Ask John: Who Are Some Anime Mad Scientists?

Question:
I was catching up on episodes of Naruto Shippuden (legally, I’m happy to add) and it came to my mind that Orochimaru, one of the main foes in Naruto- is a mad scientist! One of the reasons Orochimaru is so hated is because of the genetic experiments he performed before he became completely evil and went off on his own. Now, Orochimaru is not the first nor the last mad scientist to show up in anime. What mad scientists are there to find in anime of the past and present?

Answer:
Mad scientists and wacky inventors are undoubtedly a staple of fantastic fiction, dating back to at least Mary Shelly’s Victor Von Frankenstein. American animation is rife with crazed scientific geniuses including Dexter of Dexter’s Laboratory and the cast of the recent feature film Igor. Anime, likewise, has its share of inventors and doctors that defy the laws of convention or wisdom. They include both males and females, and range in age from children to seniors. I’m sure that I’m not familiar with all of them, and I’m guaranteed to forget many of them that I do know, but I can recollect a few.

The most stereotypically crazed mad scientist of anime may be the un-named protagonist of director Koji Morimoto’s “Franken’s Gears” (Franken no Haguruma) segment of the Robot Carnival motion picture.

Senbei Norimaki, the titular Dr. Slump, may be Japan’s favorite bumbling genius inventor.

The Dragon Ball anime franchise is home to a number of mad scientists. Dr. Uiro appears as the antagonist of the second Dragon Ball Z movie. Dr. Gero is prominent in the Dragon Ball Z series as the creator of Androids 17, 18, 19, and Cell. He turns himself into Android 20. Dr. Raichi appears in the “Plan to Destroy the Saiyans” interactive anime game. Dr. Myu debuted in Dragon Ball GT, where he eventually joined forces with Dr. Gero.

School doctor Haruka Nishikikoji of the Dokkiri Doctor television series is formally a medical practitioner, but he spends most of his time inventing wacky creations designed to get him closer to his pretty nurse assistant Miyuki.

Mahou Sensei Negima’s student number 24, Satomi Hakase, is the class’ primary inventor, and is referred to as a “mad scientist” by her classmates.

Happy Lesson’s Kisaragi Ninomai may not be an especially evident maniacal creator, but her odd personality and occasional tendency to create bizarre inventions do qualify her for recognition as a “mad scientist.”

Tenchi Muyo’s Washu likewise doesn’t actually invent very much, but she is frequently referred to as a mad scientist.

Yami no Matsuei’s bishonen Dr. Kazutaka Muraki rivals Naruto’s Orochimaru in grim and malicious human experimentation and manipulation.

The recently introduced Doctor Hogback of One Piece certainly qualifies as a respected medical doctor that has descended into madness and rejuvenation of the dead.

Shuugorou Tatsumi of the Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo television series is swiftly revealed to be a doctor with a penchant for unconventional biological manipulation.

There are undoubtedly more mad scientists in anime, and I’ve purposely excluded characters like Fullmetal Alchemist’s Shou Tucker that use magic, rather than science, to achieve “mad scientist” results. But I hope that this short list will provide some example.