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My thought/review on Monster (Thread):
Identity, Human nature, Nature of ideals, and Nihilism are the essential themes of Monster. What are the factors that shaped your identity? are humans born good? or were they born bad?
These kinds of question has been a controversial debate since the beginning of time and Monster explored those themes brilliantly. Although i wasn't a fan of the slow pacing and the plot conveniences at first, but after finishing the series and did some introspective about it,
i found a new apprecation for both of those since they're both felt justified and i actually grew a fond of it.
Naoki Urasawa writing is incredible and realistic, every character from the series has a sense of realism, they all felt genuine and grounded that it doesn't feel like its made for its medium.
Although the anime can be slow at times, i find it to be very enjoyable as the atmosphere is something im amazed of, Madhouse did a great job to make something so dark, grim, daunting ,and disturbing yet very enjoyable to watch.
The plot of Monster is very multilayered and nuanced, yet it also feels very subtle. Its starts of as a plot driven story to find Johan but after half of the series, it became a character driven story, a character piece about the human condition and society as a whole.
Johan in my opinion is a top tier antagonist that really represents the essence of the story, someone who has seen the ugliest side of humanity and his development to became the embodiment of true nihilism. While Johan stands out the most when it comes to the cast, we must never-
overlooked the other characters such as Tenma, Grimmer, Eva, and Lunge. Tenma, a doctor with the belief of all lives are equal searching for Johan only to prove that the ideals he holds were true.
Grimmer, a nihilist that tries to find meaning in life and the perfect embodiment of the human spirit. Eva and Lunge, characters that blame Tenma for their downfall because if they don't their identity will break.
All of the cast truly compliments each of their dynamic with Johan and enhances the experience and the themes as a whole
The ending of Monster is something i would say is bittersweet yet thought provoking. It lefts its viewers for their own interpretation and that's something that maybe will be discussed for a long time, "Who is the real monster?" a single question with a million answers.
Overall, if you enjoy a slow yet nuanced and profound series, you should give Monster a try definitely worth the watch. Score: 10/10
