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THE FIRST AWESOME THING: CHARACTERS
Monster gives its characters a level of importance that I've only seen a few anime attempts to achieve. Throughout their excursions in Europe, the gravity of their decisions, the dynamics of their interactions, and the level of depth revealed by each one's backstory and development are all brilliantly controlled and weighted. These individuals are more than merely ideologues or cheap plot devices: they're the beating core of Monster's insane world. As they face deeper facts and foes, their conflicts become more complex; allies range from dubious to evil to redemptive, and beyond, and are frequently as well-developed as Kenzo Tenma, ... the protagonist. Their shared desire to comprehend, face, and defeat the titular "monster" becomes the overarching narrative thrust for which other long-running series would require a significantly more concrete. One of the pleasures of Monster is getting to know and care about its large ensemble of characters; following their journeys, discoveries, and evolution as characters until their unique resolutions provides a sense of satisfaction unrivaled in my anime experience thus far. Monster's characters are never there to just tie up loose ends or advance the plot. They are treated as organic persons by Urasawa, and they become nothing less than that in our eyes: ordinary individuals thrust into a terrible, shattered, and deranged world.

BUILD-UP AWESOME THING 2

Monster, as character-driven as it is, likes to have set-piece moments that throw things on their heads every now and then, especially for the characters involved. However, for such a moment to happen, the characters must be in position; all of the right interactions, loose threads, tension-in-the-air, and bad luck must converge on a single moment, igniting the entire story with emotions, character growth, and narrative development in a single spark. Monster shines most here: not in the grand collision of all previous events, but in the build-up to those moments, with each emerging plot arc adding more and more fuel to the anticipation fires. And there are other story arcs to be discovered! Tenma himself may be non-existent for periods of more than four or five episodes, only to make a cameo in his own show at the end of the story arc, as the show jumps between its large, well-introduced, and developed characters. Connecting the dots between these many plot arcs is a big part of what makes these "set-piece" moments so awesome, and it's also a big part of Monster's unpredictability and brilliant writing. The one drawback to Monster's repeated cycle of lengthy build-up followed by a memorable critical point is that it can feel slow-paced at times, as if it doesn't know where it's headed. It is aware of the situation. By introducing new characters and plot arcs that have little to do with the current arc, it understands exactly what it's doing. Instead of rejecting its quality because it lacks "interesting things happening on right now," think of Monster as the kind of show where re-watching makes every second ten times more relevant than the first viewing, and even more so for the most important moments.

3 + 4 AWESOME THINGS: ATMOSPHERE/AUDIO

Monster's world resembles our own as viewed through a shattered mirror. It has similar names and locations, but it portrays the worst aspects of humanity in topics such as racism, corruption, and betrayal. As the show progresses, Madhouse does an excellent job of making these locations memorable through the use of camera viewpoint and color, as well as expressing as much of the character's thoughts toward them through the show's ambiance alone. This is amplified by the film's great soundtrack, which builds tension and anxiety when it's needed while also freaking you out when certain characters appear onscreen.

IN CONCLUSION
Give it a shot.