《MONSTER》（モンスター）是日本漫畫家浦澤直樹的經典懸疑驚悚作品，自1994年於《Big Comic Original》開始連載，至2001年完結，全18卷，總銷售量超過2000萬本。後來更改編成電視動畫，並成為浦澤最具代表性的作品之一。這部漫畫以寫實的筆觸和深沉的倫理探討，結合懸疑推理、心理驚悚與人性掙扎，帶給讀者極大的震撼。

故事背景發生在冷戰後的德國，在1986年的西德杜塞道夫‧艾斯勒紀念醫院，天馬賢三醫師是一位才華洋溢、前途無量的腦外科醫生，並與院長的獨生女艾娃有婚約，是眾人看好的未來院長接班人。他原本遵循醫院院長的指示，應優先為地位顯赫者進行手術，但某一天，他違背醫院高層的命令，堅持依照醫師的良知，將手術的優先權給一名生命垂危的小男孩約翰。這個決定拯救孩子，但也讓他的人生徹底改變。這名被救活的男孩名叫約翰，表面上只是普通的孩子，然而多年後卻逐漸顯露出駭人聽聞的真相——他是一名冷血的連環殺手。

天馬因一次看似正確的人道主義抉擇，意外釋放象徵「怪物」的存在。當年選擇的對象竟成為毀滅與殺戮的源頭，這樣的道德困境與懸疑矛盾貫穿全作。漫畫以天馬醫師為主軸，展開一場追尋真相的旅程。他在揭露約翰身世與過去的過程中，必須不斷面對自我良心的拷問：作為醫生拯救生命是職責，但當所救之人成為惡的化身時，是否仍應承擔責任？而「生命是否真的具有平等價值」這一命題，也在故事裡被反覆審視。

劇情發展中，讀者跟隨天馬的腳步，進入德國與東歐的陰影角落，逐步揭開約翰的黑暗背景，牽扯到孤兒院的秘密、冷戰時期的人性實驗與心理操控，形成一幅龐大且錯綜複雜的驚悚網絡。故事中除連環謀殺與政治陰謀，也深刻描寫各種人物的心理掙扎，例如天馬在正義與悔罪之間的痛苦，還有其他配角面對恐懼與選擇時的反應。浦澤直樹以極具張力的分鏡與敘事方式，讓每一段對話與場景都充滿壓迫感，使讀者時刻感受到懸疑氛圍與潛藏的威脅。

在市場評價方面，這個作品被視為日本漫畫史上極具影響力的經典之一，不僅在日本大受好評，也在歐美市場獲得廣泛認可。它以「犯罪心理與人性黑暗面」為主題，突破傳統少年漫畫的類型框架，成為成人向懸疑漫畫的代表作。評論界普遍認為，劇情不僅僅是懸疑推理，更是一部探討倫理、自由意志與善惡邊界的哲學作品。漫畫曾獲得手塚治虫文化獎、講談社漫畫賞等多項大獎，並多次被提及為「最值得改編的真人影視作品」之一。

總體來看，《MONSTER》不僅是懸疑驚悚故事，更是一場關於人性、道德與命運的深刻辯證。它迫使讀者思考：人類是否能真正逃脫內心的黑暗？而所謂的「怪物」，究竟是天生存在，還是被社會與環境塑造而成？這樣的核心哲思，使其在漫畫史上留下不可磨滅的地位。

Monster (モンスター) is a classic suspense-thriller manga by Japanese artist Naoki Urasawa. It was serialized in Big Comic Original from 1994 until its conclusion in 2001, spanning a total of 18 volumes with over 20 million copies sold worldwide. The work was later adapted into a television anime and is regarded as one of Urasawa’s most representative creations. With its realistic art style and profound ethical themes, the series blends mystery, psychological thriller, and human drama, leaving readers deeply shaken.

The story is set in post–Cold War Germany. In 1986, at the Eisler Memorial Hospital in Düsseldorf, West Germany, Dr. Kenzo Tenma is a brilliant young neurosurgeon with a promising future. Engaged to Eva, the daughter of the hospital director, he is widely seen as the heir apparent to the hospital leadership. Following the director’s orders, Tenma is expected to prioritize operations for influential figures. However, one day he defies hospital authority and follows his conscience as a doctor, choosing instead to operate on a gravely injured young boy named Johan. This decision saves the child’s life, but it also alters Tenma’s destiny forever. The boy, who seemed ordinary at first, later reveals a horrifying truth—he grows up to become a cold-blooded serial killer.

Tenma’s seemingly righteous, humanitarian choice inadvertently unleashes the existence of the “monster.” The life he once saved turns into the very source of destruction and death. This moral paradox forms the heart of the narrative. The manga follows Tenma as he sets out on a journey to uncover the truth behind Johan’s past and identity. Along the way, he is constantly tormented by questions of conscience: as a doctor, it is his duty to save lives—but when the life he saved becomes an embodiment of evil, does he still bear responsibility? The story repeatedly interrogates the question of whether all human lives truly hold equal value.

As the plot unfolds, readers follow Tenma through the shadowy corners of Germany and Eastern Europe, gradually uncovering Johan’s dark origins. The mystery leads to orphanages, secret experiments from the Cold War era, and manipulative psychological conditioning, weaving together a vast and chilling web of intrigue. Beyond serial murders and political conspiracies, the narrative delves deeply into the psychological struggles of its characters. Tenma wrestles with guilt and justice, while supporting characters confront their own fears and choices. Urasawa’s masterful paneling and storytelling imbue every conversation and scene with palpable tension, enveloping the reader in a constant sense of dread and suspense.

Critically and commercially, Monster is recognized as one of the most influential works in manga history. It was not only a major success in Japan but also widely acclaimed in Europe and North America. By focusing on themes of criminal psychology and the darkness within human nature, it transcended the boundaries of traditional shōnen manga, establishing itself as a landmark work of adult-oriented suspense. Critics have praised it not merely as a mystery thriller, but as a philosophical exploration of ethics, free will, and the blurry boundaries between good and evil. The series has won multiple prestigious awards, including the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the Kodansha Manga Award, and has often been cited as one of the manga most deserving of live-action adaptation.

Ultimately, Monster is more than just a suspense thriller—it is a profound meditation on humanity, morality, and fate. It compels readers to confront unsettling questions: can humans ever truly escape the darkness within? Is a “monster” something innate, or is it created by the society and environment that shape us? These core philosophical reflections have secured Monster an indelible place in the history of manga.