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"Mature Content!" |
| “ | When you’re in the darkness, you only sink deeper into it. Keep the light shining. | „ |
| ~ Dr. Kenzo Tenma |
Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the main protagonist of Naoki Urasawa's manga and anime series Monster.
Kenzo Tenma is a physician and former vigilante. Born in Japan, he was a physician like his father; however, due to not wanting to be forced to take his father's hospital instead of his brother, he used one of Udo Heinemann's papers as an opportunity to leave to Germany and distance himself from parental favoritism situations.
He was voiced by Hidenobu Kichui in Japanese version and Liam O'Brien in English version.
What Makes Him Pure Good?[]
- As a child, he stood up against a teacher that was threatening to hit a fellow student with a coal heater as a punishment for playing with it.
- He is always humble in regard to his achievements.
- He has saved many patients with his vast medical knowledge.
- After the widow of a Turkish patient rebukes him for not being there to save her now-dead husband and realizing Director Udo Heinemann's deliberate agenda in letting patients die according to convenience, he rebelled against his boss and saved Johan Liebert, whom Tenma thought was simply an innocent child.
- He tries to comfort Eva at her father's funeral, despite the rift between them.
- He saved Adolf Junkers' life and nearly succeeded in redeeming him before his untimely death, despite the fact that Junkers participated in the murder of multiple innocent foster parents.
- When Johan revealed himself to Tenma and coldly executed Junkers (who was working for Johan all along) right in front of him, Tenma went out of his way to stop him, and was not swayed by Johan's attempts at corruption.
- Despite Tenma's rightful anger towards Director Heinemann, he was horrified by his and two other corrupt doctors' poisonings at the hands of Johan, showing that he would never truly wish malice upon anyone—even those who have wronged him.
- He saved the life of an old woman named Petra, who in turn prevented her son Heinz from arresting him despite being wrongfully accused as a serial killer.
- During his marksmanship training, he guided his instructor Hugo's daughter to save a bird, and strengthened the bond between her and Hugo Bernhardt.
- He saved Nina Fortner from being kidnapped during the murder of her foster parents and a journalist who was helping Tenma investigate them.
- Despite the journalist's unpleasant personality, Tenma was devastated when he found his dead body in the Fortners' home. He accomodate one of his cigarrettes in his mouth.
- He saved a Turkish district from neo-Nazis, and took care of the people that were injured by the fires set in the district.
- He rescued Dieter from Hartmann, his abusive foster father who was attempting to use Kinderheim 511's methods on him to create another Johan. He also gave Dieter hope and encouraged him to leave Hartmann after he kidnapped him again.
- He also indirectly got Hartmann arrested.
- He saved as many people as he could from the fire that Johan started in the Munich University Library.
- Although he shot Roberto, Johan's right-hand man, in the shoulder during said fire, he did so purely out of self-defense and was burdened with guilt when he thought he had killed him. Tenma could not muster the will to shoot Johan himself during their encounter in the inferno, even as Johan encouraged him to; even Nina shot first (and missed).
- He and Grimmer saved Miloš, an orphan boy, from committing suicide as a result of the torment and trauma Johan inflicted on him.
- Despite no longer wishing to associate with Eva Heinemann given their history, he saved her from Roberto.
- He saved his former teacher Julius Reichwein from Roberto.
- He attempted to save Martin Reest's life and was saddened when he failed to. He also informed Eva about his death and reconciled with her.
- He saved Nina Fortner from a suicide attempt induced by Johan's mind breaking.
- Despite being framed and psychologically tortured by Johan, the titular monster who ruined countless lives (nearly including that of Tenma and his own sister Nina) and whom he had every reason to kill, Tenma never once attacked Johan and instead ultimately saved his life again, in this case foiling his plans, while indirectly exposing his crimes—an act that cemented Tenma as incorruptible, and his equal value of all life as unshakeable.
- He forgives Johan for what he put him through and visits him in the hospital, assuring him that his mother is alive and loves him, and that he has a name. When Johan tells him about his mother being forced to choose which child she loved more, Tenma actually appears to sympathize with him despite everything.
- After being cleared, he joined Doctors Without Borders.
Trivia[]
- While his outburst that he wishes Director Heinemann and his complicit doctors to be dead may look corrupting, it's clear he did not say this out of genuine malice, but moral outrage at their corrupt nature and disregard for life. Also, when Tenma learns that he's been promoted in the wake of their deaths, his reaction of hysterical laughter may imply that he was secretly glad about it, but it's also possible that he was relieved that his career had been saved and he would be able to save more lives. Even if he did think he gained something from their deaths as Johan insists when they meet again, he abandons his career to search for Johan shortly after learning the truth, negating any possible gain from the murders.
- His Pure Good status is highlighted shown through how much he goes through which often cause villain arcs in many other forms of media yet he still upholds his righteous status and confirms his status through his sparing of Johan. He rejects the villain arc the show was suggesting he could go on and doesn’t even kill anyone in the story.
External Links[]
- Kenzo Tenma on the Heroes Wiki
- Kenzo Tenma on the Monster Wiki
- Kenzo Tenma on the Love Exalted Wiki
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| Naoki Urasawa Pure Goods | ||
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Kenzo Tenma | Nina Fortner | Dieter | Rudy Gillen  | ||