Moon Rabbit: Difference between revisions
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[[File:moon-wabbit.jpg|frame]]
Observe the full moon sometime and take note of its shadows. If you look at it in a certain way, you may notice that its shape resembles that of a rabbit standing over a mortar.
This is the '''Moon Rabbit''' or Jade Rabbit. A myth that came from China, legend has it that the rabbit we see serves under the moon goddess and pounds the elixir of life for the immortals. The idea of a rabbit on the moon resonated so well that it spread to other countries like Japan and Korea, though in their version, the rabbit isn't pounding the elixir of life but simple rice cakes instead.
While the Asian version of this legend is the most widespread in modern times, they weren't the only ones who saw the rabbit in ancient times. The Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures also saw the Rabbit in the moon (minus mortar) and had their own tales on what it is and how it came to be. One of their most famous legends state that the rabbit we see was thrown there as an insult to the arrogant and cowardly Moon God, so that its luster will not be equal to the noble Sun God's.
A famous mythical figure, the Moon Rabbit appears in several popular media, either in the form of the actual creature or as a winking reference to the legend. They're mostly found in Asian media, but there have been sightings in non-Asian countries as well.
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{{examples}}
== Anime
* The main character of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' is an obvious nod to this legend. For starters, her real name (As well as that Chibiusa's real name) of Tsukino Usagi
** For those not familiar with Japanese, here's an explanation. Tsuki means "Moon", "No" can mean Field/Plain or "Of" depending on the character used (The former is the one actually used however) while Usagi, means "Rabbit/Bunny"
** Chibiusa's pink hair and eyes is also meant to be a reference to the pink eyes of albino rabbits.
* In ''[[Dragon Ball]]'', after defeating the anthropomorphic rabbit Monster Carrot, Goku sends him to the moon where he's forced to pound treats for children.
** This came back to bite Toriyama in the butt later when it was revealed that Goku couldn't survive in space.
*** Neither could [[Batman Can Breathe in Space|Bardock]]; that didn't stop him.
** It also became [[Fridge Horror]] when Kame Sennin ''blew up'' the moon just a few chapters later. That poor anthropomorphic bunny didn't even know what hit him...
*** Someone eventually thought of that and wrote him into one of the games. He apparently escaped just in time.
* Amae Koromo of ''[[Saki (manga)|Saki]]'' was designed to resemble a rabbit (blame the bunny ears headband). Her powers are at its strongest when the moon is full and her [[Finishing Move]] is the "Haitei Raoyue", which means "To pull out the moon from the seabed".
** Incidentally, "Haitei Raoyue" is what it's called when the last tile on the wall is the winning tile. It's used colloquially to mean pulling off the impossible.
* ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' gives a nod to the legend when China first finds Japan. The two characters look to the moon and say that the rabbit is pounding "something," that something being what is most common in the country's respective legend.
* The ending song of ''[[Clannad (visual novel)|Clannad]]'', "Dango Daikazoku," is about a family of dumplings/rice cakes, and mentions bunnies waving to them from the moon.
* ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' has a robot rabbit, named Moon, living in the moon. Also present is a woman named Artemis, based on the same Chinese legend.
** Possibly referenced in the original ''[[Beast Wars]]'' as well; at the start of the second season, Waspinator looks at the remaining moon, quirks his head to a particular angle, comments about the markings, then declares that he "knows". Shortly afterwards, it's revealed that this is actually Prehistoric Earth.
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* IIRC, ''[[Doraemon]]'' had an episode discussing moon rabbits and visit a future amusement park on the Moon to find them.
* ''[[Bleach]]'' has a more indirect reference. Rukia has a strong moon theme (described by the author in art as the "white moon" to [[Main Character|Ichigo's]] "black sun"). Her [[Empathic Weapon|zanpakutou]] is a [[Elemental Powers|snow/ice-type]] weapon that is also moon-themed (with at least one of its known attack powers being moon-based). She is utterly [[Everythings Better With Bunnies|obsessed]] with rabbits to the point where she even draws picture boards of other characters as bunnies and the special soul that looks after her false body when she goes off fighting is the bunny-themed "Chappy"-soul.
* In ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura]]'', Kerberos frequently refers to Yukito Tsukishiro, whose name means something like{{verify}} "Snow White Moon", as "that snow rabbit guy".
* In ''[[Kanokon]]'', Chizuru finds a cursed bunny outfit and wears it. When she's finds out it won't come off, she makes reference to the Moon Rabbit, stating "Then I'll be a bunny my whole life? Living on the moon pounding mochi?"
* ''[[Tamako Market]]'' is largely about two competing families making and selling mochi in the Usagiyama (Rabbit Mountain) Shopping District.{{context|reason=How is this an example of the trope as written?}}
* In ''[[One Piece]]'', when Carrot assumes her [[One-Winged Angel| Sulong form]], she becomes the avatar of the Moon Rabbit.
== Card Games ==
* The [http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/arcana/665 Soratami] from the [[Magic: The Gathering]] ''Kamigawa'' block; they aren't as obviously rabbitish as some of the examples, but you can definitely see it in the ears. Plus, they were directly inspired by the Japanese rabbit/moon legend.
*In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel]]'', [https://yugipedia.com/wiki/The_Rabbit_of_Monthly_Moonlit_Tears The Rabbit of Monthly Moonlit Tears] references this myth.
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* [[Harry Potter|Luna Lovegood]]'s hare [[Animal Motifs|Patronus]] is related to legends of lunar [[wikipedia:Lagomorpha|lagomorphs]].
* In Frank Herbert's ''[[Dune]]'', the second moon of Arrakis has a kangaroo mouse-shaped pattern on it.
* A children's book titled ''The Rice-Cake Rabbit'' by Betty Jean Lifton is based upon a Japanese folk tale.
* This idea appears in Kit William's puzzle-book ''[[Kit Williams Masquerade|Masquerade]]''.
== Music ==
* American electric music group, ''[[Rabbit In The Moon]]'' got their name from this legend.
* What was the big hit for ''Echo and the Bunnymen'' as featured in ''[[Grosse Pointe Blank]]'' ? "The killing moon" [[Epileptic Trees|Coincidence? I think not!]]
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* As mentioned in the main text, another version of the Moon Rabbit could be found in the creation story in [[Aztec Mythology]]. There are two versions of how the rabbit came to be. In one version, the god Tecciztecatl sacrificed himself as a rabbit when he became the new moon, and the rabbit we see is the god himself. In another version of the myth, the beautiful and wealthy god Tecciztecatl volunteered to be the light of our current world but feared the sacrificial fire when the time came for the ritual to turn him into the sun. In his place, the sickly and blistered Nanahuatzin stepped forward and bravely stepped into the flames to become the new sun, and now shamed, Tecciztecatl followed her. Angered at his cowardice, the gods believed that Tecciztecatl shouldn't glow brighter than Nanahuatzin and threw a rabbit at his face to dim his luster.
* Buddhist folklore gives a different explanation for the rabbit. Once upon a time, several animals resolved to practice charity, believing that great virtue will lead to great reward. When an old man came, the other animals offered it food that they had gathered. However, since the rabbit was only capable of gathering grass, it sacrificed itself for the old man by jumping into the fire the old man built. But the rabbit wasn't burned, and the old man revealed himself to be the deity Sakra, who was so touched by the rabbit's virtue that it drew its likeness on the moon for all to see.
* A similar tale could be found in Mexican folklore. According to Aztec legend, the god Quetzalcoatl lived in Earth as a man and while he was on a journey, he found himself hungry and tired with no food around. Just when he thought he was going to die, a nearby rabbit came to him and offered himself as food. Moved by the rabbit's gesture, Quetzacoatl placed its likeness on the moon, telling him "You may be just a rabbit, but everyone will remember you; there is your image in light, for all men and for all times."
== Video Games ==
* Unsurprisingly due to its penchant for Asian myth, the ''[[Touhou]]'' series contains moon rabbits. Also unsurprisingly due to its penchant for [[Cute Monster Girl
* In ''[[Ōkami|Okami]]'', the Rabbit spirit of the [[Eastern Zodiac]] gives Amaterasu powers over the moon, and is first seen pounding rice cakes, with Ammy kneading the pounded rice between thumps.
** As well, Kaguya, who is originally from the moon, has green rabbit
** ''[[Ōkamiden|Okamiden]]'' has a ''[[Humongous Mecha]]'' in the shape of a rabbit, built by, you guessed it, the [[Human Aliens|Moon Tribe]].
* [[The Untwist]] in ''[[Dark Cloud]]'' is that those hooded little guys with the big long ears who are from the moon are rabbits.
* NES [[Widget Series]] [[Shoot'Em Up]] ''[[Gun Nac]]'' has the moon for its first stage. Naturally, the enemies are dominantly rabbits, complete with a giant rabbit mecha stage boss that shoots carrot missiles.
* ''Gokujyou [[Parodius]]'' is another [[Shoot'Em Up]] with a moon bunny level. Complete with dodging mallets and that Asian lady... [[Everything's Better with Penguins|with a twist]].
* ''[[Gaia Online]]'''s evolving item Hermes' Moon uses this myth as a basis for its various poses.
* The ''[[Rayman]]'' [[Widget Series]] spinoff ''[[Rabbids Go Home]]'' features a group of psychotic bunnies trying to "go home," which they have decided is on the moon. This game, however, is made in France and the developers haven't said whether or not the legends inspired them, so this may or may not have been an accidental reference.
* This is the reason why you get to chase Space Bunnies around on planetoids in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''.
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]: A Link to the Past'' has the moon pearl, which prevents Link from being turned into a bunny in the Dark World.
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* Lunamon, introduced in ''[[Digimon World Dawn/Dusk|Digimon World: Dusk]]'', is a rabbit-like Digimon with moon designs on her body and powers related to darkness and the moon. Her final form is Dianamon, named for the Roman goddess of the moon (a.k.a. Artemis to the Greeks).
* Referenced in ''[[Mr. Driller|Mr Driller Drill Spirits]]'', the last character, Usagi, is unlocked on the moon stage. He's a rabbit.
** Usagi is actually unlockable in all ''[[Mr. Driller
* The ''[[Pokémon]]'' Umbreon is based upon the legends of the moon rabbit.
* A bizarre variation in the already insane shooter ''[[Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban|Deae Tonosama - Appare Ichiban]]'': alien moon rabbits... on Mars.
* Being a Korean [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]], [[Maple Story]] has the bunny-pounding-rice-cake variant. Except that the bunnies are not always on the moon.
* In the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! (Tabletop Game)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' game, [https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Inaba_White_Rabbit Inaba White Rabbit] is supposed to be this.
== Web Comics ==
* As ''[[The Perry Bible Fellowship]]'' [http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF120-Moon_Bunny.jpg notes], that would have to be [[Eldritch Abomination|a very large rabbit]].
* In a ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'' chapter dealing with short stories from supporting characters, Chang'E visits the court with her rabbit to discuss the [[Deface of the Moon|mysterious fingerprint shape]] that [[Continuity Nod|appeared on the moon in a prior chapter]].
== Web Original ==
* [[Parodied]] in the [[Angry Marines Ruby Quest
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* Another possibly accidental reference: in the ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' episode "Out to Launch," Dr. Doofenshmirtz's evil scheme is to make shadow puppets on the moon. The only one he is shown making is a rabbit.
* In the [[Looney Tunes]] short ''Haredevil Hare'' (1948) Bugs Bunny gets sent to the moon on a rocket.
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== Real Life ==
* As an aside, during the moon landing, one of the requests to the astronauts was for them to keep an eye out for a beautiful Chinese lady and her giant rabbit.
* The Chinese lunar lander probe Chang'e 3 is named after the moon goddess, and its rover Yutu is named for the Jade Rabbit.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Bunny Tropes]]
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[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]
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