Ranko Kanzaki
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Ranko Kanzaki (Japanese: 神崎蘭子 Kanzaki Ranko) is one of the characters available in THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls and THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage. She is voiced by Maaya Uchida (Japanese: 内田真礼 Uchida Maaya).
Statistics
Annual Rankings
| Event | Prelim Rank | Final Rank |
| 1st Cinderella Girl General Election | 2 | 2 |
| 2nd Cinderella Girl General Election | 6 | 1 |
| 3rd Cinderella Girl General Election | 15 | 14 |
| 4th Anniversary Voice Idol Audition | Not a candidate | Not a candidate |
| 4th Cinderella Girl General Election | Unranked | 13 |
| 5th Cinderella Girl General Election | Unranked | 30 |
| 6th Cinderella Girl General Election | Unranked | 42 |
| 7th Cinderella Girl General Election | Unranked | 11 |
| 8th Cinderella Girl General Election | Unranked | 32 |
| 9th Cinderella Girl General Election | Not applicable | 21 |
| 10th Cinderella Girl General Election | Not applicable | 30 |
Biographies
THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Self-Introduction
Kukuku, you are able to see my raw power, it seems you may possess the ability of "the eye..." I advise you to tread lightly, however, as my power could burn you to cinders. Haha, hahahaha...! (Translation: Thank you for producing me, I’ll do my best!!)
THE iDOLM@STER SHINY FESTA Profile Quote
Kukuku... get ready for the beginning of a legend!
THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Anime Idol Profile
In accordance with our blood contract, let our souls resonate…!
Ranko is a girl with scarlet eyes who dresses in Gothic Lolita outfits. Though her chuunibyou identity can lead to misunderstandings and an unique choice of words, beneath the surface, she is an honest and devoted hard worker. Ranko is a larger-than-life girl, though she does have a hidden shy side to her.
THE iDOLM@STER Starlit Season Profile
"I am Ranko Kanzaki! This jet-black one-winged fallen angel, was invited to this splendid gathering! Now, I shall open this forbidden door, and walk upon this staircase to the sky! (Translation: I'm Ranko Kanzaki! I'll do my best in Project LUMINOUS' activities♪)"
THE iDOLM@STER POPLINKS Profile Quote
...I'm Ranko Kanzaki. Kukuku... Are you the one who honors my name? Now's the time to comply thy summon! (Translation: I'm Ranko Kanzaki! I'm so glad you called me here!)
Character Description
According to her first Starlight Stage Memorial commu, Ranko first meets the Producer while window-shopping in a popular shopping district. While deciding what to buy, Producer calls out to her. Rattled, Ranko panicks and interprets his sudden voice as a "cry of a spirit" and "invitation to the taboo." After Producer apologizes, Ranko can't look him in the eye. Very shy, she only speaks in fragmented sentences and says that she was just surprised. Producer asks her about her mentioning "taboo," and Ranko responds that to "bear witness to her true form" is taboo. Flustered, she tells him to ignore that and simply says it was nothing. Ranko tries to excuse herself from the conversation, but Producer keeps staring at her. She detects a power in Producer's gaze and asks herself who just is this person. When Producer hands her his business card, she calls it a "sacred white talisman." After seeing he is an idol producer, Ranko believes he is the bearer of "the eye," a power that can lead to her "true awakening." Though Ranko expresses disbelief that she got scouted, Producer says that she'll see her at the auditions soon. Later during her audition, she introduces herself as Ranko Kanzaki, a "fallen angel who has arrived from the land of flames aiming to open the promised land's gates to the heavens." When she passes, Ranko calls Producer her servant and bearer of "the eye." She aims to shine with Producers as "stars in the celestial night," Ranko's way of saying she's glad to be accompanied by a person who can understand her. Ranko now becoming Producer's liege, she starts her conquest of the idol world.
Ranko is a young girl who always dresses in the gothic lolita style. Her outfits are well-coordinated and consistent, always wearing ensembles that make her appear as a gothic Victorian noble. But her macabre appearance is just the surface. Having an extreme case of delusional chuunibyou, many people are surprised by her unique worldview. Possessing a wild imagination, she claims to be a vampiric fallen angel with magical powers and supremacy over the "darkness." Ranko is also enamored with the idea of good versus evil, and she often conjures daydreams of her "angel" and "devil" sides fighting each other in combat. She often imagines herself as her alter ego "Brunhilde," a half-angel half-devil princess who rules over the land of fire and darkness with almost unlimited power. When in this mode, she appears haughty and confident, telling others to be afraid of her dark powers. Ranko doesn't hesitate to confront others who seem intimidating or scary; in this persona, she's unshakeable. Notably, she can talk to people without a hint of timidity and actively engages in conversation. Ranko is rumored to be an avid bookworm and likes to research mythologies of different cultures. She is also seen to be interested in architectural sites that have "holy or infernal power," such as St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
During idol work, she commands the stage with confidence and often swoons fans with her charisma and character. Many of Ranko's fellow idols are enamored with her coolness and charm, but find her a bit exhausting in normal conversation. Her persona can easily be toggled off if put in a stressful situation (e.g. getting lost in a swarm of people) or during an emotional event (e.g. intimate moments with Producer/other idols). While Ranko likes the gothic aesthetic, she makes it a point to explain she doesn't like horror elements and is easily frightened by horror movies, to the point of her breaking down and crying.
Due to her chuunibyou tendencies, her speech is eccentric and confusing to comprehend. Her speech pattern is jokingly called "Ranko-go" or just an extreme version of the Kumamoto dialect. Ranko-go is filled with archaic words, different languages, and references to various mythologies which makes it difficult to understand. For example, "savor the darkness" is her way of saying "good work" while "cursing the tyranny of the sun" is her way of saying "good morning." Ranko's most famous saying is "Drown in the darkness!" and often exclaims it at the "apex of her power." Although she communicates in fantastical terms, her lines are always accompanied by a sort of mental translation to reveal what she actually means. It's a running gag for an idol to misconstrue something that Ranko says into something much more sinister. For example, when Ranko said that Uzuki's image song depicts "a pure girl falling into the darkness," Uzuki interpreted it as saying her song was evil. Meanwhile, Ranko just meant that it's a nice song fit for a normal girl. Though many characters find her speech incomprehensible, characters like Producer and Mio have gradually become accustomed to her speech patterns. People who can understand Ranko-go fluently are called "Rangaku Scholars." These include idols Miria & Arisa who are around young children often, Fumika & Hina who read copious amounts of fantasy literature, and Koume & Chitose who are familiar with gothic and macabre topics.
Having a talent for drawing, Ranko has a "grimoire" that acts as both her secret diary and sketchbook, where she writes and illustrates all her ideas and innermost thoughts. Her alter ego Brunhilde is her most common subject to write and draw. While having obvious talent, she believes herself to be a terrible artist and quickly gets embarrassed if someone sees her grimoire. Despite guarding her sketchbook, sometimes she'll let the Producer and other idols look at it, only if it doesn't disclose private information. However, if a pair of straying eyes or camera catch a glimpse, she immediately shuts it and yells that no one can look inside anymore. Though she writes, draws, and talks of demon worship, corrupting angels, and the supremacy of darkness, Ranko is as innocent as anyone else her age.
Behind her fantastical persona, Ranko is just a shy girl who uses her persona to hide her insecurities. When not in her grandiose persona, she is known to be very timid and introverted. In her normal state, she finds it impossible to start a conversation with others or even maintain eye contact. Without her front as a fallen angel, Ranko tends to speak in fragmented sentences and often has emotional outbursts due to embarrassment. Many idols think that Ranko is cute when she's speaking normally, a hidden charm that few people get to see. In later cards, she reveals that she formed this personality to be able to connect with other people. Ranko's persona helps her gain the courage to talk to others and express herself, even if it's outlandish. Because of her low self-esteem, she hopes to forever bury her true personality one day. She's envious of others that don't have to put up an act and wishes that she was actually a "fallen angel." However, the Producer is aware of this and tries to prevent Ranko from completely erasing everything that she once was. Ranko is grateful that the Producer can understand and embrace both her chuunibyou-influenced persona and her true nature that's insecure and afraid. Instead of her different "personas" being two separate entities, the Producer assures Ranko that she wouldn't be Ranko if one of those "sides" were to disappear. Ranko sees Producer as her greatest confidante and supporter, and pledges to become the top idol as gratitude for all that he's done for her.
Her closest idol friend is Asuka Ninomiya, due to them both having chuunibyou and sharing similar issues with themselves and with the world. Ranko feels that Asuka is one of the only people who can truly understand her (and vice-versa). They have a unit together named Dark Illuminate. Ranko is also close friends with idols who have horror-themed elements, like Koume and Chitose. Additionally, she has certain role models in the production that she looks up to, namely Noa Takamine due to her coolness and Clarice due to her holiness.
| Deremail Questions | ||
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| Originally posted 06/24/2021. Translation source. | ||
| Ranko: Drown in the darkness! The cries of those who dare stare into the abyss have reached my ears. | ||
| Ranko: In response to those strong wills, let us shed some light on a handful of darkness. Be sure to carve this into your soul! | ||
| Question: When did you start speaking those words of darkness? | ||
| Ranko: When did I start? That is a rather strange question. I have been a resident of the demon realm ever since I was born. #DereMail | ||
| Ranko: Therefore, the words of darkness have been branded onto my soul all the way from the moment I have graced this world. | ||
| Question: Drown in the darkness, Ranko-chan! I've always been supporting you. | ||
| Question: I have a question for you. You have always been wearing cute clothes but is there one thing that you can't compromise when it comes to them? | ||
| Ranko: Drown in the darkness! Some appreciative words are in order for such praise. I see that you possess a pair of good eyes. #DereMail | ||
| Ranko: Indeed, I am quite particular about my magical armaments for they represent the might of the demon lord. But, regardless... | ||
| Ranko: Splendor and exquisiteness is given the most preference. Something grand which fitting given that my soul is that of demon lord. That attribute should not be lacking. | ||
| Question: Ranko-chan, how many grimoires have you filled up by now? | ||
| Ranko: The grimoire is a book of secrets. An archive of my forbidden spells, so to speak. Disclosing it is equivalent to unveiling my soul. #DereMail | ||
| Ranko: Which is why, it will be kept secret. Humans, you should be like me: do not let yourself be afraid of things that are kept secret from you. | ||
| Ranko: The gates of darkness are about to close. When time permits, I might allow you to once again step into my abyss. | ||
| Ranko: <Ranko "Drown in the darkness!"> | ||
Game Discography
To view Ranko's Cinderella Girls and Starlight Stage card data, click here.
THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls
Ranko appears in the Events listed below.
| Events | ||
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| Event | Duration | Cards |
| Idol Produce: the 2nd Anniversary | 11/28/2013 - 12/09/2013 |  
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| 20th PuchiDerella Collection | 08/17/2018 - 08/21/2018 |  
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THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage
Ranko appears in the Events listed below.
| Event | Featured Song | Type | Duration | Cards |
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Token |
10/19/2015 - 10/27/2015 |
 
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LIVE Parade |
11/30/2016 - 12/08/2016 |
Not a featured card. | |
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Token |
08/21/2017 - 08/27/2017 |
 
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Token |
02/19/2018-02/25/2018 |
Not a featured card. | |
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Token |
06/19/2018 - 06/26/2018 |
Not a featured card. | |
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LIVE Groove |
01/31/2020 - 02/07/2020 |
 
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LIVE Groove |
10/30/2021 - 11/08/2021 |
 
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LIVE Carnival |
01/01/2022 - 01/10/2022 |
Not a featured card. | |
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LIVE Infinity |
11/16/2022 - 11/25/2022 |
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THE iDOLM@STER SHINY FESTA
Ranko Kanzaki appears as a rival in the STAR OF FESTA mode for Honey Sound, Groovy Tune, and Funky Note. She is a S rank rival who can give her Name Card to the player while in the HARD or EXPERT difficulty. Obtaining her Name Card adds 60 points to the player's score after their performance.
THE iDOLM@STER ONE FOR ALL
Ranko is available as a guest idol in the first catalog of downloadable content. She's available to perform her image song, Tsubomi Yumemiru Rapsodia ～Alma no Michibiki～, in Stage For You! mode. She also is available to be faced in a DLC festival where she uses her special skill.
THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Gravure For You!
Ranko is available to have her photo taken with other idols from 346 Production.
Song Discography
Solo Discography
Group Discography
Trivia and Fan Culture
Trivia
- Ranko was voiced starting August 8th, 2012 through THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 006 Kanzaki Ranko.
- Her first set of cards were defensive in nature, but ever since becoming a fan favorite, the vast majority of her new cards are pure offense.
- Ranko is the first character in either the Million Live! or Cinderella Girls subseries to receive a 3D model in one of the main games.
- When faced as a rival in ONE FOR ALL, her image stat specialty is revealed to be Visual.
- According to the drama track in THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS ANIMATION PROJECT 03, Koume Shirasaka can also understand her reasonably well.
- In the anime, she is shown living in a dorm with Anastasia, Koume Shirasaka, and Syoko Hoshi.
- She shares the same birthday with Momoka Sakurai and Aya Kirino.
- In her "Red Princess in Spring's Dawn" SR card, its background is her hometown's castle.
- It's rumored that she often fills up a wine glass with grape juice.
- Ranko often calls Hamburg steak her "forbidden fruit.", which it was also included in anime Cure Maid collaboration menu.
- It's rumored that she has a favorite dry cleaner's that she frequents.
Fan Culture
- Ranko was voted the most popular Cinderella Girls character and given the Cinderella Girl title in the 2nd Cinderella Girls Election.
- Outside of the Cinderella Girls series, she is sometimes depicted in fanwork with Asselin BB II due to their chuunibyou personality, Takane Shijou due to their quirky personalities and similar hair colors, and Kaoru Sakuraba due to their seiyuu's being siblings.
- Outside of the franchise, she is also often compared to Yoshiko Tsushima from Love Live! Sunshine!!, due to their chuunibyou personality.
- She is also one of favorite character of Rina Kawaguchi, Luca Ikaruga's voice actress, according to this interview, followed by Mary Cochran and Eve Santaclaus.
Character Gallery
| Animated LINE Stickers | ||
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| Animated Loading Characters | ||
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| Cingeki Promotional Art | |||
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| Cinderella Post Images | ||
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 July 15th, 2018 at 5:09 P.M. |
 November 29th, 2018 at 8:20 P.M. |
 August 3rd, 2019 at 3:00 P.M.
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 December 17th, 2019 at 8:14 P.M. |
 November 1st, 2020 at 5:21 P.M. |
 January 22th, 2022 at 2:29 P.M.
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 September 30th, 2022 at 8:37 P.M.
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| Cinderella Girls Stickers | ||
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| Starlight Stage Models | ||
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 [Cinderella Collection (Bright)] |
 [Cinderella Collection (Color)] |
 [Make My Trend]
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 [Princess of Ten] |
 [Ribbon Blouse Date] |
 [Ewig Maiden]
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 [Dark Princess of Roses] SSR |
 [Awaited Person of Fate] SSR |
 [Originator of Myth and Illusion] SSR
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 [White Princess of The Banquet] SSR |
 [Blessed Strahl] SSR |
 [Creation's Tír na nÓg] SSR
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 [Ballad of Beginnings] SSR
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| Starlight Stage Renders | ||
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 [Dark Princess of Roses] |
 [Awaiter of Destiny] |
 [Originator of Myth and Illusion]
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 [White Princess of The Banquet] |
 [Blessed Strahl] |
 [Creation's Tír na nÓg]
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 [Ballad of Beginnings]
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| Starlight Stage SSR Cameos | ||
|---|---|---|
 [Noble Venus] |
 [Prayer for Celebration] |
 [Palace of Fantasia]
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 [Incandescent Rebellion]
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| Starlight Stage SR Cameos | ||
|---|---|---|
 [Frost] |
 [Frost] |
 [Frost]+
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 [EVERMORE] |
 [EVERMORE]+ |
 [Cherry Blossom Beauty]
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 [Souyoku no Aria]+ |
 [Etude wa Ikkyoku Dake]+ |
 [Koko Kara Mirai e!]
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 [Koko Kara Mirai e!]+ |
 [Ochiru Kajitsu] |
 [Ochiru Kajitsu]+
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Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination [Dance Dance Dance]+
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| Granblue Fantasy Collaboration | ||
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Starlight Stage's 3rd anniversary countdown art.
Ranko in the anime.
Ranko in SHINY FESTA.
Ranko in ONE FOR ALL.
Ranko in G4U! Vol. 1.
Ranko in G4U! Vol. 6.
Ranko in Starlit Season.
Ranko in Dice DE Cinderella.
Ranko in Dice DE Cinderella.
Starlight Stage Sticker
Ranko's profile in POPLINKS (Harbinger of The Feast).
Ranko's profile in POPLINKS (Celestella Unison).
P@cific League 2017 Illustration
Soft Bank Hawks Collab Illustration
Ranko as part of the Loppi and HMV (Lawson) collaboration.
Purizm Magazine Starlit Season Special Edition.
Sweet Paradise POPLINKS Collaboration Menu Poster.
Ranko’s Chibi Art drawn by the Starlight Stage staff to celebrate Cinderella Girls’ 10th anniversary.
Twitter birthday illustration.
Twitter Kumamoto Prefecture tourism ambassador campaign illustration.
Donjara NEO iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Guidebook Cover.
Cinderella Girls Mobile Game Shutdown Illustration.
Cards
THE iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls Cards
[Ranko Kanzaki]
[Ranko Kanzaki]+
[Angelic Fallen Angel]
[Angelic Fallen Angel]+
[Beach Angel]
[Beach Angel]+
[CD Debut]
[CD Debut]+
[Awakened Demon Lord]
[Awakened Demon Lord]+
[Cinderella Girl]
[Cinderella Girl]+
[Anniversary Princess]
[Anniversary Princess]+
[Wonderful Magic]
[Wonderful Magic]+
[Crimson Night Princess]
[Crimson Night Princess]+
[Rosenburg Engel]+
[Demonic Bride]
[Demonic Bride]+
[G4U!]+
[Crimson Princess of Spring Dawn]
[Crimson Princess of Spring Dawn]+
[Holy Sword Messiah]
[Holy Sword Messiah]+
[Game Goddess's Leadership]
[Game Goddess's Leadership]+
[Anniversary Night]
[Anniversary Night]+
[The Angel of Incarnation]
[The Angel of Incarnation]+
[Dark Princess of Roses]
[Dark Princess of Roses]+
[Wandering Princess of Prayer]
[Wandering Princess of Prayer]+
[Sweet Sanctuary]
[Sweet Sanctuary]+
[Awaiter of Destiny]
[Awaiter of Destiny]+
[Valkyrie's Decisions]
[Valkyrie's Decisions]+
[Flute of World's End]
[Flute of World's End]+
.jpg)
THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage Cards
SR cards
[Nation Blue]
[Nation Blue]+
[Souyoku no Aria]
[Souyoku no Aria]+
[Crimson Princess of Spring Dawn]
[Crimson Princess of Spring Dawn]+
[Unlock Starbeat]
[Unlock Starbeat]+
[Ochiru Kajitsu]
[Ochiru Kajitsu]+
[Dance Dance Dance]
[Dance Dance Dance]+
SSR cards
[Dark Princess of Roses]
[Dark Princess of Roses]+
[Awaiter of Destiny]
[Awaiter of Destiny]+
[Originator of Myth and Illusion]
[Originator of Myth and Illusion]+
[White Princess of The Banquet]
[White Princess of The Banquet]+
[Blessed Strahl]
[Blessed Strahl]+
[Creation's Tír na nÓg]
[Creation's Tír na nÓg]+
[Ballad of Beginnings]
[Ballad of Beginnings]+
