Monster

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea having ten horns and seven heads;

And on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names.
And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority.
They worshipped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast,
And they worshipped the beast, saying,
“Who is like the beast,
And who can fight against it?”
Revelations 13: 1-4 NRSV

The culmination of Naoki Urasawa’s genius; the groundbreaking Monster. Written by the legendary mangaka himself. Naoki Urasawa was known for his wholesome shoujo manga, Yawara! which was released in 1986. But in 1995, he decided to write a completely new manga, by going into uncharted territories. This manga was adapted into an anime format by the studio Madhouse in 2004. Little did he know, that this anime, would come to be his best.

Urasawa seamlessly perfects the art of persuasion; pathos, logos and ethos. It is unlike any of his works, as it questions every aspect of the human ethos. By showcasing empathetic characters, it evokes pathos from the audience. It explores profound concepts and often nihilistic ideologies, which lead way to numerous diverse logos. The conundrums are so philosophical, that you tend to forget your own habituated mentality. The elusiveness depicted in each question, is due to the abundance of philosophy, mainly evident in the cynical part of the show. What makes it a legendary medium redefining anime is the sheer surrealism portrayed in each and every sequence, which consequently leads to an unexpected conclusion. Its depiction of the human mind, soul and body is so close to reality, that it often comes off as horrifying.

Naoki Urasawa has a way of portraying mere humans as inhumane creatures, without using excessive and unnecessary blood, gore and horror. He achieves this by delving into the psychological aspect of the human emotions. The emotions that are constantly reinvigorated are fear, terror, agony, trepidation and hopelessness.

Monster showcases numerous characters throughout its long duration. Each character has some sort of significance and adds a layer of nuance to the overall message. The side characters are portrayed tragically, even those who appear periodically, which always have a deep underlying message. The stories which pivot around these characters showcase a moral lesson, a few examples being "I will stop smoking" and "I will stop drinking". From an outer perspective, these may seem trivial, superficial and generic, but they definitively show the flaws of these characters, and how they try to better themselves, but eventually succumb to their inner 'Monster'.

The story is definitely the best aspect of the show. It easily achieves a strong infrastructure in just a few episodes. It does so by constantly creating grueling and unexpected scenarios, which often lead to an unforeseeable result. The methodic aspect of the story is unimaginable - in a way that makes it completely original and creative.

To grossly simplify, the story is about a heavily acclaimed Japanese neurosurgeon named Tenma Kenzo. He goes from Japan to Germany to find a suitable job. After being lost in a foreign country and not being able to find a job, Dr. Heinemann, the director of a highly influential hospital, takes him in after seeing his exceptional aptitude. He instantly makes a connection with the daughter of the said director, Eva Heinemann. He places his complete trust in both of them, and always reiterates being indebted to them. The story takes an unexpected turn when the term ‘morality’ comes into play.

Occupations are often portrayed as a leeway to an adult world, and to some extent, they are. But not in a good sense. No matter how much passion you have for a specific occupation, you'll eventually realize the inevitable grim side, which in Monster's case revolves around medicine. The world of medicine is riddled with politics. The life of an individual is measured by their stature. Going on this disconcerting statement, a man with a higher position will be treated undeservingly better. Naoki Urasawa squares in on this concept with the perspective of a renowned Neurosurgeon undergoing a mental deconstruction, who seemingly creates an infinite time paradox of stress. This paradox is the result of a version of the trolley problem. Two people come into the hospital. One is an influential Mayor whose death could result in the downfall of the entire hospital, and the other is a young boy on the verge of death, who came before the Mayor. A classic ethical dilemma. The decision may seem obvious, but the surrounding environment urges Tenma to go with the Mayor. Eventually, Tenma makes his decision and opts to perform on the boy, which results in the worst-case scenario.

Naoki Urasawa uses every single one of his forte residing in his repertoire which creates an amalgam of perfection, complemented by his signature art style, which Madhouse exceptionally replicates. This, in turn, leads way to a prodigious score, where each soundtrack aggregates into a sanguine symphony, equally melancholic and cathartic. The casting is done adequately, and the voice actors truly fit the characters, bringing them to life.

Monster is criticized for its inconsistent pacing, which I conform with to some extent, however, I find works like these with a dry episodic tone more appealing. Any other criticism is often subjective, undiscussable, baseless or downright idiotic. The overall message of Monster is an inexplicable one, which can be defined in many ways. Monster diminishes the importance of a name, by showing its insignificance and how easily an identity can be manipulated. It ends with showing Johan in a hospital bed, but in the next frame, the bed is empty, signifying that the Monster with No Name ceases to exist. Monster continues to retain its ambiguity till' the final sequence, where the ending manages to be portrayed in such an inoffensive way, resembling the aforementioned rhetorical triangle.

The view which I highly agree with is that the 'Monster' resides within everyone. Grimmer’s violence, Tenma’s altruism that makes him save criminals, Lunge’s indifference towards his family, doctors’ choice of saving wealthier patients, Bonaparta’s experiments, Roberto’s lust and murders. Anyone can become a Monster, even you.