきま妖怪の式
八雲 藍（やくも・らん）
エキストラボス。紫の式神。紫が寝ている間に代わりに活動している。
主に式神を使う程度の能力を持つ。
紫は１日１２時間睡眠で、夕方から真夜中にかけてしか活動しない。
しかも冬は冬眠する。その為、寝ている間はこの式神に働かさせてい
る。
藍は、かなり長い間式変化しているため、そんじょそこらの妖怪より
強力な力を持つ。その為、藍は自分で式を打つことも出来る様になっ
ていた。すでに自分が式神であることを忘れているのかも知れない。
毎年、桜が咲く季節になると、冥界の花見の名所に行っていた。
今年は心持ち桜の持ちが良い、と感じ始めてた頃、ちょっと変った生
きた人間が紛れ込んできた。面白そうなので、しばらく様子を見てみ
る事にした。
後に、自分の式神である橙がこの人間にやられた事を聞き、ちょっと
した報復してやろうと企んだ。
実態は化け狐。橙同様、姿かたちは普段と代わりが無いが、性格は丸
い。よく見なくても尻尾がある。
実は実体時から、かなりの妖力を持つ。
そうこうしている間も、自分のご主人様はずーっと寝ている。
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Shikigami of the Gap Youkai
Ran Yakumo
Extra Boss, and Yukari's shikigami. She does Yukari's work for her while her master sleeps. She has the ability to mainly use shikigami.
Yukari sleeps 12 hours per day and is only awake from sunset to midnight. On top of that, she hibernates through winter. Because of that, Ran takes care of Yukari's work while she's asleep.
Ran has been a shikigami for quite long time, so she's more powerful than ordinary youkai. For that matter, she has enough power to possess her own shikigami. Perhaps she has already forgotten that she herself is a shikigami.
Every year, when cherry blossoms are about to bloom, she visits the Netherworld for flower viewing. The cherry blossoms this year feels very pleasant. Just as she was considering that, some living humans dropped in. She watched them with interest for a few moments.
She later heard that her shikigami had been defeated by them, so she plotted a little revenge.
Her true form is a fox-turned youkai. Like Chen, her shape is unchanged and she has a well-sociable personality. Even without looking closely, it's obvious that she has several tails. As a matter of fact, when it matters, she has plenty of power ever since she uses her true form.
Through all these events, her master continues to sleep.
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ExpandZUN's comment from Dai Touhouten plaque
| 世にも珍しい九尾の狐で、八雲紫の式神です。橙を式神として使役する者であります。自分で考えてプログラムをするプログラムという意味では、皆が考えるAIに近いのかも知れません。もっとも、今世間を騒がせているAIはまだそんなこと出来ないみたいですが……。藍といい橙といい、式神として使役されるには妖獣である必要があるようです。そして尻尾の数の多さが能力(容量)の多さに直結しています。つまり、彼女はとてもフサフサです。
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Nine-tailed fox from tales of the rare, Yakumo Yukari's shikigami. Also uses Chen as her own shikigami. A program that generates programs by its own will, in some sense it's closer to what people think AI can do. Although the AI everyone's arguing about now still hasn't reached that point... Either Ran or Chen or whoever, it seems that those that can be qualified as a shikigami has to be a youkai beast. And the number of their tails directly correlates to their capability (like disk space), the more they have the more capable they are. In other word, she's very fluffy.
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Spell Cards
ExpandSpell Cards
| Comments
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Works
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Stage
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| Total: 20
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| 式神「仙狐思念」
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Shikigami "Senko Thoughtful Meditation"
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PCB
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St. Ex
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| 式神「十二神将の宴」
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Shikigami "Banquet of the Twelve General Gods"
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PCB
GoM
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St. Ex
—
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| 式輝「狐狸妖怪レーザー」
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Shiki Brilliance "Kitsune-Tanuki Youkai Laser"
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PCB
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St. Ex
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| 式輝「四面楚歌チャーミング」
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Shiki Brilliance "Charming Siege from All Sides"
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PCB
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St. Ex
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| 式輝「プリンセス天狐 -Illusion-」
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Shiki Brilliance "Princess Tenko -Illusion-"
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PCB
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St. Ex
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| 式弾「アルティメットブディスト」
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Shiki Shot "Ultimate Buddhist"
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PCB
GoM
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St. Ex
—
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| 式弾「ユーニラタルコンタクト」
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Shiki Shot "Unilateral Contact"
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PCB
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St. Ex
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| 式神「橙」
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Shikigami "Chen"
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PCB
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St. Ex
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| 「狐狗狸さんの契約」
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"Kokkuri-san's Contract"
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PCB
GoM
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St. Ex
—
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| 幻神「飯綱権現降臨」
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Illusion God "Descent of Izuna-Gongen"
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PCB
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St. Ex
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| 式神「前鬼後鬼の守護」
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Shikigami "Protection of Zenki and Goki"
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PCB
GoM
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St. Ph
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| 式神「憑依荼吉尼天」
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Shikigami "Channeling Dakiniten"
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PCB
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St. Ph
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| 密符「御大師様の秘鍵」
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Esoteric Sign "Odaishi-sama's Secret Key"
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StB
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St. 8
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| 行符「八千万枚護摩」
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Ascetic Sign "Eighty Million Goma Boards"
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StB
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St. 8
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| 超人「飛翔役小角」
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Superhuman "Soaring En no Ozunu"
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StB
GoM
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St. 8
—
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| 地妖符「イドの式神」
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Earth Ghostly Sign "Shikigami of the Id"
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Co-owner with Koishi
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VD
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Nightmare Wednesday - 2
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| 地妖符「式神大星」
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Earth Ghostly Sign "Shikigami Giant Star"
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Co-owner with Utsuho
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VD
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Nightmare Wednesday - 4
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| 地妖符「エゴの式神」
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Earth Ghostly Sign "Shikigami of the Ego"
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Co-owner with Satori
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VD
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Nightmare Wednesday - 5
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| 式神「スティルハンター チェン」
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Shikigami "Still-Hunter Chen"
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UDoALG
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Use
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| 式神「マルチスティルハンター」
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Shikigami "Multi Still-Hunter"
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UDoALG
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Use
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Character Design
Name
Yakumo Ran (八雲 藍) is her name. The characters for Yakumo (八雲) literally mean "eight clouds", and her surname is the same as Yukari's surname and Lafcadio Hearn (小泉 八雲, Koizumi Yakumo)'s Japanese given name. Ran (藍) literally means "blue" or "indigo". Yukari and both of her Shikigami are named after colors.
According to Akyuu in Perfect Memento in Strict Sense, her real name is unknown and Ran was a name given to her by Yukari. Yuuma Toutetsu, however, calls her "Ran" and then specifies Ran Yakumo now despite the two not seeing each other for a long time, which would imply "Ran" is the real name of the beast spirit that Yukari uses as a shikigami to possess the unnamed youkai fox, rather than a name Yukari decided by herself.
Design
In Perfect Cherry Blossom, Ran has yellow eyes, short blonde hair, and nine fox tails. She wears a white dress with purple cuffs and collar, an indigo tabard with a white print, white and blue footwear, and a light pink two-tailed hat with many amulets that hide her fox ears. According to ZUN, she is fairly tall.[6]
Ran's motif, the nine-tailed fox, is a well-known mythical fox entity originating from Chinese mythology and appears in various East Asian folklores, including Da Ji or Huli Jing in Chinese, Tamamo no Mae in Japanese, and Kumiho in Korean. For further details on the nine-tailed fox in these cultures, please refer to their respective sources.
Appearances
- Perfect Cherry Blossom
During Perfect Cherry Blossom, Ran is busy preparing for a banquet for her master Yukari Yakumo, who was still asleep as usual, when the heroine suddenly interrupts her.
- Imperishable Night
Ran makes a return in Imperishable Night, somewhat as a playable character. She is Yukari's familiar, who appears in front of Yukari at a distance when the player focuses. She'll search for enemies and spin around on them until they're defeated. She'll act the same way if Yukari is unfocused while playing solo.
- Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost
Because of the opening of the marketplace, ownership of the ancient land was lost. This has caused greedy animal spirits to attempt to claim ownership of the land. Ran gets told by Yukari to investigate the incident in Gensokyo. Ran later arrives at the Hell of Blood Pools and encounters Chiyari Tenkajin, who informs Ran about Toutetsu’s movements. Suspicious, she heads to the Animal Realm where she finds Yuuma and attacks her thinking she is the culprit of the incident.
At the end, she gives her report to Yukari omitting the details of Yuuma, as she finally decided that she only took advantage of the incident. Although Yukari said that she thought that it was a natural incident, she seemed to know who the real mastermind was.
- Fighters
Ran in the fighters and
HM
Ran appears in Immaterial and Missing Power, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, and Touhou Hisoutensoku as a projectile in Yukari's spell card Shikigami "Ran Yakumo". In Antinomy of Common Flowers she gets used in the same way, this time in a combined move with her servant Chen.
- Shoot the Bullet
In Shoot the Bullet, Aya Shameimaru encounters Ran on stage 8 and takes photos of her danmaku.
- Hopeless Masquerade
Ran made a background cameo appearance in Hopeless Masquerade on the Hakurei Shrine stage. She is seen standing with Chen watching the fights.
- Violet Detector
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Attention: This section is a stub and it needs expanding with more information related to the section's topic. If you can add to it in any way, please do so.
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Attention: This section is a stub and it needs expanding with more information related to the section's topic. If you can add to it in any way, please do so.
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- Curiosities of Lotus Asia
- Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red
Ran gets interviewed by Aya Shameimaru after she managed to determine the actual width of the Sanzu River. Ran also explains how equations and shikigami are related, and how Yukari's equations, which she uses to increase Ran's power indefinitely, are too much even for her to understand.
In Yukari's article, Aya confronts Yukari after the latter smacked Ran with an umbrella as a punishment for having fought humans without Yukari's permission. Although Aya is outraged by an animal being abused like that, Yukari insists that Ran is not an animal, but a shikigami that sometimes forgets that she is a servant.
- Perfect Memento in Strict Sense
Hieda no Akyuu writes an in-universe encyclopedic article on Ran as part of the Gensokyo Chronicle.
- Silent Sinner in Blue
Yukari requests Ran to search for allies to take revenge for her defeat in the First Lunar War. After asking various people, like Remilia Scarlet, Yuyuko Saigyouji, Youmu Konpaku, or Suika Ibuki, Ran explains that apparently the only interested person is Remilia, but that she doubts she will cooperate. Yukari tells her not to worry, as she has everything she needs, confusing Ran. After asking about her true intentions, Yukari will claim that only when she could do more than just mathematical calculus and could "add single digits" she could understand her plan [7]
The Full Moon day arrives and Ran follows Yukari in her journey to the Lunar Capital. However, they fall in Eirin Yagokoro's trap, are apprehended, and are taken to the Capital to be judged thanks to Watatsuki no Toyohime. After being released and surprised her master was so happy after seeing her plan failed, Ran asks for an explanation. Yukari then tells her the true nature of her plan and they celebrate their success at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
- The Grimoire of Marisa
Ran is one of the people whose spell cards Marisa Kirisame documents, adding descriptions, comments, and considerations to imitate them.
- Cage in Lunatic Runagate
- Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia
Ran was one of the visitors of the geyser hot springs right above Old Hell. When Aya asked her why she was keeping her hat in the bath, Ran said that it was because Aya was taking a picture of her.
- Foul Detective Satori
Tired of Satori Komeiji's slowness and supposed incompetency, Yukari orders both Ran and Chen to search for the vengeful spirit that was possessing a lot of youkais and humans in Gensokyo between all the Netherworld phantoms. They do so, and in chapter 8 Chen contacts Satori, Rin, and Reimu to inform them that they had captured every phantom in the Netherworld. However, in chapter 10 Marisa Kirisame tells both of them not only that they didn't capture the vengeful spirit, but that it possessed their master Yukari. Surprised and worried about her, they leave Marisa and Satori to find her.
- Whispered Oracle of Hakurei Shrine
Reimu Hakurei writes a fortune slip about Ran as a way of cleaning up in the aftermath of an incident.
Relationships
- Yukari Yakumo (Master)
Ran is Yukari's main shikigami and received her current name and identity as part of their contract. When Ran follows Yukari's will, she can become much stronger and obtain power equal to Yukari's level, and Ran is quite satisfied with the result despite losing her freedom. Ran was not born before the Genso-Lunar War, so she must have become Yukari's shikigami sometime after that.[8]
Yukari keeps the relationship on a user-to-shikigami level. This relationship is analogous to users and computers in the Outside World, and Yukari insists heavily that Ran is not a fox, but is a tool to be used. [9] Yukari's own thoughts and perspective in Chapter Five of Cage in Lunatic Runagate refer to Ran with computer terms, such as "program" or "debugging". Ran is still more advanced than a computer, so Yukari attempts philosophical discussion with Ran from time to time, but typically gets boring responses involving numbers and calculations. Yukari loves Ran very much, but in terms of how one would love a favorite tool.
Ran often "forgets" she is a shikigami, taking matters into her own hands without Yukari's orders. Yukari will physically discipline Ran when this happens (by whacking her with her umbrella). Using a tool and keeping it in good shape (via discipline) shows love for your shikigami, according to Yukari.[9] Ran accepts this and also seems to care for her master, attempting to encourage Yukari after the second Genso-Lunar War failed. But she won't disagree that her master is annoying and is often driven to much frustration by Yukari's double-speak and secrecy.
- Chen (Shikigami)
Chen is Ran's shikigami. Since their relationship is the same as Ran's relationship with Yukari, one would expect Chen to follow anything that Ran commands, but Chen is unreliable and it's difficult for Ran to depend on her.
- Yuuma Toutetsu (Old acquaintance)
Yuuma and Ran knew each other before Ran became Yukari's shikigami. Based on their dialogue, it seemed like Ran was a member of the Animal Realm until she got bored of the “beastly ideology” there and left. She also claims to know Yuuma before she became the leader of the Gouyoku Alliance. [3] According to Yuuma's words, it seems they still treat each other as close friends.
Minor Relationships
- Yachie Kicchou and Saki Kurokoma
The two seem to recognise Ran from the time she was a member of the Animal Realm.[10]
Gallery
Sprites
Artwork
Illustrations
Screenshots
Others
Additional information
- The name of one of her Spell Cards, "Princess Tenko," is likely a reference to a famous Japanese illusionist of the same name, considering how foxes are known for their tricks and illusions in folklore.
- Ran is the only stage mid-boss in any Touhou Project game that is immune to bombs.
- Since her master is the only Phantasm boss, Ran is also the only Phantasm stage mid-boss.
- Both Ran's and Yukari's surname was "Suzukaze" in the trial version ver. 0.09a of PCB.[11]
- Fried tofu sushi (稲荷寿司, inari zushi) is named after Inari Ookami (稲荷大神), a fox god, and foxes are said to like eating tofu. This is likely why Ran is sometimes associated with tofu.
Fandom
Official Sources
References
