I'm a pretty big fan of Monster, I really like it. I don't think its flawless, I gave it an 8 on MyAnimeList, which is very good.
But yeah, the conclusion, while I like it, is very much "horror movie cliffhanger" ish, and I'm used to that and don't mind that. Kind of like the Twin Peaks ending, not that the endings are at similar, just in that they give me that vibe.
But yeah, they could've done more and gone more places with the main conflict, considering the length.
Glad you can see where I'm coming from. Since you seem to have experience with anime, do you feel I'm off-base for preferring the resolution of Death Note? Both are hybrid detective / psychological thriller stories, but where Monster is driven by the hazy, nihilistic motives of Johan, DN's characters all have understandable motivations with clear impacts and consequences. I know people despise all things Near, but the anime did a much better job than the manga at making him less omniscient. And speaking of things the anime did better, it actually left the "winner" of the story up to the viewer, which was nice!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBpfwpOPXNc&NR=1&feature=fvwp
I watch Planet Chasers Starlight Excellent all day, every day.