There's a lot to like about Monster. Johan is an engaging villain who always shows just enough Hidden Depths to make redemption look like a distant possibility (even if he is Obviously Evil and the narrative leans heavily in his favor, sometimes to the point of straining credibility), and there's plenty of supporting characters to choose from, from Grimmer to Reichwein.
That being said, the core moral of the series will go over like a lead balloon unless you already agree with it, though there does seem to be some attempt at ambiguity. Forgiveness is for the most part a foregone conclusion, and characters can almost without fail be talked out of most negative emotions they might be feeling towards their victimizers; those that can't tend to be simply killed off by the narrative. It doesn't seem to me like an in-depth treatment of issues of anger and resentment; sure, Tenma sometimes points out that the victims have something dear to lose through taking vengeance, but when he resorts to clichés such as "It won't bring them back,", it's very difficult to take him seriously.
I get why people like it, and I like it quite a bit myself, but I also think it's kind of overrated.
Really good, but not perfection.
There's a lot to like about Monster. Johan is an engaging villain who always shows just enough Hidden Depths to make redemption look like a distant possibility (even if he is Obviously Evil and the narrative leans heavily in his favor, sometimes to the point of straining credibility), and there's plenty of supporting characters to choose from, from Grimmer to Reichwein.
That being said, the core moral of the series will go over like a lead balloon unless you already agree with it, though there does seem to be some attempt at ambiguity. Forgiveness is for the most part a foregone conclusion, and characters can almost without fail be talked out of most negative emotions they might be feeling towards their victimizers; those that can't tend to be simply killed off by the narrative. It doesn't seem to me like an in-depth treatment of issues of anger and resentment; sure, Tenma sometimes points out that the victims have something dear to lose through taking vengeance, but when he resorts to clichés such as "It won't bring them back,", it's very difficult to take him seriously.
I get why people like it, and I like it quite a bit myself, but I also think it's kind of overrated.