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Naoki Urasawa's Monster #13
Naoki Urasawa Präsentiert: Monster, Band 13: Flucht
Johan is a cold and calculating killer with a mysterious past, and brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Conspiracy and serial murder open the door to a compelling, intricately woven plot in this masterpiece manga thriller.
After his arrest in Prague, Tenma is deported to Düsseldorf to stand trial, but the odds are terribly stacked against him - one of the lawyers is a devoted follower of Johan. When his ex-fiancée Eva's life is threatened, Tenma realizes that if he wants to save her, his only option is to escape captivity. With Eva still bearing a nearly bottomless grudge against him, can Tenma reach her before it's too late. And even if he does, will she even want his help?
After his arrest in Prague, Tenma is deported to Düsseldorf to stand trial, but the odds are terribly stacked against him - one of the lawyers is a devoted follower of Johan. When his ex-fiancée Eva's life is threatened, Tenma realizes that if he wants to save her, his only option is to escape captivity. With Eva still bearing a nearly bottomless grudge against him, can Tenma reach her before it's too late. And even if he does, will she even want his help?
216 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2000
11 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Naoki Urasawa
356 books2,819 followersUrasawa Naoki (浦沢直樹) is a Japanese mangaka. He is perhaps best known for Monster (which drew praise from Junot Díaz, the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner) and 20th Century Boys.
Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.
Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing
Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.
Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 20, 2025
Dos de los personajes que más producen rechazo tienen algunos paneles aquí: el detective Lunge y Eva, la ex de Tenma. El primero y la segunda producen malestar, rechazo e incluso odio.
En mi caso me dan sentimientos contradictorios sin llegar a odiarlos porque precisamente sus defectos y sus errores no hacen más que volverlos humanos.
Por suerte Lunge ya está yendo por el camino de es y ha dejado de ser tan frustrante y Eva aunque ella no ayuda poco a poco. Tiempo al tiempo.
En mi caso me dan sentimientos contradictorios sin llegar a odiarlos porque precisamente sus defectos y sus errores no hacen más que volverlos humanos.
Por suerte Lunge ya está yendo por el camino de es y ha dejado de ser tan frustrante y Eva aunque ella no ayuda poco a poco. Tiempo al tiempo.
June 29, 2024
3.25 stars
Alright, so that felt a little empty, but these kinds of volumes seem like filler, let's also talk about Eva. I don't particularly like her character; she can be impulsive and irrational at times, but you know who's even more of a fool than her? Our very own Dr. Tenma. God, there are times when his thinking surpasses my comprehension. I get it—you're a doctor, you have to save lives—but please, stop talking.
Alright, so that felt a little empty, but these kinds of volumes seem like filler, let's also talk about Eva. I don't particularly like her character; she can be impulsive and irrational at times, but you know who's even more of a fool than her? Our very own Dr. Tenma. God, there are times when his thinking surpasses my comprehension. I get it—you're a doctor, you have to save lives—but please, stop talking.
March 8, 2023
*4.5 stars
Lots of action, lots of Tenma. All good, but I wanted more intrigue and more of the scoop on Johan. Still, flying through the pages and need to know what's going on!
Lots of action, lots of Tenma. All good, but I wanted more intrigue and more of the scoop on Johan. Still, flying through the pages and need to know what's going on!
October 18, 2020
Hoping to see Runge's and Eva's death soon :)
April 4, 2015
Do I want to kick Tenma? Yes, why yes, I do. Eva isn't worth it, man! Even if Roberto is riding a hell horse to pick her up, what is possessing you to break out of prison, man? Even your lawyer believes in you!
What a world, what a world...
What a world, what a world...
October 28, 2019
Runge: wants to put Tenma in jail because of the "truth" despite there being no real evidence (it's racism)
Eva: wants to see Tenma in jail because he ruined her lifeSHE broke up with HIM, after ABUSING him for YEARS and was only engaged to him for status and money and ALSO she used people for her personal gains and ruined her life by her own damn self, that fucking narcissist narcissistic POS
Robert: just ew
All three in one volume is too much garbage.
Addendum
A short play in one act.
Manga: Oh, no! What is Eva going to do?! Will she betra-!
Me: I don't care.
Manga: But oh, no! She's in DANGER! Is she going to di-!
Me: I don't care.
Manga: But she is in MORTAL DANG-!
Me: I. don't. care.
Manga: ...b-but she's a complex character because you see, she's mean to Tenma but she actually likes him and hate herse-!
Me: I.
Manga: ...
Me: Don't.
Manga: ...
Me: CARE!
Manga: BUT! D:
Me: Fucking kill her already and stop taunting me with promises of her untimely but well-deserved demise!
Manga: *gasp*
Me: While we're at it, kill Runge, too.
Manga: *faints*
Curtain falls, decapitating manga immediately and smothering Me.
Eva: wants to see Tenma in jail because he ruined her life
Robert: just ew
All three in one volume is too much garbage.
Addendum
A short play in one act.
Manga: Oh, no! What is Eva going to do?! Will she betra-!
Me: I don't care.
Manga: But oh, no! She's in DANGER! Is she going to di-!
Me: I don't care.
Manga: But she is in MORTAL DANG-!
Me: I. don't. care.
Manga: ...b-but she's a complex character because you see, she's mean to Tenma but she actually likes him and hate herse-!
Me: I.
Manga: ...
Me: Don't.
Manga: ...
Me: CARE!
Manga: BUT! D:
Me: Fucking kill her already and stop taunting me with promises of her untimely but well-deserved demise!
Manga: *gasp*
Me: While we're at it, kill Runge, too.
Manga: *faints*
Curtain falls, decapitating manga immediately and smothering Me.
Read
July 5, 2022"And I will keep on doing what I am doing to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 12-14
"He never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He dances in light and in shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says that he will never die.” - Blood Meridian
I tend to be a sucker for strong concepts. Give me a good hook for a story and I'll read it, even if it doesn't entirely grab me in the end. Much of the time, I'm disappointed when a concept is misused or the author/artist doesn't explore the concept's full potential, merely touching upon it to get the readers hooked and then going on about their own interests or in the worst-case scenario, destroying the momentum that's been built. But Monster is different, as it's the rare series that delivers on its concept, while also being a very fast paced, entertaining story.
I've tried to expand my horizons in the world of comics and read foreign comics, and manga has been on that list of foreign comics to read. I've read several manga such as Lone Wolf and Cub, Akira, Bastard, and Death Note which I've enjoyed to various degrees, but the name Naoki Urasawa has come up with almost religious reverence in the circles that I've come across in the manga fandom. I'm happy to say that Urasawa is a writer-artist combination who proves to be as skilled of a storyteller as he is a draughtsman.
Urasawa shows himself to be a master of pacing, a master of suspense, and a master storyteller. While Monster starts off slowly, Urasawa keeps the audience invested with deft plotting and intricate attention to character, before taking the audience on a wild ride from beginning to end. Much of his skill also comes from his sense of the mystique, giving us little niblets of a much grander mystery that keeps his audience coming back for more. It is this ability that kept me coming back for more. I was impressed with the psychological progression of the characters, how their beliefs change throughout the story, and how they grow from the experiences that they go through during the events of the story.
Urasawa's art is likewise skilled, it is cartoon-like, while also being filled with character and personality. All his characters have distinct designs, and a character rarely looks similar to the other. An issue I often find with manga art is that all the characters look like children, and at their oldest late teens to early 30s. I wouldn't be surprised if Urasawa was influenced by the artwork of Katsuhiro Otomo, as he shares his eye for detail and distinct characteristics of his characters. Though Urasawa's art often runs toward the gothic. My friend Dave put it nicely when he said that this series has such an ominous and otherworldly feel that it sometimes feels fantastic.
Proof of this idea is with the main antagonist Johan, the titular monster, someone who is so detached from the rest of humanity that it seems that he is something otherworldly. Like Anton Chigurh or The Joker, Johan's evil is something that is so incomprehensible to the human psyche, that even when his motives are clear we are still unable to penetrate why he does what he does. What makes him so frightening isn't that he's particularly malicious or sadistic, it's that he is completely indifferent towards the lives around him, including his own. Urasawa plays his cards beautifully by never showing Johan too much or stooping to cliches where he taunts the heroes, he proves to be more of a force of nature than a cartoon bad guy.
Much of the series explores the relationship of protagonist Dr. Tenma and Johan and how both effect the world around them. They're not merely enemies, but existential opposites who are forced to collide. As Robert McGee pointed out, a protagonist's journey is only as good as the forces that antagonize him. Tenma's journey is ripe with struggle as he uncovers the mystery of who Johan is and all the forces that seek him for good or ill. Yet what allows Tenma to win is the fact that he chooses to hang on to being good, despite being in a world that is so transparently corrupt, becoming just as incomprehensible to the people who want to exploit or use him for their own ends.
I was also very surprised with the depth of the side characters that Urasawa introduced and how many stories he weaved into the story without losing the threads of the main plot. While they might seem frivolous at first glance, Urasawa always manages to find a way to weave them back into the main story somehow, where no detail is lost in the abyss. Much of the emotion that I felt through the series came from the side characters often, and Urasawa proves to be as gifted with characterization as Stephen King, creating characters with depth and nuance that gives the story its heart despite all the horrors that happen in it.
I continually stand in awe with how Urasawa manages to connect all these seemingly loose threads together to create one big story. It's rare that a story delivers on its core concept so adroitly, yet Urasawa does this and then some. He puts many comic creators around the world to shame, and he has fun doing it. His boundless imagination and his sense of set up and pay off will keep readers entertained as the story moves along as it does, culminating to an ending that is as oddly fitting as you could be with this story.
It's rare that a story explores evil with such nuance and creativity, we see all aspects of human evil be laid to bare through this series without reservation, rather it be the casual indifference of Johan, the selfish opportunism of the neo-Nazis, or the banal cruelty of the scientists from Kinderheim 511. One can also see the film Halloween being an influence on this series considering how Johan is much like Michael Myers, especially with the ending which I won't spoil here. Good might have triumphed today, Johan might be stopped, but he'll never truly be gone...
After all, evil never really dies, does it?
"He never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He dances in light and in shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says that he will never die.” - Blood Meridian
I tend to be a sucker for strong concepts. Give me a good hook for a story and I'll read it, even if it doesn't entirely grab me in the end. Much of the time, I'm disappointed when a concept is misused or the author/artist doesn't explore the concept's full potential, merely touching upon it to get the readers hooked and then going on about their own interests or in the worst-case scenario, destroying the momentum that's been built. But Monster is different, as it's the rare series that delivers on its concept, while also being a very fast paced, entertaining story.
I've tried to expand my horizons in the world of comics and read foreign comics, and manga has been on that list of foreign comics to read. I've read several manga such as Lone Wolf and Cub, Akira, Bastard, and Death Note which I've enjoyed to various degrees, but the name Naoki Urasawa has come up with almost religious reverence in the circles that I've come across in the manga fandom. I'm happy to say that Urasawa is a writer-artist combination who proves to be as skilled of a storyteller as he is a draughtsman.
Urasawa shows himself to be a master of pacing, a master of suspense, and a master storyteller. While Monster starts off slowly, Urasawa keeps the audience invested with deft plotting and intricate attention to character, before taking the audience on a wild ride from beginning to end. Much of his skill also comes from his sense of the mystique, giving us little niblets of a much grander mystery that keeps his audience coming back for more. It is this ability that kept me coming back for more. I was impressed with the psychological progression of the characters, how their beliefs change throughout the story, and how they grow from the experiences that they go through during the events of the story.
Urasawa's art is likewise skilled, it is cartoon-like, while also being filled with character and personality. All his characters have distinct designs, and a character rarely looks similar to the other. An issue I often find with manga art is that all the characters look like children, and at their oldest late teens to early 30s. I wouldn't be surprised if Urasawa was influenced by the artwork of Katsuhiro Otomo, as he shares his eye for detail and distinct characteristics of his characters. Though Urasawa's art often runs toward the gothic. My friend Dave put it nicely when he said that this series has such an ominous and otherworldly feel that it sometimes feels fantastic.
Proof of this idea is with the main antagonist Johan, the titular monster, someone who is so detached from the rest of humanity that it seems that he is something otherworldly. Like Anton Chigurh or The Joker, Johan's evil is something that is so incomprehensible to the human psyche, that even when his motives are clear we are still unable to penetrate why he does what he does. What makes him so frightening isn't that he's particularly malicious or sadistic, it's that he is completely indifferent towards the lives around him, including his own. Urasawa plays his cards beautifully by never showing Johan too much or stooping to cliches where he taunts the heroes, he proves to be more of a force of nature than a cartoon bad guy.
Much of the series explores the relationship of protagonist Dr. Tenma and Johan and how both effect the world around them. They're not merely enemies, but existential opposites who are forced to collide. As Robert McGee pointed out, a protagonist's journey is only as good as the forces that antagonize him. Tenma's journey is ripe with struggle as he uncovers the mystery of who Johan is and all the forces that seek him for good or ill. Yet what allows Tenma to win is the fact that he chooses to hang on to being good, despite being in a world that is so transparently corrupt, becoming just as incomprehensible to the people who want to exploit or use him for their own ends.
I was also very surprised with the depth of the side characters that Urasawa introduced and how many stories he weaved into the story without losing the threads of the main plot. While they might seem frivolous at first glance, Urasawa always manages to find a way to weave them back into the main story somehow, where no detail is lost in the abyss. Much of the emotion that I felt through the series came from the side characters often, and Urasawa proves to be as gifted with characterization as Stephen King, creating characters with depth and nuance that gives the story its heart despite all the horrors that happen in it.
I continually stand in awe with how Urasawa manages to connect all these seemingly loose threads together to create one big story. It's rare that a story delivers on its core concept so adroitly, yet Urasawa does this and then some. He puts many comic creators around the world to shame, and he has fun doing it. His boundless imagination and his sense of set up and pay off will keep readers entertained as the story moves along as it does, culminating to an ending that is as oddly fitting as you could be with this story.
It's rare that a story explores evil with such nuance and creativity, we see all aspects of human evil be laid to bare through this series without reservation, rather it be the casual indifference of Johan, the selfish opportunism of the neo-Nazis, or the banal cruelty of the scientists from Kinderheim 511. One can also see the film Halloween being an influence on this series considering how Johan is much like Michael Myers, especially with the ending which I won't spoil here. Good might have triumphed today, Johan might be stopped, but he'll never truly be gone...
After all, evil never really dies, does it?
August 12, 2019
4.5 🌟
This volume is not the thrilling one but it is building a plot for something unimaginable to be happen. Let's see how things unfold.
This volume is not the thrilling one but it is building a plot for something unimaginable to be happen. Let's see how things unfold.
September 5, 2018
Manga marathon.
September 14, 2018
This is the first volume that's felt padded. Hopefully its just set up for something better in the next volume.
December 9, 2021
Tenma is a confirmed true gamer now. You hate to see it. Lunge is a cunt. I love this manga.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2024
Great plot, I love the twists , but I want a resolve
July 6, 2014
After sitting on my shelf and renewing them twice from the library I finally started reading these (after stopping at volume two and not reading much of anything) again. I ended up tearing through them in a couple of days because I needed to know what happened!
The story flows so nicely. You're caught in this twilight time. It's not a tv show, it's not a novel, it's both. The suspense is definitely edge-of-your-seat and with each cliffhanger ending you automatically start reaching for the next volume.
By the end, most questions are answered, though to me, seemingly the most important question wasn't. Arrgh! But I guess that's perfect that way. It is truly a fantastic series. Characters are rich and life like. I can to care about characters I didn't think I would have in the beginning and by the time I got to the last volume I wanted to cheer or exclaim out loud.
Now that I'm done with this, I suppose, as I've been told, I should start on Pluto! Library, here I come!
The story flows so nicely. You're caught in this twilight time. It's not a tv show, it's not a novel, it's both. The suspense is definitely edge-of-your-seat and with each cliffhanger ending you automatically start reaching for the next volume.
By the end, most questions are answered, though to me, seemingly the most important question wasn't. Arrgh! But I guess that's perfect that way. It is truly a fantastic series. Characters are rich and life like. I can to care about characters I didn't think I would have in the beginning and by the time I got to the last volume I wanted to cheer or exclaim out loud.
Now that I'm done with this, I suppose, as I've been told, I should start on Pluto! Library, here I come!
September 18, 2009
I love the story of the prison breaks here--the way Urasawa riffs off all those prison break cliches from movies, but still manages to make it something new. And I suppose that, in a nutshell, sums up how Urasawa uses genre tropes and make them magnificent.
Still interesting to see how Urasawa repeats himself. Several things there--the figure of Detective Suk and the prison breaks in particular--really remind me of stuff he does again in the later 20th Century Boys.
Still interesting to see how Urasawa repeats himself. Several things there--the figure of Detective Suk and the prison breaks in particular--really remind me of stuff he does again in the later 20th Century Boys.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2023
It's still in a bit of a transition phase, but the twists in this were still so good! I want to know what happened to Eva and what Lunge is going to do with the lawyer! There were a lot of coincidences in this volume, though, so it did kind of stretch my realm of disbelief. I will wait to see if it was an intentional part of the storyline or if it was the author needing these situations to be somehow connected.
January 17, 2010
This was the book with the weird repetition - recaps of events that happened 20 pages ago. Other than that, the high quality of the series continues. Interesting chracters, nostalgic flashbacks (good ones), and a deepening mystery. My admiration for Naoki Urasawa groes.
December 26, 2022
The Devil inside the God said,
You are me, and I am you.
You are me, and I am you.
July 30, 2021
The development in A Monster's Love Letter (ch 105) was shocking. I am reeling. I absolutely did not expect it at all!!!!! Also the contents of the love letter and the panels here were utterly gorgeous.
How low do you have to be that you're taking life advice from Lunge?
Jailbreaker (ch 106) was wack. It proved that repeat offenders were even more reliable than Lunge. Kidding aside, I cannot believe how easily, quickly, and quite deeply Naoki Urusawa's characters can sink their claws into you. I was amazed by how he fleshed out Gunther Mulch's backstory and personality; he was insane! The way he gave Tenma hope again made my heart ache.
When Lunge told Tenma that the hardest people to figure out where the silent and stoic ones, I thought that he was referring to Johan, who until that point he did not believe existed. I did not get that he was giving Tenma a tip... My final (rhetorical) question from the previous chapter stands.
Lawyer (ch 107) was so nice. I know that's such a generic adjective usually used for things one finds mediocre, but I actually mean it and that's how it felt.
Verdeman was introduced, and I'm already looking forward to his arc as a son becoming his father's legacy, and as a new father himself. I wonder what the song Over the Rainbow really meant to him. Also worried about the other lawyer who recruited him, Alfred Baul, since his face was not shown and his background was not disclosed.
I am most interested in how Verdeman was used to explore Tenma's guilt. It was already established that Tenma did not really care about clearing his name, and just wanted to kill Johan Liebert. He felt that it was his responsibility to do so since he was the one who brought him back to life. This clearly conflicted with his ideals as a doctor.
I really thought that the greatest source of Tenma's guilt was that he revived a monster, but it went beyond that: it was the fact that he had to play judge that weighed so much on his conscience. As he was so harshly reminded by the Turkish woman and Johan all those years ago, all lives were equal. This was demonstrated by his belief in redemption and fully embracing one's past regardless of choice and circumstance. Yet there he was, preparing to kill someone he saved, and contemplating if he was wrong to have saved that life in the first place. However, as Nina and Verdeman pointed out, he was merely fulfilling his responsibility and ideals as a doctor.
I remember that chapter wherein Tenma initially refused to treat the Lawyer for killing indiscriminately, but eventually conceded after seeing that the latter realized the weight of facing death and taking a life- something Tenma was familiar with given his line of work and involvement in Johan's messed up game.
Who was Tenma to decide who deserved to live or die? Who was he to play god? Or rather, become a monster. To oppose the beast, he must become a greater one. He was bound to get blood on his hands and lose his humanity in the process.
I think that the only way to save Tenma would be for Nina to finish what she started. Given that Tenma wanted her to keep her hands clean the same way the other characters were trying to preserve what was left of Tenma's innocence; however, it is only inevitable to witness Tenma's transformation.
Witness (ch 108) was the first time I was frustrated with Eva. I still do not understand how she believed Tenma ruined her life- was it because she was convinced he killed her father or because he refused to come back to her. I both love and hate how she thought that that would be what Tenma would come to regret once he was rotting in jail too. I adored the panels showing the booze and the cigarettes and her terrified expression. I am baffled by how Eva Heinemann could have been a valuable witness given her history with Tenma.
The reveal at the end would have blown me away had it not been part of the manga's synopsis... At least, Tenma's hands were still clean.
Determination (ch 109) was amazing. I loved the way Tenma was backed into a corner, and the way everything was tied together. It was quite hilarious how Eva's death really did benefit both parties involved. I almost wished that Tenma were less of a man, and just let Roberto kill her.
Tenma lost his facial hair in a few panels.
Muddy Sandwiches (ch 110) was getting intense again. I love Tenma!!
Wait so was the incident in Helene and Gustaf (ch 111) a part of the plan or not?
Escape (ch 112) had both suspense and action! Tenma really was too good for Eva, which is not to say I think she deserved whatever Robert was doing with her.
Room 402 (ch 113) connected even more dots, and I am now officially scared of Verdeman. There were times when it seemed like he was just trying to convince himself of his father's innocence. And to think that the author of The Nameless Monster was actually a member of the Czechoslovakia Secret Police. I really thought it was Germany's Internal Affairs behind all of this.
How low do you have to be that you're taking life advice from Lunge?
Jailbreaker (ch 106) was wack. It proved that repeat offenders were even more reliable than Lunge. Kidding aside, I cannot believe how easily, quickly, and quite deeply Naoki Urusawa's characters can sink their claws into you. I was amazed by how he fleshed out Gunther Mulch's backstory and personality; he was insane! The way he gave Tenma hope again made my heart ache.
When Lunge told Tenma that the hardest people to figure out where the silent and stoic ones, I thought that he was referring to Johan, who until that point he did not believe existed. I did not get that he was giving Tenma a tip... My final (rhetorical) question from the previous chapter stands.
Lawyer (ch 107) was so nice. I know that's such a generic adjective usually used for things one finds mediocre, but I actually mean it and that's how it felt.
Verdeman was introduced, and I'm already looking forward to his arc as a son becoming his father's legacy, and as a new father himself. I wonder what the song Over the Rainbow really meant to him. Also worried about the other lawyer who recruited him, Alfred Baul, since his face was not shown and his background was not disclosed.
I am most interested in how Verdeman was used to explore Tenma's guilt. It was already established that Tenma did not really care about clearing his name, and just wanted to kill Johan Liebert. He felt that it was his responsibility to do so since he was the one who brought him back to life. This clearly conflicted with his ideals as a doctor.
I really thought that the greatest source of Tenma's guilt was that he revived a monster, but it went beyond that: it was the fact that he had to play judge that weighed so much on his conscience. As he was so harshly reminded by the Turkish woman and Johan all those years ago, all lives were equal. This was demonstrated by his belief in redemption and fully embracing one's past regardless of choice and circumstance. Yet there he was, preparing to kill someone he saved, and contemplating if he was wrong to have saved that life in the first place. However, as Nina and Verdeman pointed out, he was merely fulfilling his responsibility and ideals as a doctor.
I remember that chapter wherein Tenma initially refused to treat the Lawyer for killing indiscriminately, but eventually conceded after seeing that the latter realized the weight of facing death and taking a life- something Tenma was familiar with given his line of work and involvement in Johan's messed up game.
Who was Tenma to decide who deserved to live or die? Who was he to play god? Or rather, become a monster. To oppose the beast, he must become a greater one. He was bound to get blood on his hands and lose his humanity in the process.
I think that the only way to save Tenma would be for Nina to finish what she started. Given that Tenma wanted her to keep her hands clean the same way the other characters were trying to preserve what was left of Tenma's innocence; however, it is only inevitable to witness Tenma's transformation.
Witness (ch 108) was the first time I was frustrated with Eva. I still do not understand how she believed Tenma ruined her life- was it because she was convinced he killed her father or because he refused to come back to her. I both love and hate how she thought that that would be what Tenma would come to regret once he was rotting in jail too. I adored the panels showing the booze and the cigarettes and her terrified expression. I am baffled by how Eva Heinemann could have been a valuable witness given her history with Tenma.
The reveal at the end would have blown me away had it not been part of the manga's synopsis... At least, Tenma's hands were still clean.
Determination (ch 109) was amazing. I loved the way Tenma was backed into a corner, and the way everything was tied together. It was quite hilarious how Eva's death really did benefit both parties involved. I almost wished that Tenma were less of a man, and just let Roberto kill her.
Tenma lost his facial hair in a few panels.
Muddy Sandwiches (ch 110) was getting intense again. I love Tenma!!
Wait so was the incident in Helene and Gustaf (ch 111) a part of the plan or not?
Escape (ch 112) had both suspense and action! Tenma really was too good for Eva, which is not to say I think she deserved whatever Robert was doing with her.
Room 402 (ch 113) connected even more dots, and I am now officially scared of Verdeman. There were times when it seemed like he was just trying to convince himself of his father's innocence. And to think that the author of The Nameless Monster was actually a member of the Czechoslovakia Secret Police. I really thought it was Germany's Internal Affairs behind all of this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2024
Monster, volume 13
Recommendation: A good continuation of the story of Dr. Tenma that addresses the question: what's going to happen, now that he's been captured by the police?
Critique: There's not a lot of plot or character development in this volume (particularly not when compared to the previous one), but there's a lot of drama and tense situations that are developed masterfully. I especially like the development of Inspector Lunge's character: having uncovered some deeper mystery while investigating Tenma's case, Lunge continues to dig deeper into Johan's origins.
Review:
Recommendation: A good continuation of the story of Dr. Tenma that addresses the question: what's going to happen, now that he's been captured by the police?
Critique: There's not a lot of plot or character development in this volume (particularly not when compared to the previous one), but there's a lot of drama and tense situations that are developed masterfully. I especially like the development of Inspector Lunge's character: having uncovered some deeper mystery while investigating Tenma's case, Lunge continues to dig deeper into Johan's origins.
Review:
April 2, 2021
TLDR: Changed my mind as writing the review, 3 stars. Going between 3 and 4. Decided 3.5. It isn't bad, but its weaker than the previous two. It is definitely setup, but a bit too much in my opinion.
Longer Review: The problem with this volume, in my opinion, is that it kind of feels like nothing really happens. I don't know if that is how others feel, but that is how I felt. Stuff definitely happened, but it just felt like a lot of setup. Also, the twists feel a bit forced in my opinion. In a binge read of this series, I don't see why this volume would stick out to you. There is some character development, but I will talk about that more in my spoiler review.
Spoiler review:
Longer Review: The problem with this volume, in my opinion, is that it kind of feels like nothing really happens. I don't know if that is how others feel, but that is how I felt. Stuff definitely happened, but it just felt like a lot of setup. Also, the twists feel a bit forced in my opinion. In a binge read of this series, I don't see why this volume would stick out to you. There is some character development, but I will talk about that more in my spoiler review.
Spoiler review:
July 28, 2020
This is a review of the entire series.
Synopsis: Dr. Tenma brings a boy named Johan back to life, unknowingly resurrecting a monster from the brink of death who ends up throwing the world he knows into a cesspit of despair and chaos.
Review: One of the most horrifying yet humanistic crime thrillers ever told, managing to capture the absolute worst of humanity while showing how we can also be the most kind, compassionate and heroic creatures that have ever lived. The complexity of human nature, the small deeds that change the world around us little by little, the hero and the monster that lives inside all of us, how our actions shape the next generation, the controversy of nature vs. nurture, Monster brilliantly portrays it all in a stunningly engrossing and emotional manner.
Interweaving dark conspiracies, hospital politics, serial murders and controversial indictment, the dark tale of Tenma, Johan and all of the unfortunate souls caught in between their battle of morality is an unforgettable experience.
Synopsis: Dr. Tenma brings a boy named Johan back to life, unknowingly resurrecting a monster from the brink of death who ends up throwing the world he knows into a cesspit of despair and chaos.
Review: One of the most horrifying yet humanistic crime thrillers ever told, managing to capture the absolute worst of humanity while showing how we can also be the most kind, compassionate and heroic creatures that have ever lived. The complexity of human nature, the small deeds that change the world around us little by little, the hero and the monster that lives inside all of us, how our actions shape the next generation, the controversy of nature vs. nurture, Monster brilliantly portrays it all in a stunningly engrossing and emotional manner.
Interweaving dark conspiracies, hospital politics, serial murders and controversial indictment, the dark tale of Tenma, Johan and all of the unfortunate souls caught in between their battle of morality is an unforgettable experience.
December 10, 2023
Di penjara sementara Cekoslovakia, Tenma bertemu dengan tahanan lain bernama Miltch. Miltch adalah tahanan yang sudah sering melarikan diri dari penjara. Lantas, dengan kemampuannya tersebut, Tenma meminta bantuan untuk kabur dari penjara tersebut sehingga ia bisa menolong Eva.
Eva sebagai mantan pacar Tenma, awalnya bersikeras membuktikan bahwa Tenma bersalah dan benar-benar pelaku pembunuhan. Namun, kenangan-kenangan bersamanya dan menyadari bahwa selama ini Eva-lah yang egois, ia berubah pikiran dan ingin membuktikan tentang keberadaan Johan Liebert. Sayangnya, tokoh antagonis lain--yang dulu pernah berurusan dengan Eva dan Tenma--muncul kembali. Ia adalah Roberto yang sangat loyal kepada Johan. Ia menyamar sebagai pengacara yang akan membela Tenma.
Nah, niat Tenma kabur dari penjara adalah supaya ia bisa mencegah Eva dibunuh oleh Roberto.
Eva sebagai mantan pacar Tenma, awalnya bersikeras membuktikan bahwa Tenma bersalah dan benar-benar pelaku pembunuhan. Namun, kenangan-kenangan bersamanya dan menyadari bahwa selama ini Eva-lah yang egois, ia berubah pikiran dan ingin membuktikan tentang keberadaan Johan Liebert. Sayangnya, tokoh antagonis lain--yang dulu pernah berurusan dengan Eva dan Tenma--muncul kembali. Ia adalah Roberto yang sangat loyal kepada Johan. Ia menyamar sebagai pengacara yang akan membela Tenma.
Nah, niat Tenma kabur dari penjara adalah supaya ia bisa mencegah Eva dibunuh oleh Roberto.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2023
September 2023. Over September (and wrapping up on the 30th) I read this complex political conspiracy thriller drenched in guilt, corruption, but with a hope for finding the goodness and kindness in some everyday people across age, background, race, and nationality.
What starts as choosing a surgery for the first in need over the wealthy as a statement about the equality of all people spirals into over a decade long story with an expansive cast of characters, serial killings, and ethical debates that crosses cities and countries in its scope.
Reminded me a bit of Ira Levin’s The Boys From Brazil with the decades after upswell of political radicalism with its roots in WWII conflict (also an excellent book) and the element of conspiracy thriller at its core.
Absolutely looking forward to checking out his other series. Borrowed these through Sacramento Library and the Link+ System that let me borrow volumes from all over California libraries.
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster.
What starts as choosing a surgery for the first in need over the wealthy as a statement about the equality of all people spirals into over a decade long story with an expansive cast of characters, serial killings, and ethical debates that crosses cities and countries in its scope.
Reminded me a bit of Ira Levin’s The Boys From Brazil with the decades after upswell of political radicalism with its roots in WWII conflict (also an excellent book) and the element of conspiracy thriller at its core.
Absolutely looking forward to checking out his other series. Borrowed these through Sacramento Library and the Link+ System that let me borrow volumes from all over California libraries.
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster.
July 11, 2019
Bastante irónico que el primer crimen real de Tenma haya venido luego de haber confesado crímenes que no cometió. Es interesante cómo se van atando varios hilos argumentales para hacer avanzar la trama y generar más y más intriga, aunque creo que esta vez la trama se hizo algo lente innecesariamente. Aunque lo mejor ha sido ver los frutos de las buenas acciones que Tenma ha ido plantando a lo largo de los años, pero una pena que eso no haya llegado a mucho más.
Eva es un personaje bien hecho, da asco y pena al mismo tiempo.
Eva es un personaje bien hecho, da asco y pena al mismo tiempo.
August 22, 2020
Picking up the pace from the last volume, this volume is a lot more thrilling than the last one. Prison escape plans, a threatening return of an enemy, and a sprinkling of courtroom drama for spice. A lot of side characters are horribly underwritten in this volume, particularly the lawyer character and the prison escape expert. It felt like they were revealing their life stories at the drop of a hat. Very lazy. Tenma is badass in this volume, but he still lets his moral compass get himself to terrible trouble. One would think he might learn from his past mistakes...
December 4, 2023
A pretty good volume! This was a nice volume to dive back into after being away from the series for a while. It had a slower beginning, which was nice to get back into the swing of things. It also had a very handy recap graphic at the beginning that helped me remember some of the characters, details about the mystery, and current questions we still have surrounding how everything is connected. The volume ended with a shocking revelation, which makes me excited to read the next one. I don't understand why Tenma still cares so much about Eva, though. She's not worth it.
June 29, 2017
Tenma está com problemas como sempre, mas Eva está com problemas mais urgentes. Enquanto ela decide se deixa seu ressentimento por Tenma falar mais alto, uma corrida contra o tempo vai dizer se ela vai durar mais um dia viva.
As pontas estão começando a se juntar, mas está longe de sequer começar explicar tantos acontecimentos.
As pontas estão começando a se juntar, mas está longe de sequer começar explicar tantos acontecimentos.
September 14, 2022
Sin que sirva de precedente, es probable que este sea el único volumen de "Monster" que no me ha atrapado tanto. Con todo, hay que tener talento para hacer que te impliques emocionalmente con los sueños y aspiraciones de un delincuente contratado para asaltar un furgón policial y liberar a un preso.
July 25, 2023
This book has content warnings for alcoholism, sexism, and drugs.
This one felt like a bit of a filler to me. I just don't think we really learned anything new of value until the very end, and that was more a cliffhanger than an actual answer. I also just am not a big fan of Eva, so the fact that we focussed so much of this volume on her might have also played a part in things.
This one felt like a bit of a filler to me. I just don't think we really learned anything new of value until the very end, and that was more a cliffhanger than an actual answer. I also just am not a big fan of Eva, so the fact that we focussed so much of this volume on her might have also played a part in things.
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