Monster

Monster is a series I'd heard a great deal about before starting it myself. Everything I heard was positive, calling it nothing short of a masterpiece. Now that I've completed the series, I can confidently say that everything I heard was spot on.

Reading Monster was an incredibly immersive and thrilling experience. Kenzo Tenma is undoubtedly one of the most compelling protagonists I've encountered in manga, and Johan Liebert has easily become one of my top 10 antagonists of all time.

Tenma's dilemma after saving a young boy who later becomes an elusive serial killer, for whose murders Tenma himself gets framed, makes for one of the most interesting and complex character arcs I've ever read. Kenzo Tenma is a doctor dedicated to helping people. His moral code is simple: help anyone if he can, regardless of their identity or past actions. But what do you do when you witness a man ruthlessly murder someone with your own two eyes, only to realize the killer is someone you saved in the past?

Seeing this single murder is bad enough, but then Tenma learns that this same murderer, Johan, is also responsible for the deaths of several people he worked with, including his former fiancée's father, whom he replaced as the hospital director. Naturally, Tenma becomes the prime suspect in these murder cases, and everything spirals into a web of disaster.

It's an incredible, suspenseful story that keeps you on your toes from beginning to end. As Tenma grapples with the moral dilemma of possibly having to kill someone he saved in the past, even if it goes against everything he stands for, he chases this mysterious murderer while trying to uncover who exactly he is, where he came from, and how he became the way he is. The layers to the answers to these questions will keep you guessing throughout the entire story.

Do we all contain a "Monster" within us? Can even the purest of souls succumb to darkness under certain circumstances? These are some of the thematic questions explored in *Monster*. Throughout this manga, you follow the development of a seemingly righteous protagonist and a misguided antagonist. The story initially seems convoluted but continually surprises you, leading to a grand climax at the end. While it may sound similar to other mysteries, what sets *Monster* apart is its well-executed philosophical take on society and how characters shift their ideals after significant experiences, while others remain true to their beliefs. **[Story] - 9.8/10** Reading the synopsis, it might be hard to grasp the direction of the story. This complexity is intentional, as the narrative revolves around character interactions that lead to large-scale consequences. Seemingly unrelated events eventually piece together, revealing the motives and backstories of all relevant characters. You may feel that parts of the story drag on, but upon reaching the end, you'll realize that every event was essential to the central plot. **[Art] - 8.3/10** The art is the weakest aspect of the manga, as there isn't an immense focus on detailed visuals. However, the art effectively captures the mood throughout the story. The facial expressions of the characters accurately portray their emotions and personalities, and small details like smiles or frowns help convey character development or situational changes. Some panels, especially towards the end, are truly stunning and do justice to the scenes. While not consistently breathtaking, the art is by no means poor. **[Characters] - 9.2/10** *Monster* features a large cast of characters, which can sometimes make it difficult to remember who's who and their personalities (MAL's character database helped me with this). However, many characters receive individual attention and development, all tying back to the central protagonist and antagonist. What makes these characters so intriguing is the relationship between the main character and the 'villain,' along with the brilliant dialogue used by both. The antagonist is one of the best I've ever encountered, and every interaction with him is enjoyable. Initially, I felt distaste for several characters, but as their intentions and personalities fully develop, I ended up appreciating each one, becoming deeply attached to many of them. **[Enjoyment] - 10/10** From start to finish, *Monster* never fails to satisfy, constantly pushing me to read further into the night. Many chapters end with developments I couldn't have predicted. Through its dialogue, actions, and thematic idealism, *Monster* is truly a masterpiece. I recommend it to anyone interested in a reasonably lengthy mystery and thriller that pays homage to its characters while following an intricate plot leading to a breathtaking conclusion. After finishing the final chapter of *Monster*, I hope the questions I posed at the beginning now fascinate you as much as they do me.

I don't even know where to begin with Monster. It's beautiful in its themes and character development, it's literary in value, and it's powerful. The very first chapter gripped me with its clear presentation of the story's main theme: what is the value of a human life? And the story never let me go. It takes an honest look at its question, wrestling with it in each of its characters and unafraid to get gritty and uncomfortable.

It examines society's tendency to other-ize people through racism, hostility towards immigrants, and the inclination to overlook children who often suffer the most from adult conflicts. The main character and the main villain are perfectly mirrored, showcasing the strengths and weaknesses of each other. Nina and Eva are fantastic female characters, adding depth and complexity to the narrative.

By the time the story reaches its conclusion, it never drags; the suspense hits every single chapter. It has truly earned the answer it offers—nothing about its conclusions feels cheap or contrived. Ironically, because of its title, Monster really depicts what it means to be human in all its ugliness and beauty. It's a story that leaves a lasting impact, compelling you to reflect on the true value of human life.

Naoki Urasawa is undoubtedly one of the modern greats in manga. This statement is indisputable. His works are always intriguing, entertaining, and filled with suspense. Everything I've read by Urasawa feels like a natural progression from Osamu Tezuka's seinen stories, and "Monster" is no exception.

"Monster" follows Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a talented Japanese brain surgeon living in Germany. He is on the run from the police, trying to find Johan and correct the mistake he made years ago when he saved Johan’s life during surgery. This journey plunges him into a world of mystery, political intrigue, and murder. The story forces readers to ponder several questions: What if doing the right thing isn’t always the right choice? What makes someone a monster? How does being wanted or unwanted affect a child? These questions and more unravel as the story progresses, with new ones constantly arising.

The storytelling in "Monster" is exceptional. The pacing is excellent, with very few lulls and natural breaks where needed. The plot is tightly woven, free of noticeable plot holes, and rich with foreshadowing and metaphor. The resolution is satisfying, placing each character in their rightful place believably without leaving the reader craving more. As always, Urasawa’s art is stunning. His ability to convey detailed facial expressions while keeping each character distinct is remarkable. Urasawa is one of the few mangaka who can draw faces so simply yet accurately that there's no doubt about the character's ethnic background—Japanese characters look Japanese, German characters look German, Turkish characters look Turkish, and so on.

While I preferred "20th Century Boys," the other lengthy Urasawa manga I’ve read, "Monster" is still an outstanding work that truly showcases the potential of the manga medium. Both works share common elements and Urasawa’s distinctive storytelling style, which includes withholding information to build suspense. However, this similarity only highlights Urasawa's mastery. "Monster" will captivate you and compel you to read all 162 chapters as quickly as possible.

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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, 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 fiancée 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 its expert storytelling (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 realize 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 messed-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, okay, I just jumped when I heard a scraping sound outside my room—I'm scaring myself 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

The Viz Signature collections feature some of my all-time favorite mangas, including The Drifting Classroom, Uzumaki, and Black & White. However, one story that immediately caught my attention after the Signature series began was Monster.

Story:

The story is unlike any other series I have ever read, constantly leaving me wondering what will happen next to our hero. After every volume, I feel like I've learned something new, but I'm still no closer to unraveling the mystery behind the villain.

Art:

The artist has incredible skills. Every character and location is meticulously detailed and drawn so well that no other manga compares after you've seen this one. My only complaint is that almost all the female characters appear unattractive to me.

Character:

This story offers a rich cast of characters that you'll either love or hate. I find myself liking many of them, while others I wish would just die. The story is filled with side characters who only appear in a few chapters before reappearing later, making you flip through past volumes to remember who they were. This isn't an issue for me, but it might annoy some readers.

Enjoyment:

I often reread my manga volumes quickly, but with this series, I take my time. I carefully read each page, trying to absorb as much as possible because it's just that good. Trust me, you'll want to revisit this series even after it's finished. However, a few chapters felt like filler and were somewhat boring, which slightly detracts from the overall enjoyment.

Overall, this is a great series with a few minor flaws, but nothing significant enough to stop me from buying the next volume. It's a must-have for any manga fan. Be aware that this series contains realistic and graphic violence, brief nudity, and some adult situations, so if these elements bother you, you might want to skip this series.

There's this rare feeling of complete awe I sometimes get when I close a book or a manga, and Monster managed to evoke that emotion in me.

This is one of the most rock-solid narratives out there in this medium, perfectly constructed from beginning to end. The cast of characters is amazing all around, even the smallest ones. But the medal, of course, goes to Johan, one of the most compelling antagonists I've ever had the pleasure of encountering. You never have all the answers, or even all the questions, so you feel like you're right alongside Tenma in this wild goose chase, slowly and steadily uncovering answers which sometimes offer even more questions.

Until you reach the climax, and all the pieces of the puzzle are laid out in front of you, ready to be deciphered—and what a fascinating answer it turns out to be.

This kind of structure—giving answers only to raise more questions—is a very tricky thing to pull off. Many times, it ends up completely disappointing because it usually fumbles in the end. Monster, however, does it and absolutely delivers, making me certain that Naoki Urasawa had already finished the story before he even started writing it.

Highly recommend.

This manga, in my opinion, is overrated. The sole reason I’m writing this review is because I didn’t think "Monster" deserved a 9 or 10 rating, and if I don't, surely others out there won't either. The story of "Monster" is where it falls short. It primarily follows a fugitive doctor chasing a serial killer while being pursued by the police, who believe he committed the murders. Along his journey, the doctor meets various families and individuals, makes friends, and teaches them valuable lessons, helping them grow and mature. This aspect is reminiscent of how Ash helps people in Pokémon but on a more mature scale. The good doctor combats issues like racism and violence. So far, I haven’t provided concrete reasons for why the storyline is poor. The problem is that the story drags on in the same manner (the Ash-Pokémon manner), making it extremely predictable, with a significant anticlimax at the end. When I hear a manga is rated 10/10 or 9/10, I expect the ending to linger in my mind for at least a week, captivating me and causing me to reflect on it constantly, thinking 'wow' that was amazing. However, "Monster" let me down in this regard. The anticlimax left me continually thinking about the manga, wondering how the artist could have ended it so poorly. The artwork starts off quite poorly, often leaving readers confused about what’s happening. However, it quickly improves into a well-drawn, well-spaced manga. At times, I found myself admiring the buildings or scenes, marveling at how long they must have taken to draw. The art is top-notch at times, but many German characters look identical or generic, with only the main characters differing in appearance. One thing I appreciated was that the female characters were drawn very well, even provocatively and sexily at times. The characters are what made this manga. As the doctor travels around helping people, you meet numerous characters who feel real, carrying emotions and mannerisms that resonate with real people. This is a strong point. Without giving too much away, the doctor adopts a child along the way, which really makes you connect with the characters. I kept wondering, 'what’s going to happen to little [character]' or 'how can they do that to children.' You genuinely feel and relate to the characters, making this manga stand out in that respect. Regarding enjoyment, it was lacking. For much of the manga, I was honestly questioning why people on MyAnimeList were so enamored with it. This was the first manga I read based on reviews from the site, whereas all others were recommended by friends or forums. I pushed through, hoping it would get better, but reading it often felt like a chore. Overall, if you have a long holiday break coming up and want to read a generic storyline with a Pokémon-like 'I’m going to aid people along the way' feel, go ahead. Just be warned, there is an anticlimax at the end. You'll probably think more than once, 'this main character needs to take a concrete pill, toughen up, and kill the bastard,' and at the end, you might think, 'where did all the time go, I’ve gained nothing from this.' To the folks monitoring the reviews, I apologize in advance if this contains too much spoiler information and for mentioning other reviews. In my defense, those reviews were my reason for reading it, and I felt they needed to be mentioned in the context of my review.

I agree that this is one of the best manga of the last 30 years. The plot is incredible, with various twists and turns that make the story more interesting. What impressed me the most is that sometimes I even forget I was reading a Japanese manga. It felt like I was reading a European comic or book, perhaps because the drawings aimed for realism rather than overly epic depictions of the main character's actions, as often happens in some manga.

This is the kind of story where, at the end of each chapter, you want to keep reading because you're eager to find out more about what will happen next. However, it does have a few flaws. First of all, let's talk about the villain.

I don't think he is the perfect villain as many have claimed. Throughout the story, Monster portrays Johan as a devil, the most cunning and evil being in the world, likened to the next Hitler, truly a monster. The issue is that Johan's maverick side is only superficially shown and justified. There's a lot of talk about how children and doctors killed each other at the famous orphanage because of Johan, but I would have liked to know what really happened, what caused all this? What did Johan do?

Another moment showcasing Johan's manipulative skills is when he convinces a child to meet his mother, who was a prostitute, and then kill himself. Okay, Johan gives the kid an elaborate little speech, but come on. Manipulating a child isn't such a complicated thing. Even when he killed a detective with a drinking problem, his manipulation skills weren't that convincing. The detective still had psychological issues.

In other contexts, it's unclear how Johan convinced people to work for him by killing others. This introduces another problem for Monster: it skips over many things that are useful but simultaneously ineffective. Let me explain.

Taking Johan's case, it's almost never revealed how he convinces people to kill others. This choice by the author makes sense; skipping these moments keeps the story dynamic, given the numerous dialogues in Monster. There are many such examples, like Dr. Tenma sneaking into houses or cars without any explanation of how he did it. This happens with all "smart" characters.

I'm somewhat bitter about this choice, but I understand it. At the same time, though, you can't dedicate 2-3 chapters just to instill the idea that Tenma is a good and kind person. I get that he's a brilliant doctor and a golden person, but enough is enough. Instead of those chapters, it would have been more interesting to show flashbacks of the orphanage, fill in the missing explanations I mentioned before, or delve into Tenma's past and family.

The story leaves various aspects to the reader's imagination, including Johan's psychology, despite his past being almost entirely told. The ending of this manga confirms this, although it didn't particularly displease me. If, like me, you're eager for more answers, I recommend reading the book, even if it doesn't explain much more.

I've heard a lot about this manga, and many people described it as a challenging read due to its depth. However, I found it to be surprisingly easy and enjoyable to read.

This doesn't mean the manga lacked depth. Instead, the author managed to strike a fine balance between keeping the story accessible and engaging while still prompting readers to contemplate the circumstances and moral implications of the characters' actions and intentions.

However, I believe this approach negatively impacted the pacing and progression of the manga.

Roughly 70% of the manga feels like filler content, where new situations are introduced to make readers think about right and wrong or add complexity to the plot. Unfortunately, these complexities often detract from the story rather than enhance it.

While I enjoyed most of the filler content because it was heartwarming, it eventually became a distraction. The author continuously introduces new characters (and there are many of them), new plot points, and so on, which disrupts the flow of the story.

I hate to say it, but the later parts of the story don't flow well and turn what could have been a complex moral narrative into a convoluted mess.

Still, I don't want anyone to take this as a sign that 'Monster' is a poor manga. As I mentioned repeatedly, it is a very enjoyable read and frequently makes you think. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering giving it a try.

Story: The pacing of the story is absolutely perfect. Honestly, it's outstanding, ranking among the top three best manga I've ever read, possibly even the very best. The twists and turns were brilliantly executed, leaving me eager for more after every chapter.

Art: The artwork is fantastic, consistently detailed, and maintains a serious tone exceptionally well.

Character: The characters are excellent, with remarkable development and relationships throughout the story. The author has done an impeccable job in portraying each character to convey a specific look and feel.

Enjoyment: I couldn't put this manga down. I just kept reading chapter after chapter and enjoyed every single one of them.

Overall, this is an exceptional manga. I highly recommend it, even if you're not typically a fan of mystery manga.

This manga is incredibly challenging for me to discuss because I feel I lack the eloquence to do it justice. However, the best way I can describe it is as an exceptionally intelligent and well-written piece. By "incredibly intelligent," I mean that the plot has a lot of depth. While it doesn't delve deeply into societal issues, it fully immerses you in a story that makes you truly think about what's happening. The narrative is grounded in reality, with no supernatural elements, yet it remains extremely intense, which draws readers in even more. The plot has multiple layers but remains character-driven at its core. At the top, it revolves around a complete psychopath, a true monster named Johan, who manipulates various individuals to achieve his goals. The people he uses are generally despicable, and when compared to Johan, they seem pathetic. Interestingly, this contrast makes Johan less hateable than those who are merely pathetic. Despite being a monster, it’s hard to truly despise him, partly due to the series' excellent writing, especially concerning its characters. Another key figure is Tenma, who, despite being plunged into darkness by the plot, manages to shine wherever he goes. This aspect could easily come off awkwardly if mishandled, but the author does an outstanding job, making it work beautifully. Tenma struggles with his initial choices but stays true to himself throughout, making him an incredibly compelling character. His purity contrasts sharply with Johan’s evil, creating a great foil. While Johan and Tenma are the central characters, they aren’t the only significant ones. Various other characters receive substantial development and play crucial roles in the unfolding plot. One standout is Eva, whose arc is particularly remarkable. She experiences a complete fall from grace, obsessively pursues Tenma, but ultimately finds the strength to stand on her own. I wanted her to have a happy ending, doubting she could achieve one given her broken state, but the author crafted a believable growth that led to a satisfying conclusion, which felt earned and deserved. Overall, the pacing is impeccable, gradually revealing more about the characters and conspiracies involved while balancing suspenseful and lighter moments, important and side information, action and drama. It culminates in an ending that ties up all the plot threads brilliantly, remaining consistent with everything that happened and leaving readers feeling incredibly satisfied. The artwork is decent and fits the atmosphere well. A suspenseful and deeply engrossing manga centered around hunting for a monster at the heart of a conspiracy. 10/10