Most thrillers give you a killer to catch. Monster gives you a doctor who saved the wrong life and 74 episodes of living with it. Here is whether Naoki Urasawa's masterpiece is worth the commitment, and where to watch it.
Quick answer
Monster is one of the best-reviewed anime ever made — SenpaiRanks scores it 8.86, tenth on our all-time board. It is a 74-episode psychological thriller about Dr. Kenzo Tenma, who saves a boy who grows up to be a killer. Streaming is region-dependent and has been patchy over the years; open the card below for the current per-region links rather than trusting a single platform's catalog.
Who made it
Monster is adapted from Naoki Urasawa's manga — the same author behind 20th Century Boys and Pluto — and animated by Madhouse in 2004. It is slow by design: no power-ups, no arcs that reset, just a manhunt across post-Cold-War Europe that keeps widening until it becomes a question about whether some people should exist at all.
Is it good?
Per SenpaiRanks, Monster holds 8.86 on both its Consensus and Quality axes — the mark of a show that is both widely respected and holds up completely on rewatch. That combination is rare for a 74-episode series; most long shows sag somewhere. Monster doesn't. It sits tenth on our all-time ranking, in the company of Steins;Gate and Code Geass.
If you like it for the tension and the moral weight, the same board points you at the best psychological anime and the best seinen anime, where Monster also ranks near the top.
What you're getting into
74 episodes is a real ask, so set expectations: Monster is a burn, not a binge. The reward is a cast where even one-episode side characters get a full interior life, and an antagonist — Johan — who is genuinely unsettling because the show never explains him away. There is no fan service to skip and no filler to fast-forward. Open the Monster page for the full score breakdown and to rate it once you've finished.
The call
Monster is the answer to "is there a serious, adult anime that holds up?" The dual-axis score says yes, twice over. Rate it on its page and you move it on the live board. See where it lands against the whole canon on the SenpaiRanks all-time list, or browse the full board.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Monster anime good?
A: Yes. SenpaiRanks scores Monster 8.86, tenth on our all-time board — one of the most acclaimed psychological thrillers in anime.
Q: How many episodes is Monster?
A: 74 episodes, adapting Naoki Urasawa's manga in full. It is a slow-burn thriller designed to be watched steadily rather than binged.
Q: Where can I watch Monster?
A: Availability is region-dependent and has changed over the years. Open Monster's SenpaiRanks page for the current per-region streaming links.
Q: Is Monster worth watching in 2026?
A: Yes. Its 8.86 score reflects a series that holds up completely on rewatch, which is why it still ranks tenth all-time on our board.
Q: Can I change Monster's ranking?
A: Yes. Rating Monster on its page feeds the live aggregate, so your vote shifts where it sits.