Mimio, The Frankenstein Bunny

While reading The Mysterious Underground Men, I could not help but compare Mimio, the bunny to Frankenstein’s monster (Fm). After all, the two characters share a similar origin story. Most, if not all, are familiar with the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster through the various adaptations of the original novel. I, myself have not had the pleasure of reading the original story, but I assume the process in which life is given to the inanimate body of the monster has been fairly consistent. Through unspecified science, Dr. Frankenstein imparts life to his creation, the 8-foot grotesque humanoid monster. A key element in the mythology of Frankenstein’s monster is the striking of electricity to spark life onto the non-living flesh, giving him consciousness. Mimio on the other hand is introduced as a “most strange rabbit” that was born in Notre University. A team of scientists decide to modify Mimio and turn him more humanlike by also using unspecified science. The only specific detail regarding Mimio’s process of metamorphosis is that electrification will make him intelligent. It seems curious that in both characters, electricity is a vital step in their creation. Other key similarities between Mimio and Frankenstein’s monster includes their remarkable intelligence and articulate method of speaking. Furthermore, when first seen by the public, both characters were regarded as monsters and are terrified of them. Unfortunately, this is where their similarities end as Frankenstein’s monster begins committing horrid acts such as murder while Mimio helps defend humanity against the evolved termites. It is possible that Osamu Tezuka was influenced by Mary Shelley, which explains the similarities between their two characters.