Meaning of Her Name

Japanese names traditionally have some meaning behind what kanji are chosen in order to write them. Though there is no actually proof the creators chose Ai's name for any particular reason, I thought the possible meanings I found were interesting enough to write about. The following are just connections that I have made and are definitely not stated facts anywhere.

閻: read as "en" means town
魔: read as "ma" can mean evil spirit, demon or witch

So, in essence, Ai's last name "Enma" means "demon/witch/evil spirit town." In my opinion, this can be applied to her character in three ways. Though she was not literally from a demon town, she was considered a demon in her village. Her town wasn't filled with evil spirits, but she considered the people who lived there evil enough to do the horrible things they did to her and her parents. After she burned the village down, I'm sure the whole atmosphere was filled with hatred and maybe even vengeance. Therefore, Ai would be the "demon" that created an "evil spirit town" after killing everyone and leaving nothing physically remaining. A third possible connection between her name and story would be that through Jigoku Tsuushin, Ai's work results in a demon town. As can be seen in Futakmori, sometimes the use of Jigoku Tsuushin goes out of control and people are sending others to Hell left and right. Half the town ends up "missing" because of it. The people in the town became demons by being allowed to release their hatred on any random whim.

A second possible and more likely reason why she was given the last name "Enma" is after the Japanese deity Emma-o (also known as Enma in some sources). He is a god of the underworld that judges the dead and decides their punishment for their wrongdoings in life. Though Ai does not ultimately decide the punishment of the person she brings to Hell, she is still strongly connected to punishment after death.

あい: read as "ai" is not written in kanji. Therefore, a bit more speculation is needed for her first name. Though "ai" can be written a few ways, I think the most probably meanings would be　愛 (love) or　藍 (indigo). It may seem ironic that the Jigoku Shoujo's name would mean "love" considering her job and the hatred she watches for hundreds of years. However, as I have previously mentioned, Ai is not evil or inhuman. Not only did she just want love from others when she was still alive, but she does show compassion/affection for those she empathizes with. Her name meaning love could just be a reminder to the viewer that Ai does still have feelings and because she has love, it makes it all the harder to do her job. She only accepted the job as Jigoku Shoujo out of love for her parents as well. They would be forced to wander in eternal suffering if she didn't, so naturally she would accept. Her parents were the only people who loved her until the very end. Therefore, "love" could also represent the "contract" she made with the boss of Hell as well.

Indigo, on the other hand, would be a different take. Indigo symbolizes the deepening of mood as well as represents an increase in focusing on personal thought. Ai is almost always turned inward and thinking to herself. She pulls back into her mind when she is upset or having a hard time rather than seeking the help or support of others. Indigo is a very deep blue, which could represent Ai's true feelings being deep within her, not anywhere near the surface. I personally think it would be interesting if the creators chose her name from indigo since she is so heavily represented with the color red. However, red would probably only be the surface color. It represents her job and her hatred from the past. Ai is a heavy thinker that keeps to herself. It is said that people with "indigo personalities" are very sensitive and often are aware of energies around them. Ai is most definitely sensitive to the feelings of others, especially those who are in pain. They can also be rather innocent and have a hard time believing how terrible and cruel people can be to each other. Though Ai has seen thousands upon thousands of different kinds of hatreds, because she still experiences pain after some cases, I don't think she has fully accepted the cruelty of some people. It is quite obvious that she has given up on humanity for the most part, but that doesn't mean she's accepted the cruel actions people display. She is only eleven years old and has witnessed horrible things all of her existence. Ai has a very hard time accepting her past even if she forces herself to accept the fate of others. If her name was derived from "indigo," it may be a symbol of those feelings.

REFERENCES:
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1. Jisho.org
→ Meaning behind the kanji in her last name

2. Color Indigo Meaning
→ Some insight behind the color

3. The Meaning of Colors; Indigo
→ More insight behind the color

4. Section from Japanese Mythology A to Z
→ Basic information on Emma-O

b a c k   .   c l e a r   .   f o r w a r d    Heaven's a Lie and its contents are © Samantha, however Ai and Jigoku Shoujo are © Aniplex, Studio Deen and other rightful owners. Heaven's a Lie is a part of AFTER-DEATH.ORG.