Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Gawdly
Monster is well written in theory. The premise and horror of the first few episodes and how the main cast intertwines in the last arc are a masterpiece for me. The characters are dynamic, the characters have believable psychological depth and Urasawa unveils the moral questions and theming of the story beautifully. What more can you want in a story?
A considerable portion of the series appears content to meander aimlessly, accomplishing little in the way of narrative progression or meaningful character development similar to 20th century boys. The Czech Republic arc, the arrestment arc, and an absurd proportion of the first 24 episodes exemplify this deficiency.
Urasawa employs everyday people to illustrate the consequences of Johan's actions, expand upon the story's moral landscape and…
Read at the sourcesaarutobi
Monster is a series with a very effective narrative structure of suspense, especially in the way it develops Johan's presence through his absence. However, its psychological and philosophical ambitions, in my opinion, overshadow the depth with which it develops its characters. Tenma seems too idealized and morally unchallenged, while Johan functions better as a mystery and narrative device than as an individual whose psychology can be understood. The series raises interesting questions about identity, goodness, responsibility, and evil, but it doesn't always develop them through conflicts that transform its characters or reveal new dimensions of them. Furthermore, some subplots, the series' length, Kinderheim 511, and the ending weaken my experience. Even so, I recognize its strengths in s…
Read at the sourcelewissfortress
+ Really, really well written and a gripping show, Characters are really capatavating and its themes are really original with the mixture of history blended into the animes story. Show also makes use of non-linear story telling in an original way! I mean watching the first episode just hooked me in, instantly.
- Some of the episodes do feel like 'Filler' and the pacing mid-way in the show kinda sucks. I also thought a specific character escaped death too many times and some of the story telling aspects are left too 'ambitious' for my liking.
Ending thoughts: Its really capturing and is pretty well written, but for the episode amount, Im unsure if its really equal in story telling aspects compared to the amount of time I was watching the show. It was incredibly enjoyable through its cha…
Read at the sourcezozozee
This story attempts to answer the question: Is evil born or made?
And dare I say it explores it in a lot of eerie depth, and we, as viewers, never are quiet able to decide the answer.
All the characters are very well written, and none of them can be characterised as good or evil completely-- they are layered and have intriguing back stories that slowly tie into the climax and conclusion.
But the most interesting of the characters is Johan himself. The guy is unrepentantly evil, but he still can't be fit in the box of a sociopath, as there ARE people he cares about-- namely, his sister. And the weird bond with Tenma (though he won't hesitate in killing him). The guy is clearly s*icidal and has traumas, but he refuses pity, instead choosing to take everyone down with him.
Great storytellin…
Read at the sourceggrrvv
Monster is one of those anime where the more you think about it, the more you appreciate how carefully everything is written.
The story doesn't just focus on one or two characters. Almost every character has their own story, their own struggles, and their own reason for being there. Even characters who might seem unimportant at first can leave an impact later.
And then there's Johan.
Johan is one of those characters where I genuinely stopped and thought, “What the hell did I just watch?” The way he is written, the mystery surrounding him, and the effect he has on everyone around him make him feel completely different from the villains I'm used to seeing. Every time he appeared, I felt like something important was about to happen.
He isn't just a villain who exists to oppose the protago…
Read at the sourceDvncloacker
I genuinely can't get over how good this anime is. The dynamic between Johan and Tenma is masterfully written, and all of the other side characters are all so well written and enjoyable aswell. The only thing that is not that good in my opinion, are the soundtracks and the pacing. I believe that because there were very few episodes where I found myself wondering when they would end, almost as if watching them was a chore, but they were still interesting in some way. Other than that, Monster is the perfect anime if you love psychological thrillers, and mysteries.
Read at the sourcefelinec0re
Often you will hear people say they couldn't finish Monster because of the slow pacing or the lack of action. That is because it isn't just your standard anime, where you will be bombarded by over the top, flashy fight scenes. If anything, Monster feels like a more mature, animated thriller and it would be one of the few shows to work well as a live action adaptation. We were actually close to getting one, directed by Guillermo del Toro nonetheless, but it sadly never came to be.
So what is Monster about? And what makes it so good? We follow the story of the Japanese neurosurgeon Kenzo Tenma, who works at Eisler Memorial hospital in Düsseldorf, Germany. One day, Tenma is instructed by the higher ups to operate on the mayor, who got a brain bleed. However, at the same time, a young boy wit…
Read at the sourceJoe_Devaney
Overview:
For countless generations, humanity has asked the same question over and over again- what is evil? While the answer to that question may seem self-explanatory, the existence of the concept of redemption among other things make it less obvious than one would think. But what if there is a line that, when crossed, makes someone beyond any chance of redemption? Does such a line even exist at all, and if so, where do we draw it? "Monster" is a neo-noir crime thriller dedicated to answering that very question, and proves itself to be one of the most unique of its kind, as well as well worth seeing.
Story (9/10):
"Monster" opens with Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese man currently working as a brain surgeon in Europe, having the nature of his work brought into question when he gets chewed ou…
Read at the sourceIshvalan
I was never a fan of thrillers and probably never will be. But the story of Monster grabs you immediately. The main theme alone is enough to get you absolutely hooked at the beginning of every episode.
But hooked for what?
A nerve wracking thriller where concepts like good and evil, cause and effect, protagonist and antagonist get turned upside down. The story mostly takes place in Germany and let me tell you, as a German myself, they absolutely nailed 90s Germany. The fact that topics like racism against Turkish guest workers were picked up makes it feel incredibly authentic.
No superpowers. No romanticized reality. Just life and some of the dark sides of life on this earth.
What makes a human a human?
What makes a human a murderer?
Who or what decides who we are?
In the end you're lef…
Read at the sourceviolet_sakura
I don't usually enjoy drawn-out detective dramas but Monster is of a completely different quality of masterpiece. Every episode I not only felt anticipated for the next scene, but I had just a generally good time watching it, rather than sick inside from exaggerated woe like many shows(Deathnote for example), this series makes an effort of embodying the full emotions of the human condition.
I get some of the plot lines mixed up during the long expanse of the 74 episodes but the characters were memorable and being built on enough they held the show together. I think it doesn't really matter what arc they were put through because building on their completeness as humans was the important part.
I was quite emotionally attached to everything so of course I have some nitpicks about the ending…
Read at the sourceEoussama
You know that feeling when you’re just getting into Anime, and you keep seeing these giant names get brought up in every Anime and Manga discussion, online and between friends. You keep wondering if they really deserve the clout they get.
For completionists, this is often accompanied by a sense of dread that it’s yet another entry you want to check out, and you start freaking out about how old it is, whether it still holds up, how many companion or sequel releases it has for its name and so on. I mean, you start bargaining with time and energy. Yeah, no, if you actually feel that way hen maybe you have larger mental problems you need to take care of, that is not normal, seek help. If it’s the other way, or at least, to a lesser extreme end, Monster is a deeply disturbing psychological loo…
Read at the sourceLost_crimes
~ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ // ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ~
"𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓱𝓾𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓮𝓺𝓾𝓪𝓵 𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱."
In my opinion, Monster isn't as impressive an anime as many claim. It has a fixed and established plot, but it becomes very slow and full of plot holes that genuinely make you want to drop it and watch something differently. I like the construction of the antagonist and protagonist; they both represent two different things. Good and evil, at least at the beginning, but as time goes on it transforms into something darker and more twisted than it seems. The whole plot of Kinderheim, Bonaparta and the twins is very interesting, Especially in the final stretch, where the anime shines in its ability to connect all the dots and provide a worthy conclusion.
The addition of secondary c…
Read at the sourceserenecruelty
Monster is one of the few works that goes beyond of it's reach and story as an experience. I have kept this anime unwatched, unattended until the age of 24 to experience and understand it's messages to the fullest.
This work is definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and not only it is a compelling story with an unique way of narrating, it also highlights the darkest qualities human race can subject itself to. I really cannot spoiler anything in it for various reasons, not only because this is a review, but also due to Monster's ambiguous nature being one of the best ways this experience invasively connects with the watcher.
Favorite thing I have about Monster is the fact that this story truly starts when you actually finish it. Unlike other series, Monster can be understood, exami…
Read at the sourceerbaaY
I just finished Monster yesterday and I enjoyed watching it.
Well, I usually don't watch thriller or mystery type of anime but this is the first time where I enjoyed this type of anime. I say this because I once tried watching Death Note but I didn't liked it and dropped. I don't remember why I dropped but I will give it a shot again in the future.
Usually this kind of stories bore me. "I want to see action sequences more than anything in the animes or movies", that was what I want in the past but it changed over time. When I watched Monster, I realised that I enjoyed some form of media without intense fight scenes. Mysteries in this anime actually pulled me more into it. Well, not just the mysteries but also characters were also quite good. Every character had some depth and flavor.
O…
Read at the sourceAnimeExplorer21
There are anime you enjoy while watching, and then there are anime that quietly stay in your head for weeks after finishing them. Monster was definitely the second one for me.
I started this series expecting a good psychological thriller because of how much people hype it up online, but honestly I didn’t expect it to affect me the way it did. This anime feels incredibly grounded. No exaggerated anime logic, no unnecessary fanservice, no forced drama. Everything feels human, and somehow that makes it even more disturbing.
The atmosphere is probably one of the best I’ve seen in anime. There’s this constant feeling that something is wrong even during calm scenes. A simple conversation in a quiet room somehow feels more tense than action scenes from most thrillers. I watched a lot of episode…
Read at the sourceMinowux
I am incredibly surprised by the overall score of this anime, its not half good as death note or code geass (story-wise).
Why; because it keeps building tension and barely releases it every 10-15 episodes until the very end, adding new characters and places that makes you think they will lead/connect to somewhere/something but they end up being just a side character.
And after building all that tension, ending was a total frustration for me, i remember death note's every episode being very very exciting, in Monster, even the ending was not exciting for me.
Also this story could have been told in less than 24 episodes with no rush at all.
Summary: Don't waste your time. Even if it was good, its not worth 74 episodes.
Read at the source_Bubassotto_
A work that delves deep into human psychology and does so in a frighteningly realistic way.
Monster is not just a suspense anime; it's practically a detailed study of morality, trauma, and the construction of evil. The title is not there by chance; it represents exactly what the work sets out to explore: the emergence and evolution of a "monster" within a human being.
The story follows the brilliant neurosurgeon Kenzo Tenma, whose life changes completely after an ethical decision that seems right at the time but triggers devastating consequences. From there, the anime transforms into an intense journey of guilt, responsibility, and the search for redemption.
At the center of it all is Johan Liebert, easily one of the most memorable antagonists in anime. Johan is not an ordinary villain:…
Read at the sourceAngelo_zaxk
This show is trash don't be deceived by the ratings.
First of all Dr tenma is confused like hell.At first he makes it his top priority to kill Johan but when presented with that opportunity he starts wavering that he is a doctor and should not take life.Like nigga this dude is a serial killer and has probably killed hundreds of people. I got so annoyed I almost dropped the show. Not to mention Johans manipulation techniques barely makes sense like how the hell did he manipulate a child to go to a brothel and make him almost commit suicide
Read at the sourceOlorin666
It's not just one of the best anime ever, it's one of the best stories among movies, anime, and shows in general. Throughout the history of cinema and television. And this is not an exaggeration. The core of this show is the story. And this is his strongest point. The show itself feels like a great adventure book, of the highest level. A unique original story that intertwines real history and real places from our world and fiction. The show is endowed with incredible philosophical and psychological depth. Despite this, it is very interesting to watch the development of the plot, although the show is quite slow and the middle sags in terms of dynamics. This is a detective thriller that spans dozens of characters, different timelines and locations. The show is a real puzzle that can be put t…
Read at the sourcekeemizz
The first half of Monster was awesome: a riveting detective story involving framed murders and shadowy factions, coupled with an interesting setting not often featured in Anime - Post-WWII Germany & Czechoslovakia. This stellar first half will have you at the edge of your seat yearning for more, only for that feeling to persist after the ending, which does nothing to tie up the numerous loose ends. Instead of gradually clarifying these unknowns, the second half of Monster continues in the tradition of the first by employing pseudo-philosophical posturing and vague allusions, to mask the lack of substance. These techniques are appropriate for the first half alone, as they generate substance via a sense of mystery, the resolution of which one can look forward to. As you slog through the seco…
Read at the source
