Why name her Shinigami?
 

I didn't really think about it before but why was the name Shinigami chosen for Karai's old buddy? Her appearence is based on a stereotypical witch, rather than any well known death personification. And obviously she never kills anyone in the show.

So why did they name her Shinigami? Did they simply think having a character essentially named Grim Reaper was cool, and never put more thought into it than that?

Ask Ciro. :P

Well, we didn't see her kill people on screen but my guess is she likely would have, as would have Karai working with Shredder.
Still, odd choice for a baby name, unless she changed it herself along the way. We know almost nothing of her, other than she was 'and old friend from Japan' and a Witch.

Her parents thought it was edgy.

edit: After all, being friends with Karai, it would have made sense if here parents were other unsavory people within Shredder's circle.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't her actual name, it's a nickname.

But I think it's a shame they didn't do more with her, I mean the concept is great:
- She can shape shift
- She knows Asian witchcraft
- She knows how to use hypnotism.

There could have been so much cool scenes if they had just put in some effort working with all of that. I would have loved to have seen an episode which showed her and Karai in Japan being trained by Tatsu.

But instead she was turned into the series' Yamcha. She lost her battle against tiger claw, was defeated by Bebop and got a whipping from THE PURPLE DRAGONS!

I got the impression only Karai knew Tatsu in the Forgotten Swordsman, which I found odd with her knowing Shini for some time but then we don't know for how long or how she knew her (in or outside of the foot?)

Shinigami sounds very cool, I like it.

I'm pretty sold on it.

Given witches' stereotyped associations with death and dark magic, it probably was a play on that link. I mean, we have Snow White's stepmother as a witch trying to bump her off with poison, the Witches in Hocus Pocus killing kids with a potion that syphons off their youth and life force, etc. Asian witches in fairy tales and myths tend to also be shapeshifters and sometimes even demons. So it makes sense.