Monster

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I rarely give tens to mangas. But this one just deserves it! Why? I'm going to tell you:

Monster isn't a tradional manga. It isn't about fighting. I even dare to say it is a 'Love it or hate it'-manga. If you are the type of Naruto and Bleach and looking for that kind of manga, this isn't the manga for you. If you are looking for an intense, well-written manga, I would recommend this certainly for you.

The story is complex and long. Altough it's long, there isn't one single filler. It is all part of the same story. The story is about several characters, whom ... all have their own background and story. All the characters, you could just find them in real-life. And that is awesome. It all feels real and the flow of the story is... perfect.

The art was fine, although it isn't traditional drawn. Sometimes I thought the art was too unrealistic for the story. Some of the guys had way too big noses and stuff, but it wasn't really bothering though.

I think it is hard to explain what is so perfect about this manga. The story is excellent, I think that is the main thing why I just like it so much. It is complex and intense, just like I said before. You will like the characters and follow their lives troughout the story. Tenma, the main character, goes from place to place and you get a peek into lives of other people. That is done so fantastic and real that you'll just start loving all those good people.

The story is so complex, it left me with quite some questions. It is a manga in which not everything will be explained. You will have to live with that and make conclusion for your own. I didn't like that first, but now I realise it perhaps is just fine. The actions of humans aren't always explained in real-life either....

My conclusion: This manga is perfect for everyone who loves thrillers and tension! The 10 it has gotten from me, well, it just deserves it!

"Look at me! Look at me! The monster inside of me has grown this big!".

Is the righteous path always the right path to take? Is it possible to regret doing the right thing and standing for justice? Is a righteous choice with a bad effect a good choice or a bad choice? How far is anyone prepared to go to correct what wasn't wrong in the first place? In these questions we find the basic premise of Monster.

Monster is a brilliant piece. A thriller with a story so unified, steady, complex and without plot holes that puts 99% of all thrillers (be them books, movies ... or TV shows) to shame easily. It is very well thought out by its creator and manages to keep you interested even in its most calm scenes. I do have to say I haven't watched the anime, so I won't be making any comparisons, nor will I tell you which one you should watch. I decided to review this after seeing that it had just a few reviews, which surprised me since it ranks 4th.

[Story] - 10 - The best thing of this manga, in my opinion. First of all let's talk about the style of the narration and story-telling in general. For those familiar with Naoki Urasawa, you are probably aware of his particular style of story-telling, which isn't anything short of amazing. He moves the story along at his own pace, slowly introducing more and more characters, more plot points, which answer some previous questions by providing additional questions and mysteries. He also makes a great use of the manipulation of time, adding a lot of flashbacks and time leaps all the way through the story. Those flashbacks are like small puzzle pieces that slowly build a bigger picture that enable you to understand certain situations and certain actions of the main antagonist. This author’s style meets its peak in Monster, in my opinion. The flashbacks complement each other wonderfully in a way that leaves nothing unexplained. A lot of complex stories fail when they try to set up more mysteries than what they can handle, thus not giving a satisfying solution to some or even most of those mysteries, that is highly frustrating. But Monster doesn't have any of that. Even though it feels like the story takes epic proportions with more and more stuff being thrown together, slowly but surely everything comes to make sense. The perfect metaphor for Monster is definitely a puzzle. A very complex puzzle with a big number pieces to use. In the beginning you can't really tell anything of the picture, you merely see the outlines and get a general idea of it by looking at the scattered pieces. But slowly, as you piece one upon the other, everything seems to fall into place. There are no pieces missing and in the end you look over the picture as a whole and see that you have an extremely concise, completed puzzle. But I have to say there are a few extra pieces. Monster has some arcs that aren't completely vital to the main storyline and end up being used merely to build up the characters and their experiences. That is good and bad. It's good because it makes for a more complete and filled story, but bad since it takes a bit of a toll on the overall pace of the series.
Another thing that is very good about the story is the way the author managed to wonderfully present the story in several different angles. Even though Tenma is the main character, we don't always see things through his point of view. This helps us envision the situation as a whole by understanding the several sides and forces colliding here. Some of the most interesting scenes for me were the scenes with Lunge as he pursues Tenma. Those really gave us an overlook of Tenma's situation in a whole different perspective.
To sum it up, the story is great and manages to be complex without plot holes, also presenting us several characters’ points of view which only build up the reach of the story itself.

[Art] - 8 - The art is good. It's not amazing, but still good. Not much to say here. It portrayed the emotions of the characters in a subtle but clear enough way which was nice. Also, the characters actually aged and changed throughout the years, which was a nice touch.

[Characters] - 9 - Like I said before, the story isn't limited to Tenma's POV, but actually shows several other characters' too. This actually helped the character development of those characters significantly. The characters change a bit throughout the story and their goals and actions are constantly changing with the new information they're uncovering. Johan, the main antagonist, is a very interesting and quite intriguing character. In fact he's one of the best villains I've seen, managing not to fall in any of the villain stereotypes, creating a unique character that expresses so much. As we get to know him better our idea of him slightly changes, but it also becomes more and more intriguing and by the end I think that out of five different people you'd get five different descriptions of him. That just goes to show how complex he is and how well he was developed throughout the story.

[Enjoyment] - 9 - Before I started reading I honestly thought it'd be a boring manga. You know the type. Those mangas that are very well done, they have lots of details, but all in all, you just can't have fun reading them, they're just not alluring enough. Well thankfully Monster isn't one of those. As I read in a review before I started, Monster's a real page-turner. As the mysteries start getting deeper and the plot develops and gets larger and larger, you can't help but get sucked into the story. You have to keep reading because you have to understand what's going on, what lead to this situation and what's going to happen next. Though there are some parts where the pace tones down a bit, most of the manga is a great ride that'll make you want to keep reading all the way until the end.

[Overall] - 9 - Overall it's a great read that I can safely recommend to anyone. It's a bit long, but trust me it's worth your time and after a couple of volumes you'll stop worrying about how long it is since you'll start getting into the story for real.

I loved this Manga, one of my favourites, and the first Naoki Urasawa manga that i've read, and this has definitely made me want to read more of his work!

SPOILER FREE

STORY:
I've spoken with friends who are big fans of 20th century boys (which i've started to read) and i've been told a couple times that the story is a little hard to get into. I do see what they're saying, it starts off a little slow but after the short first chapters of set up the reader is thrown into an adventure and chase that never seems to have a dull moment. ... Completely worth it.

ART:
I wasn't too sold on the art at first to be completely honest. But I did warm up to it and eventually learned to appreciate it. I was just being picky I think :)

CHARACTER:
This is where I found some of my friends had problems with... I was told that some people feel its difficult to relate to a doctor, even more specifically a surgeon. THIS is where I beg to differ. When past those few set up chapters you find this character to most very similar to the 'average joe' we've all had times where we wanted to move up the ladder in a work place or at work, wanting to fix your mistakes or more importantly tying with the theme, choosing between what really is 'right' or 'wrong' and questioning even if there is a correct answer. We've all experienced or will experience these feelings which makes the characters, especially the main one relatable. All supporting characters have full depth and are very human with their actions and motives.

ENJOYMENT:
I found myself always wanting to know what's going to happen next, once you get through the set up you will find yourself hooked to the end.

OVERALL:
I'd recommend this, just give it a fighting chance and I don't believe you'll be disappointed.

What makes a great psychological thriller? An intelligent plot? Unpredictable plot twists? Memorable, deep characters? Or is it the overall atmosphere of the series? If you're looking for a manga that can give you all of the above, Naoki Urasawa's got your back. Chances are that you have probably heard of Monster before and was wondering if it's as good as some people make it out to be, and to be quite honest, it deserves every bit of praise it gets and lives up to the hype surrounding it. Securing a position at the top of almost every manga ranking site, Monster is a critically ... acclaimed manga that is often regarded as the manga that came closest to being flawless, whether you want to believe that or not is up to you, but one thing is for sure, it's a gem that shouldn't be missed and a must-read for mystery enthusiasts.


Monster's story is the aspect that it excels the most in. it features a long, intellectual and complex story with zero plot holes despite its lengh, and somehow manages to be relatively slow paced yet engaging and captivating. Set in Germany, it's centered around Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant brain surgeon, who -out of his own sense of justice- saves a mysterious kid from certain death, not realizing he had just revived a monster, which leads to a series of events that will forever change his life. He then sets out on a journey to fix the mistake he made and restore his normal life that he lost.
The story delves into the characteristics of human nature and explores the origins of evil. The story is told from the point of view of several characters, which helps providing a more in-depth view on the occurring events. The pacing of the story is simply amazing, a slow burn which suits the manga's theme perfectly. Of course, with the pacing being slow and all, this manga isn't really for everyone, but the fact that it can keep you interested all the way is something I can guarantee. There are no real "fillers", most of the backgrounds of the side characters are either related to the story one way or another, or help explain the actions of those characters in an effort to flesh out the characters, they were enjoyable as well and didn't derail the main plot.
Plot twists are around every corner, the mysteries are solved in a way that builds the suspense and tension towards the climax. It's like a jigsaw puzzle in the sense that it starts out slow and obscure and in time you start to see the big picture.
The end poses lots of questions, most of the answers are there for you to find if you put enough thought into it.
Urasawa has demonstrated his solid writing capabilities in other occasions, but for me Monster is his best work. In short, one of the best stories you'll ever find in a manga.

It was the complaint of some critics that Monster has a wide cast of characters, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Unlike what we're used to see, the side characters of Monster aren't just there to push the plot forward. Each of them has a role to play in the main plot, with their own stories and motives, stories that reinforce the message this manga delivers, humans are the real monsters.
Most of the characters are fleshed out well-developed too, which is something most manga fail at. I don't think there was a single character that was bland and uninteresting. Urasawa pulling that off with that many characters is an accomplishment on its own.
The main character, Tenma, is your good-hearted person who believes all humans are equal and cares deeply for his friends. Although he's a very good character, Tenma is outshined by the rest of the main cast.
Johan, the main villain (And my personal pick for the greatest anime/manga villain), is a genius, cold-blooded serial killer and a master manipulator, he's the embodiment of pure evil and the kind of villain who would make Hannibal Lecter look like a little girl in comparison. Johan doesn't need a death note or an eye that can control people, all what he has is his wits and charisma, and his innocent features and calm nature make him even more terrifying.
Lunge is a character I liked throughout the series. A smart and very successful detective who's in charge of solving the serial killings case, dedicating himself to that to the point of obsession. One of his most memorable habits is how he taps his finger to memorize all what he hears.

As for the art, there isn't much for me to say. It was very good, not the best you could find but still great for a 90s manga. Urasawa's art style is unique, he dishes out simple, yet great, character designs, and his talent at drawing facial expressions is pretty evident.
The backgrounds were so beautiful and detailed it feels like the characters were just cropped in there, in a good way.

I was surprised at how well-written this manga is, it maintained a constant level of quality throughout the 18 volumes. Whenever I read it I just couldn't stop. Monster's atmosphere and cliff hangers left me at the edge of my seat every time, always leaving me waiting for more, that's how a thriller is supposed to be.

All in all, Monster is one of the best psychological dramas in manga history, it sets the standards to all other manga of the same genre. If you haven't read it yet, do give it a shot, it's certainly a worthwhile read.

Not an overrated masterpiece but clearly a hollow one.

I have to admit I couldn't remove my bias even before I completed the first arc/chapter/plot event. (The way the story is told is via one huge epic. This could just have easily been a Resident Evil type of game, a film directed by Kubrick or a crime thriller novel and thus normal manga reviewing aren't as relevant to grasping the quality of this series)

In that initial bias, I so wanted to shout "overrated" and how this was another fake Hollywood made serial killer story. Monster's plots are more unrealistic, unlikely and forget forced - the characters ... literally are supermen who don't die.

Truth of the matter is though, it does hold a certain charm. A certain finesse. It's probably even a better researched or recreated world than your average quality manga. The artist or the writer isn't very shy in creating the type of epics that would sell well towards those seeking a more defined taste of entertainment in their medium. In that sense it's very high quality work in the sense that the locations and the places are all different and the characters literally move everywhere in the world and they were able to avoid the repetitiveness of focusing on only one or two generic characters. In that sense, keasty might have undersold the idea of a mature Ash Ketchum hovering around the world. This is not your typical rpg or battle manga setting, every new location contains detailed minor characters.

I do however disagree with his review when he says this is more mature. No, the good doctor doesn't help solve anything. Your typical dark Batman strip or even Pokemon attempts to solve more mature problems than the main character in this series. Where it's able to disguise itself as a mature manga is by utilizing many of the same caricatures Award-winning Hollywood films utilize when creating a dark tortured character. Maybe slightly more original but not too much. Think Rambo + Jason Bourne + a doctor that's on par with Black Jack or House but dealing with less mature medical events and mostly involving him using his skills to win over common friends (who happen to be not so common)

It's this element that makes Monster a disappointing manga for those who are looking for a mature themed manga. The Emperor's New Clothes are there but in the end the main protagonist could just have easily disguised himself as the antagonist and the only difference in their heroics is his medical ability. (Which believe it or not is his trump card even at the end. You could even consider this manga a how to guide on how to conquer the world via reciprocity. It's all very Hollywood propaganda-ish like that - although I'm not claiming this manga is maliciously made - it's just cheap like that. The type of pseudo-intellectual inducing scenario that makes it sound original until you realize the lack of depth/strategy or actual background behind any of the events)

What makes this "un-overrated" though is that despite my complaints above, the middle point of this manga is mostly revolving around a conspiracy theory and in that aspect it's very good at playing with the whole Hollywood scenario. Think of it like a dual paradox. What I just wrote above complaining about is at the same time what the plot is addressing on the mystery side of the issue. It's very "plot within a plot/complaint within a complaint" like that and for that it is able to paint an epic semi-realistic dark fantasy that is only broken by the overall merging of all the elements.

In the end, read this manga only if you are planning to complete it. Regardless whether you hate the beginning or the middle or found this to be too long - you've just wasted your time if you don't do this. Treat this like a movie - if you're not willing to watch it till the end - you'll miss out on why you truly hate or love this and all you get is just one whole filler manga. Not because the ending ties things all up but because like a movie the first two stages are worthless unless you reach that 3rd stage of the plot. If you're not able to do this, well I'm not saying the manga couldn't be better in your eyes as the final product does take away many charming elements but suffice to say you won't really be able to fully understand the "canon" of this manga. (although honestly I was bored to tears by the whole series that I didn't bother to check out the novel with the epilogue interviews)

For those still unsure, my hint for why the latter parts of Monster are necessary revolves around a certain dark fairy tale artwork. If you like puppet master types of conspiracy - Monster doesn't have the detailed bite but it does possess one of the better barks. A bark that's good enough to judge this as a whole regardless of how silly/immature/disappointed you are with the series so far. Think of it as finally witnessing the "Monster" although not in a scary but interesting manner.

All the rest? Well, here's a summary of what makes Monster fake and Hollywood only:

-bad psychologists (not even if you don't know anything about psychology)

-super doctor (with little to no medical drama scenes to justify this)

-unrealistic mystery (literally it's one whole chase scene - the mystery revolves around the antagonist already being established in the seedy underground even though it's very unlikely that he should have gotten that far already even by fantasy standards)

-Hollywood minor characters (if you thought Hollywood protagonists were bad enough, the minor characters often edge them via doing some of the most ludicrous ways of surviving and I'm not even referring to those who get lots of return cameo scenes. Even those who died, you can't help but feel after the first couple murder scene every death becomes more and more stupid)

-It could have been way way better and more and more mature if only... (Again going back to MW, part of why it seemed realistic in MW despite it being fantasy was the viciousness and unpredictability of the deaths. Anyone who knows anything about serial killing knows it's the unlikely candidates that make the killings that much hard to locate. Even in terms of fantasy morality, Light Yagami of Death Note fame for example had more caution and strategy than the antagonist of this series even though there's barely any fictional super-weapon in this series and yet the antagonist is able to survive this far and this long. Finally characters are too sensitive despite their hardened background. If MW was preachy because of Tezuka trying to hone in on the severity of the events happening on the characters, Monster is preachy in the opposite manner. Guys have life changing moments despite the scenes being generic and yet they shit on their own revolutions one arc later once the plot doesn't call them to be relevant towards that previous scene anymore. It's like three dimensional fictional characters becoming two dimensional because instead of fully continuing character development - it's all this arc - growth - stop - next arc - growth and then stop and there's no rinse or repeat. It's all intended canon ending up being fillers not because it took too long but because it kept resetting the character's development.)

This manga is, in my opinion, overrated. The only reason I’m writing this review is because I didn't think monster was worth a 9 or a 10 and if I don't surely other people out there won't either.

The story for monster is what lets it down. The story basically follows a fugitive doctor that is chasing a serial killer. While this is happening the doctor is being chased by the police, who think he has committed the murders. Along the way the doctor meets a lot of families/individuals, makes friends and teaches people. He is helping them to grow and mature in their own right, ... simultaneously proving his own innocence. This occurs in a similar way that Ash helps people in pokemon but on a much more mature scale. The good doctor helps to eradicate racism, violence etc.
So far I haven't really given any reason for why the storyline is so bad. This is the thing, the story goes on for way too long in the same manner (the Ash - pokemon manner), it is extremely predictable and there is a huge anticlimax at the end. If I hear that a manga is a 10/10 or 9/10 I expect the end to stay in my mind for a good week at least, I expect it to be somewhat epic in how it captivates and causes me to constantly think back to it, each time thinking to myself 'wow' that manga was sweet. Monster severely let me down in this department the anticlimax left me constantly thinking back to the manga 'how could the artist leave it in such a shit way'.
The art for this manga starts off pretty poorly and at times the reader isn't too sure what’s going on, it quickly improves into a well drawn, well spaced manga. At times I found myself simply looking at the buildings or the scenes thinking 'how did the artist draw this, it would've taken him weeks'. The art is at times top notch but then a lot of the german characters look identical/generic and only the main characters seem to differ in appearance. One thing I really liked about the manga is that the female characters were drawn very well, even provocative and sexy, at times.
The characters. Ok the characters kind of made this manga. While the doctor heads all around the countryside helping people you, as the reader, meet numerous characters that have feeling, that carry emotions, that you can relate to real people and real mannerisms! This is a bonus. Without giving too much of the storyline away I would like to say that the doctor kind of adopts a child along the way and this is where you really start to feel the characters. I kept wondering 'what's going to happen to little *****' or 'how can they do that to children'. You really feel and relate to the characters, so in that way this manga is tops.
The enjoyment? Meh. For a lot of this manga I was honestly thinking 'why are people on myanimelist so in love with manga?' This manga was the first manga I’ve read off reviews from this site. All the other mangas I’ve read have been because of a friends review or a forum review. I trudged through this manga constantly hoping it would get better. So in that way the enjoyment was seriously lacking. It's really not an enjoyable manga to read, reading it seemed like a chore for a long time.
Overall if you have a long holiday break coming up and you want to read a generic storyline with a pokemon-like 'I’m going to aid people along the way’ feel to it, go nuts. This manga is for you, be warned though, there is an anti-climax at the end, you'll think to yourself more than once 'this main character needs to take a concrete pill harden the fuck up and kill the bastard' and you'll probably think at the end of it 'where did all the time go, I’ve gained nothing from this'.

To the folks that monitor the reviews I apologise in advance if this contains too much spoiler info and for mentioning the other reviews but in my defence the other reviews were my reason for reading it and in the context of my review I felt they needed to be mentioned

Monster - the Midwit Masterpiece

There are few mangas/animes that I regret reading/watching, but Monster is definitely one of them. It is an absolute bore with zero payoff, an incredibly unsatisfying ending that renders a majority of the plot meaningless, as well as unrealistic and uninteresting characters.

Ultimately it boils down to a mostly episodic series where the main character Tenma roams around Europe helping everyone in his path. There are a lot of sappy exchanges, but I really couldn't find myself caring about any of these random people. The evil characters are over-the-top and sinister, something I noticed right away, and that never stops. Since the ... show tries to portray itself as a serious drama this is a major problem.

All the while the author scatters little overarching plot hints to keep you hooked and excited to learn more. By the end most of these things are left unexplained or in some cases contradicted. As I said earlier, it is incredibly unsatisfying.

I really feel that this series is a street cred series, one you say you enjoyed to show your good taste. But it ultimately fails to do what manga or anime should do, and that's entertain. It's a bore, a slog with no payoff.

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.

The Viz Signature collections features some of my most favorite mangas of all time, The Drifting Classroom, Uzumaki, and Black & White. However, there was always one story that just caught my attention right away after the Signature series started and that was Monster.

Story:

The story is completely different then any other series I have ever read and leaves me wondering what will happen next to our hero. After every volume, I feel I learned something new, but I'm still no closer to the mystery behind the villian.

Art:

This artist has some great skills. Every character and every location is amazingly detailed and drawn ... so well that any other manga after you seen this one doesn't compare at all. My only complaint is that almost all the female characters are ugly looking in my view.

Character:

Yes, this story provides a lot of good characters that you'll come to either love or hate. I like a lot of them and some of them I just plain wish they die. This story is also loaded with side characters that only appear in a very few chapters and then pop up farther in the future making you look through past volumes to remember who they were again. This isn't a problem for me, but I think a few people might find this annoying.

Enjoyment:

I often read through my manga volumes over and over again, but often very quickly. This series I take my time on. I read over it carefully and try to take in as much as I can because it is so good. Trust me, you'll still want to be reading this series over and over even after it is finished. Though a few chapters were kind of filler and boring that kind of takes the enjoyment away.

Overall, this is a great series with a few minor flaws in my view, but not enough to stop me from buying the next volume. This is a must grab have for any manga fan. Also, this series contains realistic and graphic violence along with brief nudity and some adult situations, so if this kind of stuff bugs you, you might want to skip this series.

Monster fails in most of its attempts to be interesting.
The story is completely predictable. Up to the point where i dropped it, there was not a single plot point which i did not guess. I could probably accurately guess which chapter a character will die in.
Many people call this a suspense and i think it does this very very poorly for several reasons.
First, the characters are not interesting and i do not care about any of them. They are one note and flat. For a story which is about the darkness within people and how everyone can have a monster inside of them for every ... character to be " i was bad but now im kind of good" or "im good and just framed" is incredibly dull. The characters have no individual identity and many characters exist only to make expository statements about other characters behaviors/
And thats the biggest problem with the writing. The author is incapable of conveying a feeling without TELLING you what youre supposed to be feeling. This is a common dialogue exchange which occurs once every 2 chapters.
"He simply is... <character trait>"
"How do you know?"
"I can see it in his eyes"
"heh, whatever, i dont believe you"
Congrats thats the crux of every arc.
The thing that annoys me the most of this trait is specifically the way they use it for suspense, hence its mention in the section of the review. When it comes to the murders or interactions with killers they always write "It just looks like a monster did it." Me, as a person looking at it with eyes with knowledge of the context, would never get that feeling without being told thats how im supposed to feel.
The characters deaths are also largely inconsequential. Characters are introduced to either die or move the plot. None of them teach the protagonist anything, or reflect any lesson that the first few arcs didnt. They are there to die and say "theres a darkness... theres a monster." Thats it.
At the end of everything the tl;dr is that I dont care. the manga couldnt make me care. Things just happen. Its all just an uninteresting plot. You could take out the characters and dialogue and jsut tell me what happens and the manga would be better for the fact that it wastes less of my time.

I found Monster when I scrolled through the Top Manga List on MAL in early 2020 and noticed it because of it's high placement, high score and simple name. Without thinking I put it in my "plan to read" list, because it obviously had to be good. Fast forward two and a half years and I still haven't started reading it. Simply because I forgot about it. Then around a month ago a few Monster related videos started to appear on my TikTok for you page. Most of them were simple top ten lists of peoples favorite anime, manga and characters. I noticed that Johan ... Liebert was the favorite antagonist of many people in the anime and manga genre. After a little digging on TikTok I found a few edits that highlight how great of an antagonist Johan Liebert supposedly is. So, I decided to finally read Monster and was really looking forward to it.

People say it has a slow start so I knew I just had to keep reading. I thought this "slow start" would only affect the first two volumes. But I was wrong. After reading volume three and four I thought:" Wow, this Manga is really taking it's time. But I guess it's just setting up the really good part of the story so once it's here it can pop off. It sure isn't so critically acclaimed for nothing." So, I kept reading and reading. One volume after the other. After volume 10 (86 chapter) I had enough. I read more than half of Monster and I still didn't like it. It was alright, but nothing more than that. I was so disappointed. The Manga I had such high expectations for turned out to be boring.

Johan Liebert, the main antagonist, the charachter some people call the best antagonist in all of anime and manga, barley has any screen time. I thought he would be someone like Light Yagami or Lelouch Vi Britannia. A smart, cunning and charming villain. But he's not. He's a psychopath and serial killer who wants to see humanity go extinct for no apparent reason. The reader is told that he's an highly intelligent and charming invidual, who can pull things off most people could not even imagine to do. But the reader never sees him to any of these great acts. In fact, we don't even know how he does them. We only hear about them by side characters who are only there to tell the reader how insane Johan is. The great thing about Death Note is that we know how Light Yagami pulled everything of he did. Imagine instead of seeing that, some side character told you what he did and how insane he is, without even explaining how he did it, he just did it. That's how I felt while following the character of Johan Liebert.

Dr. Tenma, the Protagonist is a likabale character, but nothing special. He's your average good guy character who couldn't kill someone even if he tried because he hesitates to much. Even though he's the protagonist, we often don't see him. There are so many chapters where he doesn't make any appearances. Every volume has new characters we follow for a while and learn more about. Until their story arcs ends and they get tossed aside. That's nothing special for many stories, but Monster goes from on character to another in a short amount of time and most of them are so forgetable. Especially when the protagonist only interacts with them for a little bit.

The story of Monster is basically Dr. Tenma trying to catch Johan in order to stop him from killing more people. While he tries to do that he meets new people and helps them in various ways. Sometimes he spents an entire volume with them and sometimes only a chapter or two. Imagine in One Piece, after Luffy meets the members of his crew one by one and helps them, he just goes away and we never sees them again. That's how it kinda feels to read Mosnter. You meet so many people, but how many of these characters are really memeorable and impact the story? Not many in my opinion.

In conclusion, I think Monster is alright. It's a somewhat interesting read if you don't mind the slow pacing, not seeing the protagonist and antagonist for a long time and are not bothered by not learning how the genius antagonist pulls off the things he does. I personally think Monster is insanely overrated and I can't understand how it even got this popular.

It kind of offends me that this manga is so praised.
If you are considering taking this up let me tell you one very important thing. It's a spoiler for sure, but it's a fair one because without knowing this you can end up accusing the manga of false advertising:
you will not learn here how a monster is created

As I am sure you know, the story is about a surgeon on a road trip looking for a kid he saved on the operating table, a kid that turns out is pure evil, a monster, something like a murdering psychopath/genius tactician/politician/businessman and also, oh man was this ... silly, a master of disguise. The surgeon will follow the kid's trail through the years, learning what he's been up to both before and after that fateful surgery.
To me, with a total of 162 chapters, this was about 100 chapters of hate reading. Do not think for a second that any part of me thought this was a good manga just because I read all of it. This was like watching the American TV show Heroes, a show famous for declining in quality season by season until I was honestly relieved it got cancelled.
It's the "I'm sure it'll get better" effect, and Monster truly doesn't. You meet one or two nice characters here and there (right now I only remember one but I am sure there were others) but there is just no payoff.
Apparently with this author, you'll probably like one of his works and feel some form of disdain towards the other, the two works being Monster and 20th Century Boys. I am indeed a 20th Century Boys guy. Full of flaws for sure, and kind of annoying patterns and tons of evidence that he did not plan to write that one for so long, but at least there is payoff, good payoff, and something that ties it all together and leaves you feeling something.
Monster is likely to leave you empty, but then of course people here give it 9s and 10s, so maybe I am just not smart enough to understand the nuances of this masterful piece of work...

Let me start off by saying, that this is my favorite manga of all time. I know I give it a perfect score, and there are many reasons for this. Lets start with the story.

This manga takes place in Germany and follows the main character, Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant brain surgeon. His fiance' is the director of the hospital's daughter. Tenma is torn between following orders from his boss and doing what he thinks is right. Basically he is told to opperate on the mayor of the town, but because a little boy came in first, he decides to ... go against orders and save the young boy's life. The mayor dies, and he gets demoted, but is finally feeling good about his life, until he realizes he just made the biggest mistake of his life.

The story and art is done by Naoki Urasawa, who has won numerous awards for his manga. Which are much deserved.

I enjoyed every minute of this manga series.
Monster is a thrill ride the whole way. I couldn't stop reading this series, there was never a dull moment.

The characters are all very realistic and have their own unique personalities. There wasn't one character that annoyed me or that I disliked. I cared about what happened to every single one of them.

Dr. Tenma is my favorite character. You can really feel the emotional struggle this character feels. I really feel for him and wish I could help him in his struggle. I look up to him for his bravery, itelligence, and morals. He's one of those characters that makes you realize what it means to be human.

The art in this series is unlike any I've ever seen. It's a very unique art style. To me, it's got more of a realistic look to it than most manga. I can instantly identify Naoki's artwork. Much like a lot of people can recognize Akira Toriyama's art.

These are all the reasons why Monster gets a perfect score from me. I hope you enjoyed my first review and more importantly, pick up Monster. You will not be disappointed.

It is hard to review a manga like Monster, it's reputation proceeds it to the point it's hard to offer any substantial and unique criticism. It's the kind of reputation that causes people to either praise it for living up to its expectation or label it as overrated if it falls short. Despite it's reputation and popularity I will avoiding going into spoilers but I won't waste your time explaining the premise or giving you any background about the story because you most likely have already read enough to know whether you're interesting in it or maybe you have already finished. You might have just ... clicked on this review because you're interested in my score, it's rather low compared to many others. I can assure you that I'm not writing this to be bitter or a contrarian, I just think Monster has a massive issue that ruins the entire story, at least it ruins it's reading experience. I will keep my review as general as possible.

Monster's fundamental issue is the questions it raises are much more interesting than the actual story. Many will tell you about the philosophical aspects and they are right, the philosophical dilemmas that are presented are interesting but they are not presented in an interesting way. This is all to say Monster is boring, it is 162 chapters but the themes and morale of the story can be explained and explored in half an hour. While these themes are interesting and can be and will be discussed for generations, Monster doesn't explore these themes in a particular interesting or nuanced way. It isn't until the very end of the series that it properly delivers it's themes but by then it felt like too little too late.

The main reasons Monster doesn't live up to these themes are actually pretty simple. So simple in fact that I'll just list them:

1. The characters are basic. While they do represent interesting ideologies they are fairly shallow in terms of characterization. This gives us an uninspired Christ-like protagonist and a completely unbelievable protagonist. The characters feel very heavy handed as there's very little ambiguity to most of them.

2. Dialogue is very heavy handed and melodramatic. If you're anything like me, when you hear a story is meant to be very mature you assume that it will have a degree of subtly. This isn't the case for Monster, you are always told what characters are feeling and in turn always told by the author how to feel. Despite this there are moments where there is some interpretation left to the reader, particularly the ending which while great, doesn't make up for all that comes before it.

3. The plot is predictable and can border on absurd. As I mentioned with the dialogue, this isn't a subtle story and is often very predictable because of it. This means that the story loses a lot of suspense the more I correctly predicted a twist or revelation. When I was proven wrong it was usually due to the story breaching my suspension of disbelief.

4. The story attempts to be grounded in reality but ultimately fails due to the points I've listed above. A lot of this story's issues would be alleviated if it didn't take itself so seriously and attempt to be a serious thriller. It borders on becoming pretentious as it just doesn't have the writing to support the tone it's going for. It's the biggest factor in what makes the entire manga feel boring as the characters, dialogue and plot directly undermined its tone.

Despite all my criticism I still think there's positives. The art is well done and I do appreciate that the story is trying to say more than what most manga attempt. That has to count for something, thousands of manga have been published only for mass appeal or are so unambitious that they are distinguishable for the rest. Monster's themes and slow pace do stand out and there's a reason so many are drawn to it but I'd be lying if I said that reading the whole manga was worth it. The literal story ultimately detracts from its themes. It's a manga that's more interesting to talk about than to read, I'd actually recommend people to read the first two or 3 volumes and then just look up people explaining the ending on YouTube. That way you actually get to the core philosophy without having to slog through the entire manga. In fact it felt like my reward for reading the manga was to experience it's ending and then watch a video called "Explaining The Ending" on YouTube. I didn't need to have the ending explained to me, it was just satisfying to hear the story broken down in a concise way that properly explained the manga's themes and I feel it ultimately relayed those themes better than the manga itself.

Overall I don't regret reading Monster but I did find it disappointing. I enjoyed the ending as it lets the reader come to their own conclusions, this is in direct opposition to the rest of the series. I think it's very telling that I enjoyed reading and watching reviews of Monster more than actually reading it myself. I feel a bit jealous that I didn't enjoy this as much as others and it's a shame to call Monster mediocre but I can't change how I feel.

5/10

Thank you very much for reading this. It's likely no one will but if you are reading this I really appreciate you reading all I had to say, even if you disagree or think less of me for it. I hope you found this review insightful or interesting.

Finally read Monster after countless years, and it's an amazingly good manga,free from most traps that make especially seinen manga a dreadful cornucopia of blandness, and managing to claw its way to classic status.

Story : 9/10
Easily Monster's strong suit, the storyline is extremely, be it plot , dialogue, and even the translated text holds some literary value in parts. Naoki Urasawa here, as he does with Pluto later, sets his story mostly in Germany , something unusual for a manga but I reckon even more close to the affections and experiences of most Western readers. He masterfully weaves long, seemingly totally disconnected threads ... , of different characters in different cities , countries, and decades, and then proceeds to masterfully weave them into an ever more closely knit patchwork of vastly different expressions of the human condition. Maybe the best part of the story is the multitude of well thought-out characters with all sort of different motives , backgrounds and modus operandi starting to arrive to the same place through totally different leads, although this starts to wear itself thin by the last 4 volumes . As for the characters , surely some of them exhibit different tropes and stereotypes, but they're for the most part some of the most multi-faceted I've come across in this medium. Another element that sees strong use here is the non-linearity ,both in storytelling and character presentation, done in such a matter that different tidbits of action or reflection from mostly unaware characters , and flashbacks and retellings of the same encounters or memories from many different angles , serve to masterfully reduce and delineate a seemingly chaotic plot into a lucid raconte.


Art : 8/10
The art plays second fiddle in this work, and while it is certainly way above average, its most striking characteristic is how accurately it manages to portray a different setting from what we're used to in manga, the very realistic and grotesque in their humanity characters, and the alteration of light and shadow that fits the story's frantic bursts of action and long reflections and searches, as well as the overall work's gritty feel.

Character : 9/10
The main characters make a very interesting cast , with the extremely smart do-gooder who presses ahead regardless of difficutlies, and the twins , given an extra tinge of ambiguity by their frequent change of roles, the different approaches they chose to follow after being exposed to a traumatic experience, and the way their past is uncovered to each of them through themselves or others help give the story its edge. The supporting cast is very well chosen from across a spectrum of society , given varying roles, and seeing the various things inside man that can turn everyman into a monster.


Overall , this is the best slice of life shoujo manga I've ever read. Be it desensetized violence, edgy and improbable plot twists, a misunderstood and enigmatic prodigy, brutally cruel or heart-rendingly humane , played out in different portions and themes across the cast, dark pseudo-slavic, communist exploitation , and truly insane bishies, this manga is a perfect match for the teen getting bored with the industrial scale repetition of standardized tropes. Nah, just kidding, it's awesome, one of the best I've read in a long time.

REALLY fascinating manga.

Basically about the genius neurosurgeon Tenma who choose duty over hospital politics and decides to save a young child shot in the head over the famous celebrity. Tenma loses his job because of this and worse... the boy he saves grows up to be a crazed serial killer! WHAT.

Lots of twists and turns and increeeedibly addictive. Read all of it in about 2 days. Ending leaves a lot to interpretation, which was a nice touch for a manga that was so morally ambiguous throughout. Writing is very tight; sometimes some threads of the story seem ... unconnected and you forget about them until they come together so perfectly and you find yourself going back to reread stuff. Masterful.

One of the things I kept thinking about while reading was: Monsters are strong and they'll kill and kill, but a monster cannot kill a monster. Only a human can kill a monster. So the human cannot lose himself to his emotions and descend into his beastly/monstrous side if he wants to right the situation. It was fascinating watching Tenma struggle with this; he's such an awesome character.

Intense, psychological, deep-thinking manga.

✳️ This review will be written in both English and Portuguese (PT-BR) - Essa crítica será escrita em inglês e português (PT-BR)✳️
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🔶"The monster in 'Monster' isn't as monstrous as it seems"

My experience with Monster was quite interesting, to say the least. Initially, I must confess that the size of the manga made me a bit lazy to start reading the work, which delayed me from picking up the manga and reading it from cover to cover. However, after overcoming this barrier, I was immersed in a story rich in philosophical reflections on life, morality, and human nature. But despite everything, the monster in "Monster" wasn't ... as monstrous in the end.

🔶The Value of Life

The manga begins with the introduction of the main character, Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a young and talented neurosurgeon who works at a hospital in Düsseldorf, Germany. Tenma is faced with a difficult choice when two patients need emergency surgery: the city mayor and a boy named Johan. He chooses to save the boy's life, ignoring his superior's orders and the hospital hierarchy. However, this decision ends up changing his life forever.

Personally, I consider Monster a classic of the industry, not only because of its impact within the market, but also because of all the social and philosophical weight that this work carries with it. And why is Monster so special? Well, I believe that this work goes far beyond what is expected of a manga. Not that one necessarily expects a shallow plot in a manga, but it is undeniable that there is a lot of garbage within this market, as in any other. Monster is not just the story of a doctor who decides to save a boy's life and ends up getting involved in a dark plot of conspiracies, murderers, and the search for a "monster". It is also a story about human complexity, the nature of justice, and the consequences and impacts of our own actions on the world.

The philosophical merit of Monster becomes clear from the beginning of the plot, with a question as nuanced as "What is the value of life?". This is the dilemma that Tenma finds himself confronted with early in the story, when he is forced to prioritize the life of one person over another. This conflict goes against his personal and even professional convictions, as a doctor whose priority is always to save the life of whoever arrived first. In such cases, it is common for people to prioritize saving the lives they consider more valuable or important, such as children, the elderly, community leaders, or people with valuable skills to society. But who has the right to decide who is more important and who deserves to live? This is the question that the work proposes to its readers (or at least it should propose).

For Tenma, the value of life is intrinsically linked to his oath as a doctor, which obliges him to protect life at any cost. Making any kind of analysis regarding Tenma's character is difficult because he is a highly idealized character, almost like a Jesus Christ. However, this does not diminish the impact of the work in exploring the complexity of human nature, especially in relation to the question of the value of life.

This view of the value of life is presented in contrast to Johan Liebert's perspective, which represents the opposite extreme. For Johan, the value of life is insignificant and he acts completely amorphously, without any sense of morality or empathy. The origin of this emptiness is a much-debated theme in the plot. Was he born this way or did he become this way due to the circumstances surrounding him? And is that what really matters? These are some of the reflections that the work proposes, making it a classic of the industry not only for its intriguing narrative, but also for the philosophical depth it presents.

The philosophical reflection on who deserves to live or die is a complex and delicate issue. After all, who are we to judge the value of another person's life? Some may have thought they had the answer to this question, but I don't think that ended very well, did it? Most cultures believe that all lives are equal and that each individual has the fundamental right to live. However, there are circumstances in which people need to make difficult choices, such as in situations of war, natural disasters, or when there is a scarcity of resources. All this subtext reminds me of the classic trolley dilemma: Would you divert the train from its track so that instead of killing a group of 5 people, only 1 would die? And what if that one person was a relative of yours? Clearly, it's not a question that has a correct answer, and that's precisely why this theme is an eternal "hot potato". Various authors can debate it for years on end, and no one will actually find an answer, as it is a very individual decision, which in my view makes the character of Tenma simplistic, and even a bit boring.

For Tenma, the value of life is defined by the legacy of his profession. He thinks that life is the most precious good and must be protected at any cost, as if he were following the Hippocratic Oath to the letter, you know? Due to his indiscriminate dedication to any patient, whether they are a good guy or a bastard, rich or poor, without questioning the real meaning of that value he so clings to.

But the real debate that the manga wants to bring to light is when it puts Tenma's worldview in direct confrontation with Johan's convictions (or lack thereof?). The dichotomy between Tenma and Johan is, in a very superficial way, the clash between good and evil (I really hope you, as a reader, haven't reduced this broad debate to just that). The fundamental difference between these two characters is how they view human life. This theme goes beyond the scope of fictional narrative, making it a reflection on human condition itself and the ethical tensions that exist worldwide and accompany us almost daily in our lives. The fact that Tenma is forced to choose between saving one life or another already indicates that ethics is not something that can be determined in advance, but rather something that emerges in encounter with concrete reality, which again, only reinforces my point that Tenma, like Johan, are somewhat shallow characters. And since I've been mentioning this for some time, let's finally talk about the dreaded characters of Monster.


🔶The Unidimensionality of an Unconvincing Character

The construction and development of characters are fundamental aspects in the narrative of any work, whether literary, cinematographic, or in other forms of media. The success of a character lies not only in their appearance or the active actions they commit throughout the story, but also in their construction, motivations, sense of empathy, and especially in the narrative development throughout the plot. When it comes to Tenma, it is possible to perceive a series of flaws in his construction that make him an objectively poorly developed character.

His motivation is simple: he wants to redeem himself for the mistake he made in saving Johan. However, this mistake is not as well established as it should be, leaving the reader without understanding the true weight it had on the character's life. It is superficially clear that it left him shaken in a way, especially because he feels responsible for saving that man who is committing various crimes, but do you realize that this makes no sense with the persona presented so far? Tenma has always been portrayed as an altruistic man, who saves lives, regardless of whose life it is, and because of actions taken by this saved life, he simply thinks he has the right to take it now? I understand that there are his motivations for being a fugitive, wanting to prove his innocence, however, still, his uncontrollable urge to kill Johan, simply because he feels responsible for his "rebirth" doesn't fit with his ideals of "Everyone has the right to life." So does that mean that suddenly his speech became "Everyone has the right to life! But not that one over there" He is bad, sooo bad!", damn, come on. If his goal were to bring Johan to justice, it would be easily understandable, and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Tenma needs to be a one-dimensional character, and go to the grave with his opinions and values, they can and should change throughout his life, but this construction of change did not occur naturally, so it didn't convince me.

In the end, I know this is not a popular opinion, but it's what I observed throughout my reading, and of course, it's not any absolute truth (just like nothing in life).


🔶The Importance of Geography in Monster

One of the main political aspects that the manga addresses is the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union. The fall of ]the Berlin Wall is one of the most significant events of the late 20th century, and the way the manga approaches this event is quite interesting, to say the least. Here we see the evolution of post-wall Germany, with the growth of the economy and the emergence of new work and business opportunities. But (there's always a "but"), the manga also portrays the problems faced by German society, such as xenophobia and discrimination against immigrants and refugees (just like today, there is great discrimination against immigrants in France, for example). The manga talks a bit about the conflict between the two Germanys, which became clear after reunification in 1990. At the time the story takes place, Germany was still divided, and tensions between the two parts were quite high. The manga shows the impact that this division had on German society, especially regarding immigrants and refugees.

Immigration was (and still is) a controversial issue, especially in Germany during the 1980s and 1990s. With the growth of the German economy, the country needed labor for various sectors (which reminds me a lot of present-day Japan). This led to the arrival of many immigrants, mainly Turks. Urasawa shows how German society dealt with this wave of immigration, portraying both intolerance and xenophobia, as well as immigrants' struggle for their rights and integration into German society. I don't know to what extent this portrayal was not somewhat exaggerated. Not that I am a great connoisseur of this historical moment, but the fact is that neither I nor Urasawa lived in Germany at the time of the fall of the wall, so any opinion I give, and that Monster presents, are mere opinions based on what we have read from those who actually studied or experienced this event... but who needs historical accuracy when you can have an old orphanage conducting psychological experiments on children to build an "ideal citizen"? I'm talking about the 511 Kinderheim, an orphanage that conducted various experiments on children to create a "perfect man". And this idea is not so absurd after all; there are indeed real cases of "re-education" in children and young people to fit what society expects of its "citizens". And don't think that this is so far from our reality, or have you not noticed that the Brazilian education system was also built with the intention of creating good workers? I won't delve so deep into this subject, go study on your own!

The manga also presents some pretty cool social and political nuances. From the aforementioned Turkish immigration to the Cold War and refugees escaping their home countries to live in peace. The conflict between the neo-Nazi organization and the Turkish immigrant community is a clear example of the tensions that still existed in German society.

Anyway, it's impressive how a suspense and horror manga can be so immersive and at the same time teach us something about the history and geography of a country. Even with its absurd ideas and dark themes, Monster is a worthwhile read for those who want to learn a little more about German history (even if the data there is not the most reliable on earth).


🔶The Monster in "Monster" Isn't That Monstrous After All

This work is considered by many to be a masterpiece of the psychological suspense and horror genre. And undoubtedly, one of the great strengths of the work is its villain, Johan. However, I argue that, despite all the fame, Johan is not as well-written as many claim.

My problem with Johan is that he is almost always portrayed as an almost divine figure, with abilities and knowledge beyond human possibility, you know? This can be interesting in certain types of scripts, but here it ends up distancing the character from the reality of the story, making him less impactful and less interesting than he could be. This aspect, of him always being portrayed as a supernatural being, with intelligence and abilities that seem almost magical, and how he is able to manipulate people with extreme ease, even when they know they are being manipulated, or how he can predict and control the movements of other people, sort of like a master of a human chess game, simply pulls me away from the work because it ends up quite out of tune with what is presented in the manga. The author makes it clear that that story is set in the real world, obeying the rules we know in our reality, but there is a forced aspect to Johan's actions. Like how he manages to manipulate Roberto to the point where the guy gives up his own life and becomes a mass murderer without very well-established motives or objectives, you know? Did cases like this exist in reality? Of course they did, there were sects that did things as bad as that, but here it is not explained how this process happened, you know? How does Johan manipulate people in such a way? Does he use people's political passions for this, like a certain mustached man did in the past? I don't know because the manga doesn't show us!

There is a saying that goes "show, don't tell," and I think this manga has a lot of this problem, it talks a lot, but shows little. I don't want to know how cruel and manipulative Johan is coming from other characters' mouths; I want to see that, I want to "feel" his persuasion process, but that's not what I saw, so I'm not convinced (sorry, had to rhyme). Although this ability is impressive at first glance, it ends up harming Johan's character. He doesn't seem like a realistic character but rather an artificial construction created to be a kind of archetypal villain, an archetype that has been widely used in the history of cinema, literature, and even manga, and that may be interesting in some contexts, but here it seems artificial and forced.

A realistic character is one who has a clear and understandable motivation, who acts according to that motivation, and who has a consistent character arc, but the problem with Johan is that his motivation is often obscure and poorly explained. Although we know he is a sociopath, the depth and complexity of his motivations are never fully explored. We could say that his motivation was to "completely erase his existence from the face of the earth," not only by committing suicide but also by taking everyone who remembers him along, thus sort of definitively erasing his existence, without memories, without a physical body, nothing. But between us, what a shitty motivation, no more.


🔶Urasawa is a Sacred Monster

Monster is one of the pinnacles of sequential art, showcasing impressive technical skill in all visual aspects. Its style is rich in detail, with clear and precise lines, and it employs a lot of light and shadow contrast, which enhances the depth of the characters and scenes. The textures used for materials also bring a strong sense of "groundedness," something easily relatable to reality, so to speak. His use of shadows is also commendable, always well-applied, bringing weight to the scenes when necessary, especially in the final panels of this manga, it's truly eye-catching.

Regarding character design, the work presents a wide variety of characters that are easily distinguishable from each other. I find it remarkable the ability to convey important information about the characters through their appearance, something that few manga manage to do well, by the way. Let's take Tenma as an example; he is depicted as a tall, slender man with black hair, common characteristics of a classic manga protagonist. However, his somewhat hunched posture and introspective gaze create a sense of emotional weight that is rarer in this type of character, making him more complex and realistic.

Another interesting point to mention is the ability to construct good scenarios here; the balance between the amount of detail and simplicity in presentation is the key to success. Here, Urasawa manages to create environments with richness of detail without making them excessively complex or confusing because, whether we like it or not, creating a scenery loaded with information is relatively easy (yes, I'm talking about you, Asano), but finding the right balance between creating "layers" for each element in the frame, and the perspective and framing to convey the sensation of depth and space, that's for a few! And Urasawa uses these techniques, such as overlapping objects, depth planes, and varying camera angles to create a sense of expansiveness in the scenarios. And most importantly, knowing how to create a contrast between the characters and the scenery, this is something that few do well, and here we have a great example of how much this contributes to our immersion in a work.

Anyway, I could spend hours talking about the technical quality of this manga, but that would be stating the obvious... Urasawa is a sacred monster!


🔶Yes, Monster is very good, a timeless classic

Despite its shortcomings, there's no denying that this manga is a "modern classic," and I know, what the hell defines whether a work is a classic or not? Well, for me, impact, longevity, and objective qualities are characteristics that build a classic, and Monster has it all! An impact on the industry, and not just that, but also on comic culture. Longevity, a timeless work that ages like fine wine, where with each reading, it's possible to grasp new messages and interpretations... It's no wonder that here I am, years after its publication, discussing Monster. Objective qualities, such as the construction of a good, well-structured plot, with good pacing, engaging characters, despite their missteps, well... All of this together, and a special touch of "Urasawa," make this manga one of the greats in the manga industry.

𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚𓐚
🇧🇷

🔶O monstro em "Monster" não é tão monstruoso assim

A Minha experiência com Monster foi no mínimo interessante. Inicialmente, confesso que o tamanho do mangá me deu um pouco de preguiça de começar a ler a obra, o que me fez demorar a pegar o mangá e ler de cabo a rabo. Entretanto, após vencer essa barreira, fui imerso em uma história rica em reflexões filosóficas sobre a vida, a moralidade e a natureza humana. Mas, apesar de tudo, o monstro em “Monster”, no final não era tão monstruoso assim.


🔶O Valor da Vida

O mangá começa com a apresentação do personagem principal, o Dr. Kenzo Tenma, um jovem e talentoso neurocirurgião que trabalha em um hospital em Düsseldorf, na Alemanha. Tenma é confrontado com uma escolha difícil quando dois pacientes precisam de uma cirurgia de emergência: o prefeito da cidade e um menino chamado Johan. Ele escolhe salvar a vida do menino, ignorando as ordens do seu superior e a hierarquia do hospital. No entanto, essa decisão acaba mudando sua vida para sempre.

Eu, particularmente, considero Monster um clássico da indústria, não só devido ao seu impacto dentro desse mercado, mas também por todo o peso social e filosófico que essa obra carrega consigo. E por que Monster é tão especial? Bem, eu acredito que essa obra vai muito além do que se espera de um mangá. Não que se espere necessariamente um enredo raso em um mangá, mas é inegável que existe muito lixo dentro desse mercado, assim como em qualquer outro. Monster não se resume apenas à história de um médico que decide salvar a vida de um garoto e acaba se envolvendo em uma trama obscura de conspirações, assassinos e busca por um "monstro". É também uma história sobre a complexidade humana, a natureza da justiça e as consequências e impactos das nossas próprias ações no mundo.

O mérito filosófico de Monster fica claro desde o começo da trama, com uma pergunta tão cheia de nuances quanto "Qual é o valor da vida?". Esse é o dilema que Tenma se vê confrontado logo no início da história, quando é forçado a priorizar a vida de uma pessoa em detrimento de outra. Esse conflito vai de encontro às suas convicções pessoais e até profissionais, como médico, cuja prioridade é sempre salvar a vida de quem chegou primeiro. Nesses casos, é comum que as pessoas priorizem salvar as vidas que consideram mais valiosas ou importantes, como as de crianças, idosos, líderes comunitários ou pessoas com habilidades valiosas para a sociedade. Mas quem tem o direito de decidir quem é mais importante e quem merece viver? Essa é a pergunta que a obra propõe aos seus leitores (ao menos deveria propor).


Para Tenma, o valor da vida está intrinsecamente ligado ao seu juramento como médico, que o obriga a proteger a vida a qualquer custo. Fazer qualquer tipo de análise referente ao personagem de Tenma é difícil, pois ele é um personagem altamente idealizado, quase como um Jesus Cristo. No entanto, isso não diminui o impacto da obra em explorar a complexidade da natureza humana, especialmente em relação à questão do valor da vida.

Essa visão do valor da vida é apresentada em contraste com a perspectiva de Johan Liebert, que representa o extremo oposto. Para Johan, o valor da vida é insignificante e ele age de forma completamente amorfa, sem qualquer senso de moralidade ou empatia. A origem desse vazio é um tema muito debatido na trama. Será que ele nasceu assim ou se tornou assim devido às circunstâncias que o cercaram? E será isso que de fato importa? Essas são algumas das reflexões que a obra propõe, tornando-a um clássico da indústria não apenas pela sua narrativa intrigante, mas também pela profundidade filosófica que apresenta.

A reflexão filosófica sobre quem merece viver ou morrer é uma questão complexa e delicada. Afinal, quem somos nós para julgar o valor da vida de outra pessoa? Há quem já achou que tinha a resposta para essa pergunta, mas acho que isso não acabou muito bem, não é mesmo? A maioria das culturas acredita que todas as vidas são iguais e que cada indivíduo tem o direito fundamental de viver. No entanto, existem circunstâncias em que as pessoas precisam fazer escolhas difíceis, como em situações de guerra, desastres naturais ou quando há uma escassez de recursos. Todo esse subtexto me faz lembrar do clássico dilema do trilho do trem: Você desviaria o trem de seu trilho, para ao invés de matar um grupo de 5 pessoas, matasse apenas 1? E se essa única pessoa fosse um parente seu? Claramente não é uma questão que tenha uma resposta correta, e é justamente por isso que esse tema é um “pano para manga” eterno. Diversos autores podem debater acerca dele durante anos a fio, e ninguém de fato encontrará uma resposta, pois isso é uma decisão muito individual, o que a meu ver torna o personagem do Tenma simplista, e até mesmo meio chato.

Para Tenma, o valor da vida é definido pelo legado de sua profissão. Ele pensa que a vida é o bem mais precioso e deve ser protegido a qualquer custo, como se estivesse seguindo o Juramento de Hipócrates a ferro e fogo, sabe? Por sua dedicação indiscriminada a qualquer paciente, seja ele um cara bom ou um desgraçado, rico ou pobre, sem questionar sobre o real significado daquele valor que ele tanto se apega.

Mas o verdadeiro debate que o mangá quer trazer à tona é quando ele coloca essa visão de mundo do Tenma em confronto direto com as convicções (ou falta delas?) de Johan. A dicotomia entre Tenma e Johan é, de forma muito superficial, o embate entre o bem e o mal (eu realmente espero que você, como leitor, não tenha resumido esse amplo debate a somente isso). A diferença fundamental entre esses dois personagens é a forma como veem a vida humana. Esse tema extrapola o âmbito da narrativa ficcional, fazendo dele uma reflexão sobre a própria condição humana e as tensões éticas que existem mundo a fora e que nos acompanham quase que diariamente em nossas vidas. Fato é que a relação entre esses dois personagens não se dá apenas na esfera do bem e do mal, mas sim na complexidade que envolve a vida e a morte, a ética e a moral, a culpa e a inocência. Ao colocar em cena esses dois personagens, o Urasawa nos mostra uma reflexão profunda sobre as tensões éticas que perpassam nossa vida cotidiana. De um lado, temos a visão humanista, que defende a vida como um valor supremo e que se baseia em princípios universais de justiça. Do outro lado, temos a visão individualista, que coloca o indivíduo acima de tudo e que não se preocupa com as consequências de suas ações sobre os outros.

Esse mangá nos passa a ideia de que a ética não é algo absoluto, mas sim algo que se constrói no diálogo e na negociação entre diferentes pontos de vista. O fato de Tenma se ver obrigado a escolher entre salvar uma vida ou outra já indica que a ética não é algo que possa ser determinado de antemão, mas sim algo que emerge no encontro com a realidade concreta, o que novamente, só reforça o meu ponto de que Tenma, assim com Johan, são personagens um tanto quanto rasos. E já que estou citando isso há algum tempo, vamos enfim falar sobre os temidos personagens de Monster.



🔶A unidimensionalidade de um personagem inconvincente

A construção e desenvolvimento de personagens é um aspecto fundamental na narrativa de qualquer obra, seja ela literária, cinematográfica ou em outras formas de mídia. O sucesso de um personagem não está somente em sua aparência ou nas ações ativas que comete ao longo da história, mas sim em sua construção, motivações, senso de empatia e principalmente no desenvolvimento narrativo ao longo da trama. Quando se trata do Tenma, é possível perceber uma série de falhas em sua construção que o tornam um personagem objetivamente mal desenvolvido.

Sua motivação é simples: ele deseja redimir-se pelo erro que cometeu ao salvar Johan. Esse erro, no entanto, não é tão bem estabelecido como deveria ser, deixando o leitor sem entender o verdadeiro peso que ele teve na vida do personagem. Fica claro, de forma superficial, que aquilo deixou ele abalado de certa forma, até porque ele se sente responsável por ter salvado aquele homem que está cometendo diversos crimes, mas percebe com isso não faz sentido com a persona apresenta até aqui? Tenma sempre foi apresentado como um homem altruísta, que salva vidas, independente de qual vida seja, e por conta de ações realizadas por essa vida salva, ele simplesmente acha que tem o direito de ceifá-la agora? Eu entendo que existem ali as motivações dele estar foragido, querendo provar sua inocência, porém ainda assim, o ímpeto incontrolável dele de matar Johan, simplesmente porque ele se sente o responsável pelo “renascimento” do mesmo não encaixa com seus ideais de “Todos tem direito a vida”. Quer dizer então que de repente o discurso dele se tornou “Todos tem direito a vida! Mas aquele ali não” Ele é mal, maaaal!”, porra, não fode. Se o objetivo dele fosse levar o Johan a justiça, seria facilmente entendível, e não me entenda errado, não estou dizendo que o Tenma precisa ser um personagem unidimensional, e vai até o túmulo com suas opiniões e valores, eles podem e devem mudar ao longo de sua vida, mas essa construção da mudança não ocorreu de maneira natural, logo, não me convenceu.

No fim, sei que essa não é uma opinião popular, mas foi o que eu observei ao longo da minha leitura, e claro, não é nenhuma verdade absoluta (assim como nada na vida).


🔶A importância da geografia em Monster

Um dos principais aspectos políticos que o mangá aborda é a queda do muro de Berlim e o fim da União Soviética. A queda do muro de Berlim é um dos eventos mais grandiosos do final do século XX, e a forma como o mangá aborda esse acontecimento é bem interessante, no mínimo. Aqui vemos a evolução da Alemanha pós queda do muro, com o crescimento da economia e o surgimento de novas oportunidades de trabalho e negócios. Mas (sempre tem uma “mas”), também são retratados os problemas enfrentados pela sociedade alemã, como a xenofobia e a discriminação contra imigrantes e refugiados (assim como hoje, existe uma grande discriminação com os imigrantes na França, por exemplo). O mangá fala um pouco sobre o conflito entre as duas Alemanhas, que ficou claro após a reunificação em 1990. Na época em que a história se passa, a Alemanha ainda estava dividida, e as tensões entre as duas partes eram bastante elevadas. O mangá mostra o impacto que essa divisão teve sobre a sociedade alemã, especialmente em relação aos imigrantes e refugiados.

A imigração foi (e ainda é) um assunto polêmico, e na Alemanha durante os anos 80 e 90. Com o crescimento da economia alemã, o país precisou de mão de obra para trabalhar em diversos setores (o que me lembra bastante o Japão dos dias atuais). Isso levou à chegada de muitos imigrantes, principalmente turcos. Urasawa mostra como a sociedade alemã lidou com essa onda de imigração, retratando tanto a intolerância e a xenofobia quanto a luta dos imigrantes por seus direitos e sua integração na sociedade alemã. Eu não sei até que ponto essa retratação não foi um tanto quanto exagerada, até. Não que eu seja um grande conhecedor desse momento histórico, mas fato é que nem eu, nem o Urasawa viveu na Alemanha na época da queda do muro, então qualquer opinião que eu dê, e que o mangá de Monster apresenta, são meras opiniões embasadas no que lemos de quem de fato estudou ou vivenciou esse acontecimento..., mas, quem precisa de precisão histórica quando você pode ter um antigo orfanato que realiza experimentos psicológicos em crianças para construir um "cidadão ideal"? Falo do 511 Kinderheim, orfanato que fazia diversas experiências em crianças para criar um “Homem perfeito”. E essa ideia não é algo tão absurdo assim, existem sim casos reais de “reeducação” em crianças e jovens para se adequar a aquilo que a sociedade espera de seus “cidadãos”. E não ache que isso está tão longe da nossa realidade, ou você não notou que o sistema de educação brasileiro também foi construído com o intuito de criar bons operários? Não vou me aprofundar tanto assim nesse assunto, vá estudar por conta própria!

O mangá também apresenta nuances sociais e políticas bem fodas. Desde a imigração turca já citada, até a Guerra Fria e os refugiados que escapavam de seus países de origem para viverem em paz. O conflito entre a organização neonazista e a comunidade de imigrantes turcos é um exemplo claro das tensões que ainda existiam na sociedade alemã.

Enfim, é impressionante como um mangá de suspense e terror pode ser tão imersivo e ao mesmo tempo nos ensinar algo sobre a história e a geografia de um país. Mesmo com suas ideias absurdas e temas sombrios, Monster é uma leitura que vale a pena para quem quer aprender um pouco mais sobre a história alemã (mesmo que os dados ali não sejam os mais confiáveis da terra).


🔶O monstro em “Monster” não é tão monstruoso assim

Essa obra é considerada por muitos uma obra-prima do gênero suspense e terror psicológico. E, sem dúvida, um dos grandes trunfos da obra é o seu vilão, Johan. No entanto, eu defendo que, apesar de toda a fama, Johan não é tão bem escrito quanto muitos falam por aí.

O meu problema com o Johan é que ele quase sempre é retratado como uma figura quase divina, com habilidades e conhecimentos além do humanamente possível, sabe? Isso pode ser interessante em determinados tipos de roteiros, mas aqui acaba afastando o personagem da realidade da história, tornando-o menos impactante e menos interessante do que poderia ser Esse aspecto, dele sempre ser retratado com um ser sobrenatural, com uma inteligência e habilidades que parecem quase mágicas, e de como ele é capaz de manipular pessoas com extrema facilidade, mesmo quando elas sabem que estão sendo manipuladas, ou como ele consegue prever e controlar os movimentos de outras pessoas, meio que como um mestre de um jogo de xadrez humano, simplesmente me afasta da obra, porque isso acaba destoando bastante daquilo que é apresentado no mangá. O autor deixa bem claro que aquela história é passada no mundo real, obedecendo as regras que nós conhecemos em nossa realidade, mas existe uma forçação de barra muito grande quanto aos atos do Johan. Como por exemplo ele conseguir manipular o Roberto a ponto de o cara desistir da própria vida e virar um matador em massa sem motivos ou objetivos muito bem estabelecidos, sabe? Existiram casos assim na realidade? Claro que sim, existiram seitas que fizeram coisas tão ruins quantas, mas aqui não é explicado como esse processo se deu, entende? Como o Johan faz para manipular as pessoas de tal forma? Ele se utiliza das paixões políticas das pessoas para isso, assim com um certo bigodinho fez no passado? Eu não sei, porque o mangá não nos monstra!

Existe um ditado que diz “não fale, mostre”, e acho que esse mangá tem muito desse problema, ele fala muito, mas mostra pouco. Eu não quero saber o quanto o Johan é cruel e manipulador vindo da boca de outros personagens, eu quero ver isso, quero “sentir na pele” seu processo de persuasão, mas não é isso que eu vi, logo não me convenci (perdão, tive que rimar). Embora essa habilidade seja impressionante em um primeiro momento, acaba prejudicando o personagem do Johan. Ele não parece um personagem realista, mas sim uma construção artificial criada para ser uma espécie de vilão arquetípico, arquétipo esse que foi amplamente utilizado na história do cinema, literatura, e até nos mangás, e isso até pode ser interessante em alguns contextos, mas aqui ele parece artificial e forçado.

Um personagem realista é aquele que tem uma motivação clara e compreensível, que age de acordo com essa motivação e que tem um arco de personagem consistente, mas o problema com o Johan é que sua motivação é muitas vezes obscura e mal explicada. Embora saibamos que ele é um sociopata, a profundidade e a complexidade de suas motivações nunca são totalmente exploradas. Podemos dizer que sua motivação era “apagar totalmente sua existência da face da terra”, não só cometendo suicídio, mas levanto todos que se lembram dele junto, assim meio que definitivamente apagando sua existência, sem memorias, sem corpo físico, nada. Mas cá entre nós, que motivação merda, sem mais.


🔶Urasawa é um monstro sagrado
Monster é um dos expoentes da arte sequencial, que apresenta uma habilidade técnica impressionante em todos os aspectos visuais. Seu estilo é repleto de detalhes, tem um traço claro e preciso, com muitos contrastes de luz e sombra, o que aumenta a profundidade dos personagens e das cenas. Aqui as texturas usadas nos materiais também é algo que traz uma sensação de “pé no chão” muito forte, sabe? Algo facilmente relacionável com a realidade, digamos assim. Seu uso de sombras também é algo de tirar o chapéu, sempre muito bem aplicado, trazendo um peso para as cenas quando se faz necessário, principalmente nos requadros finais desse mangá, é algo de encher os olhos.

Sobre o design dos personagens, a obra apresenta uma ampla variedade de personagens que são facilmente distinguíveis uns dos outros. Acho sensacional a capacidade de transmitir informações importantes sobre os personagens por meio de sua aparência, coisa que poucos mangás conseguem fazer bem, diga-se de passagem. Vamos pegar o Tenma como exemplo, ele é retratado como um homem alto, magro e de cabelos pretos, que são características comuns de um protagonista clássico de mangá. No entanto, a sua postura meio curvada e seu olhar introspectivo criam uma sensação de peso emocional que é mais rara nesse tipo de personagem, tornando-o mais complexo e realista.

Outro ponto interessante de falar é a habilidade de construir bons cenários aqui, o equilíbrio entre a quantidade de detalhes e a simplicidade na apresentação é a chave para o sucesso. Aqui, Urasawa consegue criar ambientes com riqueza de detalhes sem torná-los excessivamente complexos ou confusos, porque querendo ou não, fazer um cenário carregado de informações é relativamente fácil (sim, estou falando de você, Asano), mas achar a medida certa entre criar “layers” para cada elemento em quadro, e a perspectiva e os enquadramentos para transmitir a sensação de profundidade e espaço, isso é para poucos! E Urasawa utiliza essas técnicas, como a sobreposição de objetos, planos de profundidade e a variação de ângulos da “câmera” para criar sensação de amplitude dos cenários. E o mais importante, saber criar um contraste entre os personagens e o cenário, isso é algo que poucos fazem bem, e aqui temos um ótimo exemplo do quanto isso contribui para a nossa imersão em uma obra.

Enfim, poderia passar horas falando sobre a qualidade técnica desse mangá, mas séria chover no molhado... Urasawa é um monstro sagrado!


🔶Sim, Monster é muito bom, um clássico atemporal

Apesar dos pesares, não tem como não dizer que esse mangá não é um “clássico moderno”, e eu sei, o que diabos define se uma obra é um clássico ou não? Bom, para mim, impacto, longevidade e qualidades objetivas são características que constroem um clássico, e Monster tem tudo isso! Um impacto na indústria, e não só isso, mas também na cultura dos quadrinhos. Longevidade, uma obra atemporal, que envelhece como vinho, onde a cada leitura, é possível captar novas mensagens e interpretações... Não é a atoa que cá estou eu, anos após sua publicação discutindo Monster. Qualidades objetivas, como a construção de um bom roteiro, bem estruturado, com um bom pacing, personagens envolventes, apesar de seus tropeços, enfim... Tudo isso em conjunto, e um toque especial de “Urasawa” tornam esse mangá um dos grandes expoentes da indústria dos mangás.

Oh, MONSTER does many, many things right. An American creator would surely be jealous of things that Urasawa succeeds at seemingly effortlessly. The cast is large but each character&rsquo;s motivation is clearly defined. Many of the secondary characters steal their scenes (none moreso than the icy &ldquo;computer-brained&rdquo; police investigator chasing the lead character). Urasawa seamlessly integrates effective single-episode stories into his larger arcs, adding extra depth to the proceedings. While my initial impression was that the characterization was still far too thin, by the end Urasawa had convinced me (at least with the main character) that he&rsquo;d pulled off a satisfying character arc over the ... book&rsquo;s plot. There seem to be themes of self-destruction throughout the work (the story is a sort of journey through hell in order to reaffirm the value of life kind of thing, I think), but it rarely wallows in any self-glorifying &ldquo;darkness&rdquo; (or at least rarely gratingly so).

Action scenes are superb and perfectly paced, and the cliffhangers are as ever relentless and exciting &ndash; I am just plain enthralled by Urasawa&rsquo;s skills as an entertainer. In these days of hearing fans complain about &ldquo;decompression,&rdquo; a reading of MONSTER makes it clear how few of them really are aware of what a considerable pleasure it can be in the right hands: in MONSTER, Urasawa can spend chapters allowing an atmosphere of evil to slowly accumulate. Nail-biting cliffhangers can arise from the suggestion of evil instead of evil leaping out frothing onto the page screaming naked. Tension can accumulate. A page can be spent with a character outside of a murder scene, a page spent on nothing more than slowly regarding the doorknob that leads to some horrifying scene or another. I appreciate the &ldquo;decompression&rdquo; backlash &ndash; MONSTER came out over seven years, probably twice a month (if my math is right), while American comics come out more rarely &ndash; once a month if you&rsquo;re LUCKY&mdash;and are far more expensive. American comics do not have either the business model or, perhaps, dedicated enough creators to allow for the pleasures that I feel &ldquo;decompression&rdquo; has to offer. And American style pacing of the kind fans long for has its own pleasure which can be considerable. But let&rsquo;s at least acknowledge the loss.

After those thousands of well-timed pages, I&rsquo;d like to say MONSTER was a success. But, I&rsquo;m sorry, no: a mess. The book chases after a bad guy so miraculously evil, so much in the shadows that we hardly ever get to know him on-page. Urasawa&rsquo;s early attempts at writing for an ensemble are occasionally exciting, as the book zig-zags into unexpected character introductions and disappearances, but the end result is that the lead characters all go missing for significant chunks of time without adequate cause. And ultimately by the end, I wasn&rsquo;t sure if it all added up to anything worth the pages &ndash; the ending is exciting but after the thousands of pages building to it, hopelessly anti-climactic (Urasawa seems to realize this and intercuts a ridiculously sentimental lottery subplot that I can&rsquo;t imagine any reader could possibly caring about with his grande&rsquo; finale).

Page-turners are fun, but after a few thousand pages of comics, its simply too hard not to expect more. And I must admit, after those thousands of pages, I felt lost as to what I had read, in seeing the big picture of what had happened. MONSTER is crazy pleasurable in the moment, action-packed, constantly engaging and bringing all the energy comics can bring into a slick piece of entertainment&hellip; but for me, I found it ultimately empty &ndash; not an experience I regret, in that I imagine I&rsquo;d feel that way about any suspense thriller. Suspense thrillers are not really my genre.

Look at me, look at me! The monster inside me has grown this large!
- The Nameless Monster (Obluda, Která Nemá Své Jméno)

What does a man have to do to become fictitious? How does one make his existence merely fiction? It's dubbed as the "perfect suicide". Kill everyone who has had memories of you, and finally, kill yourself.


Somewhat long summary, or rather, plot introduction:

The plot of Monster revolves around Dr. Tenma, a surgeon with a bright future in his field of work, and engaged to the beautiful and glamorous daughter of one of the medical world's most influential players, his hospital's director, Udo Heinemann.

One day, he ... is instructed by Udo to abandon a young boy's surgery, who is in critical condition from a bullet wound to his head, and to operate on the Mayor who came in later. Infuriated by the hospital's politics and haunted by his past mistake of giving in to it, he defies his superior's order and operates on the boy, while leaving the Mayor's operation to his colleagues.

The boy survives the operation and Dr. Tenma feels liberated. He did the right thing. As a doctor, he had been fair in his duty, he had saved the life that was to be rightfully saved. But are everyone's lives truly equal?

That's when his reality turns into the most horrifying nightmare he could imagine.

The Mayor dies, Tenma's status is revoked, the director who had taken him under his wing to bring him to the heights of the surgical field casts him away, and his fiancee abandons him.

Consequently, the director dies and the killer is none other than Johan, the boy that Tenma saved. Johan was a mass serial killer, and now that he was brought back to life, goes on a killing rampage, a seemingly mad massacre of countless people.

Agonized, Tenma then sets out to find Johan, and with his own hands that brought this monster back to life, kill him once and for all.


This is a manga that is a true thriller; it's intensely psychological, chillingly creepy, packed with fast-paced action, and builds up the suspense perfectly.

Monster will stay with me as one of the most memorable and impactful mangas I have ever read, not because of the plot and it's expert story-telling (though that is of course what makes it the outstanding manga that it is), but because of the ending.

The ending still creeps me out and it was that moment that made me realise that Monster was, at its heart, a true horror story.

Never before have I experienced a manga that ended at such a bone chilling climax with no trace of closure. This is scarier than those fucked-up horror mangas because at least those have some sort of ending, no matter how warped or disturbing.

I heard the ending is even more creepy in the anime, what with the animation and music. (wow ok I just jumped when I heard a scraping sound outside my room I'm scaring myself shitless writing this) But don't think of watching/reading the ending before even reading the manga, it's only scary if you've read the entire story.



"Tell me, what do you think is the ultimate fear? I thought I'd reached the darkest part of the abyss. But then, ahead of me... There was an even greater darkness."

- Johan Liebert

Although I gave the same 8/10 to Urasawa's other manga 20th Century Boys and Pluto, overall I like Monster the most. I think Urasawa is really good at writing thrillers but he has a bad habit at messing up in some areas that prevents his manga from being super classics. That being said Monster is one of my favorite manga.

I am going to assume everyone already has a basic grasp of the premise to Monster, so I'll skip that introduction. The first thing I would like to talk about is the characters, since they were one of the most notable parts of the manga to ... me.

I can't really say the character of Kenzo Tenma is unique, I think everyone has seen the kind of depressed and reluctant, yet still kind altruist at heart on a mean mission. Normally seeing such a character archtype play out is really boring to me, but that didn't really bother me in Monster. I don't know exactly what separates him from Kevin Yamagata, and the main dude from 20th Century, but I think it has to do with how he just kind of darker than those characters. Although like I said he is still an altruist and a nice guy at heart, he never gets on the soapbox giving some tearjerker shit that I've seen like 10 times in Billy Bat, Urasawa's latest manga. So that just made Tenma more likeable to me, the way his character played out was just a little bit more mature and that made the difference. But Tenma is actually, in my opinion, one of the least interesting characters in Monster. As in Urasawa's other manga, the characters are all pieces in a really grand plot, and although theres a main character he is not as influential as Johan Liebert, the main antagonist.

Johan was my favorite part of the manga, because he captured a suspense in me. Everytime he appears you know shit is going down. This is really similar to Urasawa's other antagonists, like Friend in 20th Century, but he started doing this archetype with Johan first. Johan is a complicated character, and the mystery of his past dominates most of the plot. Urasawa humanizes him in the middle of the manga, and progressively more so towards the end, specifically in the beginning of the manga he was less of a character and more of a plot device. The reader doesn't know anything about him until later. I'm not going to spoil big stuff, but I enjoyed the backstory of him as well as his twin sister Anna, another important character. Although I liked the jigsaw puzzle of his past, the way events unfolded in revealing it all was kind of sloppy, but I'll talk more about that later. Anyways, Johan is a huge dominating presence and really gets the blood rushing in the reader. In the end of the manga when the reader gets a chance to pry into his character, Urasawa really excells at making him scary but also a guy you can start to figure out a little, like his complexes start to make sense. I enjoyed being able to put those details together, as I think most readers would. Johan is definitely the most mysterious character in this manga, but he isn't super fleshed out, like I said before just enough to make him interesting but not enough that hes just some bitch sap who isn't cool. Then the manga would lose its thrill.

There are tons of side characters in Monster, and I definitely can't go over them all. Some were really boring but thats what side characters are for. Some were pretty good. I liked Wolfgang Grimmer esepcially, and Anna Liebert to a degree. Beyond those two, almost all the other characters were either really one dimensional, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, or they had a dynamic that basically went: (Character is introduced with an objective, has a revelation about something that CHANGES EVERYTHING, character fades into nonimportance as the plot progresses.) I really don't like that formula and it was used quite a many time in Monster. Karl, the lawyer, Peter Capkek or whatever were all examples of these. Granted, the plot is exciting enough to make you not care if these guys fall out of the limelight in a really boring fashion, even if you do pay close attention to characters, but still it could have been better. Thats what happens when the story gets super big like this, things can go out of control, especially towards the end. I've seen the same thing happen in Pluto, and ESPECIALLY 20th Century Boys, but admittably it was handled better in Monster.

So the characters were alright, some were interesting and mature, with alot of cool depth, and others were really stupid throwaways. But the most important thing in Monster is the story, it is a super thriller manga. If Monster can do one thing right, thats ENTERTAIN. It is really entertaining, thats something Urasawa knows well. I never, ever got bored reading Monster, which is one reason I think so highly of it. It was able to largely keep its style intact while doing so, which was also cool. This manga is a flippin roller coaster. However, its not perfect, but that should be obvious just because its a roller coaster kind of story. The biggest issue I have is how the mystery of Liebert twins unfolded. It's like they jumped from one mystery, and then the manga tells you that mystery was just the tip of the iceberg of another huge mystery, and that mystery was only the tip of another HUGE MYSTERY, blah blah blah. This manga really would have been more unified if it had some overarching foreshadowing. For example, the night Johan was shot as a child did not have huge importance for the first 15 volumes, except of course the first one. But then in the last few volumes, Anna starts having flashbacks that unveil crucial plot points that unfolded that night. To me the reader, it was as if these developments were conceived after the first volume was actually published, such was the lack of foreshadowing and overarching material. This doesn't stop there though, Monster is almost COMPLETELY unrecognizeble from the beginning, compared to the end. It goes from a plot about a doctor chasing down a serial killer to some huge conspiracy that unveils book reading experiment and how Johan isn't so bad after all, or it isn't his fault etc. It was obvious from the beginning the Lieberts had a mysterious past, but to continually pile up new mysteries out of thin air really isn't great writing, and it wouldn't hamper the entertainment much except some of the new mysteries unfortunately aren't as interesting as the old ones. The Kinderheim 511 conditioning subplot was made completely irrelevant compared to the bookreading conditioning subplot, and the birth of the twins subplot, and the trauma of Anna subplot, so on so forth. The only factor that remained constant throughout the manga is that Johan is evil, but the unveiling of the mysteries don't particularly enchance this, nor do they excite the reader.

RATHER, the speculation that these mysteries lead to is the real juice. Although Urasawa's answers don't blow your socks off, the mysteries themselves push the plot forward for more entertainment value for the reader. And since its really fun to read, its hard to be so sharply critical of it. Just things could have been better in my opinion, I would have preferred the plot to take the shape of one, thick plotline from beginning to end, with various sub plots branching from it but always returning to the same plotline. In comparison, it was like the manga started with one plotline, then jumped ship to another one at least 3 times.

So I have given a bunch of criticisms of the storyline, but I still give that category a 9. What gives? Well, I think when people get all up on their soapbox about being a super critic like me, they lose sight of some aspects of the manga that you can't comprehend using a microscope. That would be the fun factor, and this manga has alot of it.

Art is pretty good, I like his style. Having a unique art style is always something I like in anime and manga. The technical detail didn't blow my socks off, but this manga is a bit old. One thing I didn't like is that, for side characters, Urasawa seems to have a set number of archetype for character design and faces. Throughout the manga I seem to have only encountered 4 types female face: the child, the bitch, the crone, and the maiden. For example, the various female children in the series, Eva Heinmann, that old prostitue the Red Blimp or whatever, and Anna Liebert, respectively. Similar something going on with the male characters. So 7/10 for the art.

That's about it. I would recommend this manga to anyone who wants to have a fun read that doesn't make you feel like a dumbass. Forget about the hipsters and the extremists, this is a good manga and you'll have a good time reading it.