History Main / MoonRabbit

* Myth/BrazilianFolklore has a different version of the figure on the Moon. Instead of a rabbit, the image is seen as the dragon in an eternal battle.

[[caption-width-right:178:Because VideoGame/HollowKnight plunging a toilet doesn't quite have the same ring to it.]]

* This idea appears in Kit William's puzzle-book ''[[Literature/KitWilliamsMasquerade Masquerade]]''.

For the version more popular in Western culture, see TheManInTheMoon.

[[folder:Tabletop Game]]

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.

* The [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/arcana/665 Soratami]] from the ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' ''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 the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' Lovers and Madmen comic, when the Joker first emerges from the chemical vat that warps his mind and appearance (not that he wasn't a sociopathic criminal already in this continuity) the first thing he sees is "a bunny in the moon...that's crazy!" Then he bursts out his first real bout of maniacal laughter.

* Myth/BrazilianFolklore has a different version of the figure on the Moon. Instead of a rabbit, the image is seen as [[https://images.app.goo.gl/ss74JEGmxgDr1Hmm8 Saint George on his horse fighting the dragon]] in an eternal battle.

* In ''VideoGame/Disgaea5AllianceOfVengeance'', the Rabbit monster class has a skill named Gold Moon Judgement in which it leaps to a garden of carrots on the moon and consumes one, then unleashes an attack.

** T he Rabbit spirit of the EasternZodiac gives Amaterasu powers over the moon, and is first seen pounding rice cakes, with Ammy kneading the pounded rice between thumps.

* ''Anime/BeastWarsII'' 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 ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' 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.
** ''Manga/TransformersZone'' has Moonradar and his partner Rabbicrater ([[DontExplainTheJoke rabbit + crater]]).

* Amae Koromo of ''Manga/{{Saki}}'' was designed to resemble a rabbit (blame the bunny ears headband). Her powers are at their strongest when the moon is full and her FinishingMove 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.

* TheGrimReaper/God of the Underworld in ''Literature/WatershipDown'' is called the Black Rabbit of Inle, and Inle is the rabbits' word for moon. It is unsure if he actually ''lives'' there, as opposed to just being associated with it.
** Likely the latter as rabbits in ''Watership Down'' believe the sun to be God and the giver of all life, and in one folktale, El-ahrairah visits the Black Rabbit and doesn't go to the moon to find his home. The association is presumably because most rabbit predators hunt at night.

* The Music/SufjanStevens / Nico Muhly / [[Music/TheNational Bryce Dessner]] / James [=McAlister=] collaborative album ''Planetarium'' has a song titled "Moon", which offers a different moon-rabbit myth in the first verse:

* ''VideoGame/CookieRun'' has a Cookie entirely based on this trope.

* Moon Rabbit Gyokuto is the [[ShockAndAwe thunder-elemental]] guardian spirit of the kunoichi Okatsu in ''VideoGame/{{Nioh}}''.

* Referenced in ''[[VideoGame/MrDriller 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'' games. Appropriately, he's a rabbit alien from the moon.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', the Rabbit spirit of the EasternZodiac gives Amaterasu powers over the moon, and is first seen pounding rice cakes, with Ammy kneading the pounded rice between thumps.

* ''Franchise/{{Jewelpet}}'': the Jewelpet of moonstone is a rabbit named Luna.

* The main character of ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' is an obvious nod to this legend. Her real name, Tsukino Usagi, is a phonetic pun on the term "Rabbit of the Moon" if split into words ("''tsuki no usagi''") though the kanji differs slightly. Her hair, as well as Chibiusa's, is intended to look like a rabbit's ears, and Chibiusa is even referred to as "Rabbit" at various points in the series, usually by members of the Black Moon Clan.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' rabbits are the only creatures that populate the Dark Side of the Moon. [[spoiler:The Broodals, Bowser's wedding-planning rabbits, are also from the Dark Side of the Moon.]]

* TheGrimReaper/God of the Underworld in ''Literature/WatershipDown'' is called the Black Rabbit of Inle, and Inle is the rabbits' word for moon. It is unsure if he actually ''lives'' there, as opposed to just being associated with it.
** Likely the latter as rabbits in ''Watership Down'' believe the sun to be God and the giver of all life, and in one folktale, El-ahrairah visits the Black Rabbit and doesn't go to the moon to find his home. The association is presumably because most rabbit predators hunt at night.
* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, ''Luna'' Lovegood's Patronus spell takes the form of a hare.

* 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 ''[[Literature/KitWilliamsMasquerade Masquerade]]''.

* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': In [[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/content_page/item/1248-inaba-1 "Inaba 1"]], Rose gets her titular rabbit spirit after looking at the moon and asking, “Why, why does it have to be this way? What did I do to deserve this?”

* This is why the moon base in ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' is named the Rabbit Hutch.
* ''Series/TheGoodies''. The trope becomes Rabbit ''On'' the Moon in "Invasion of the Moon Creatures". Graeme Garden sends a couple of rabbits into space. They land on the Moon and breed like, err, rabbits.

* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' depicts moon rabbits as a LittleBitBeastly race of servitors to the {{Lunarian|s}} people. Most of them are slackers with no love for any Lunarian but [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e Chang'e,]] and their [[TelepathicSpacemen minor telepathic abilities]] make them notorious for GossipEvolution (they not only believe that Earthlings are aware of the [[FantasticNatureReserve Lunar Capital]]'s existence, but that hundreds of rabbits have died fighting off Earth invaders). The most prominent moon rabbit in the series is Reisen Udongein Inaba, a runaway from the Lunar Defense Corps who has since [[GoingNative tried to integrate herself into]] Earth's {{youkai}} rabbit population. ''VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom'' introduces additional moon rabbits named Seiran and Ringo respectively, both of whom are former colleagues of Reisen in the same corps, and who follow in her footsteps by staying on Earth after the story's done.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', the Rabbit spirit of the EasternZodiac 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 ears -- or at least they look an awful lot like rabbit ears.
** ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'' has a ''HumongousMecha'' in the shape of a rabbit, built by, you guessed it, the [[HumanAliens Moon Tribe]].

* The [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] Game Boy Advance installment of ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven'' features a minigame, "Bunny Hop", involving a rabbit hopping on sea animals so it can jump to the moon. At the end of the minigame, it successfully makes it to the moon, which shows a picture of a rabbit with a mortar and pestle when it makes contact. This later appeared in ''Rhythm Heaven Megamix'' for the 3DS, which was available worldwide.

* ''Gokujyou VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'' is another ShootEmUp with a moon bunny level. Complete with dodging mallets and that Asian lady... [[EverythingsBetterWithPenguins with a twist]].
* ''Website/GaiaOnline'''s evolving item Hermes' Moon uses this myth as a basis for its various poses.
* ''VideoGame/RabbidsGoHome'' 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 ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''. Though a more appropriate example would be the [[HairRaisingHare Broodals]] from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', who hail from the [[spoiler:Dark Side of the]] Moon.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', a colony of Hummingway, small rabbit-like creatures that only speak by humming, live on the Moon. One of its residents, Namingway, came to live on the Blue Planet.
* In ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarZero'', NPC Newman costumes and nearly every possible PC Newman costume have a distinct "bunny" motif, with long ear-like projections on the headgear or similar. Just '''guess''' where they've been hiding out since TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'', one of the members of Organization XIII, Saïx, whose attribute is moon, has a [[JokeItem Joke Weapon]] based off of the myth: a claymore with a rocket-ship and moon design that "expands" into a blade shaped like a rabbit head when he [[TheBerserker gets angry]].
* Lunamon, introduced in ''[[VideoGame/DigimonWorldDawnDusk 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).

* A bizarre variation in the already insane shooter ''Videogame/DeaeTonosamaAppareIchiban'': alien moon rabbits... on Mars.
* ''VideoGame/GrimmsNotes'' features two moon rabbit warriors as boss characters, black and white respectively.
* Being a Korean {{MMORPG}}, ''VideoGame/MapleStory'' has the bunny-pounding-rice-cake variant. Except that the bunnies are not always on the moon.
* One of the villagers in ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' is a rabbit named Ruby - or Luna in the original Japanese version. With her house being moon/space-themed and containing a mochi pestle, she seems to reference this.

* Used in ''VideoGame/Persona4 [[UpdatedReRelease Golden]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/Persona4Arena Persona 4 Arena Ultimax]]'', in which Kaguya Hime[[note]]the ultimate persona of the Aeon Arcana in the former and Marie's persona in the latter[[/note]] curiously has rabbit ears. This is a reference to a famous Japanese folk story, ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'', in which Kaguya Hime is the main character who later is revealed to belong to a group of celestial beings that live on the moon.
* Also, when you Ace [[Anime/TurnAGundam Loran Cehack]] in ''Third VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ: Tengoku-hen'', [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsZ AG]] gives him a bunny girl costume, saying that it's perfect attire for a member of the [[Anime/TurnAGundam Moonrace]], referencing the moon rabbit folklore. Loran insists that he's a bloke but AG goes "oh yeah? but I heard about the [[WholesomeCrossdresser Laura]] [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten thing]]"
* One of the bosses in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero3'' is Childre Inhareita, a rabbit like Reploid based of the idea of the Moon Rabbit.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'', [[MeaningfulName Luna]] Platz's MegaTwintails are supposed to resemble bunny ears, in a nod to the legend. The third game further references this by giving her a Wizard that looks like a [[PullARabbitOutOfMyHat rabbit in a hat]].
* ''Jerry Boy'' takes the player to the moon for Stage 4, and the first enemies encountered there are rabbits.
* In ''VideoGame/Disgaea5AllianceOfVengeance'', the Rabbit monster class has a skill named Gold Moon Judgement in which it leaps to a garden of carrots on the moon and consumes one, then unleashes an attack.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' rabbits are the only creatures that populate the Dark Side of the Moon. [[spoiler:The Broodals, Bowser's wedding-planning rabbits, are also from the Dark Side of the Moon.]]
* ''VideoGame/CookieRun'' has a Cookie entirely based on this trope.
* Moon Rabbit Gyokuto is the [[ShockAndAwe thunder-elemental]] guardian spirit of the kunoichi Okatsu in ''VideoGame/{{Nioh}}''.
* ''VideoGame/TsukiAdventure'': The main character is a rabbit, and his name, Tsuki, means "moon" in Japanese. There's also a subscription service called Club Moon.

* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'': In chapter 34, which deals with short stories from supporting characters, Chang'E visits the court with her rabbit to discuss the [[DefaceOfTheMoon mysterious fingerprint shape]] that [[ContinuityNod appeared on the moon in a prior chapter]].

* Another possibly accidental reference: in the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' 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.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' shows via a background photograph that one of the astronauts on the Moon in the Apollo 11 landing was a rabbit in this universe.

* In ''Manga/MutekiKanbanMusume'', ShowWithinAShow ''Starranger'' has Hell's Bunny, a new villain character based on this concept. Megumi is able to play the part of her perfectly.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In a ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' chapter dealing with short stories from supporting characters, Chang'E visits the court with her rabbit to discuss the [[DefaceOfTheMoon mysterious fingerprint shape]] that [[ContinuityNod appeared on the moon in a prior chapter]].

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' gives a nod to the legend with China and Japan. The two characters (both grown and Japan, raised by China until then, on the brink of setting out on his own) 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. China even mentions that time they watched the moon and the rabbit making medicine (the Chinese version) in one of his character songs.

* ''Anime/{{Doraemon}}'' had an episode discussing moon rabbits and visit a future amusement park on the Moon to find them.

* ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'' depicts moon rabbits as a LittleBitBeastly race of servitors to the {{Lunarian|s}} people. Most of them are slackers with no love for any Lunarian but [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e Chang'e,]] and their [[TelepathicSpacemen minor telepathic abilities]] make them notorious for GossipEvolution (they not only believe that Earthlings are aware of the [[FantasticNatureReserve Lunar Capital]]'s existence, but that hundreds of rabbits have died fighting off Earth invaders). The most prominent moon rabbit in the series is Reisen Udongein Inaba, a runaway from the Lunar Defense Corps who has since [[GoingNative tried to integrate herself into]] Earth's {{youkai}} rabbit population. ''VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom'' introduces additional moon rabbits named Seiran and Ringo respectively, both of whom are former colleagues of Reisen in the same corps, and who follow in her footsteps by staying on Earth after the story's done.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' 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.

* Very weird Japanese film ''Film/TheHappinessOfTheKatakuris'' tweaks this trope with an image showing two rabbits humping on the face of the moon.

[[folder: Web Comics]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

* Also, when you Ace [[Anime/TurnAGundam Loran Cehack]] in ''Third VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ: Tengoku-hen'', [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsZ AG]] gives him a bunny girl costume, saying that it's perfect attire for a member of the [[Anime/TurnAGundam Moonrace]], referencing the moon rabbit folklore. Loran insists that he's a bloke but AG goes "oh yeah? but I heard about the [[WholesomeCrossdresser Laura]] [[NeverLiveItDown thing]]"

* A girl in ''Anime/{{Beastars}}'' briefly wonders if the legends about rabbits living on the moon are true to which her classmate asks how they would breathe.