I was introduced to Monster at an interesting time. I had been an anime fan for a long time, but I was starting to get tired of it. It all seemed very bland and so full of cliches...I was sick of it. I was about to call it quits on anime and manga for good when a friend convinced me to try Monster. I was at my most critical, ready to turn it off and stop as soon as it stopped being interesting...I ended up watching the whole 74 episode series in the space of 10 days. I had been expecting the worst and was totally blown away.
(I'm putting this as an anime and a manga because a.) they are both excellent and b.) the anime was extremely loyal to the manga, so there is no difference in the story at all.)
The story follows Dr. Tenma, a young Japanese brain surgeon living in Germany. He has everything: talent, a great job, a beautiful fiancée...life seems pretty good. One day he is ordered to pass up operating on a severely injured man in favor of a famous opera singer. He thinks nothing of it and does as he's told (the singer is saved, the other man dies), but when he is confronted later by the dead man's wife, he starts to question his own beliefs.
Soon after, a similar situation arises. A young boy who had been shot in the head is rushed to the hospital, and before Tenma can begin the operation, the mayor is also brought in with a brain hemorrhage. Again, the director tells Tenma to leave his first patient so he can save the 'more important' patient. This time, however, Tenma refuses and goes on the save the boy...and the mayor dies. Tenma is blamed for the mayor's death and his life promptly falls apart; he loses his position and influence at the hospital, he's shunned by the other doctors and his fiancée breaks off their engagement.
It's not long afterward that strange murders begin to take place, and the young boy (and his twin sister, who was also brought to the hospital) vanish without a trace. Tenma is suspected for the murders, but there was no real evidence against him, so the case was just left as a mystery. Ten years pass and Tenma goes on with his life...but the decisions he made in past are about to catch up with him again. Nothing is quite as it seems, but all that is certain is that there is more to that young boy than meets the eye.
Rating: 10/10
I'm pretty picky, but Monster was just the perfect series to me. The plot was interesting and exciting (so many twists! I never knew what to expect) and complex without being so cryptic and confusing that no one can understand it. While I love the plot to pieces, it's the characters that make this series really special. Naoki Urasawa (the mangaka) has a real knack for creating very believable and human characters. It's very easy to get attached to Tenma and Johan and Anna....and everyone, really. They just feel like real people, with all their ups and downs and strengths and flaws. The art style is unique and not everyone will like it, but I loved it personally. It's more realistic that the typical 'anime style' and the rough realism was quite refreshing.
I really could just go on and on. Can't say enough good about this series. It's not for everyone, mind; it's extremely plot heavy, so not a good one if you're got a particularly short attention span. It's also very dark, so if you came here for puppies and sunshine, you're going to be disappointed (not that there aren't cute parts. It can be utterly adorable at times, but these parts are few and far between. Sandwiched between murder and psychological experiments and such.)
In conclusion, Monster is a very powerful and unique series. I consider it a masterpiece.
