Garou writes about his experiences in prison in a journal. He details being scared and feeling stuck in an old black-and-white grainy movie, along with noting how popular kids like beating him up; in addition, Garou is tired of always being the hero and wants his revenge against them.
I Have to Become a Monster Chapter 1 is an outstanding introduction to this series, featuring superb writing and incredible artwork.
Characters
Xiao Qiu is an intriguing protagonist who can transform into an exciting monster form, making him unique among his fellow players. Though somewhat ruthless in his approach to battle, his strength lies in being so good at what he does.
I appreciate how the characters don’t exaggerate their personality traits and that the plot moves quickly forward without needlessly dragging out chapters. The writing and art are top-notch – I also appreciate that this manga lacks any otakuish elements!
Naoki Urasawa created and illustrated this series, published by Shogakukan in Big Comic Original from 1994 to 2001 and later licensed for North American release by Viz Media as an anime television series of 74 episodes by Madhouse that has since been collected into 18 tankobon volumes and rereleased with two-in-one books every month since 2014.
Setting
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Johan and Anna once held similar identities. With Anna no longer remembering and leaving him behind, he is left without anyone to call him by his name, thus labeling himself a monster in his journal entries and screenplays.
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Storyline
I Have to Become a Monster is an epic fantasy manga about an exceptional hunter who quietly guards humanity with strength. Misunderstood by those around him, Xiao Qiu endures an excruciatingly sad life before transforming into an invisible, bloodless, and tearless monster who quietly protects humanity with his strength. Through this captivating manga series, readers will witness whether saving humanity can happen without compromising our society.
The Nameless Monster (Johan Liebert) is a former patient of Dr. Kenzo Tenma, an Italian surgeon living in Germany. He is haunted by memories of his family being slaughtered at the hands of serial killers; when he meets Anna Liebert – another Nameless Monster – it becomes difficult for Johan to distinguish his daughter from Anna Liebert as both seem identical; later he finds himself caught between warring parties between Anna Liebert (orphan) and Fortners (orphanage).
Through the series, it becomes apparent that Johan was born from a genetic experiment conducted by an East German organization and intended to produce perfect soldiers through psychological reprogramming. Unfortunately, however, these experiments ended up having unexpected side effects, such as severe mental issues in those born as survivors; Tenma subsequently feels obliged to punish Johan by ending his life.
Though the series primarily centers around Johan and Tenma’s clash, it also highlights his identity struggles. When he was a child, he experienced abuse from popular children at his school due to his appearance and behavior; this caused him to have a deep-seated hatred of heroes, believing most humans will always want his death.
After meeting Anna, the Nameless Monster also realizes he has human characteristics. He wants to heal his scars by killing those responsible for creating him; he also wishes to wipe away all those who have hurt him, including those responsible for killing his parents or forcing him into becoming a monster. Although initially wanting to kill all humans – not just monsters – the Nameless Monster realizes this may make him lose what makes him human.
Artwork
I Have To Become A Monster Chapter 1’s artwork is stunning and expressive, featuring characters drawn with great attention to detail that come alive during fight scenes. Character design is also excellent, and I Like My Main Character can transform from being laidback into an all-out bloodless monster at will!
This manga is a dark fantasy action comedy series published between December 1994 and December 2001 in Big Comic Original magazine in Japan. All 162 chapters were later collected into 18 tankobon volumes. Written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, it became his breakthrough series that garnered widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.
Manga fans should read it. The story is captivating, and the artwork beautiful; one of the best seinen manga from recent years with solid characters, an intriguing premise, compelling dialogue, lore-rich subplots, and compelling subtexts; however, it is not without some issues, such as an offending scene in particular.
