Ran Mitake BanG Dream! - Nendoroid

The success of the BanG Dream! bands in the real world mirrors their in-universe popularity. The heartfelt punk band Afterglow celebrated their full-length album debut in 2021. Before this commercial success, the characters within the band received praise for the unique storytelling approach to their music. At the heart of Afterglow's story is their lead singer and songwriter, Ran Mitake. Ran won over fans with her punk rock design, complicated emotions, and nuanced vulnerability. The Ran Mitake Nendoroid, "Nendoroid BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Ran Mitake: Stage Outfit Ver.," marks the first of her three figure appearances from Good Smile Company.

Nendoroid BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Ran Mitake: Stage Outfit Ver.

The passionate, lonely girl of Afterglow offers a powerful performance in this chibi figure. Ran wears the signature Afterglow live show outfit from the anime key visuals. Sculpting detail on her cut-off shorts give a soft, frayed appearance that contrasts with her shiny, studded collar. All the accessory details from the artwork are faithfully recreated, from the bands on her wrists to her choker. Faceplates include her serious singing expression, a cute wink, and an embarrassed blush. Her most important accessory, her red Gibson Les Paul guitar, comes with a flexible strap for maximum performance poses.

Manufacturer: Good Smile Company
Sculptor: Keita Tagami
Specifications: Painted, articulated, non-scale ABS & PVC figure with optional parts and stand
Height (Approx.): 100mm | 3.9"

About Ran Mitake

Ran Mitake is a prominent character in the BanG Dream! franchise. She is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the punk rock band, Afterglow. She is aloof, yet strong-willed, and treasures her friends and family more than anything.

About Ran Mitake: Background

Ran doesn't have any particular interests. Instead, she's driven by her stubbornness and hatred of losing. Despite her outward indifference, Ran often gets lonely. Her quiet personality prevents her from making friends easily. As a result, she treasures her existing childhood friends and goes to extreme lengths to keep them together. At the same time, Ran is the type of person to keep her problems to herself. Her strong-will also gives her the appearance of the band leader as she often overpowers the actual leader, Himari Uehara.

Ran's family comes from a long lineage of ikebana experts. Her strict father expects her to eventually take over the family ikebana school. The pressure from her family to study ikebana and from her friends to practice for the band overwhelms Ran. Ran realizes she has to earn her friend's trust again and prove her dedication to her family and music to her father.

About Ran Mitake: Abilities

As the band's rhythm guitarist, Ran has a solid grasp of guitar basics. Her singing skills are better, but she lacks technique from formal training. Her greatest asset to the band comes from her poetry. After getting placed in a class without her friends in middle school, Ran channeled her loneliness into poetry. These poems later became the lyrics for Afterglow's heartfelt songs.

Despite her seemingly cold exterior, Ran emphasizes the emotions and bond behind Afterglow's music over musical ability. As she develops as an individual through her ikebana training, Ran's bandmates start to lose faith in their connection. Ran reflects on their conflict and writes new lyrics about their enduring bond despite personal change.

Other Important BanG Dream! Characters

Given the philosophy behind Afterglow, most of Ran's significant relationships come from the band. However, she has some impactful bonds and clashes with other characters within the BanG Dream! universe.

Arisa Ichigaya

Arisa Ichigaya is the student council secretary at Hanasakigawa Girls' High School. She is also the keyboardist for Poppin'Party. Arisa started playing piano in elementary school. However, she quit due to a lack of motivation and to make time to study for entrance exams. After hearing about Kasumi Toyama’s plans to start a band, Arisa picked up piano again with renewed excitement.

Notably, Arisa is one of the few characters Ran befriended naturally outside of her Afterglow teammates. The two met in the mobile game in a side story, "Arisa's 'Not Bad' Day Off." Despite Ran's awkwardness, the two bond over their shared love of taking care of plants.

Yukina Minato

Yukina Minato is the lead singer of the BanG Dream! band Roselia. She is a perfectionist who takes music seriously. Her approach to music comes from her father's failure to succeed in the music business without selling out. She is stoic, reserved, and critical of her bandmates and competition alike. Prior to joining Roselia, Yukina performed as a solo act and still pursued agents individually after Roselia's formation.

Due to their opposite approaches, Ran views Yukina as an ideological rival. Yukina prioritizes technical skills and individual talent. Ran values her bond with her friends and believes their relationship supersedes musical ability.

Afterglow

Afterglow is one of the five original bands in the BanG Dream! franchise. In universe, the band formed after Ran moved into a different class than her friends in middle school. The friends used the band as a way to spend time together, but eventually they grew to love making music as well. Afterglow gained notoriety due to their friendship and lack of fighting within the band. While still inexperienced, the band gained popularity for their passionate, powerful performances.

As of January 2022, Afterglow has produced 20 songs, seven released as singles. Their debut album, One of Us, came out in March 2021.