I kid you not, as I was following this show during the fall season, I found myself acting in this more “unemotional or robotic” way. I didn’t really talk to people, I only ate and slept for energy, and I even recognized all of the unnecessary and disgusting things some of my friends do. Upon finishing my simulcasts as of late, I noticed what was manipulating me – possibly one of the most influential anime I’ve seen to date – Parasyte -the maxim-.
They called themselves alien beings, but we know them better as Parasites . . .
Izumi Shinichi is a lanky and awkward 17-year-old high school boy who lives peacefully with his mom and dad. One night, tiny aliens silently rained from the sky, burrowing themselves into humans and taking over their brains. As one of the worms tries to crawl into Shinichi’s ear, the headphones he wore while sleeping blocked the entrance. It tries to drill itself into his right hand, but Shinichi rips off the ear buds and ties them around his arm, preventing the bug from entering his brain.
Forced to coexist with “Migi,” the two form a close bond (literally!). And while the separately conscious pair stumble into other Parasites on the streets, the two form strategies and acquire new skills to ensure their survival.
Though I don’t care much for this survival of the fittest concept, Parasyte at the very least deserves the award for one of the most well-paced anime I’ve ever seen – and it keeps this effort up until about episode 18/24, after which it dramatically slows down to introduce the core villain, but picks back up again in the last couple episodes for a satisfying conclusion. The only con to this ending is the still-unknown origin of the Parasites, but hey, I really didn’t care about that by the end.
So an impressively-paced anime must include some interesting characters, right? Absolutely, and Izumi Shinichi’s dynamic yet gradual change from absolute human to slightly less than machine couldn’t have been more fleshed out than this! The struggles, externally and internally, of what it truly means to be “human” that Shinichi overcome are seriously scary – Do you think you could kill another (or several) human(s), one bearing a child at that? Sure, his foes are technically Parasites, but it’s damned hard to tell in some cases! Great developing character; an ideal lead for the “did nothing wrong” trope.
Representing the cold, harsh truth is Migi, Shinichi’s newly named right hand after the Parasite took over it. Because he is attached to his body, he receives nutrients from the food Shinichi eats, meaning that he has no need to kill humans for food. He doesn’t understand humans. The rational Migi values his own life over all others, threating to kill anyone whom Shinichi leaks the news to. As the series progresses, however, Migi slowly reveals a human side, and as it happens, Shinichi is absorbed more into the monstrous nature; the Parasite lifestyle. It’s a brilliant concept that is executed without flaw.
Shinichi and Migi deserve another round of applause for their superb voice actor and actress, Nobunaga Shimazaki and Aya Hirano, respectively. Shinichi’s confusion, transformation, and choking on blood sounds convincingly realistic, and Migi’s emotionless yet matter-of-fact speech is one of this show’s charms. Migi is so gosh darn cute – especially when he/it detaches from the arm and waddles around :3
The only other interest is Tamura Reiko, Shinichi’s substitute math teacher who is actually a Parasite. I won’t spoil the crimes that she commits, but she almost outdoes Shinichi in the transforming humanism aspect. She is a key character because, though she does kill to survive, Tamura is among the few that question their own origin by “experimenting” on other Parasites and humans. Let’s just say that when she’s taken out of the picture, the story as a whole loses some drive and fundamental curiosity.
Shinichi’s friend/love interest Satomi Murano is an annoying piece of sh*t.
If you enjoy more realistic animation, then you’ll enjoy what Madhouse has to offer. With the exception of the “anime eyes,” everything is pretty proportional. To me, the flesh-colored tones and dull colors are boring, but despite that the animation is indeed solid. The UNSENCORED BLOODY Parasite fights nice; intense and fluid in motion, using bright colors during quick and deadly execution. In contrast, emotional or romantic scenes feature cool/rich colors to mellow out the mood and add a sense of hearth.
And while Migi had some personality, all of the other Parasites were just the same monster; variety is not prominent in this anime.
I am torn when it comes to the OST. Parasyte is infamous for its use of dubstep BGM, even though there are killer monstrosities on the run. That, I can understand, makes for some lackluster encounters. On the other hand, there’s a music box-sounding track that plays during parts where you’re like, “Oh man, something really bad is going to happen any minute now.” The soundtrack is very enjoyable when it plays the right song, but otherwise it can draw away from the mood.
The first part of the strong opening (verse) “Let Me Hear” by fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas is really freakin’ cool, however, from the chorus and on the opening is just a screamo song. My thoughts aside, it fit the show quite well. The ending, “IT’S THE RIGHT TIME” by Daichi Miura beautifully wraps up each episode with melancholy and a longing to just go home. Though I absolutely love the song, it doesn’t fit well when some episodes end on the world’s largest cliffhanger. 😀
Parasyte -the maxim- succeeds at appealing to all levels of relationship: maternal, paternal, friendship, mutuality, comradery, and by distant acquaintance. Its address on the qualities of humanity attacks your very soul, challenging and questioning you as to what it truly means to be “human.” This anime does lack notable supporting and antagonistic roles, but it’s nevertheless an exciting story of power struggle. Because of its uncensored, slasher gore, the horror that is Parasyte is not for young or soft viewers. But for those who can handle the gripping thrill ride, do yourself a favor and check it out!
“I might be about to commit an irredeemable sin as a human being, but can I say that an organism has no right to live just because it’s harmful? Even if it is not beneficial to humans, to Earth, it may actually be . . .” – Izumi Shinichi
Parasyte -the maxim- has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks, so we can expect an English dub soon, fingers crossed – this is Sentai, after all. For legal streaming, the whole series is out there on Crunchyroll for FREE! Did you like this anime? Feel free to like and comment! Until next time, this has been
-Takuto, your host
Takuto's Anime Cafe 