Puns are almost universal humor for a fluent speaker of any language. They may seem corny, but puns can be important for learning languages or creating characters. The anime has its fair share of them. Japan seems to like his pun as the Japanese media is full of puns. Anime characters of all kinds have funny names.
Some are obvious references, while others require a deep understanding of the Japanese language or Japanese culture. In any case, puns are a great way for manga artists and anime directors to establish a character. Never underestimate the impact of a pun.
10 Sakura’s name is an allusion to her hair (Naruto)
the naruto The series is full of colorful characters, but some fans don’t think Sakura Haruno is one of them. Sakura is one of the most hated characters in the naruto series, and perhaps the entire anime. Fans perceive that she does not bring anything to the series at all.
Whatever the fans say, Sakura’s name is pretty funny. When she gets into Japanese order, her name is Haruno Sakura. “Haru no Sakura” translates to “spring cherry blossoms”. In Japan, cherry blossoms bloom and release pink petals.
9 Speedwagon is one in a long list of references (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure it is a strange beast. Since the 1980s, fans have been treated to epic battles, posing contests, and a cornucopia of musical references. The name “JoJo” is a reference to the Beatles song “Get Back”.
On ghost blood, Jonathan heads to a rough part of town to find out what poison was used on his father. Along the way, he is attacked by some thugs. Their frontman is named Robert Edward O’Speedwagon, which is an obvious reference to the 1970s rock band REO Speedwagon. This is one of many music based word games on jojo’s.
8 Koro-sensei is truly unbeatable (Assassination Classroom)
On assassination classroom, a group of students must kill their alien teacher or the world will be destroyed. The alien is a yellow octopus-like creature that can travel faster than a speeding locomotive and doesn’t go down easily.
The students decide to name this creature Koro-sensei. The name is a pun on the word “korosenai”, which means unkillable. The alien liked that name and decided to stick with it for the rest of the series. Koro-sensei seemed unkillable for a large part of the series.
7 Erza is another hair reference (Fairy Tail)
On Fairy taleErza Scarlet is one of the most respected and powerful sorceresses in the Fairy Tail guild. Her capabilities with her weapons are unmatched. Her ability to “re-equip” between various weapons and armor in the blink of an eye has made her a formidable sorceress.
Erza’s last name, Scarlet, is a reference to her red hair. In reality, she was given it to him by Jellal during their time together, since she didn’t have a last name. Erza had been through a lot in her childhood and fondly remembers Jellal and her last name.
6 Shoko Komi’s name is on the nose (Komi can’t communicate)
Komi can’t communicate is about a high school girl who struggles to talk to people. Despite her communication problems, she tries to make many friends, with amusing results.
When Komi’s name is written in Japanese order (such as Komi Shoko), it is a pun on the Japanese word “komyushou”, which means “communication disorder”. Komi has a communication disorder, so it’s a bit over the top. The male lead, Tadano Hitohito, also has a funny name. His name means “just a guy” in reference to how average he is.
5 Usagi Tsukino is the moon rabbit (Sailor Moon)
sailor moon is the story of how a teenage girl turned out to be a lunar princess and defended the Earth from evil while wearing a fancy sailor uniform. Usagi and her fellow Sailor Scouts fight evil by moonlight and win love by daylight, as the opening song says in English.
The “Tsuki” part of Usagi’s last name means “moon”. This is an obvious reference to her identity as Sailor Moon. Also, her first name means “rabbit”, referring to the common Japanese folk tale about rabbits living on the moon. The rest of Usagi’s friends also have funny names.
4 Ash Ketchum is a bit obvious (Pokémon)
Pokemon is a franchise about collecting all the cute little pocket monsters and always has been. The motto has always been “I have to catch them all!” That makes the English name of the protagonist Satoshi stick too much in the nose.
Satoshi’s English name is Ash Ketchum. This is one of a long line of word games in the franchise. From Pokémon names to episode titles, both 4Kids and the Pokémon Company use puns to great effect. As the series has lasted for over 20 years with no end in sight, they will likely never run out of puns.
3 Light Yagami’s name is his complex (Death Note)
Death Note is a series that explores the dark depths of human morality. The main character, Light Yagami, wanted to make the world a better place by using the Death Note, a notebook with the power to kill people. He wanted to be the “light” of the world.
However, that’s not the only pun on his name. The characters that make up her last name translate to “night” and “god.” Light obviously had a god complex and worked with a shinigami, or death god.
two Naruto’s name has some meanings (Naruto)
Naruto Uzumaki’s naruto series has some meanings for its name. First, “Uzumaki” literally means “spiral”. There is a spiral motif on his attire and his signature Rasengan. “Naruto” is also the name of a famous whirlpool in Japan. The kanji for whirlpool means “Roaring Gate”, and “roaring” refers to the loud-mouthed hero.
Also, “Naruto” is a reference to a narutomaki, a small fish cake that can be found in ramen. Ramen is of course Naruto’s favorite food. Fans are wondering if Naruto ever made that connection while he was dining at Ichiraku.
1 Goku’s name is as Punny as the rest (Dragon Ball)
Dragon Ball is full of silly names, including the Demon King Piccolo themed set of instruments, 17 and 18’s names are Lapis and Lazuli, to Bibidi Babidi Buu. Punny names make characters easy for creators to remember, which is why Akira Toriyama leaned toward puns.
“Goku” is a reference to Sun Wukong from Journey to the Westwho was a great inspiration for the first Dragon Ball. In regards to Goku’s birth name, “Kakarot” is a reference to carrots. The other remaining Sayains are also food references: “Vegeta” is for vegetables, “Nappa” is for Nappa Valley Lettuce, and “Raditz” is radish.
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