Review of Monster

Picture a dark German woods, Slavic folklore, misty hills, Gothic city streets, mysteries of the human psyche. Probably some of the best elements this series has to offer. It made me want to visit Prague more than any travel book. Less dull and moody than Noir, more realistic and grounded than true fantasy or fairytale, in that sense, the mood is perfect. This series is not fantasy, but contains elements of Romantic darkness and curiosity found in folklore. A serial killer and his mind are explored, and a simple, wonderful, haunting storybook about human evil that is tied to his life. Lots of great twists,interconnected characters and layers revealed.

Who might like it:
Can be described as anime for people who don't like anime, or have never seen it. Both the visual and the narrative style are easy and familiar for Americans to get into. There are no childlike/wacky elements found in other classics like Full Metal Alchemist or Cowboy Bebop. If those moments annoyed you, or if you need a break from that humor style, this series is for you.

How to sample it:
You could watch the first 8 episodes, and it actually holds as a stand-alone tale. One that is so riveting and atmospheric and satisfying that I would give that mini-series a perfect 10/10. If that's all you have time for, commit to at least that.
The intro song [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n86hgIXc1BM] and the storybook [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnQA-1qlgI4] featured in the outro give you a good taste of the height of this series' atmosphere. Which is gorgeous, intriguing and downright haunting. At least check out those clips on youtube.

Problems:
My only real issue is during times of slow pacing, the mood and art can dip into bland. Emotional moments in the english dub often fall into corny (this is after the initial "perfect" 8 episodes), so the japanese original might make up for that problem (if you're like me, and you can't pick up on acting subtleties in a foreign language).