Story: 10
+ well-written, gripping
+ thoughtful themes
- plot can become labyrinthine, particularly during the latter quarter of the series
- the finale is slightly anticlimatic and relatively weak compared to the rest of the story
Long, non episodic series such as Monster risk dragging out, becoming exercises in drudgery as one plods to the finish. That this does not happen in the 74 episodes of Monster is a testament to the thrilling and tightly-written story. Monster does not waste your 24 minutes with needless recap episodes or vignettes-every scene is shown to drive the story forward. Long series with complex plots also run the risk of creating a Gordian knot that wreaks havoc with the pacing and logic of the story. Monster avoids this pitfall by tightly structuring the story as both a mystery and a pursuit thriller, unveiling new plot points and twists at appropriate times to keep the story gripping. That story is grounded in a real, believable setting, with obvious attention to detail done by the writer into research to create a realistic world. This makes the story even more effective-there are no supernatural elements to play deus ex machina-everything is completely human, and thus ever more chilling.
At certain points however, (such as the unraveling of the origin of the main characters) the plot points become a bit too tangled, and require a bit of extra mental effort to straighten out, a problem that might be exacerbated if one watches Monster in smaller segments over a long period of time (and thus forgetting plot points) rather than in large chunks (and can retain facts in memory). On balance though, this is a relatively minor quibble.
The weakest part of the story, if one is to be found, is in the ending. I found to be comparatively weak and anticlimactic, particularly given the build-up. However, it is still well-written and does not ruin the finished product.
Monster's themes are dark, disturbing, and thought-provoking. At the core of the story is the battle against the "monster" inside of humanity- both in the form of the protagonist's battle against the titular "monster" as well as his own battle to prevent himself from falling into that same monstrous path. Weaving into this are the equally important themes of the value of life (are all lives created equal? Can a doctor take as well as give life?) and identity, both internally and externally construed. These themes are explored through the protagonist's choices and the histories of physical and sexual abuse, mental reconditioning, racism, and totalitarian brutality uncovered as Monster progresses. Those who are familiar with Judeo-Christian imagery will also find familiar themes of the Devil and of doomsday- references to Saint George and his battle with the Dragon, of the beast with seven heads, and demons are peppered throughout.
Art: 8
+appropriate realistic style
+distinguishable main characters
+fantastic backgrounds
+tone of scenes masterfully done
- tertiary character designs sometimes feel recycled
As befitting the serious story and it's realistic setting, the art is realistic, helping to really ground the series as something that very well could have happened in our world. The towns cities and countryside are fantastically done and evoke a real sense of character-at least one scene gave me an overwhelming sense of looking at an animated version of the travel show Rick Steve's Europe.
Overall character designs complement this realism, including stubble and age lines.Significant characters' designs-particularly faces- are done very well, creating just enough individuality to be easily distinguishable without resorting to exaggeration. They also match the character's behavior and personalities extremely well. However, tertiary characters (those whose importance are just under the supporting cast but above background characters) occasionally feel recycled, and there were two notable instances where the designs were so similar as to cause me confusion.
The overall tone of Monster is dark, and the series has many scenes which rely on the animation and score to appropriately set that tone up. This is done masterfully, especially in the way the shadows on character's faces during close ups convey a sinister feeling. The use of weather and the landscape is also done very well.
Particularly worthy of note is the use of children's picture books as a key plot and thematic element. The atmosphere of those books when they are being "read" to the viewer encapsulates the sense of foreboding darkness of the series perfectly.
Sound:9
+ Superb voice-acting on the English dub, especially that of the main antagonist
+OP and ED are perfect for the tone and theme of the series
+OP song absolutely perfect
- certain moments where the happy score seemed out-of-place
Please take note that this a review of the English dub of Monster.
The voice acting in the English dub is superb, and do nearly as good a job of establishing characters as their visual design. In the case of the main antagonist Johan, I would argue the voice acting makes the character, much in the way Sir Anthony Hopkins' tone of voice and speech patterns made the Hannibal Lecter character in Silence of the Lambs. Aside from the bit parts of some throwaway background characters, none of the characters are over or under-acted.
The "soundtrack" so to speak of is all orchestral. I did not find myself noticing the score, and in fact, I would sum it up pithily as "appropriate but unremarkable". However, Monster is more than sufficiently gripping even without memorable scoring. The only detraction I would make is that the more "uplifting" orchestral scores threw overall tone off.
What really earns high marks in sound for Monster are its bookends. The OP sequence very aptly highlights the isolation of the protagonist, darkness pervading the series, and the sinister shadow of the antagonist. This is perfected with the actual OP theme, "Grain," which is without doubt the most appropriate of any anime series I've seen. Completely lyric-less, the theme opens and closes with haunting choral vocalizations (evoking Christian church services and thus priming the viewer for the "devil" theme running prominently through Monster) interspersed with echoing drums, guitars and vocalizations further evoking the open space within a Church. The overall effect is haunting, and for lack of a better word, perfect.
Monster's ED sequence shines more for its visuals than the ending theme, "For the Love of Life." It consists simply of the song played over rolling credits and images taken from children's storybooks, the significance of which becomes clear nearly halfway through the series. However, the two put together, even without knowledge of the significance is enough to convey a sense of wistfulness, sorrow, and isolation-again aptly conveying the protagonist's feelings.
Character: 10
+large cast of believable, realistic, multi-dimensional characters
+realistic, sympathetic character development
+excellent foils to the main character and main antagonist
+excellent main protagonist and antagonist
-a few too many non-essential or redundant supporting characters
-tidiness of some characters' connections tests credulity
What really makes Monster a truly notable work, more so than the story, is its characters.
Monster shines in its consistent portrayal of believable, sympathetic, and fleshed out characters, all the more impressive given its large cast. Barring one offending character in the form of Otto the comedic relief, nearly all characters of at least secondary importance are given some degree of fleshing out. There are very few instances of one-dimensional archetypes, with Otto the thief being of particular note because of his overtly comedic character (very inappropriate given the overall tone of the series) and complete lack of character development.
While the primary protagonist and antagonists take top billing, their main foils are also stars of the show. Several characters share parallels with either of the two, and they play upon each other magnificently. Of particular note is Anna Liebert, who in addition to being a main in her own right, also serves as a foil to contrast against the main protagonist in their pursuit of the same goal, and Inspector Lunge, who like Javert from Les Miserables is a fearsome and tireless automaton whose own pursuit of the protagonist is a thrilling chase.
The enigmatic namesake "monster" of the series, Johan can be described as a cross between Hannibal Lecter and Damien (the titular Antichrist from the film series of the same name). He is charming, intelligent, and beautifully handsome, while being manipulative, sociopathic, and on multiple occasions is referred to as "the devil." However, while the character description may seem derivative on paper at first glance, by the end of the series, the character's portrayal establishes Johan as a distinct and terrifying in his own right, and whose actions are so convincingly sinister-so chilling-that his soft, level voice is enough to make you fear him as much as his victims do.
Given the wonderful writing of these other characters, I found the main protagonist Dr. Kenzo Tenma surprisingly comparatively unremarkable. Of course he is very well written, completely believable, and an excellent vessel for the show's themes. As his obsession with righting his and Johan's wrongs grows, I found his character to become more and more flat, defined only through a singular task. This might be intentional however, as a way of showing how the pursuit is hollowing out Dr. Tenma and stripping him of his past and his own identity- major themes of the series. But on balance, his character's plot description of "will he or will he not (be caught, succeed, etc)" is just less compelling than unraveling the mystery of Johan or of other characters.
Where Monster does fall short in characters are in the tertiary and supporting roster of characters, of which there some who serve arguably unnecessary or redundant roles that can be filled by existent characters, particularly among the antagonists. One quibble i did have is the tidiness with which some of the secondary characters are connected to the main cast-a few too many of the characters happen to have histories or backgrounds that tie them directly into the history behind the mystery of Johan, even when they are introduced through simple coincidence and serendipity. However, these are easily forgivable quibbles, and don't dent the overall exceptional character writing.
Enjoyment:9
I personally place a great deal of weight on the atmosphere of an anime series, particularly for more thematically complex ones such as Monster. Monster's atmosphere is at its best dark, chilling, sinister, and at times even unforgiving. Given the prevalence of an overall dark, gloomy feel to the series, the few points of actual happiness in the series feel particularly jarring and even inappropriate. I don't know if this is a deliberate choice to emphasize the dichotomy between the darkness and the light, but I personally found that it tended to detract from the overall feel and consistency of tone that I would have liked.
That being said, Monster is still a masterpiece of story and character writing, and is absolutely worth watching. Its length and slower, methodical pacing may be uncommon, and require more from it's audience, but before you realize it, you become hooked to a compelling drama that looks unflinchingly at the monster inside humanity.
