Monster - The Psychology of Johan Liebert (Anime's Greatest Villain)

This series is SO GOOD.
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#anime
#monster

[@whoistherealmonster4939]

I love the fact that the Anime & Manga community agree that Johan Liebert is objectively the greatest antagonist in both mediums.

[@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588]

It's a never-ending debate between him and Griffith from what I can see; those two are always fighting for the first place in every list.

[@ifisawyourreplyiwillanswerback]

@@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588 it is Johan, a more realistic antagonist compared to a dude in a fantasy world.

[@diocre7446]

1. Hisoka 2. Johan 3. Griffith

[@quentinlelievre276]

Griffith is the most hated for sure, greatest I couldn't choose.

[@whoistherealmonster4939]

@@TheBigGSN5 if you have a better written antagonist than Johan I would like to know.

[@TheMightyKawama]

Literally my number one tv series, let alone anime. My father watched a few episodes (during ep 25-30) when he was around at mine whilst I was showing it to my girlfriend. Bearing in mind there's quite an age gap between me and my dad (I'm 26 he's 77) so I didnt know how much he'd mind watching along or how seriously he'd take it given he's never watched anime before and most cartoons are for kids. In his words, knowing who none of the characters were, their stories or even that anime is just a medium he said "I can't believe it, how can a cartoon tell such a mature story?!" That's why Monster is such a standout to me and why it's my favourite series, and god damn I love the characters.

[@ifisawyourreplyiwillanswerback]

Thanks for sharing that. :)

[@joshshrum2764]

It’s got a breaking bad vibe to it.

[@mari5london]

"I can't believe it, how can a cartoon tell such a mature story?!" Welcome to Japan.

[@etam8099]

@@mari5london true

[@sioberiqking1719]

51 years age gap?

[@zocastproductions2407]

The devil's greatest trick is convincing you that he doesn't exist.

[@zocastproductions2407]

I just finished watching this series and I have to say it was one of the best stories I've ever seen expressed in an anime. I definitely see how Mephistopheles as a character could inspire the antagonist that is Johan. I have a background in music and I believe that some of the character names (at least) may be inspired by figures from what we call "classical" music. The most obvious examples are the names Johan and Ana. Johan would be a reference to J. S. Bach. There are many composers who bare the same name. However, I believe it is Bach because he had a wife named Ana Magdalena. Bach wrote a series of piano compositions for his wife to study and practice playing. It is sometimes referred to as the Notebook of Ana Magdalena. Johan's sister Ana (Nina) would then be the reference. And this pairing of counter parts might also be inspired by the aspect of Bach's composition that he is still remembered for today. This is a principle of music theory called counterpoint, and it is what gives Baroque period compositions their ornate quality and character. There were other examples, too, such as Wolfgang Grimmer and Wolfgang Mozart. I need to watch the series again so I can listen more actively for other examples. I know that I caught a few more, but I really just wanted to watch the series and experience it without analyzing it heavily. It is very well written, indeed. I'm glad I watched this video essay and subsequently enjoyed this series. 👍

[@akaroth7542]

I always found that quote to be wierd. People seem to almost worship the Devil with how much power they attribute it. The Bible teaches us that God will inevitably win. There is no battle, no possibility of loss. Why pretend their is by suggesting the Devil could win?

[@zocastproductions2407]

@@akaroth7542 I agree, but the quote does not suggest that the devil will win. It only points out the subversive methods he uses. It really says that only you can allow the devil to win you over. Like the serpent's whisper in Genesis. It suggested that Adam and Eve did not have a critical level of "knowing" that they were tending the garden for the benefit of someone other than themselves. Like the Marxists of today suggest, in all their gnostic dogma. They will also lose. But there are countless people who listen to their bad guidance.

[@thestruggler776]

@@akaroth7542 theism itself is an oxymoron. Atleast in view of the gods that are presented in the abrahamic religions. You see, God, atleast as the Bible describes, is omnipotent and omniscient. So why live when he already knows the outcome. It makes the "test" irrelevant and the suffering unnecessary.

[@gozerofgozmis4181]

@@akaroth7542 bruh

[@Kmi_Sama]

This.. this is just amazing. I haven't started Monster yet but I've seen the thousands of people saying he was the most evil protagonist of all anime/manga history. To be even worse than Griffith, i was expecting something extremely chaotic like creating a war by himself, but Johan was truly a man with no identity and no idea of the concept of love. A tragedy like nothing I've seen before. I think it also shows the importance of properly raising children with love, care and affection, because even if you don't hit them or things like that, they could grow up and become terrible people. The Eugenics experiment on him really ripped the humanity out of his body, leaving only a hollow shell. Man i really wanna watch this anime now. I know it's been a year y'all I'm sorry 😭 I still haven't watched it I'm busy with One Piece

[@theflash9735]

It's 10 billion percent worth it.

[@tfk2328]

Never trust the pretty boys.

[@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588]

The full series is here on youtube. It's about 75 episodes long; ready to make the commitment?

[@Kmi_Sama]

@@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588 as long as I'm enjoying, I could finish One piece in a month

[@PrinceZakariyya]

It’s great

[@drowsydrongo1906]

My favourite episode by far from this anime was episode 18, "The Fifth Spoonful of Sugar". It brings to light the inherent human quality to compare and subsequently categorise things and, moreover, the ability to feel empathy. However, the ability to empathise can just as easily be reversed to apathy. Mr Rosso, the Italian Restaurant owner, revealed assassin had killed hundreds of targets; to him, each life taken was not that of a living, breathing human such as himself, but just "another target", work. This capacity to dehumanise a person purely based on the rationalisation of 'othering' through differences proved so poignant. Even then, it only took the single act of a target putting five spoonfuls of sugar in his coffee (something Rosso himself did every day) for this hardened killer's nerve to break. He could no longer see people as targets; no, he had remembered the 'taste of sugar', the bitter-sweet embrace of grief, love, empathy... Awesome video, mate; I always love it when some of my favourite media gets the analysis it deserves. Until the next one, mate; as Mr Rosso said, "Killing a person is easy. Just forget the taste of sugar"

[@Lazrbeams]

There’s not a single part of monster that qualifies as filler. This episode is incredibly important to the story and is the first time the overall theme is established.

[@drowsydrongo1906]

@@Lazrbeams My mistake Michael, I just looked it up, and indeed you're correct hope it still doesn't detract from what I interpreted; I shall correct myself. Cheers again, mate.

[@frog6054]

Yes! That's my favorite part of the story

[@shira7967]

Best ep. Was when grimmer died and he was finally able to feel the sadness of his child dying.

[@lucarichiisover18]

I read Monster when I was...sometime in either highschool or middle school? (Must have been late middleschool if that, I doubt I would have had the patience for it any younger than that) But... I read it at the library, which means I had access to whatever the hell volume they happened to have that day. So basically, I read it wildly out of order, with no real context for anything that was happening besides the art being REAL damn good relative to everything else I'd been reading at the time. The sugar story always stuck with me. Must have been the first volume I read. Or at least the first volume I paid attention to. The idea of those 5 spoons of sugar being something so wonderful that it made the sniper have to stop and consider it... ....hm, no idea where I'm going with this comment anymore. This is just the first time I've seen someone else really talk that scene in particular, of all of the scenes in Monster xD (Anyway. Weird habit of putting 'exactly 5' sugars in my own coffee, ever since then. Not 5 spoonfulls, could be 5 'barely any sugar on the spoon', but always 5.) (Absolutely can trace that habit back to that scene) (Idk. Always made the coffee seem a little extra 'just right', no matter how much sugar was actually in it.)

[@nickoslekkas3336]

I saw monster many years ago but i recall that the head of the eugenic experiment didn't take credit for how Johann turned out saying that they could never produce such a masterpiece.

[@ivorfoster7466]

Actually, it was Hartmann, one of the directors of 511 Kinderheim, that said that.

[@curious_one1156]

Its like creating an accidental discovery.

[@ZanathKariashi]

Johan turned himself into that. Johan was only at Kinderheim 411 for about a month before he incited the riot that burned it to the ground. Like they mentioned he was already tainted before they could do anything. he also was NOT the one involved the original eugenics experiment at the Red Rose Manor. Anna was. he just went crazy on his own and twisted himself into what he became through a combination of his own insanity, complete lack of self-worth (since his mother couldn't tell them apart and saved him randomly instead of Anna who she meant to), and his twisted understanding of the stories Anna told him about what she went through. Seeing what the adults intended for him with Wolf's organization and the bullcrap at Kinderheim merely reinforced his decision that he'd decided to do back when he and Anna first ran away to escape Bonaparte, was the correct choice and decided to do everything in his power to achieve it.

[@Soumya1401]

The masterpiece. Monster is my first anime.

[@hunterkage2842]

@@ZanathKariashi I disagree with that, I think Kinderheim did affect him and he was a killer but not a monster before Kinderheim. He killed the old couple because they said they were gonna call the police(the secret police took Anna away to red rose) and he was protecting himself and anna. I do believe he took Anna's memories as his own but only after KInderheim remove his own memories, Anna was the one thing he didn't want to forget. He murders the Liebrets but only after they let Franz see them(Johan told Anna a monster came the night she shot him). Johan's murders normally are planned but the Liebrets were messing meaning Johan was probably having a PTSD breakdown or maybe even blacked out. Anna rejecting Johan was the final nail that turned him into a monster.

[@katie5998]

After watching this video, I then watched Monster in three days. I think if I watched this before my diagnosis of PTSD, I would not have understood the ending. Blackness is the perfect way to describe Johan. He is both the emptiest and fullest person I've ever encountered. He is void of color, and yet he is all the color. And it's because of all those colors that he's an empty person. In the last few episodes, he asks Nina, "What is the end?" And I think 'the end' is represented in Johan himself. The total destruction of identity. Not death, but the voidness of life. The monster was not Johan's mother, not Johan himself, or the people around them. The monster was all of them. Reflected in all of their eyes that night. Everywhere Johan looked, there a monster stood. Monster is human. Monster is in all of us.

[@Pakopfie]

A whole essay 😂😂

[@katie5998]

@@Pakopfie Man, this show just has my brain going wild lol leave me alone 😭

[@ciudateluLcuUmor]

The Monster is The Devil, i think the religious hints that Urasawa makes make it clear. The Drunkman at the end doesnt see Johan anymore, sees The Devil,the great human hater.

[@ciudateluLcuUmor]

People are not monsters inherently ... But they can fall. To the devils tricks.

[@katie5998]

@@ciudateluLcuUmor Why I do think there were religious elements that were used to annunciate Johan's evil, I don't believe that the whole identity of his character was meant to be 'the devil'. I always thought it a complex commentary on trauma, especially childhood trauma, what we are capable of forgiving, what is irredeemable. Tenma choosing to save Johan, I felt, was proof that Johan was indeed a person. Also, didn't think people were inherently monsters. Agree that the fell to the "devils whims", or more psychologically speaking, allowed their shadow selves to rule their egos. People are not evil inherently, but they can and do become it. Why Monster did have religious elements, it also contained a vast amount of psychological and philosophical one. Johan is compared to the devil and antichrist, but it's also made pretty clear that he's meant to represent nihilism. Ofc, everyone is capable of digesting and analyzing material. Our experiences, and beliefs, shape that. Although I am also religious, for me, the only monsters to be found are people. That is shaped by my experience with PTSD, which is why I mentioned it in my comment. Because, for me, people have always been the monsters to be feared. Not the devil, or even God. But the human beings capable of destroying your lives. But the devil being the monster makes sense too, I hope you don't take offense to my opinion and I do respect yours and see where you're drawing those ideas, thank you for sharing your perspective.

[@TheMaskedMan]

love your videos, glad to see you talk about Johan

[@maxderrat]

Yooooo! I watched your video on Johan in advance of doing my own video! Great work to you too!

[@japsz7]

Big fan mr. Massked man

[@person152]

Colabbb

[@ronin_amv5250]

Two goats. It’s beautiful

[@aaronlaluzerne6639]

Here's your 69th like from me.

[@javierc4967]

Even though I don’t believe Monster needs a live action adaptation as the original anime is brilliant enough, I would love to see a 74 episode live action series that is faithful to the original Manga/Anime. It is one of, if not the best crime stories that the manga/anime world has to offer and it would be great if it could be exposed to a larger audience.

[@Br0kenMask]

dont let Netflix see this

[@javierc4967]

@@Br0kenMask haha true, they butchered Death Note.

[@hafizmohd8224]

@@javierc4967 dont forget Cowboy Bebop....😕

[@satriorama4118]

It's possible to live action Monster since the series is a Realism. It happens in our society. Unlike most other live action which is fantasy or sci-fi, realism can be fully adapted without much flaw. That's why Rurouni Kenshin live action is widely accepted while AoT is not. The adapting studio just need to follow the storyboard without adding any current political shits.

[@javierc4967]

@@satriorama4118 definitely! If they make it shot for shot it would be brilliant.

[@Fiercedeitypwns]

It took me a good solid year or more to watch any other anime after I finished "Monster". I just sat there reflecting about everything I just watched. I reflected on my own childhood and the trauma in my childhood. Monster makes you sympathize/relate with a serial killer. The final episode when he shows the scene of his mother choosing giving up one of her children will forever haunt me. She's a monster, everyone's a Monster, but knowing Tenma never succumbed to Johan's will was truly eye opening as well. Tenma truly believed all lives are equal and Johan never destroyed that will.

[@jumpingSpiders]

This gave a whole new meaning to the show for me, I honestly didn’t understand the show when I first watched it so I tried to watch explanations and theories videos but none of them were as easy to understand as yours. thank you for explaining it clearly!

[@videogamesworld01]

what didn't you understand?

[@jumpingSpiders]

@@videogamesworld01 I did watch it a long time ago so I don’t remember but it was mainly the ending, I do plan on rewatching it the future tho.

[@videogamesworld01]

@@jumpingSpiders Oh well I wanted to adress the stuff you didn't understand If I could help. Anyway if you rewatch it and still curious write in this comment I can help.

[@jumpingSpiders]

@@videogamesworld01 thank you! I’ll come back later if I need the help!

[@ihlibedih1312]

@@videogamesworld01 i didnt understand the part when johan read the pitcure book in the library and regained his memories…how did that change him? Did he want to plan out the perfect suicide after re-reading the book? Or did it direct him somewhere else? And what were his intentions before? I just dobt understand the change thats all

[@elijahkaiva8058]

I can't believe you made this banger of a video Max, thank you! Monster is one of my favorite anime and I feel is extremely underlooked in terms of storytelling. You did it justice! I'd love to see you tackle something from Gen Urobuchi at some point.

[@francis2410]

That's true! Madoka Magica and Psycho Pass both have many topics similar to yours, Max

[@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588]

@@francis2410 Both are also really good shows and deserves to be analyzed by our boy Max! Maybe throw in Paranoia Agent as well.

[@francis2410]

@@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588 Paranoia agents is such an underrated show and it had a lot of content that Max would appreciate to analyse!

[@apurvaaryan7984]

Psychology breakdown with a spice of theology are great. Keep it going 🥰

[@NekoEnforcer]

This is probably my favourite channel on KZbin. Every topic and discussion is as if it's tailored for me, you discuss all of the series and games I love. I really appreciate your work.

[@maxderrat]

I love you, man. Had a tough week working on my newest video. Your comment made me feel at peace.

[@robertgoode6713]

Sounds like Kefka from final fantasy. "I want to create a monument to non-existence."

[@joshshrum2764]

And destroy everything, but it’s also like he can’t understand why the other characters cling to life when he just wants it to end.

[@professorcookie1744]

Excellent video Max! As a med-student and someone who likes Psychology, Johan is a very interesting character, his moral turpitude and extreme intelligence allows him to use manipulative tactics to crush his victim's soul, digging up the victim’s past traumas and/or regrets, meandering the facts in the most uncharitable and unforgiving way, only to watch as his victim’s innermost doubts and deep-rooted insecurities destroy them from the inside out. All of this is possible due to his social skills and his ability to use rhetoric to its maximum potential. Johan has the ability to talk to people and find out what their weaknesses are and in turn use these weaknesses to his advantage. The book rhetoric by Aristotle would come in handy here seeing as rhetoric is just the art of persuasive speaking. Johan's brainwashing method piqued my interest, he can find out a person's foundation of ego - their identity just by knowing where they live. When they imagine the place where they reside, they use their living space as a starting point, and think of roads and places as they relate to their location, and when given an actual map of the place they live, they'll most likely see their neighborhood as the center. In the very center of their mind, just like the map, there lies the foundation of their ego - their identity. But, suddenly their coordinate axis is removed. There is no meaning to this center, there's a much more appropriate center for their heart. This is the reality of what we call brainwashing. And when a human being's mental axis is removed and they are lost, Johan will gently and carefully entrap them with words, not giving them an opportunity to think, offering them a new place to live. Human beings follow the instructions of whoever furnished them with this new home... they become surprisingly docile. Isolation is a key element because it deprives the target from social reference points, except the ones of the brainwasher. The target will face deprivation, malnutrition and even the potential of physical and psychological harm, these methods dull the mind of the target and destabilize their judgement. Johan must go through three stages of brainwashing in order to be successful. 1) Breaking down the self. 2) Offering a possibility of salvation. 3) Rebuilding the self. I'd like to talk about Johan's manipulation technique next, and let's find out how he was able to manipulate people, especially someone like Roberto. Johan's manipulation technique involves a social influence that exploits all the vulnerabilities of the “mind” and “heart”. This is different from normal manipulation techniques since it exploits not only the psyche of the victim but also its “heart” and at the same time, also harder to use than others since it takes more time than the normal methods. He looks for people with cracks in them, and he drives a wedge into them and manipulate them until they finally break. What people think is interesting is what they perceive to be their wants or sometimes, needs. These misbeliefs are what blinds people, making them accept such delusions, and prohibits them from searching their true desires. Through insinuation, innuendo and cleverly arranging circumstances, Johan was able to plant ideas in his victims' minds. People wants someone who understands their feelings. Someone who they think knows what they are going through. People don’t want their feelings to be told to them. When they want to be understood, they avert their eyes from reality and escape from the problem. This is exactly the time when the manipulator should show them that he/she understands them, and we've seen Johan do that to his victims. Several accounts of manipulation tie its moral status to the fact that it influences behavior by methods that seem analogous to how one might operate a tool or a device, like how Johan treated Roberto or many other people. Johan is interested in reasons not as logical justifiers but as causal levers. For Johan, reasons are tools, and bad reasons can work as well as, or better than, a good one. It's also possible for someone to manipulate others without them even realizing it like Roberto for example [I've seen Roberto exhibit signs of Antisocial Personality Pisorder (ASPD) or Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) throughout the series] but it is also possible that they are very aware of their behavior and how it affects others. Roberto came from 511 Kinderheim, an orphanage that uses Depatterning and Psychic Driving ECT to create tabula rasa, then corrupting and reconfiguring the subjects using spontaneous social cognition as a psychological mechanism to facilitate inhumane acts to try to 'rewrite' their personalities and turn them into cold-blooded soldiers. Due to Dissociative amnesia, Roberto was unable to recall important personal information. In the event of psychological trauma, our human minds can literally block out the repatterning function of a specific recall as a defense mechanism, but with the help of Johan, he was able to remember the one thing that he loved the most (hot cocoa), sensory memories are far more powerful when it comes to remembering than just simply trying to think, Johan simply used that to his advantage. In other words, his methods and techniques are feasible.

[@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588]

Hmm, interesting read. I'm also studying Psychology, but I've yet to reach your level of understanding in the field.

[@professorcookie1744]

@@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588 Thank you for reading!

[@lornzu6372]

bruh ur teaching people how to brainwash

[@ghostbladevanguard514]

Half of what Johan let some People do was pretty unrealistic

[@lornzu6372]

@@ghostbladevanguard514 will not be unrealistic if you try it out

[@swmtothemoon6660]

IM SO GLAD YOU DID THIS ONE!!!! I binged the entire series when I heard about it back in February of this year. AMAZING storytelling about the rationality between good and evil.

[@Tainuo]

Incredible work as always Max, you shed several new lights on the masterpiece I have been digesting for well over a decade. Looking forward to more!

[@cassandralyris4918]

I've waited so long for this video, and not a second disappointed. 🤘🥰👍

[@nessie2652]

The way you explained the ending and its symbolism made me want to cry again over the genius of this story

[@mc_zittrer8793]

One villain that really left a mark on me was that kid from Inuyashiki. A much shorter story, but the meaning did not suffer for the length. The beginning was honestly giving me Breaking Bad vibes, but once the old man found out what was happening to him, he was relaxed and happy about taking on each new day, and doing what he can to help people. He was determined to make his new lease on life count towards making the world a better place. And dear god, when he started singing the intro to the old Astro Boy cartoon to make his rockets work, he won my heart. In stark contrast, you have a boy that went through the same 'rebirth' as him. In any other anime, this boy would have all the hallmarks of the main character. And in all likelihood, that was how he saw himself. But his moral compass was so defective, I was horrified with the lengths he was willing to go to, just to test out his new body and abilities. You want a villain that's on the same level as the devil? Your first and most important step is this: Your character can't see people as people.

[@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588]

Yeah, the contrast between Inuyashiki and Hiro reminds me so much of Tenma and Johan. Absolute Altruism vs Indiscriminate Apathy. Too bad they didn't really interact much until the very end. I'd like a video that would pick apart both characters.

[@mrjong-pildasong1468]

Oh my god , one of the reasons that I think hiro is top 100 villains of all time is his lack of humanity , the bath tub scene with the father and his kid lives in my head rent free

[@basilisarsenaut2404]

Finding this channel is such a pleasant surprize!!! Even though this villain needs a lot more time to fully cover, philosophically, psychologically, neurologically (like, come on, the gunshot must have done something ffs) etc., for a 23 minute video it is just amazing how much you managed to cover. Lots of research put into it and great pace/writing of the script! Instant subscribe, thank you for existing!

[@theflash9735]

What a video! What a script! Just...wow! Been hyped ever since you posted about you making this video in a community post and you exceeded my already super-high expectations! Phenomenal work!

[@weridplusho]

I clicked on this by chance and I'm glad I did. It's always good to see a great video for best boi. One thing I just love about Johan, is that despite being the eraser, despite his need to be erased, somewhere deep inside he was seeking confirmation of (his) existence. First from his sister then it was Tenma, but his need, his nature to destroy forced him to seek ways to destroy them instead. Seeing Tenma, reconfirming his existence by saving him again, and Johan having a realization on that in the ending just hits right.

[@grimboguppis7432]

This and many of you videos are a light in many dark lives, thank you

[@infinityactually6166]

I just found out about Monster yesterday and Max makes a video about it today, nice.

[@mebbin]

Such an incredible anime, and a worthy analysis!

[@shethatisnau]

Great essay, Monster is a fantastic series and this breakdown is brilliantly done

[@wolfgang_k511]

I wonder if you can also talk about Grimmer Wolfgang. Not complaining about the explanation of Johan, but i think Grimmer's trait and character development from Monster is the most intriguing one in anime history. The fact that the author depicted Grimmer's suffering and how he keeps trying to be a normal person as simple as having an emotion, and then how the author ends Grimmer's life are another reasons to call Monster as a masterpiece in psychological anime. Yeah, I'm obsessed with Grimmer as you can tell 😂

[@hassanahmed2275]

Grimmer was a real one RIP

[@kaedeharasnakuweed]

im also obsessed w grimmer's character ngl considering he's also a product of the orphanage, similar experiences as johan's yet, he chose a diff path. he kept trying to figure out himself and was determined to do so. really like the. contrasting personalities between the two. if only both of them met once at least

[@B34RProductions]

He is johans opposite, it was to show that 2 kids went through similar horrors from kinderheim 511 don’t become the same person or in Monsters case don’t become monsters themselves. Grimmers character is that of hope and moving forward, seeing life and those around him valuable even if it’s fleeting while johan is the absolute opposite of everything grimmers holds on to and values.

[@blankscreen1945]

I've been meaning to check this anime out. I love your videos Max!

[@CHUNCHUNMARU971]

It's good for those who can understand the meaning or just generally enjoy physiology. If none of that gets u going then it's just boring

[@jadeorbigoso5212]

Remember in Ruhenheim Arc People use their guns through hatred and for evil but the drunk guy is different, he shoot Johan out of love to his Son.

[@vincentbatten4686]

You finally got around to it! I'm glad you got a chance to dig into Monster.

[@Mankey619]

I remember seeing this series back then. It’s been years since I’ve watched this but seeing the main protagonist just brought me back so many memories. This series alone shows that how the most evil of beings can cause so much grief and misery towards the main character and the people around him. Thanks for showing me this video. This anime has brought me back so much memories. The world needs to know about this anime.

[@specialknees6798]

excellent video. Johan is one of my two favorite villains in media and I adore the paradise lost-satanic sort of archetype he draws from, and I'm really glad you went into that aspect of his character here. The only other character I consider to be on and maybe above Johan's level is Judge Holden from Cormac McCarthy's(the guy who wrote no country for old men) Blood Meridian. The Judge is an unbelievably terrifying villain, and if you can get through the book(It's a classic but a very hard read) I think you'll greatly appreciate him. A video on the judge would be great and possibly even a comparison/contrast with Johan or other similar antagonists.

[@faizissa8617]

Monster author wrote others series with top tier antagonist. Like Friends

[@JoaquinJr]

Anton Chigurh is also another phenomenal villain

[@athenatheshewolf]

I LOVE THIS ANIME AND MANGA! I'm so glad that you're doing this video.

[@rvre]

I'm glad I found your channel. I love this analysis.

[@wha....972]

This was such a good video, really enjoyed the implementation of Faust and all the citations. I've read Faust in school since I'm German and I loved mephistopheles (Mephisto in the German).

[@volcano3759]

Monster is one of my best anime. It has a complex story that I prepared many of its episodes and I did not understand much of it. It has a strange feeling when watching it. You are very attracted to this anime and it makes you ask many questions such as evil and good and who is the cause of Johan's humans and the characters written in an excellent way like Grimmer, a very wonderful clip I enjoyed it very much

[@Alex-ip1dn]

You're awesome Max. Thank you ❤️

[@24Samash]

It's been a while since I felt something was missing in my life, today I gladly discovered it was you. Thanks for your work

[@DrayDayEveryDay]

Man, the fact that you're covering my favorite character from my favorite anime has me overly excited & I haven't pressed play yet!!!!

[@golu_badbola]

Monster is without a doubt the best character study of psychological traits in anime. The premise is great but the writing is on whole another level. Not a single dull moment.

[@johnmanole4779]

I love your channel. I dont know why but this video and planescape torment are in my opinion the best videos you did, and the ones that make me the most emotional every time i watch them. I thank you.

[@lucasleonardofavacho]

Thank you for bringing, this is amazing

[@sleepycowboy18]

For me a terrifying villain would be someone that gives me a lot of mixed emotions, a character that gives me extreme hate, horror, sadness, void, but also pity, a whole set of emotions would be in my favorite best villains of all, and johan is one of them.

[@georgethemonkeydrummer5598]

Personally, I find Johan absolutely terrifying, because out there in the billions of humans living their lives going through the moment, I know that there’s an almost guaranteed chance that someone like Johan is out there and we have no clue who or where he is.

[@phongtranquoc7557]

That's the whole point, anybody can be Johan,... well maybe a part of him as he is all the colors of negativity and we humans can also be those colors and it is our own decision to make whether we succumbed to them or not. It's so scary to think that we could be sitting in the same bus with a psychopath everyday

[@AryanSatasia-sw2dw]

No human can possess the same qualities and charisma like johan does. His iq is above 180 for sure not to mention no one has gone through the shit he went through at kinderheim 511. Also the way he manipulates people do you actually think any human would be capable to do it? He is also emotionally intelligent and easily understands others minds. +He is cold hearted and brutal Yes some people can posses the above qualities like high intelligence, manipulation and charisma but someone doing it like johan is simply impossible

[@georgethemonkeydrummer5598]

@@AryanSatasia-sw2dwyeah I was thinking more like there are for sure people who think and even fewer who think and attempt to do actions like his. But the charisma and his signature manipulation is inhuman, hence why Reichwein compared him to the beast in revelations and when the Library with Schuwald was like the devil in hell’s flames. I think that scene with the library and fire is the most literal moment in the series where one character truly understands what Johan is despite being blind and it’s just a genius set up by Urasawa

[@funnyman8713]

@@georgethemonkeydrummer5598​​⁠I genuinely think Johan decided to plan out his suicide when he saw the book. He probably put a stop to his schemes and decided to end everything with a grand finale after revisiting his past. If he wanted to, he could have been the most powerful man in the country.

[@dimitris1601]

​@@funnyman8713after he saw the book he stopped trying to kill the ppl that remember him and focused on regaining his memories because he realized his life purpose came out of a book , then he changed his mission to taking revenge from bonaparta after hes done that he wants to kill himself so he won't have to kill nina

[@marverak]

Max, this is REALLY good stuff Pretty please keep making more videos 👍

[@iiamarlen]

You know, I when I was watching Monster I had hope I could find a great breakdown video covering everything. And this was that video thank you this was incredible!!!

[@grimnecksnapper3789]

Great video Max. I understand the character even better now.

[@davivignola5895]

I... wow, alright. I just heard about Monster this weekend, and saw this video come up. I'm intrigued and contemplating your analysis of the character, as well as the end of the series. Just... huh.

[@cjwinchester1206]

This is video is just perfect. Thank you for making this.

[@j0ezah]

Was waiting for this one, keep up the good work!

[@DanLuxe]

My friend told me I have to watch this anime! It’s on my list and I’m watching this video very carefully and might stop and get back to it in the future (due to spoilers, we’ll see, just started). Love you man. Keep up the great work! ❤️

[@DanLuxe]

Just finished the show. 💛

[@cabooseocallaghan6229]

I haven't watched Monster yet, but definitely will after this video. Reminds me so much of the Three Fingers and the Flame of Frenzy from Elden Ring, as well as Ivan's beliefs in The Brothers Karamazov.

[@specialknees6798]

I like the elden ring comparison, but I highly disagree with the Ivan one. Ivan isn't a nihilist, at least not in the way Johan is. Ivan is distraught at the amount of needless suffering in the world, because he is a fundamentally good person who realizes that people don't get what they deserve except by coincidence. Johan relishes in this absurdity and wants everything to... burn away so to speak

[@cabooseocallaghan6229]

@@specialknees6798 Well said, I guess I mostly meant his nihilism, since he definitely isn't an evil guy

[@specialknees6798]

@@cabooseocallaghan6229 yeah that’s kinda the problem with the term nihilism honestly. Two characters or people can have the same “diagnosis” of the world yet react very differently to it

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

@@specialknees6798 A weak Evil to just burn everything away... But such is a human desire... In the end, I'm just amused that a fictional character (if they were real, conceptually and not literally) would even think this will lead to anything worth the time. After all... I'm the one who holds Good and Evil in my hands. Such a mortal will need to be better if this is the Evil they claim to have. Upon the death of God, the screams of Angels, the cries of Demons, and the destroyer of worlds... ... ... I am the Nothingness and the Existence. But I digress... So far... Evil has yet to truly incarnate. But I'm not the one to lead that war. Since I contend with omnipotence. ... Granted, the ideology of Evil is rather weak and temporary. So easily erased and undone. Just like this planet. Still, my mortality is unshackled. Even "I" exist when everything is long gone. Nothing in existence is new to me...

[@manwithnoname8229]

@@specialknees6798 would you say it's a problem or rather a explication as two characters can essentially have the same outlook on life yet draw different conclusions, representing the complexity of man and nature.

[@abdullahhasnain4701]

great video dude, i love all the explanation you have put into this video, just love it

[@ThePereiraAlex]

congratulations, great video. a little late to this, but when I saw the notification and what it was about, I would only dare to watch it in a proper moment. its great to see a video that i know and understand all your references. I kept remembering one extra scene that marked me since childhood, in twilight zone, howling man, which is a similar example to your last quote. i just want to give congratulations, because although i understand and think the same of what you said in the video, i don't think i would ever have the narrative and video talent to present it like you did. so congratulations and thank you very much!

[@wiriamurequiem5124]

Especially the scene where he said " It's me, I am the Monster! " and he proceeded to monster'd all over those people. Truly one of the Anime I've ever seen.

[@alliesteele6282]

People who are empty can be filled up with anything. Johan is the epitome of the abyss and is an expert at mirroring and analyzing other people and drawing them into his exterior perfection in order to manipulate them.

[@mickb5854]

Incredible. Thank you for your hard work

[@edindjc8735]

I’ve been WAITING FOR THIS!!

[@SeiichirouUta]

As a German, what made Monster an especially great read, was how Germany and the former GDR were depicted. The clothes, the houses, the way people behave... so well written. Funny thing about Goethe: Every teacher in Germany acts like Goethe is the best and everyone in the world, who doesn't know his works, is an uneducated fool. I did my A levels in German and was so fed up with all that "Goethe, Goethe, Goethe", that I dared to write an exposition during final exams, arguing *against* something he had said. The audacity!!! XD

[@CelestiaLily]

Lmao, it's fascinating hearing which overhyped writer is the "cultural touchstone" of different countries and their school curriculums. Of course British colonization made Shakespeare the prime example, but it's kinda sobering to realize how many different influential writers are never mentioned due to national biases.

[@waseem7195]

Howd it go. Were you penalized for your opinion

[@SeiichirouUta]

@@waseem7195 Absolutely! Was my worst grade, even though I never gotten anything worse than 10 points (would be a B- in USA, I think) before in German. But it was totally worth it. :D

[@ifisawyourreplyiwillanswerback]

You’re right. I watched Monster in Dec,21 and there’s this one scene where Tenma visits a blind old man. The insides of his house were animated so well that it reminded me how Herman Hesse (a German author) described a German house in his book Steppenwolf that I read back in 2018. Very accurate.

[@jkb2494]

Great video as always, Max! Now I highly recommend you to read Homunculus, and if you're still digging the psychology aspect of manga, this a must-read as it will really hook you into a world of storytelling that could only be told in that kind of medium. The title literally comes from " homunculus is a representation of a small human being, originally depicted as small statues made out of clay. Popularized in sixteenth-century alchemy and nineteenth-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human." If you want to peep more great villains, the Jojo's Bizarre Adventures has them ALL. It will be long ride since currently there's 8 parts, but it is one of the greatest series ever in manga and rightly so with its mangaka, Hirohiko Araki, creating a world and aesthetic of his own that has made many characters memorable. It is a also a must-read!

[@pattieharris7897]

Yes, the homunculus is definitely a must but you should also read Carl Jung's work.

[@TearThatRedFlagDown]

Homunculus is great, what about Oyasumi Punpun?

[@NekoEnforcer]

JoJo definitely has some great villains but they are more exaggerated and comical, I wouldn't really put them on the same level as say Johan or Griffith

[@Asphyx12]

​@@NekoEnforcer i agree the context of jojo's villains although awesome it's not so serious like monster

[@radioactivedragonite2420]

reading homunculus right now and its absolutely insane

[@solidsnake9898]

YES! OMG I’VE WAITING SO LONG FOR THIS!!

[@Cugelclever]

I just found this channel. And damn, it is so good. Thanks for the great content.

[@doctorgames101b]

Thanks for sharing the Monster Anime lore and the main antagonist, Johan, of the matter. I never knew there was an anime called Monster. Maybe I was too focus on Bleach and Dragonball when I was younger. lol

[@rezasaputra640]

i'm really enjoyed all 74 episodes, this show is masterpiece, i hope monster get reboot animation in future

[@3esa2003]

why reboot? monster anime is great, doesn't need fancy animaton

[@jonkorpi]

I needed to see this today. Thank you.

[@thea7035]

first you did analysis on silent hill, one of my favorite games, and now you've made a video on monster, my favorite anime!!! i love your videos and how detailed they are and hope you continue to make more in the future!

[@RakanTaijo]

Thank you for the great explanation of Johan's psychology, the story about Faust and Mephistopheles she a great light on it. Another Antagonist I really like is Bondrewd in the anime "Made in abyss". Granted he's not Evil reincarnate, but he has a unique depth and complexity. I suggest you watch the series.

[@damianstarks3338]

Johan is both terrifying and iconic at the same time.

[@seanchan4478]

I'm going to need to watch your soma video, you gave me cold chills when you mentioned an ai devil

[@baldarianagrande]

Really great video! Got me thinking about the ending of this masterpiece again

[@nihilsnake4017]

As someone who’s favorite anime is monster, and someone who is rewatching it for a second time now, Johan has to be the best anime villain ever, at least when it comes to seinen anime. He’s just so... twisted, I can’t even say that’s a good word for him but he’s pure evil. Which is a perfect antagonist for someone like Kenzo Tenma (the legend himself) who is a person who will even save the investigator hunting him down, he always has hope that people can become better, and that there is always good in the world. As I said before, Monster is my favorite anime.

[@erikvaldes4293]

Griffith >

[@nihilsnake4017]

@@erikvaldes4293 cool

[@Johan590]

@@nihilsnake4017 he's not pure evil tho he cares about his sister so there goes ur flawed logic

[@dragoncat5767]

@@Johan590 psychopaths can commit evil, and still care for someone.

[@Johan590]

@@dragoncat5767 no they can't learn what a psychopath is

[@XiaoKyonko]

I remember browsing a few episodes of monster as a preteen and thinking 'im never gonna watch this ew'. This feeling of disgust carried through to my late teens when I suddenly decide to give watching this a shot. I still vividly remember how overwhelmingly mind-blown I was by the plot and the feelings of horror and awe I felt. This anime is truly one of my favorite shows of all time.

[@sravankiran2685]

Found this channel few weeks ago and this is fav content to watch now

[@nuke4duke167]

Whenever I hear any of Monsters OST my hair stands, great video

[@412Shivangi]

at last, someone recognised this anime!! It is so sad that such a masterpiece is never even mentioned in anime discussions.

[@gobi6316]

Excellent work. I think you could make this video even longer. Or make another video about Johan. Especially about his philosophy vs philosophy of Dr Tenma and their relationship. And. When I first watched Monster and saw that Nameless monster I always thought it was familiar. Or, that I saw it before. But I never did. And It was frightening. Does anyone else experience that?

[@maxismakingstuff]

I just finished watching this anime a week or so ago. Great video. Your video made me think of a line from the movie "A Waking Life" which since helped shape how I view identity overall. I've had to pull up the clip to get the line right. "Think about individuality for example, think about who you are. Who you are is mostly a matter of the free choices you make. Or take responsibility, you can only be held responsible, you can only be found guilty or you can only be admired or respected for things you did of your own free will." I think it's interesting that as you point out that Johan as a character and concept was given no name, and his ultimate goal as a consequence was to not only remove his name (already accomplished from birth) but to remove all record and ties of his acts, to a name. A double whammy of identity removal. And without an identity to hold his own he was given free reign to act as irredeemably and heinously as possible, free from concepts of consequence, responsibility, guilt, or admiration to guide his actions. Anyway great video, and loving your channel keep it up! I've become fascinated with alchemy as a result of your content.

[@coreyrachar9694]

oh man a video about monster? what a good series :)

[@kenmojica]

Very engaging psychological anime. Makes you think critically of what choices may affect the future. For the most part you hardly have seen Johan but his presence was felt. The doctor still maintained a sense of justice even going through hell. Very persevering.

[@IBigDickI]

If the word Menace had a name and face, it's Johan Liebert.

[@deeptalks2964]

This video hits very different. Well done.

[@phantomasuras]

Omg this is awesome!

[@brazybenjamin2937]

I finished Monster recently. Took me the whole month of January to finish it and it’s one of those shows you don’t truly appreciate until you after you finish it. I think Monster is super underrated and I think it needs a reboot.

[@3esa2003]

it doesnt need a reboot lmao

[@Mr.Cool_editZ353]

Most reboots ruin the shows. Some questions are better left unanswered

[@alessandrajackson3768]

This anime rocked me to my core. It gave me genuine chills

[@ZampanosCat]

Thanks for posting this, it was really interesting and enlightening. One of my friends compared Johan to my personal favorite villain of all time, Judge Holden from Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. I see some similarities, at least in terms of philosophy and idealism. Both great villains, absolutely loved the show. Anyway, thanks again!

[@isabellecowan2559]

Incredible video!!

[@radioactivedragonite2420]

Great video. I love Monster and manga in general so was pretty excited for this video. Would love you to cover Urusawa's other masterpiece 20th century boys. Although perhaps 20th century boys is more of a storytelling masterpiece than a philosophical one.

[@frog6054]

20th century boys is the best manga I've ever read!

[@demonassassinator5441]

There are also Pluto and Billybat

[@yodoleheehoo90]

I finally finished the series today and NOW I can come back here and watch your video without being spoiled by the plotline and ending XD I can say with certainty that ALL the characters in the series were really fleshed out and connected to each other in some way or another, hell even Roberto as unlikeable as he was had a deep story himself! I love Tenma and the choice he made, but I also want to love Johan in the end because of how he was treated/raised by those who only saw "an experiment" :(

[@EETUTTI]

This channel literally contains everything I am interested in

[@OlTimeyChara]

OH MY GOD I WAS SEARCHING FOR THIS VIDEO

[@nathancann6254]

this is actually soo crazy, i was just thinking of some sort of hypothetical in my mind almost exactly like the story of faucost where some guy sells his soul to a demon to live infinite lifetimes in search of true knowledge… now when i go to yt I see this recommended, im utterly flabbergasted

[@zander8347]

i really loved the anime ,especially the ending is something special and perfect in my opinion

[@MsOriginal2]

I had been waiting for this video since I watched Monster

[@senmonkashonen5875]

Thanks a lot for this video, i watched it when it was released. I came back now because I wanted make a video suggestion for you: can you talk about assassin's creed myth of creation?

[@KINGSTUNAX]

i am shock to see this video because yesterday i discover this anime i was interested to see someone explain this here you who today came to explain like you heard my mind thanks for this video max derrat love you

[@leizero]

I just finished the anime and it reminded me so much of Frankenstein's monster. From not having a name to devoting himself on making one person suffer (or in Johan's case, Tenma and Anna). Great story; highly recommended.

[@waleedirfan5045]

One of the best analysis concerning underrated show Monster

[@cbertstien]

Really good video!