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rickyriddle · 7 years

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Akuma no Riddle characters’ name analysis

Hi everyone! So, I was doing some researches about the AnR characters' name, especially the kanjis, for my AnR kids headcanon. I discovered some interesting stuff so I wanted to make a post about the meaning of the characters' name and kanjis.

Azuma Tokaku (東兎角): Azuma mean east and Tokaku is written with the kanji rabbit (兎, usagi) and horn (角, tsuno). Rabbit horn is an expression in Japanese that means impossible or something that shouldn't exist. Tokaku's grandmother gave her this name because according to her, Tokaku's strength would be so terrifying that her enemies would think it's impossible. That's also why Tokaku is sometimes referred as a rabbit.

Inukai Isuke (犬飼伊介): Inukai means "dog keeper" (犬=dog, inu, 飼=keeper). I find it funny since people often portrait Isuke as a dog because of her name, but in fact, she's not the dog but its owner (which means the dog is a certain redhead...). Really the perfect name for someone who wants to be called with the honorific sama. I don't know much about the name Isuke, other than it's a male name and it's written with the kanji for "I" (伊) and “through” (介, kai).

Kaminaga Kouko (神長香子): Kaminaga can mean chief and is written with the kanjis god (神, kami) and length (長, naga). The latter can also be read as chief. A perfect given name for the leader of everything, which also reminds of her past in a religious orphanage. Kouko is written with the kanji for incense (香, ka) and the kanji for child (子, ko). 香子 can also be read as Kaoriko, which means child's perfume. Maybe it's a symbolic for Kouko being trained as a child to be an assassin using bomb, since incense is something that needs to be burn, but at the same time, incense isn't dangerous and is even pleasant. Maybe it's linked to Kouko's desire to not be an assassin anymore.

Kirigaya Hitsugi (桐ヶ谷柩): So, Kirigaya is written with the kanjis tung pill (桐, kiri), months (ヶ, ke) and valley (谷, tani). I've no idea what it's supposed to mean. Maybe a reference to poison? All I care is that there's "gay" in it...I'm so mature. Anyway, apparently, Hitsugi's sole kanji, 柩, means coffee. Coffee, a drug, which means...intoxication. Her names are all about toxine! It's a conspiracy! Okay no, I really got nothing other that for her name. Oh, there's another kanji that is also read Hitsugi, 棺, which means coffin. Really suspicious…Edit: "Kirigaya" can also mean "valley of paulownias". kiri meaning the latter word and gaya meaning valley.

Kenmochi Shiena (剣持しえな): Kenmochi means swordship and it's written with the kanji sword (剣, ken) and possession (持, ji). kinda ironic for a girl who didn't fight at all, it looks more like a name for Chitaru (even more ironic since Shiena got poisoned over her supposed crush on Chitaru, perhaps this name was chosen because of that?). About her first name, ell apparently, according to google translate, it means sorry. That just makes me laugh. I guess she's really sorry to have been poisoned by a loli yandere. Okay, more seriously, about the kanji. There's To (し), huh (え, what?), and...literally what (な). Okay. Then we should call her Swordship Sorry now. Couple of years ago I'd read that しえ means purple, but I can't find the source now. Too bad, because it's Otoya's hair colour and it made my OtoShie shipper heart go doki doki. Edit: Shiena’s name can also be written 詩絵菜, with the kanjis 詩 (shi) meaning "poetry, poem", 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting, drawing, sketch" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". I’m not sure if it’s relevant since her name in AnR isn’t written that way, but it could be a reference to her more artistic self, especially regarding theater. Tho it’s kinda ironic if it’s the case, since her least favorite food is vegetable.

Sagae Haruki (寒河江春紀): So, Sagae is written with the kanji cold (寒, samu), river (河, kawa) and jiang (江, kô). So...she's a cold river. Perhaps it's a reference to being free? Water does feel like freedom. Haruki can mean Spring Season Tree or Spring Century. It's written with the kanji spring (春, haru) and age (紀, nori). I guess Haruki is a sunny person? I don't really have a lot of stuff for her name, sorry.

Shuto Suzu (首藤涼): Shuto is written with the kanji neck (首, kubi) and wisteria (藤, fuji), which is a type of flower. So wisteria neck. I guess that the neck of a flower is the stem, so Suzu's head...is a flower? Well, she does have a lot of knowledge in flowers. Then her name Suzu, it's a really interesting case. Her name's sole kanji is 涼, which means cool/fresh, and is usually read as Ryō. But in the same Suzuka, which means fresh breeze it's written with the kanji 涼, and 風 (kaze, wind). Suzu's ending song is also named Suzukaze. Maybe it’s related to Suzu rather cool personality. Usually, the same Suzu is written with the kanji 鈴, which means bell.

Takechi Otoya (武智乙哉): Takechi is written with the kanji war (武, Take) and intellect (智, akira). So intellectual war, perhaps it’s related to her manipulative nature when it comes to kill her victim. It can also be written Takeshi. 武 is really a kanji related to military and martial, and it’s used to write the word samurai, warrior. Perhaps a reference to Otoya being an assassin, or rather, a serial killer. Otoya can also be written 二矢, which means two arrows. Far-fetched, but perhaps it’s linked to the fact her weapon, scissors, had two blades. Her actual name is written with the kanji for second part (乙, otsu), and alas (哉, kana). Not so sure what it could mean.

Namatame Chitaru (生田目千足): Namatame is written with the kanji living (生, nama), rice field (田, ta) and eye (目, me). Kinda make me reminds how we all thought Chitaru died, but it’s revealed at the end that she survived, that she’s living. She also said that she likes rice. For the eyes, perhaps it’s related to justice? It reminds me of the idiom an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But that idiom referred more to vengeance than justice, which goes with what I think of Chitaru’s action in the series. Rather than doing actual justice, what she did was vengeance. Chitaru’s name can mean A thousand steps, and it’s written with the kanji thousand (千, sen) and leg (足, achi). All I got for that is that steps is important in sword fighting, and with the thousand, perhaps it’s because Chitaru is really experienced swordswoman.

Hashiri Nio (走り鳰)/Kuzunoha Nio (葛葉鳰): Hashiri means running, and it’s written with the kanji running (走, hashi) and the hiragana ri (り). It’s a fake name Nio gave herself for Class Black, because she didn’t want Tokaku to know she was from the Kuzunoha clan, the rivals of the Azuma clan. She chose it because she will always be running for the chairwoman. Nio’s name is written with the sole kanji 鳰, which means nio. Nio is an old name for the grebes that lived in Lake Biwa. It’s a name the chairwoman gave her because Nio didn’t have a name before, she was only referred as runt (or chibi in Japanese). Apparently, it’s the name of a bird from the place Nio was born (Shiga I think). Kuzunoha is written with the kanji arrowroot (葛, Kuzu) and leaf (葉, ha). I’m kinda surprised, I was expecting her name to mean west, like Azuma means east. But arrowroot is a West Indian herbaceous plant from which a starch is prepared. So it’s somehow related to west. Interesting fact, when Haru read her classmates’ name at the beginning, she used the honorific kun for both Isuke and Nio, and later she’s surprised to see that both of them are girls, which means Nio is most likely a male name too. Haru had also use kun for Tokaku, Hitsugi, Haruki and Otoya. Funny detail, but hiragana is usually used for feminine names.

Hanabusa Sumireko (英純恋子): Hanabusa is written with the sole kanji 英, which means Ei, English in Japanese. It can also be read as "Hanabusa" (meaning "the calyx of a flower") but it can also be read as "Hana" (meaning "flower"). Sumireko did seem to like flowers, and I think it can symbolize her elegant nature. English is often viewed as noble, so perhaps it’s also related to the choice of her name. Her name Sumireko can also be read as Junko, who’s usually written 純子 (I’m trying hard to not make a danganronpa reference). The kanji used are pure (純, jun), love (恋, koi) and child (子, ko). The pure love of a child. Kinda ironic for a girl whose childhood consisted of assassination attempts against her.

Banba Mahiru (番場真昼)/Banba Shinya (番場真夜): Banba can mean place and is written with the kanji for number (番, ban) and place (場, ba). Perhaps number is a reference of their two personalities in the same place (the same body?). Mahiru can means midday or broad daylight, while shinya can mean midnight or full night, a clear reference to their day and night split personality. There’s two other way to write Shinya. It’s either 深夜 (Shinya, late at night) or 真也 (Shin’ya, that mean trust, believe, real or genuine). Shinya’s name seems to be a mix of both, and perhaps this name was chosen because Shinya is the only person Mahiru trust. Interesting fact, Mahiru can be both a girl and a boy name, while Shinya is always a male name. Shinya also uses the pronoun ore, which is almost only used by boy, and is a rude way to talk. So perhaps Shinya identify as a boy (but I don’t personally think so but who knows). Interesting thing. If you remove the first letter of Mahiru, it gives Ahiru, which means duck in Japanese (アヒル). I’m not sure if it was intentional but it sure is funny, considering Banba’s liking for plastic ducks.

Ichinose Haru (一ノ瀬晴): Ichinose is written with the kanji 一 (one, ichi), the katakana no (ノ) and the kanji age (瀬, se). It can also mean "Position of current" (ichi no se) in Japanese. Perhaps because Haru is the current queen bee to be tested? One is Tokaky’s number, but perhaps the one here is somehow as a reference as her being the target, since it’s the first number. Her name Haru usually means springs, but in her case, it’s written with the kanji for sunny (晴, hare). It’s not the same kanji as in Haruki’s name. According to Tokaku (and Shinya too?), Haru smells like the sun, which fits her same. It can also fit Haru’s bright personality.

Kaiba (カイバ): Kaiba is written with the katakana power (カ, ka), the (I think) katakana a (イ) and ba (バ). It can mean seahorse in Japanese.

Mizorogi Ataru (溝呂木辺): Mizorogi is written with the kanjis groove (溝, mizo), ryo (呂) and wood (木, ki). It’s ironic that he as a kanji about groove (some kind of depression) in is name, since he’s pretty depressed near the end of the series. Ataru can also be written 陽, which means the sun, and is both a male and female name. Ataru’s name is written with the kanji side (辺, hen). Maybe it’s linked to his sunny personality and the fact he’s a side character.

Yuri Meichi (百合目一): Yuri means lily, a type of flower, and those are the exact kanjis for the word yuri, referring to girl’s love manga in Japan. Kouga and Minakata must have found this really funny, since the chairwoman is behind everything and it’s a yuri manga. It’s written with the kanjis hundred (百, hyaku) and synthesis (合, gô). Meichi can mean eye and is written with the kanjis eye (目, me) and one (一 , ichi). 目 is also the first kanji for the word goal and purpose. I find it interesting that she also has the kanji ichi in her name, like Haru. The name Meichi is fitting for someone who’s an ambitious person who wants to be the best, which could fit the chairwoman, especially her current position.

Azuma Mako (東まこ): Mako is written with the katakana up (ま, ma) and this (こ, ko). Up, maybe for up there, in heaven. Perhaps it’s a reference to the fact she’s dead and in heaven.

Azuma Karami (東空身): Karami can mean sky. It’s written with the kanjis sky (空, sora) and body (身, mi). Again, sky can refer to heaven, referring to the fact she’s dead and in heaven, just like her sister.

Inukai Eisuke (犬飼英介). Eisuke can also be written 英輔. His name is written with the kanjis English (英, ei) and through (介, kai). The first kanji is the same as Hanabusa’s kanji and the same as Isuke’s last kanji. It can also be written 栄祐 and 栄助 , which means glory, honour (栄, ei) and divine intervention, protection (祐, suke) or help, aid (助, suke). Eisuke did help Isuke when she was a kid, and I guess for an assassin, he has some honour.

Irina (イリーナ): I think those are katakana, which are usually used in Japanese for foreign names. Irina does seem like she’s not or not fully Japanese because of her darker skin.

So that’s it. I used a lot of different sources, so perhaps some of the kanjis are erroneous. If you know other things about the names and kanjis, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send me a message. Thanks for reading!

#akuma no riddle #riddle story of devil #anr #analysis #kanjis #name analysis

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