Hallo! I was the one who asked for a Ranpo Character Analysis :)). Can you explain Ranpo's personality and character in Chapter 80?. He definitely acted differently from the Ranpo we were introduced to in the first arc of the series. Not to mention his words: "Becoming a great detective is easy,just see with your own eyes", considering he believed he was the best detective out there and no one could reach his level so his words were a bit surprising for me hahaha. Thank you and stay safe!
As far as this scene goes:
It ties with what I wrote in the Ranpo’s meta:
In short, what is really important for the series is not really to put some light on very complicated and very convulated plots, but rather to show the truth behind some human behaviours and why some characters chose to act in a certain way. This is usually the true focus of Ranpo’s cases, while the method used for the crime is something which comes second. The same can be said also about who the culprit is to an extent. In the case above there were not many suspects to begin with and in the other two cases Ranpo takes in the series we already know who the culprits and Ranpo’s opponents are.
So, we can say that what truly matters in BSD is the interiority of people and this is also why the protagonists are detectives. What they are really trying to do is to understand themselves and others and they do so as detectives which operate in a gray context. This is the symbolic meaning that the profession of detective has within the story.
In other words, the reason why Ranpo is so amazing is that he can see the truth in a complicated and ambiguous world.
Being a detective means to be able to understand the complexity of the situation and of the people involved. This is something anyone can do, but they need to be honest with both themselves and others. This is why the best detective of the ADA has no special ability. It is because ultimately one needs no special ability to be a great detective and this is what Ranpo is saying in the chapter. You must just observe what is around you and accept it.
The reason why Ranpo used to brag (and still does occasionally) about his ability as a detective is not that he wanted to feel special. His backstory shows that Fukuzawa invented the lie about Ranpo’s ability to make him feel normal. Ranpo’s intelligence isolated him, so Fukuzawa told him that the reason of his intelligence was not Ranpo himself, but rather an ability. Basically the idea of having an ability is used by Ranpo to compertamentalize a trait about himself he has a hate/love relationship with.
This is why it is so important that he finally comes to accept this trait while facing Poe. We can see that, after this realization, Ranpo is shown more active and less limited by his self-imposed ability. However, this also means he can occasionally fail.
In Cannibalism he is one ot the most active members of the ADA and is the one leading the others. At the same time he also makes a mistake against Fyodor. This mistake leads to the death of a child and and later on Ranpo goes up against Mushitarou to partially fix this miscalculation and free Kunikida. While facing Mushitarou, Ranpo openly admits that he has no ability and that he is just a normal person. However, he also states he won’t lose for the sake of his friends.
As you can see, all these details show how Ranpo is growing and is not the man-child he was at the beginning of the series. However, in order to grow more, I think he will have to make himself less dependent on Fukuzawa.
We partially see it in this arc, as I stated in this meta:
However, if Kunikida is Fukuzawa’s successor, Ranpo is literally his “son”. This also fits with the fact that, in a sense, Ranpo is introduced as a person who refuses to grow (almost a man-child) and so he has childish traits.
One of the most basic child-like attributes one can have is to be self-centred and this is more or less what Ranpo displays in the above mentioned scene:
He doesn’t want to help Atsushi because it doesn’t concern him and accepts to offer assistance only when Fukuzawa promises to praise him.
What is interesting is that Ranpo has grown from that scene and as I mentioned in his meta his arc is mostly about growing up. To do so he must overcome the defense mechanism Fukuzawa has given him in the shape of a pair of glasses. He does so in the Guild arc and this is also why it is interesting to compare the scene above with a more recent conflict between Fukuzawa and Ranpo:
The situations are similar. Both times Ranpo would like for the agency to avoid taking on a dangerous mission and is called out by Fukuzawa who explains how this goes against what is right. However, this time around Ranpo’s behaviour is far less childish and Fukuzawa’s one appears more rigid.
As a matter of fact Ranpo doesn’t want to refuse the mission out of selfishness, but because a friend had warned him not to. Fukuzawa chooses to ignore the warning and this is why the agency is in its current predicament.
This is interesting because it is as if the limits of the mentor are starting to show (well, at least they might; it was only an isolated scene, so we must see if this is leading somewhere). If this were the case it would be understandable because as I have written above I think that the members of the ADA will need to become strong enough to face their own demons without the coping mechanisms offered them by Fukuzawa. They must if they want to grow up.
I think that Ranpo’s behaviour in chapter 80 might tie to what is satetd above. On one hand, in the past, Fukuzawa used to be the one protecting and saving Ranpo. On the other hand we have seen Ranpo trying to save Fukuzawa at all costs in Cannibalism. However, in that arc, Ranpo ultimaley fails. What is more, his wish to save Fukuzawa in that situation puts the whole Yokohama in danger adn goes against what Fukuzawa himself wants.
However, in chapter 80 we see Ranpo successfully saving Fukuzawa and the other ADA’s members. He does so by taking action by himself with the help of a connection he himself made (Poe). At the beginning of the arc, he showed to have a better grasping of the situation when compared to Fukuzawa and in chapter 80 he manages to save his father-figure on his own. To me, it seems that Ranpo might have already reached a point where he does not need Fukusawa’s guidance anymore. However, he still chooses to depend on him, as seen when he asks for Fukuzawa’s order as if Ranpo himself doesn’t perfectly know what is better to do.
In short, I think that Ranpo’s actions in the latest chapter are proof of him growing up, but at the same time they show how much Ranpo cares and depends on Fukuzawa. I am curious to see if their relationship will be explored more and what will happen!
Thank you for the ask and stay safe as well!
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