Anime Monster

[Dagger]

By this point in time, it's become clear that April's offerings are something of a mixed bag. I really love Aishiteruze Baby and Kyou Kara Maou, but so far these shows have been light-hearted shoujo comedies--quite unlike the dark, serious anime I normally crave.

Fans of disturbing, thought-provoking shows such as Paranoia Agent, Kino's Journey and Boogiepop Phantom basically have two new anime to choose from: Hi no Tori and Monster. The main difference between them is that although Hi no Tori unhesitatingly addresses the harsh truths of life, it does not deliberately aim to horrify. Its antagonists are balanced out by an array of kind-hearted, resourceful heroes.

Equally well-scripted and well-made, Monster portrays human nature in a far darker light. The show revolves around Dr. Tenma, a brilliant young surgeon who refuses to take part in the politics and petty scheming that determine how his beloved hospital is run. Ironically, his virtue eventually leads to his downfall.

Episode 2 was released last week, and episode 3 should be on its way soon. I expect that Monster's supernatural elements will gain a larger role as the series continues. Its sound effects, artwork and background music combine to create an atmosphere that is both creepy and starkly realistic.

It's much too early to tell, but I have a feeling that this series could turn into a true classic. I urge all of you to watch it. ^_^

~Dagger~

[Guest gendou ikari]

I thank you for telling me of those animes. I too perfer compelling, thought provoking dark animes over light hearted shoujo animes.

In fact, I just receantly saw the Animatrix, rewatched The End Of Evangelion, and got into one of the new series that you mentioned ,Dagger,Boogiepop Phantom, a great, mysterious ,and compelling suspense anime.I enjoyed the first three episodes of it (which I recentley imported) I like them soo much,soo much...

Anyway I have been hearing things, as of late about Hi No Tori and have seen quite a few of the episodes ;however, I have never heard of this Monster which suprises me, since I am usualy one of the first ones to watch current anime's (which have not been opened up to the public).

I would like to know more about Monster, It sounds fairly interesting.I also saw an episode of Kino's Journey in one of my Newtype magazine's DVD's, It was (in my opinion) somewhat interesting(not the best though).

The main character of Kino's Journey strangely remindes me of Lain...Oh well...
Thank you kindly, Dagger, for letting me Know of this anime, I might want to look into it too! :D Dzey Jenn.

[Dagger]

[quote name='gendou ikari']....and got into one of the new series that you mentioned ,Dagger,Boogiepop Phantom, a great, mysterious ,and compelling suspense anime.[/quote]

Monster should definitely appeal to the Boogiepop crowd. ^_^ The more I see of this show (I just finished watching episode 4), the more I like it. Somehow Monster feels different from any anime I've ever seen... this could stem from the fact that all of its main characters are mature adults with distinct motives and personalities. It's scary [i]because[/i] it's so true to life.

I initially had some trouble adjusting to the fact that episode 3 [spoiler]has to account for nine entire years,[/spoiler] but Monster's director handled the transition pretty well. Episode 4 is downright eerie, and whoever casted [spoiler]Johan's[/spoiler] seiyuu deserves my heartfelt congratulations. His voice couldn't possibly be more perfect for the role. [spoiler]Hiding Johan's features until the very end of that climactic confrontation[/spoiler] also struck me as being an excellent decision. When his [spoiler]angelic-looking face was finally revealed,[/spoiler] I couldn't tear my eyes away.


[quote]The main character of Kino's Journey strangely remindes me of Lain...Oh well...[/QUOTE]

It might interest you to know that the same man directed Kino's Journey [i]and[/i] Lain. If you want to discuss the former series, just take a look at [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=38073][u]this[/u][/URL] thread. ^_^

~Dagger~

[densuke]

Finally started watching this. I saw the first 4 episodes in one go. It's great to see a tragic hero like Dr. Tenma. This series seems pretty black-and-white to me - Tenma is the only character where the two tones blend to any extent (well, maybe Lunge). I was easily able to predict who the "monster" was, what was basically going to happen etc. - not that I have any complaints, or any clue where the story is going next...

I was delighted by the classic look of the character designs and the deep backgrounds. Naoki Urasawa (the mangaka) is an old hand and I appreciate the respect the animators gave to his work (which I may or may not read).

Given the length of the manga this looks to be a [i]very[/i] long series (52+ episodes) - or else it will come off like Berserk, hacked off at some huge climax...

O/T.................................................................................
Another adaptation of an Urasawa manga, far older and lighter in tone, is [b]Yawara![/b] It's a sports anime (fairly realistic women's judo) rather oddly combined with a shoujo-style love drama - much like the recent Kaleido Star. It is currently being fansubbed by Live-eviL.

[Dagger]

[quote name='densuke']Finally started watching this. I saw the first 4 episodes in one go. It's great to see a tragic hero like Dr. Tenma. This series seems pretty black-and-white to me - Tenma is the only character where the two tones blend to any extent (well, maybe Lunge).[/quote]

I feel rather stupid for suggesting that Monster may dabble in the supernatural, because so far every plot twist has a reasonably rational explanation. Perhaps all the spooky background music started going to my head. ^_^;

Anyway, I think that Tenma's [spoiler]ex-fiancee (Eva?)[/spoiler] is less easy to hate than your standard evil *****. In certain ways she reminds me of a character from Melody of Oblivion (the girl that Bocca calls Four-Eyes). Both offer coldly logical justifications for immoral behavior and encourage their love interests to succumb quietly to the status quo. Eva is more blatantly shallow and manipulative, but her grief at [spoiler]her father's death[/spoiler] serves to set her apart from someone like [spoiler]Johan.[/spoiler]


[quote]Given the length of the manga this looks to be a [i]very[/i] long series (52+ episodes) - or else it will come off like Berserk, hacked off at some huge climax...[/QUOTE]

I can't remember where I read this, but I did see a press release--or something to that effect--which stated that Monster would be 70 episodes long.

~Dagger~

[Aerain]

Man, I like this anime, after seeing some episodes, I think this is truly the best one I have seen recently though there are some flaws: like German people acting like Japanese people and an annoying character.

[Dagger]

As it happens, I just watched episode 43 yesterday (it's hard to believe that the show is well past the halfway point!). Some of the recent plot twists have just been incredible.

I wouldn't worry too much about annoying characters (well, unless the one annoying you is Tenma himself). Monster has such a huge cast that the more irritating characters are nicely balanced out by the cool ones. Personally, I was very surprised at how my opinion changed regarding certain members of the supporting cast. For example, Eva is now my favorite Monster girl. :animesmil

~Dagger~

[Guest Jygoro]

Wow, a thread about Monster anime, what a surprise! :D

[quote name='Dagger']As it happens, I just watched episode 43 yesterday (it's hard to believe that the show is well past the halfway point!). Some of the recent plot twists have just been incredible.[/quote]
Yeah, lot of people was afraid that this series with 78 episodes would be full of fillers, but until now I am enjoying every episode as never I've enjoyed before.
What twist did you like most? The end of episode 28? or episode 30? or the fabulous episode 37? or the entire Munich arc? or the stunning episodie 44? hehe This series plot is awesome. :animesmil
[QUOTE]
For example, Eva is now my favorite Monster girl. :animesmil
[/QUOTE]
Eva? Who is that? :p Really, I almost forgot that character since we are in episode 44 and Eva last apparition was in episode 24.I like her too but my fav character right now is Grimmer. :)

regards

[Dagger]

[quote name='Jygoro']What twist did you like most? The end of episode 28? or episode 30? or the fabulous episode 37? or the entire Munich arc? or the stunning episodie 44? hehe This series plot is awesome. :animesmil[/quote]
The Munich arc is definitely my favorite part of the series to date. All of the supporting characters involved (such as Lotte, Richard and... er, the old psychologist guy whose name I keep forgetting) really appealed to me, and I liked how the relationship between [spoiler]Karl and Schuwald[/spoiler] was emphasized. Everything came together in an amazingly tense multi-part climax--at times, the wait between episodes became nearly unbearable. Plus, Johan reached even greater heights of awesomeness as new information about his mysterious past was fed to the viewer little by little. I can think of more than a few anime and manga antagonists who could learn a lesson or two from him.

[quote]Eva? Who is that? :p Really, I almost forgot that character since we are in episode 44 and Eva last apparition was in episode 24.I like her too but my fav character right now is Grimmer. :)[/QUOTE]
Haha, yeah, it's true that she hasn't shown up lately. Grimmer is very intriguing, and the [spoiler]torture[/spoiler] scene in episode 42 was [i]so[/i] well done--I almost had to stop watching, even though I'm normally able to stomach animated violence. I also appreciate his laid-back and seemingly clueless personality.

Episode 44 absolutely shocked me! I was pretty confident that [spoiler]the girl Suk met couldn't be the real Nina,[/spoiler] but I hadn't expected [spoiler]"her" to be Johan. I'd seen non-manga readers make similar predictions in a non-serious, joking sort of way;[/spoiler] however, I think a lot of people who didn't have previous knowledge of the story were taken aback by that twist.

~Dagger~

[Kamuro]

I agree, I think most people do prefer the dark, fighting, types of animes, who wouldn't? but the lighter, happier (for want of a better word) animes do offer something different, and I find the characters to be a bit more realistic and easier to relate to

on another note (I was going to make a totally seperate post about this but didn't want to annoy the admin with a thread that might have already been started awhile ago, I'm new) how do you guys get your hands on these various types of anime? I'm 16, and funds are limited considering actually buying the shows on DVD, most of the anime I watch comes from cartoon network, which is satisfying to some extent, but it seems I'm missing out on some of the best anime? The only anime's that I have seen, that aren't on CN are Naruto and Berserk, and only certain episodes, Dagger seems rather knowledgable about a lot of anime so I guess this is directed towards him, how do you see so many diverse types of anime?

[Dagger]

Well, Monster may be dark, but one of its main strengths is that its characters are extremely well fleshed-out and realistic. It's not at all a fighting series, by the way--it's a little hard to sum up, but I guess I'd describe it as a suspense/drama anime (although the word "mystery" also fits well enough, I hesitate to use it because it brings to mind detective shows, and Monster is most definitely not a detective show). Which isn't to say that a series can't be light-hearted and also have good character development.

To answer your question, I buy a lot of DVDs. Good (legal!) deals aren't that difficult to find if you live in the States and are able to shop online. I also watch some unlicensed series (like Monster), but as you've seen a bit of Naruto, I assume you know how one would go about doing that. This is kind of off-topic--so for future reference, if you have a question for a specific user, try PMing him or her directly. If you want to start a general thread, just skim the first page or so of the forum to make sure there aren't any similar recent topics. :)

~Dagger~

[Kamuro]

my bad, I'm not very forum educated so PMing is a mystery to me :animeshy: but as for monster, if it has your endorsement I'll definitely have to check it out

[Qukey]

Monster is surely something to check out. The story is not something most people expect in manga/anime. If Monster can help to open the market, I am more than happy. Monster is classified as manga for young adult in Japan, not something for kids. It has a story to tell with themes to explore and for the audiences to think. The story unfolds with a lot of suspense and horror. My set of Monster manga has been the most popular among my friends. Even some of my older friends, at their 40s and 50s, enjoy this story.

[Dagger]

So apparently there's going to be a live action Monster [url=http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=filmNews&storyID=2005-04-07T053322Z_01_N07660163_RTRIDST_0_FILM-FILM-MONSTER-DC.XML][u]movie[/u][/url]. Produced by New Line Cinema, no less. This almost certainly means that the manga (currently pseudo-licensed by Viz) and the anime (which is, as far as I know, unlicensed) will make it over to American shores in due time.

Thoughts? One part of me is thrilled about this, but I'm also inclined to be uncharacteristically pessimistic. I mean, how does one cram a story which is supposed to span 78 episodes into the space of three or four hours (and that's being generous)? I'd have preferred a live action TV series... but no matter. I'll take what I can get.

~Dagger~

[Qukey]

I guess a lot will be cut from the story then. Eighteen volumes of manga in a movie is just not enough. The story is too complicate to understand in only a few hours. It is something need to spend time thinking to full enjoy. Some TV stations like HBO or A&E should pick up Monster and show it as it is. It is not something should be on Cartoon Network. They only good way I can see about making the movie is by taken a portion of the story and concentrates on it, not trying to cover the complete story. Monster requires time for the character to developement. It is not something people watch for half an hour and be able to fully understand the depth of the characters.

[Dagger]

I agree. I think that the movie's writers may end up just taking the basic premise of the story and doing something different with it; I hope they at least keep the same setting.

Episode 47 was intriguing but very confusing. I don't even know what to call Nina anymore, haha. Since [spoiler]Johan has been masquerading as "Anna,"[/spoiler] I guess it makes more sense to refer to her as Nina for the sake of consistency and whatnot. Oh well.

Some of the things Grimmer said kind of threw me for a loop. [spoiler]He left Kinderheim 511 at the age of fourteen, correct? And then he was placed in the care of foster parents after being taken from the orphanage. From the way he phrased it, I thought it seemed like belonging to a family was just part of the experiment(s) being performed on him. But if that's the case, where is the "artificial city" he was talking about, and how was it related to Kinderheim 511? Did Johan and Nina ever live there?[/spoiler] Hopefully we'll get some answers soon. :animestun

~Dagger~

[Qukey]

I have not seen episode 47 and cannot make a comment on the TV series. I am going to base my opinion on the manga. This is the starting point of the truth about the twins. Their biological parents and the intention of their birth will be reveal soon. The masquerade is very important to their background. Keep watching for more surprise; unless you want any spoiler. Just remember that it is not the first time Jahon has done it.

[spoiler][511 is about the experiments. The lifes of the subject are just part of the experiment inside and outside of the institution.[/spoiler] I need to read the manga again sometime.

[spoiler]It is not clear if the twins have lived in 511 but it is clear that one or the other (this become very important soon to realize who is the killer) has visited the institution regularly. Again, this is decision of their mother.[/spoiler]Most of the questions will be clear up soon. For anything not answer directly, there are enough hints to draw conclusions.

[COLOR=#503F86][SIZE=1][b]Just made the spoilers more invisible, heh. You can use the [spoiler] tags in future, if you want to. But thanks for making the effort ^_~ It's always appreciated. -Solo[/COLOR][/SIZE][/b]

[Dagger]

I'm afraid to look at the spoilers in your post. XD

That said, watching episode 49 has made me form a couple of theories in regards to what you mentioned (which may or may not pan out; I guess I'll have to wait and see). It seems pretty clear that [spoiler]Johan also crossed-dressed as Nina when he was a child; the main question, however, is why. Additionally, I suspect that the man who wrote the picture book must be the father of Johan and Nina... although we still don't know much about their mother, aside from a brief glimpse of what she looks like.[/spoiler]

While there were times in the series when the actions & reasoning of Lunge (Runge?) seriously irked me, I was pleased to see him back at work. It's ironic that he ended up [spoiler]picking up Johan's trail during the one time in his life he decided to actually go on vacation. However, this time around it seems that he won't totally disregard the evidence in favor of some silly theory about Tenma having multiple personalities.[/spoiler]

In other news, the manga license has been confirmed. Viz will release the first volume on October 4 (the same day as the first volume of Death Note!). I'm really excited about having the chance to see this story in its original form.

~Dagger~

[Qukey]

I will try not to spoiler. [spoiler] If we are looking for a reason for the cross-dress, look no further pass the mother. It is her guilt to dress the two children the same so she can pretend that she does not favor one over the other. She is helping in creating the "monster". [/spoiler]Think of the the story in the picture book about the monsters without names. Their parents will be introduced later and wait unit the father's story about their intention.

Lunge's theory symbolizes how he feel about the events. He is the one person who always look for the logical explantion and he is willing to believe the tricks of ones mind instead of the creation of a monster. (contradiction? of course) There are so many reasons backing him up in his mind. Keep watching.

[Guest TheGnomeGod]

I was wondering it anyone knew anything about this anime? I've watched the first 8 episodes and love it!!! The story is great and u really fell for the main character. I really want to get this anime but it isn't out on dvd yet!!

[bellpickle]

[SIZE=1]I've been marathoning this anime for the past few weeks, and I'm about caught up with the Anime Kraze fansubs. (I think I have about three more episodes to go.)

That said, I'm [I]really[/I] enjoying it. Considering how long the series is, it's quite impressive for the story to be so focused all throughout. And I love how well-developed the characters are, even the short-lived secondary characters.

I don't have a set favorite character, not yet anyway, though I [I]really[/I] like Grimmer. He's so easy to sympathize with, I think. He's has very sincere intentions it seems, and it's amazing that he didn't turn into a cold-hearted psycho, considering everything he's been through. (Not that he's completely normal either, but hey.)

Regarding Runge, I see him as a detective who jumps on to whatever interests/challenges him the most, then stubbornly locks on to that case. Afterall, only after [spoiler]Runge saw Johan's hotel room did he begin to show an active interest in Johan. (He himself stated that it was the first time he had seen a room so devoid of evidence.) I guess eventually Johan's case became much more intriguing to Runge than Tenma's case, possibly to the point where he began believing in Tenma's innocence.[/spoiler]

As for the Live-Action film, I've heard that they [I]may[/I] be planning to the divide the story into two films, instead of cramming it all into one. That is, of course, assuming that the movie(s) will be made in the first place.[/SIZE]

[Dagger]

Speaking of marathons, I stopped at episode 59; since then, I've been trying to hoard up on episodes, with the intention of later marathoning from that point to the end.

I thought I mentioned Martin (wow, it's been a while--I hope I got his name right!), Eva and all the stuff concerning them here, but I guess not. Must've been another forum. Anyway, Martin became one of my favorite characters in the series almost instantly. And his presence meant that there was a lot more [spoiler]psycho!Eva to go around. Somehow my liking her didn't end up being a fluke; maybe it was the incongruity present in her drunken slob persona, or her delicious bitchiness, or her surprising humanity. Honestly--before Martin came into the picture, I was all but shipping Tenma/Eva.[/spoiler] Yeah, it sounds weird to talk about shipping in conjunction with anything Monster-related, but bear with me.

Half the reason I took a break from Monster when I did was because I was terrified that [spoiler]something awful would happen to Eva and/or Martin.[/spoiler] I guess that's what prompted me to cut myself off even after a semi-cliffhanger. To be fair, the show really does benefit from being marathoned; I learned that when I tried to catch up on it after being away for much of the summer.

Only four more episodes before I can dive back in (thanks, Soldats!)... it's still supposed to be 78 total, no?

~Dagger~

[EVA Unit 100]

I've seen the first 7 episodes and the show is excellent. One thing I'd like to note that something that bugs me about the show is the simple fact that it's animated. I'm all for animated series and movies that use realistic plots and characters, but other masterpieces of the genre such as Grave of the Fireflies and Tokyo Godfathers were directed using the animation medium for maximum effect. Heck, even the ultra-wooden Boondocks at least has Champloo homages which would be lost using live actors. Monster rivals King of the Hill for the title of "Most Live-Action-y Cartoon". Given Monster didn't run for 10 years and thus wouldn't have problems with an aging cast, I see pretty much no reason to animate a series that so far seems that it would be more powerful in live-action.

That said, this is one of the most well-written TV series I've watched in a while. While the first episode or two didn't captivate me much, seeming too much like a slightly more mysterious Black Jack-type show, from then on it's a total mind-bender. And not in the prententious way of, say, Evangelion or the confusing way of shows like Paranoia Agent. It rivals Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex in terms of the depth of the plot and surpases it in terms of character psychology. The plot has already advance very far in the first 7 episodes, and with there being 71 more for me to watch, I'm sure there will be lots of twists and turns in the lives of Dr. Tenma, Johan, Nina, and the others.

[Guest Jygoro]

[QUOTE=Dagger]Only four more episodes before I can dive back in (thanks, Soldats!)... it's still supposed to be 78 total, no?

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]
Monster is already complete! Episode 74 is the last of the series. Soldats were awesome releasing the end of the series in a batch torrent. :animesmil

I finally have watched the entire series and the manga adaptation has been really excelent. Now I can say IMO Monster anime is already a masterpiece.

regards

[Dagger]

Really? Wow! That means I can probably finish it as soon as this weekend. Thanks for the clarification. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens. :)

~Dagger~