In the 2023 film *Monster*, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, the portrayal of death is both a central plot mystery and a subject of significant thematic ambiguity.
### 1. The Grandchild of Principal Makiko Fushimi (Confirmed Death)
The most concrete death driving the plot occurs before the film's main events.
* **The Victim:** The young grandchild of the school’s principal, Makiko Fushimi.
* **How they died:** The child was accidentally run over by a car in a parking lot.
* **Specific Detail:** The "official" story is that the principal’s husband was driving the car and was subsequently imprisoned for the accident. However, a persistent and darker rumor throughout the film suggests that **Principal Fushimi herself was actually behind the wheel**, and her husband took the blame to protect her career and the school’s reputation. This tragedy explains the principal’s hollow, robotic demeanor and her willingness to suppress the truth to maintain "order" at the school.
### 2. Minato Mugino and Yori Hoshikawa (Ambiguous/Debated Deaths)
The film’s climax takes place during a violent typhoon and mudslide. Whether the two protagonists, Minato and Yori, die is the most discussed aspect of the film.
* **How they "met their end" (Interpreted Death):** During the typhoon, the boys take shelter in an abandoned, overturned train car (the "Ginga" railcar) in the woods. A massive mudslide occurs, burying the train car while they are inside. When Minato's mother and Mr. Hori find the train, they frantically wipe mud off the windows but find the interior empty/inaccessible.
* **The Final Scene:** The film ends with the boys emerging from a crawl space beneath the railcar into a world that is suddenly sun-drenched and vibrant. They run through a field and find that the metal gate blocking the train tracks has disappeared.
* **Conflicting Interpretations:**
* **The "Afterlife" Theory:** Many viewers interpret this ending as a transition to heaven or reincarnation. The "heavenly" light, the disappearance of physical barriers (the gate), and the fact that they are "reborn" (a recurring theme they discussed) suggest they perished in the mudslide.
* **The "Survival" Theory:** Director Hirokazu Kore-eda and the screenwriter have stated in interviews that they **intended for the boys to survive**. The director noted that the final scene represents the boys "coming into their own" and finding freedom from societal constraints. The crawl space they use to escape is shown earlier in the film, providing a logical physical explanation for their survival.
### 3. Minato’s Father (Past Death)
* **The Victim:** Minato's father.
* **How he died:** He died of unspecified causes before the film begins.
* **Specific Detail:** His death is a major psychological burden for Minato. Minato frequently talks to his father’s photo and struggles with the fear that he is not the "normal" son his father would have wanted, particularly as he grapples with his feelings for Yori.
### 4. Other Notable Near-Deaths/Rumors
* **Mr. Hori (The Teacher):** Faced with the loss of his job, his reputation, and his girlfriend due to false allegations of bullying, Mr. Hori climbs to the roof of the school with the intent to **die by suicide**. He is stopped only when he hears the sound of a horn (later revealed to be Minato and the Principal blowing into brass instruments), which pulls him back from the edge.
* **The Hostess Bar Fire:** The film opens with a massive fire at a building containing a hostess club. While the fire is a major visual motif and symbolic of the chaos in the characters' lives, the film explicitly mentions that **no casualties were reported** in the blaze. It is later revealed that Yori started the fire in an attempt to "burn away" his father's perceived sins.