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hooliganj · 2004-12-27, 13:44

Spoiler tags for the first page seems to be a good idea. If anyone reads past that anyway, then they just aren't going to get the hint.

Spoiler:

1) What did the mother of Nina and Johan mean when she said "Who is the real monster?"

I think you have it pretty much covered, although I would add that in her mind it is undoubtably herself that she blames for everything.

As for why she would give over Nina instead of Johan, she talks about how hard it was to choose, but she was from an old-fashioned European family, which heavily favored male over female decendants. I figure she chose to keep Johan because, all else being equal, it's better to have a son than a daughter. (This opinion is not endorsed by the author of this post, merely an expression of classic western culture at work.)

2) Why did Johan leave/escape from the hospital?

Really, Urasawa doesn't even give us a clue on this one. There is absolutely no indication of why Johan dissappeared or what he will do next. The only definite thing is that Tenma's involvement has come to an end, and with it the story. This completely open ending regarding Johan is the primary reason I think there will be more than a few upset people when the anime finally ends.

3) Is it necessary to have names?

Names are important. Romeo may have said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but he was upset and in love at the time. A name is a big part of your personal identity, and helps in distinguishing the world between "I" and "not I". It also gives you a connection to other people, not only to those who share your name, but more importantly to those who gave you that name.

Nina, I think, had the benefit of starting over with the Fortners, and becoming attached to the name they gave her, but Johan went through a lot of names, letting the successive parents decide when he was younger, and inventing his own when he grew up. He has dual reasons to become attached to 'Johan', the first being the "Nameless Monster" storybook from his earliest memories (though false they may have been), but I think he cherishes the connection it gives him with Dr. Tenma more. All the way to the end, he has a twisted view of Tenma as the father figure he never had, and so he begins to use the name Tenma calls him by more often.

Tenma eventually learns what the twins' mother named them, but the audience is left out of the secret. I do kind of wish that I knew, but it isn't really important. All we really need to know is that their mother did think of them, and had names for them, even if she was never allowed to tell them to anyone. Which leads me to believe that there either was no monster at all, or that everyone involved had a bit of it, and the true monster only emerges when everyone lets it happen.

...and that would be a few of my thoughts on the ending.

2004-12-27, 13:44	Link #41
hooliganj Team Player Join Date: Apr 2004	Spoiler tags for the first page seems to be a good idea. If anyone reads past that anyway, then they just aren't going to get the hint. Spoiler: 1) What did the mother of Nina and Johan mean when she said "Who is the real monster?" I think you have it pretty much covered, although I would add that in her mind it is undoubtably herself that she blames for everything. As for why she would give over Nina instead of Johan, she talks about how hard it was to choose, but she was from an old-fashioned European family, which heavily favored male over female decendants. I figure she chose to keep Johan because, all else being equal, it's better to have a son than a daughter. (This opinion is not endorsed by the author of this post, merely an expression of classic western culture at work.) 2) Why did Johan leave/escape from the hospital? Really, Urasawa doesn't even give us a clue on this one. There is absolutely no indication of why Johan dissappeared or what he will do next. The only definite thing is that Tenma's involvement has come to an end, and with it the story. This completely open ending regarding Johan is the primary reason I think there will be more than a few upset people when the anime finally ends. 3) Is it necessary to have names? Names are important. Romeo may have said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but he was upset and in love at the time. A name is a big part of your personal identity, and helps in distinguishing the world between "I" and "not I". It also gives you a connection to other people, not only to those who share your name, but more importantly to those who gave you that name. Nina, I think, had the benefit of starting over with the Fortners, and becoming attached to the name they gave her, but Johan went through a lot of names, letting the successive parents decide when he was younger, and inventing his own when he grew up. He has dual reasons to become attached to 'Johan', the first being the "Nameless Monster" storybook from his earliest memories (though false they may have been), but I think he cherishes the connection it gives him with Dr. Tenma more. All the way to the end, he has a twisted view of Tenma as the father figure he never had, and so he begins to use the name Tenma calls him by more often. Tenma eventually learns what the twins' mother named them, but the audience is left out of the secret. I do kind of wish that I knew, but it isn't really important. All we really need to know is that their mother did think of them, and had names for them, even if she was never allowed to tell them to anyone. Which leads me to believe that there either was no monster at all, or that everyone involved had a bit of it, and the true monster only emerges when everyone lets it happen. ...and that would be a few of my thoughts on the ending.