Shiromi wrote:I agree that the number of suspicion arcs is repetitive and overused, but I don't think that it reflects badly on Ran's character. In order to get rid of her suspicions, everyone who knows his secret has to work overtime, but she still knows something is up. She's the reason that Conan is able to get into so many crime scenes - she's noticed that his observations are extremely helpful is solving cases, to the point where it often seems like he's the one investigating, not the police. I recall one of the suspicion arcs that was from her POV, where she studies Conan's actions and realizes he's manipulating the police and detectives around him into figuring out the truth, that every single advance in the case was from his observations. But, a teenager turning into a gradeschooler is such a preposterous idea, it's just too difficult to wrap your head around until you figure out how it could be done. In the face of the "teenager somehow turned into little kid" theory, "super-smart little relative of Shinishi's who worships the ground Shinichi walks on" is a much more plausible explanation.
I understand that Ran is in an unfair predicament, and I do not, nor have I ever accused her of being stupid for not having figured it out yet. My problem is from a story writing standpoint and not in any way a slight on the character herself. I'll try to explain.
If Ran is as smart as people claim she is (again from a storyline standpoint) for continuing to suspect Conan after all this time, why hasn't she done more to investigate? Think about this in her point of view. Shinichi disappeared after Tropical world, and didn't contact her for days. She was on the verge of calling the police at the time. During this time Conan appeared and moved into her house. Shinichi refuses to tell her exactly where he is besides that he's on "a big case". Bear in mind he's never needed more than a day or two so solve a case.
Even if she didn't suspect Conan of being Shinichi shouldn't be a little more pro-active in figuring out why her childhood friend/love interest has fallen off the face of the earth? The "I'm on a big case" excuse should be an obvious lie even to her. Scratch that, ESPECIALLY to her. Yet she's content to just sit and wait before him and not ask any questions of ANYONE because he told her to? Shouldn't she at least make the rounds and see if anyone knows anything? I don't think she even called up Shinichi's parents to see if he was in america with them.
Then we get into Conan. Never no matter how sure she is has Ran ever confronted Conan with anything more than her say-so. Never has she tried in any way to verify his identity. For god sake she hasn't even thought to check his glasses. If she thinks Conan is Shinichi shouldn't she at least wonder why he's wearing glasses? no, she just runs off to confront him expecting him to confess. After the third or fourth time it should be obvious to her he's not going to talk without proof, and after years of being around detectives she should know enough to try and compile some before confronting the suspect.
So yes. I agree it says alot that Ran continues to suspect Conan despite the ample "proof" he's given her that she's wrong. I also believe she's been kept far too passive in her attempts to expose him than she should be if she really wanted to find out the truth once and for all. Or maybe I just got spoiled after reading "The Mystery Of Conan Edogawa" and seeing how, in my opinion, Ran's suspicions SHOULD be handled.
I supose alot of my hostility also comes from the "Reason" given for her to be kept out of the loop. If Ran's development hadn't been stalled for so log the flimsy excuse for keeping her in the dark wouldn't be so galling. The fact that nobody in on the secret has confronted Shinichi on his bullshit after all this time is even more frustrating.
Consider the following. Shinichi's reason for lying to Ran was because her knowing the truth would put her in the line of fire. Fine. At the time that was true. Then he proceeded to go live with her which rendered the entire thing irrelevant. If he had moved back to America, Ran's not knowing the truth could have saved her life, but by moving in with her he as good as signed her death warrant.
Why is this, you ask? Think about it. If Shinichi's identity is exposed to the organization the Mouri family are dead by proxy. They won't ask questions about it. They won't sit Ran down and ask nicely if she knows Conan is really Shinichi. They will assume Kogoro and Ran know exactly who Conan is and have been shielding him from them. To make a long story short: Ran's life is already in danger, and nobody even has the decency to tell her.
With all of the supposedly intelligent characters in the know surely one of them would spot this glaring logical hole in Shinichi's argument for Ran's protection and confront him on it, right? Apparently not. Everyone just accepts his decision and allows him to go on abusing Ran's love and trust just so he can lie to himself about her being safe. Frankly it's sickening.
(im not neither she nor Ran fans, I just accepted her to be there)
