This year, director and monster devotee Guillermo del Toro finally gets to unveil his vision of Frankenstein to the world. del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s novel, a masterpiece that arguably serves as both the birth of modern horror and modern science fiction, is sure to delight audiences that crave the grand thematic swings of the source material and the sense of profound angst and hubris that power them. It’s also good for folks that like big dudes made of stitched up body parts, so that’ll be cool, too. And if the venn diagram of your interests includes both that and anime, here’s a few series and characters that might tide you over before you watch the film and then afterward, until Hollywood gets the next chance to resurrect this legendary literary figure once again. Even Goku Has Met Frankenstein’s Monster One of the biggest impacts of the Frankenstein “monster” as a cinematic character is its presence as recognizable iconography. Though there have been various takes before and since, the image of actor Boris Karloff with the squared off skull, the bolts in his neck, and the neatly arranged stitching has become the portrait by which all other versions are compared or measured. One of the most famous series that it has infiltrated is Dragon Ball in the form of Android 8. As an experiment by Dr. Gero and a soldier of the Red Ribbon Army, Android 8 is initially released to stomp Goku into the ground when the little Saiyan tries to take down the army’s base. RELATED: The Ten Best Halloween Anime But if there’s any theme of Frankenstein ’s that is as prominent as one man’s misguided attempt to “play god,” it’s the monster grappling with his own nature: Innate goodness and curiosity vs the pressures of cruelty and indifference. Android 8 refuses to beat up Goku and eventually joins him, and ever since he’s been a friendly Dragon Ball bit player, simply because he refused to follow the rule of evil that his former overlords assumed was “natural” for him. It’s one of the emotional throughlines of the book folded here into a neat, Kamehameha-filled package. The Design And The Doctor Are All Over Anime Even without a real correlation in storytelling, the Karloff look abounds. Take one glance at Boltmon, the Ultimate-level Digimon with green skin, massive boots, and two bolts jutting out of his skull (among other body parts), and it’s easy to see where the influence for his design came from. It’s the Frankenstein monster shaved down into pure brutishness — lacking in tortured resonance, but still quite effective. Victor Frankenstein, the scientist that creates the “monster,” has been depicted as everything from a misguided idealist to a bizarre madman. As such, he’s become almost as popular a subject of adaptation as his creation (sometimes by mixing and matching his attributes with the monster’s!) Soul Eater ’s Franken Stein, at first, seems to lean into the “madman” territory. With the trademark stitching and a single giant bolt fitting ubiquitously through his head, Stein is a man/monster with an obsession for dissection. He’s a powerful warrior and he typically sees other people as prime candidates for his particular gory work. But Stein is also oddly paternal at times to his students and children, rectifying prior Dr. Frankenstein's habits of misspent fatherhood. Frankenstein’s Themes And Plot Points Are Foundational To A Few Major Series That idea of fatherhood as both a nurturing relationship between child and parent and an experimental act of propagation meant to dominate the laws of the world, is carried over into numerous anime. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood contains copious pieces that are seemingly culled from Frankenstein or at least serve as an unofficial extension of its ideas. The homunculus, damaged beings (usually) conjured with unscrupulous intent, often become monsters themselves. And “Father,” the primary villain of the series, is nothing less than a Dr. Frankenstein attempting to ascend to god-hood. He seeds the world in a vain, proprietary fashion and abandons, like Victor recoiling in his lab, any creation he sees unfit or as a blemish on himself. There are other allusions to Frankenstein in popular anime. Franky, the cyborg Straw Hat Crew member from One Piece who is a mix of man and machine parts, is likely a reference to it. A scientist in Noblesse is named Frankenstein and he is fixated on his experiments. “Father” Kelvin and Doctor from the Noah’s Ark Circus in Black Butler are an unhinged pair that, foremost among other horrors, are consumed with the act of viciously removing and replacing their underlings’ limbs. RELATED: Your Halloween Anime Watchlist, From Kooky to Spooky Over time, Frankenstein has amassed the rare one-two punch of literary potency and cinematic appeal, with themes that are tirelessly relevant. And this goes for its status in anime as well. So whether you envision the Frankenstein monster as a tragic product of science gone awry, or as merely a musclehead with a few cool scars, anime will bring your passion back to life.
