Monster

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Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is a psychological thriller that stands as a masterclass in storytelling. With its intricate plot, morally complex characters, and unrelenting tension, Monster captivates readers from start to finish, delivering one of the most compelling narratives in manga history.

The story revolves around Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon whose decision to save the life of a young boy, Johan Liebert, sets off a chain of horrifying events. What follows is a gripping exploration of morality, justice, and the consequences of one’s actions as Tenma embarks on a relentless pursuit to stop the monster he inadvertently unleashed.

Urasawa’s writing is impeccable, crafting a tightly woven ... narrative filled with twists and turns. The pacing is deliberate, building suspense and gradually unraveling the layers of Johan’s enigmatic character. Johan is one of manga’s most chilling antagonists—a charismatic and deeply unsettling figure whose presence looms over every page, even when he’s not on screen.

The supporting cast is equally well-developed, with characters like Nina Fortner, Inspector Lunge, and Dieter adding depth and emotional weight to the story. Each character feels integral to the narrative, their personal arcs interweaving seamlessly with the central plot.

Visually, Monster excels with Urasawa’s realistic art style. The meticulous attention to detail in expressions and settings enhances the story’s atmosphere, whether it’s the cold sterility of a hospital or the shadowy streets of Europe. The paneling is dynamic, heightening the tension and immersing readers in the story’s darker themes.

What truly sets Monster apart is its exploration of humanity’s darker side. The manga delves into philosophical questions about nature versus nurture, the fragility of morality, and the impact of trauma. These themes resonate deeply, elevating Monster beyond a simple thriller into a profound meditation on the human condition.

The only minor drawback is its length; while the story remains engaging throughout, some readers may feel that certain subplots could have been streamlined. However, this does little to detract from the overall experience.

Monster is a near-perfect blend of psychological depth and narrative tension. Its unforgettable characters and thought-provoking themes make it a must-read for fans of mature, intelligent storytelling.

I fell for the hype around this manga, and it is leagues out of proportion to the quality of this work.

Story:

Monster is slow and boring. While the premise is interesting, it long overstays its welcome. The story drags on and on in a very predictable fashion. The ending is very ambiguous leaving it up to interpretation. There isn’t anything wrong with that, the problem however is the fact that it feels extremely anti-climactic being at the end of a very drawn out story.

4/10

Characters/Themes:

Monster excels in this department, unfortunately it is also the only thing it has going for it. Dr. Tenma is a beacon of ... kindness, innocence and perseverance, Grimmer is an excellent show of humanity, but most importantly, the main villain Johan Liebert is the epitome of nihilism, cunningness and evil. But while these themes in and of themselves are very interesting and fun to talk about, the story doesn’t do anything but simply outfit these characters with it. The themes are not presented or played with in any interesting way, nor has Urasawa added on much of his own commentary on these themes.

7/10

Art:

The backgrounds and landscapes have definitely been drawn beautifully with an incredible amount of detail and masterful use of shading. However, the characters tend to look very similar to each other, making it hard to tell them apart. The paneling is very basic and straightforward adding onto the boringness.

6/10

Personal Enjoyment:

This manga was a slog to read. I dropped it multiple times but I eventually pushed through to the end because my friends wouldn’t stop talking about it and also wanted to hear my opinions on it. Grimmer was definitely my favorite character, I loved seeing him slowly regain his humanity as he was met with Johan’s inhumane actions as ironic as that is. Dr. Tenma is an extremely relatable character, he’s hunting down the monster that he feels guilty for saving while helping others along the way, his pure and innocent heart serve as an ideal example of a doctor.

5/10

Conclusion:

Although Monster and its themes can be discussed for hours on end, none of that can be attributed to the quality of its story and I feel that is where peoples perception of Monster gets warped. Most people get caught up in talking about how Johan is the greatest villain ever written but forget to judge Monster in a vacuum as a story, which I think is only decent.

6/10

I've read and seen a lot of critically acclaimed fiction in my life. Some became my favourites, while others were so-so. Monster, however, is the first instance of me coming across a critically acclaimed fiction that turned out to be truly, truly terrible. And I'll be honest, even though I have tried to be as objective as possible, my intense hatred for its completely undeserved reputation is what motivated me to publish this review.

It's ironic that my single biggest issue with Monster is what its fans claim to be its greatest asset, the villain Johan Liebert. It's very clear what Naoki Urasawa's motivation was behind ... creating him. Johan was supposed to be the embodiment of evil, someone who could commit crimes without the least bit of guilt and remorse. That's all very scary and stuff, but I ask you this, my dear reader. If I raise a person to be a terrorist, and the person turns out to be a terrorist, does that make the person evil? Because without spoiling anything, that is who Johann Liebert is. A person designed to be evil, and therefore not evil at all. Naoki Urasawa failed to comprehend this simple fact that what makes a villain interesting are their own convictions and emotions, born out of an intensely personal birth; not some contrived backstory where every Tom, Dick and Harry would influence the character.

But Urasawa's amateurism doesn't stop there. Not only did he make his villain essentially meaningless, he genuinely doesn't believe it's possible for people to turn out to be evil unless someone conditioned them to become as such. We come across many bad guys in his manga, but time and again, we see that the only ones capable of committing crimes in cold-blood are the ones who have been conditioned to be like that; everyone else, be it alcoholics, robbers, murderers or whoever, end up feeling guilty or remorseful. Hell, even the people who made Liebert who he is have become kind and empathetic with age. I’m sorry, but this is an unbelievably juvenile understanding of human psychology. People don’t need to be conditioned into becoming terrible, and more often than not they aren’t. And as far as fiction is concerned, the greatest villains are always the ones who became who they are by their own convictions and ideals; Bondrewd, Griffith, Makishima, just to name a few.

Talking about Liebert is incomplete without talking about Tenma. Tenma is the single most archetypal “good guy” that you can imagine. He is very kind and friendly, he always helps everyone out and he thinks all lives are equal. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with all that, but there’s nothing interesting either. On one side, you have a villain who isn’t evil or frankly even interesting, and on the other side, you have the most naïve do-gooder in the history of popular fiction. The result? One hundred and sixty-two chapters of mind-numbing slog, filled to the brim with filler which only serves to show you how much of a good guy the good guy is. I hope this doesn’t count as a spoiler, but the good guy is vindicated in the end. So yeah, the message of Monster is, everyone is equal, everyone is inherently a nice human being, and the only way you can become terrible is if someone turns you into one. Even if you believe in such a comically simple worldview, I’m sure you didn’t need Urasawa to realize it.

Thank you for reading.