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Naoki Urasawa's Monster #10
Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Volume 10: Picnic
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.
"Cedok Bridge, the three frogs...the mother of the twins is in Pargue." A cryptic message from wealthy financier Schuwald sends Tenma to the city of a hundred spires. There, he meets Grimmer, an investigative reporter tracking down the former director of the infamous 511 Kinderheim orphanage. Could it be that the horrific experiments of the past are being recreated in Prague?
"Cedok Bridge, the three frogs...the mother of the twins is in Pargue." A cryptic message from wealthy financier Schuwald sends Tenma to the city of a hundred spires. There, he meets Grimmer, an investigative reporter tracking down the former director of the infamous 511 Kinderheim orphanage. Could it be that the horrific experiments of the past are being recreated in Prague?
206 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
16 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Naoki Urasawa
356 books2,806 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 94 reviews
April 9, 2025
No hay nada qué decir. En este tomo aparece mi personaje preferido por encima de cualquier otro, y ya está.
No sé si es el que mejor está construido porque es obvio que Urasawa hizo unos personajazos pero hay algo en Grimmer que nunca me lo saco de la cabeza. Siempre me alegro cuando aparece y siempre me da una mezcolanza de emociones todo él, su presencia y su pasado.
No sé si es el que mejor está construido porque es obvio que Urasawa hizo unos personajazos pero hay algo en Grimmer que nunca me lo saco de la cabeza. Siempre me alegro cuando aparece y siempre me da una mezcolanza de emociones todo él, su presencia y su pasado.
October 9, 2019
Forget clowns. The new horror are nail clippers. This scene got me the creeps.
I love how all signs seem to point to Nina now. She can't be a murderer ... or can she?
I love how all signs seem to point to Nina now. She can't be a murderer ... or can she?
June 22, 2024
3.75 stars
Alright, Johan's impersonation of Anna has to be the funniest thing ever. I also feel sorry for the investigator. I promise that Johan is a very skilled con man because of how ridiculously he is using Anna's voice. God, they are really elevating him to the status of a deity with remarkable powers.
Alright, Johan's impersonation of Anna has to be the funniest thing ever. I also feel sorry for the investigator. I promise that Johan is a very skilled con man because of how ridiculously he is using Anna's voice. God, they are really elevating him to the status of a deity with remarkable powers.
July 5, 2022
grimmer!!!!!! 🫶
March 19, 2021
The really tricky thing about rating manga volumes for me is that the overarching plots in the series are often really great, but it's hard to give a rating to a volume when it's such a small portion of that plot. This volume very much felt like setup to the next section of the story, but it's hard to give it a rating when I don't know where that story is going, or what the payoff will be. It feels like trying to give a novel a rating based solely on act 1.
Furthermore, I've given all of the volumes in this series so far between 3/5 and 4/5, but I feel like the series overall would get a much higher rating from me. I changed my rating scale last summer because I felt my ratings were too skewed toward the upper ratings. And while I think my new scale is better, it still feels odd saying that I think this series is probably overall a 4.5/5 or higher, when I've given so many volumes 3/5 or 3.5/5. It's just... complicated lol
Furthermore, I've given all of the volumes in this series so far between 3/5 and 4/5, but I feel like the series overall would get a much higher rating from me. I changed my rating scale last summer because I felt my ratings were too skewed toward the upper ratings. And while I think my new scale is better, it still feels odd saying that I think this series is probably overall a 4.5/5 or higher, when I've given so many volumes 3/5 or 3.5/5. It's just... complicated lol
July 5, 2025
went off the main plot line to other characters and storyline which is slightly connected to the main one but I'm excited to see how it all ties together and how the author kills off the nice new characters se got introduced to in this volume
February 6, 2023
I love this series sooooo much! The tension, the character development, the plot. Everything is amazing! Once again, another 5 star read. Can it get any better?
August 17, 2023
I am once again missing Tenma, but I actually think that the tension that is building up in this volume made up for it! What is going on with Anna though like HUH
August 10, 2019
Mystery deepens. Prague opens up new mystery deepens. I really loved Mr.Grimmer. He is kind and intelligent person. Also Nina returns. Dr. Tenma has relatively small role in this volume. More murders made things more worse.
December 31, 2023
What a ride! I love all the twists and turns, and the way we slowly learn more. The characters are very well developed as well, and very distinctly designed.
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!
September 25, 2025
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
September 9, 2018
For a volume with virtually no Tenma in it, this is pretty damn good. We get two new characters: a naive police detective and former spy turned journalist and while one is blandly irritating the other is more than awesome enough to make up for it.
September 5, 2018
Manga marathon
August 17, 2024
"Dr. Tenma... Everyone is burdened by a variety of crimes. They'll never disappear. But you still have to do what you have to do."
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?
December 30, 2014
While this volume begins the second half of the manga with some new directions, overall Monster is a careful constructed thriller that has been building from the beginning. This would be a mediocre jumping on point at best - read from the beginning.
In the aftermath of Schuwald's donation ceremony, new information is available to several key characters, but it's a newcomer named Grimmer who takes center stage. A former spy and current journalist, he's researching the mysterious 511 Kinderheim orphanage and the horrific experiments that took place there.
Despite a shift in focus the second half of Monster is off to a great start and retains the suspense and mystery the series is known for. Grimmer is a great, unique addition to the cast, and what he finds isn't quite what he, nor the reader, expects. Various forces with own agendas and interest in the past move about, as well as several familiar faces. As usual the hook for the next installment is thoroughly intriguing.
More phenomenal stuff from Urasawa. Highly recommended.
In the aftermath of Schuwald's donation ceremony, new information is available to several key characters, but it's a newcomer named Grimmer who takes center stage. A former spy and current journalist, he's researching the mysterious 511 Kinderheim orphanage and the horrific experiments that took place there.
Despite a shift in focus the second half of Monster is off to a great start and retains the suspense and mystery the series is known for. Grimmer is a great, unique addition to the cast, and what he finds isn't quite what he, nor the reader, expects. Various forces with own agendas and interest in the past move about, as well as several familiar faces. As usual the hook for the next installment is thoroughly intriguing.
More phenomenal stuff from Urasawa. Highly recommended.
September 14, 2009
I really liked the introduction of Grimmer in this volume; it's a place in the story where it makes sense for the narrative to step back from Tenma a bit. And the renewed focus on 511 Kinderheim makes a lot of plot sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2015
I really like this new character. No one this nice should be an east german spy/journalist, but hell, it's the spice of life. The Great Stiener, eh? Good times. Might as well be the hulk.
That is, if the hulk were really a pretty young girl, of course.
That is, if the hulk were really a pretty young girl, of course.
July 26, 2021
The eponymous character of Grimmer (ch 78) seemed like a very lovely person albeit almost annoyingly so. I like that he was able to put a smile on Tenma's face, which seemed so worn by exhaustion.
Picnic (ch 79) was kinda heartbreaking. Tenma was burdened by guilt and no longer optimistic. I find it so interesting how he was the one given help and shown the light these recent chapters.
I was mostly impressed by Grimmer's boldness in Ghosts of 511 (ch 80). He was terribly persistent on getting the truth out of Reinhart Biermann, and his confidence led me to believe that he had either nothing to lose and/or had some ace up his sleeve.
Admittedly, I was quite underwhelmed by the mastermind behind Kinderheim 511. He did not have the same discreetly-powerful presence as Johan or even Robert. He just looked like a grumpy old man put through the wringer.
A New Experiment (ch 81) had me quite confused about Mr. Petrov, but in a good way. He was not the mastermind behind Johan after all. It seemed that Johan was already, for the lack of better terms, corrupted by the time he got there and took over. Very much similar to what he did with the underground money laundering business and Mr. Schuwald's empire, I suppose- just playing with ants. The reveal regarding the existence of tapes of Johan under the influence of hypnosis and presumably drugs had me wondering if those treatments were administered to study him further or if that was already the state he was in when he got there. Anyway, Mr. Petrov may not have been as twisted as initially thought, but he was clearly still fucked in the head to be manipulating children's environments and upbringing to see the different outcomes.
I hope it was not Nina who shot Mr. Petrov. A silly part of me dares to wonder if it could possibly be Eva.
I gotta say that the panels of the kids laughing at Grimmer, and the other of them surrounding Mr. Petrov and mourning him were quite haunting.
Key (ch 82) gave me serious trust issues. All of Grimmer's facial expressions here and how quickly they changed from (fake?) smiling to serious were a delight.
I am worried that Grimmer gave Antonin the key, because what if the StB or whoever go after him? Also Grimmer's big ass bag!!
The Magnificent Steiner's Adventure (ch 83) had amazing panels and some tidbits about Johan and the people responsible and/or looking for him; unfortunately however, I was barely able to go through this chapter because of the nail clipping scene.
The introduction of another alter-ego of sorts, monster if you will, had me wondering about this as a theme. Also wondering where this story lies in terms of political ideologies and geopolitics.
Agent Suk (ch 84)'s eponymous character was a fun fellow! I initially thought that he worked with Inspector Zeman and the StB, but it turned out that the worst thing about him was that he still had ways to go before attaining his dreams.
Nina and Tenma looked so adorable in their get ups here. The Liebert twins and their black turtlenecks!
The poisoned candies were back with a vengeance in Top Secret Investigation (ch 85). I am personally not too invested in this arc, but I can appreciate its similarities with how Tenma's story began: an idealistic kid working in public service headed by corrupt officials.
Something Important (ch 86) was nice because Grimmer was back, and the storylines with Petrov and the Czechoslovakia Secret Police were coming closer together.
To be honest, I did not enjoy this arc too much. It kind of felt like a less compelling reboot of the earlier volumes before Tenma was on the run. The Czechoslovakia Secret Police's motives seemed similar to that of the Big Baby's. Another thing about this series that frustrates me is that characters do not seem to realize that others are capable of deception, but I am going to chalk that up to denial. The one thing I liked here though was Grimmer's sunny disposition belying his dark past and mysterious background, and the portrayal of kindness in this story.
Picnic (ch 79) was kinda heartbreaking. Tenma was burdened by guilt and no longer optimistic. I find it so interesting how he was the one given help and shown the light these recent chapters.
I was mostly impressed by Grimmer's boldness in Ghosts of 511 (ch 80). He was terribly persistent on getting the truth out of Reinhart Biermann, and his confidence led me to believe that he had either nothing to lose and/or had some ace up his sleeve.
Admittedly, I was quite underwhelmed by the mastermind behind Kinderheim 511. He did not have the same discreetly-powerful presence as Johan or even Robert. He just looked like a grumpy old man put through the wringer.
A New Experiment (ch 81) had me quite confused about Mr. Petrov, but in a good way. He was not the mastermind behind Johan after all. It seemed that Johan was already, for the lack of better terms, corrupted by the time he got there and took over. Very much similar to what he did with the underground money laundering business and Mr. Schuwald's empire, I suppose- just playing with ants. The reveal regarding the existence of tapes of Johan under the influence of hypnosis and presumably drugs had me wondering if those treatments were administered to study him further or if that was already the state he was in when he got there. Anyway, Mr. Petrov may not have been as twisted as initially thought, but he was clearly still fucked in the head to be manipulating children's environments and upbringing to see the different outcomes.
I hope it was not Nina who shot Mr. Petrov. A silly part of me dares to wonder if it could possibly be Eva.
I gotta say that the panels of the kids laughing at Grimmer, and the other of them surrounding Mr. Petrov and mourning him were quite haunting.
Key (ch 82) gave me serious trust issues. All of Grimmer's facial expressions here and how quickly they changed from (fake?) smiling to serious were a delight.
I am worried that Grimmer gave Antonin the key, because what if the StB or whoever go after him? Also Grimmer's big ass bag!!
The Magnificent Steiner's Adventure (ch 83) had amazing panels and some tidbits about Johan and the people responsible and/or looking for him; unfortunately however, I was barely able to go through this chapter because of the nail clipping scene.
The introduction of another alter-ego of sorts, monster if you will, had me wondering about this as a theme. Also wondering where this story lies in terms of political ideologies and geopolitics.
Agent Suk (ch 84)'s eponymous character was a fun fellow! I initially thought that he worked with Inspector Zeman and the StB, but it turned out that the worst thing about him was that he still had ways to go before attaining his dreams.
Nina and Tenma looked so adorable in their get ups here. The Liebert twins and their black turtlenecks!
The poisoned candies were back with a vengeance in Top Secret Investigation (ch 85). I am personally not too invested in this arc, but I can appreciate its similarities with how Tenma's story began: an idealistic kid working in public service headed by corrupt officials.
Something Important (ch 86) was nice because Grimmer was back, and the storylines with Petrov and the Czechoslovakia Secret Police were coming closer together.
To be honest, I did not enjoy this arc too much. It kind of felt like a less compelling reboot of the earlier volumes before Tenma was on the run. The Czechoslovakia Secret Police's motives seemed similar to that of the Big Baby's. Another thing about this series that frustrates me is that characters do not seem to realize that others are capable of deception, but I am going to chalk that up to denial. The one thing I liked here though was Grimmer's sunny disposition belying his dark past and mysterious background, and the portrayal of kindness in this story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2019
Entiendo que hay un tipo de arco de personaje en la narrativa que se llama "Cambio positivo de personaje" o algo así. Consiste en crear un personaje con el fin de hacerlo cambiar para bien, los dos principios básicos son: 1- la herida con que el personaje tiene que cargar y 2- la mentira en la que cree. Por supuesto que el punto 2 debe ser consecuencia del punto 1; y se supone que a través de la historia, el personaje puede ponerle una venda a su herida al momento de abandonar la mentira en la que cree.
Un ejemplo es Trunks del futuro de Dragon Ball Z, su herida es la muerte de su maestro Gohan, y la mentira en la que cree es que es débil y no puede hacer nada por sí solo, este personaje es introducido en una saga entera de Dragon Ball, y al final de la misma abandona la mentira en la que cree, es decir descubre que tiene un enorme poder oculto, y consigue darle una especie de cierre a su herida, matando a los asesinos de su maestro y convirtiéndose en el protector de la Tierra en su tiempo.
En este tomo este tipo de arco es llevado a cabo con dos personajes totalmente nuevos: Grimmer y Tuk, ambos tienen heridas distintas y creen en mentiras distintas, pero al final del tomo comienzan a abandonar las mentiras en las que creen, con el fin de poder cerrar las heridas que llevan, y si bien se hace en 208 páginas no se siente ni forzado ni apresurado ni metido con calzador para nada; creo que es en este tomo donde Urasawa demuestra su talento.
Además de ello, tenemos a Nina y Tenma, personajes que ya llevan heridas desde el principio, y han caído presas de las mentiras en las que creen, y Nina en este tomo en especial más que nunca.
Un ejemplo es Trunks del futuro de Dragon Ball Z, su herida es la muerte de su maestro Gohan, y la mentira en la que cree es que es débil y no puede hacer nada por sí solo, este personaje es introducido en una saga entera de Dragon Ball, y al final de la misma abandona la mentira en la que cree, es decir descubre que tiene un enorme poder oculto, y consigue darle una especie de cierre a su herida, matando a los asesinos de su maestro y convirtiéndose en el protector de la Tierra en su tiempo.
En este tomo este tipo de arco es llevado a cabo con dos personajes totalmente nuevos: Grimmer y Tuk, ambos tienen heridas distintas y creen en mentiras distintas, pero al final del tomo comienzan a abandonar las mentiras en las que creen, con el fin de poder cerrar las heridas que llevan, y si bien se hace en 208 páginas no se siente ni forzado ni apresurado ni metido con calzador para nada; creo que es en este tomo donde Urasawa demuestra su talento.
Además de ello, tenemos a Nina y Tenma, personajes que ya llevan heridas desde el principio, y han caído presas de las mentiras en las que creen, y Nina en este tomo en especial más que nunca.
November 30, 2023
Ada satu tokoh baru yang menjadi sorotan di volume ini. Ia bernama Wolfgang Grimmer, seorang jurnalis lepas yang dulu pernah tinggal di Jerman Timur. Ia bertemu Tenma di sebuah stasiun dan akhirnya duduk di kereta yang sama. Awalnya, Tenma cukup mencurigai Grimmer. Namun, setelah Grimmer mengetahui bahwa Tenma sedang dalam buronan dan ia yakin Tenma tidak bersalah, Tenma pun bisa menerima kehadirannya.
Kemudian, Tenma terpaksa harus turun dari kereta setelah kondektur mencurigai bahwa paspornya palsu. Grimmer pun menolongnya untuk mengalihkan perhatian para kondektur sehingga Tenma bisa kabur. Tak disangka, ternyata Grimmer juga turun dari kereta dan sempat mengarahkan Tenma menuju Praha, Republik Ceko, dan mereka berpisah di daerah perbatasan.
Kisah berlanjut dengan Grimmer yang menyelidiki Kinderheim 511. Ia mengawasi seorang pria tua yang dianggap sebagai mantan direktur di tempat tersebut. Kita pun akan mengikuti percakapan dan penyelidikan Grimmer sampai ia menyaksikan kondisi anak-anak yang diasuh oleh si pria tua itu. Lantas, karena ia dianggap sudah masuk terlalu dalam urusan tentang Kinderheim 511, Grimmer pun diburu oleh polisi rahasia.
Kemudian, Tenma terpaksa harus turun dari kereta setelah kondektur mencurigai bahwa paspornya palsu. Grimmer pun menolongnya untuk mengalihkan perhatian para kondektur sehingga Tenma bisa kabur. Tak disangka, ternyata Grimmer juga turun dari kereta dan sempat mengarahkan Tenma menuju Praha, Republik Ceko, dan mereka berpisah di daerah perbatasan.
Kisah berlanjut dengan Grimmer yang menyelidiki Kinderheim 511. Ia mengawasi seorang pria tua yang dianggap sebagai mantan direktur di tempat tersebut. Kita pun akan mengikuti percakapan dan penyelidikan Grimmer sampai ia menyaksikan kondisi anak-anak yang diasuh oleh si pria tua itu. Lantas, karena ia dianggap sudah masuk terlalu dalam urusan tentang Kinderheim 511, Grimmer pun diburu oleh polisi rahasia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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.
October 28, 2025
Ah, I watched the anime more than a decade ago, and Grimmer is one of the characters I fondly remember! If you need to write a long manga and need to include a side story, let it be with likeable characters readers can root for. Although this volume barely features Tenma, it could stand on its own because of Grimmer. He is someone you can instantly warm yourself to. Because of his tragic back story and how that shaped his kind personality, he is definitely my favorite character, right after Tenma.
While he was chasing after stories that could potentially risk his life, I was with him every step of the way, out of breath each time because I feared his character would be assassinated just like that. One of the better volumes in my opinion, despite its minor contribution to the bigger story.
While he was chasing after stories that could potentially risk his life, I was with him every step of the way, out of breath each time because I feared his character would be assassinated just like that. One of the better volumes in my opinion, despite its minor contribution to the bigger story.
March 22, 2021
TLDR: 3.5/5 and we round it up to a 4. The volume is good, but it definitely feels like a shift in a new direction.
Longer Review: I am assuming the volume is setting up for the second half of the series or for the next volume. It is not as bad of a set up volume as volume 8 in my opinion. The story is relatively good, but I did find myself getting confused a few times. Initially I got frustrated with Naoki, but I realized that the fun of reading a mystery story is the confusion. You wonder how it all fits together. So I feel that was an unfair critique. This novel does shift though, which isn't bad but just be ready for that. For a novel with little Tenma/Johan, I thought it did a great job.
Longer Review: I am assuming the volume is setting up for the second half of the series or for the next volume. It is not as bad of a set up volume as volume 8 in my opinion. The story is relatively good, but I did find myself getting confused a few times. Initially I got frustrated with Naoki, but I realized that the fun of reading a mystery story is the confusion. You wonder how it all fits together. So I feel that was an unfair critique. This novel does shift though, which isn't bad but just be ready for that. For a novel with little Tenma/Johan, I thought it did a great job.
March 2, 2022
Grimmer is so cool. From 'The Adventures of Magnificent Steiner' it is kind of evident that he has split personalities. What I also suspect is, he was probably put in the experiment too.
Petrov mentioned that their experiment wasn't evil, but that it changed once a new child (Johan, of course) joined there. That is interesting, is Johan really the complete evil he's shown as? I'm really not convinced Johan could be that evil, but hey wait, I realize Johan's powers work even outside the book :)
Petrov mentioned that their experiment wasn't evil, but that it changed once a new child (Johan, of course) joined there. That is interesting, is Johan really the complete evil he's shown as? I'm really not convinced Johan could be that evil, but hey wait, I realize Johan's powers work even outside the book :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2022
Despite the fact that this volume felt like mostly setup for the next arc of the following couple volumes, I found myself extremely engrossed the whole time. I couldn't put it down, and I loved the new characters. The mystery also unfolded at a nice pace, keeping the suspense up the whole time. And during the action of the story, we get even more pieces and clues to overarching plot mystery. I love the way this manga is paced. Lots of suspense, and very little feels like filler.
June 27, 2023
This book has a content warning for mentions of child abuse.
This volume mainly focussed on two new characters, and I don't fully know how to feel about them yet. I'm not the biggest fan of them, but I didn't hate them either. This felt like a massive step backwards from the previous volume, a bit of a detour. Things were interesting though, and I'm curious to see how this will continue. Even after the ending that was quite a bit anti-climactic to me.
This volume mainly focussed on two new characters, and I don't fully know how to feel about them yet. I'm not the biggest fan of them, but I didn't hate them either. This felt like a massive step backwards from the previous volume, a bit of a detour. Things were interesting though, and I'm curious to see how this will continue. Even after the ending that was quite a bit anti-climactic to me.
August 11, 2023
I found this volume slightly less engaging than previous ones, but still superb.
Grimmer is a very interesting addiction of a character to the story, though I missed some more Tema, and I am a bit confused on what exactly is Nina doing... then, that's what keeps you hooked here, knowing that all the questions will be answered in the end, and that Urasawa has everything perfectly plotted and planned.
Onto the next one soon, and rather sooner than later.
Grimmer is a very interesting addiction of a character to the story, though I missed some more Tema, and I am a bit confused on what exactly is Nina doing... then, that's what keeps you hooked here, knowing that all the questions will be answered in the end, and that Urasawa has everything perfectly plotted and planned.
Onto the next one soon, and rather sooner than later.
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.
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