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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Blue Reflection Ray, now streaming on Funimation, as well as brief discussion of suicide.
One of the key plot elements of underrated magical girl anime Blue Reflection Ray is the protagonists’ ability to “resonate” in pairs. This means that partners Hiori Hirahara and Ruka Hanari are positioned as sharing the role of protagonist, but as the story goes on it starts to seem as though Hiori is the main focus.
Hiori’s story is compelling, but Ruka continues to play a meaningful role. This is why it’s important not to relegate Ruka to the role of sidekick and remember all the unique things she provided to Blue Reflection Ray.
Who Is Ruka Hanari?
Before starting school in Tsukinomiya, Ruka experienced an encounter that would change her forever. Noticing a girl standing alone by a flowerbed in the courtyard at her previous school, Ruka identified that she was struggling but didn’t feel strong enough to ask if she was alright. Much to her horror, Ruka arrived at school one day to find the girl had died, possibly having taken her own life. Ruka keeps a photo of a similar flowerbed as her phone’s lock screen image, possibly to torment herself with the reminder.
At their shared high school dorm room, Ruka eventually meets Hiori Hirahara, who will go on to become her Reflector partner. The meet cutely involves Hiori sneaking in through the dorm window after the 7 PM curfew and accidentally falling on top of Ruka. At that moment, both girls experience a vision of the other’s memories, foreshadowing their powerful bond.
In Blue Reflection Ray‘s premiere, Ruka notices another girl standing alone, seemingly crying in the school courtyard. Noticing this, Hiori immediately rushes to check on her, waving back to Ruka to reassure her that she just had dust in her eye. In Episode 2, Hiori notes how they complement each other — although Ruka couldn’t bring herself to help the girl, Hiori wouldn’t have noticed her without Ruka pointing her out.
When their Reflector mentor Momo Tanabe is hospitalized by Hiori’s renegade sister Mio, Ruka bumps into two new friends: Ryoka and Amiru. As Ruka learns that Amiru has had her emotions – her “Fragment” – stolen by the villainous Reflectors, she wants to do whatever she can to help them. Unfortunately, Mio gets to her first and convinces Ryoka and Amiru to join their cause instead. For Ruka, her inability to aid them must have revived her feelings of inadequacy in helping people, but she never gave up fighting to save the others’ Fragments.
Hiori Takes Centre Stage in Blue Reflection Ray
Hiori’s connection to Mio makes her a central figure in Blue Reflection Ray. Almost every character is connected to Hiori through Mio: Momo is Mio’s former partner, series antagonist Shino Mizusaki manipulates Mio’s emotions, and other enemy reflectors Uta and Niina see Mio as a sister. Their family drama and redemptive relationship dominates the series, culminating in an emotional farewell between the sisters.
As part of her dark plan to open the door to the mysterious realm of the Common and take humanity’s feelings, Shino wants Hiori’s especially powerful Fragment to finish the job. When the Reflectors learn that opening the Common is the only way to retrieve the Fragments that have already been stolen, Hiori wonders if it would be better to give herself up to them. Ruka continues fighting to protect Hiori and her Fragment, however, and helps her realize other people care for her — and that Hiori’s own feelings matter too. In fulfilling the role of protecting Hiori and helping build her confidence, it could be said that Ruka is turned into an unsung hero in Hiori’s story.
In battle with Ryoka and Amiru, Ruka thinks helplessly, “I was supposed to save them,” but ultimately it is the Reflectors’ teammate Miyako Shirakaba who convinces Ryoka what a mistake it is to give up her own feelings to protect Amiru’s. Ryoka and Amiru eventually join the Reflectors in confronting Shino in the Common. This could be interpreted as sidelining Ruka, although maybe she just needed a friend’s help in finally getting through to them.
Ruka’s Ending in Blue Reflection Ray
In many ways, however, Ruka’s importance to Blue Reflection Ray‘s climax is equal to Hiori’s. Each Reflector plays a role in getting them face-to-face with Shino, and it is ultimately Ruka and Hiori’s blades together that pierce Shino’s shield in a dramatic final attack. What the duo finds after this, however, is a realm in which Shino is a scared little girl lost in a park, as Hiori learns she had met and played with Shino before. The fact that she and Ruka can help Shino together — in a way Hiori alone couldn’t — fulfills Hiori’s observation that the two Reflectors need each other’s strengths to truly make a difference in girls’ lives.
Ruka and Hiori promise to befriend Shino, finally getting her to release everyone’s feelings. Hiori was the first to forgive Niina, and always held out hope for Mio’s redemption, so her forgiveness of Shino only seems natural. For the more pragmatic and protective Ruka to extend her friendship to Shino as well shows how much her character has developed. Previously, Ruka couldn’t reach out to help a stranger despite being good at sensing people’s feelings. Now she has the strength to reach out and help even someone who has hurt her and her friends because she knows they are struggling.
Hiori may be the face of Blue Reflection Ray, but Ruka’s socially awkward personality and the way it contrasts with her desire to help people makes her a fascinating character. Ultimately, Blue Reflection Ray is an ensemble anime and each character will resonate with different audiences. Just as Hiori needed to learn the value of her own feelings, the Blue Reflection series will hopefully remember the value of a strong, inspiring heroine like Ruka.
For more information on the warning signs and prevention of suicide, click here. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you live outside the U.S., click here for a list of international hotlines.
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