Monster started out to be very suspenseful, but I can't really call it a suspense anime after watching episodes 20-30. It got very slow, and there were side-tracked stories that were completely unnecesssary to the main plot. This is a great anime, but they made too many episodes. It loses it's luster after a while, but it picks up again as you get further along with the series.
"Blame is for God and small children." - Papillon
Yes, it's slow, but 30-40 are actually some of the most interesting episodes in the show. And it really gets amazing for the last 15 or so.
You only watched less than half, so the "unnecessary" things were either important and you couldn't tell yet, or were for the purpose of character development.
Regarding their choice on episode count... it's a very close adaptation of the manga, which is just as long. It's not like they "decided" to draw it out more that it already was.
I disagree. If you truly watched it all the way through, you would see that there are no "unnecessary" side plots or characters. They all have their own purpose within the grand story. What may at first seem unnecessary often turns out to be vital and pivotal later on. Some of the less active episodes also serve the purpose to develop characters. For example, one of the earlier episodes has Dieter and Tenma helping a doctor in a small village. It doesn't seem to do much to further the plot, but it develops Tenma and Dieter, and shows the effect that Tenma has on the lives of other people. The "slow" portions also serve as suspense builders. You know, that somewhere out there is Johan, and that he is doing something. By delaying the "action" it builds suspense and intensity. It is meant to be a thought provoking, subtle anime, not a guns a blazing western detective novel.
shareAgreed.
The village episode seemed like one of those fillers though xD
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I think it was boring too. The violence was not explicit enough and johann didn't have super powers. He should have been to throw powerful flames. And about Nina? Why wasn't she naked at least once in the series? Shame on you, Naoki Urasawa!
shareI think it was boring too. The violence was not explicit enough and johann didn't have super powers. He should have been to throw powerful flames. And about Nina? Why wasn't she naked at least once in the series? Shame on you, Naoki Urasawa!
I think it was boring too. The violence was not explicit enough and johann didn't have super powers. He should have been to throw powerful flames. And about Nina? Why wasn't she naked at least once in the series? Shame on you, Naoki Urasawa!
i agree. one of my friends told me to check it out, raving about it being the "fight club" of anime. sadly, as great a series as it is, it turns into something repetitive and mediocre. the ending sucked balls to me and i was just thinking what a waste of time to go through 74 episodes and come up with him escaping the hospital to be a "normal" person.
sharei don't think he became a normal person.
and yes this is much better than any anime.
The first episodes were really good and in no way I could predict how disappointing it would turn after episode 14. Using fill-ins and dragging a lot from the main plot although took away a lot of the story's impact and solid structure of the first episodes, was not what destroyed it. What made me scornful of the series was the fact that a mystery/noir supernatural thriller gradually was turned into some moralistic "Disney" story where every act of evil needs to be justified and explained, where villains had to do evil "because they had to" so that the average viewer feels more comfortable knowing there is no such thing as "pure evil" and everyone if you look deep enough has a good heart. That is the apparent message that the series tries - not with much success - to hide behind it's "dark" and "gritty" mask, easy to fool the ignorant and easy to impress viewer. And to make sure that any arguments against my view are addressed in advance, I'll just say that the Italian restaurant episode, the bullsh_ting one of the former cops gives to Nina for killing her parents as well as the "twist" of Johan having two personalities is evident of that. That's the impression I got up until ep 21, but I guess I won't be able to find out if I'm right or wrong all the way, since I have no intention to watch it any further.
shareyou can't even tell whether you're right or wrong even if you watch the whole thing
shareYes, I guess you never will figure it out. I will tell you that you are quite wrong, however.
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I've watched the whole thing recently and i have to agree with you dsoults5. The story has amazing elements that could turn this into a masterpiece if it wasnt handled by a self-indulgent, moralistic author. The need to explain every single thing with a moral behind it gets a bit annoying, specially in the last episodes, where the viewer is fed with repetitive unecessary explanations for actions that seemed thrilling and misterious in the premise.
The characters were well fleshed out but the story started to loose its "bigger than life" motif towards the end. It got even cheaper in the conclusion, that frankly, was lame and unconvincing.
I was a bit sad cause i really wanted to enjoy it, but the author kept thinking i was a dumb viewer and i needed further more non-intriguing exposition... (sigh)
Monster started out amazing, and early on I thought it was the most incredible anime i'd ever seen. Unfortunately, i'd have to agree with the OP in that now it has gotten a bit boring. I'm around episode 22, and I haven't really even felt the need to continue. Personally, I think there really are too many "filler" episodes and needless stuff.
But I still love the premise, as well as Kenzo, who I consider one of the most fleshed-out, deep characters i've ever encountered in an anime. And he's so cute too ;)
Monster is one of the best tv shows ever made.
The reason why you can't 'get into' the show is because the typical fan wants to see action, gore, sex and fighting. Monster isn't about that.
The 'filler' episodes you are talking about are not filler episodes. They take the story to the next level and develop the characters. That's what I got from Monster. Organic character development and a brilliant/slow-paced plot that makes you think.
As for the ending being a disappointment. Are you kidding? Episodes 72 and 73 are the climax to this show. The final episode is just showing the aftermath, and how these great characters are now going to live their lives.
The final scene is a brilliant one. It makes you think about whether Johan is going to return as the Monster or find his own path in life. I believe he has changed for the better, but it lets the viewer ultimately decide the outcome.
If you look at Monster and think of 'filler' episodes, then I agree, don't watch it. It's not for you.
one of my friends told me to check it out, raving about it being the "fight club" of anime...
The pace is picking up toward the end, but you still have speedbumps here and there of the worst excesses of melodrama. The reason why this series is so long isn't because it's rich in substance, it's bloated; you could shave it down to 30 episodes and it wouldn't lose any story.
So they had to use every single panel of the manga -- great, that's fine, that shows respect to the original source, but did they have to hold every damn shot for as long as it takes a four-year-old to read it? Too often the story is mired in gradual and then predictable build-up to an emotional scene that relentlessly and ham-handedly hammers it's emotional value. These scenes might've been effective if there was any sense of subtlety, but instead you get scene after scene of blatant and artless manipulation.
I totally agree dude. Boring boring BORING anime. Too much sidetracked filler that got in the way of the story. Like that whole side-plot near the end about the village of people killing eachother? Completely pointless. The part about that guy that thinks he's the hulk? Unoriginal and uninspired. And whats the deal with all those filler episodes about the kid who got shot but came back as a bad guy? Really, gimme a break. Also, this show definitely failed in keeping with the theme of the manga (that theme being anal rape) and I hope that if they ever do a remake, there'll be more doggy style incest for us "real" Monster fans.
shareGo watch simpsons, this one has too much in it, everything matters, not just *pop* action...not for you...grow to it
shareFor me, it isn't a boring anime. Every episode for me is quite good that helped in developing each of the characters like knowing each of them better. For me, it is the only anime which stayed true to its manga counterpart. No fillers unlike the other animes that were adapted from a manga. It would mean that none of its episodes are unnecessary at all.
sharei LOVED it from the very first episode until the last. the best made anime ever, in my opinion. i haven't read the manga, but none of the episodes seemed like fillers for me. i remember everything contibuting to the story or further developing the characters. even if you didn't like it, you should still be able to appreciate how well made it is. i imagine most of you who didn't like it are fans of series that hit you in the face with constant action.
shareAs much as I don't like the "stick with Bleach and Michael Bay instead" response to people who dislike something that happens to be intelligent, I really can't think of any other reason for disliking Monster. It's genre-defying, full of both action and contemplation, and it deals and deconstructs so many universal themes that it's hard to imagine that anyone could find no appeal whatsoever in it. Oh, well, can't please anyone.
shareFast forward is your friend :D
Seriously, there are too many scenes where the character's motivation gets repeated - almost word for word sometimes. Also tension is sometimes dragged out way too long. Like Nina has a revelation but someone interferes and we get to wait again for a solution that is right at hand.
As a viewer I tend to feel bored about constant repetitions and too much stalling. Not to mention that once the character's conflict becomes clear, it gets frustrating to watch them tip toe around it constantly, like again and again, that way even the most interesting conflicts gets boring.
It's not bad, but I really feel that a more to the point plot and a few episodes re-introducing already known motivations less would have been better.
Oh and maybe characters who are in general less dense would make this even better, too :D
"Why a spoon, cousin? Why not an axe?" - "Because it's dull, you twit, it'll hurt more"
I have to agree. The plot is relatively simple first off, but the dialogue and the way the writer goes about introducing it to the audience was unnecessarily stretched out to the point of boredom.
Also some of the above posters seems to be bagging others for saying this show is boring and that its too "intelligent", but a series like this that extrapolates so much on every little detail is anything but intelligent. The audience can fill in the gaps between the scenes you know, they don't have to have everything explained to them like on this series. To do so just means you take away the suspense and excitement and make what otherwise might be a great premise boring as hell.
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