SPOILER ALERT: The following review contains major spoilers for the entirety of the Monster series.

When hearing the premise of Monster, I immediately was engulfed by the setting. A story about a neurosurgeon who disobeys his corrupt superiors and saves a child's life, only to find out that said child grows up to be a serial killer. Little did I know that from a certain point onward, the story would become a muddled mess filled with disappointment, implausibility and irrationality.

The by far biggest problem of Monster are the illogical resolutions of story arcs for plot convenience reasons. When Eva got shot by Roberto in the forest, Roberto had the opportunity to kill everyone. Eva, Dieter, Tenma - he could have ended all their lives. But no, although they were basically defenceless, Roberto fled because "he was afraid of reinforcements". When Tenma arrived in Munich, he encountered Johan there. For multiple weeks, Tenma could have killed Johan every day. When he first saw him out of Reichwein's car, in the forest when he was observing Johan, it doesn't matter. He just had to pull the trigger and shoot him. That's it. Johan would be dead. The killing would have come to an end. But no, instead of killing him at the over 50 instances he had, he decides to kill him at the book donation ceremony of Schuwald, because of... plot convenience reasons. In the library itself, when Tenma was aiming at Johan, he just had to pull the trigger. Just one small movement with his finger, and everything would be over. Instead of doing that, he got beaten by Roberto, and Johan put the library on fire. In the fire, Tenma and Anna both had the opportunity to kill him again, but they didn't do it. Before the Ruhenheim massacre, Anna again had the opportunity to kill Johan, but again she didn't pull the trigger. And even in the showdown of the entire series, when Tenma and Johan had an eye to eye confrontation, the entire build up of over 70 episodes got thrown out the window when Tenma again couldn't simply shoot Johan. Instead, Anna comforts Johan and forgives him. Why does she do that? Am I now supposed to feel sorry for a murderer who killed so many people? No, I don't. And even now, at the very end, the one who finally defeated the Monster was not Tenma, was not Anna, but was a random alcoholic with a gun who shot Johan in the head. Seeing that was the most anticlimactic moment in a series I have ever experienced. An outsider accomplishes what for over 70 episodes nobody could accomplish - simply pulling the trigger. But of course, after discovering Johan is still, still somehow not dead, but quickly needs a neurosurgeon to survive (for plot convenience reasons), the police forces let a presumable serial killer, Tenma, perform surgery on Johan. Tenma, who saved Johan 11 years ago and brought this Monster back to life, the biggest mistake in his life, does the exact same mistake 11 years later and saves Johan's life again. What an awesome conclusion.

As you already have realised, a lot in Monster happens for plot convenience reasons. While in the beginning you are impressed by the many revelations in the series, after a certain while you simply don't believe the improbability of what happens. Of course Margot Langer is the friend of Johan's and Anna's mother. Of course Jaromír Lipský just happens to be the son of Klaus Poppe. Of course Roberto was a child in Kinderheim 511, the bodyguard of detective Müller, met Eva, was a client of Reichwein, survived two shots from Tenma and a fall into the fire of the library, was the legal partner of Tenma's lawyer and appeared again at the massacre of Ruhenheim. Because of all of this, Roberto is by far the most annoying character in the series. He's always there, takes any role, and just cannot die. The illogicality in Monster is just inexcusable.

Last but not least, there is also the most unnecessary character in the series - Heinrich Lunge. Until the very end, Lunge contributes absolutely nothing to the story. Although being the best inspector of the BKA, having resolved every case in his career, he suspects Tenma for way, way too long while bringing up the irrational explanation:"Tenma has two personalities". At the latest in Munich he should have noticed, that Johan indeed exists and Tenma is innocent. The evidence was clear. But still, he kept chasing Tenma.

Monster's premise gave hope to a thrilling, interesting storyline. But because of the many inaccuracies, which kept stacking up, the whole experience evolved into an unbearable, irrational mess which was hard to endure. With an ending that shattered the previous 70 episodes of build up, it's safe to say that Monster is the most disappointing series I've ever seen.