In honor of my background, we here at my-cat-and-I industries have decided to kick things off with one of my all time favorite anime, the criminally (get it...criminally...you will in a minute) under-rated thriller Monster. A Kaze production, directed by Masayuki Kojima, this 2004 to 2005 series manages one of the most compelling linear story lines I have encountered in the past decade. While many anime staples have run for 100 plus episodes without slipping particularly in terms of plot, Monster is able to deliver 74 episodes revolving around the same essential conflict and character development arc without ever seeming to stagnate or repeat. There are certainly some slow periods, so if constant action is your cup of tea, this thriller is probably not for you, but these periods also contain some of the most artful character development, and the intensity that surrounds them makes it well worth the wait, even where development focused periods would normally turn viewers off.
The central plot is a relatively straightforward mystery/thriller.
"Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all:
incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a
promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted
by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got
shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the
support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the
hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and
the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was
catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders,
Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the
boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be... Now to clear
his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom
of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who
is behind all of this."
Anime News Network
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3750
The basic plot does little justice to the narrative experience, however, as the show sucks you in through a startlingly compelling depiction of the psychological experiences of the central characters. The internal dialog and directorial decisions go a long way towards making the suspense, fear, and desperation of Tenma and his pursuers relate-able to the point of being mildly consuming. This simple mystery is somehow able to keep you guessing, while making even the forgone conclusions hair-raising reveals. A central component of this comes from the character development, as the changes seen in Tenma and the "monster" are a refreshing departure from the norm. Neither begins the series with the tough demeanor or savvy that is usually expected from their roles, nor do they develop their skills as pursuer and killer through some single traumatic incident. Instead, the composite experiences that form changes in a persons identity are given full explication throughout many episodes, no change is instant or individually drastic.
Monster is not all stand out characteristics, however. Especially to fans unused to anime of the first few decades, its animation can leave much to be desired. I don't want to give the impression that Monster is poorly animated, far from it, but it's images, reminiscent of mid century American crime novellas or late 80's ova's will certainly seem lacking in flash. To that I say, fucking deal with it and enjoy the classics, but if more unusual or complex animation is one of the deciding factors in your anime selection, this may be a piece to wait on. Good but not great animation can certainly be forgiven for most, however, with a series this immersive.
All in all, Monster is an excellent anime for any but the youngest of anime fans, though not a particular recommendation for those who are looking for action and fast paced development. One final recommendation, make sure you have plenty of time if you want to start Monster, as it is not really a series you can take in one episode at a time. With so many cliff hangers (hate that phrase) and suspenseful moments, it will leave you frustrated and wondering unless given appropriate time allocation. Let's be honest though, if you are taking the time to read this review, you, like me, probably spend more time watching anime than you should anyway.
Well, this has been the first installment of shit you don't care about. See you next time, 3 people reading this, set something important on fire before then.
