Ask John: Why is “Blue” Such a Common Word in Anime Titles?

Question:
Why is “blue” such a common word in anime titles? Just a brief selection: Perfect Blue, Blue Exorcist, True Blue, Aoi Hana, Blue Dragon, Blue Gender, Blue Seed, La Blue Girl, Daphne in the Brilliant Blue, Catblue Dynamite, Blue Sub No.6, Triangle Blue, Innocent Blue.

Answer:
The Japanese word now commonly used for dark or deep blue is “ao.” However, in ancient Japan, prior to the Heian period (794-1185 AD), both blue and green were both considered shades of “ao.” Furthermore, one of the Chinese readings of the kanji character for “ao” refers to youth. So, in effect, blue, in Japanese, has the same figurative connotation that green does in English. English speakers refer to someone young or inexperienced as “green,” in other words, fresh, still growing. Blue has a similar meaning in Japanese, most evident in the title of Yuu Yabuuchi’s whimsical youthful days manga and TV anime Mizuiro Jidai, known as “Aqua Age” or “The Blue-Green Years.” The incisive observer will notice that youth plays a significant role in many of the anime that incorporate “Ao,” “Aoi,” or “Blue” in their titles.