Monster Perfect Edition 8

Naoki Urasawa's Monster: Kanzenban #8

by Naoki Urasawa, Jens Ossa (Translator)

Der Schlüssel zur Geburt des Monsters liegt in Ninas Erinnerungen

Nina bleibt in Prag. Hier, so hofft sie, kann sie sich die Ereignisse ihrer Kindheit wieder ins Gedächtnis rufen. Was ihr am Ende auch gelingt: Lange Zeit wusste sie nichts von seiner Existenz, doch Johann ist ihr Zwillingsbruder. Und er verfolgt ganz andere Ziele im Leben als sie. Was will Johann eigentlich? Und was hat ihn zu einem solchen Monster gemacht? Je weiter sie in ihre eigene Vergangenheit abtaucht, desto näher kommt sie besagtem »Monster«.

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

428 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2008

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

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Katie Colson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you I have done absolutely nothing today besides read this series. I HAVE TO KNOW!

EVAAAAAAA!!!!!! I am a ride or die for this alcoholic, bratty, self-obsessed, dramatic, rich bitch. She is everything. Any time she shows emotion, I want to scream and cry. I love her.

And Grimmer! Ugh, he is such a deep well of emotions and trauma and how the brain will work to repair itself by forgetting and burying anything it can't handle.

I'm so scared for this to end.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A por el último, que la historia llega a su fin y está demasiado buena, que digo, buenísima.

Un absoluto maestro Urasawa.

[alittlelifeofmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the penultimate book in this series I was quite underwhelmed. I mean it was good, don't get me wrong, but it had the sort of slow vibes and boring perspectives that I haven't encountered since volume 3 or 4. It wasn't very fast paced and there was not a lot of plot progression until the very end. However, I am really excited to see where this story ends in the next, and last, volume.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

felt like a filler because there were way too many flashbacks & not much happened. def my least fave of the series, but still excited to finish the last volume!

[Fereshte · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm actually genuinely scared to pick the last one up. like, i so want to know what happens but i'm terrified on the same level

[Carlex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're getting so close to the end now. So much revealed here. Deaths that I guessed would happen but still shocked and sad when they did. People putting their lives on the line to stop a evil that may just be unstoppable at this point. A ending that left me on the edge of my seat wanting to know if the doctor will make it in time. I'm not sure how it'll end but Monster is already a classic in my book at this point.

[Sam (she_who_reads_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars- it is starting to feel a bit like treading water at this point

[erigibbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4.5]

[Maksym Karpovets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Нарешті з’являється шалена динаміка та глибина, яка була на початку серії. Мені вже здавалось, що Урасава взагалі просто роздроблює (читай розтягує) історію, щоб вміститись у якусь задану кількість випусків. Можливо, доля правило в цьому є, але цей том показує наскільки важливими були всі попередні сюжетні лінії. Навіть лінія Кензо стає не основною у цьому мережеві, що тільки додатково показує наскільки в історії важлива саме історія, а не окремий персонаж, яким би цікавим він не був. Словом, ми вже дуже поряд із Йоганом, моторошним і загадковим, мотиви й цілі якого стають все більше зрлзумілими й, що найцікавіше, по-своєму логічними. Також цікава як виглядає його сестра, а точніше — її основна місія у цьому трилері. Потужна манга, яка досягне свого катарсису вже в останньому томі. Навіть боюсь подумати, що приготував Урасава, один із найбільш сильних сучасних мангак.

[bee ⭑.ᐟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the temptation to start the next one but i should probably sleep - i don’t want it to end 😫

[Milan Konjevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Za sada, i dalje jedan od najboljih stripova koje sam u zivotu procitao - a procitao sam MNOGO. Videcemo kako ce u poslednjem tomu stvari da se raspletu.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last volume ended on an unusual cliffhanger with a man being shot in the stomach and is in the backseat of the car, which is being driven to the nearest hospital, of which the wounded man declines. At this point, this man named Martin Reest has been recruited to bring Tenma’s ex-fiancée Eva Heinemann to Frankfurt and act as her bodyguard; he is in a position that he finds difficult which is working alongside a woman that for him, has disastrous effects as it eventually does.

Throughout the entire series, Eva has been unlikable from the very moment she said the words: “Some lives are worth more than others.” After being dumped by Tenma, she screams for revenge towards him whilst she is constantly drinking. However, there are the few moments where she does the right thing, even if she doesn’t realise itself. Through her relationship with Martin, she is starting to learn the error of her ways, the most recent of which was her mistreatment towards Martin, who develops some emotion with her.

As we are approaching the end of the series, there has been anticipation towards a handful of sequences of truth, reconciliation and confrontation. In one chapter here, Tenma and Eva are reunited and have a cup of coffee. Their conversation is not about their romance and more about what happened to Martin, but the fact that these former lovers are on speaking terms and although the central conflict of Johan is still ongoing, there’s a chance that these will cross paths again, hopefully for the best.

For something that has much darkness as the main theme of Naoki Urasawa’s manga is about the monster within humanity, the author is able to balance the lightness with the handful of characters clinging on to whatever hope there is left, from Tenma trying to save a man from his own vengeance and stay with the family he has made, to little Dieter saving Nina from reclaiming her old dark memories and create some new and happy ones.

Although Johan is absolutely the main antagonist, there is an array of supporting villains that are hissable and compelling when you understand their side of the story, though not sympathising with them. Having previously appeared, “The Baby” has a chapter of his own here where there is oddly a tenderness as he develops a brief relationship with an exotic dancer. Responsible for many incidents in Monster, the high-ranked Peter Čapek is played as the organised mastermind with a grand plan of creating the Master Race and although his presence is truly menacing as shown in Nina’s haunting memories, his villainy is cleverly disregarded with another looming presence: Johan.

In the last few chapters of this penultimate volume, Johan continues to scare as well as fascinate us, delving more into his childhood and seeing him a shadowy figured young adult, who has reunited with his twin sister. The final pages are literally a montage of past and present events, building towards the climax of Monster.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could give this series 11/5 stars I would, without hesitation.

[King Crusoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started this morning, ended just now, with only a few hours break in-between. Exhilarating and breath-takingly tense. So many pieces are coming together while final twisting additions are changing the entire scope and context of the story and it's all going so splendidly. I'm right on the verge of the end, knowing there's so many little threads to bring together and only 21 chapters in which to do it all.

I don't know how well this is going to end, but I've been on the edge of my seat all day.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tylko jeden tom do końca został 😩

[Arsene]

“The end… what does that mean exactly? The end… the end… the end… the end… I’ve seen the end over and over again… what is the end?”

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything's coming together, but I still have no idea what the "right" ending for this story will be. One more volume, and then, somehow, the story will conclude . . .

[leynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last time around, the Eva/Martin subplot was really breaking my heart. I totally didn't anticipate to feel this much for these two characters, but I really just wanted them to be happy. This time around, my feelings weren't nearly as strong.

Martin is Eva's bodyguard. As we meet him at the beginning of this volume, he has been badly shot and is dying following a gunfight. As he is driven to see Dr. Tenma, he recounts the events that led to his predicament. He was given a job by The Baby and Peter Capek to escort Eva Heinemann from Düsseldorf to Frankfurt on the same day she encountered Roberto. During their time together, the two of them form a deeper bond. Personally, their relationship had just too many issues (because both of them already had so many issues individually) and I can't look past how abusive and manipulative Eva was towards Martin. She basically groomed him to be a second Tenma which is just, yikes.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god!
*immediately opens book 9*

[Jenvile · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last chunk of this volume earned itself a whole star for how interesting and we’ll developed it was. But overall the story was slow and progression was similar to volume 3 & 4 (my least favourite volumes of the series). We’re crawling to the end guys and I think we’re finally getting some damn answers!

[Rogerio Lopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

E no penúltimo volume somos apresentados a reconstrução do passado pelos olhos de Nina, temos uma interessante reviravolta que pode passar desapercebida ao leitor, mas é crucial para a ideia desenvolvida durante todo o mangá. Somos levados a acompanhar os passos de Johan e seus estranhos fascínio e domínio que detém sobre as pessoas. Descobrimos mais sobre os misteriosos acontecidos na mansão da rosas vermelhas.

[Casper Paaske · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thing is actually secretly genius!

The amazing side-characters, the easily-digestible layouts and drawings, the compelling twist and turns or how it ramps up to the finale!

There are places where I think the story less-than-smoothly parks its car into the climax spot, but its journey to getting there is oh so interesting.

[Ostrava · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as endgame preparation goes, this one was pretty damn good. It's all there now. The next volume will probably reveal it all and I'm suspecting that Lunge will show up and start to do shit too. And then... the end. Can't wait.

[Minnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fühlte sich ein wenig wie Filler an. Die letzten Bände hatten zwar auch Filler-Elemente, aber sie waren trotzdem spannend und echt gut. Aber Nina hat ewig gebraucht, um sich zu erinnern und trotzdem haben wir nicht erfahren, woran sie sich eigentlich erinnert hat. Für den vorletzten Band immer noch spannend, aber deutlich schlechter. Ich hoffe der letzte haut dafür umso mehr rein.

[Bella Azam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didnt know i will be 100x emotional than the first read but i did. Literally cried at every chapters 😭😭. I mean its not that sad but its sadddd or its just bcus im too attached to these characters

[HJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we go… the ending🙈

[Bas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5 stars

[mao · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t wanna finish but I can’t stop reading.. sorry zooz