Monster: A Complex Narrative about lost humanity and Spectrum of Good and Evil

"Everyone in this world carries around their own sins, and they never go away...but that doesn't change the fact that we do what we must."

Monster, the 2004 anime, was made by Masayuki Kojima and based on Manga by Naoki Urasawa. Monster is a story of a well-respected neurosurgeon whose path gets crossed with a Monster, which leads his life to disasters, one after another. Monster delves into the issues of morality, love, hate, good versus evil, and most of all, humanity. The monster leaves so many questions behind, the monster answers several questions about tendencies of human nature, but most of all monster forces you to think. Monster is not something you binge-watch, it is something that must be watched at an appropriate speed, a few episodes at a time. It took me around 4 months to finish it and I think something similar to that time frame is appropriate for anyone who wants to watch it.

The psychological viewpoint of the show is pretty strong if you ask me. Now and then it presents you with a question, it never necessarily answers all of the questions but it does give one a perspective to look at it, doesn’t shove the view down your throat and starts a conversation

Since the dawn of storytelling, there have always been stories about good versus evil, Monster also does precisely that BUT it adds so many layers to it that you start to question everything you see. There is a whole spectrum of good to evil, there are characters who are pure good, there are characters who are good with few bad traits, there are characters who are bad with few good characteristics, and then there is pure evil. And they don’t stop there, some characters go from being innocent to monsters, and characters who just turn from evil to actual good. So, the point is that the range is right there, and utilized to the fullest.

The monster moves with its characters, and that is probably my favorite thing about it, like, first it introduces you to the character, and then brilliantly places them into the story. Once you catch the drift you can’t help but start guessing how they will incorporate this next character in the story. But, if you ask me the show isn’t wholly character-driven, neither will I categorize it as completely plot-driven, it’s a mixture of both, it goes in a spectrum in this case as well, it goes how it wants to and if we are honest, the final product is far better than what it would’ve been if they chose to stick to either side.

There is not a single character who feels unimportant in the larger picture, it was like seeing dominoes getting placed, you take out one of them and it will not work efficiently. Every character had something to add to the story. Some characters have an aura of mystery around them and they are presented in a way that your intrigue gets high every passing second.

The animation, considering the time it was made, feels pretty good. Not so brilliant considering recent anime entries but it doesn’t feel jarring at all, I’d even say that the animation compliments the story while the character designs are pretty good as well. While at the same time Voice Acting is so brilliant, it haunts you, makes you sympathize, and makes you connect with the characters.

The monster tries to convey so much and I doubt it misses even a single mark. Everything it says hits the bull’s eye. And a big reason for it is that the show gives you time to digest. The pacing is so good, the show knows when to slow down and when to speed up a little bit. It’s a great thing that it isn’t swift in its approach, it works a lot in its favor.

The show isn’t action-based, but it's gritty, it doesn’t shy away from putting in a few incredible gun showdowns but overall it’s pretty much mystery based. Along with the mystery, the fantasy elements are pretty evident in the story for most of it. 

Overall the show Monster brings up so many questions, offers you perspectives, and makes you think.

10/10