Ranpo Edogawa is a significant character in Bungou Stray Dogs, known for his exceptional intelligence as a detective, along with Osamu Dazai. While Dazai tackles situations with his mind to develop effective strategies, Ranpo’s strength lies in his ability to analyze situations quickly and accurately. As the story progresses, Ranpo’s popularity rises among fans, becoming a pivotal key to unravel the mysteries faced by the Armed Detective Agency (ADA). In the anime’s season 4, he gets the spotlight early on in the episodes.
Ranpo is a unique character and a typical detective in appearance, sporting a newspaper boy cap and a long cloak on his back. Interestingly, despite being sharp-witted, he is blissfully unaware of what’s going on around him, which adds a comical touch to his character. Let’s dive deeper into discovering the enigmatic character of Ranpo Edogawa in Bungou Stray Dogs.
Ranpo Edogawa, the eldest member of ADA, is 26-years old, and his colleagues willingly follow his lead. He is instrumental in Yukichi Fukuzawa’s decision to establish ADA. Yukichi was impressed with Ranpo’s analytical skills when they first met, which started their lasting relationship. Two episodes in Bungou Stray Dogs, season 4, dive deeper into their encounters.
Throughout the anime, Ranpo is shown with his eyes closed. He opens them only to activate his superpower, Super Deduction, or during action scenes. While his anime counterpart shows his eyes to be emerald green when opened, the manga and light novel portray them to be dark brown. This change in the anime is apparently to distinguish his character and give a more noticeable contrast to his brown-colored attire.
Interestingly, Ranpo’s name is an ode to the famous Japanese mystery writer, Ranpo Edogawa, who inspired several detective stories in Japan. Notably, Detective Conan also uses the same last name Edogawa. Kogoro Akechi, the fictional detective’s creator, used the pseudonym Ranpo Edogawa in honor of the well-known American mystery writer Edgar Allan Poe.
As the anime’s setting is in Yokohama, it’s essential to note that Ranpo didn’t originate from the city. He was born outside Yokohama, and it was only after his parent’s death that he moved to Yokohama. Joining the Yokohama Police Academy and living on campus proved a challenge for Ranpo. Unhappy with the strict rules, Ranpo had an argument with the guard, which led to him exposing the guard’s past with a girl. His behavior led to his expulsion from the academy, and he became a drifter in the city before finding a job at a military office. Unfortunately, he was fired again, leading him to meet Yukichi Fukuzawa, who provided him with a direction in life.
In real life, Ranpo Edogawa, the fictional writer, made a significant impact on Japanese mystery fiction. Contrary to this, in Bungou Stray Dogs, the writer Edgar Allan Poe admires fiction based on Ranpo’s character. Poe’s Guild becomes obsessed with surpassing Ranpo, making the story between the real-life writers more exciting.
Despite being a superb analyst, Ranpo is blissfully unaware of life’s small details. He is, however, a unique character that enhances the anime series with his eccentricity, intelligence, and strange behavior. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Ranpo Edogawa is a fan-favorite character.
