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Unlike shonen, which has something to offer to all age groups, the content usually featured in seinen series can be quite exclusive, even more so when a slow burn like Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is concerned. Yet, Monster has appealed to a substantial audience around the world. It has become a standard for many fans that most series fail to meet, simply because of Urasawa’s genius.
Known for its excellence as a thriller, the series presents a wide cast of compelling characters. From the duality of Grimmer to Eva’s redemption arc, every character is fleshed out in a realistic way that is both believable and emotionally impactful. Among the many famous anime-manga series, Monster clearly sets itself apart with its distinctive traits.
Naoki Urasawa on His Intentions BehindMonster
The mantle that Monster occupies has been created byNaoki Urasawa‘s unconventional ideas. His stories are rooted in realism without any over-the-top elements. He gradually builds up the tension and delivers satisfying pay-offs. Cliffhangers are an important aspect of his storytelling as every chapter and episode leaves the viewer wanting for more.
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Unlike most popular manga, his stories feature adult characters, and the setting is grounded in reality as well. When Urasawa was asked about the same during an interview (via alltheanime), he shared that he never wanted to create stories aimed at children.
Even when I was a child, I didn’t like manga for children. So whenever adults around me tried to show me something aimed at children, I always thought: “They’re not taking me seriously!”
It’s extremely apparent from his works that he’s not trying to cater to everyone, but rather to a very specific audience. Most likely an audience that could be patient with his works and see the many minute details and references he has incorporated into it. His stories are told in a way that could resonate with kids who felt the same way as Urasawa when he was their age.
For having such a specific vision, it was difficult for Urasawa to communicate it to the editors and get them to agree with it. One of his early works ‘Yawara’ came out of a joke that was taken seriously by his editor.
So I actually said as a joke: “Why don’t I write something about women’s judo?” and then he looked up with that sparkle in his eyes, like “Oh! Really?” I really want editors to be happy, I like their reactions to be positive, so that’s really where it came from.
Based on his statement, it seems like there would’ve been a lot of back and forth with the editor if Urasawa had not set his mind onYawara.
Naoki Urasawa on Osamu Tezuka’s Storytelling
During the interview, Urasawa pointed out something very interesting about Osamu Tezuka’s works. CitingAstro Boyas an example, he mentioned how Tezuka’s works always have clear endings which are uncommon in most commercial works. This statement makes a lot of sense when we see it in the context of Shonen series. Most of them end in a way that leaves room for more.
Naoki Urasawa’s Approach that Makes Monster Such a Masterpiece Could Save The Beginning After the End’s Anime
It leads to fans asking for sequels and the series can continue making money based on the orginal’s success. And they don’t necessarily have to be good either to thrive or become successful. Urasawa appreciated that Tezuka’s storytelling didn’t leave room for the story to be carried on, and seems to follow a similar approach himself.
Monsteris available to stream on Netflix.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :926
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
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