A neurosurgeon living in Dusseldorf, Dr. Kenzou Tenma, is pushed to swap patients last minute between a poor man and a famous performer. Despite applause for an innovatie surgical technique from fellow hospital doctors, Tenma’s faith in the ethics of practice of medical science is shaken. Later, he must make a similar choice, but his resolve in saving the life of the young Johan Liebert instead of the town mayor will continue to haunt him for the rest of his life.

With the popularity spike in popularity of Naoki Urasawa due to the release of the well-received Netflix Pluto adaptation, what a more perfect time to reflect on a slightly older Urasawa project. The story of Monster is split between German cities and Czechia (the former Czechoslovakia, mostly Prague). Those German cities include Dusseldorf, Cologne, Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden, Hanover, and Kaufbeuren. It is immensely clear how much effort Urasawa put into telling an authentically German-feeling setting.

This map would be impossible without referring to the remarkable work of bloggers Erich Springer and Fujioko Junrei Nikki (藤横巡礼日記).