Review of Monster

monster is a title i've known about at least for most of my teenage years, i've been putting it off constantly until december of 2018. now, i'm low-key glad i did because i've a sound mind & logic to be able to enjoy a series that isn't all about beating bad guys through friendship or some just as half-assed logic & shallow to the point i'll end up utterly hating it and review it. for so many years, monster has been the sweetheart title of the psychological/thriller/mystery genre. seriously, so many things have been said about this one, i can't count how many times i've seen'monster' & 'masterpiece' in the same sentence on different sites & public forums.

the nature of monster is best compared to a dark, cloudy day, or a cold dish. the storm is brewing, you see the uncertainty on a person's face as they hastily look out their window. the storm is coming, the storm is coming.

monster takes great fame and excels at portraying the cruel side of life as realistically as possible, and how down-to-earth it seems to be is what makes it so creepy, but also, it might just be the best tale i've seen be told in anime, which has positioned & proved itself to be its own stand-alone form of art over the passage of time. it is a slow burner, it menacingly clinges to the viewer and causes them to dread over it, but it also causes anticipation over events that follow, and if i may trace back to my last paragraph, it's best taken as a cold dish because there is nothing remotely close to a light, fiery-hearted & pleasant experience during the whole story, because the whole thing is set to be a macabre game of cat & mouse, but through different character arcs which have no fillers whatsoever.

now that i mentioned fillers, this show is filler-free! you might shrug at the episode count, like i did before i've seen it but god was every episode worth it. every episode is any bit significant to the story and, contrary to the anime community's complaints, i don't see how a show with this depth to it could run for a full season.

i believe no one needs an introduction to the story. that's why i'll take the time i've to praise the writing & dialogue. the writing in monster is exceptional, astounding, you name it. like i've said before, it is a slow burner that will make the viewer dread about the following events through acts of shock, awe or desperation and will place utter anticipation on the viewer for the whole duration of the series. the plot lays itself out almost flawlessly so, if you pay enough attention, you won't have to think that you've missed an important piece of info.

the dialogue is a perfect fit. the wisely-crafted dialogue for each character fits the all-around anxiety-filled atmosphere of the series and lets the viewer into a deep outlook on the characters and their personalities. i believe this show has reached the maximum peak of what it wanted to be, because of the intense care put not only on the connections of the main characters, but on the whole cast.

the characters, all from different backgrounds, have something to strive to on their own but throughout the series, the viewer will realize they will too be involved into this game that's not just between a cat & a mouse. the intense amount of care put into all the characters, their personalities & progression is one of the points of the anime i respect the most and it is something i consider to be pretty important and should be paid close attention to.

the animation in monster is probably the best i've seen. it draws out expression, and emotion through that expression in a way closest to real life, it is so sublime. it sets itself as another proof within the series that art is ever-lasting and will be able to stand the tests of time for years, or even decades to come.

the sound of monster, it really doesn't miss its mark. more over, it enhances an experience throughout the series, from a personal point of view. the gloomy vibe the soundtrack gives off and the especially creepy, abrupt opening & ending themes set the mood to a series that is as monumental, in terms of depth, as it is gloomy.

i love monster, what can i else say? but i wouldn't recommend it to anyone that's feint of heart or even as a must-watch. be alarmed that while this is a show that excels fantastically at telling a story & setting a standard for many, many anime alike, it tells of cruel, historical events in a way just as cruel & real as possible, almost as if the way it's presented is greater than life itself.