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Plot Synopsis

Dr. Kenzo Tenma was a brilliant japanese surgeon in Germany who had a beautiful fiancee and great career. Believing that all human life is equal, he refused chose to save the life of a young boy who had been shot in the head instead of the city mayor.

The boy miraculously survived, but the mayor died, and so Tenma's career ended. His position was taken over and his fiancee left him. But suddenly & mysteriously the director and anyone connected to Tenma's demotion were murdered. Tenma finally worked his way back to a higher position than before, but remained the main police suspect for the murders.

Nine years later Tenma learnt the horrible truth that the young boy he saved, Johan, was the culprit of the serial murders. He sets out to find the truth about the monster he had brought back to life, and this time to kill him.

Written by steffic.

Story & Characters

Here is hoping they really mean "HTML" when they talk about formatting these reviews, and not bbcode!<p />
<i>Short summary:</i> Dr. Tenma is a brilliant Japanese neurosurgeon working in modern-day Germany. Things are going quite swimmingly for our hero, until a single life and death decision involving the fate of a young boy,apparently shot during the course of an assassination attempt on the boy's family, turns Dr. Tenma's life completely upside down. He becomes a fugitive, trying to step one step in front of those who would have him locked away or killed, while at the same time seeking to confront the monster that destroyed his life and so many others.<p />
<i>(note: as of this writing, this series has not concluded)</i> <b>Monster</b> is an anime that takes some time to get going, but those that stick with it are rewarded with a rich story supported by mostly memorable and relatively complex characters. For the most gross generalization, you can think of it as <b>The Fugitive</b> in animated form. Yes, the movie with Harrison Ford. This is indeed trying to shoehorn an ill-fitting description onto a series that deserves better, but I am not a professional critic and the comparison will suffice to give you an idea of what to expect.<p />
Events in <b>Monster</b> generally take place gradually, with the side effect that foreshadowing of future events is sometimes quite clear. Some might consider this a disadvantage. I enjoy the pace, since the buildup really gives the viewer time to let their minds wander over just <i>how</i> a particular conflict will be resolved. Some people may find it a bit slow, but if those same people can watch, say, a fight scene in <b>Naruto</b> stretch on for multiple episodes, I do not see any complaints forthcoming from them.<p />
There are a lot of characters to deal with here as well. Through a fair chunk of the series (up to now; as of this writing up to episode 36 out of an expected 70-ish have been subbed) Tenma spends his time travelling the countryside. Along the way, he runs into various enemies and allies -- some of which behave unexpectedly towards Tenma, another thing that endears this series to me. There's the enigmatic, fiercely obsessive Inspector Runge, hot on Tenma's trail. A half-mad ex-fiancee. One of the more interesting characters is a criminal psychologist who...well, to avoid spoilage, let's just say he behaves in an unexpected fashion for an unexpected reason. All of these characters are introduced into the story pretty rapidly, but largely quite smoothly. Several of them form a sort of segue from the focus on Tenma, focusing for a short while on the other characters. My favorite of this bunch is probably Richard Braun, a private investigator with an old drinking problem.<p />
Naturally <b>Monster</b> is not perfect. Some of the scenarios in the story seem a little contrived, either too good to be true or just not plausible. A few of the interrelationships between characters seem just a little too fortuitous for the story. But what a story it is! I was surprised how interested I became. Thus, I rank this aspect of the series highly. The plot and characters are the reason to watch this show.<p />

Rating

9 (very good)

Art

I am not an artist, but I do watch a lot of anime. For the most part, art in Monster is about the same or better than you would find in a series of such length. The colors are mostly neutral and subdued, as befits taking place largely in towns and urban areas. There are occasional splashes of bright color in forests and outdoor scenes, and with the sometimes drab indoor and urban scenes they are really quite nice. Everything is finely detailed, objects to background scenery to characters. Scenery is mostly static although ample attention is paid to, say, people moving outside a cafe window. There is a bit of a tendency for scenery to have that "too polished" look -- unblemished coffee tables, chairs, and the like.<p />
Characters are all drawn with enough detail that it is easy to imagine them being real. Every character is drawn in realistic fashion, faces are proportioned more or less correctly, eyes are even drawn about the right size. This is not a series filled with beautiful people, even Tenma looks like just some guy you might run into on the street. Maybe some people would be disappointed that <b>Monster</b> has no fan service to speak of either, but there are at least a couple of characters who are quite cute.<p />
Sound effects and the like are done well too. More on that in the next section.<p />
Overall, <b>Monster</b> isn't going to strike anyone as having remarkably good art. It's not jaw-dropping good, it's just good. It is never poor, and I do not think anybody will be disappointed by it. I want to give it a seven but I think a six is more subjective.<p />

Rating

6 (average)

Sound

Sound effects are extensive and detailed. Everything makes an appropriate noise. Cars, guns, birds, trees. People handling business cards or paper make...handling sounds. There is a lot of attention paid to maintaining a vivid aural environment for the viewer. This is really excellent. I mean, really. I cannot find a fault with it.<p />
The soundtrack is nothing to write home about, generally speaking, but it fits the series beautifully. It is stirring when it needs to be, suspenseful when Tenma is in danger, sad in graceful bow to a death. But I am not sure I would put it in my CD player on the way to work. The suspenseful music might be good for passing on a two lane road (I drive a 4 cylinder stickshift) but otherwise, it isn't going to be something I want to listen to. It would serve as good ambient music. It's not that all of the pieces are mundane, there are some gems in the OST, but largely it's muzak. There I said it. But the most important thing is that it fits the series despite being unexceptional, so you can't really give it bad marks.<p />
Those looking for vocals in the soundtrack will be disappointed, they are few and far between.<p />
Given the remarkable (at least to my ears) FX work in this series, I just don't really care that the soundtrack is nothing spectacular. Maybe I am being a bit biased but I rate it highly. It is so good that I noticed it was good.<p />

Rating

8 (good)

Presentation

Before I proceed, know that I prefer my anime on the dramatic, realistic side. With that in mind...<p />
As far as presentation goes, I will say this: for an anime, the premise is fairly unique. Set in Europe with a largely European cast, no giant robots or enormous swords flying around, no karaoke...well, no, there is one scene with karaoke but it's not in the usual fashion. The hero, Dr. Tenma, although extraordinarily talented is really just an ordinary guy. You get the impression it could happen to anyone. You get the impression that if it was a German doctor and not a Japanese doctor, things could turn out similarly. Girls don't fall in love with him at the drop of a hat, and there are no hot springs. This is a drama coupled with a bit of whodunnit and suspense. Its feet are firmly planted in the here and now. If you read about this in the paper, you would probably not disbelieve it. Get the picture kids?<p />
Therefore, as expected, there are few comic elements. There is about one character whose role is somewhat comedic in nature, and only barely. You will not laugh watching <b>Monster</b>, unless perhaps you are stoned out of your mind. I'm pretty sure I'm not missing anything. Again, the intent is not to make you laugh.<p />
Some viewers may find the content of the series depressing. Lots of really nice people die. And not in the random-gunshots-fired-into-a-crowd kind of way. Like in a I-know-this-character-and-I-like-them kind of way. Many are recovering from personal problems, portrayed in an unapolegtic honesty -- drunks, depressives, murderers(!). Tenma, a man of exceptional caliber...nothing goes right for this guy. Expect it.<p />
The dilemmas facing Tenma and other characters are sometimes a bit bleak as well -- both choices bad.<p />
If you are in the mood for a good dramatic anime, you will be hard-pressed to do better than <b>Monster</b>. That's the bottom line. If that is not what you are looking for, you probably do not want to watch this.<p />
Although I really like the presentation, I do wonder if it is going to appeal to a wide audience. But I will rate it for those who like this genre, and in that respect it rates highly.<p />
I can't believe I wrote this much. I can't believe I am talking to myself.<p />

Rating

8 (good)

Final Verdict

8.00 (good)

Reviewed by failure, 3y 34wk ago