Familiar Diversions
I'm a librarian who loves anime, manga, and reading a wide variety of genres.
Currently reading
Naoki Urasawa's Monster (manga, vol. 18) translated by Satoki Yamada
It's almost ridiculous how many characters turn up for the final showdown with Johan. So much happens in this volume, and I'm not sure what to think. I'm a little mad about
(show spoiler)
I'm glad I made it all the way to the end, but it's a little unsatisfying. It's not terribly important, but I'd have liked to learn what Johan and Nina's mom named them. Will Johan ever heal? And who are we supposed to see as the “monster” in this series? For Tenma, for most of the series, it was Johan. Now, though, it seems like Johan's mother is being named as the root of all of it, for naming her children as executors of her vengeance and for choosing between her children when it came time to send one to the recital at the mansion. Johan spent his whole life wondering if Anna/Nina was sent because his mother preferred him, or if she had simply mixed up which child was which (since Johan dressed like his sister) and had intended to send him, the less favored child, instead.
I'm still not sure what to think about this ending, although it's one that will probably stick with me.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
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