Monster

I can't take the sadness why this anime ever ended?! I remember I felt deep emptiness when I finished it for the first time. As expected from Madhouse, Monster was a monster creation. Monster is my first work which I got to know of Naoki Urasawa. Monster is literally one of the best anime ever made.

A dark, suspenseful and extremely entertaining anime that boldly answers back to the skeptics who think that all anime must be as brain-dead and child-oriented as the majority of prime-time viewing. (Which is, quite frankly, usually embarrassing to watch in the presence of others.) The plot of Monster is without a doubt the best part, dark but not without cheerful scenes, and centered around the story of a Dr. Tenma, a talented Nero-surgeon, who's upright morals soon send him on a rarely chosen path to correct the wrong he'd unwittingly committed in the name of justice. Unlike other anime, most of which seem to focus on super-powers, fantasy, or sci-fi horror, this one's true chillingness is in the fact that despite being animated, it is portrayed in an all-too-real manner. In reality, the most truly terrifying people are generally people who you wouldn't think out of the ordinary in a crowd, not some supernatural monster who relies on brute force or the inability of the entire world he fights to stop him. The animation isn't the best, but the story more then makes up for it, and even watching it on a 42" TV, I was far to engrossed with the story to make more then the occasional observation that perhaps the movement wasn't quite as smooth in some places as it might be. The same applies to the sound, which doesn't quite keep pace with the story either. Nonetheless, it is one of the best shows I've seen, period.

Once I started reading this manga, I really couldn't stop. It's probably one of the most fascinating, complex and suspenseful stories I've ever read. The artist's grasp of facial expression is amazing. When I compare Monster to other manga I've read...well, for the most part, there is no comparison. Like another commenter said, there is no fanservice, no glorification of violence, pointless gags, characters with cutesy personality quirks, etc...everything seems genuine and real. There were moments that horrified me speechless and scenes that brought tears to my eyes, too. Monster is very moving, but also very disturbing...a powerful commentary on human nature.

I've watched a lot of anime, I've read a lot of manga, but Monster has managed to blow all of my former "favorites" out of the water. It manages to combine everything that's great about thrillers, mysteries, character studies, and psychological dramas all at once. The writing is superior, the direction is fantastic, and the way the story builds is slow but undoubtedly engaging. If Alfred Hitchcock had ever endeavored to create a serial work, it would be something like this.

The characters are all lovingly and soulfully rendered, and the show never seems to fall into the traps that even the best anime do - that is: needless fanservice, forced comedy, or ludicrous violence.

In addition, get ready for a history lesson. This story deals more with the social and political annals of 20th century Eastern Europe - ACCURATELY - than most classes on the subject.

I've seen a lot of Animes and I have to say this is the best one in my opinion, a true masterpiece that goes beyond others. I liked Monster since its not a common Anime (japanese cartoon) since it doesn't evolve around supernatural abilities or Futeristic techs. The story is written in a way that make it feel very realistic. The realistic story also makes it a very scary story in a sense that the monsters in this story actually can exists, these are the real monsters we should be scared of.

Don't let the fact that its anime scare you off. Even if its hard to watch at first you'll get used to it, the story makes up for it. The story is so compelling that once you get into it it's hard to stop watching. I don't want to spoil any of plot more than it questions a common moral "all human life is equal worth". The plot really gets you thinking.