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Monster
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Animation - 9.0 |
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Sound - 9.1 |
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Story - 9.6 |
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Character - 9.6 |
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Value - 9.4 |
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Enjoyment - 9.4 |
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Average - 9.3 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This anime is very much like the Bible. The meaning are concealed. Fools couldn't even appreciate it's greatness.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I have been watching anime, of all kinds, for nearing ten years now. I first got into it in the 90's with the hit shows like Kenshin, Berserk, and Evangelion. In my opinion, this was the golden age of anime. Even the shows like Weiss Kreuz which had characters clearly designed for a female audience, featured a fantastic story, and high production values. In recent years (2000+) the quality of anime released has gone down considerably, and the shows have sunk into a number of different stereotypes and often don't differ extremely from what they're supposed to be.
Monster is different.
Animation: The animation, from a production value standpoint, is on par with the times. Very fluid, and the characters have a wonderful degree of realism which their actions, and small inflections. The art style is dark, gritty and grim for a majority of the show. This makes the happier, lighter times all the more appealing, and lets the viewer truly appreciate the mood. A great deal of care was taken on facial features, they are not overdone, or overly dramatic.
Sound: This is arguably the best, most clearly defined aspect of this show. The audio is brilliant in every facet. Music flows along beautifully with the action, and is appropriately slow and moody during the exposition. The opening and ending are both fantastic. Ending theme particularly, as the animation changes over time, as you watch the show, and you begin to understand the plot through the ending. There have been few shows in recent memory that have sound tracks so perfectly fitting to their respective shows.
Story: Brilliant. The story is deep, twisting, and complicated enough to leave teens, and younger viewers behind. If you have any medical background you will appreciate the procedures Tenma must do, understand the battle between saving lives, and his conscience. Doctors face this every day, when they must save the lives of criminals, and people who, in the eyes of society would be better off dead. The real strong points of the story is Tenma's fugitive run from the law, and his tracking down the boy turned man turned monster. The viewer clearly sees the transformation in Tenma over time, and it is both a hard transformation, and a flowering. No longer the naive surgeon, he becomes a driven gritty warrior of truth and justice.
Character: Every character places his part to perfection. There are no extraneous, or unnecessary persona's. Even if you're not a fan of side stories, you will be hard pressed to not feel for the characters portrayed, as you're taken through a dark look at the consequences of saving one persons life, and the impact it has over every character in the series.
Value: I have watched all 74 episodes three times now, and I find something new every time. At first view, you won't be thinking as critically, but on the second and third you'll notice small nuances that are brilliant, and perfectly placed. Each episode is crafted with such meticulous care, that none seam out of place, and there is no filler.
Enjoyment: Perfect 10. The first episode may be hard to swallow for many, and was for myself as well. I wasn't expecting the dark, and starkly realistic look at hospital daily life. If, however you stick around for even episode 2, you will be hopelessly addicted and most likely watch until the early 30's without much of a break. I recommend you start this show on a friday night, as I guarantee you, it will consume the vast majority of your weekend.
As a final note, anyone claiming this is overrated, or too "deep" are simply kids, too used to big eyes, and over exaggerated actions in their over simplistic anime. This is a show for the mature, not for those who want to see endless battles, signifying nothing, or pithy romance stories with contrived plot twists and endings. This is a gem.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Neon Mist |
(2008-03-18 18:23:42) 2008-03-18 18:20:51 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| When people think of the word "anime," they usually imagine cartoons with gigantic robots, ninjas, beasts in fantasy worlds, or excessively complicated love stories. And, of course, all of the characters (females especially) would look the same, excluding their respective hairstyles and eye colors. From all of these stereotypes and assumptions, Monster differs. It's exciting, beautifully animated, and offers a compelling plot. Due to its serious tone and moments of blood and brief nudity, it is not something most children would be interested in. I'm not sure if I can say the same about teens. Your preference of anime will determine your opinion on this one. Monster's plot is intelligent and dark. There's no fantasy or complicated gadgetry involved.
Dr. Tenma, an ingenious Japanese neurosurgeon, works at a hospital in Germany. One day, a boy with a bullet in his head is wheeled in. Dr. Tenma operates on him and saves his life, but the boy then disappears and a few hospital directors are found dead. Dr. Tenma is accused of murder and flees. He soon realizes that the boy he saved may have been the real killer and seeks to kill him before he can harm anyone else. On his quest, running from the police, Dr. Tenma traces the boy's roots. From there, the anime becomes an intense psychological thriller. It's addictive till the very end.
Some people have called the anime slow-paced, but I think otherwise. Much of the time, Monster steers away from Dr. Tenma and focuses on other side characters. So, it can be a bit frustrating to leave Dr. Tenma's pursuit of the boy every now and then. However, those so-called "unnecessary" episodes serve as plot or character development and also as backgrounds of the main characters. Towards the end, everything collapses together. This aspect of Monster is what makes it most unique. Each episode could be a hefty chapter out of a book, and the plot is so intricately woven that you can't get enough of it. In some ways, it's a good thing that the series is a whole 74 episodes long.
The vast amount of well developed characters also adds a lot of depth to the plot. They each have their own stories and backgrounds, and their appearances are all different. I don't think there was a single character that looked identical to another. The only downside to the animation is that many of the Europeans look unattractive. Dr. Tenma looks fine, but most of the Europeans have very exaggerated features. Still, it's good to see an anime that gives each character a completely unique design. On an additional note, the animation aside from the character designs is amazing. The backgrounds are gorgeously made and the characters' movements are fluent.
In plot, animation, and style, Monster is like no other anime. It tries to interpret the human mind and combines action and suspense to make it as complex and deep as a thick, richly written novel. Now that I think back, it was really like "watching" a mystery book.
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3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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No
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| Average |
1.8 |
| Animation |
3 |
| Sound |
3 |
| Story |
1 |
| Character |
2 |
| Value |
1 |
| Enjoyment |
1 |
| one word... OVERRATED
he story (for me anyway) is a mixed bag of snail-paced intrigue. Whilst genuinely interesting at times, with ok plot twists and events, the whole thing moves too slowly for MOST of the time, whilst not holding your attention for enough of it. There are no real filler-eps (yay!), but some episodes are just dawdling on boring aspects of the story when later we realise there was no real need. Too much time is spent developing characters that are not crucial to the story, instead of just getting on with the main plot.
I think it becomes really obvious that the creators are trying to show the effects that the main protagonist (Tenma) and the villian (Johan) have on society in their different ways, but I found that the story kept repeating this with similar events. Tenma helps those he encounters, whilst Johan manipulates/destroys those he encounters. It`s fine to see examples of it a few times, but during the course of the series there had just been too much focus on this with reference to random people that the main characters meet along the way of their journey. At times like this I found it difficult to persist because the main plot just wasn`t advancing quick enough.
Characters:
Overall, the characters are averaged out by a few good ones and slightly more bad ones. Tenma and Anna/Nina are very watchable, but not many others are. This is especially true of Johan for me.
At first I simply could not take my eyes off the screen whenever he graced it with his presenece - his character simply demanded the attention due to his mystique. But as the series continued I found that his initial presentation was misleading. I thought we`d see something really horrifically special about him, due to the spine-chilling music accompanying his screen time. I got the distinct impression that he was like Darth Vader - instilling fear into everyone who crossed him.
But then I realised, he`s not like Darth Vader - he`s more... Adolf Hitler. Indeed an evil character, but in no way worthy of all this fear. Everyone is so scared of him? HIM? How ridiculous. It`s SO awkward to have this spine-chilling music and atmosphere build up whenever this wimpy boy is talked about that it ends up having a rather contrived pathetic effect. It`s as if whole gangs of mobsters instantly shake and start to cry even by looking at him. It`s so unrealistic that it ultimately takes away from the overall enjoyment of the series.
Also, as i`ve mentioned before the character developement spends too long on expendable forgettable characters too. The best aspect was the relationship and bond between Tenma and Anna/Nina.
Value & Enjoyment:
All in all i would NEVER watch this series again, since there is nothing there to make me think "yeah that was so spectacular it needs another viewing", but it`s not meant to be. It`s an ok one-time viewing series. It initially took about 9 episodes to get interesting in the first place, and a further 20ish to increase to the next level of excitement, so it requires some perseverence. One thing that bothers me about this anime, is the reasons for making it an anime. Just why bother? There is nothing that anime brings to it that couldn`t be done more interestingly with live-action. This is a serious story, with complex mature themes, but no "hey this would be a good anime" feel. It`s soley a drama, with no fantastical, supernatural, or even periodical elements whatsoever. I guess I personally just expect something a little different from my anime.
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0 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I admit I gave up on animes around two years back. It was all the same: harem comedies, melodramatic mechanimes, or the token martial arts fare. As much popular as Naruto/Bleach were, they really weren't anything fresh. Then last year I heard of Monster, and I read that it was unlike anything before. Still skeptical, I started watching it. I liked what I saw, but around episode 20, various circumstances made me drift away from it. Until this summer, I finished the rest of the show in one week. And I can say truly, Monster is a masterpiece. Those who think animes can never have any value to the thinking viewer should definitely watch it.
I'll not go into the story, lest I spoil any aspect of it. But just one word of warning: any otaku weaned on the Bleaches/Narutos/DBZs of the anime world will not find Monster interesting at all. But fans who are looking for a dark, thoughtful, albeit frequently slow moving storyline with plenty of twists, full of complex three dimensional characters with lots of layers, will find a classic here. Two thumbs up.
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3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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No
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| wow! just wow! back when i saw the first episode for the first time i thought this was boring as hell, but i was just a stupid kid back then. later i heard so much good stuff about monster that i just had to try and watch it again this summer. and i was blown out! this time i just got it all and watched all of the series in five days!
it is pretty long and slow so you need some patience, but if your old enough you will like it for sure. its about a doctor who saves a little boy who later turns out to be a serial killer and worse even. then this doctor and others go and try to kill the boy but its not that easy. and then theres police trying to stop this doctor because they think his the killer.
theres some amazin twists in the story and its very serious all the time. i could go on and on but i really dont want to spoil it to anyone and i dont know what else to say.
i think monster is the best anime ever made. i have never seen anything like it before.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Lavos |
(2007-09-23 22:28:23) 2007-08-28 18:09:02 |
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| Average |
7.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| In my opinion this anime is a bit overrated. Before you jump and wish to kill me, let me at least explain why:
Take note that for me the plot of an anime is ESSENTIAL, especially if it is a plot-driven anime, like this one is, so I cannot avoid being anal about it.
This anime is about a doctor who saves a dying kid when his superiors at the hospital wanted him to instead save a powerful (but corrupted) politician. After he saves the kid, his superiors at the hospital suddently start to be murdered in a strange manner, and consequently he gets promotion after promotion. Years later, he is framed of murder and his life becomes much more complicated. He goes from being a world class doctor, to a fugitive bum. Slowly he starts unveiling the mystery behind the kid, and begins to track him down to eventually kill him. On the way he meets some interesting characters like the abused kid Dieter, the obsessed stalker Eva, and Nina, which aid or obstruct his mission to catch Johan, the kid he saved, the villain of this anime.
The "roots" of the plot are pretty good, but there were some flaws which killed the show for me, but maybe for you won't, because like most things in this life it all comes down to a matter of opinion. I found the pace to be literally cringe inducing. Just when it looked like the story was going to finally get moving, an episode ended in a cliff-hanger, and then in the next episode we have the usual "filler" type of plot development. I say "filler" because really they were not fillers in the sense of uselessness that fillers have, those moments added to character development, even if it was from secondary character I didn't care about, or maybe even the writers didn't care about because they showed up for a few episodes max, and then dissapered without a trace. Then, you had to wait a while to feel that the main plot was advancing again, and this made everything very confusing. So the anime is one big filler that starts being non filler and then goes on to being 80% of the time "filler" development. That doesn't do it for me sorry. We are treated constantly to Tenma wandering as a fugitive around Germany without getting caugh (a japanese in germany...yeah sure..) for a few years(it sure took me took me 2 years to watch this), looking for this psychopath villain Johan, meeting with a lot of secondary characters, some are worth it some are totally dismissable, and after 70 episodes of secondary character plots which I had no interest in, and lousy monster creation explanations which made no sense, they finally catch up with him, and guess what happens... nothing(well, something happens, but it was not worth 70+ episodes, I would have been better off doing other things). The ending was totally anti-climatic, well I should say there is no climax in this story. Another thing, seems like people are very impressed with the psychological and "deep" themes of the anime, but I found them to be really vague. I don't get how is this "process" of creating a monster carried, and it was exposed in the anime in a very sloppy way, and that annoys me because if you, like me, are able to see beyond the confusion created by the sloppy exposition, what you realize is that they really don't knew how explain it so they threw it all in, in an attempt to confuse the viewer. A tactic often used by bad writers, moreso nowadays. When did Johan leave kinderheim? Was he the monster already or he became later? When did he became the monster? How much time was he in the rose mansion? Why did they come to get him? Did the children books have anything to do with it? Also, what was the point of the cross-dressing?? Oh yeah, probably to impress the viewer(total "HONK! try again" for me).
People are also impressed in this anime by the realistic portrayal of good vs evil inside every person. While I admit I found it well done and realistic, it failed to impress me. I had assumed that EVERYONE knew that happens inside people, and that the line between a "hero" and a "villain" is a very thin one. People change by what happens to them, even when already mature. That said I hope you understand why I found some of the secondary plots totally accessory and remove-able, I already knew all that...gezz. Another complain I have is Johan. There is one big flaw in the "monster creation" theory, most real monsters didn't need any of that. Think for example Hitler, who I think the writers draw much from to create Johan. Sure, he had a pretty shitty childhood, but he was not "trained" or "conditioned" in any way to become a monster. He just had the will and the charisma(and the crazyness of course). Take another example, this time fictional, Griffith from Berserk. Griffith had incredible charisma, impressive inteligence and ability to read people. Was he trained in any way? No. Was he a monster? You bet. An what traits does Johan have? He "hypnotizes" people(in fact, mentally handicapped people, I'd bet I could do that)? We don't really know because we don't get to know him too much. He is all shrouded in this "mistery" all the time (right up to the very end I must say). He acts behind the scenes, and I was tempted to think he was being so secretive for a grand scheme, that will fit perfectly at the end. But how wrong could I be. Most things we learn about him are via secondary character accounts, to create a "fear" effect which I failed to fall for. I need to see him do the stuff or I won't believe it(like Griffith for example, we see him do everything, and most importantly how he does them). See, for instance the "gun bluff" scene, I would have liked to see more of those moments. But the writers supposed we would be crapping our pants the few times he did show up. Yeah... of course. Again, no explanation whatsoever on how Johan hypnotizes people. The chronology is all messed up as well. What was his agenda? His ultimate goal? Clueless and pointless. And he didn't have half the charisma that Griffith had imo, he is at the very most a cheap psychopath copy of him. On the other hand Tenma is a truly admirable character, a man of integrity, a rare find these days. But he comes off being a little predictable. Eva Heinemann is a complex character, and evolves during the anime. Just when you think you have finally sorted her out, she surprises you. Dieter is a likeable kid, and the main secondary characters are all pretty well done.
The style of the animation is very dark but not as much as Lain for example, it remains realistic, outdoor areas with daylight look fresh, cities and indoors apear dark. The animation is more of the "film noir" type. There was a minor detail that bugged me. I was a bit annoyed that all German people were shown as big nosed, because though I know that many people have a big in nose in Germany, almost all adult German characters had very similar face structures, and that is unrealistic and and lazy. I watch the MTV in German and all people don't look like this. The music is pretty good, but only in the context of the series, I don't see the point in getting this OST. Above average mysterious/scary orchestrated themes, average sound effecs. Good OP, sets the mood correctly. Freaky ED, which at first seems to have some "mistery" to it, but either I didn't get it (and I tried to sort it out believe me) or it is yet another "bluff" to impress the viewer(HONK! try again).
Nothing else worth noting about sound or animation. Above average overall.
I will be rewatching this in the future, when I mature some more or if I earn a degree on Psychology, and see this in a different light. But I only hope to have a easier time coping with the pace of the story(my main complaint).
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2 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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|
| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| It's a really good anime, but it's very slow paced, and it's directed to the adult audience. There are many dialogues, and limited action throughout this anime, so i believe the naruto/bleach/One piece fans will find this one quite uninteresting after watching few episodes.
Monster is unique. I haven't seen an anime that's comparable to Monster so far, in terms of genre. Audio contributes well to the sometimes creepy, sometimes happy atmosphere, and animation is fairly good.
Dr.Tenma isn't a character that stands out. He's quite calm and boring as a person, so i'm not sure what to write about him. The character that caught my eye the most, was actually Nina Fortner. I'm not sure why, but she radiates and somehow lights up the screen, like a contrast to Dr.Tenma.
Overall, i thought it was a good and unique anime, but as i mentioned earlier, this might not be that appealing to people who aren't used to brain activity combined with animation.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| The biggest anime masterpiece I ever had the pleasure of knowing, I don't think any other existing anime could ever reach the heights that Monster did.
Monster will leave you dazzled, addicted, overwhelmed, and in the end you will feel an amazing and bittersweet sense of accomplishment and sorrowfulness(because this epic ends it's journey)
A flawless story and characters, you will be able to see each of them change throughout the episodes in the most natural way possible. It left me stunned.
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0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I have nothing new to say that hasn't already been said.
Monster has the deepest and most original story of any anime I have ever seen. It takes an event, the fall of the Iron Curtain of communism, and feeds off of its mystique to tell the story of the regime's dying moments and its creation of a person devoid of humanity.
I can't even begin to describe it. The animations are eerie, the music haunting, the plot changes, the side quests, the inner conflicts of the characters and the hidden agendas...throughout the entire series these seem totally unrelated and somehow, somehow they end up coming together.
Watch it. No matter how long it takes, just watch it. It is the most powerful, the most moving, the most involving anime out there.
After watching Monster, I can honestly say there is nothing else to watch. And there isn't.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Daggy |
2007-01-22 05:36:22 |
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| A 74 episode anime, Monster is easily the best Anime I've ever seen. Perfection is what characterizes it, being able to carry you from the beginning to end without ever losing the addiction to watch more episodes.
Well designed animations with palish colors of the different settings which gives us a more appropriate background for drama, Monster's caught melodrama is truly an inspiration.
Good music and ambience that doesn't hurt the anime is all it was asked of. It was all suitable with no end, you can't ask for more. And the voice overs are truly as professional as it can get.
The Plot is the best, the subtle character development on the characters already greatly defined, gives the icing in it's gender. The last message in the ending episode was truly a masterpiece. And no fillers, each episode contributes atleast a bit for the story.
An unique anime, and if you are looking for a great anime with mature dialogues and story, search no longer. Monster, the best of 2004 and one of alltime best.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
|
|
| Average |
9.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Monster es un anime largo (74 episodios), pero es muy adictivo y al final me quede con ganas de ver mas, por lo que lo disfrute mucho.
La animacion es muy buena, en ningun episodio decae la calidad del mismo y usan los colores adecuados para ambientar las escenas.
Los efectos de sonido y la musica muy bien logrados, le agregan mucho mas dramatismo a las escenas.
La historia es genial, de un fugitivo que debe detener a un asesino a quien le salvo la vida es excelente porque durante el largo transcurso de la serie no hay episodios de relleno, todos son importantes.
En cuanto a personajes, el manejo de los mismos es genial, porque la trama no solo se centra en el doctor Tenma, involucra muchos personajes esta serie, fortaleciendo el argumento de forma considerable.
En el transcurso de la serie, sera comun que veamos tramas alternativas a la "trama principal" y que sean protagonizadas por personajes que al principio parece que no tienen relacion con la historia, pero sigue y sigue esta y vemos que nada en Monster es de relleno y encontramos las relacion, y vemos los acontecimientos desde otros puntos de vista.
En verdad Monster es una obra maestra, no tengo mas que decir.
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0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Monster really takes the cake for me. The whole thing is just cliff-hanger after cliff-hanger, it makes it very hard to wait for the next episode to arrive. The setting is very appealing, very real feeling. The ambience is pleasant and creepy at the same time, and the extent to which it preys on your fears and existential preoccupations really makes one uncomfortable.
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1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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deviljump |
(2006-12-10 09:49:54) 2006-12-10 09:47:08 |
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I can firmly tell you that this anime has no flaws at all. It deserves undoubtedly all the merit to be The best anime overall. The only anime i could think up that can match up to this anime is possibly Death note in terms of really defined Psychology genre and aside that there are no others. Monster is also indeed very dramatical and each episode breath intensily for the second.
The story is far away from being boring and everything shines on defining every characters. Which there is a high level of devolepment like Tenma for example, as he is the main character. The story which by the way started in his entourange. He used to be a very wealthy doctor, till that day under wrong circumstances he had to make a choice between a little boy that was shot in the head and the mayor that was severely ill but in the end he chose the live of the little boy. Since that day his life started to crumble, not only he was losing his status as a doctor but that little boy he saved was more than meets the eye.
The plot fortunately while having 74 episodes, doesn't have any fillers. The story itself is really complex and intensily dark, Dark characters and just Dark overall. Also There is no way to predict what's going to happen. Every episode deepens or exceed far away to the initial plot.
The animation has no flaws. Everyone looks perfect and as if they were real. The plot resides itself on the landscape of the Germany and probably around the year of the 80s or 90s.
The anime only has one opening song and i really loved it because it really correspond with the theme of the anime. The ending was perfect too and so are the soundtracks.
Monster is a must-see anime. Everything is a masterpiece and if you like adult-like genre then it's totally recommended.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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killua-kun |
(2006-12-05 14:42:48) 2006-12-05 14:40:55 |
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| monster is probably the anime with the best story ever. it is complex and intriguing.
it begins in düsseldorf. a german city that is the centre of japanese people in germany. a very gifted surgeon called dr tenma works in a famous hospital. he is engaged with the directors daughter and has a prosperous life to live. BUT one day dr tenma is called to operate on a turkish man. short before the beginning of the operation a famous person gets hospitalized and dr tenma is told to stop his current operation to heal him. he suceeds and thinks he has done everything he can. he did what he was told to he says to himself. but when he is on his way home the wife of the turkish man crosses his way and tells him that he killed her man. he shouldnt have left the operation, then her man wouldnt have ha to die. few days later tenma come in the same situation but now he decides to operate a young boy that came in first. that little boy will become one of the cruelest killers in history and tenma leaves his normal life to search for him.
like i said the story is the beat about it. it is an unusual anime in my opinion. it doesnt show the usual main character that becomes stronger and saves the day in the end. monster has a main guy that has many problems. i think in many situations he is near suicide. but the will to redo his fault he has made by bringing this little boy back to life makes him stay alive.
the animation is quite good and a german feeling is conveyed. i am living in frankfurt so i like the story about the german borough sachsenhausen the most.
the sound is okay but nothing special. its not that i have a melody in my head when i think of monster.
the character are the best of this anime. everybody has problems. like inspector runge. a prodigy that collects data all the time. he makes movements with his fingers like typing when he gets some new data. but his life has sad sides. his family leaves him and his daughter doesnt really respect him. i dont know what to think of him. at first i thought he didnt care for his family any more but in the end he seems lonely and finds his way back to his daughter. thats just one of the many lovely characters that participate in monster. it really deserves 12 points in this category.
there is one thing i would really like to do. i want to erase my memorey and watch it again without knowing anything about it. but its not really rewatchable.
monster may bore many people because there is no fighting. its an intelligent anime that is a bit too long in the end. just watch it and enjoy it as much i did.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Encu |
(2007-02-04 01:43:30) 2006-11-25 22:27:31 |
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| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
0 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Monster's one of the darker overall animes I've seen in some regards, but I wouldn't call it a horror story, rather it is more akin a psychological thriller.
The story is like few anime out there, and few shows outside anime as well.
Monster is original, deep, and interesting throughout its 74 episode run, few of those episodes do not further the plot, and so despite several spots of bored anxiety, the story does not falter long before continuing its motion.
Monster has a story that really stands apart, and I highly recommend it to most of you.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| NOTE:
Monster is dark and disturbing. If you only like lighthearted, slapstick series, Monster is NOT for you.
If you are wondering whether or not the creators of Monster will be able to sustain suspense, depth of plot, and surprises the whole way through, worry no longer. They do, until the end and beyond. Do certain important characters escape? Or have they died? Who is/was really evil? Who, ultimately, was the source of the evil?
This is by far the best anime I have ever seen, and one of the best of anything I`ve ever encountered. I know I didn`t "get" everything in one trip through. Like the greatest of cinema, it will take several viewings, and parts of it will remain an enigma. Not for want of finish, but because of careful presentation of irresolvable human problems.
I gave Monster all 10s, not because it is perfect, but because, almost consistently in every episode, it attains rare levels of quality. Almost every episode affected me strongly in every category.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Monster, in my opinion, stands apart from other animes in some aspects. It does not have the "anime feel" to it like you would get from other animes. While watching it, I felt like i was watching a surreal crime drama but made in animations. The plot seemed like it came out of the pages of a masterpiece serial crime novel. This in itself, made for a very interesting viewing.
I believe character development is where Monster really shines. It uses flashbacks and memory fragments of the characters effectively to explain the characters' behaviors. Even the minor characters have their own distinct personalities to compliment the flow of the story.
The plot, in a nutshell, was very captivating especially in the beginning. It follows the quest of Dr. Tenma (main character) to clear his name and his wild goose chase with the "Monster". Along the way, interesting minor characters are introduced with their interesting "side stories". However, I must say that the interest level of the story, at least for me, wanes a little bit two-thirds of the way through. It seemed that some of the episodes didnt really contribute much to the main plot and just delayed the climax. However, the ending justifies it all as it can be described as explosive albeit a tad predictable.
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Kaj |
(2009-09-27 16:18:17) 2006-08-25 15:51:26 |
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Monster is a unique, psychological thriller that manages the incredible feat of keeping you on the edge of your seat for the duration of all its 74 episodes. Just like the main villain, Monster comes off as almost glowing with the aura of perfection - without a doubt, this is one of the most flawless anime i've ever had the pleasure of watching.
What struck me immediately whilst watching this was the sounds. If you were to download the OST of this anime, you'll most likely find it sucks. But within the anime it's simply amazing, and I'm not just talking about the music. Indeed, the music only plays a part in the sound department of this anime, which boasts an astonishing array of background sounds, a lot of them more close to noise than music. The skillful use of background noise generates a powerfully dark and chilling atmosphere that really forms a solid base for the enjoyment of the anime.
The animation also suits the gloomy atmosphere. Instead of the typical huge eyed characters that you often find in anime, this one goes for a much more down to earth style. A lot of people have said they didn't like the style, but I like it a lot. With the acception of some slightly quirky walking actions, the animation is fantastic. One thing I liked especially is Eva's eyebrows. With the simple touch of unarching of the usual highly arched eyebrows, Eva's face can suddenly soften and her the usual trace of bitchiness across her features evaporates. These kind of subtle changes to detail are used to great effect within the anime.
Monster isn't just well presented either, it's a very substantial and intellgent anime that provides more than enough material for you to mentally chew on after watching each episode. The plot development is phenomeonal, and easily suppasses any anime that I've watched previously. Usually, an anime so long will get dull and/or repetitive, but Monster miraculously managed to pace itself better than most 26 episode animes and avoid any such problems. One thing that the anime definitely isn't in short of is twists, every episode seem to end on a cliff hanger leaving you to crave for more. Just when you think the anime has revealed all, more mysteries are uncovered and the intrigue continues. You can actually get paranoid for the characters from watching the bodies piling up, because you simply don't know who will be next. Will he die next? Will he die now, as he's just been left alone?? With these thoughts constantly lurking in the back of your mind, the anime more than delivers as a suspense/thriller show.
Thinking back on the story, it's kind of ironic that what kicked off the chain of horrific events is a choice made out of the good moral that doctors should treat all lives as equals, not prioritise some lives over others. In fact, there are many strong moral themes underlying this anime, such whether someone deserves forgiveness however much atrocity he has committed. And even though I don't agree with the anime's answer to some of these questions, it's hard to argue when there's such a saintly figure in Tenma who is setting an example for the rest of us.
The cast of characters are wonderful in diversity and all play their part in making the anime interesting. Even though some of them only get a few minutes of screen time, it's already more than enough to leave a lasting impression on your mind. Others that make frequent appearances throughout the series undergoes superb character development to the extent that you could call them character transformations, as though they are real people made of flesh and blood, caught up in a crazy situation. A lot of them are plagued by dark pasts that they would rather forget... just what the doctor ordered for a thriller such as this ;)
This anime easily lives up to its name. The monstrosity that can be witnessed (a lot of them commited to innocent children) in the anime can be shocking and horrific. The events that is masterly unfolded combined with the memorable characters and the well engineered dark atmosphere will surely burn strong impressions of this anime on your mind as it did mine. Admittedly, I'm a bit sceptic about the ending and I still have a few questions unanswered such as what was on the second half of that damn tape, but despite this, there is no doubt this is one of the brightest gems in anime. Forget that pretender of the throne Elfen Lied, Monster is truly the best anime of 2004.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| ...Ever felt like life's one big irony? That everything you had done and believed in has brought nothing but trouble and naught. That people are more than they seem. And that the perfect world where everyone lives in happiness is but a child's machinations. If so, you can really relate with a talented, but humble Japanese doctor...
Monster is a series of turn of events. Events that revolve around one single person, Johan, who the Japanese doctor, Tenma Kenzou, saves. But after saving the boy, he soon saw hell rising as he revived a devil.
In terms of animation, absolutely no eye candy to be found here. The surroundings are mostly hues and blotches of gray, black and brown. The animators had taken into account some realistic effects like aging in buildings and rare facial features in anime like wrinkles and dimples. Not a norm for anime because by the looks of it, you might not even distinguish it as a Japanese production sometimes. CG effects are uninspiring and don't flow well with the hand-drawn designs. The reason why I took the score for animation of 6 is because of the uneven synch of CG and my personal preference of animation.
Hmm, sound didn't appeal to me much either. The OP and ED did its job to show a dark mood to the story, but repeating it over and over again can lose it's allure. There are hardly and BGM to be remembered here because all you hear mostly are conversations of characters. The best in this category would be the voices. Seiyuus had grasped the emotions and personalities of the characters just by their voices. Characters like Eva Heinemann who has a haughty attitude has Koyama Mami who mostly voice acts adult characters. Johan, on the other hand, is enigmatic and calming. I liked how the seiyuu voiced him.
Ahh, now we're approaching the categories why I like Monster. The story is very mature and thought provoking. It is also very balanced that it's not too depressing that you'll leave with a heart ache and not too light-hearted that it changes the feel of the show. An annoying aspect of the story could be the slowness of the show. Some episodes could be turned into segments, but then again, the main plot is about the events that circulate around one particular.
The cast is amazing. Everyone isn't one dimensional and you could probably relate to them as real people. The show doesn't give everyone overwhelming power, even Johan. It shows the limitations of the human mind. It shows qualities like hate, greed, jealousy, ignorance, cruelty, innocence, happiness and love exceptionally. But it's nothing without it's flaws. With such a huge cast, it's hard to remember all of them and can be degenerated as decoration. Most of them only appeared in one or two eps and most of them are filler episodes or segments. Nevertheless, they still pulled it off with the main characters.
I strongly recommend you buying this if the show has been licensed. It's a gem of the year, 2004. Re-watch would be somewhat scary because of the huge number of episodes. But a good story can't be just told in just 20+ eps, right?
It left a good impression of me mostly and it had been etched in my mind as one a very mind-provoking and high-quality series.
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