WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Case Study of Vanitas, Episode 10, “Number 69,” now streaming on Funimation.
The Case Study of Vanitas borrows a lot from western culture, from Gothic romance and religious symbolism to visual style (the word “vanitas” means artworks that symbolize death), and this week’s episode is no different. The name of Dr. Moreau directly evokes H.G. Wells' classic sci-fi novel The Island of Dr. Moreau and the mad scientists who experiment with human/beast hybrids. However, their similarities go far beyond names and professions.
Like Wells' Dr. Moreau, the anime’s Dr. Moreau is banished from society for his gruesome experiments with humans and vampires. However, he is creating not beast-humans, but rather “enhanced humans” that seem to have no mind of their own. His ultimate goal is to make himself into a vampire, as he believes vampires are more evolved beings, yet he doesn’t really treat vampires with any respect.
Moreau calls Vanitas No. 69, meaning that he is his 69th experimental subject, implying there are (at least) 70 others who have likewise gone through such abuse. In Vanitas’ brief flashback, we see him being tortured in various manners and almost pushed to the brink of death by these so-called “experiments.” Dr. Moreau himself even acknowledges that he almost killed Vanitas during the process, and feels absolutely no remorse about his actions because he believes they are justified.
Moreau gleefully describes his abusive experiments, cheerfully showing everyone some of his “trophies,” revealing him as one of the most disgusting villains in the series. Not only does he abuse all his subjects, some of whom are children, but he also truly believes that he’s doing good work, and somehow makes himself out to be the victim.
Moreau feels he’s being wronged by the Chasseurs and the Vampire of the Blue Moon, aka the original Vanitas, who destroyed his first lab and rescued this Vanitas. It's also why he’s desperate for validation and support. Moreau is eerily reminiscent of real-life abusers who likewise tend to justify their actions by playing the victim. He also knows Vanitas’ weakness; he merely mentions the name “No. 71,” the other child that vampire Vanitas rescued, and Vanitas instantly freezes, implying that this is another cause of his trauma. All this proves that while Moreau seems easily coaxed, he is much more manipulative than meets the eye.
Moreau is also a hypocrite. Although he seems to enjoy hurting his victims -- for instance, gauging a vampire’s eyes out right before their death -- he is afraid of pain. When Vanitas threatens him with a knife, he is immediately terrified and willing to spill all his secrets. The fact that he understands and fears pain makes what he does to his victims all the more disturbing.
This is because Moreau doesn’t really see his victims as human beings. He calls them by numbers as a way to dehumanize them, viewing them as playthings he can toss away when they no longer serve a purpose. This is why, when Noe stops Moreau, he asks Moreau to call Vanitas by his name and not by a number. In this sense, Noe is much more human than Moreau. It’s also why his attack on Moreau is so satisfying to watch.
Vanitas’ reaction to Moreau makes the situation even more painful to watch. It's clear he is disgusted by Moreau, as his eyes are full of pain when Moreau embraces him. However, he must pretend to be friendly in order to gain Moreau’s trust and discover the identity of his sponsor. It is difficult enough for victims to confront their abuser, but to endure additional humiliation takes an impressive level of mental fortitude.
Although it doesn’t take much for the truth to be revealed, the Charlatan’s companion, Monsieur Spider, comes to rescue Moreau. Everything can be traced back to the Charlatan. The end credit scene further reveals that Monsieur Spider and Lord Ruthven are connected -- he himself could be the Charlatan, or else simply the one pulling all the strings.