Review of Monster

I’ve become a psychologist because I’ve been in love with psychology since a very young age. So when I fall in love with animes and mangas, one of my number one must see stories are psychological ones. They would always showcases the most terrifying and greatest parts of life. But more than that, it always tackles the extents of what human beings can do. There’s a very long review coming as this is the most brilliant psychological story I’ve ever seen. About the STORY First let me just say that what I love the most about this series is that, it is made as realistic it can be.There are no nonsense episodes. Every episode is so important that one wouldn’t understand the whole thing if not watch and truly understand every minute of it. I like how the whole journey of Tenma for the truth is expressed in detail. Like how other series uses the “several years after” then that’s it. In this series, all his information gatherings, researches and investigation are in details. It’s like we’re journeying with him. We learn and finds out the truth together with Tenma. Every revelation and turn of events is just mind-boggling and heart-pounding. What really happened in every incident is revealed in a way you will never expect and would really shock you. I am literally pausing for a moment to let the revelations sink in and so I can comprehend it properly. It is very knowledgeable as well because some of the important history of Germany is mentioned. You will learn a lot about the dark times of Germany and some about the Nazi as well. I’ve been fascinated with scary stories that would really give me the chills but this kind of scary story is what I love the most. More than the chills, I always become so bewildered in a good way. Because more than fictional or supernatural scary stories, psychology is a whole lot scarier. This is the very meaning of psychological torture or better yet, this is psychological torture elevated. I love the ending. It’s more than what I’ve expected it to be. I couldn’t ask for more satisfying closure for a magnificent story. With all this amazing things said, I think the most magnificent of all is none other than the AUTHOR. I am just so amaze how the author manages to make the storyline connected to one another even if it is from the past or the present. After revelations, you would think “So that’s what really happened”. Then after much comprehension, you would realize that it so genius. This series is beyond being just interesting or just a great story. This is the very definition of a genius storytelling. A genius way of creating storylines, plots, and climaxes.

About the CHARACTERS
The characters make the whole series even more amazing. They are made as realistic they can be. Because you can really find people like them in the real life which makes it even scarier. All the supporting characters are very much as important as the main leads. They play very significant roles in Tenman’s journey on finding the truth. You will be amaze how every character is surprisingly connected to the truth behind the MONSTER Johann.

About TENMA KENZO
It’s so ironic because you could say that literally it is Tenma’s fault because Johann really is supposed to die by Nina’s hand that night. That’s why I wouldn’t blame him if he feels responsible for all the people who are killed by Johann. It is just so sad that Tenma is always one step behind Johann that he always witnesses how people is broken by Johann and worst of all, killed. Even more than that at the end of the day, because he saved Johann that night, many people died. He would be forever be reminded that he’s the one who let a MONSTER live. I feel so bad for Tenma for shouldering all the horrible things that is happening around him just because he chose to save a boy’s life. Just because he considers that human lives are equal. I could only imagine how that feels. Amazed that Tenma is able to maintain his sanity throughout his whole journey. Even after witnessing all the horrible things that Johann did, Tenma still manages to maintain his beliefs and principles in life. And not be influence by the paranoia that Johann brings. That is their biggest difference because Tenma has a very strong heart and will even after being miserable because of Johann.

About JOHANN
Johann is an example of what would happen to a person surrounded by twisted adults. What a person experience when they are young defines what they are growing up. Because of the irresponsible and twisted environment that Johann had, something horrible triggered his twisted world. That’s why even after all he has done, at the end of the day, I feel so bad for him. I could only imagine what he had to go through to become such very unstable and twisted person. Oddly enough, I just can’t bring myself to hate Johann despite being the most realistic villain I’ve ever seen. People like him prove the extents of the human mind. He has this magnificent yet creepy charisma that influences people to do things. He knows who to use and what to say to those people as to push them into insanity. Indeed, like a genuine evil but a lot scarier from fictional stories. The scariest thing about Johann is that he knows very well how to use someone’s weakness to manipulate them. He has this terrifying yet fascinating way of switching something in people mind’s to make them paranoid. That is very evident throughout the series. He scares me a lot that his name becomes something terrifying already. I strongly believe that the incident that first triggered the instability of Johan was that moment when their mother was confused on who to give away. It is so surreal that the reason that leads to creating a monster like Johann was simply because of that moment of hesitation that their mother had. To experience that at a very young age from their mother is something that would really trigger inner darkness even for a child. But if you would look into it deeper at the end of the day, the most genuine victim of all the twisted things in this series is none other than Johann. Deep down he is just a very sad person to the point of being twisted and wanting the world to feel the same way. But still, that doesn’t excuse him for all the sufferings he brought to so many people. Johann is the most effective, realistic, and terrifying villain I’ve ever seen. But the irony on it, he is one of the very few villains that I love so much. More than making me so irritated, I am so amaze by his character.

About TENMA and JOHANN
At first look, Johann looks so calm or stable all time while Tenma looks completely miserable. However, deep inside they are complete opposite. Johann is so twisted inside which make him so unstable while Tenma is able to maintain his sanity. Even if he sinks deeper with the darkness that Johann brings, he would not succumb to it completely which only shows how strong Tenma is. Tenma is the stereotype main character which is perfect to opposite the stereotype character that Johann has. He is the complete opposite of how dark the other one is. Oddly enough, you could even say that among all the characters, Tenma and Johann have the strongest bond. A very strange and complicated bond that people around them would never understand. Perhaps Johann loved and cared for Tenma genuinely on his own twisted way. Somehow it feels sad yet irritating that after a very long journey, Tenma still didn’t have the courage to kill Johann. But at the same time, I am thankful because if he did then his no different from Johann and for sure that might trigger something and make him unstable like everyone that Johann touched. And besides, as much as almost all of us want Tenma to be the one who kills Johann, that wouldn’t be a redemption or even retribution but just a mere satisfaction from being so irritated with Johann. I believe that the whole point is not about killing Johann but more importantly, it is about the journey for the truth and Tenma’s struggles to maintain his sanity and beliefs and not to turn into something else even after the end of the journey.

About the ANIMATION and SOUNDS
To be honest, the animation is not as amazing like others or not one of the best. However, it would be because it is made as realistic as it could be. It wouldn’t be realistic at all if it is made with so much effects like others. It matches the drama of the story so well that it feels like watching a real life drama. I am amaze that Johann is illustrated as a calm and angelic person when he is the real monster of all. It is so scary and creepy. His very angelic appearance and calm attitude despite his capabilities makes him even more sinister looking. It creeps me out and amazes me at the same time. I am having mix emotions and goose bumps whenever he is shown. It only shows that the animators did such incredible job on making not only Johann but all the twisted person in this series looked so scary with their expressions or whenever they would appear. The sounds fit perfectly with the psychological and suspense element of the story which brings out the greatness of the series even more.

The people and story of this series, is the reason why I’ve been in love with psychology but more than that this kind of series is the very reason why I am crazy in love with reading mangas and watching animes. You will witness the very harsh reality of our world and the very reason why people are pushed to do unimaginable things. How politicians’ experiments, twisted minds of adults, and the cruelness of the world turn a boy into a genuine MONSTER. You will fall to realize that more than anything in this world; human beings are the scariest creatures in the history of the world. More importantly, you will realize that more than the monsters depicted in fictional stories, the monsters in real life are much scarier and more sinister. Hence, the title is very much perfect for this brilliant series.

Indeed, the world can really be harsh and even more terrifying than hell. It is also true that the human minds are so vulnerable which is why it becomes so easy to create chain of insanities. But let’s not forget that because human beings know that they have weaknesses, they strive to get stronger and dare to live this kind of world. And despite the cruelness of the world, human beings are still able to continue to live with their strong hearts and will because they know the concept that there is something more important than weaknesses and vulnerabilities. There is more to life. Which is why, even with all the insanities in the world, HUMAN BEINGS NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME!