Ranka Lee - Innocent naive teenager or Evil war criminal

[taksraven]

There is a fair amount of discussion about the Ranka so maybe it warrants its own thread. Its the nature of the discussion that amuses me, with many being annoyed at her for various reasons and there is even a hardcore group of haters that would seem to be happy to see her executed for crimes against humanity.

Well here is your chance to voice your opinion, but remember, keep it nice!

Taksraven

[Ork_dreadnought]

Wow, provocactive title.

[RF-26AAC]

Wow, provocactive title.

IBTL.

I think she's innocent enough; though her Nausicaa-type approach probably will not bode well for many.

[dreamweaver13]

IBTL.

I think she's innocent enough; though her Nausicaa-type approach probably will not bode well for many.

what do you mean by Nausicaa-type approach? are you referring to greek mythology? or the anime character?

[Sergorn]

IBTL.

I think she's innocent enough; though her Nausicaa-type approach probably will not bode well for many.

Ranka FTW !

Ranka seems pretty much to be the only one that *get* it, and I'd say the latest episode pretty much prove that the Vajra aren't innerentl evil - and that really that ranks of experiment and manipulations on multi-Grace's part.

As such Ranka'll probably be the one who'll be able to bring peace with the Vajra one way or another. Calling her a war criminal or a betrayer is just downright ridiculous

Don't mess with my Ranka-chan

-Sergorn

[Agent ONE]

This thread is a spoiler in itself.. But the answer is no, she (at this point) is just learning about herself.

[StrangeWill]

Evil war criminal? Yes all zentradi are.

Edited September 2, 2008 by StrangeWill

[Morpheus]

Ranka lee:

- Lost her memories due to severe trauma, and can be recalled if emotion condition is unstable.

- The only(?) survivor of Vajra attack on 117th research fleet

- Adopted by Ozma, who lied about his work in the beginning

- Love singing due to memories of Aimo (or because her adopted brother is Fire Bomber maniac?)

- Tried to fulfill her dream by entering Miss Macross but lost

- Unexpectedly became famous due to her role in Birdman movie

- Revealed as Q1 after Galia IV incident, and used as a tool against Vajra

- Refused to sing again after she realized her song is being used for mass murder (Vajra being the victim here)

- part FAST pack and pregnant with fold quartz(??)

She just an innocent teenager with an unlucky fate, she was childish at the beginning but now begin to grow up (since she fall in love with Alto?). I just hope she made the right decision by leaving Alto (and Frontier).

[Cybergig1]

haha jeez epic subject title almost expected a poll between her and hitler

anyways agreed I think she is just young and naive to the point of being annoying BUT I wouldn't go near as far as saying she is a war criminal. She's still technically a child and as others mentioning just learning about herself so its sort of hard to expect someone at such an age to always do "the right thing" for everyone. I admit she can really annoy me to the point of pain a lot of times but at no time does it make me think of her as being straight evil. She has her good points too. I just dont like her near as much as Sheryl

[wolfx]

What's with the Ranka hate? She's purer than most humans. And ultimately she'll win alto's heart.

[s-girl]

I'm puzzled by the outpouring of hate for her lately, some from new people to the boards and some from others who have been here a while. I wonder if a part of it is because we're a lot older than Ranka and have a hard time remembering what it's like to be a young kid and are trying to measure Ranka by western standards?

I hope it has nothing to do with the preference for Sheryl/Alto or something like that. (And even though I prefer Sheryl/Alto, I don't to the degree that I would wish a horrible fate unto Ranka.)

I'm waiting until the end to decide how much of what she's done is understandable and defensible considering her circumstances, which are pretty horrific when one thinks about them. So far, her issues have been mostly related to her being young and lacking confidence, as opposed to someone like LEon or Grace, who are motivated by greed for power and/or superiority. (Grace -- still not sure what her ultimate motive is, although she seemed to take great pleasure in being the one to unravel the mystery of the queen over Dr. Mao and Ranshe.)

[adrianop]

I dont get the extreme Ranka hate by some groups...

[Radd]

Somehow, over the course of Frontier, the cute little Ranka or Sheryl fan rivalry took a very ugly turn. That's all this is. I really don't think we should be encouraging it.

[-Snowblind-]

I dont get the extreme Ranka hate by some groups...

I think, as pointed out by someone in the episode 21 thread, it has more to do with their pro-Sheryl stance than any rational reason to dislike Ranka.

I can't see any reason to hate her (or even dislike her, but that's a matter of personal preference). Sure, she's made some mistakes, but every major character in the show has.

[Major Focker]

what do you mean by Nausicaa-type approach? are you referring to greek mythology? or the anime character?

i'm curious about this too. someone explain please.

as for ranka, she's ok by me. in fact, i think she's done good.

[dreamweaver13]

i'm curious about this too. someone explain please.

as for ranka, she's ok by me. in fact, i think she's done good.

yeah.. if he meant the greek character, i don't get it.

if he meant Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, i still don't get it. ranka's ok, but nausicaa is light years ahead of her when it comes to personality, IMHO.

[JustinStrife]

What's with the Ranka hate? She's purer than most humans. And ultimately she'll win alto's heart.

Drugs are really bad for your brain friend... May I recommend you join a rehab group?

[Gubaba]

yeah.. if he meant the greek character, i don't get it.

if he meant Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, i still don't get it. ranka's ok, but nausicaa is light years ahead of her when it comes to personality, IMHO.

Wow...this is the thread I wanted to start recently, but didn't have the guts to do so (I was afraid it would get spammed and locked).

Anyway, I'm sure the Nausicaa reference is this: Nausicaa (in the comic/anime) became a champion for the insects, valuing the lives of humans and bugs equally, and trying to get them to coexist. Hence, Ranka going off to the Vajra at the end of 21 is probably done with a similar purpose in mind. And yes, I think she is going to the Vajra fully conscious of her role as a mediator. And I don't think she expects to return alive. In other words, I think she did a very brave thing by going.

I'm not really in Ranka's corner...I like her, and I like Sheryl. But I have to say that the Ranka Hate has led me to defend our little Super Dimension Cinderella quite a bit more than I would otherwise.

Most of the people who dislike Ranka (here and on other forums) seem pretty reasonable over all. But with some of them, there's a weird ferocity to the hate, as though ANY statement in support of Ranka is a vile insult. Again, seems bizarre to me, but who am I to deny them their fun?

Me, I'm just happy we have two such well-written/designed/acted female characters in this series. And no, I'm not talking about Nanase's breasts...

[mike_s_6]

But with some of them, there's a weird ferocity to the hate, as though ANY statement in support of Ranka is a vile insult.

I also notice this, but I don't know how to react to it *__*

I also think that this thread is inflammatory, given that "naive" isn't such a positive way to describe a person, and neither is "evil war criminal".

[taksraven]

Somehow, over the course of Frontier, the cute little Ranka or Sheryl fan rivalry took a very ugly turn. That's all this is. I really don't think we should be encouraging it.

I wasn't trying to encourage it by starting this thread, I was just trying to get this discussion out into the open.

The main reason I started it was because of some of the more extreme accusations being levelled at Ranka at the moment, including one I saw the other day when she pretty much was being called a war criminal for hiding and helping Ai-kun, like she was deliberately helping the enemy.

Taksraven

[Major Focker]

thanks gubaba for explaining the nausicaa parallels, and i think it's likely we'll see something similar in MF.

i don't think though that ranka is fully aware of the risks in seeking out the vajra, but it is a brave thing to do nonetheless.

unlike you, i am firmly in the sheryl camp, but still, i find no reason to hate ranka. heck, i don't even dislike her. it's more like, she's just not my type. regardless, ranka is an interestingly crafted character, if perhaps a bit annoying at times, but a good one nonetheless. i'd even go as far to agree with wolfx that in a sense she's purer than most, and we get to see how she sheds some of that innocence as she matures, in both good ways and bad, and some forced on her whilst some willingly.

as for nanasae, you probably meant "well-drawn"

[dreamweaver13]

Wow...this is the thread I wanted to start recently, but didn't have the guts to do so (I was afraid it would get spammed and locked).

Anyway, I'm sure the Nausicaa reference is this: Nausicaa (in the comic/anime) became a champion for the insects, valuing the lives of humans and bugs equally, and trying to get them to coexist. Hence, Ranka going off to the Vajra at the end of 21 is probably done with a similar purpose in mind. And yes, I think she is going to the Vajra fully conscious of her role as a mediator. And I don't think she expects to return alive. In other words, I think she did a very brave thing by going.

I'm not really in Ranka's corner...I like her, and I like Sheryl. But I have to say that the Ranka Hate has led me to defend our little Super Dimension Cinderella quite a bit more than I would otherwise.

Most of the people who dislike Ranka (here and on other forums) seem pretty reasonable over all. But with some of them, there's a weird ferocity to the hate, as though ANY statement in support of Ranka is a vile insult. Again, seems bizarre to me, but who am I to deny them their fun?

Me, I'm just happy we have two such well-written/designed/acted female characters in this series. And no, I'm not talking about Nanase's breasts...

oh... in that case, that makes sense. only as to the plot, though. not any personality similarities between ranka and nausicaa (one of my all-time favorite characters).

I agree with you on the sentiments towards ranka. i've been consistent in preferring sheryl over ranka, but i'm not a ranka hater (my jokes against her notwithstanding). and now with all this vile hate against her (and none of them are jokes, so i'm quite surprised, actually), i find myself holding back my pro-sheryl leanings, lest i find myself joined with the lynch mob heading ranka's way.

[Gubaba]

I also notice this, but I don't know how to react to it *__*

I don't either..."Don't feed the trolls" is probably the best advice, but sometimes hard to follow.

(I like your new avatar, BTW. )

[Sumdumgai]

Ranka is a girl that's still growing up. What I would find interesting is if she develops a split personality when she gets her memories back. Maybe she wasn't always the nice innocent girl we know as Ranka Lee.

She's an interesting enough character. I want to see what happens to her, and what good/bad decisions she makes.

[s-girl]

thanks gubaba for explaining the nausicaa parallels, and i think it's likely we'll see something similar in MF.

i don't think though that ranka is fully aware of the risks in seeking out the vajra, but it is a brave thing to do nonetheless.

It also will likely create a peaceful resolution since we know the Vajra are a hivelike existence. What I wonder is if Ranka is sacrificing herself knowingly, e.g., "I must also join with the Vajra" or if she only thinks she's sacrificing her life to get Ai=kun back to the hive. It all comes down to what Ranka has realized for herself by epiosde 21.

[Major Focker]

I don't either..."Don't feed the trolls" is probably the best advice, but sometimes hard to follow.

and it is good advice indeed. but yeah, not always easy. as weird as it may sound, in these ranka-hatred times i find myself compelled to stand up for ranka, my sheryl fandom notwithstanding.

[wolfx]

Drugs are really bad for your brain friend... May I recommend you join a rehab group?

But with some of them, there's a weird ferocity to the hate, as though ANY statement in support of Ranka is a vile insult. Again, seems bizarre to me, but who am I to deny them their fun?

Oh look...good example above.

I call it the ugly side of fanboyism.

[taksraven]

Wow...this is the thread I wanted to start recently, but didn't have the guts to do so (I was afraid it would get spammed and locked).

I think that if we maintain a civil and intelligent discussion here and don't degenerate into petty name calling we should be pretty safe from a lock. Saying that, I am still pretty sure that this will end up being locked anyway since some rabid Ranka hater is sure to appear here and ruin it for everybody.

Most of the people who dislike Ranka (here and on other forums) seem pretty reasonable over all. But with some of them, there's a weird ferocity to the hate, as though ANY statement in support of Ranka is a vile insult. Again, seems bizarre to me, but who am I to deny them their fun?

Thats a fair comment and I am not just automatically opposed to anybody who dislikes Ranka, but as you have observed, some of the hatred is VERY ferocious and unreasonable. I guess thats a problem in a lot of anime and SF fandom in general. (Star trek had similar problems when a lot of fans decided that they would have nearly homicidal hatred towards Wesley Crusher)

Taksraven

[Gubaba]

thanks gubaba for explaining the nausicaa parallels, and i think it's likely we'll see something similar in MF.

i don't think though that ranka is fully aware of the risks in seeking out the vajra, but it is a brave thing to do nonetheless.

unlike you, i am firmly in the sheryl camp, but still, i find no reason to hate ranka. heck, i don't even dislike her. it's more like, she's just not my type. regardless, ranka is an interestingly crafted character, if perhaps a bit annoying at times, but a good one nonetheless. i'd even go as far to agree with wolfx that in a sense she's purer than most, and we get to see how she sheds some of that innocence as she matures, in both good ways and bad, and some forced on her whilst some willingly.

Yeah, I agree that she can be annoying, but anime is filled with characters who are WAAAAAAY more annoying than she is. Although I think a lot of why I don't find her uber-annoying is because I really like Megumi Nakajima's speaking voice. Cute but not TOO cute.

as for nanasae, you probably meant "well-drawn"

No, I meant well-written, designed, and acted. Especially acted. Especially acted upon by gravity...

OK, I'll shut up now.

[taksraven]

I don't either..."Don't feed the trolls" is probably the best advice, but sometimes hard to follow.

I agree that it is possible to starve the trolls out but sometimes I prefer to just deprive them of oxygen (in other words explain why their arguments are crap)

Taksraven

[mike_s_6]

and it is good advice indeed. but yeah, not always easy. as weird as it may sound, in these ranka-hatred times i find myself compelled to stand up for ranka, my sheryl fandom notwithstanding.

Yeah me too. Is there a Sheryl fans against Ranka trolls now? I actually found myself defending her in the episode before last, and in the current one

[Major Focker]

No, I meant well-written, designed, and acted. Especially acted. Especially acted upon by gravity...

OK, I'll shut up now.

lol, i'm sure if the gravity "actor" offerred to swap places with you for a day, you'd take it in a heartbeat

[Tricky]

I dont like Ranka simply because the writers made subtle to strong comparisons to Lynn Minmay. Minmay was 50 times a better character. When Minmay was a bee-yotch, she wasnt irritating. That was who she was. When Ranka is irritating, it's irritating. And she sings Minmay's song! Grr... but it's still a good tune.

I hope Ranka, Brera and her Vajra friends get destroyed by Battle Frontier's main cannon.

[dreamweaver13]

What I would find interesting is if she develops a split personality when she gets her memories back. Maybe she wasn't always the nice innocent girl we know as Ranka Lee.

"Samantha/Ranka who"?

[hobbes221]

If we look at her age and the way in which she was brought up, became a celebrity then dropped into a pivotal role in a war, I think that so far they are doing a fine job of bringing along Ranka as a character. Does that mean that I would want to be buds with this girl... no. After the last scene with Alto I think that she is just running away but just happened to find a reason to do so first. Does any of this make her a bad person, not to me as she sang in combat, and again when the Vajra first started attacking in the island and once more knowing full well that she sitting atop a WMD. Ranka has done just about all that has been asked of her. However as we near the end(?) she should be coming to point that will define just who she is and I'll try to save my judgment until then.