The story of Monster, the idea and plot itself is actually quite intriguing. A doctor turned detective chasing a serial killer he once saved as a child, and the many surprises and twists that come along the way, make for a fairly interesting plot. However, it is these number of twists and turns that are way too many to actually complement the story, as if it is forcibly implementing the twists for the sake of it. In addition, every authority in every location seems to be corrupted and every police officer turns out to be a conspiring villain. What is also bogus to me is how Dr Tenma and Anna Liebert turn into 007 agents, while the German BKA is most inefficient. Even the underground fascists are so well informed that they know the whereabouts of Dr Tenma and Anna and the rest of the 'good guys' while the government agencies are virtually non existent.
The characters too arent really that good. Almost all of them are depressed and having a traumatic personal background or going through an unfortunate time in their life. The character designs of some characters too, are an eyesore. While I'm not expecting the cliche anime designs, some characters look just plain terrible.The sound is quite good, though the spooky effects they try to integrate aren't always spot on.
Now, you might read my review and thrash me for it, but it's just how I feel. Yes, I emphasize largely the negatives without pointing out the positives, but its these negatives which make this anime so frustrating for me to watch. Am I saying this anime is just plain bad? No, its just that these glaring cons could have been better dealt with, and the anime would have even higher ratings. On the whole however, the anime is still enjoyable. I haven't watched a good mystery anime in a while, and Monster still provides for an exciting watch despite its flaws.
