The designer and creator of the android girl, Mima Tokiko. A prominent research scientist in the field of robotics, Dr. Mima was contracted to conduct research on the behalf of Ajo Heavy Industries. The research objective was to produce the core module of Ajo's bipedal robot project: the "powerbox," though Dr. Mima also perfected many of the other systems used in Ajo's robots. As explained by Ajo himself in episode one, the powerbox is the brain and heart of a robot integrated into one unit. Dr. Mima had his own agenda, however. His research into creating the miniature powerbox successful, he proceeded to construct the android girl Key--a project that was not apparently reported to Ajo...at least, not *fully* reported.
It is purely this writer's guess, but I suspect Tokiko is not the first Mima-type android the doctor constructed. The others, through flaws in the designs of earlier powerboxes, died. These deaths weighed heavily on his conscience, and in his taped final message to Key he alludes to absolving his sins to Key's "mother" and "grandmother" by Key's successful metamorphosis into a human.
The taped message is suggestive in other ways, too. Mima claimed he fell down the hill, fatally injuring himself. From review of the episodes, however, it is clear to see that the professor was murdered. Ajo and his cohorts came to claim the fruits of Mima's labors, and failing to find what they really wanted, they killed him. Again this is pure speculation, but I think Ajo & co. failed to find everything they were looking for--of the powerboxes Mima created, the important one was not in his notes or on his workbench. It was in Key.
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