Review of Monster
An absolutely incredible show that left me utterly floored by its ambiguous and unsettling ending. From the very first episode, Monster develops its complex characters and well-crafted/paced story of twists & turns that kept me thoroughly intrigued throughout. Due to the slow pace, the look/feel of the animation, and the many arcs within, I never knew what was going to happen next, and there was this constant build of anticipation for how things would conclude, as I was genuinely unsure whether or not it would live up to the buildup the show had. As for how it played out... even though there remain unanswered questionsthat have you still guessing what the heck happened or will happen, I feel enough was given to me such that basically everything that needed to make sense was laid out to me.
In spite of how many great characters there are in this, it's no surprise that Johan shines the most among them as he quickly inserted himself into becoming one of anime's finest characters (and definitely my personal favorite as of now), not only in how fascinatingly compelling he is in his motivations and persona, but also because trying to understand him allows the rest of the show to get that much better. Tenma's struggle but ultimate final decision in his beliefs makes more sense if you think of how Johan staged everything before their final confrontation as a test for Tenma (and us) to understand him. Nina figuring out everything from her past, primarily how Johan feels about her, allows you to understand their connection and why she feels the way she does by the end. All the other characters, from Dieter to Eva to Grimmar and Runge, are crafted in a way where they all have some connection to the main characters, primarily Johan, in a way that doesn't feel forced, and you notice the different aspects of their personalities they have. It all leaves you wondering by the end the answer to the question that the final episode's title poses, or if there even is an answer. This has been the only thing on my mind for the past several hours, as it's fascinating to try to wrap my head around recontextualizing the whole show and trying to make sense of it; it makes me want to revisit the show immediately to pick up what I may have missed.
In the end, Monster is an exceptional work of art that deserves its high praise. From its unique look to the complicated characters and slow yet tense story, I'm fully glad to say it blew me away in every regard. Even when I watch more anime in the future, I feel that time could only improve this, and it may even become my favorite one day. For now, I loved it a ton, and I can't wait to revisit it in the future when it'll probably inevitably go up to a 10 (it's like a really high 9 now for small plot stuff I currently either don't understand or care about more than I probably should given the overall ideas presented here).
- Favorite Episode: this show had a ton of bangers, from Eps 37/38 to the final four (71-74), but honestly, Ep 4 still sticks out the most to me due to how game-changing it was and the extreme tension I had while watching it. Good stuff.