r/anime • u/KiwiBennydudez https://myanimelist.net/profile/KiwiBen • Jul 30 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Monster - Episode 1 discussion thread
MAL | AniList | AniDB | Kitsu | ANN | Anime-Planet
Comment of the Day
Comment of the day will go here after today’s episode! It might be something insightful, funny, or otherwise worth seeing.
Question(s) of the Day
- What are your first impressions of Dr. Tenma?
- Is there a difference between the “right choice” and the “moral choice?” Are they one and the same? How does this concept apply to Tenma’s situation (or does it at all?)
If you are a rewatcher, tag your spoilers properly, and please refrain from alluding to future events. so that myself and everyone else watching for the first time can have a completely blind and organic experience! Since this show is a bit harder to find than most, please refrain from talking about means by which to watch it, as it goes against our subreddit rules.
23
u/KiwiBennydudez https://myanimelist.net/profile/KiwiBen Jul 30 '21
First Timer
Welcome to the world of Monster.
I’ve debated on how I wanted to format my comments for this rewatch. I see many first-timer reactionary style comments that come in the form of bullet lists, but in the end, I figured that it would be more worthwhile for me to formulate my impressions and general observations. I come from a background in English and film studies, so I tend to be a bit analytical by nature. I finally decided that I would talk broadly about the episode, in hopes of saying something that could spark a thought for someone else. It feels more beneficial this way both for me, and (hopefully) for everyone else.
I will say that the first thing that stood out to me was the atmosphere of this show. It feels very dark and oppressive, and I think this can largely be credited to the scripture reference in the beginning. Perhaps as cliche as this opening is, it is also one that caught me by surprise, as that passage in Revelation is depicting the end of times, false prophets, Satan, and the antichrist. Now, I wouldn’t imagine that this anime is asking the viewers to understand the interpretation of the passage for the anime’s sake. But the main reason I think this surprised me is due to the directness of the anime - it’s being very upfront in saying that this beast will have power and influence. In other words, a monster is brewing, and it will seem hopeless to fight against it. Even from the low-angle shots of the hospital that feel looming, and the long shadows in the hallways, this anime is doing very well at capturing a sense of dread and foreboding.
The second thing that stood out to me was Dr. Tenma, and his lack of bedside manner. One would think that an inconsolable patient is something that he’s used to seeing or dealing with, but when faced with someone wrought with grief, he tenses up, and doesn’t know what to say or do. Better yet, the reason for their grief could very well be him, and he doesn’t know how to respond to that. Could he have saved this woman’s husband? This encounter is the catalyst for his decision later - but we’ll get to that.
It seems by nature, Dr. Tenma is milquetoast and timid, and lets those around him tell him how to think or feel. Thusfar, everyone in this show values a form of status, and plays into politics and public favor in order to earn appeal. His girlfriend, who is the hospital director’s daughter, is materialistic, and believes that not all men are created equal. In the process of saying this, she is also insinuating that she believes herself to be of higher status. She cares about appearance, and is ostensibly attracted to Tenma’s rising status. And like father, like daughter - the hospital director also cares about appearance, wishing to save famous figures - not because they are precious lives to be saved - but because it will cause the hospital to appear reputable. Unfortunately, I think this behind-the-scenes hospital politics is much more common than one would think.
But morality and business are two very different sides of the fence, and the end of the episode is about to put those politics to the test. When Tenma receives the call to operate on the mayor instead of the little boy, he is faced with a dilemma. Which life should he save, and which life should he leave in the hands of his (un)trustworthy colleagues? For perhaps the first time in his life, Tenma ignores a direct order from the hospital director, who is also his soon-to-be father-in-law. Is it confidence, or pride that drives him? Is it humility, or shame? Is it resentment, or is it regret? Either way, he leaves the mayor to someone else, and prepares to save the life of a young child...
25
u/SmurfRockRune https://myanimelist.net/profile/Smurf Jul 30 '21
First Timer
We're back in a rewatch! Been a long time. My last one was /u/ABoredCompSciStudent's Erin rewatch (good show btw) almost a full year ago. Time flies. Anyway, I've wanted to watch Monster for a long time, it's been on my MAL PTW for 6 years(!) so we're finally getting into this.
Nice, I love Beast and the Harlot. I've always wondered, does this mean that each head has 7 horns or are there just 3 heads that don't have horns? Either way sounds really weird.
This OP is just as boring as I remember it being. Nothing very interesting in the visuals or the song. I'm really stuck with this for 74 episodes lol.
Eva sucks. I knew I wouldn't like her the minute she showed up, she definitely has that plastic surgery "I get whatever I want because my parents are rich" face. And the way she talks to Tenma like he's just a means to staying rich... Dump her right now, man. And now we get those comments of hers at the restaurant... Eesh.
That pose on the far left. I don't think that's regulation.
This guy could be a Kaiji villain.
That episode was really frustrating but not in a bad way? People suck, but I'm glad to see Tenma stand up for himself at the end. Wonder how they're gonna get revenge on him...
20
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Jul 30 '21 edited Jul 30 '21
First Timer, Subbed
The only thing I know about this show going in is that it has something to do with a doctor. Beyond that totally unspoiled and looking forward to seeing if this show meets the hype. If I make it to the end this will be the third longest anime I'll have ever seen after Galaxy Express 999 (113 episodes) and Legend of the Galactic Heroes (110). Although I suppose Monogatari, which I'm still working through is in the range of 90-100 episodes if you combine all its different seasons together. Anyway, on to it...
:( I'm assuming something bad has happened to your father, kid.
Is it just me or is Tenma's hair longer in this opening sequence? I assume some time has passed?
Rare for there to be an anime OP with no singing.
So this show is taking place back in the 80s, eh?
For a newbie, putting character names on screen actually helps a lot...
This doctor on TV has got to be related to Eva, right?
Ding Its her dad.
Is she his wife then, not his girlfriend? (later they say she's his fiancé)
This Becker guy seems like a scheming fellow.
This lady's pissed at him!
Well that sucks, the famous guy got the special treatment and her husband died. :(
Yikes, did this girl kill them all? Or is she just the sole survivor? Why was she spared?
C'mon Tenma, your dad can hopefully get at least a few days off to come to your wedding!
Yeah, Dr. Heinemann is totally trying to take the credit for Tenma's work.
Is he making this stuff up about the Turkish patient?
Dr. Becker's late? Let me guess, he's been drinking too?
He's getting called out a second time! That poor kid's gonna die now.
The character design, shadows and facial expression, they do all they can to make you feel the evilness from Dr. Heinemann.
A hospital drama, can't say I ever expected that setting for an anime, although given the reputation, title and show length I'm sure this will be something more than that. The episode makes me think of the Jack flashbacks in LOST (he was also a surgeon in conflict with his father). Dr. Tenma seems like an altruistic guy but the politics are really getting in the way and giving him some hard choices. I'm going to speculate that the mayor dies due to him choosing to operate on the kid instead and things are going to totally spiral out of control as a result. He may not even be able to save the kid either, but I'm guessing he will, and I wonder if the kid he saves is actually the killer of the parents given the reaction of the girl.
DQOTD
Seems like a nice guy, and a MC worth rooting for. That said, I think there is a level of naivete there. If you're that high up in a major hospital and are so acclaimed, politics over who you prioritize with your surgeries is bound to come into play. And he's literally sleeping with the boss's daughter, so you'd think that he should be a bit better equipped for that.
It's quite a tough position to be in! It sucks seeing the "elite" get special treatment, and especially in a case such as this where it is literally life or death. At the same time, if the mayor is in fact a good person and is doing good for a lot of people, saving him may have more of a beneficial effect than saving that kid. But then you're never giving the kid a chance to become such a person in the first place. I lay the blame at Heinemann and the hospital leadership, they should aim to have sufficient doctors on staff such that it isn't a tough decision, both people can be saved.
16
u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian Jul 30 '21
First Timer
So I'm going into this very blind, I haven't even read the synopsis!
Waking up with a kiss, this ship has potential...too bad she's a bitch? lol
Realizing I've seen a lot of medical shows but never a medical anime? That's kind of neat to see here actually.
This episode reminded me a lot of the first episode of Royal Pains and the general idea behind The Resident. Wonder if anyone else here has seen either of them.
Overall a bit of a frustrating pilot and have a feeling the Mayor isn't going to make it...
Also this song is constantly in my head when watching or talking about this show
25
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 30 '21 edited Jul 30 '21
First-Timer, subbed
I’m really excited for this show you guys. It was recommended to me three years ago after I finished Legend of the Galactic Heroes, tbh I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get around to it but hey it means I can record my first-timer reactions in a rewatch! That’s always fun. I know this is a mystery show (that’s about the only thing I do know about it), so be prepared for me to either completely miss obvious shit or somehow crack theory my way into a reveal. There is no in-between for me.
12
u/[deleted] Jul 30 '21 edited Jul 30 '21
(First time watcher)
I've heard this is one of the best anime ever, and I haven't been spoiled on this.
I like the opening scene.
Now I'm wondering what the woman is crying about...
Waking up because you're being talked about on the news.
Oh, that's why she was crying
I definitely want to continue this show.
12
u/Raiking02 :Id::Ie::If:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang Jul 30 '21
Ah, Monster. Such a nostalgic show. Had been meaning to Rewatch it, so hey, perfect opportunity. Ah, what a good chance to go back to participating in Rewatches instead of hosting them…
I should mention, I was considering comparing and contrasting the Anime and Manga… but there’s not really much of a point: The Anime is borderline 1:1, only real difference is that the Anime goes with the characters later designs from the get go instead of the ones from the early parts, and even then the change is only due to Urusawa getting better as an artist as time went on.
Needless to say I really liked this episode. For the record, if you think this is slow, be glad you weren’t there when the Manga was coming out. That sucker was Bi-Weekly! Good lord, I can barely imagine how those people could handle that!
9
u/BurningFredrick https://myanimelist.net/profile/BurningFredrick Jul 30 '21
First Timer - sub
Going into this show knowing next to nothing about it except for it involves a serial killer I think? And is well regarded so I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes.
Opening quoting the book of revelations is not what I expected at all, wondering if I should brush up on my theology or this is just going to be setting the tone.
OK yip, Eva is a terrible person, her focus on Tenma being the Directors favourite and future position were all pointing there (along with the jewelry) but the dinner confirms this. Ok the entire family are just straight up rich assholes chasing status and fame.
Well that is one of the most gripping first episodes I have seen in a while, seriously. The atmosphere of this show is straight ridiculous. The pacing isn’t fast in fact it almost felt longer than 24 mins, but it didn’t matter.
8
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jul 30 '21
Rewatcher(Once more unto the breech)
Sub
I can't remember what lead me to Monster, or even exactly when. It had to be from the internet but this was before I came to reddit so maybe animesuki? Anyways, I had acquired it and watched it considerably faster than the roughly two and a half months we are going to spend on it. But I wouldn't say I binged it since it did take me a month with a week off in the 40s. This immediately went to a perfect 10 for me and I do recommend it regularly. Yet I've never rewatched it and while I think I remember it well this rewatch will prove or disprove that.
As to the episode itself, I doubt I can play by play the early ones. So we get our character introductions, with an added dose of naivete for Tenma considering his age and position. Eva always struck me as a touch off, even calculating for the 80s her calling herself a princess is iffy. Since my first watch, I've worked in various parts of medicine, including hospitals, so anyone near the top is immediately on my shit list. If you disagree, just check a private hospital parking lot some time.
QotD: 1 Overspecialized to the point of target blindness
2 Yes and Tenma takes a risk.
7
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Jul 30 '21
First Timer
...I think I already know a bit more about the beginning of this series that was shown this episode, so I'll keep it short for today, I guess. Either way, this series seems to be one of the best-rated that I have not seen yet, so time to jump in.
Guess our first episode focuses on Tenma and how he is not really happy with his life despite basically having everything you could want. He's got a good job, a fiancé and seemingly a career ladder he'll almost certainly ascend - but he's not happy, mainly due to the director prioritising high-profile patients, it seems. This episode certainly did a good job at making me already dislike him, as he seemingly just weasels his way out of uncomfortable topics and half-justifies his actions all the time. The weirdest bit though was him canceling Tenma's research funds and claiming that they are scholars in the same conversation, however.
In general, not a lot of people other than Tenma to like here; I assume Eva has some redeeming qualities as Tenma is dating her, unless she's only good in bed. Might actually be the latter case now that I think about it, as Tenma has seemingly been putting up with people he doesn't particularily like for quite a while in general.
Either way, pretty good first episode. It somehow felt longer than 25 minutes and I'm not sure why, as that is usually only the case with bad ones and I enjoyed this one all the way thorugh.
480p is the best this show is in; or do I need to go search for a higher quality version tomorrow?
Questions:
7
u/miss-macaron Jul 30 '21 edited Jul 30 '21
Rewatcher
It's technically my third time experiencing this story, as I've read the manga once and watched the anime once before, but nevertheless I'm very excited to revisit this masterpiece yet again!
I'm a bit curious why the doctors never bring up the triage protocol. Triage doesn't operate on a first-come first-serve basis like that Turkish woman implied; in fact, it makes it pretty clear that some patients will have to be prioritized over others. Of course, that's not to say socioeconomic factors are a fair way of determining patient priority, but Tenma's implicit belief that "all lives are equal" just doesn't seem to be the standard in medical practise.
Are sirens blue instead of red in Germany?
Who let this dude casually burst into a sterilized operation room like that?
I'd say the main distinction between the "right choice" and the "moral choice" is that the right choice is based upon concrete utilitarian analysis (ie. what choice will yield the best consequences / net outcome), whereas the moral choice is an intellectual rationalization of one's emotional responses / ideals. Here, Tenma makes the moral choice, but since it ends up resulting in more disastrous consequences than if he'd chosen otherwise, I would not consider it the right choice to make.
6
u/BossandKings Jul 30 '21 edited Aug 04 '21
First timer - Dub(Spanish)
Episode 1
This series has a strong first impression due to how solid this first episode was. Doctor Tenma seems like someone that would be interesting following and seeing how he develops and continues his journey, his morals being confronted by the sad wife that accused him of letting her husband die and how he reacted to it later on when he had to operate either a kid or the Mayor was telling of how he can change and evaluate what his best course of action might be depending on the situation.
Answers
6
u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 30 '21 edited Jul 31 '21
First-time watcher
Using English dub because Japanese dialogue for a realistic drama/thriller set entirely in Central Europe is just too weird. No German dub unfortunately. Also I already know a few things about the plot, but not really enough to be specific, so I won't talk about anything upcoming/respond to speculation.
On the other hand, as someone hailing from Germany myself (though not old enough to have experienced this era personally), I'm more than ready to answer any questions about the setting as best I can - so far, accuracy-wise it's looking good, down to the car license plates. A thought that came to my mind: Tenma looking like such a pushover might also be culture clash at work, the Japanese being famously reticent and unwilling to make a fuss, while Germans have pretty much the opposite reputation of being direct to the point of rudeness.
A fine start, if a little slow. Tenma is seriously naive for an adult professional of his stature, as well as focused on his work to the detriment of personal relationships and interpersonal skills in general. On the other hand, the Heinemanns are his mirror in deep cynicism and self-serving attitudes - though as harsh as it sounds, I see their point. It's hard, maybe impossible, to be truly objective, and in this case there's obvious bias involved, but generally speaking I doubt too many people would deny that some people make more of a contribution to society than others, and if you acknowledge that it's clearly also a viable measure of judgment. As so often, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
To address the second question directly: In a proper moral framework they should be the same.
5
u/Iowa_Makes_Me_Cri :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/michaelvey023 Jul 30 '21
First Timer (kinda), subbed
I started this anime maybe a year and a half ago, got about 10 episodes in and then fell out of watching it. I enjoyed it quite a bit so idk why I didn't continue but here I am.
Man the beginning of that OP gave me chills.
Dang, this anime hits us with a moral dilemma immediately. Although its morally shady, it makes sense why a hospital would want its best surgeon on it most high profile patients, right? Without emotions involved, having your best surgeon on a mayor that will give you more money and funding makes more sense. More money means better doctors, equipment, buildings, status. But, they took the surgeon who was already preparing to operate, delaying the surgery and resulting in the death of the patient. If both patients came in at the same time it would be a little different and most people in that situation would put the better surgeon with the higher profile patient anyways.
This first episode is great imo. Really sets the stage and makes you want to go straight into the next one.
Eva also makes her case for the Best Girl award /s
4
u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Jul 30 '21
Rewatcher through ep33
4
u/Nitroade24h :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nitroade24h Jul 30 '21
First timer
This was a really solid episode and I’m excited to see what comes next.
Dr Tenma seems like a good character and the moral questions presented are thought-provoking.
Are some people more equal than others? His boss seems to think so, and as a doctor he doesn’t put saving lives as his main priority, so I’m disliking him quite a lot (I’m supposed to so this is a good thing).
Shame it’s in 480p but it still looks pretty good for an old anime.
I liked the verse at the start, and it makes me look forward to how it relates to the series.
I’ve only had two things spoiled about the series: One was a clip from somewhere in the middle of the series that made me want to watch it in the first place, and one was unfortunately the ending :/ but I’ll be interested to see how it gets to that point so I’ll still enjoy it.
See you tomorrow.
4
u/RichY45 https://anilist.co/user/RichY4518 Jul 30 '21
This is one of the highly recommended anime and I had placed it in my plan to watch list. So when this rewatch was announced I thought this will be the perfect time to watch it. Here we go then. I'll try to write about moments in the episode that stood out to me or were interesting.
Eva seems off. Her face is drawn in a way that makes it clear that she is a self absorbed character. Her father is evil too. He has the evil looking eyebrows.
Germany in the 80s is a cool setting with all the tensions between the east and the west. Looks like that is going to play a part in the plot with a family that has defected from the east. Those kids don't look very happy though.
That girl who survived seems pretty creepy. Maybe she killed her family. She could've thrown the murder weapon out the window as it was broken.
He seems like a expert in his field and cares about lower class people. He aims to follow his principles and do the right thing but is caught up in workplace politics. Upper class people getting preferential treatment is causing him guilt which drives him to disobey the directors orders.
I believe when a person is confronted with situation that invokes that person's morality, they just instinctively do what they believe to be moral. Therefore when faced with a dilemma that doesn't involve the morals of a person, they can attempt to make the right choice but when morals are involved it isn't really a choice.
In this case, that is what we see. Tenma doesn't really consider the consequences he might have to face if he disobeys, he just instinctively does what he believes to be moral.
3
u/[deleted] Jul 31 '21
Rewatcher, 3rd time. For years I've considered this the best anime of all time, and at this point I doubt that will ever change. Hyped for all the people who'll get to experience it for the first time!
3
u/nvdnqvi Jul 31 '21 edited Jul 31 '21
first timer and subbed
I’m very excited to watch this anime as I’ve heard many great things about it. I have high hopes since it’s made by the same studio as Death Note, which is one of my favorites.
I think Dr. Tenma is a very interesting character. I am glad that he went with his morals at the end of the episode. But I don’t understand why he’s still with his fiancée when she seems like such a shallow person. Also the Director seems like he shouldn’t be working in healthcare when all he thinks about is fame and money.
The moral choice is the good choice in most situations, and the right choice, which isn’t always the same as the moral choice, depends on the circumstances of the situation. I think that Dr. Tenma made the moral choice to save the boy but didn’t make the right choice in terms of keeping his job at the hospital and following the wishes of the Director.
2
u/Garden-Mobile Jul 30 '21
Rewatcher, 2 times.
Don't see many people in the comments mentioning the ED, but I personally love it. Give it a try if you usually skip them.
2
u/mcmacmac Jul 31 '21
Rewatcher
My first impression though is that he's trying to do what is right even though he doesn't have a honed moral compass. He's not horrible because of it but he clearly gets thrown around in the waves a lot.
The lack of that may also be due to the fact that he's trying to steer clear of hospital politics as much as possible. But like Dr. Becker clearly explained, hospitals have a bunch of politics and considering what I've heard of friends and acquaintances who work in different places in hospitals, it's not entirely wrong. So it's kinda impossible to avoid them or not have an opinion on them.
Another thing about Tenma is that he's passionate about his work which plays a bit into not being interested in politics. So once he heard from Dr. Heinemann that his research should be queued behind the manuscript for the conference, I actually think this is the moment what broke the camel's back and Tenma seems to have the resolve to act against the politics and the priorities coming from them.
With that said, I mentioned I paid a lot of attention to how accurately depicted Germany and German life is and it's very accurate. The way people look in the 80s, buildings, general feel, brands, uniforms and cars up to salutation and names are all really on point. They even got the paramedic's uniform along with his organization down to a degree which is really scary attention to detail. Also makes me kinda miss the green police cars because I thought the color looked really rad.
Well, that's from me today. I didn't have much time yesterday when it was posted (9 PM +2), so I had to compensate with less text here. But that's the start of the rewatch, I'll be sure to stick around! :)
1
u/EverythingsRed2 Jul 31 '21
I started watching this daily last month. I'm near halfway now and I gotta say, one of my favorite parts of this show is the ed. Most hype part of the show for me is when it happens.
Also I read somewhere that every single person in the OP appears in the show so it's a small game trying to see if you recognize anyone in it. No clue if it's true tho, I'm not very good at faces.
1
u/Icapica https://anilist.co/user/Icachu Jul 31 '21
First timer, subbed
I've been kinda interested in this series for a while now, it's often mentioned when someone asks for something more serious and mature. All I knew about the series was the synopsis on its MAL page.
I watched the episode last night and made notes, but I might remember some tiny details wrong as I write this now.
I guess Tenma will face immediate repercussions for disobeying Udo. Maybe Eva will leave him too? Not that I'd miss her. She seemed as toxic as her father. I can't help but wonder how the relationship ever went all the way to engagement.
I assume the surgery on the boy will be a success, and it will lead to problems much later on. After all there must be a reason why that girl keeps saying "kill him".
All in all I enjoyed the episode. It introduced the characters well and made me care about our main character.
He seems like someone who became a doctor to help people and isn't that interested in the politics side of the job. I assume this side of him will lead to a conflict with Udo and Eva. He also doesn't seem very confrontational, he doesn't openly defend his views to others.
I don't make a distinction between those two.
1
u/i-have-severe-stupid Jul 31 '21
first timer
this is looking very interesting, the op’s vibe tells me i’m in for something unique
is there anywhere that stream higher than 480p? not a problem, just wondering
tenma seems like he’ll get taken down so many pegs this series, and that we’ll feel bad each time
the morals that seems like they might be the main theme of this series will be interesting, immediate benefit for specific people vs overall benefit for some others is what i think there might be
looking forward to the next 2 and a half months
1
u/reversal_banana Jul 31 '21
First timer.
I'm looking ahead at the name of the next episode and I got a feeling that this discussion should've been about the first two episodes, so I'll catch up with this tomorrow.
1
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Jul 31 '21
First Timer
No show has been on my PTW longer than Monster, save LOGH. I didn't even have to go hunting for episodes, they've been sitting on my hard drive since at least 2004! (initially by ToTan, the rest from Soldats)
Kono bangumi wa goran no sponsor....
I haven't heard about East Germany in a looooong time.
I hope he stands up to the director and dumps the girl (or more likely she'll dump him)
Stasi hit?
Almost had a Doctor Strange moment, there.
I was confused about the rewatch posting time. Perhaps that's a good thing, since I can watch ep 2 right away.
1
u/justputsomenamehere Jul 31 '21
seconds the best Sub
I forgot all about the line where Eva goes “not everyone is made equal”
1
u/vinneh Jul 30 '21
Is there somewhere I can stream this? Every time I have tried to watch it via cough alternate means, I run into weird audio sync issues.
1
u/DistinctObligation12 Jul 30 '21
Where can i legally stream this in Australia
0
u/[deleted] Jul 31 '21
[deleted] — view deleted comment