Naoki Urasawa's "Monster"

The popular manga series by Japan's "master of suspense", Naoki Urasawa, is also a very popular anime series. Most people watched the show before ever hearing about the manga series.
Monster was on the SyFy channel (USA) for a while, and then it simply was nowhere to be found on TV. [Note: I only know about USA/Canadian TV scheduling, not any other countries. Sorry!]
Monster is an 18-volume manga series. The English translation was published by Viz Media. Originally the series was only supposed to be 15-volumes long - but luckily it went on for 3 'extra' volumes. :)
Personally, I wish it had gone on even longer than it had... :(

Monster centers on a Japanese doctor (Kenzo Tenma) working at a hospital in Dusseldorf, Germany. One night twins are brought in to the hospital - the boy has a gunshot wound to his head, and the girl is in severe shock. He goes against the chief director's orders and operates on a young boy with a gunshot wound to the head instead of the mayor. This boy is the 'monster' for which the series is named. After the successful operation Dr. Tenma performed on the boy, his credit at the hospital goes downhill - because "a hospital is run on politics" and he failed to obey direct orders. Suddenly the twins disappear, and the director is found dead (as well as two of the surgeons at the hospital). The BKA is called in to investigate and Dr. Tenma is the chief suspect in the murders... The series jumps ahead to nine(?) years into the future, which becomes the "main start" of the adventure. All is going well again for Dr. Tenma... Until...

  Well, I won't get into any further details - you should go read (or watch) and see for yourself. I rather enjoyed the series (both the anime and the manga) myself, and highly recommend it! (: And rate it five stars! (:


*SPOILER!!!* ~
[Unless you don't mind getting spoiled, please do NOT read until you've finished at least the manga]
The reason I wish the series went on longer is because... The ending of volume 18: the last page shows Johan's empty hospital bed - he's vanished again! It just made me want MORE so badly! *pouts* Also, Tenma finds out Johan's REAL NAME - but we never get to know it...Sadly... The series was great, and I agree with the claim that Naoki Urasawa is the 'master of suspense' (perhaps not master, but he's a great writer indeed!) ♥

I hope you ENJOY Monster! (:

~Karin♥

Anime Rating List [part 1]

I have seen most of these, while a few of them I did not (some of my good friends told me about them and how to best rate them) [Remember, the age ratings are just guidelines, watch above your age at your own risk - you may be more mature or more in to some things than the majority of people in your age group - so please do not be angry with me if I rated something you like above the age you are. Feel free to comment about it.]: All shows that are dubbed in English (that I'm aware of) I will mention that they're in English. {[Eng.]}

07-Ghost {13+} [Eng.]
Air Gear {16+} [Eng.]
Angel Sanctuary {16+} [Eng.]
Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) {15+} [*Funimation is beginning to release an English dub]
Black Cat {14+} [Eng.]
Black Lagoon {17+} [Eng.]
Blade of the Immortal {16+} [Eng.]
Bleach {15+} [Eng.]
Blood+ {16+} [Eng.]
Burst Angel {14+} [Eng.]
Card Captor Sakura {13+} [*the English version differs greatly from the original Japanese version]
Chaos;Head {16+}
Chobits {15+} [Eng.] *(Ecchi type comedy)
Chrono Crusade {14+} [Eng.]
Clannad {13+}
Claymore {16+} [Eng.]
Code Geas {14+} [Eng.]
D.Gray-man {14+} [Eng.]
Darker Than Black {16+} [Eng.]
Death Note {15+} [Eng.]
Detective Conan (Case Closed) {12+} [Eng.]
Devil May Cry {16+} [Eng.|Ger.]
Digemon {12+} [Eng.]
DNAngel {13+} [Eng.]
Elemental Gelade {14+} [Eng.]
Elfen Lied {16+} [Eng.] *(Very bloody, and some mild nudity - but good story line)
Eureka 7 {13+} [Eng.]
Fate/Stay Night {14+} [Eng.]
Fruits Basket {14+} [Eng.]
FullMetal Alchemist {14+} [Eng.]
Full Metal Panic! {14+} [Eng.]
FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood {14+} [Eng.]
Full Moon wo Sagashite {12+}
Ghost Hunt {14+} [Eng.]
Ghost in the Shell S.A.C {17+} [Eng.]
Gunslinger Girl {14+}
Haibane Renmai {13+} [Eng.]
Hell Girl (Jigoku Shojo) {14+} [Eng.]
Hetalia - Axis Powers {14+} [I do not personally like Funimation's English dub] (Comedy/Parody)
Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East?) {16+}
High School of the Dead {16+} *(Horror/Ecchi)
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry) {16+} [Eng.]
InuYasha {14+} [Eng.]
Junjo Romantica {15+} *(Yaoi comedy)
K-ON! {14+}
Kaichou wa Maid-sama! {14+}
Kekkaishi {14+} [Eng.]
Lovely Complex {14+}
Letter Bee (Tegami Bachi)
Minami-ke {14+}
Mnemosyne {17+} *(Horror/Ecchi)
Monster {15+} [Eng.]
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit {14+} [Eng.]
Myself;Yourself {14+}
Naruto {13+} [Eng.]
Neon Genesis Evangelion {15+} [Eng.]
Now and Then, Here and There {16+}
Ookami Kakushi {14+}
Ouran High School Host Club {14+} [Eng.]
Pandora Hearts {15+}
Peach Girl {15+} [Eng.]
Prince of Tennis {12+}
Romeo X Juliet {14+} [Eng.]
Rozen Maiden {14+}
Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) {16+} [Eng.]
Sailor Moon {13+} [Eng.]
School Days {15+} *(Ecchi Comedy/Drama)
Shikabane Hime (Corpse Princess) {16+} [Eng.] *(Fairly bloody, some ecchi elements - good story line)
Shugo Chara! {13+}
Skip Beat! {13+}
Slam Dunk {13+} [Eng.]
Slayers {14+} [Eng.]
Soul Eater {14+} [Eng.]
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumia {14+} [Eng.]
The Wallflower {13+} [Eng.]
Tokyo Mew Mew {13+} [Eng.]
Tinity Blood {16+}
Vampire Knight {15+}
xxxHolic {14+} [Eng.]
Zombie-Loan {14+}

*terms:
Yaoi = guy ♥ guy
Yuri = girl ♥ girl
Ecchi = (sometimes comedic & not bad) less explicit then hentai, but still "sexy" [so if something says 'Ecchi' in the discription - watch at your own risk - viewer discretion advised]

And that is all...For the moment...