Review of Monster

Simply amazing. I'm very much compelled to just advise you to immediately open up a new tab and start watching this anime, but something this good demands thorough praise. STORY: Original, thought-provoking without huge philosophical pretensions, complex without being misleading, excellently executed. The morality of everything that occurs is left to the viewer's discretion. It is extremely tight and well-wrought, with not a single plot hole that I can think of. And, more importantly, everything makes sense. I must also commend the ending - a lot of anime ends on an ambiguous, too-open-ended (sequel cash cow), ultimately disappointing note. Monster ties up its loose ends, andyou are given a proper sense of closure.

CHARACTERS: The characterization in this anime is fantastic. There is an extensive cast, so it is only natural that some characters are going to be more developed than others, but not one person feels one-dimensional, no matter how small the role.

I've read some reviews that describe the protagonist as too good to be true, but all his actions are consistent with his personality. Moreover, his tendency to do good even at his own expense is not romanticized by any means. In any case, he makes for one of the best, most interesting, and most well-rounded leads I have seen - not just in anime, but in any medium.

ART: 10000/10. Detailed, realistic, proportional, no chibi whatsoever. People *gasp* look very different from one another. The characters are wonderfully expressive, the scenery is NEVER a group of hazy, lazy lines, and it all wraps up into something very aesthetically pleasing.

LENGTH/PACING: 74 episodes might seem intimidating, especially if you have a busy schedule, but it's actually very easy to squeeze into a week or so. The pace changes often, but it is done reasonably and seamlessly so that there is no disjointedness felt.

FANSERVICE: Discounting Tenma's propensity to communicate in sighs and grunts, which can be very sexy in its own way, there is no gratuity here. Even the violence is minimized, leaving the more gruesome scenes to the imagination.

PRODUCT PLACEMENT: Doctors Without Borders. The mangaka must be a saint.