Monster

Monster

2004
Monster
Monster

Monster

8.7 | TV-14 | en | Animation

Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, finds his life in utter turmoil after getting involved with a psychopath that was once a former patient.

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Seasons & Episodes

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EP74  The Real Monster
Sep. 28,2005
The Real Monster

It has been some time since the tragic blood battle, and everyone is working hard to put their lives back to normal. Tenma finally locates a woman he has been searching for, and she reveals some startling information.

EP73  Scenery for a Doomsday
Sep. 21,2005
Scenery for a Doomsday

Bonaparta attempts to shoot Johan dead, but is gunned down by Roberto, who dies of his own injuries soon afterwards. With the massacre now over, authorities rush into the town and attempt to determine what happened. Just as an officer is about to arrest Dr. Tenma, an ambulance worker arrives asking for Tenma's assistance.

EP72  A Nameless Man
Sep. 14,2005
A Nameless Man

Lunge confronts Roberto, one of the ringleaders, in a hotel room. Both are subsequently wounded in the fight. Nina and Gillen arrive in Ruhenheim where they find a house containing drawings of the two twins by Bonaparta. This triggers a final memory and the secret to Johan's madness and motives, his quest for true solitude, as well as forgiveness for his actions. Bonaparta accompanies Tenma on his quest to find and kill Johan.

EP71  The Wrath of the Magnificent Steiner
Sep. 07,2005
The Wrath of the Magnificent Steiner

Tenma runs into Lunge, the latter apologizing for his previous accusations against Tenma. Nina and Dr. Gillen rush to Ruhenheim. After the winning lottery couple is wounded in an attack on Bonaparta's hotel, Grimmer rushes out to the streets to reason with the unknown assailants.

EP70  The Town Massacre
Aug. 31,2005
The Town Massacre

As time passes, more people in Ruhenheim are being shot dead by mysterious people and each other. Both Grimmer and Lunge determine that the owner of a local hotel is Klaus Poppe, also known as Franz Bonaparta. After subduing a man who was giving weapons to everyone in the town, they obtain information that one of the ringleaders is in a second hotel.

EP69  The Peaceful House
Aug. 24,2005
The Peaceful House

Lunge and Grimmer conclude something terrible is happening in Ruhenheim when random gunshots ring out, people are either murdered or disappearing, and any links out of town is flooded by torrential rain. As Nina recovers in a nearby hospital, Tenma, using a lead from Capek, travels to Prague and meets with Lipsky and determines that Johan is in Ruhenheim.

EP68  Ruhenheim
Aug. 17,2005
Ruhenheim

With a postcard obtained by Lipsky, Lunge arrives in Ruhenheim. There he meets up with Grimmer, whose research has led him to this town as well. A working-class couple in this town realize they win the lottery and fearing that everyone else wants to kill them, the husband buys an arsenal of weapons.

EP67  I'm Back
Aug. 10,2005
I'm Back

Nina confronts Johan who presents her with a story on what happened when many people were poisoned at the Mansion of Red Roses. Nina realizes that she was the one who witnessed these deaths, the shock of this revelation nearly drives her to suicide, but she is saved by Tenma. Capek is gunned down by members of his organization when they find out about the guard that Capek killed.

EP66  Welcome Home
Aug. 03,2005
Welcome Home

Capek reveals to Nina that her and her twin brother Johan are the products of a eugenics experiment designed to breed "the perfect children". Tenma has wounded Christof and is driving him and Eva to the hospital while demanding answers on Petr Capek. While Eva makes a phone call at a payphone, Tenma sneaks away.

EP65  Johan's Footprints
Jul. 27,2005
Johan's Footprints

Capek tries to berate Johan for his actions and tells him that everything should be done according to Capek's plans but Johan simply disagrees and disappears. Capek realizes his hold on his organization is crumbling and has his men pick up Nina in Frankfurt. Eva accosts the young man who was introduced to Johan, Christof Sievernich, demanding answers.

EP64  The Baby's Depression
Jul. 20,2005
The Baby's Depression

The Baby is killed by a prostitute, and his death sends shockwaves in Petr Capek's organization. Capek becomes paranoid as to who is loyal or not and accidentally kills one of his guards. He makes it to his cottage where Johan is waiting for him.

EP63  Unrelated Murders
Jul. 13,2005
Unrelated Murders

Egon Weisbach was one of the first investigators in the murder of the Liebert parents. On his last day on the job before retirement, he is escorting a convicted serial murderer but wants to know why he killed someone who did not fit his modus operandi. At the same time, Dr. Gillen is interviewing several murderers wondering why they killed someone who also did not fit their usual targets. Both realize that all these criminals committed murders outside their usual scope at the request of a young man, presumably Johan.

EP62  A Pleasant Dinner Table
Jul. 06,2005
A Pleasant Dinner Table

While trying to escape from police in Frankfurt, Tenma is hit by a van. He awakes in the Turkish Quarter of the city, the same one that he saved from The Baby's plot. The man who saved him plans to kill Petr Capek at a convention, but he fails at this task and is shot dead. Nina, in Frankfurt, sees the picture of Petr Capek and it triggers yet another memory.

EP61  The Door to Memories
Jun. 29,2005
The Door to Memories

Nina returns to the apartment that she lived in with her mother and Johan and encounters another memory. She then returns to Munich and Dr. Reichwein where she volunteers for hypnosis to find the truth behind these memories. After she nearly kills Dr. Gillen in a hypnotic rage, she leaves Dr. Reichwein's house to try to stop Tenma from killing her brother. Meanwhile, Suk and Vardemann team up to interview former residents of the Mansion of Red Roses to gather information on Franz Bonaparta's reading sessions with his picture books, and for Vardemann to find out more about his father's true involvement.

EP60  The Man Who Knew Too Much
Jun. 22,2005
The Man Who Knew Too Much

Martin’s attempt to save Eva costs him his life, his last minutes with Tenma reveals a terrible secrets about Martin’s boss, Peter Chapek and the about the experiments.

EP59  The Man Who Saw the Devil
Jun. 15,2005
The Man Who Saw the Devil

Tenma manages to find Martin. A drunken Eva spots Johan at a party. Martin receives his final orders from his boss but his feelings gets in the way. And Martin gets way over his head when he tries to investigate Johan and his disciple, and the truth about his past is revealed.

EP58  I Hate This Job
Jun. 08,2005
I Hate This Job

Martin, a hired hand, is hired by General Wolf's ex-associates to ‘take care’ of Eva. But his emotions get in the way of his orders.

EP57  That Night
Jun. 01,2005
That Night

A flashback to Johan’s and Nina’s past, to the time before the Liebert’s homicides reveals the reason behind Johan’s killing. Police makes a startling discovery at the burnt down mansion. Tenma finally learns where Eva is. And Lunge reveals Lipsky’s true identity.

EP56  The Never-Ending Journey
May. 25,2005
The Never-Ending Journey

Nina and Dieter enters the Red Rose Mansion, but Nina faints from her disturbing experience. And they end up in the care of a puppeteer name Lipsky.

EP55  Room 402
May. 18,2005
Room 402

Dr. Tenma takes Verderman hostage in a desperate search for Eva. And Verderman's dark past is revealed.

EP54  The Escape
May. 11,2005
The Escape

Tenma and Milch are on the run with the injured Gustav and Helene. Eva finds her life in danger when she discovers that the attorney she's supposed to meet, Mr.Baul, is none other than Roberto.

EP53  Determination
May. 04,2005
Determination

After hearing Roberto's threat against Eva, Tenma decides to confess to all charges against him so he can be placed in the same van transporting a prisoner to a Federal Penetentary as the prisoner is arranging for a jailbreak.

EP52  The Lawyer
Apr. 27,2005
The Lawyer

Former patients of Eisler Memorial Hospital enlist the aid of Alfred Baul, a lawyer, to represent Tenma. Baul in turn asks for the assistance of Fritz Vardemann. Vardemann visits Tenma in prison, and agrees to take on the defense, but is then called to the hospital when his wife goes into labor with their first child. When Baul visits Tenma in prison, Tenma is shocked to see that Baul is Roberto. Roberto then says that Eva Heinemann will be his next target.

EP51  The Monster's Love Letter
Apr. 20,2005
The Monster's Love Letter

Schubert, with the help of Reichwein, re-explores his past with Karl Neumann's real mother and realizes his link to Johan. As news of Tenma's arrest spreads, various people react with shock and horror, with the exception of Eva Heinemann, who is insistent that Tenma pay dearly for rejecting her. Suk tries to leave the hospital he is in to try to help Tenma, but is stopped by the Prague Police who inform him that Grimmer has sent a note to them exonerating Suk from any involvement of the deaths of the police officers. Runge also gets news of the arrest as well, but he is more interested in the Mansion of Red Roses, where he obtains a letter possibly addressed to the twins' mother. Tenma is deported back to Dusseldorf.

EP50  The Rose Mansion
Apr. 13,2005
The Rose Mansion

Lunge investigates the secret behind the Red Rose Mansion. Tenma and Grimmer separate, but Tenma finds himself in trouble.

EP49  The Cruelest Thing
Apr. 06,2005
The Cruelest Thing

Grimmer and Tenma tries to stop Johan from subjecting Milo, one of the orphans, to one of the most cruel fate.

EP48  The Scariest Thing
Mar. 30,2005
The Scariest Thing

Johan visits Suk's mother. Tenma and Grimmer learns of his visit. They, including Col. Ranke, listen to Johan's tape. Lunge arrives in Prague for a 'holiday'. His investigation leads him to the sketches of Franz Bonaparta.

EP47  The Door to Nightmares
Mar. 23,2005
The Door to Nightmares

Nina's experience in Prague is a nightmare for her. Tenma and Grimmer meets with a top man in the Czechoslovakian STB. They are offered a deal which Grimmer refuses to accept.

EP46  Contact
Mar. 16,2005
Contact

Dr. Tenma learns about Suk's fugitive status from a journalist. And sets out to find him. Meanwhile, Suk and Grimmer goes into hiding, but is quickly found, surrounded and attacked by the STB. The STB's assault comes to a bloody end.

EP45  The Monster's Afterimage
Mar. 09,2005
The Monster's Afterimage

Suk is put under surveillance by the new commissioner. Together with Grimmer, Suk retrieves the tape and research papers from the deposit box. But their movements is watched by various sides.

EP44  Double Darkness
Mar. 02,2005
Double Darkness

After the death of his seniors, Suk is left to re-investigate case from the very beginning. He gets information from the orphans about a meeting with Grimmer. His intention to arrest Grimmer takes a different turn however when he gets deeper into the investigation. The episode also reveals that there is more to the nameless lady at the bar than she lets on.

EP43  Detective Suk
Feb. 23,2005
Detective Suk

A new inspector, detective Suk is on the case of Zeman's homicide. During his investigation, he discovers that there is more to Zeman's murder than first assumed. Suk also meets a lady whom he falls head over hills for

EP42  The Adventures of the Magnificent Steiner
Feb. 16,2005
The Adventures of the Magnificent Steiner

Grimmer has the key that Petrov gave him, and a former Czechoslovakian secret police organization wants it. Caught and tortured, Grimmer tells his abductors about 'the Magnificent Steiner'.

EP41  Ghosts of 511
Feb. 09,2005
Ghosts of 511

Grimmer stubbornly stalks Petrov for his experimental research papers chronicaling the abuses at Kinderheim 511, but he gets a surprise instead.

EP40  Grimmer
Feb. 02,2005
Grimmer

The episode introduces Grimmer. Grimmer is a freelance journalist doing an in-depth research into the abuses in the orphanages in East Germany. Grimmer meets with Dr. Tenma during their trip to Prague, and they become more acquainted when Tenma is faced with an immigration problem.

EP39  The Hell in His Eyes
Jan. 26,2005
The Hell in His Eyes

Lunge, from the BKA, learns that Johan may indeed exist. Nina goes into regressive hypnosis to learn more about the picture book and her past. Mr. Schuwald has a message for Dr. Tenma and sends Karl to Dresden to pass it to him.

EP38  The Demon in My Eyes
Jan. 19,2005
The Demon in My Eyes

Dr. Tenma has a gun pointed at Roberto, but Roberto has the rifle pointed at him. Nina, Dr.Reichwen and Dieter arrive to find the whole library in flames. People are trapped inside and the doors are all locked. Karl reads the report on his mother's life and death. Dr. Tenma tries to rescue those trapped in the building. Johan reveals the monster inside of him to Schuwald.

EP37  A Nameless Monster
Jan. 12,2005
A Nameless Monster

The episode begins with a fairy tale about a Monster without a name. Nina reads the story from the picture book and has a sense of deja vu. Johan's evil plans for the book donation ceremony is carried out. Dr. Tenma meets a big obstacle in his attempt to kill Johan.

EP36  The Monster of Chaos
Dec. 15,2004
The Monster of Chaos

Dr. Reichwein reveals the true nature of Johan to Mr. Schuwald. Dr. Tenma gets ready to assassinate Johan. Lunge concludes that Dr. Tenma will kill Schuwald next. Lotte confronts Nina about Johan.

EP35  My Nameless Hero
Dec. 08,2004
My Nameless Hero

Lunge tries to get into Dr. Tenma's mind by pretending to be him. Dr. Gillen learns something about Johan during an interview with a psychotic killer. Dr. Reichwen tries to warn the Lieberts of Johan's true nature. Dr. Tenma scouts for a perfect sniping location.

EP34  At the Edge of Darkness
Dec. 01,2004
At the Edge of Darkness

The 'Margot Langer' impostor tries to blackmail Johan. Dr. Tenma helps a young 'doctor' at an illegal clinic

EP33  A Child's View
Nov. 24,2004
A Child's View

Dieter learns of a life threatening game that children are playing. Mr. Schuwald decides to donate his whole book collection to the Munich University Library under the suggestion of Karl and Johan.

EP32  Sanctuary
Nov. 17,2004
Sanctuary

Lotte, Frank and Karl are drifting apart. Lotte meets Nina Fortner and they become friends. Dr. Tenma searches for a perfect spot to shoot Johan.

EP31  In Broad Daylight
Nov. 10,2004
In Broad Daylight

Dr. Tenma and Dr. Reichwen finally meet. Dr. Reichwen intends to proof Dr. Tenma's innocence in the homicides, but Dr. Tenma has other ideas.

EP30  Decision
Nov. 03,2004
Decision

Suspecting foul play in Robert's 'accidental' death fall, Dr. Reichwen makes some discoveries in his investigations. But as he later realizes, his investigations may have put him in harms way.

EP29  Execution
Oct. 27,2004
Execution

Robert delves into Johan's past and makes a shocking discovery. Dr. Gillen speaks to Peter Jurgens, a serial murderer about Johan's possible involvement and gets a tragic reply. Johan confronts Robert about Stephen Joos. And Dr. Reichwen receives tragic news from the police.

EP28  Just One Case
Oct. 20,2004
Just One Case

Richard re-investigates his old homicide cases and makes a frightening discovery.

EP27  Proof
Oct. 13,2004
Proof

Richard's past and present situation is revealed. Johan continues to bond with the Schuwald family and his intention is revealed.

EP26  The Secret Woods
Oct. 06,2004
The Secret Woods

A man who claims to be the son of a millionaire has committed suicide, and a detective is determined to solve the case.

EP25  Thursday's Boy
Sep. 29,2004
Thursday's Boy

Karl Neumann and Lotte Frank are both students who read latin to Hans Georg Schubert. Lotte attempts to assist Karl in finding out his past while trying to figure out the identity of a boy who reads to Schubert on Thursdays. When they both discover who he is, they find the boy, Edmund Farren, in his dormitory, dead.

EP24  Of Men and Dining
Sep. 15,2004
Of Men and Dining

In exchange for her life, Roberto tells Eva to confront Tenma, who is currently treating a mob boss at a country house. Eva is promptly wounded by Roberto when she is unable to complete her task but is saved by Tenma.

EP23  Eva's Confession
Sep. 08,2004
Eva's Confession

Eva Heinemann is arrested for public drunkenness and hooks up with Roberto, with whom she was with the night before her arrest. Roberto then reveals his link to Johan and Eva confesses that she was actually a witness the night Junkers was killed by Johan.

EP22  Lunge's Trap
Sep. 01,2004
Lunge's Trap

Lunge determines that the murder of a wealthy, middle-aged, childless couple does not fit the usual modus operandi of the serial murders and decides to use this opportunity to lure Tenma to a trap. However, before he can arrest him, Lunge is critically wounded by the real criminal. Tenma is able to treat Lunge's injuries.

EP21  Happy Holidays
Aug. 25,2004
Happy Holidays

Nina confronts Muller, one of the two detectives responsible for the death of her foster parents, the Fortners. Muller discovers that his protege, Roberto, is actually working for Johan and is now tasked with killing Nina.

EP20  Journey to Freiham
Aug. 18,2004
Journey to Freiham

Tenma and Dieter hitch a ride with an elderly couple on the way to Freiham. Tenma wonders if the couple plan to turn him in.

EP19  Monster's Abyss
Aug. 11,2004
Monster's Abyss

Tenma visits Rudy, a criminal psychologist, who is working on cases involving a murderer named Jurgens.

EP18  Five Sugars
Aug. 04,2004
Five Sugars

Nina meets with an old friend and boss, Mister Rosso. The delightful old boss however, has a very dark past.

EP17  Reunion
Jul. 28,2004
Reunion

The extremists plans are put into action, and Tenma decides to postpone his search for Johan and instead heads to the Turkish district to warn the people there. Dieter and Heckel are captured by the skinheads and are left to burn in the fire. And Nina tries to get information about the 'main dish' from 'The Baby'.

EP16  Wolf's Confession
Jul. 21,2004
Wolf's Confession

Nina escapes the mansion. And Tenma meets with the unrecognizable General Wolf at the mansion later.

EP15  Be My Baby
Jul. 14,2004
Be My Baby

Dr. Tenma and Nina Fortner's investigations lead them to a powerful man known as 'The Baby', who belongs in an extremist organisation. They soon learn that the organisation has special plans for the Turkish district tomorrow.

EP14  Left Behind
Jul. 07,2004
Left Behind

Inspector Lunge investigates the murder of a prostitute and suspects a senator named Dr. Boltzmann of involvement. His dedication to his work however takes a toll on his family life. Meanwhile, the vindictive Eva continues to press Lunge to catch Tenma. She also has a new lover, her garderner.

EP13  Petra and Schumann
Jun. 30,2004
Petra and Schumann

In a small village, Dr. Schumann worries over the health of his sick but stubborn old friend, Petra.

EP12  A Little Experiment
Jun. 23,2004
A Little Experiment

Dieter is picked up by Hartmann before Tenma could return. And Tenma learns more about the experiments in Kinderheim 511.

EP11  511 Kinderheim
Jun. 16,2004
511 Kinderheim

Tenma learns that Johan used to be in an orphanage known as Kinderheim 511. And he meets a former East German official named Hartmann who used to work there and an injured boy named Dieter.

EP10  A Past Erased
Jun. 09,2004
A Past Erased

Tenma encounters a burglar named Heckel who claims to have seen the killer. It soon results in Heckel leading Tenma to a couple of murderers.

EP9  The Girl and the Seasoned Soldier
Jun. 02,2004
The Girl and the Seasoned Soldier

An old mercenary soldier named Hugo is interrogated by Lunge about a student of his, a doctor named Tenma.

EP8  The Fugitive
May. 26,2004
The Fugitive

Eva tries to threaten Dr. Tenma, unless he gets back with her, she would reveal to the police that the tie that was found at the scene of the crime is his!

EP7  Mansion of Tragedy
May. 19,2004
Mansion of Tragedy

Tenma and Nina return to the Fortners’ residence to find Mauler and Nina’s parents dead. Two detectives arrive to take them to the station for questioning, but certain things don't look right.

EP6  Disappearance Report
May. 12,2004
Disappearance Report

Nina finally receives an email informing her to meet the anonymous sender at a specified time and place. Dr. Tenma in his search for the Liebert girl, asks Mauler, an editor for a local publisher, for assistance in his investigations.

EP5  The Girl From Heidelberg
May. 04,2004
The Girl From Heidelberg

Nina Fortner, a talented young student in Heidelberg has been having nightmares. She also cannot remember anything about her life before she was 10 years old. She soon suffers from fainting spells in university and starts receiving anonymous emails.

EP4  Night of the Execution
Apr. 26,2004
Night of the Execution

Adolf Junkers has information about the serial murders that is vital to the police, but he is afraid to reveal them. Dr. Tenma's care for Adolf Junkers however wins him over. His close relationship with Junkers however leads him to a night of shocking horror.

EP3  Murder Case
Apr. 20,2004
Murder Case

Things look brighter for Dr. Tenma, now that Dr. Heinemann is dead. His career takes off, and even Eva tries to win him back. But unfortunately, all that success has drawn the attention of Detective Lunge.

EP2  Downfall
Apr. 13,2004
Downfall

The price for disobeying Dr. Heinemann's orders to operate on the mayor is costly for Dr. Tenma. His career begins to plummet. The boy whom he saved finally awakens, but a horrible incident occurs soon after.

EP1  Herr Dr. Tenma
Apr. 06,2004
Herr Dr. Tenma

Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a leading neurosurgeon at the Dusseldorf Hospital has received massive acclaim for his successful surgery on a famous opera singer. However, he is burdened by guilt. Due to pressure from the director, he had operated on the opera singer on the night that he was supposed to operate on another man. As a result, when the director’s orders him to operate on the mayor, he decides to ignore the order and instead works on saving the life of a young boy, brought to the hospital from the scene of a serial homicide. However, the boy's twin sister, who was brought in with the boy, and who still suffers from shock, keeps repeating the words 'kill him'.

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8.7 | TV-14 | en | Animation , Drama , Crime | More Info
Released: 2004-04-06 | Released Producted By: Madhouse , Shogakukan Production Country: Japan Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website: https://www.ntv.co.jp/monster/
Synopsis

Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, finds his life in utter turmoil after getting involved with a psychopath that was once a former patient.

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Cast

Hidenobu Kiuchi

Director

Satoshi Kon

Producted By

Madhouse , Shogakukan Production

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Reviews

mohammedalanze18 As An Anime Fan I have watched a lot of anime, until I felt a little bit bored, there are a lot of things that you see in every anime show you watch, until you feel all anime kind of look like each other, this where Monster comes to show you something more serious and more action more thriller, the story of monster is about making bad decisions,regret and then trying to make it up, Doctor Tenma is a very famous Doctor who is engaged to his Boss's Daughter and lives a very good life the only problem he only he only treats or heals Rich and famous people, he doesn't pay any attention to the poor ones, Once a poor woman Begs him to heal or treat her husband and at the same time Dr.Tenma's Boss refuses and asks him to heal another VIP Person and that what happens, the poor Husband dies, the wife blames Dr.Tenma, this is the basic start of the anime, after that Dr.Tenma's Life Changes to the better ? the worse ? you watch it and judge it your self, This anime is a new experience, pretty much thriller and suspense, it feels that it is a Tv Show not an Anime, That what made this show special, I watched this anime and I loved it, I Totally enjoyed it.
ianmitchell-45214 I'm going to keep it simple. What I liked and didn't like summarising with my conclusion.I liked the voice acting. I watched it in English dubbing and the voice acting cast gave me nostalgia of the mid 80s early 90's cyberpunk era of anime with voice actors like Kirk Thornton, Doug Stone, Michael Mcconohie and Steve Kramer. All these old school voice actors have a touch of class that really improves on the overall viewing quality. I also liked the complexity of the storyline. It's very intricate and well thought out.I did not like quite a few episodes though. Several of them were sending me to sleep. Some aspects of the storyline and moments of drama seemed pretentious and downright irritating. I remember feeling underwhelmed by Full Metal Alchemist for the same reason. It's like the director has to be absolutely certain we like the main characters by making them ABSOLUTELY ANGELIC! El in FMA had to be sooo damn noble and it felt that way with Dr Tenma or Anna. My favourite ever main character in anime is Golgo 13 since he's not really an holier than thou good guy. Another parallel between FMA and Monster is the subject of Nazis. Is this why everyone loves both animes so much? Good grief, I'm sick of hearing about the damn Nazis in media.In conclusion am I glad I watched the series? No. I'd have rather never watched it. Others may love it (the majority judging by it's high IMDb rating) but I would not recommend this anime. Too pedestrian for me. It didn't even have to be an anime really.
la_ramone Unbelievably perfect. This complex and beautiful storyline unfolds over 74 incredible episodes, untangling the deepest philosophies and the loveliest intricacies of human life with every carefully constructed character and scene. I have never watched an epic of this magnitude. The composition, score, production, dialogue, and plot all work beautifully together. Even as the series dips deeply into the life of virtually every single character (and there are a multitude of impeccable and vital characters - more than a dozen), the protagonist and the story are never lost. Every little detail has a place of importance throughout. The mystery of Monster is revealed in little tantalizing bits all along, allowing the viewer freedom from feeling overwhelmed at the end. Nothing is left unsatisfied or unturned, and everything ties together so neatly. Perverse and violent subject matter is balanced with episodes so loving and meaningful that you feel the impact of the real world - positively, viscerally, bone-chillingly - within every scene. I feel so honored to have watched this. I sincerely cannot recommend Monster enough. 10/10. Absolute perfection.
Playbahnosh Let's get this out of the way first: I REALLY liked Monster! But, I wouldn't watch it again...Monster is a down-to-Earth psychological crime drama. At first it might appear to have supernatural elements, but I won't spoil it for you. After watching the entire thing, I would say Monster would've been great as a live-action TV series, which couldn't be said for any other anime I watched so far (and I watched quite a lot). It has everything a great series needs, a cast of characters that the audience can care about, action-packed scenes to liven up the pretty in-depth crime drama, great character development, a good story full of twists and turn that will keep you coming back for more and an astonishing and realistic art-style to wrap it all together. During it's 74 episodes it brings up many hard questions about the human psyche, morality and human connections, relationships. How far are we willing to go to accomplish our goals? How much of your humanity are you willing to trade in for them? What is "humanity" anyway? Some of the episodes are frighteningly realistic in describing the human condition and it doesn't back down from touching really hard social and historical taboos either. No, it grabs you by the hair and slams your face in them saying "Look! That's what you are!". I can safely say Monster was one of the most unique and thought-provoking experiences I've ever had.But, (and yes, here comes the "but") Monster is anything but perfect. While it's action-packed and suspenseful story would stand great on it's own, it's sadly spread too thin and too long. The story needlessly drags on for 74 episodes and the ending feels more like a coup de grace than closure. The cast of main characters is huge, and while they are really well made and fleshed out, we are continuously introduced to a slew of new side-characters that have barely any relevance to the main story (if at all). The writers regularly go off on tangents just to demonstrate a small plot point or tidbits of (mostly irrelevant) character backstory, bringing in and taking out characters on a whim after they "served their purpose". In the end, they were seemingly just struggling to give enough individual screen-time to their monstrously bloated cast (pun intended), and it only makes the audience lose interest in them and lose count on who is who why they are even there.The story is mostly delivered in (sometimes painfully dragged out) exposition. The story lurches forward in needlessly detailed investigation sequences flooded with meaningless trivia and extra character backstory that have little to no bearing on the main story itself. The story regularly branches off into dead-ends and meaningless side-plots that fill entire episodes yet don't bring anything new or interesting to the table. The sheer amount of dialogue and narration in Monster would fill entire volumes of books. Even the exposition itself is riddled by double-takes, needlessly repeated "remembering" segments and a ton of redundant, rephrased information. You can seriously skip entire dozens of episodes and still understand everything since the characters and the exposition keep repeating themselves over and over. The whole series could've been distilled down to a neat 30-35 episodes without losing any of the story.My third (entirely personal) beef is with the setting. Unlike most anime, the entire story of Monster takes place in 80's and 90's Europe (mostly Germany and the former Czechoslovakia). See, I was born and still living in Europe, I lived in the time and place the show takes place. Monster being a work of fiction, I chalked up most of the factual, cultural and historical errors to "writer's freedom" and "suspension of disbelief" and such. While the creators of the anime obviously did their homework and got most of the big things right, there were some things that bugged me more than they should've. Little, insignificant things that most people from other parts of the world would miss, were just screaming at me from the screen. Getting used to the obviously Japanese mannerisms, phrases and behaviors forced upon the allegedly European characters is one thing. But small details like choice of words, type of foods/drinks, fashion, architecture or even music in some places were just flat our wrong and felt so out of place that it shoved me right out of the immersion. I know it sounds lame, but since the creators obviously tried to recreate the setting realistically, I just couldn't help it.I know I spent most of this review pandering on what's wrong with Monster, but the truth is, I really liked it, and I stand by my score of 8/10. It's really worth watching for everyone who desires something other than the run-of-mill anime, something unique. If you can overlook the droll exposition and sometimes aimlessly branching and dragged out storytelling, you'll find a really suspenseful and interesting story of crime and punishment, dark secrets, interesting characters, huge plot twists, thrilling psychological expeditions into the human mind and soul and much more.