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Aug 12, 2012 1:35 AM

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Sep 2010
1307
What a BS ending.... Meh.... And they haven't even put effort to prevent Johan from escaping. No bars in windows, no guards (in a fucking police hospital) where they keep a main suspect of a mass chain serial killings.

Overall very good series - 8/10
twonlineAug 12, 2012 1:45 AM
Aug 28, 2012 10:38 PM

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Mar 2012
486
great show but I rushed it.
My favorite characters were Lunge,Tenma, Grimmer, and Anna
Sep 23, 2012 5:56 PM

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Jul 2009
2641
Well that's a wrap. It was definitely a wonderful ride.

Tenma saved Johan because he thought all lives were equal. Johan throughout the show proved to Tenma that in fact, not all lives are equal. Tenma accepted this fact, until he once again saved Johan. Now Johan learns that perhaps, all lives are equal.

And at the end, I'm guessing the mother made the 'right' choice because Nina begged at the last minute, so she should've known that was Nina. Now the question is, did she 'save' Johan because she knew he had the potential to become the monster, or simply because she deemed Johan to be the twin who's worth saving.

I guess I feel compelled to give it a 10. I hope Johan went and become Hitler or something; his character and talent would be wasted elsewhere. But then again, to 'geniuses' like him, all is for naught. The best action is no action because at the end of your days, 'who cares'.
KurogashiSep 23, 2012 6:11 PM
Sep 23, 2012 10:05 PM

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Aug 2012
59
Quite the unexpected ending for me. I had imagined that it would end in a dramatic standoff betweenTenma and Johan with tenma pointing a gun and Johan taunting him with his dark philosophies. I never imagined the last episode would be so calm and egnimatic. However upon further analysis I believe that the ending was just pure genius.

The "monster" Johan was not slayn nor was he converted by tenma's ethics, he simply went on being a monster. Johan will continue to cause pain, suffering, and death. Peopel will weep. People will mourn. People will scream. People will die. The ending is not naive, monsters exist, and they always will exist along with the suffering of humanity.

I also appreciated tenma's genuine love of people till the very end. Tenma brought the monster back once again, despite the pain and suffering that Johan will no doubt cause in the future. Somebody said a quite a couple episodes back "Do you know what can kill a monster? A bigger monster."(probably not an accurate quote). Because tenma was not a monster, he could not kill Johan, only save him. Tenma can only bring hope, joy, and happiness to people, he cannot take a life.

In my opinion, Johans dark philosophies and Tenma's optimistic beliefs were dueling till end, and will continue to duel until eternity. There was no judgment made regarding on what is the truth of the world, instead perceptions of the world are presented elegently through the actions of Tenma and Johan and their legacies.
Oct 2, 2012 11:58 AM

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Nov 2009
14588
A very god series however the ending to that scared the crap out of me... But seriously all that dark depressing atmosphere throughout and yet able to still end on a rather positive note, loved the series.
Oct 2, 2012 6:34 PM
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Apr 2011
155
What I don't get is, where was the mother all these years? did she not want to see her twins?

And Johan is such a little pussy. He turned into a monster because his mother MAY have chosen him accidently. Did he weigh up the arguement that MAYBE his mother wanted him? pfft

I know I know, It's part of the psychological drama :)
Oct 3, 2012 2:36 AM
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Sep 2007
655
CrazyFool said:

And Johan is such a little pussy. He turned into a monster because his mother MAY have chosen him accidently. Did he weigh up the arguement that MAYBE his mother wanted him?

It's been a while since I saw the series, but if I remember correctly, that was the reason he became a monster: the very fact that his mother could choose one of them at all. That means that she thought that one of the twin's lives was more valuable than the other and that's what made Johan start to think that lives may be inherently unequal.
Oct 3, 2012 4:38 PM
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Apr 2011
155
Aah right that makes perfect sense,
Thanks buddy!
Nov 26, 2012 11:53 AM

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Mar 2012
2884
Didn't expect that little twist at the end. A real mood whiplash at that. Overall, I loved how just about every character was developed and this episode was a great way to wrap things up.
Dec 1, 2012 4:33 AM
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Sep 2011
111
I have never ever seen an anime before which deals with deep problems, the "true scars" which are left on someone's heart. Kids who grew with people who constantly were brainwashing them, getting them ready for a "gold era" of prosperity of the so called "Higher quality" human race, in a so fragile age where a simple phrase could turn a person into a kind future citizen, or into a MONSTER later. This series is a fully equipped dive into the human heart and human's emotions.

An Epic Masterpiece of anime shows, and TV shows in general. 10/10.
Dec 2, 2012 1:13 PM

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Dec 2007
1402
for the curious, tvtropes says that's what happens to Johann after the finale

whatever that means. Nothing good I presume.

anyway 10/10 and to favourites.
and rewatching.Because I can
Dec 2, 2012 5:01 PM

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Feb 2011
246
That last scene with Johan and Tenma scared the crap out of me. It also pointed out the true start of Johan's decent into whatever you want to call it... Madness? Depression? When your own mother does something like that to you then who can you really believe in?

I have to wonder what they would have done if Johan woke up and didn't run away. Throw him jail to await the death sentence? That would be counter productive. Maybe he would get sent to the loony bin, although with his track record he might have caused another Kinderheim uprising amongst the patients, so solitary confinement?

Anywho, 9/10 and definitely one of the best anime out there.
Dec 21, 2012 2:30 PM

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Feb 2012
209
Final episode thoughts:

About Episode:

So looks like everyone has returned their spots. Like Tenma has got back his job as doctor and his is no more suspect anymore.

Dieter is doing fine and want's to become best football player. Nina graduated from the school and wants to become lawyer. Detective Suk and Lunge were having nice discussion in Grimmer's funeral.

And looks like Lunge is no more detective he is now professor. Eva hasn't drink any alcohol anymore and is dong fine too. She also got new job to be kitchen designer. Dr. Reichnwien is doing also same stuff worrying about his patients in the clinic. Karl is reading to his father latin and doing well.

That final scene with Tenma and Johan. Was really great I wonder where Johan now went to probably meet his mother. Like Tenma discussed with him. I wonder still what is those twins real name.

I give this anime my final score 10/10 it's just has everything in this anime that's why. But I have to say end is really weird in this one.

5/5
Dec 26, 2012 3:54 PM

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Nov 2011
127971
The Final Chapter: The Real Monster

Ah, the series ends here. It's hard to say what the final scene means truly with the windows hanged open although I interpret it as:

1) He died and passed on
2) Escape from the hospital?

Hmm, I wonder which one but it seems ambiguous to me. Johan Liebert is a monster and this series proves it. Overall, 8/10 for me.
Jan 29, 2013 9:09 AM

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May 2007
887
I had seen a little bit of this series before but that was a few years back. For about 2 years, I've been wanting to watch this series but I always seemed to get side-tracked by something.

Saturday night, well more like in the early hours of Sunday morning, I had a friend over and we were deciding on an anime to watch and I was pushing him to watch Monster and he gave in. He said only 1 episode and that he needed to go back to his flat because it was like 2am, however, he stayed and watched the first 3 episodes....he was persuaded by the brilliance of this series. However, he needed to go bed and so did I (an early night for me lol), so we stopped there. After some sleep, I just kept on watching with obvious breaks, lectures and the time used to sleep.....I finally finished this magnificent series just now.

I have many questions about the series, so many of them were left unanswered for the readers to decide on what they think will happen.

I believe Johan is alive still and has escaped the police hospital he was recovering at, as to where he went, I do not know but a working theory is that he went to see his mother in Souther France.

The part where he awakes from his slumber and tells Tenma about the choice his mother made in the last episode. I believe that is Tenma's imagination, a memory or an event only Tenma knows between Tenma and Johan, because the twin's mother told him and Tenma is thinking on what Johan must be thinking if he was to find out or remember the event.

The series is brilliant in having complex and layered characters as well as a brilliant and menacing OP to go with it.

The series or the events can be summed up in so many ways from one man's distorted love, a mother's revenge, a doctor's pursuit to right what he had done wrong, a woman who hates herself, a boy with a horrid past, a man seeking to gain his feelings and emotions that he had lost as a child. There are so many intertwining tales within this story.

It's a beautiful anime and manga, the anime adaptation is very faithful to the manga.

This is probably one of the animes where I am not really doing any "shipping", the many characters of this story seem to be more family than anything else, I don't see Nina and Tenma ever becoming a couple, Nina only sees Tenma as a precious individual and I don't think Tenma has the ability to get into a relationship anytime soon.

Naoki Urasawa, the mangaka of Monster, who has done a few of my favourites of all time like 20th Century Boys. I learned that he rebooted his "Master Keaton" series, it's apparently set 20 years after the end of the original manga series. I'm wondering if he will ever make another manga related to Monster detailing more of what happens to the lives of the many characters like Eva, Tenma, Johan, Nina, etc.

I think I maybe one of a few people who actually loved Eva's character, I never hated her at any point in the series, I know she did many questionable and incredibly hurtful things throughout the course of the series. I felt truly sorry for her when she lost Martin.

This series is magnificent and should be watched many people out there as possible, I will be trying my best to spread this around amongst my friends.

My score for this anime is a 10/10, it truly is a masterpiece.
Jan 30, 2013 11:25 AM

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Jan 2012
2608
The ending in most ways was good, but I can't believe they actually not only let him live but even didn't accuse of the murders. So we should assume the moral is there's no justice in the world? Anyway, even that wasn't enough to ruin the show in general. It was a great watch. I'm glad I had the opportunity to complete it.

Feb 28, 2013 2:56 PM

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Dec 2012
35
This anime was too good to have only 74 episodes !
About the characters , Johan is one of the most interesting and clever ones I have ever seen !
And thanks to this anime I was able to improve my German as well !! :)
Gut gemacht ! xD
Feb 28, 2013 4:13 PM
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Aug 2011
7279
Part of me really appreciates the open-ending because a happy ending would have sat awkwardly with me.
Though part of me would have liked a real conclusion.
Dilemma. :s


About the real monster...I think that whoever the monster is changes depending on the person.
Johan, Nina, Grimmer, Robert, etc.

If we're focusing on what's going on in Johan's mind, then the real monster to him is definitely his mother.

It's rare that a story this long focuses so much on one person and yet we hardly get to see him compared to the others.
That's what made Johan very intriguing/fascinating and in that aspect this show did very well.

I will say that the supporting characters here went through impressive character development.
Lunge especially, Grimmer, and i'll be damned but even Eva developed.

Personally I give this an 8.5 and i'll round up to 9 for MAL.
While I don't dislike long shows, there was some dragging here and there that I did not care for.
I still believe that Monster could have successfully told us its story in maybe around ~52 episodes and not 74.

(Also could their mother have dressed Johan as a girl to help hide her identity from people after her? Since a woman with male and female twins stood out too much. In that case pretend like you have twin girls.)
standFeb 28, 2013 5:49 PM
Mar 14, 2013 5:53 PM

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Aug 2010
1150
I feel like they could have cut 30 episodes where nothing happened and made this a 44 episode anime or even shorter. It was pretty decent, but I was expecting more.
Mar 23, 2013 6:17 AM

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Jan 2013
420
i don't get why people liked this anime so mutch? i watched all 74 epesiodes and diden't ike it! did mis something? or did i not understand it? there must be something for so manny people to like it, i mist have mist something, please some1 tell me
Mar 26, 2013 12:18 AM

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Apr 2012
578
Alright just finished... I looked over a few sites and I found this one explanation that I liked:

.. Although kind of confusing.

In summary: The mother wanted to kill Bonaparta by using Johan (kill a Monster with a Monster), but since they were dressed up the same she didn't know which one was which so Nina was sent instead. Johan forced the assumption that the reason his mother didn't just SAY which one she wanted to send off is because the twins did not have names (nameless 'monsters'). Since Tenma told Johan that they indeed had names, Johans fears came true and he really is a monster from birth and wasn't made into one.

This anime was so dark.... Now to watch something light hearted and funny... like Nichijou.
Mar 27, 2013 11:32 PM

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Jun 2010
1204
I was about to give this series a 9 because of the major pacing issues in the first half, but then I reconsidered because of how brilliantly the ending was done and how the writers managed to provide such closure (or lack thereof) to such an intricate and complex plot. Not a flawless series, but the final product was so engrossing that any flaws can be easily overlooked.

10/10
Apr 8, 2013 8:17 PM

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Feb 2008
9
As a last episode, it was pretty near perfect. I don't think I would ever give finales 10/10s since it would mean admitting that everything was over. But anyway...

About that enigmatic scene where Tenma falls asleep and dreams that Johan asked if he knew which child his mother had handed over to Peter Capek: I think it might have been the "only memory" which Johan possessed which Nina does not. There were a few odd scenes towards the end where it showed Johan and Tenma sharing the same scene "at the end of the world".

I liked the cliffhanger end and the various loose ends which will keep me thinking for days.

-why was Peter Capek so twisted to begin with anyway? how does a German-born Czech end up like this? Where did he get his inspiration for his stories/morals from?
-who was really the "monster", does true evil/the devil exist or is there always a reason for how things turn out?
-why...did Johan decide to dress up as his sister and welcome her back in the first place? did he know that this would mess with her memories of who did what at the Red Rose Mansion?

Did anyone else feel the series was (in terms of setting/background) actually closer to Nazi Germany more than everything else with its continual references to race, eugenics and blonde, blue-eyed children?
Apr 11, 2013 4:13 AM

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Oct 2010
369
I loved the ending. That moment when Johan was suddenly sitting up staring at Tenma literally made me jump and figuratively shit my pants.....

Who is the real monster? I agree with what alot of people have said here, that the "monster" is everyone. It's actually kinda the reason why I don't believe in the death penalty irl. Who knows what fucked up things happened to fucked up people when they were kids, is it their fault? The person that did the fucking up is a monster and the person that is fucked up is a monster.

Every single person on the planet has at some point hurt someone in some way, shape or form. Even if we meant well we can never truly tell how that effected that person. We're all monsters to some degree.

I actually had a little chuckle (after my initial "no fucking way) as the credits were rolling on the empty bed. I thought "funny if we heard the sound of a toilet flushing and then Johan walks back into frame and just gets back into bed" lol

Unforgettable series. Now to read Another Monster.
Apr 14, 2013 3:35 PM

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Jun 2012
625
I've never seen an open ending provide so much closure before this. It leaves you with the questions of "So who, exactly, is the real monster?" and "Where did Johan go?" to figure out for yourself, while at the same time giving you the feeling that everything has already been answered and the story has come to an end.

Anna looked so happy to hear about Tenma. I suppose they've formed a strong bond after everything they went through together. I really wish I could have seen what they did when he went to visit her and Dieter, however I feel that not showing us is a better choice in the end. By not telling us what happened, it's left to be constructed by our imagination where whatever we wanted to happen between the characters becomes true. In that sense, the story never actually ends.

Personally, I hope Tenma, Anna, and Dieter will always continue to see each other often, as after all those years they've practically become family to each other. Hopefully Tenma and Lunge can leave the past behind and become friends, same with Eva too.

One thing that I thought was very interesting, was how they kept making subtle religious references to Johan, implying that he is of an evil like the anti-christ. This was kept up from the beginning of the first episode all the way until the very end of the series. At first, when we hadn't seen much of Johan, I thought it was an over-the-top way of characterizing him. However, as the series continued to progress, the title of "anti-christ" seemed to become fitting for him, not in a religious way but in the sense that he was a synonymous evil. In everything he did, the amount of evil only increased in intensity until the climax where he had personally initiated the slaughter of an entire town and asked Tenma to shoot him while holding a child at gunpoint, with the motive of completely erasing his own existence along with the existence of anyone who ever knew him.

In the final scene with Tenma and Johan, it seemed to me that he no longer had interest in continuing the same kind of inhuman evil acts that he did before, but still held the same beliefs that he expressed in the previous episode: "The only thing people are truly equal in is death". This leads me to believe that he committed suicide in the end, however I'm still not sure about that as he was never interested in ending his own life, and instead tried to make other people (Anna, Tenma) end it for him.

Needless to say, that last scene was a fantastic way to end the series. I believe that endings are the most important part of creating lasting appeal, and the way it was handled here was perfect in my opinion. Showing the final remaining "memory" during the last few moments and asking a simple yet unanswered question was powerful, and will likely cause this anime to stick with me for a very long time.

I've never seen anything come close to this, not just within the anime industry but within entertainment in general. While from an objective standpoint the story has some flaws, it was executed in such a masterful way that I couldn't even notice them unless I deliberately tried to find them. While looking at simple screenshots it could appear that it is visually unimpressive, the animations were extremely high quality and I often found myself replaying certain scenes to admire it. The facial expressions were great, especially those within the main cast. The story was constantly developing itself, and not a single episode ever felt out of place. The suspense was constant, and the twists kept coming from the beginning until the very end.

One of the things I liked the most were the ambient sounds. They were amazing and really added a lot to the atmosphere. A great example in my opinion was when Robert was trying to avoid giving in to alcohol. That was very well done, and it really gave you an idea of how nervous Robert was feeling and how intense it was for him. It makes you feel what the characters feel. Another good example is the very last scene. The sounds that start playing really help you understand the dread Tenma felt as he looked over to see Johan had sat up.

I could continue listing all the things Monster did right, but I'd be preaching to the choir. Monster is a series that I will likely use to judge anything I watch in the future, for more than just anime.

Kurogashi said:
I hope Johan went and become Hitler or something; his character and talent would be wasted elsewhere.


I don't remember the exact words, but during the arc where they were plotting to burn down the Turkish district, Tenma said something like this:

"Johan doesn't have foolish racial prejudices like you. No, Johan mocks the entire human race."

I think a position as "Hitler" would still be below him. He's capable of far more evil than that.

SimmianPrime said:
I actually had a little chuckle (after my initial "no fucking way) as the credits were rolling on the empty bed. I thought "funny if we heard the sound of a toilet flushing and then Johan walks back into frame and just gets back into bed" lol


Since I read that, every time I watch that scene I can't help but think of that and laugh. Really, that was clever. If they actually did that though it would probably ruin the ending for me. It would be like spitting on everything that happened.
LarasoApr 14, 2013 10:59 PM
Some parts of this post may be exaggerated.
Apr 17, 2013 3:26 PM

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Nov 2012
35
I personally don't find the theme 'Who is the True Monster' interesting or awe inspiring. Given, I don't believe in God as much and in my opinion, there's no need to think too emotionally when dealing with incidents. No matter how saddening or unfortunate their past is, it's simple to distinguish crime from not and whoever did it simply had to be held responsible for it. Choices are ours while blames are more often than not, lies on the part of the caretaker; especially parents who didn't think far enough before deciding to give birth.

Back onto the show, Monster is a great show. Despite being slow-paced, the constant revelations are a delight to watch. The only flaws are two episodes of filler and the faltering momentum as the show reaches it's climax. For the former, it's the episode where Dr. Tenma helped the sole doctor of a village with his work and the other being the episode where Dr. Tenma helped that underground female doctor. They simply served no further purpose than connecting the story right at the end of the episode. A good indicator is the lack of their presence in the epilogue.

The show starts to deteriorate by episode 67 where Johan killed the guy who funded his activities. As far as I know, there's no indication as to who the guy is; though I could be mistaken. Then there's the problem with the death of Grimmer. The idea of Grimmer 'conquering' his inner self is fine by itself, but a guy walking out into the line of fire of terrorists? No please, that's too fictional and shouldn't exist in Monster. Furthermore, he even start PREACHING about idealogies. That's pretty much the nail in the coffin. A much better alternative is for him to simply caught sight of the woman getting killed and continue from there without all the preaching.

It's obvious and expected that Dr. Tenma can't shoot Johan but having Dr. Tenma as the King of Procrastinator while screaming/shouting is a huge letdown. Every scene with weapons capable of fatality should be executed quickly and smoothly without allowing too much time to think. That's what executing a climax is all about. Instead we have Dr. Tenma and his screaming which I had no idea for what or why. Just keep calm and point the gun without making sounds. Is that too difficult? There's not even any need for you to shoot; just point 'em.

While Nina forgiving Johan is a nice touch, the worst offence is having someone other than the main cast killing Johan. When Johan was killed, I wholeheartedly believed that it's Lunge who shot him. Instead we have a drunkard and a nobody ending this epic chase. Just why? With the build up so far, it's simply a question of orchestrating Johan eventual death by Lunge. Why must it insists on it's so called 'theme' and have another terrified nobody haunted by Johan's inner malice or a.k.a. Monster to end Johan's life?

Backtrack a little, the fact that Wim went to meet Dr. Tenma when they're supposed to enter the house and saving Lunge is another letdown. Yes, Johan is important, but stop being suggestive if you're not gonna do it. Then there's the brawl between Roberto and Lunge. It's finely executed but the aftermath leave much to be sought for. Lunge managed to bring Roberto down only to be knocked unconscious when he's trying to exit the premise. The problem lies on why Roberto doesn't kill Lunge and the fact that it's too obvious the author's trying to let Roberto kill Bonaparta and dying with a cool final line. It isn't even a ploy from the author; it's downright bad storytelling.

Then there's the epilogue. I'm supportive of Tenma saving Johan. It's simply the 'correct' turn of event and isn't detrimental in any way to the show. It's also nice to see that Nina's real name is hinted to be Fraulein. While Fraulein could be 'Miss' in German (according to Wikipedia), there's simply no reason why the viewer would know rather than assume it's her 'real' name. Furthermore, it's usage is pretty much nil in real life. But what grit me is how eager Nina wanted to meet Dr. Tenma. I never like how close they were; they're not meant to be together but it's deliberately shown that there's slight romantic interest. The transition is too sudden and awkward. It leaves a bad aftertaste. Though I'm glad that Johan never actually woke up early in the episode and starts with bs like repentance, morality and the importance of forgiving others. Johan's crime is simply too great for such a lenient ending while the current one suit it perfectly.

Nevertheless, the show seen it's salvation when Johan suggests the most crucial question: who is it that the mother abandoned? More often than not I'd grind through remarkable show which never succeeded in wrapping up the story perfectly and sadly, Monster is one of it. By the end of the show, there's too much cliches and plot devices involved for it to be entertaining. Nevertheless, it boils down to a question of 8/9 or in other word 3/4 out of 5 though I'm leaning on the lower side.

Edit: Ah right, I finally understood why the ending's been bugging me so much. Having an unrelated character shooting Johan aside, it's pretty much unrealistic for a complete amateur to do a headshot. While I welcome these 'low probability but still possible' occurrence in fantasy shows, clearly it has no place in Monster which had managed to at least stay on the realistic side of the world for the whole show. Furthermore, I reckon the drunkard had less motivation to shoot Johan compared to Tenma's despite his son being held captive. Tenma definitely had it worse during these 74 episodes.
KenjimaxApr 18, 2013 2:10 AM
Apr 29, 2013 10:44 AM

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Apr 2013
2282
This anime was definitely too long. They could have made it shorter like 50 episodes.
In the end i thought the monster would be defeated but it never happened. The last scene in the hospital revealed some important details and it was very creepy when Dr.Tenma had that vision.
In terms of story this was one of the most enjoyable anime i've ever seen. It will be one of the top in my top 10 list and i will give it 10/10.
May 1, 2013 1:28 PM

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Mar 2012
1334
The first anime I have completed of this length. It has been on my PTW for a way to long time because of it's length. But I certainly have enjoyed these 2 weeks watching Monster.
8/10 - might even consider rewatching it in the future
KhalanMay 1, 2013 3:39 PM
May 3, 2013 6:27 PM

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Jan 2013
7
Fantastic end and a equally fantastic series! Definitely in my Top 5 Anime that I have seen. The ending where Tenma had that vision freaked me out so much. Johan is one of the best villain I've seen in anime. Just pure evil and the perfect nameless mosnter,

10/10
May 9, 2013 6:41 AM

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Oct 2012
5798
WTF cliffhanger ending is this? This twist was unnecessary for this otherwise very great show. Johan should stay in coma. This was disappointing. It left me with bitter aftertaste.

But the series was excellent I had a great time watching it.

So, in the end

9/10

Edit: Yeah, I get the symbogy - Johan itself said he never existed. And that the true monster never dies, just disappears for a wihile.
But in the end I am force to believe that he either died in hospital bed or that he was redeemed when Tenma said her mother loves them both and never kills anyone again. That way this end is bearable for me, otherwise it would be unsatisfactory.

Or even better - let's take this disappearance ending as purely metaphorical. Another Monster states that Johan is still in coma in this hospital and I am poised to believe it. He just vanished from lives of everybody. His actions were slowly forgotten. True monster is gone. Really the best end.
Mich666May 9, 2013 8:06 AM
May 30, 2013 4:48 AM

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Jul 2012
1719
SimmianPrime said:
...Who is the real monster? I agree with what alot of people have said here, that the "monster" is everyone.



The world's a terrifying place. I can understand why Johan became a monster. But the thing is...people can change. And most of the characters did. So like many, I don't know what happened to Johan at the end but if he's alive I think the monster inside of him will have changed. Good work Tenma.

Surely one of the better mysteries I've seen.
May 31, 2013 4:34 PM
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Oct 2010
38
usually i'm not too fond of open endings, but it fits the atmposhere of the show perfectly so im cool with it.
Jun 26, 2013 9:10 PM

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May 2011
3600
What... a... journey! (Literally)

No amount of words shared by me can even hold a candle to what need be said. Also, there's a lot more for the viewers to look back on after completing it too, so in a sense, Monster will never end! ^^

10/10.

Some of the, if not, the best portrayed characters, premise, plot, and execution ever. This brought a whole new meaning to anime for me. An all-rounder favourite. This is how you write a story, take note!

Now waiting on the T.V. series!
Kayaba-Jun 26, 2013 9:49 PM
Jun 27, 2013 11:33 AM

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Aug 2010
74
Just rewatched the whole series and its just so gooood.
Jul 1, 2013 4:26 AM
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Apr 2013
1
I've just marathoned the last 30 episodes. I just can't stop, what an amazing series it is. The series tells us that everyone can be forgiven no matter how monstrous their sins are.


In the end, there's NO REAL MONSTER!

10/10 for me:D
Jul 1, 2013 9:46 PM
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Jul 2013
1
The monster is The Bat.
Jul 3, 2013 6:47 PM
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May 2013
51
So I just finished Monster and being that this is the discussion for the last episode, I had some questions I wanted to ask because I'm confused on a few things-feel free to tell me if I'm not posting this in the right place-I am new here :)

1. I am confused by the ending of the final episode-So Johan has been alive this whole time in a coma and once he hears Tenma tell him his mother really does love him, we see his bed empty as he has just left. Did he only stay to find out this information? And are we to believe that he is now at peace or is still a monster who will commit killings?

2. So Nina was the one who went to the red rose mansion and saw everything but when she gets back, Johan allows her to forget as he takes on the burden of her memories, ultimately belieiving he was the one who went there and saw the atroctities that took place right?

3. Why did Johnan belive his mother did not love him? Because he feels his mother only handed over Nina to Franz Bonaparte for experimentation because she got the 2 confused as they both wore wigs and dresses? Or did their mother hand over Nina intentionally knowing Johan had the capacity to grow into a monster and to further delay or prevent that from happening?

4. So Johan became this monster either because of his believe his mother did not love him or later on due to the experiments and eugenics programs he was forced to endure in 511 Kinderheim?

5. What did Robero mean when he said he still couldn't see it (referring to the scenery for a doomsday) and what did Johan mean when he said Roberto would never see it?

6. So Johan was killing all his foster parents and these middle aged couples to prevent anyone from knowing or remembering him so he could be the last one standing before only Tenma was left, whom Johan hoped would shoot him, thus being the "perfect" suicide?

I know that's alot, sorry. I would appreciate anyone who could help me out. Thanks
Jul 8, 2013 3:44 PM
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Jun 2013
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Usually i hate cliff hanger ending's, but for this it seemed some what appropriate i guess.
Jul 17, 2013 11:41 AM

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Jul 2013
62
Aren't the police supposed to handcuff a mass murderer to the hospital bed so he can't get away?

I liked seeing what happened with Eva. She became one of my favorite characters after episode 60 and the death of Martin, although I loathe her almost as much as I love her.

RIP Mr. Grimmer. You were my favorite side character. I'm sorry you couldn't have a happy ending with the sausage selling girl, who reminded me of Misa Misa from Death Note.

The final 2 episodes for me were disappointing and anti-climatic. I was looking forward to huge sibling showdown or some Johann mind ***k getting the main characters to kill one another. Instead, he tries to get someone to kill him. Johann, if you want to die, do it yourself, wuss.

I watched the English subs version, as is my preference for anime, and I love the woman who voiced Eva (in Japanese) Mami Koyama. I recognized her voice from Black Lagoon as another of my favorite characters (Balalaika.)

Overall, still one of my favorite series, probably in the bottom half of my personal top ten, and the best psychological thriller since Death Note. Series - 8.5/10
Jul 21, 2013 11:03 PM
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Jul 2013
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Laraso said:
I've never seen an open ending provide so much closure before this. It leaves you with the questions of "So who, exactly, is the real monster?" and "Where did Johan go?" to figure out for yourself, while at the same time giving you the feeling that everything has already been answered and the story has come to an end.

Anna looked so happy to hear about Tenma. I suppose they've formed a strong bond after everything they went through together. I really wish I could have seen what they did when he went to visit her and Dieter, however I feel that not showing us is a better choice in the end. By not telling us what happened, it's left to be constructed by our imagination where whatever we wanted to happen between the characters becomes true. In that sense, the story never actually ends.

Personally, I hope Tenma, Anna, and Dieter will always continue to see each other often, as after all those years they've practically become family to each other. Hopefully Tenma and Lunge can leave the past behind and become friends, same with Eva too.

One thing that I thought was very interesting, was how they kept making subtle religious references to Johan, implying that he is of an evil like the anti-christ. This was kept up from the beginning of the first episode all the way until the very end of the series. At first, when we hadn't seen much of Johan, I thought it was an over-the-top way of characterizing him. However, as the series continued to progress, the title of "anti-christ" seemed to become fitting for him, not in a religious way but in the sense that he was a synonymous evil. In everything he did, the amount of evil only increased in intensity until the climax where he had personally initiated the slaughter of an entire town and asked Tenma to shoot him while holding a child at gunpoint, with the motive of completely erasing his own existence along with the existence of anyone who ever knew him.

In the final scene with Tenma and Johan, it seemed to me that he no longer had interest in continuing the same kind of inhuman evil acts that he did before, but still held the same beliefs that he expressed in the previous episode: "The only thing people are truly equal in is death". This leads me to believe that he committed suicide in the end, however I'm still not sure about that as he was never interested in ending his own life, and instead tried to make other people (Anna, Tenma) end it for him.

Needless to say, that last scene was a fantastic way to end the series. I believe that endings are the most important part of creating lasting appeal, and the way it was handled here was perfect in my opinion. Showing the final remaining "memory" during the last few moments and asking a simple yet unanswered question was powerful, and will likely cause this anime to stick with me for a very long time.

I've never seen anything come close to this, not just within the anime industry but within entertainment in general. While from an objective standpoint the story has some flaws, it was executed in such a masterful way that I couldn't even notice them unless I deliberately tried to find them. While looking at simple screenshots it could appear that it is visually unimpressive, the animations were extremely high quality and I often found myself replaying certain scenes to admire it. The facial expressions were great, especially those within the main cast. The story was constantly developing itself, and not a single episode ever felt out of place. The suspense was constant, and the twists kept coming from the beginning until the very end.

One of the things I liked the most were the ambient sounds. They were amazing and really added a lot to the atmosphere. A great example in my opinion was when Robert was trying to avoid giving in to alcohol. That was very well done, and it really gave you an idea of how nervous Robert was feeling and how intense it was for him. It makes you feel what the characters feel. Another good example is the very last scene. The sounds that start playing really help you understand the dread Tenma felt as he looked over to see Johan had sat up.

I could continue listing all the things Monster did right, but I'd be preaching to the choir. Monster is a series that I will likely use to judge anything I watch in the future, for more than just anime.

Kurogashi said:
I hope Johan went and become Hitler or something; his character and talent would be wasted elsewhere.


I don't remember the exact words, but during the arc where they were plotting to burn down the Turkish district, Tenma said something like this:

"Johan doesn't have foolish racial prejudices like you. No, Johan mocks the entire human race."

I think a position as "Hitler" would still be below him. He's capable of far more evil than that.

SimmianPrime said:
I actually had a little chuckle (after my initial "no fucking way) as the credits were rolling on the empty bed. I thought "funny if we heard the sound of a toilet flushing and then Johan walks back into frame and just gets back into bed" lol


Since I read that, every time I watch that scene I can't help but think of that and laugh. Really, that was clever. If they actually did that though it would probably ruin the ending for me. It would be like spitting on everything that happened.




I agree with you 100% Although as I read this...I feel really sad. There are many.. MANY people who do not understand the ending. And believe that Johan died. >_>. Really....Really.....They also expected to revel who the True Monster was.... I DID A MAJOR FACEPALM.....MONSTER IS A PHILOSOPHICAL ANIME!! You will NOT GET THE EASIEST ANSWERS! XD! ARE YALL OK OR DO YALL NEED to understand more ANIME..HERE:

In the comment above "Johan is an anti-Christ...not religious but.. pre evill" No.

Lets just imagine this show was all in a religious point of view... Johan is Satan/Darkness, Dr.Tenma is the light the others are.. themselves. Not in the final scene: The darkness tells the light Who is the real monster. Why do you think I am? Have you seen the true monster? The answer is simple:

THERE.IS.NO.TRUE.MONSTER.

Watch the series all over again and it will come to you. Everyone is a MONSTER in their own way! A monster eats a monster which becomes a MONSTER (JOHAN) AND HE DOES MONSTEROUS THINGS THAT INSPIRE OTHER MONSTERS.... IT IS A CYCLE.. Although...Johan is a representative of something that can END that cycle.. the SCENERY OF A DOOMSDAY: http://thumbnails.hulu.com/126/50149126/267205_512x288_generated.jpg

Don't you understand. The ending was suppose to make you think and believe of how YOU want to Monster to TRULY END. I still believe it is a PERFECT ending...the best I have seen in QUITE A WHILE (my #1).

This anime IS a MASTERPIECE. They BETTER MAKE THE T.V SHOW AWESOME BUT.. THE MOVIE... I.D..K... THEY BETTER MAKE IT ATLEAST 5 HOURS.. I AM TOTALLY DEDICATED AND WILL WATCH IT NO MATTER HOW LONG.. THEY BETTER NOT REMOVE ANY Parts.. or I swear... I will rage at the T.V/THEATURE XD :D. We.. See you all soon. In another timeline..

.. EL PSY CONGAROO!
Jul 21, 2013 11:45 PM
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Jul 2013
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aUvM7z_ZOo


MUST I SAY MORE?

Even monster gets the BEST A.M.V :D
Aug 21, 2013 10:59 AM
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Apr 2013
171
What an amazing series... I could go on and point out all the qualities in the series but that's just unnecessary.. To me it was the best TV series I've ever seen, anime or not.

As for the ending, I loved it. As for the "Real Monster" bit, it's confusing. First and foremost, you shouldn't be comparing the monster inside Johann to the one in, say, Gillen, when he cheated on his tests. They're worlds apart, and there's no way the author is trying to say any of the other characters is a monster that could possibly live up to what Johann was (Definitely not earn the title "Thea Real Monster").

That's why I don't believe that everyone was a monster.

I believe that no one was a monster. Simply because, as Eva said, human beings were conveniently built that way. It's illustrated in the picture books. The god who looked in the mirror and saw a demon, was he really a demon? What did it mean to be a demon? He brought good to the world, and just because he also did some evil it meant he was a monster? It just made him human, not god. What about the monsters without a name? Were they truly evil beings? All they wanted, was a name.

No one is a monster, no one is inherently evil, that's how human beings are built. The monsters wanted a name, Johann wanted forgiveness, Grimmer and Roberto wanted their memories, or their emotions, or what not.

It felt good writing down my thoughts.

PS: The development with Roberto and Grimmer was amazing to me, honestly, I was touched.

PPS:
@DarkFaith101: For someone who thinks Monster is philosophical you have pretty much all the answers, don't you? Jeez.

Johann could have died - Tenma isn't god, and it's more than legit that Johann would die after getting shot in the head twice. Hell, it would be the best ending for him. Are we expected that he would get out of his coma and his sins will be erased? Nina, the only person in the world who can forgive him, at best, "Wanted to forgive", but never actually did. I can't imagine her living alongside him. I can't imagine anyone doing that.

Also, I don't have any idea why everyone would be a monster too, I've said it above. And besides, a monstrous cycle? What cycle? This isn't a circle, and no one is even close to Johann in terms of evil. Johann didn't inspire anyone to be a monster (Especially after it is revealed that Roberto isn't really one), and if you're talking about all the mentally ill murderers he convinced, well, they're f*cked up in the brain, it's pointless to even categorize them. Not to mention they're irrelevant to the story.
Aug 22, 2013 11:24 PM

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Mar 2013
867
Great series!

9/10

What happened at the ending was completely fucked up
Aug 23, 2013 3:21 PM
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May 2012
7011
It has been a long ride I have learned many things just by watching this series I will never forget you Monster.

A good ending to a good series we get to see all of the characters living a good life Tenma you're the man now I can sleep in peace good night.
Aug 25, 2013 1:14 PM
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Jun 2009
3
I disliked the ending, for such a long way there was nothing special. There was no real twist after we knew, that anna was the one sent to the mension. I would have preferred something like:

Runge was right the whole time and Johann does not exist, he died at the hands of tenma at the beginning of the story, and the monster lived inside of Anna/Nina. There are some problems with this idea, but i think the whole story could have had some major twist without being to unrealistic, the way it was done was just ... i can't find a better word than 'boring'.

The reason why i am so disappointed is maybe, that i looked for a major twist, as i always read that the series had a "suprising ending" but this was the most unsuprising ending that i could have imagined, i even thought 10 minutes before watching the last episode, if maybe tenma and roberto are the same person, the reasoning was that it appeared to be very strange that tenma got to the village exactly the right moment, but then some other scenes would have made no sense, so i was expecting pretty much that nina and johann are just one person.

I think expecting a suprising ending ruined the series for me, if I had read something like "great story, disappointing ending" i would be happier now.

Edit: Another thing that bugs me is that in a story that wants to be very realistic there are children books that can destroy your emotions when they are read to you?

Overall 8/10, maybe 9/10 after i calm down over the disappointing last episode.
morufiAug 25, 2013 1:18 PM
Sep 2, 2013 3:36 AM

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Nov 2012
1308
What to say? long, well-written? Im speechless 9/10.

Mostly liked episodes with Eva or Runge.
Sep 14, 2013 3:59 PM

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889
Only thing I wish -- and after shoving so much anime into such a small time frame, I admit I might have missed something (I watched 21 eps of this in a single day, I was that hooked!) -- is that they explained what the hell happened at 511 Kinderheim! At least how the massacre went down, what started it, what was up with Johan being the "leader" and how he survived, etc.
Never forget, that if you post a topic, you're not allowed to post in it yourself, by order of MAL administration.
Sep 15, 2013 2:57 AM

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Mar 2010
1111
UnculturedWhitey said:
Only thing I wish -- and after shoving so much anime into such a small time frame, I admit I might have missed something (I watched 21 eps of this in a single day, I was that hooked!) -- is that they explained what the hell happened at 511 Kinderheim! At least how the massacre went down, what started it, what was up with Johan being the "leader" and how he survived, etc.

Read "Another Monster" chapter 5
Sep 27, 2013 6:31 PM

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Oct 2010
166
Another flawed masterpiece, in the same category as Berserk and Hajime no Ippo for me. So close but not quite a 10.

The only thing I didn't like about the ending was with Johan. How are you going to have a guy accused of the things Lunge no doubt explained when he was apprehended, freely sitting an a hospital bed with an open window? No police guarding his room, not handcuffed to the bed, nothing. Terribly unrealistic.
Oct 15, 2013 6:34 PM

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Apr 2013
109
a good ending to a good serie , is nina dating tenma? she seem way to happy when dieter tell her the good news , the part when johan stood up and starred at tenma OMG... dat stare 10/10
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