Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Volume 4: Ayse's Friend

Naoki Urasawa's Monster #4

by Naoki Urasawa, Hiroki Shirota (Translator)

Johan is a cold and calculating killer with a mysterious past, and brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Conspiracies and serial murder open the door to a compelling, intricately woven plot in this masterpiece manga thriller.

As Tenma uncovers more about the infamous 511 Kinderheim orphanage, Johan's twin sister Anna sets out on her own to stop her brother. Their separate searches lead them both to a powerful neo-Nazi organization conspiring to establish Johan as their new superleader! Can Tenma and Anna stop Johan from becoming another Hitler?

Genres: Manga, Comics, Thriller, Mystery, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Horror

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

Urasawa 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

Reviews

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so good!

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo que propone sobre el misterio de Johan en el penúltimo capítulo recuerdo cómo me ponía los pelos de punta la primera vez que lo leí.

Ya que sea verdad o no la interpretación de ellos sobre eso es otra cosa.

Por cierto, una vez más, lo que hace Urasawa en el último capítulo con Nina y Rosso es fortísimo y lo consagra como uno de los mangakas que más admiro a nivel argumental.

[Iman Danial Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doing marathon on this captivating thriler.

[Van Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

The suspense continues. I think Deiter is a good addition.

[Luthfi Ferizqi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing the story often hailed as the best thriller manga. This time, Dr. Tenma’s journey is quite intense, as he manages to stop the burning of a Turkish village in Germany. It’s intriguing to continue following this story, while Johan himself has yet to make an appearance in this chapter.

[Christina Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

I am so invested in this series now! This series has some of the creepiest villains I have ever seen drawn in manga. I've actually had shivers down my spine while reading this volume!

And that ending? I was like give me the next volume right now!

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

In volume 4, there was a great deal of action and a lot of character and story development. But the tale seems like it will go a little slowly. because Johan was last seen in the first volume and hasn't been seen in the last four volumes.

Additionally, I think the plot is a little off, but I still like the work that went into making such a thought-provoking artwork.

To be honest though, with all the action and the cat and mouse pursuit, I'm finding it a little hard to keep going.

[RivetingReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super tense volume!

[kutingtin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ilove this Dieter part of the story 🧑🏻💙⚽️

[kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/7/21- I think I enjoyed this one about as much as I enjoyed the previous volume. Oddly though, on my first read, volume 3 was my favorite, while volume 4 was my least favorite. I enjoyed both volumes, but I think my complaint about both is the same-- it seems like every time Tenma goes somewhere, he always runs into some side mission he has to complete. Some other person he needs to help along the way. It feels very much like an episode of a tv show, and it makes the series feel more episodic (like a tv show) instead of like one long-form story. This is a complaint I tend to have about graphic novel/comic/manga series. I prefer when they're just one long-form story, but many are more episodically structured. Perhaps it won't be this way for the entire story, but we'll see.

---------
After first read in 2016:
Tentatively giving this 7/10.
TBH, this was probably my least favorite volume so far. I liked it, but it felt like a pretty big detour away from the main storyline. Maybe it'll come back later and seem more relevant, but it just seemed a bit out of place. Despite the length of my description of the chapter, it seemed like not much happened. It was a lot of 'missed connections' where characters just barely missed each other in order to cause confusion and/or chaos. There were a few interesting revelations, but overall, this wasn't as great as the last couple.

This volume reminded me why black and white illustrations are not always my favorite-- it's sometimes really hard to keep people's faces straight. Sometimes, the nuances can be subtle, and there were times when I didn't realize someone was the same character or didn't realize that it wasn't the same character. It's not always a problem, but it can be sometimes.

This section is a summary of the volume so I can refer back to it and remember what happened in each one:
Eva is still extremely upset over Tenma. She will not be happy until she ruins his life.

Nina shows up in Frankfurt looking for someone named "the Baby." Meanwhile, Tenma discovers that The Baby wants to use Nina as bait for her brother. Tenma talks to a prostitute about a missing Turkish woman, and as he walks into the street, he's hit by a car. Meanwhile, Nina meets up with The Baby and is taken to a house to wait for her brother. She hears a woman screaming for help and offering her a warning that part of the city will be burned down. She tries to help but is too late and escapes the house, realizing that all of her captors are dead.

Dieter discovers Tenma's jacket and realizes he's in trouble. Meanwhile, Tenma awakens and is tied up. After receiving abuse from The Baby, some of his men show up with Dieter and turn on him and release Tenma. They are going to take him to the general, who knew Johan, but Tenma makes them stop the car to let Dieter out to let the townspeople know that this organization The Baby is in plans to burn down part of the city. Tenma meets with the general, who tells him he must kill Johan. Meanwhile, Dieter gets kidnapped with the thief guy (name escapes me) while trying to stop the fire.

Tenma stops the man who's driving him to Johan and forces him to take him to find Dieter. He comes across the prostitute and tells her of her friend's death. Tenma warns the townspeople of the fire and helps put the small ones out. Nina threatens The Baby, who tells her of one of the small fires' locations to make her go away. Nina discovers Dieter and thief and they escape. Thief hypothesizes that the big fire will be in a warehouse, so she goes there and Dieter follows. Tenma runs into thief, who tells him about the warehouse. They are able to stop the fire and Tenma and Nina are reunited. Tenma escapes before the police arrive, but Nina shouts to him that her brother has split personalities.

Nina meets up with her boss/guardian, who is apparently a former hitman. They have a conversation over food before she heads off, presumably after Johan.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting developments on the neo-nazi front. The manga taking interesting and plausible directions, propelling the story forward much more quickly than the first volume. Fire on the Turkish front, eh? And the cast is consistently well developed.

Of course, the one man we really want to see more of us is always out of the frame. The only glimpses of the monster we get are always unfocused or completely out of the frame. It's really fascinating, because I feel all of the same effects of a good Dexter run or Sons of Anarchy, and this came out in the mid nineties. If I didn't know any better, I'd believe all of the good writers were using this material as a standard.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Killing people is simple. All you have to do is forget the taste of sugar."

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure what to think of the direction this took with the group trying to make Johan into a new Hitler... Very uncomfortable, but I feel like that was the point.
We get a good part of the plot with Eva as well, and she voiced something I had been wondering for the past few volumes- Johan is not doing this, Tenma is with an alternate personality. Not sure if that will go anywhere, and I'm not convinced on it,because of everyone else who talks about Johan in this volume...

Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!

[Maria Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

mais coisas acontecendo muitas coisas acontecendo o tempo todo

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

love u tenma

[Rahul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man this is twisted, damn hell complex. Things are getting more and more darker and dangerous. Another great volume.

[Ashly Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis

Dr. Tenma is from Japan but is working as a brain surgeon in Germany. He’s all set up for a promotion and to marry the head chairman of the hospital’s daughter. That is, everything seems to be going well until he decides to save the life of a young child instead of the right elite politician he’s supposed to be saving. Tenma’s career is already on a downhill spiral after disobeying orders and going against the underlying unfair politics of the hospital, but the consequences become far worse when Tenma realizes he’s created a (dun dun dun) Monster!

Monster, Volume 4: Ayse’s Friend by Naoki Urasawa

★★★★★
Genre: Mystery/Crime/Suspense
Release Date: August 1996
Source: Library – Borrowed
On My Shelf: I Wish

What is there even left to say about this series???

This volume was a little more slow-moving for me, and I wasn’t sure if I liked the new character at first. But, after a while, he totally grew on me. Although I thought this volume could have used a bit more action, I still liked the plot and enjoyed that we got a little bit of a side plot in this one. It was interesting to see how the main plot affects more than just the few main characters we get to read about.

What else I loved was seeing even more of Tenma’s character development. It’s interesting to see just how broken he’s become, and his journey isn’t even over yet.

Also, before I wrap up all these mini-reviews, I can’t believe I haven’t said anything about the artwork yet! I’ve been so focussed on how awesome this plot and writing is that I haven’t even had time to breath and change the subject. Urasawa’s art is beautiful. I love the detail, how everything is drawn, and how it adds so much to the story.

Overall, this series is incredible, and I need to get Volume 5 yesterday. Read this story. DO IT. Do it; do it; do it!

Review of Volume 1: Herr Dr. Tenma
Review of Volume 2: Surprise Party
Review of Volume 3: 511 Kinderheim
Review of Volume 5: After the Carnival
Review of Volume 6: The Secret Woods

Review originally published on my Wordpress blog Dreaming Through Literature.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster is a carefully constructed thriller that builds with each passing chapter. It really must be read from the beginning.

Tenma's search continues, but forces from the past are in monition and he's not the only one looking for Johan. And on Tenma's own tail are those growing more determined to hunt down the doctor himself...

Monster continues its incredibly compelling and layered narrative in another gripping volume. I'm amazed at how well Urawsawa is able to weave together plot lines and numerous conflicting motivations and agendas without ever slowing down or losing the reader. Particularly impressive are the character moments Urasawa finds time for that deepen our understanding of the players and enhance the atmosphere being built. Even the various antagonists are multifaceted and impossible to completely dismiss. The bookend chapters of this volume are heartbreaking in completely different ways.

Volume 4 is another masterful blend of tragedy and tension in Dr. Tenma's quest. So far this manga hasn't missed a single step.

Highly recommended.

[itselv]

When I saw that Turkish woman invite Dieter—who she knows nothing about other than he’s a homeless boy—into her house and fed him without hesitation, it came to me how most people in this story are good people! Which shouldn’t be surprising, humans are essentially good unless something happens to them to turn them otherwise. But this story shows that in the most delicate, heartwarming and heart-wrenching way.

The story about ‘The Fifth Spoonful of Sugar’ is quite a one. Stuck with me since the first time I watched its episode.
I always believed a human realize other humans’ full existence in the most unusual, unnoticed ways. For me, I realize that people are full formed beings when I see their handwriting—I cannot explain much, it just feels intimate and personal. And I think that’s some of what the fifth spoon was to Rosso.
Aren’t humans just so complex and annoying! But isn’t that the point?

I love the way Urasawa introduces new characters, feels natural and smooth, but is, surely, carefully crafted.

[elena brown]

i liked the part when the n@z1 pissed himself

[Omnya Ali (Free Palestine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

الأمور تزداد قتامة وخطورة. مجلد اخر مثير و رائع

[Tessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might come to change my mind later, but this quickly became a favorite. The story progressed sharply and I loved a lot of things in the chapters 25 to 32. Dieter will always have my heart and now we got to see him in action, determined and quick-witted but still innocent like the child he still is, loyal to the bone. I expected Nina to be more twisted or resolute at this point, but the backstory Urasawa gave her with Mr. Rosso worked perfectly, showed her hesitance to become like Johan despite what we've seen her do to amend her mistake throughout the story. Killing people is simple. All you have to do is forget the taste of sugar.

[Jelke Lenaerts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has content warnings for racism, and sexism.

This was a really action packed volume and we also got to learn a whole lot of new things. With the way this started I wasn’t expecting good things, but we quickly got back into the thick of it and I ended up really liking this volume. I can’t wait to read the next one.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

September 2023. The first volumes of a famous thriller manga series about a doctor who performs lifesaving brain surgery on a child, only to later find out he’s grown up to be a serial killer. The doctor feels responsible for him living to become what he has and tries to find him to stop him.

This was excellent! Highly recommend! I’ve read Vol 1-4 and am waiting to get more from the library. Absolutely has earned its classic status from what I’ve read so far. I’m done with 4/18 so far so I’m very excited to see what twists and turns are coming down the road for it.

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster (Vol 1-4).

[vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was wondering if tenma would face discrimination for being japanese in a white-majority country (i suspect that this is slightly implied in him being profiled as being responsible for johan’s murders) but i did not think there would straight up be nazis in this series

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally into a volume I haven't read since I originally read these c. 2007-08. There were a lot of diverging subplots in here that were interesting... But because there are so many none of them could really be explored like they deserved. However I loved the twist at the end!

[Kesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to the upcoming volumes. The story is picking up some pace.

[Mitali · Rating 4 out of 5]

did i spend the early morning reading an entire volume in one sitting? yes. yes I did.

[Maggie Lacrontte · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

[Ângela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Killing people is easy. All you have to do is forget the taste of sugar."