Kenzo Tenma is a rising star in a West Germany hospital in 1986. This talented Japanese surgeon has left his homeland to make his own way in the world. His talents are quickly noticed as he becomes the Head-of-Surgery and becomes engaged to the Hospital Director's daughter. It seems everything is going right for Dr. Tenma, until he gets fed up with hospital politics and decides that his first priority is to his patients and not to how much money his research can bring in.
Not only does Volume 1 introduce the various major characters of this series, but it shows how Kenzo's ethics cause him to disobey his director's orders and operate on a small boy instead of a wealthy mayor. Fast forward to today and a series of mysterious deaths seem to somehow be linked to that eventful day. Could something Kenzo did all those years ago be coming back to haunt him? As the prime suspect in a murder investigation, Kenzo soon finds out who is really causing all the murders, but when he tries to tell the police, he is seen in an even worse light.
This book does a great job of setting up what promises to be a very suspenseful and fulfilling story concerning moral dilemmas and wonderfully-twisted characters. It is easy to see already why this series boasts awards like the 1997 Media Arts Festival Award for Excellence, the 1999 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Award and the 2001 Shogakukan Award for Best Manga.
Check back for reviews of future volumes of Monster!
