Review of Monster

I'm going to keep this short. The other reviews that you've likely seen before this one do a much better job at actually articulating what makes Monster so special. But I cannot allow myself to stay silent on this masterpiece, so a brief summary of my thoughts will have to suffice. Monster is one of those shows that sneaks onto your radar in one way or another. Maybe you've familiarized yourself with Urasawa's other works, perhaps you saw a clean edit of Johan Liebert, or maybe you stumbled upon "For The Love of Life" and became enamored with it. If you're reading this, you've at leastheard of Monster. If you've yet to watch it or read it, take the plunge.

Oftentimes meandering and slow paced, Monster takes its time to reach its intended destination. Some might consider this approach to storytelling boring, however Urasawa's vision flourishes with the proper amount of build up. Every so often, Monster will hit a crescendo, where several key points of escalation and development all snap into place-- this is where Monster shines.

As the themes of Monster slowly begin to unfold, they are tastefully reflected in the characters. I found myself completely engaged with even the most mundane details as Monster slowly ambled about the detours that had become commonplace. Nothing in this story is misplaced, not a line of dialogue, not a moment of growth, and the end result is gorgeous.

The characters are the indisputable crowning achievement of Monster. Grimmer, Tenma, Lunge, and Anna are gems in their own right, but Johan is quite possibly one of the most intricately written characters in all of fiction. Though he doesn't get a ton of screen time, Johan is the focal point of Monster, as all major events in the plot can be traced back to him in some way, shape, or form. I'd rather not delve into more about Johan here, as I recommend going into Monster as blind as possible. However, I will say that Johan is not the type of character who can be analyzed in an essay-- it would take a full dissertation no less than two-hundred pages to really dig deep into his motives and behavior.

Finally, I just wanted to briefly mention how much I adore Urasawa's approach to character design and visual style. Too often in anime you'll find character designs that differentiate themselves via hair color and clothing, while sticking to the same cliched and archetypal body types. Urasawa instead puts a bigger focus onto making each character distinct in their build, facial construction, and clothing choices while still adhering to the most basic character design fundamentals. Despite creating an absolutely colossal ensemble cast of characters who each bring something unique to the table, none of these characters bleed together visually. Granted, their personalities and characterization also serve to differentiate all of them, but I found it shocking that there never seemed to be any overlap in design.

So, that's it. Monster is now entirely on Netflix, so it's incredibly accessible. Watch it.