WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Ranking of Kings, now streaming on Funimation.
One of Ranking of Kings' best assets is its unique and varied set of characters. None of them is inherently good or bad; they are merely motivated by their personal goals or by the needs of others. While the anime has made some relationships clear -- like Hiling's motherly affection toward both her children and Apeas' loyalty toward Miranjo -- Miranjo's relationship with King Bosse is left murky.
Miranjo and King Bosse are clearly on each other's side. Miranjo has done her best to support and ensure the fulfillment of King Bosse's wishes, while King Bosse has followed Miranjo's lead, no matter how sinister her plans are. Even so, it's unclear whether they view each other as lovers, parent and child, or merely allies to.
When Miranjo was introduced, she seemed like King Bosse's secret lover. She manipulated Daida in order to let King Bosse possess his body and return from the dead. By doing so, they could be together while King Bosse also returned to his status as the strongest. While this supports the lover narrative, their actions prove otherwise. Miranjo and King Bosse never romantically engaged with each other, even when Miranjo still had her human body. Another argument against this is that Miranjo set up King Bosse for marriage, not just once but twice. It can be argued she did it for King Bosse's sake, but -- as deranged as it sounds -- she could have borne the second child instead of setting him up with Hiling.
Another possibility is that they see one another as surrogate parent and child, and this may be partly true. After Bosse saved the young Miranjo from Gyakuzas, the two began adventuring together. Miranjo initially felt deep sorrow from her losses, but she eventually warmed up toward Bosse. She took it upon herself to make the giant stronger and find new challenges to keep him happy. Meanwhile, Bosse provided for Miranjo's necessities, and also kept her safe. The two have acted as a parent and child to a certain degree, although their relationship is more than that, especially considering King Bosse has offered both of his children as pawns for her plots.
Perhaps what describes their relationship best is a mutual feeling of indebtedness, which then manifests as servitude. Being saved by the giant, who then showed her the beauties of the world, Miranjo feels she owes Bosse. She formulated all of her heinous plans because she believed it would make him happy. During Bosse's battle with Miranjo's father, both he and his opponent suffered severe injuries. Miranjo's mother nursed the giant back to health, and the giant took a liking to the young Miranjo and allied himself with the Houma during their fight against the Gods. However, his next meeting with Miranjo was when the young girl already lost everything and was being tortured by the Gyakuza. The giant then took it upon himself to return her lost smile, no matter the cost.
Because both of them feel the need to prioritize the other's happiness, the other tends to overcompensate, thus resulting in a downward spiral. It only stopped when Bosse almost attacked Miranjo, hoping to take her with him to the afterlife. That's the moment Miranjo realized that Bosse's happiness doesn't lie in being resurrected, ultimately changing her attitude toward life and Bosse. Fortunately, Daida was there to pick her up and save her before she succumbs to the darkness of being alone, so she ultimately becomes Bosse's daughter-in-law in a complicated twist of fate.
KEEP READING: Ranking of Kings' Biggest Questions After the Season 1 Finale
