The Brilliance of Naoki Urasawa's "Monster"
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
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Music used:
Song 1 - Drift Mind (Monster)
Song 2 - Ancient Sorrow (The Elders Scrolls IV: Oblivion)
Song 3 - Than One (Monster)
Song 4 - Secunda (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
Song 5 - Grain (Monster)
Song 6 - Search For The Man In Black (Final Fantasy VII)
Song 7 - You Have Power... Like Mine (Fire Emblem Awakening)
Song 8 - On The Fallen Arm (Xenoblade Chronicles)
BTW in this video I say that Monster is underrated. This is definitely incorrect. It was wrong when I posted this video in 2016 and it's still wrong today. Monster is widely critically acclaimed and not underrated at all, if you're using correct definitions. The vast majority of people who watch Monster rate it highly, so it isn’t underrated. Remember that under-discussed or under-watched does NOT mean underrated.
just finish this today wow...
Would you recommend a good anime like monster please?
HenryAlpaca 20 century boys ,kingdom vagabond ,Pluto ,lone wolf and cub , Vinland saga
HenryAlpaca you said anime my bad 🤦🏽♂️
@@TheMarmboy no, it is okay. Thank you!
Johan is a really grim character, but Wolfgang is Grimmer
Lol HAHAHAHAH
lmao, this is peak comedy
Loool
lmaoooo
Genius
This show is a literary masterpiece and Johan Liebert is one of the best antagonists of all time.
not one of the best
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THE BEST!
@@AceSama.. I agree
Not really. It's actually one of the most overrated series I've ever seen. The narrative and Johan himself is completely nonsensical if you understand it which I've seen at least half of the people calling it a masterpiece do not.
@@KurokamiNajimi You should watch a couple of videos vividly explaining the themes behind Monster, which carefully deconstructs Johan's Nihilistic personality type,and how it blends the entire series together as a whole.
Already have
I liked how every person's face in the manga had such unique features. They all just looked so different in a good way. Other artists just use the same face template over and over again and simply slap a different hair on top of it.
Agreed, I can't imagine how much work went into crafting all the different character designs. I have similar feelings about Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
Untill johan put on the wig
Naoki urusawa says that you can't find any two panels with the same characters having same expression. Not literally maybe , but I think he is right.
Yeah but some of side characters had the same face syndrome
@@lsquad yeah. Like those old couples etc. Main characters are all really different tho.
The only thing more underrated than Monster is this channel.
That's seriously kind of you to say, thank you.
Aleczandxr No problem. We do have similar taste in anime and the quality of your videos is great.
Ash Same here. 99℅ of the anime he talk about are my absolute favs, and I know he will continue that for a bit.
Isn't like in the top 20 rated on MAL?
Together, this video and this channel will go from 114k views to *1 million!*
And Pluto and 20th Century Boys will get animés as well!
Monster is criminally underrated, as it truly is one of the greatest anime series of all time, imo of course. I really hope that Funimation or Crunchyroll licenses it so that way people can receive a reliable way to watch this show, hopefully leading to a boost in popularity.
I agree 100%. It's head and shoulders above the vast, VAST majority of anime in terms of nearly every aspect of storytelling. Definitely deserves much more attention.
Aleczandxr nice video man ! by the way I would love to see your analysis of the anime texhnolyze (or it think thats how its written)
FlamingBlock You know why it's criminally underrated?It's BORING.I mean the story is incredibly slow.Slower than anything I've ever seen.And there's no drive to make you watch the next episode .I've watched up to ep 40 just because I've been hearing a shit ton about its "brilliance".But there came a time in which I just didn't feel like it was worth it anymore.If I don't enjoy an anime I stop watching,and I gave monster 40 episodes to give em something I'd enjoy.
mamad dial Thanks pal. I'd have to give it another watch, I didn't really watch it properly first time round.
Vlady S It isn't an action anime. It's supposed to draw you in with its characters and story, not fights and action.
This is no anime, this is a goddamn thesis. You can literally adapt this into your final year psychology PhD thesis and pass with flying colours.
how?, like can you recommend some analysis videos so I can fully understand the hype around it?
Agreed, it says much about human nature and psychology but doesn’t really pick a side, it lets the readers come to their own conclusions. I specially enjoyed the stories written by Bonaparta, they were very interesting on their own.
@@Footstabber200 just watch it.. ☠
probably also philosophie
Yeah Nina did that
Johann isn't evil in the most obvious way, he rarely kills people directly (in comparison to other villains)
Instead, he proves to the others how easy it is to turn humans against each other. By revealing the monster in each of them, it just validates his nihilistic vision even further
That's like saying Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson are not evil because they rarely killed or didn't kill at all other people themselves.
@@alberthinkel1597 adolf Wasnt so obvious at the time though. Many viewed him as a hero and he brought promise of a bright future for germany in the wake of america droping the ball and bringing the hammer onto germany after WWI. It wasnt till later, when hitlers actions began to have severe consequences for germany, and the light was shed on his secret dealings that people started to realize what sort ofan he was.
As far as johan goes, i think the poster was getting at how johan often didnt kill directly, choosing to let others do it and reveal the monsters inside of them instead.
@@overlordvera4014 I simply didn't like the implication that Johann isn't evil (in the most obvious way) because he rarely kills people directly.
First of all he killed a lot of people directly and secondly even if you kill few people doesn't mean you re less evil.
Maybe he is not evil in the most obvious way but the reasoning doesn't make sense to me.
albert hinkel He said not evil in an obvious way which is also what you said. Where’s he implying he’s not evil
Proving is not a reason to be involved in a murder
Never has any anime character touched my heart so much in such a short span of 14 episodes as did Wolfgang Grimmer.
The best character
My favourite side character in fiction. Grimmer the GOAT!
Naoki urasawa is a beautiful writer
Could not agree more.
He is the greatest mangaka writer to ever lived.
he is the GOAT
Monster, 20th century boys, Pluto
masterpiece after Masterpiece
@@iliveinsideyourhouse1367 After Togashi
@@jadhaidar2605
Well in my opinion it naoki urasawa and then jiro taniguchi (he is dead though) as the greatest manga writer, both of them can write such a beautiful adulthood story.
lunge and grimmer interest me the most.
Justthatguy Yes, one of the most interesting aspects of the show was it's extraordinary ability to create wonderfully deep and intricate side characters.
Lunge is my spirit animal
Every character was well written.
I love when they team up briefly near the end. "I'd like to buy you a beer."
Lunge is my favorite character
It's the best "serious" anime I've ever watched.
best anime i've watched
Perfect Blue?
@@madhukarjonathanminj2772 what about perfect blue?
This is true, but the problem is too many people don't appreciate Serious Anime's, I've seen alot of People's Top 10 List & It feels Childish to me, if Monster isn't there then u don't know what "Good Anime" is IMO.
@@To411u Code Geass, Steins; Gate;, Gurren Lagan, Your Name, Erased, HxH, The Promised Neverland S1, Haikyuu!, AoT and Your lie in April are all better imo tho. I could prob name more. Monster is def a A tier show though.
Another year is coming to a close, and I still haven't found an anime better than Monster.
Just wait until those damn anime studios adapted 20th century boys and pluto (both made by same author as monster)
Preach it. It's not only the best anime, it's also among the best shows in general that I've ever seen.
Ill take Berserk.
Dont forget Rainbow
Try Steins Gate though different genre.
I think Grimmer is the most powerful character and had that impact on us. He portrayed the entire plot in his screen time. Unable to experience emotions, dual personality traits, re-learning emotions ( like he said, the most difficult one to learn was to smile) after going through Kinderheim 511 and spy training. All of these and still having heart of gold. I didn't want him to die but that's the perfect death anyone could write for his character.
Monster was the only anime I ever saw that reminded me of reading a Russian novel. It's not really even an anime to me but literature.
Yeah it doesn't at all feel like an anime. Probably it's the only anime which has absolutely nothing supernatural in it
Nameless Monster not really "91 days" also didn't have any thing supernatural or sci-fi
Lakshay Kochhar It was too short imo :(
It reminds me of dostoevsky's book called the idiot
Lakshay Kochhar Banana Fish didn't either, terror in resonance, psychopass (there is a little of science-fic but considering the current use of big data, we will get to that point quicker than expected).
I think the important part about the drunk shooting Johann is that he shot him out of love, not out of hate.
Can you elaborate
@@grizzledwarveteran2321 i think he means that the drunk shot Johan out of love for his son
I think the whole point of the drunk shooting was to show Johan was Infact and his plan to turn tenma into a murderer failed
@@grizzledwarveteran2321 The reason why "a random drunk" shooting Johann was so great is because Johann, who calculated everything to a frightening degree, could not foresee the love a broken, alcoholistic and abusive parent still holds for their child. The drunk, even with all his flaws and apparant evil nature, still loves his own child. Which is something Johann just simply didn't understand.
True, out of all the people who want to kill Johan he is the only one who does it out of love. Tenma wants to rectify a terrible mistake, Nina wants revenge, etc. But the drunk doesn’t know who Johan is and he doesn’t care, all he sees is a Demon threatening to kill his son.
“Let’s make a deal! Let’s make a deal!” said the demon.
“No, not at all!” said the man with the big eyes.
“Sure, let’s make a deal!” said the man with the big mouth.
The man with the big mouth grew a beautiful garden.
The man with the big eyes was very hungry because he was very poor.
The man with the big mouth had fun every day. The man with the big mouth was very full from eating the fruit from his garden, so he didn’t realize what was happening. He didn’t realize that his garden was drying up. By the time he noticed it was too late. The man with the big mouth cried and cried in the garden that never grew again.
“I shouldn’t have made a deal with the demon!”
The man with the big eyes was dying from hunger. Tears were trickling down from his big eyes as he cried out.
“I should have made a deal with the demon.”
“Let’s make make a deal! Let’s make a deal!” said the demon.
ore wa jack is that from the anime I think I remember hearing it if so can u tell me which episode it was?
+Solen'Ya The Pickle Man episodes 56
The storybooks are worth an analysis of their own.
"The Only Thing In Which All Humans Are Equal Are Death.
@@pokerfacemusic6969 I also thought it was stating life has no meaning. Regardless of what you do...you die. A nihilistic message that suits the tone of Monster
I found Tenma in particular relatable. Loner even without circumstances. Good to a fault, doing the right thing even at his own expense. Aware of fairly dark feelings and thoughts. Not being able to kill someone even if they are a monster. May not be Johan kinds of things but I've definitely met people that I would consider to be monsters.
Definitely, you've summed up why I like him so much.
Same! One of my favorite characters (alongside with another favorite character in this series that hasn't appeared yet)! ^^
creature like Tenma doesn't exist in reality though. and as for the case of Johan, i think he represents all evil doers, experimenters, psychopath.... not just one person, but Johan is the embodiment of all sort of sadomasochistic tendencies in human. i mean we all have some of him in us, but he's the guy who took it to the extreme. if you do a study of Stalin + Mussolini + all the Chinese emperors in history.... their backstories, their mentality, their delusions, convictions, demeanors ---> Johan is the poster boy. so Monster is all of us and what the human is capable of for sure. History is the proof, and within ordinary daily lives, the monsters inside and the monsters next door... everywhere .... that's why it's terrifying. because it's just like ants and maggots and flies... they multiply and cannot be extinct.... that's the horror.
i love Grimmer too , i can't stop crying at his ending .
your video is amazing , thank you for have done it
Thanks very much for watching! :)
Why cry? The man finally got back the last thing he was missing in his life. It was beautifully bittersweet.
He was my favorite character.. i finished the anime 30 minutes ago and Grimmer's death broke my heart..
Grimmer's last moments are the definition of how a person can be happy and sad at the same time. And neither feeling even directly related to his own death. He was a soul crushing character.
Another monster fan, thank god. You, my friend, have good taste, Berserk, Hunter X Hunter, Monster-
Keep up the good work.
Thanks very much!
You are very welcome!
I have one request could you do an analysis of netero..? I would think it would be interesting to see how you contrast him with meruem.
Collin Thompson Lots of people have been asking for a Netero one and I have actually always planned to make one. So I will for sure be doing an analysis on him! :)
The only thing is it won't be completed too soon. I'm going to tackle a non-Chimera Ant video or two before I start working on his analysis.
+Aleczandxr Please do an analysis like this on "The legend of the galactic heroes". There was no other anime with such a big impact on me and how I see the world like it did. If monster was to your liking, you gotta watch LOGT... trust me.
xooox Thanks It's on my "Plan to Watch," so I will definitely check it out!
I legit just finished monster today and see this :)
Perfect! :)
Yea, man, me too!
Same....
Same I finished it like just now
Finnished today its great and all but wish i could see a more happy ending. Dont get me wrong i really liked the ending
Actually if I recall correctly, the only reason Tenma didn't shoot Johan because Johan was shot by the drunk before he pulled the trigger. Rather than saying that Tenma proved that humanity is inherently good, I think its better to say that a proper conclusion was never reached, which I think is why the drunk shooting Johan instead is so important a scene and a more fitting 'end' to this conflict given the show's nature.
@@mightdai7489 give it, don't care about the length.
@@rajyavardhansingh4491 that's what she said
@@Off1Cepo that's what HE also told me last night.
Something that I've seen mentioned (either from a random comment or video that I can't remember where though), is that Johan getting shot by that drunk makes sense in that he tragically never really understood the kind of desperate love that fueled the drunk's actions to save his son. While Johan did have the ability to "love" (such as the familial love he had for his sister), it was still a messed-up, psychopathic kind of love due to their shared traumatic past, so something that was beyond Johan's understanding (the love and lengths a parent/loved one will go for their child) is what ultimately took him out.
After having his identity undermined and being a broken human being for so long (the kinds of things that spurred him towards nihilism and the actions he took), it was also what fated his eventual downfall.
@@Scarshadow666 All I would add to what you are saying is that Johan has no experience or memories of receiving love from his parents. The only memory of his mother is her abandoning him (or at least choosing to abandon him or his sister which is just as bad) and so his idea of how a parent treats his/her own child was warped. He had 0 faith in humanity because of his mother's single act. This made him blind to the reality that most parents would do anything to save their child. It goes beyond how flawed a human being that parent may be, its a primal, instinctual act. Its just unfortunate Johan's early experience seemed to contradict this.
The drunk guy had a short arc as well. He did nothing for his son then taking his money and buying alcohol. When he got the gun he pointed at people but never shoot anyone. Even if people called him a loser that makes his kids money for himself. When he saw Johan he sees the monster but still he didn't shoot he was scared but the moment he saw that monster holding a gun at his son's head he shoots. He protected the one person that he never took care of. And property would be a good father afterwards. That's why I love the monster even charector for 4 episode has a arc.
Tenma is my favorite character because even after getting so much reasons and chance to kill yohan he didn’t kill him ...he still stayed glued to his belief that all lives are equal and he was such a lovable guy who wants good for others ...
johan was shot and got his planned ruined by the one thing he could never calculate or understand, the one thing that he never had, parental love.
Damn; I analyzed the show and its ending a lot after finishing it but I never once chanced upon this thought.
it's honestly so crazy
This Review finally gave me closure on the Anime. It helped me put my thoughts together. Thanks.
No worries at all, thanks for watching.
Agreed
Same, i watched some reviews on the show n Johan himself to finally understand it fully, guess u can call it ep75 of Monster lel
This anime is actually scary and disturbing and something that is strictly for adults yet it is worth watching as it is one of the best
I agreed. This series is way more scary than other horror anime with bunch of meaningless gore scenes.
Definitely isn’t strictly for just depends how smart you are
@@astronomical3342 even a smart adult would have scares, this can easily scare non adults
Thats what makes this anime a absolute masterpiece!
Pro tip: If you are so much busy, don't watch it yet because you won't understand anything of its long story and complexity. I recommend watching it when you are COMPLETELY free without doing anything important.
During my next long-ass break, I'm sitting down, in my pajamas, and try to marathon this work of art.
Sounds like my kind of break.
So, almost a year has passed since you commented... Did you get a chance to watch it? :)
So, almost two years has passed since you commented... Did you get a chance to watch it? :)
So, almost 3 years have passed since you commented... Did you get a chance to watch it? :)
The monster inside him got him.
F in the chat
This is a great and important video. I just wish you had talked in-depth about Johann's final question and talked a little about the absolute evil vs absolute good dichotomy. That Tenma got darker but could never cross the line, but that Johann never really found a light, just couldn't prove himself completely "right". And most importantly your look on what it means for a human to be a "monster" especially with identity.
Thanks. And I never really planned to go much in depth with any of the characters. Future videos are for that.
For sure.
This show is like the Breaking Bad of Anime. Not because the two shoes have similar stories but because every single episode is so captivating with its mystery, intertwining characters and events that makes you want to binge watch the whole thing. Just like in Breaking Bad the drama and action never really lets up. It's a big commitment with it having over 70 episodes but I can assure you it is so worth it.
Breaking Bad of anime. I've never thought of it that way. Actually a good analogy.
I think the anime is underrated partially because the manga is so highly rated
I just finished the monster anime in a week and found it to be the Twin Peaks of Anime. The complexity of the characters is something I’ve never seen elsewhere in the medium
Finally got around to watching Monster. You nailed it, the show just felt so real - human. It tackles multiple ideas regarding the morality of humanity and left me consistently questioning these themes in regards to my own life. Beautiful show and great video, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, and more importantly, the show!
Just finished watching the episode where he trains to use a gun with the ex soldier who was raising the Vietnamese girl whose mother he had shot in front of her. Beutiful episode really. Tenma is able to help bridge that gap between them and by the end of the episode the girl seems to have forgiven the man for what he did and has a real relationship.
I can't believe someone think there are filler episodes in Monster... like.. every episode had a cliffhanger or a mistery. And of couse, amazing character arcs and backstory
Thank you for doing this video
Haha, you were very persistent. I couldn't say no.
Aleczandxr u owe me my hellsing alucard video now
Johnatan Delgado I don't know nearly enough about Hellsing/Allucard at the moment to do a full analysis of him, unfortunately!
Johnatan Delgado good call.love hellsing.
It's the only anime that I totally forgot the characters were animated. Each one of the characters, even minor ones, were so realistic. Thus deserved a real series adaptation as well, humanity should learn the existence of this gem. Best of the best, I can't say anything more, words are too little.
I dont think that Monster is underrated...
Its a classic that almost every "true anime fan" knows
Under appreciated is a better description.
yes probably...
but still the majority of the anime fandom acknowledges it as a masterpiece
RndmGuy Well I would say the general anime fandom is not aware of this anime. The "hardcore" anime fans like the ones on Reddit definitely. If it was so popular then the manga wouldn't have gone out of print in english for a long time.
Yea the true underrated is 20th century boys, it deserved much more attention too.
Monster is way better than Death Note
No matter from how many points of view you watch Monster... You always descover something else... This anime in the true meaning of brilliance
10th time rewatching Grimmer's death and it does not fail to make me cry like a baby, Monster is an underrated masterpiece.
Dr.Tenma is a good man he’s the best character ngl
Johan/Lunge/Eva are the best characters imo
Honestly all the characters are just SO well-written. My favourites would probably be Tenma, Johan and Dieter though.
When you talked about grimmer I just started to crying again
What's more underrated is 20th century Boys. It's also from Urasawa but just really under rated. The story is so goood just soo gooood.
great video ; Grimmer is my favorite character . I cried when he died. i want to rewatch that show again ;who want to rewatch it ?
Best Anime I've ever seen, & I've seen 8,000+ Episodes of So Many Various Different Anime's in my Lifetime, from all the Major Long-Running Shonen's, to a Handful of Shorter Series too, & Naoki Urasawa's Monster still Stands the test of time for me, I keep telling people it's the Greatest Anime ever Made but nobody listens to me.
It’s crazy to think that someone had to think of this story and bring it to life like this
Johan didn't acknowledge the love of a parent for his child, which is how the drunk man ended up shooting him.
Typical murder mystery
80% "who done it!?" 20% "LETS CATCH HIM!"
Monster
2 ep in, reveals the brother did it
Edit: you commenters are aware this is mostly a joke, right?
Overlord Vera it’s really not a mystery
The story is not about who did it, but what are the evil forces that made Johan kill
Overlord Vera I think you should rewatch it, you didn’t got it 😅🙏🏻
It wasn't the who. It was the what and the why.
@@solidsnake9898 but what got me uninterested is they never showed the "how" part.......how johan influenced people, how he did shit in 511 kinderheim and almost every thing related to johan that is what makes me hate it
I'm really glad I stumbled upon your berserk video which introduced me to your channel. Your intellectual analyses and commentary are a breath of fresh air in the 'anime community' and I should mention your calm voice is nice listening to. Great content man looking forward to your next one
I can't thank you enough for the support. I'm so happy that you like my content. Stay tuned!
This anime is like a storm which walks into your life, when the dust settles, you realize you are not the same any more.
What I love about Monster is that the story is so complex and still so simple 🛐
One of the things that I love about the anime and mangas art style is that Tenma looks like an actual Asian dude compared to the other European characters. I’m also reading 20th century boys right now, a story which is set in Japan, and the characters look Japanese there as well.
Naoki Urasawa is a master of the art and story of manga
Great analysis, and even better music choices.
good use of oblivion's ost
I've just finished this show today, and hot damn is it amazing! I've found that my thoughts on Monster have been a bit all over the place, so thank you for concisely wrapping them all up man :P
At times, (more particularly at the start) I genuinely felt great despair at how Johan had managed to tarnish Tenma's life, and how he'd very nearly tainted Tenma into becoming the Monster. I tend to find a lot of animes, (like you referenced in the video) are very dull and filled with archetypes and stereotypical characters, so Monster was a really 'refreshing' (for lack of a better word xD) experience to see so many grey characters, including people like Roberto who you'd have initially thought was irredeemable (it'd be awesome to see your analysis on him :P). One point I'd like to add to your part on where the drunken man shoots Johan, is that aside from being so fittingly unpredictable, it's a good use of dramatic irony? AFAIK, the drunken man remains completely nameless throughout his entire presence on screen, so shooting the Monster that longs for a name, as well as being the only person present who doesn't know Johan's identity just seems incredibly ironic. Another reason as to why this show is so brilliant, I guess.
But yeah, thanks for this great video man. You're one of (if not) the best anime analytical channels on youtube, imo. You can tell just how much thought and effort goes into writing each script to perfectly sum up with sophistication why a certain aspect of a series is so good. I don't tend to comment much on yt, but I just wanted to say thanks for the sheer amount of effort that goes into your analyses, I guess! xD Thanks!
I really appreciate the comment, especially given that you don't usually post on YT! No problem at all, thanks for the kind words and for watching! I'm super glad that you were able to enjoy a series that I love so much.
Thanks for replying man! And no problem. I've been a fan of yours for a while now, and I just wanted to say thanks for all the effort that goes into your channel :D Now to go back to looking for an show as good as this xD
I was never into anime but monster changed my views.Truly one of the best shows i have ever watched
I actually thought the ending with Johan gone in his hospital bed is brilliant not because it thematically fits the story but by how unnecessary it is. Johan leaving his hospital bed doesn't really matter anyway. Because technically Tenma won. He didn't become the monster Johan wants him to be and managed to proved that Johan was loved and he had a name. Ugh I've never felt this satisfied in an ending before. I love the experience so much.
It's a special treat for me when I see your videos pop up in my sub box, you're by far one of my favourite UA-camrs now. Thanks so much and keep it up.
Fantastic. I'm very glad you enjoy the content. Cheers! :)
Not only was it a random drunk who shot Johan.
It was a father protecting his son.
A father who was shown to be violent and selfish towards his son. But in the end he did care for him. He did show love towards his son. He did show fear towards the devil before him. And with those feelings this insignificant, unheroic, random drunk, this random human brought down the devil.
And thank you for this.
I just finished Monster and I'm trying clear my thoughts about it. This helped. Atleast a little. There is so much to think about after all. I will try to watch your other videos about Monster's characters.
Have a good one!
Casshio i just finished monster and what you have written i could completely relate to it. But i wanted some closure points which i did not understand in the anime.
1. What happened to their mother? Why ahe choose auna to give to them?
2. If their mother was alive, why they were sent to foster parents?
3. Why those people were massacred in red rose mansion ?
4. Why johan was killing his foster parents only?
5. Why he killed the foster parents when bonaparta visited?
6. What exactly they did in 511 kiderheim?
just finished the series, thank you for providing insight about the meaning of the story and the characters. it’s definitely something that is still sitting with me. grimmer was also one of my favorite characters ❤
Grimmer and Lunge were my personal favourite characters in Monster. Both brilliantly written characters with their own interesting arcs.
This show helped me awaken a side in me that i wasn't able to bring into the outside world. I always felt empty and i felt my life just passing by with me not being able to be my own true self. I'm not saying i turned into a monster or anything, but the whole idea of using your gifts to the fullest as Johan used his nihilism views to manipulate so many and Tenma helping people even when it seemed impossible. That is what made me realise that i should also use my gifts to craft myself further and become a full filled person, because as we all saw, if a man is keeping the darkness inside of him the monster could explode and lead us to nothing but pain. I really didn't want to sound cheesy but i think that many of you could understand me, and for those who hadn't watched the show give it a chance, i've learned and read about so many philosophical views from the dawn of time till now and this show explores the most interesting one.
Like if you think that Monster is much better than Death Note
amen
Evil Guy I would like but I got so bored I couldn't finish Monster.I mean god damn is that story SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.I never heard of anyone getting bored of death note mid watch.And I've recommended it to people who have almost no patience.Srsly how could you have kept going after episode 40 ?I just couldn't.And please don't tell me I don't understand it's brilliance.I'm sick of pseudo philosophical shit.Imo if I don't enjoy an anime I shouldn't keep watching it just because it's supposed to be "brilliant"(This may also give you some insight about why a lot more ppl care about death note than monster)
Vlady S This comment... where do I even begin?
Let's put it simply. Death Note is an action shounen. Monster is a seinen detective thriller. One is aimed at anyone and everyone, while the other is aimed at a completely different market. It's like the difference between enjoying a glass of wine whilst reading a book and getting piss-drunk with your friends at a bar. Monster has deep, believable and likable characters, bound together with a slow-paced story, ripe with subtlety and philosophical and ethical/moral dilemmas. Death Note is a thrill-ride. People die like flies, the story chugs along like a bullet train and there isn't a calm moment. If you really couldn't appreciate Monster by episode 40, then it clearly is not for you. Chess vs Boxing. Scenic walks vs sprints. Get what I'm saying?
On another note, calling Monster "pseudo-philosophical" while praising Death Note like no tomorrow is, well... questionable. Just because more people like it, doesn't make it better.
Al k man.Let it be like you i'm just an uncultured ape that can't appreciate the wonder that monster is.Srsly my original comment talked about this approach you took.I liked some psychological animes p(they are my fav actually I just gave the DN example so you coukd understand why it's mainstream and monster isn't).A show can be extremely interesting but life isn't long enough that you can wacth everything in the world and moster does a very shitty job at making you want to keep watching.And you would be amazed at the metric shit ton of Monster and death note comparations on the internet
Vlady S I *never* said you were an "uncultured ape" and that Monster is the best thing since sliced bread. I loved it and count it as my personal second favorite show, let alone anime, but it does have flaws. You're blowing things way out of proportion with that statement.
Using Death Note as an example for why it's mainstream is good, although the way you wrote it, it sounded like you were saying that it was better just because it was more popular and fast-paced. The people who will enjoy Monster are utterly different from the people who will enjoy regular psychological thrillers. It isn't its base genre. It's much more of a mystery detective show than a psychological thriller. My point was that you shouldn't call it bad because it doesn't appeal to you.
I wish more anime stopped doing the "little girls doing cute things in real life or fantasy" trope and just... grasped from Monster and Hunter X Hunter.
I. Absolutely love these shows for their cerebral challenge. Like. The idea that Johan is almost borderline fictional, being described rather than interacted with until later on, the constant changes in his ambitions so subtle you would never notice unless you focused.
I can totally relate. Stories like these with intricacy and tragedy and emotional depth are just stories I eat up. Though, to be fair, everyone has different preferences and there are plenty who like the simpler "cute girls" stuff, so it does have a place. It's just a shame that the balance is so tilted in the "cutesy" aspect today.
Aleczandxr Perhaps it's also due to the fact I prefer shows from the west lauded as cerebral or highly character driven like The Wire, Breaking Bad... early seasons of Game of Thrones. I mean obviously these shows are milked like any other for millions whereas comparatively, mangaka and anime artists aren't NEARLY paid that much for their hardwork. So you have the common trend of some seasons or eps being completely unnecessary to fill timelines but I don't know.
These shows seem to counteract the endless amounts of fictional programming that are less than par and follow cliches as much as the little girl trend.
I honestly think it all comes down to money and a smaller demographic when comparing islands to a country as huge as America or even the combined EU. Sad really. I'd rather see more Monsters, Jojos, and Technolyzes every season rather than... once in a blue moon I feel.
Maybe that's just me?
I very much enjoy Western shows similar to the ones you've said as well. I totally get what you mean (though JoJo isn't really my thing) about these shows being way too uncommon. But at the same time, I think it's important to be thankful that they even exist in the first place. Some of these stories are true works of art.
Aleczandxr I mean look at what we have in western media. Black Mirror. Westworld. Two shows about the dark side of tech that I could VERY easily see as animes. One is an anthology that closely resembles our world with episodic sequences that give amazing detail to sci-fi concepts of the future akin to the Twilight Zone.
The latter being sentient A.I.'s not realizing their in a park for other humans leisure as they slowly learn from the humans that visit the park for their dark perversions.
And that's just sci-fi alone. I mean even the spectacle of games like Game of Thrones which while isn't even close to it's book counterparts in Tolkein-esque themes, hosted one of the most realistic battle scenes I've seen in modern media... because they had the money to do it.
I really think anime is being held back right now by otakuism. It's part of the reason why it's so hard for me to find gems like this or Mushishi or Kaiba. It's so hard to break out of this mold that it actively kills my enjoyment of anime atm. And it hurts because we know animators and writers in Japan ARE capable of far more conceptual and imaginative stories.
Right now there are tons of shows attempting to ape off these formulas and while this can make them shoddy and messy in their own right, it's still a very high standard to live up to. Which invokes even more creators to come up with these shows.
Aleczandxr Sorry for spam. Maybe at the end of the day I just have a completely different mindset than I used to. But I think anime as a medium, while it has advanced artistically, I can't bring myself to watch modern anime for it's narrative or character arcs or concepts. Maybe there's something lost in translation with the subs and dubs issue. I have no idea.
Well, here comes my full rewatch. Monster may be one of my top three shows and this was an amazing look into it. Thanks as always for the awesome thought food.
Haha, I'm pleased I inspired a rewatch! Thanks for watching mate, much appreciated. It's such an underappreciated series, it's one of my personal favourites as well.
Great analysis! I loved the Skyrim sountrack :)
Thanks! :)
When you said you were going to do a Monster video I didn't expect it to be this fast ! The story is very complex and you explained very well the themes explored by Naoki Urasawa in his work.
The only little criticism I can offer is that there were some huge spoilers. Like you said, Monster is a criminally underrated show ( my favorite of all time) and it could have been nice to make people want to read/watch it without spoiling them some key moments. Except for that, it was an excellent video.
Peace.
He put a spoiler warning in the beginning of the video and in the description too. I think it's fine. His videos are for people who have already finished the show and want a deeper analysis. There are plenty of spoiler free reviews for Monster on UA-cam.
Monster became one of the best anime that I’ve watched together with Death Note and Code Geass, all three of them are a masterpiece but what made Monster different is that it doesn’t involved any supernatural happenings but rather is a realistic one. And I’m also surprised that it’s underrated but I guess most anime watchers aren’t ready for its mature and bold story lines.
Knew I heard some VII in there, had to check description to confirm. Well done.
Damn i just realized how cinematic could monster be when its turned to a widescreen ratio
Just finished watching it, almost cried when Grimmer died... Manly tears of course.
He was definitely my favourite character in the series (followed by Johann and Lunge), and therefore my only regret after finishing this gem of a series is not witnessing Grimmer's final rampage.
Other than that, loved the video, keep it up!
Grimmer might have been my favourite as well. At the very least he's in my top 3 characters. Either way he's absolutely fantastic.
Thank you! I'll have something else on Monster up in the next 2/3 weeks, hopefully.
This was a very insightful video given I have just finished watching this for the first time myself. Thank You for making this!
Glad it was helpful!
This is one of those rare instances where i can say... This anime is truly underrated
I just wanted to say I think all your content is very good and I look forward to more of it
Much appreciated my friend. I look forward to making more!
Monster is quite literally the anime equivalent of Twin Peaks.
So true
I think one reason it's often underrated is that it is a 1:1 translation of Naoki Urasawa's "Monster", and the manga was simply fantastic. The ones who read it often didn't feel that compelled to watch the show, and the one's who didn't were possibly a little turned off by the style and pacing, which is really unfortunate.
This is one of the best thing I watched all year
Not surprised, it's a brilliant story!
Aleczandxr lol I meant this vedio tho. Monster has been my all time favorite
I liked the fact that you used music from skyrim as background music for this video. I also liked the way you talked about this series. I just finished it today.
Used some from oblivion as well.
Monster in a nutshell: A boy stripped of his identity becomes a nihilistic serial killer to see if life has any purpose. In the end Johan learned his nihilism was wrong and changed course to getting revenge on Bonaparta and others involved in stripping him of his self. If you read the follow up manga to monster you’ll learn once Johan’ left the hospital he went on to live a very normal life. He got a second chance and was no longer a nihilist serial killer.
What's the follow up?
@@wyattwhitley8717 "Another Monster"
You know the episode finna be amazing when it starts raining
It's June 2020 and I still haven't found anime better than Monster. What a masterpiece. 👏👏👏💯
Really?! What was so great about it? Sure, I like it but I would say it's good but definitely not a masterpiece.
@@jackbauer8460 well i can second that.
its utterly gorgeous as an anime
It's one of the most western anime i've seen. From the tone to of course the cultural reference.
I think the story of this anime and manga are beautifully written. I'm not the kind of person who likes to watch an anime that is 70 some episodes long, not because it's not good but because I have so much going on in real life. Since real life is crazy I lose track and forget wtf is going on lol. But I still think it's a beautifully written story. You can tell how much time and effort it took to make it. Oh and please do a video on Johan. I wanna know more about him.
There’s already a big character analysis about Johan on UA-cam so I won’t be making one. “Explaining the Ending of Monster” is what it’s called.
Erin Phoenix Hanhil i just finished monster and what you have written i could completely relate to it. But i wanted some closure points which i did not understand in the anime.
1. What happened to their mother? Why ahe choose auna to give to them?
2. If their mother was alive, why they were sent to foster parents?
3. Why those people were massacred in red rose mansion ?
4. Why johan was killing his foster parents only?
5. Why he killed the foster parents when bonaparta visited?
6. What exactly they did in 511 kiderheim?
Aleczandxr Hanhil i just finished monster and what you have written i could completely relate to it. But i wanted some closure points which i did not understand in the anime.
1. What happened to their mother? Why ahe choose auna to give to them?
2. If their mother was alive, why they were sent to foster parents?
3. Why those people were massacred in red rose mansion ?
4. Why johan was killing his foster parents only?
5. Why he killed the foster parents when bonaparta visited?
6. What exactly they did in 511 kiderheim?
@@AleczandxrI saw it and I really liked what he had to say in the video.
okay so I started this show up last week, and I finished it tonight. this video got me to watch it, not because of the video itself but the art in the thumbnail. I really enjoyed it and I loved the realism within it the most.
one of the best anime of all time!
naoki urasawa is a genius !
The best imo.
Thanks for making a video on Monster, best anime of all time.
as an aspiring comic creator your videos have helped me SO much.keep on doing the great work
I'm super glad to hear that. I definitely will!
This video is so well made, I agree about the conflicting philosophies of characters in the show (and also the killer OP)
i chose Monster to write my essay on for my Contemporary Literature paper. This story is by far one of the best pieces of post-modernist fiction to have been created. So glad I chose to read this brilliant manga
great video yet again :)
interestingly I always viewed the ending a bit different. My thought is that johan killed himself at the end. Like you I interpreted his actions as trying to prove his view of people. I think deep (deep *DEEEEP* ) down (like *WAY* down) He did believe in the goodness of humanity, and he wanted tenma to prove it to him one more time under even more stressful conditions (kinda like a fucked up social experiment). So when Tenma did by not killing him and saving his life AGAIN he realized he had lost. He then knew he didn't want to live anymore (as the world couldn't be better with people like him in it, and he no lobger had a purpose, again playing into the identity theme.) Everyone has both light snd darkness inside them. Johan's light killed him (or at least that's my interpretation).
That's super interesting pal, thanks for watching and sharing that interpretation! That view is nearly opposite to mine in some ways, but I could definitely see that being the case as well. With such a strange and open-ended finale, Urasawa left TONS of room for watcher interpretation.
If I could add my thoughts here -
I think both your's and Alec's views on the ending are possible, either could be the case. But I'm more inclined to agree with Alec's, simply because it feels more in line with the dark tone of the series. I feel like a series like Monster is more likely to have a mixed (light/dark) ending than one where Johan truly believes in humanity. He also shows more evidence of NOT believing in humanity than actually believing in it. Just my 2 cents.
Meleron Nef
That's fair it may just be that I'm to much of an optimist XD
@Aleczandxr I completed monster yesterday. I have no words to describe . The greatest anime ever imo. I am already missing it a lot so I started reading Another Monster. Btw your video is amazing , keep up the good work
❤️Monster❤️
This is one of my favorite anime's that I'm glad that no one told me to watch or videos talking about so I'm glad I watched it by accident
Monster is still the #1 manga i've ever read in my opinion. -With Tokyo Ghoul, Berserk, Shin Angyo Onshi, Pluto and Vinland Saga right behind it- .
I've not seen the anime (the soundtrack is brilliant though) but in the manga i never had any problems with the pacing. I was just so caught up by the amazing characterisation that i didn't even notice how unimportant some of those characters were to the plot :D
Even though I love a slow burner, it just felt padded in certain episodes for me. Keep in mind that this is just a tiny complaint I have for a 10/10 series.
Aleczandxr can u plz review the Manga series ravages of time plz very complex and deep manga
Have you read other thriller manga by naoki urasawa
he did others? names pls
20th century boys
Pluto
Billy bat
All this manga are just good as monster, naoki urasawa is genius.
I decided to re-watch this anime. And it doesn't stop to amaze me. Thanks for talking about it!
Given Japanese secular culture, it leans heavy on philosophy and psychology when it comes to explaining the world. Older generations are spiritualists, but even that doesn't go very deep. I bring that up because you can find movies and other seinen anime that try and tackle these same themes or some of them, to the same or lesser success. I think this stands out because it is better composed and a good writer from an actual author. Other than that, it still obeys the cultural/spiritual concept of balance. Good and evil must exist together. You can find that in shonen anime and why I find this just an adult version of such.
Ghost in the Shell was the other anime that deals with 'what is human' from another perspective, throwing in philosophy just as much. However, it doesn't ask what is good or evil; at least not a theme in most episodes. But again, it comes off as a little pretentious on a narrative that doesn't exist in reality. Machines are machines, man can't exist in a machine because of the misunderstanding of a soul. Transhumanism is the goal there, and dualism is the goal in Monster. Both are aspects of the occult, which is very humanistic in nature.
I do agree that good and evil is the ultimate conflict. Those that find it boring typically live ambiguous lives and ignore the nuances and how much of a struggle it is for one to retain their morality in an immoral world. That is because most give up on it and make excuses, if not accept they will do wrong. Selfish desires always trump selflessness, so that perspective doesn't surprise me. I think the story fails at digging deeper into the struggle of what it means to be good/moral/virtuous. It has far more dynamics than a villain, as that has been properly explored, yet because of humanist views (and typically humanist behind these things), the dynamics of the hero are never actualized.
So in short, the characters have depth, but behave in the manner other anime protagonists and antagonists do. But again, the story does a good job of looking at all the dynamics of human nature. I would say I am in the crowd of those thinking not taking a stand on either viewpoint is either weak, or author left to interpretation of the viewer/reader. Our own morals and convictions answering the question. But it is simple:
If one is going to harm another, is it wrong to stop them? If one is going to murder another, is it wrong to kill them to protect a life, if given no other choice? Life is precious, but one forfeits this by actively trying to take another for selfish reasons. Justice could not exist without a defining of good and evil, we would be lawless. The answer is simple, but people like to make themselves more complex than they are; we either obey carnal desire or we resist. To hold on to carnal/selfish impulses leads to those overcoming eventually. Ridding them entirely or actively attempting is the biggest struggle and reward.
This is a really excellent comment.
This was some very deep, multi-layered analyzing and brought up some points I wouldn't ever think of. You have excellent videos. Keep it up!!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed. I definitely will!
I saw Monster in 2009, and its been my favorite anime ever since. Cant wait to find out what is the anime Urasawa is currently working on. No clues, he only said he is working on one.
I heard it's Pluto
@@jadeorbigoso5212 Might be, havent red that. Looking forward to it whatever its going to be. Billy Bat would be cool too. :)
A brilliant analysis of a brilliant show. In fact, you did such a fantastic job that it's elevated Monster from a great show to a masterpiece for me. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Truly, truly great stuff.
Aw thanks mate, it’s great to hear that. I look back on some of my old stuff with a little bit of disdain but it’s fantastic to see that they’re still appreciated and helping others further their love for these stories :)
FINALLY! THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANIMES AND IVE NEVER SEEN SIT GET ANY RECOGNITION ITS A MASTERPIECE AND IM SO THANKFUL.
Haha, It's a first class story. Hopefully you enjoyed. The next upload will actually be a Monster one, so there's that. :)
Just finished monster for the fourth time. It still a MASTERPIECE. I never gets tired of it. Naoki urasawa works are some of the greatest fictional medias made by humanity.