After seeing Junkeybot and his work of a Ranch figure which I had commissioned, it got me thinking even more about Ranch. What she is meant to be in the Dragon Ball fandom. I have seen so many examples of fanart which truly make me smile and pleased that she has been welcomed into the fold of the original character annals. Her place in Dragon Ball is not to be overpowered or anything; but to bring balance to Goten and Trunks. Together, they make the perfect team and one which really works in R&R. Over time, the feedback I’ve received from fans has gone into writing her journey. For example, in Part 11 of What If Raditz, when she got chosen to be in the ToP team, it wasn’t received well. Instead of pushing back, I rolled with it! Ranch got in sure, but she would realise that she had a lot to learn still. She was the first one out because she got overwhelmed by her Saiyan nature for the first time when fighting Caulifla. Super Saiyan 3 was a tempting prospect…one that she had been told wasn’t useful, but she used it anyway! This way she showed she was a child still. In Episode 2 of R&R, she got irrational when Gohan snubbed her. Even though fans said she could’ve flown to Gohan’s place and sorted it, she wasn’t thinking straight. She is nine years old! Even the most mature of kids that age are prone to the odd tantrum here or there.

That’s what I’m getting at with this editorial: Ranch has been molded by not just myself, but by you the audience. With this pragmatic strategy, I feel confident in saying that she is the best character that I have come up with and I love writing dialogue for her. She is witty, loves puns (another trait I like to add to my characters!), has confidence but also knows when to read the room (most of the time). I can’t wait to when we get to the point in the story she is an adult and she can really dominate Trunks. Wait, what? Well, remember who her mother is!

Either way, thank you for reading and thank you for supporting Ranch’s growth. I can’t wait to see where she and the R&R crew go!