Review of Monster

It had been quite a while since I had watched any anime, so I began scouring the internet for a show considered to be "the best". That led me to "Monster", a good show, but far from the best I've seen. It started out so good. The show hooked me immediately. It created a web of characters that played off of each other very well. The mystery of it was very intriguing. Around episode 6, however, the show began to present some of its less refined details. I've always loved slow-burn stories, but this show took it to a whole new level. I think my big issue withthis particular story is that I didn't feel there was a lot of payoff for cliffhangers or my patience. There would be twenty episodes leading up to some big event, and then the event wouldn't have a great payoff.

The ending is the most problematic. The final arc of the story, the very thing you've been waiting for, isn't pulled off well at all. From all the hype surrounding the evilness of the villain, I expected a lot more from the ending.

Some of the character developments, like that of Nina, were extremely cliche'. For the most part, though, the characters were very well-rounded and given significant development.

One thing the series does well is episode endings. There is a need to watch the next episode immediately. The cliffhangers are interesting and are completely original.

Overall, this is a good series with some major story flaws.