If you read
Kou's full name (first name, last name order) and remove the "ya", you get "koumori" (コウモリ), which is the Japanese word for "bat" (as in, the flying mammal and the animal that vampires are famously associated with). On the other hand, Kou's apartment complex is named "komori" (小森, or こもり), which is almost homophonous with "koumori" but is by itself a surname.
The full name of Nazuna's mother would be "
Nanakusa Haru" (last name, first name order), a blatant reference to the
haru no nanakusa, or the "seven spring flowers" (they're actually edible herbs).
Nazuna's name is almost certainly derived from the Japanese name for the shepherd's purse flower.
Seri is probably named after the Japanese parsley*.
Midori's surname is also one of these (the modern name for "chickweed"), as is
Hatsuka's surname (the traditional name for "radish") "
Kabura" might have been spun off from "kabu", or the modern name for "turnip".
Niko's surname might be derived from the modern name for nipplewort, コオニタビラコ (translit. "
ko-o-ni-ta-bi-ra-ko"), written in kanji as 小鬼田平子. In which case, it probably involved taking the 平 (native unvoiced reading: "hi-ra") and 田 (native unvoiced reading: "ta") and making that her surname.
Remember that these vampires numbered
Kiku as one of them, even though she never met up with them. In that case, by order of elimination, her name would be based off the "go-gyo" (御形)-- the traditional name for cudweed...but it isn't, nor is it based off its modern name. I wouldn't even be able to figure out how by taking some of the most obscure readings of both of those kanji. It's much more likely that her given name is in reference to the chrysanthemum, especially given her fate (chrysanthemums signify mourning in some European cultures, and she probably was vamp'd somewhere in Europe given where her backstory in chapter 100 starts as well as the fact that she was apparently vamp'd by some Dracula-looking figure) but also the fact that she never mingled with the rest of the named vampires (even Nazuna was tied to this group by way of Kabura).
That 6 out of 7 of these women are named after the
haru no nanakusa (actually edible herbs) might also be to liken them to
takane no hana, especially given their "max hotness power" in their respective typical social spheres.
Oh, and
Susuki is named after one of the seven autumn flowers, the eulalia (or, Chinese silver grass).
I mentioned Nazuna before, but what's of particular pertinence is one of the proposed etymologies for the noun "nazuna". Based on its older form なづな, there are two etymological hypotheses. One of them is as follows: "it may be derived from
natsu na, as in
夏 (natsu, “summer”) +
無 (na, “missing, gone”), from the way the plant dies back in the summer" (
Wiktionary, and also
this website).
You remember when Nazuna proposed that they go to the beach
when summer comes (ch. 183)? And she proposed it with that wistful look on her face, and despite her prior-stated intention of leaving Kou alone?
Also recall that it's been 3-4 months since this story started, and it's now a little past new year's. Eight or nine months ahead (when Kou's candidacy expires) is August or September, i.e. late summer.
I'm 97% sure the final climax of this story is going to
at least involve the beach, and I have a suspicion of how it's going to shake out-- and it involves Haru's hypothesis to achieving humanity. Just not directly.
*Her surname is actually the name of one of the seven autumn flowers (they're actually flowers), the "kikyou"-- their traditional name for the balloon flower.
Just give the fuck up already
