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 Starlight School student and one of Ichigo and Aoi's classmates. She was later put into a unit called Soleil (ソレイユ) with Aoi and Ichigo.

Background
Ran is a veteran idol who has been working in entertainment since she was young. She is well-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.

A while before Ichigo's and Aoi's transfer, Ran worked along side with her friend and roommate, Mako, at Starlight School. The two worked together to chase their dreams for becoming great idols. However, Ran advanced further than Mako did, which caused Mako to lose confidence in herself as an idol. And though Ran didn't blame her, Mako couldn't continue and dropped out of the academy, worrying that she would disappoint Ran and hold her back with her inexperienced skills. Ran was speechless after hearing this and seeing her leave. 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 on as an idol, she later encounters Ichigo and Aoi, two best friends who've just recently enrolled in Starlight School. Ran became very skeptical of their friendship and notes that they won't be able to rise to the top together and that someday they will eventually split up. Despite the circumstances, Ran eventually became friends with Ichigo and Aoi and although Ran is somewhat reluctant with her decision at first, she later grew closer to them and found her ability to trust once more.

Appearance
Ran has long, auburn hair that reaches her waist, and has amethyst-colored eyes. As a student of Starlight School, she is often seen wearing the standardized school uniform. Outside of school, her main color scheme is purple.

As an idol, Ran's preferred brand is Spicy Ageha, a sexy type brand. Her basic coord is the Purple Stage Coord which consists of a lilac-colored crop top, with bunched, off-the-shoulder sleeves and a red bow to show off her curves. The bottom is a dark purple skirt that has lilac and, pink stripes in a checker pattern all over it. She also wears purple stilettos, with lacy, pale pink stockings.

In Season 2, Ran gains a brand new idol uniform called the Purple Torte Coord. It consists of a purple tube top cami with lilac frilled off the shoulder sleeves, plain white gloves with purple cuffs, a purple plaid skirt, and tall purple boots with white knee socks.

In Season 3, Ran obtains another new basic uniform called the High Purple Parade Coord.

Personality
Ran is a quiet, independent girl with a professional air about her. She is multi-talented and mature but she has a short temper and does not like being pestered. Despite this, Ran is a kind person. She is humble about who she is as a person and idol, despite her popularity. She dislikes being nicknamed "Ran-chan" (蘭ちゃん) and prefers to just be known as "Ran." She doesn't eat sweets as she is concerned they will ruin her image.

Becoming Friends with Ichigo and Aoi
At first, Ran was unfriendly and told Ichigo and Aoi to "be careful to not disappear together" because of her trauma with her best friend. A new audition for every class is announced and just 2 students will attend it. Ran and Ichigo are chosen and Ran gives Ichigo a little bit of advice and help. After the show goes well, Ichigo and Aoi talk about Ran. During the following day, Ran became their friend.

Passed Various Auditions Together
Ran announces it's already time for them to take their first Special Audition. The requirement is they should use Premium Rare Cards. Ichigo, Aoi, and Ran ask Johnny if he can help them about archive the cards and one day before the Audition, Johnny informs Ran and Aoi, they can meet the Top Designer but not Ichigo. The next day, Ran says if Ichigo does not achieve her Premium Rare Cards, they will go without Premium Rare Cards. But with Ichigo's effort to achieve the cards, they perform success and achieve their very first Knowledge, Mastery of Song.

Tristar, Soleil, and STAR☆ANIS Arc
As Mizuki announced the Tristar Elimination Audition, Ran participates along with Ichigo and Aoi, facing various physical and psychological challenges to take the place as a Tristar member, as she won the Real Final Audition, she became Tristar's third member, leaving Ichigo and Aoi in Starlight School. In Episode 37, Ran quits Tristar to be in Soleil, and Yurika takes her place. However, in Episode 39, both units are merged into STAR☆ANIS. Then in Episode 40, Powapowa-Puririn added and in Episode 41, Shion Kamiya stated that she won't join STAR☆ANIS, and in the same episode, STAR☆ANIS had its public debut.

Etymology
Shibuki (紫吹) Shi (紫) means purple, referring to her theme colour and Buki (吹) means to blow or spray.

Ran (蘭) means orchid. "Ran" is also a reference to "runway", as "run" in runway, and "ran" are pronounced the same in Japanese.

Relationships

 * Ichigo Hoshimiya
 * Ichigo is one of Ran's closest friends and her co-member in Soleil. At first, Ran wasn't too confident in how close friends she and Aoi were and even told them "don't disappear together" due to her own 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 even though 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 co-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 Todo
 * Yurika and Ran both participate in Stylish Thief☆Swallowtail and assist each other in the troubles they are faced with. They are also paired together in the Chocopop Detectives drama audition with Ran as the detective and Yurika as her assistant. The two are shown to be close at times but sometimes tend to argue. Overall, Ran and Yurika care for the well being of the other. Yurika had originally intended on persuading Ran to be her partner in the Partners Cup but instead got paired with Kaede and Ran was paired with Sora.


 * Sora Kazesawa
 * The first time Sora and Ran truly interacted was in Episode 67, when Ran wandered away from the recording set by accident. Ran was amazed at Sora's easy-going and free nature, and after talking with her, her anxieties about the Yeah! Hoo! Maki Image Girl competition were eased. In later episodes, the two were paired up for the Partners Cup and the drama Rhapsody of the Desert Moon. Overall, Ran and Sora get along very well and their contrasting natures compliment one another. 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. Ema was shown to be encouraging of Ran to step on the same stage she is.

Trivia

 * Ran is 163 cm tall.
 * Her zodiac sign is Leo.
 * Her favorite foods are Vegetable sticks and yogurt.
 * Her disliked food is Fried fish because she doesn't like removing the bones.
 * Her specialties are model walking and posing.
 * Although Episode 5 was Ran's official debut episode, she made cameo appearances in Episode 1 and Episode 4.
 * This makes her the first person to have more than one cameo debut, both with a speaking role; followed by Sora Kazesawa, who had non-speaking roles, Maria Himesato, who had a non-speaking cameo debut and one speaking, and Mikuru Natsuki, who had non-speaking roles, respectively.
 * Ran is classified as a tsundere by fans.
 * In Episode 57 her aura changed.
 * Ran is the first idol to have three Premium coords.
 * It is theorized that her surname Shibuki takes from Jun Shibuki (紫吹淳) a top star of Takarazuka Revue.
 * Ran shares her first name and the second part of her surname with Ran Kotobuki, the protagonist of the shoujo anime Super Gals!.
 * Her student number in the anime is 30024.
 * She shares her birthday with Kousaka Honoka from Love Live!.
 * Ran shares her singer 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 been shown to be at skilled at martial arts.
 * She has also stated that she is a capable marathon swimmer, able to swim a length of 10 kilometers (about 6.2 mi).
 * She addresses herself with the pronoun "Atashi" (あたし), which is a very informal and casual way for a female to address herself.
 * She is a fan of the popular mascot character, Ebi-Pon.
 * Ran is one of the two idols to not have a solo performance in her debut season, the other being Kaede Ichinose.
 * If one counts both appearances in the anime and the DCD game, Ran has been a member of all four units formed in Season 1.
 * She is the only idol from the unit Soleil to never make it to the finals during the Starlight Queen Cup.
 * Ran is the only main character to not have a hair accessory.
 * Ran shares the same seiyū with Lance from Dokidoki! Precure.
 * She also shares the same seiyū with Uzume Uno from Fantasista Doll.
 * 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 to share 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.
 * Ran has been called a "Demon coach" by Ichigo and Aoi because she coaches them like a demon.