Seinen Monster by Urasawa Naoki

[Fayte]

Has anybody seen this anime? This is quite possibly the most well written series I have ever seen. Flawless. If you want to see an anime that makes Death Note look as deep as Pokemon, I suggest everybody watch it.

Wiki Overview:

Kenzo Tenma as he pursues a young psychopath/sociopath named Johan, whose life Tenma once saved. The story rapidly progresses through a number of locations: it starts in Düsseldorf, Germany, passes through Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Wiesbaden, cities in the Czech Republic such as Prague, and other cities and villages.

Both anime and manga begin with a passage from The Revelation of St. John the Divine, Chapter 13: Verses 1 & 4

"And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads, the names of blasphemy. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

The quote is often interpreted as the coming of the Antichrist. This quote is used because of the many parallels and comparisons between one of the main characters of Monster (Johan) and two candidates of the Antichrist as predicted by Nostradamus, the two were commonly Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler.

Manga Readers:
http://www.onemanga.com/Monster/

Anime Viewers:
http://www.animecrazy.net/category/completed-anime-shows/monster/

 

[MegaX]

Re: Monster

The author is simply amazing. I haven't read or watched Monster yet, but I have read another work of his: 20th Century Boys, which was just pretty epic as far as stories go.

 

[Fayte]

Re: Monster

You need to watch it. The only bad part is, this anime is perfect. You will not find any other anime come close, which is a let down in a way.

 

[TheGenius]

Re: Monster

Indeed, Monster is a perfect Seinen, long but not too long, realistic, the characters have amazing devlopment but nothing too deep, It climbs in a way that you simply have to read them in one night, or else you'll feel completely disgusting. The best seinen out here.

By the way, they are doing the movie.

 

[Fayte]

Re: Monster

Really now? a live action movie, or an animated movie?

 

[TheGenius]

Re: Monster

Live action movie, I think.

Here it is, a quote from wiki;

New Line Cinema has also recently acquired rights to create an English language film version. Josh Olson, whose best-known work was adapting A History of Violence, has agreed to write a screenplay adaptation, which the studio expects to release in 2009.[2]

 

[ibra87]

Re: Monster

I've watched to episode 20, but that was a long time ago. Got busy and left it and still don't have enough motivation to rewatch it.

 

[Fayte]

Re: Monster

The best story ever made isn't enough motivation?

 

[Urameshi-sama]

Re: Monster

^I agree wholeheartedly. I watched it last summer, but I remember becoming addicted to it after the 1st episode and how excited I was throughout the entire 74 eps (I think, don't remember the exact #). Urasawa's mangas are genius, but the anime adaptation of Monster was better than the manga because the excellent presentation really deepened the sense of absolute horror and profoundness at certain points within it.

Anyways, I just finished reading 20th and 21st Century boys yesterday, and I have got to say that I have a very difficult time putting one above the other (Monster/20th Century). I really recommend that any who haven't read those mangas but enjoy Monster should. Also, if you enjoy making your own theories and predictions as the investigations go on (like I do), I also suggest you write down all the names that appear in the manga or make a timeline.

But, I also warn that the beginning of the manga is quite boring, so bare with a little bit.

 

[TheGenius]

Re: Monster

Is it on DVD?

 

[Fayte]

Re: Monster

@thegenius
http://www.discountanimedvd.com/detail.asp?dvdno=29531&cateName=Monster

The best time I had with this anime, is all the thought involved into it's creation. Here is one of my thoughts:

Monster gets down to the depths of humanity while portraying white, black, and gray within humanity's painting. I've also noticed countless biblical symbols within the series. For example, lets take satan, and see what the Bible has to characterize with.

Satan:

(Other names include)

-Lucifer
-The Devil
-The Father of lies
-The Prince of darkness

The Bible also says these other details about satan.

-He was the most beautiful angel
-He will come to you as an angel of light
-He will make sin look appealing
-He will appear as a friend, only to stab you in the back
-He comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy

At the end of Monster, Wim's father said that he saw a monster with 7 heads.
http://img30.onemanga.com/mangas/000...0000160/06.jpg

In chapter 12 of Revelation, it states (Which was also the opening of episode 1):

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. "

This metaphor is of the Antichrist.

It is my reason to believe, Johan was a character created to be an exact personification of true evil. In doing so, he is the personification of satan himself.


Also, we learn that it was not Johan who experienced all the tests at Red Rose Mansion, but Nina. So who can explain how exactly Johan was turned into the Monster he had become? Perhaps he IS actually the Antichrist, and there was nothing in this world that corrupted him. He was corrupt from the beginning. Note the fact that Johan can not die. What reason could this be? He was shot in the head twice, yet saved both times. This means that he has a purpose, even if that purpose is absolute evil. Maybe he still needs to fulfill prophecy.

 

[Kyuzo]

Re: Monster

Where can I download the anime (not streaming)?

 

[Houjou]

Re: Monster

You need to watch it. The only bad part is, this anime is perfect. You will not find any other anime come close, which is a let down in a way.

Would you recommend me to read the manga if I already have seen the anime?

Indeed, this anime is probably the best anime series I've seen so far, awesome.


@Kyuzo: Here's a torrent with the whole series, episodes 01 to 74.

 

[TheGenius]

Re: Monster

Would you recommend me to read the manga if I already have seen the anime?

Indeed, this anime is probably the best anime series I've seen so far, awesome.


@Kyuzo: Here's a torrent with the whole series, episodes 01 to 74.

Thanks for the link Kyuzo, do you mind if i leech it?

Never seen the anime, is it worth buying?

And I most definitely recommend the manga, even though you've seen the serie. It's just super, the finale is....no word to describe it. It just climbs perfectly.

 

[Fayte]

Re: Monster

Would you recommend me to read the manga if I already have seen the anime?

The anime is exactly the same as the manga. Not one filler. So it is really up to you. The art in the manga is naturally going to be a bit better than the anime, however the anime has the color, animation, voices and excellent music to put more effect into the situations.

 

[Kyuzo]

Re: Monster

Thanks, damnz. I also found a direct download for it. They're in avi format, I am assuming this is the highest quality format any of the fansub groups released. http://da-animes.blogspot.com/2007/07/monster.html

 

[Hard_Rock]

Re: Monster by Urasawa Naoki (v18)

What to say? Best anime/manga ever would be the shortest, the easiest and the best description, in other way i could talk for hours. After monster my expectations for other anime/manga grew tremedously...

Just perfect.

 

[Kozar927]

Re: Monster by Urasawa Naoki (v18)

Ok just watched the whole thing and I will say it was awsome, but still nowhere near the level of deep emotional psycologial level of Evangelion, but that is a near impossable mark for anything else to reach lol

 

[klosi3]

Re: Monster by Urasawa Naoki (v18)

Best manga i've read tied with 20th century boys. The Author is simply amazing.

 

[L0ki]

Re: Monster by Urasawa Naoki (v18)

Urasawa's works are overrated. I didn't find this interesting at all and dropped it at volume 3 or 4.