**SPOILER WARNING**

Ran and the Gray World is a manga about a 10 year old girl named Ran who possesses magical powers. Equipped with a nack for getting into trouble and magical sneakers that artificially age her body up to that of a 16 year old, Ran’s misadventures carry the bulk of the story throughout the series. Supported by a likable cast (with one exception), an ok story, and fantastic art, Ran is a manga with a lot of potential that is ruined by some pretty dark blemishes.

Art: The art is fantastic. It is shoujo styled and works well with the “show don’t tell” style of the work. There are some gorgeous double-paged spreads and detailed work. Very impressive.

Story: The story is laid back for the most part. Most of it is SOL. There is some action in the middle but that’s definitely the weakest part of the story. The best parts are the wonderful character moments (with one character being the exception).

Characters: All but one of the characters is likable and interesting. Ran and her interactions with her older brother Jin always bring a smile to my face. I particularly liked watching Jin and Sango come together as a couple. Watching them was probably the most enjoyable part of the series. Ran’s classmate Hibi, who has a crush on her but also bullies her, was sweet and heartwarming to watch.

And then we get to Outarou. Outarou is a 29 year old womanizer playboy who meets Ran when she falls through his penthouse roof and lands in his flowerbed. We are then shown Outarou trying to force himself onto her, and when she rejects him, refusing to let her leave his penthouse. There is a whole host of problems here, but the biggest problem is that Ran is a 10 year old girl and that Outarou is 29. Outarou does not realize that Ran is this age, but even with Ran magically aging her body to that of a high schooler it doesn’t make their relationship any less revolting. At one point in the story Outarou returns Ran to her home saying “Do you think I would try to keep a minor from her family? I don’t want to get arrested.” He then goes and tries to ask for her parents’ permission to court her with the intention of marriage. Outarou clearly has no moral qualms about having a relationship with a girl who he thinks to be half his age (when in actuality she’s 1/3 his age).

Outarou and Ran’s relationship uncannily resembles the one portrayed in Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita. Which is something I find ironic. For a fandom in which the word “loli” is a commonly used term, it’s interesting to see it used with its original intention in mind. That of an older man with an obsession and sexual lust for a pre-pubescent girl. The manga tries to avoid this moral dilemma by giving her the body of a sexually mature woman, but I’m sure we can all agree the physical age of her body isn’t the problem here. Outarou’s feelings are that of infatuation. He remarks on multiple occasions that Ran looks like she is constantly glowing, and is his dreams she has the wings of an angel. He views her as pure, and untainted. This naturally fuels his obsession and desire to have her for himself. He is selfish, and possessive. There are multiple points in the story where he claims that she “doesn’t need anyone else in this world other than me,” and that he wishes he could take her and keep her from her family, as they are just getting in his way. He treats children cruelly, frequently views other women as objects, and never feels any remorse for his actions.

Outarou’s role in the story baffles me. He’s simultaneously the series only villain, and Ran’s great love. After his death many of the characters look back on him fondly. Which I don’t quite understand considering he murdered dozens of people and attempted to murder Ran, her brother, mother, father, and friend. The author skirts dangerously close to trying to pass off their relationship as ok, and his behavior as acceptable. I legitimately cannot fathom why the series handles him the way it does. No one but Ran’s brother asks him to “take a seat over there,” but not even he makes much of an effort to fully explain exactly what it means when you grope Ran’s ass. He is by all accounts and purposes a pedophile, yet he’s glorified to the point of idolization by the series as a whole. Ran still blindly loves him at the end even after he is shown to be a ruthless murderer, and the wistful reminiscing attempts to sugar coat his entire character and convince you that he was a standup guy. Pretty insulting to be honest. Does the author think I’m just going to overlook everything he’s done because he claimed to “truly love her” in his final moments? I’m not that easily manipulated.

Thankfully Outarou dies about 35 chapters in, yet his shadow hangs on. Ran sees a lot of growth in the final arc of the manga which is somewhat satisfying to read. The problem is that Outarou is the prime motivating factor in her growth. I have trouble watching a 10 year old girl “grow up” when I know she’s only “growing up” because of a relationship she had with a 29 year old man. That just screams “abuse” from all corners of the globe.

I’ve gone on long enough and I think I’ve made my point. Even I’m beginning to feel a little obsessed with Outarou. Basically the whole manga would have been much better if Outarou was just cut entirely. Blame the editor for not stopping the mangaka from going too far. Would I recommend the series? That depends on who you are. It definitely has some great moments, but some parts are just horrid. It’s hard to go from watching a 10 year old girl fool around with magic in her house, to watching a 29 year old man borderline sexually molest that girl in the next chapter. Outarou is a poison that ruins an otherwise fantastic read. I think there are a lot of other manga out there that are more worth your time than this one. It’s not worth getting so worked up that you write a 2 page rant on a character most people don’t remember in a manga that only 3500 people have read.