Hi, it’s Junko. Tokito Muichiro in Demon Slayer’s name means “time”, “transparent”, and “nothing” in Japanese Kanji characters. I’ll explain what each Kanji symbol represents and what intention is hidden in his name!
Last Name TOKITO
TOKI = time
TO = transparent, clear, go through
The family name Tokito really exists in Miyazaki prefecture in Japan, but the Kanji character for TO is different. Tokito with this Kanji combination (time and transparent) doesn’t exist and is only seen in Demon Slayer.
Why the author selected “transparent” for Muichiro’s name? I guess it’s related to his breath, Mist Breathing. As you know, Muichiro has memory loss and his memory is vague as if it was covered with mist. But he recovered his memory by meeting Tanjiro and fighting with him. The mist was cleared and he take his lost time back. For his story, the Kanji character of transparency and clarity will fit. Am I overthinking?
First Name MUICHIRO
MU = nothing, void
ICHI = one
RO = men
MU means “nothing.” ICHIRO is a common name for boys, and Muichiro’s twin brother is Tokito Yuichiro. Yuichiro’s YU means “exist” and acts as the opposite of Muichiro’s name.
You may think the Kanji character for nothing sounds negative. It’s true that we usually don’t use this letter for a person’s name. But in the Demon Slayer’s episode, Yuichiro revealed the true meaning behind Muichiro’s name. The original Japanese line of Yuichiro says:
Muichiro no MU ha Mugen no MU nanda!
(Muichiro’s MU is Mu of Mugen!)
MUGEN is “infinity” in Japanese. The word GEN means “limit” and that makes the meaning of MUGEN “no limit.” This completely changes the meaning of Muichiro’s name. His name isn’t “nothing” but stands for “infinite possibilities.” It’s a very positive name!
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