Naoki Urasawa... Boy, this genius mangaka, is well known for his story writing and how he lead the reader through each pages, giving fans intense suspense, foreshadowing and twisted conclusion. Reading his manga felt like reading a novel, if I may say so.
And so, as his new fans, who just read another of his work, 20th Century Boy in 2017, I felt like I missed this gem. I always saw his manga in local bookstore, but looking at the art back then, I was like.. Eh.
Forgive my ignorance and blasphemy.. 10 years ago, I'm just a filthy commoner who prefers to read Naruto or some moeshit manga.
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As I grew older, I'm beginning to appreciate more the older days manga, focusing on the story and plot twist. The older I get, the wiser I become I guess.
So, Naoki Urasawa's Monster.. I began to read this after finishing 20th Century Boy and felt the cathartic awe on the ending (refer to pear's review link here). I demand more from Urasawa sensei's work and that what leads me to Monster.
Monster, is not a fantasy themed story where the hero goes on a journey to defeat a big ass monster. It's a about a genius brain surgeon, Tenma Kenzo, who chose to operate a boy named Johan, as a humanitarian act, despite being ordered to operate someone else who got more important position in society. But little that he knows, that boy he saved is a genetically/psychologically engineered, deranged psycho evil murderer.. Hence, Monster.
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Since I said the ending, I'll skip the main story and assume the readers already read / watch Monster till the end.. Now, the ending.. Which has become a debate and argument in internet cause it felt so... Rushed and hanged. Because, in the end, after relentlessly chasing and trying to kill the monster he saved, Tenma Kenzo, in the final stand off where he got the chance to shoot Johan whom was trying to shot a little boy's head, didn't choose to pull the trigger, and some random stranger (that little boy's dead) was the one who shot Johan. Anti climactic, right?
It's like watching The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly three way stand off, but a passing by union troop decided to shoot three of them.
Of course it's still not the end, just like the first chapter, Johan is still barely alive even after a shot to the head (Man.. does this guy got an iron skull or what?) and you know it, Tenma, who chose every lives are equal, decided to operate Johan.
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Tenma Kenzo is free of charge, back to his doctor business, while Johan is seemingly survived the bullet extraction operation and is in coma.
Then the epilogue, a chapter called The Real Monster. Tenma Kenzo, after joining Médecins Sans Frontières aka Doctors Without Borders, visit a seemingly weak and senile old lady. That lady is none other than Johan and Nina's mother.
The most important scene happened here. Johan seemingly awaken from his slumber, asking Tenma with dead straight zombie eyes regarding the incident in three frogs lodging, where Franz Bonaparta decided to do an experiment on Johan, Nina and their mother. He will take one of the twins to the Red Rose Mansion, and the mother must choose which child to be sacrificed.
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The mother doubt for a while, maybe because the twins are wearing the same girl's outfit and hairstyle, but to what end, decided to let Nina be taken by Franz Bonaparta.
Flashback ended, and Johan asked Tenma, why his mother decided to let Nina be taken? Is it because his mother didn't want her? Trying to protect Johan? Or the mother mistook it for Johan?
I've read many forums about the conclusion, stuff like, Johan is back and ready to continue what in god's name he wanna do (or maybe stop being a monster and live a peacful life) and most of the argument focused on The Real Monster, which, can be concluded, is Johan's and Nina's mother. But really?
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The point of my writing here, cause, I can't find any conclusive speculation, just like Cowboy Bebop's ending, and decided to point out my own speculation. Whatever your speculation is, this is just my own noob opinion as a casual reader. Or rather, how I want it to be. You are free to think of your own speculation and point out my flawed and unperfect speculation.
Tenma failed to save Johan despite his genius skill and what he saw in that room, including Johan waking up, is just his illusion, triggered by Tenma's guilty feeling on not being able to save him.
What about the creased bed? To tell you the truth, this is the hardest part on proving Johan's dead but let's just say the bed was empty all along, or Tenma slept there, or even a patient just got moved from there. For now, read on.
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Now i'm gonna point out some weird stuff happened in Monster universe, that could lead us to know who's the real monster and Johan is probably dead.
Ever imagined you got twin kids, a boy and a girl, and then realized buying two different gender clothes is a hassle and just bought two of them girl's clothing? No? Kay. Maybe their mother is not rich and couldn't afford more clothes.. But why hair wig? Even the exact ribbon.
The flashback scene when Nina returned back from Red Rose Mansion to her home in three frogs lodging is, no doubt, the most, forgotten and unexplained part.
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My only logical conclusion is.. Their mother purposedly dressed Johan like that. Remember, the mother is a subject of selective breed experiment and is on constant run from the organization. Since bringing along twins of a boy and a girl is kinda obvious and can get you tracked down easily, their mother decided to dress Johan as a girl too, as a disguise. Supposedly she is a good mother, she should be able to differ, which is Johan and which is Nina. And the reason why she let go Nina? I don't know. She knows well which is who so it's not a random choice or mistaken unwanted child. I think, more like, Nina is more capable and the mother trust her.. Or the mother knows Johan is a deranged psychotic evil kid so she must keep him in check.
Seriously.. This is one of the thing I could never understand nor explained.. Maybe I musn't too hard comprehensing a monster's mind. Why yes, Johan's motives. While I know he is on a personal vendetta, trying to deliver his mother's vengeance on Franz Bonaparte, I still don't understand the perfect suicide he comes up in Ruhenheim. So he wants to kill his archnemesis, and then die by the hands of his savior by leaving no traces of his existence? Then why bother living with fake parents, killing them after he's bored and manipulating serial killer to do his bidding?
Manipulating other serial killer is fine.. But killing his fake parents? Even his feeling towards Nina is kinda... Unexplained. I feel like, Naoki Urasawa is just trying to make a pure evil monster character without ulterior motives other than his sole purpose as... A monster. What is more monster-like than killing your own parents or the one you loved?
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There's a conversation in one of the chapter regarding Tenma's mission to kill Johan and part of it is, doesn't it take more than a monster to kill a monster?
My conclusion, regarding Johan's motives, is, to create the real monster by making the monster killed by said monster after fulfilling his agenda.
BUT! Johan's failed. Tenma didn't pull the trigger and some old drunk guy shot Johan. Does that make that old guy the real monster? Nope, Johan is not dead... Yet. So that old guy can't become the real monster.
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Tenma Kenzo . In the final moment, Tenma got the choice to save this monster or even kill him. Whichever it is, that makes Tenma greater than Johan, hence, making him the real monster, to decide the monster's life.
But wait... Did he decided to save Johan? Or kill him? Who knows.. Tenma's silence in the operation room and his blank stare could mean anything from all lives are equal, I'm gonna save you or You shall not live
My main reasoning is.. The lack of life support system and guards on his room is REALLY weird.. Knowing Johan's portfolio as a monster killer, he should be guarded by police or even BKA... Even a suspect in early chapter that got treated as Tenma's patient, Adolf Junker, guarded by a lone guard. Johan is an important suspect, culprit or even witness. But hey? Nobody's around. Only a nurse passing by, greeted Tenma as he walks to a door. Sadly, the camera didn't view us the name plate. Isn't that reason enough, that the room Tenma entered is, actually, empty and got no name plate?
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