The concept for this article is something I thought since a long time, but I only thought about writing it in the last few months.
In all these years, Ranko sang for many other circles and arrangers outside BUTAOTOME: most of these tracks are of similar genres, while others go outside those borders. While she is not like a random Meramipop who pops up freaking everywhere, she has a good amount of guest tracks, as we can see on this page. A good enough quantity for trying to make a “Ranko’s selection”.
It’s not rare for vocalists active on many circles to release a best of/selection. At the top of my head, I can think about Fortune Music selection of Nachi, NJK Record’s 天降り立ちて神と見ゆ or also the upcoming MN-logic24’s album. However, I want to write some disclaimers before starting: there is no confirmation whatsover that Ranko will ever release a selection of her works. This is pure speculation, because it’s fun and free. Also, the song choices are not driven by personal tastes (my personal selection of Ranko songs would be fairly different), but they are based on how popular a song is, has been featured in other media and also on Ranko’s personal comments/preferences, from her social medias. And finally, this is a personal restriction, but I’ve put a limit of one song for arranger.
– First of all, let’s start with the legendary Uso to Doukoku by Diao ye zong. Definitely Ranko’s most iconic song outside of BUTAOTOME, thanks to her vocal performance around the end, and also often mistaken for a Pig song in the fandom, for unknown reasons (probably because it originally appeared in a Forestpireo album and all the other Ranko songs featured on releases of this circle were arranged by Comp). I’ve said it once, but I can see this best of album having Suika on the cover, to represent this song.
– Sally is what I would consider as “Ranko’s second circle”. Even though they are no longer active, she was present in all of their albums, for a total of 20 different songs (excluding new recordings). Also, when they had liveshows during 2015, Ranko was the vocalist almost all the times (the final live had all the four singers, though). Said this, which songs will be featured? She praised a lot her Sally stuff, but if there were songs that were mentioned more than usual, those were A Lavender in Valley, Plaza Roboscape, did. Lavender and Roboscape are both arranged by NSY, and I can choose only one due to the “one song for arranger” limit: while I way prefer the DDC stage 2 arrange, A Lavender in Valley is the most likely choice: it was performed during most of the above-mentioned Sally lives. Now, what about the Wani song? Yes, Ranko loves did: it was probably the only Sally song not sung by her that she ever said to love, and I think she got the chance to sing her version on Less Extra because of that. However, there is a song that will be included for sure, due to its insane popularity: Mirai Yohou. Back when Less was released, it was mentioned E V E R Y W H E R E. It even got a MMD PV, a re-recorded version, it became Sally’s selected track for those random compilations with old songs, it was played live at every single one of the lives mentioned above. And when Ranko wasn’t there, there was IZNA to sing it instead.
– Next we have UNDEAD CORPORATION’s Yoru naku usagi wa yume wo miru, Shinra-Bansho’s anjir, TAMAONSEN’s Uki Yomichi and also Never ending orchestra from Sadistic Brownie (tracks from that album, as well as Kaen Ranzen, could be featured!). These are all tracks which are either the most popular one among the songs Ranko sang with a certain arranger or a song she mentioned to like a lot quite a few times.
– For some reasons, I think GET IN THE RING’s Forgotten Paradise could find a place in this selection: it was the first track Ranko recorded after her surgical operation at the end of September 2015, and because of this she is quite affectioned to it.
– Ranko (and Buta) is on very friendly terms with A-One and IOSYS, so I think the selection will have a space for at least one track from those circles, but I don’t know which one would be most likely to appear… All the A-One Touhou songs got played live at some point when Ranko was available, except for Sweet Nightmare. Regarding the IOSYS stuff, I know she got chances to sing live Omorashi no Kamisama, Zip your Mouth! and Yoru ga ugoku.
– I also think COSIO’s Kami no Hi will have its place, for some reason. Also, since this kind of albums often have extra tracks, I can see a full version being featured! Same goes for Akhuta’s Zero, which also features lyrics written by Ranko herself (something that never happened for her non-Buta songs), though it might feel a little out of place due to being an original track.
That’s all for the tracks I think they’ll appear in a best of/selection album for sure. There is still space for more and again, this is just speculation based on comments and popularity, I’m not a mind-reader :laughs:
Now, before ending this post, have a little trivia: during February 2013, Ranko had a birthday event where she sung various songs of her non-BUTAOTOME activity. Here is the setlist: (mineko was the surprise guest for the two duets)
1. Loop [Sally]
2. A Coke in Misaki [Sally]
3. Inner Light [Color&Color]
4. Sousei Kango [from Kaen Ranzen]
5. Uso to Doukoku [Diao ye zong]
6. Never ending orchestra [Sadistic Brownie]
7. Gensou Shinwa [Sadistic Brownie]
8. Suiren ~ En priere fille [MN-logic24]
9. Yoru naku usagi wa yume wo miru [UNDEAD CORPORATION]
10. Hide and Secret [Automata Girl]
11. Omorashi no Kamisama [IOSYS]
And that’s all for this article. Now, what about you? Which songs you would put in a Ranko’s best of/selection? The comments section is open for you!