Monster is one of these classic titles that everyone who has been into anime for a while has definitely heard about. I, too, learned of Monster as a must-watch series at the young age of 14. While I could understand the appeal of the series, at the time I did not have the patience to sit through the slow pace and appreciate the themes of this series. Now, a decade and a depression later, I managed to enjoy this series with new insight.
Starting out, Monster quickly shows that it is one of the few anime that ‘get’ the idea of suspense horror. Johan is a consistent threat and has connections in all sorts of places so it becomes impossible to tell who of the characters can be trusted. This makes for a story that will leave you constantly on the edge of your seat and makes it easy to become engaged and sympathize with the main character, doctor Tenma.
Monster tackles ambitious themes such as the human condition, depression, and the value of life. The view of the author on these themes bears a close resemblance to my own, and discussion of these themes on that level is very rare to see in anime. For example, deaths are treated as serious things that have an impact on the characters and have consequences for the story.
The only big weak point in the storytelling is the ending, which ended up being rather rushed and underwhelming after all the build-up. On paper, the ending is great: it fits well within the story it is trying to tell, but the way in which the events happen feels unpolished and like they lack weight. Which is strange, because the very first episodes that set up the operation of Johan and how Tenma hits rock bottom do feel a lot more emotionally important. I missed that feeling in the finale. As a result, some of the story and the themes addressed in it feel weirdly incomplete, and that’s a shame.
Where Monster truly shines is in its characters. It is one of the few anime that I can think of that has complex characters that also undergo complex development. Characters like Eva and Tenma start out a certain way and realistically develop over the course of the show into something different. All is very well executed; the way the emotions of characters are portrayed and how the show deals with mental health is very realistic. When Grimmer described emotional dissociation, it felt very real and like Naoki Urasawa knows what he is talking about.
Another point that I really appreciate is that the characters are all very diverse: we see different characters from different social statuses and ethnic backgrounds, and these aspects of a character inform who they are and the way they act.
There are, however, a few awkward interactions here and there that stop me from rating the characters a 10/10. Certain situations, such as the scene with Dieter’s guardian, feel unnatural and strained to the point it broke my suspension of disbelief.
As expected from a series that is based on Urasawa’s art style, the character designs are very diverse and fun to look at. We even get to see the character design for doctor Tenma evolve in a way that directly reflects the growing despair inside of him. The muted color palette in the series perfectly helps set the depressing tone, and the way character expressions are sometimes exaggerated add to the creepy mood. There’s not a lot of sakuga going on, but that’s not really necessary as mystery and character drama are more central to the story than the action scenes.
The opening and ending themes of Monster are iconic and easily recognizable. Ominous and looming, they fit the mood of the story well. The voice acting is stellar, down to earth yet has a very impactful emotional delivery when it counts. Mami Koyama is one of my favorite voice actresses, and she proved once again why with her portrayal of Eva. The OST and sound design are okay, though there was nothing on that part that blew my mind.
Monster has rightfully eternalized itself as a must-watch classic. Although to my knowledge there are no series of note that have been directly inspired by Monster, it nevertheless is a series that is noteworthy on its own. Even in 2021, anime veterans still recommend watching Monster to newer anime enthusiasts. As the series is more down-to-earth and has a European setting, it is a perfect entry-tier series for (European) watchers who are interested in seinen anime.
Despite its underwhelming ending, Monster is a must-watch classic for anyone who likes thrillers and suspense. With complex characters and themes, there is a lot to be enjoyed for the anime critic and casual watcher alike.
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