They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They have a hunger for human flesh.
They are everywhere. They are parasites, alien creatures who must invade–and take control of–a human
host to survive. And once they have infected their victims, they can assume any deadly form they
choose: monsters with giant teeth, winged demons, creatures with blades for hands. But most have
chosen to conceal their lethal purpose behind ordinary human faces. So no one knows their
secret–except an ordinary high school student. Shin is battling for control of his own body against an
alien parasite, but can he find a way to warn humanity of the horrors to come?
(Source: Del Rey)
Parasyte: The Maxim(the anime) review essay Want to start with that this anime is hard to explain in sections unlike other anime because everything flows together so I will do my best. —Plot/setting— -Non-Spoiler Section •The show is only 24 episodes yet nothing felt rushed, the sequence of events line up exactly how it feels it should. •The show never feels slow, so much intense sections, action set sections, drama, and sections that make your heart bleed. •Basically the pacing of the show is really nice. •The Story is told amazing well, this is genuinely one of the best stories of of a show, not just anime, but a tv show I have ever watched. Shinichi’s and Migi’s story arc were bitter at times and sweet at other times. •It has aspects of slice of life(which I’m usually not a fan of) but it plays it off so well while still having a consistent story line. •The show consist of mainly good characters such as Shinichi, Migi, Ryoko, Murano, Kuramori, Goto, Detective Hirama, and the serial killer. -Spoiler section •Hard to talk about spoilers because it’s going to be mainly in The characters section. •The massacre of the people that was caused my by the inspector director and his men from the police department/agency really showed that the humans can be just as cruel as the parasites without a shed of sympathy due to panic rather than hunger. The message was loud and it was heard. •Goto is a beast whenever he is showed in action, like the Yakuza bit, the fight with Shinichi etc. •The mayor being Human was a real twist and impactful. •The serial killer was a good character and showed how evil humans can be. • —Philosophy — •The whole premiss of the show is what does it mean to be human and goes deep into that thought using fear, love, relationships through friendships, parenthood, significant other, etc. •Also shows grief through death and life, as well as enlightenment through death and life. •Also expresses the differences between animals and humans the boundaries of thought and emotions. •I’m keeping this section short because this section alone along with the others I could spend days explaining, it does that deep. —Characters— -Shinichi and Migi’s duo interactions •The two reflect off of each other negative and positive, one point Shinichi starts talking, thinking, and acting like Migi with human traits and vice versus with Migi but with like Shinichi and with parasite traits. •These two start as enemies that have to work together to survive/co-exist into friends and trusted allies. •Their bond is heartfelt and feels natural and realistic, like Shinichi calming him down during a fight before he completely changed it was to keep himself alive but after he completely change he did it to support Shinichi. •Shinichi even explain to Kuramori that Shinichi went through so much and he’s only 17 years old. -Shinichi’s character development •This falls under Shinichi’s and Migi’s character interaction section. •Of course Shinichi starts changing when Migi enters his hand fails to reach Shinichi’s brain, but he drastically changes when his mother turns into a Parasyte/dies in the process of course and stabs Shinichi in the heart and when he kills her after Migi heals him, also his father ends up in the hospital. •After 30% of Migi enters the heart wound of Shinichi, he physically gets stronger, he can run fast as 40mph, jump up to 30-40meters, he has insane amount of endurance and stamina, his sense became stronger as well. He can heat up to 4 blocks to even people talking, he can hear Murano’s heartbeat when she was walking next to him, he can smell very well although they don’t portray this aspect as much in the show compared to his other senses, his taste and touch aren’t even portray only implied, he can see pretty well as well, he can see the blades of the parasites move which were fast enough to cut bullets. His mentality and personality also changed, he lost all phobias, he can calm himself in matter of seconds even when he has panic attacks, he can maintain his composures 99% of the time even when people get mutilated around him, he didn’t lose his sympathy but he became way colder as a person, he tries to save people but when they die he doesn’t cry, he cares but he can’t seem to express it which causes him concern that he’s no longer human. He blurts out comments like “That fucking bitch!!” Or “I will kill you, you piece of shit!” When he’s angry which he never did before his mother died, he also would say shit calmly like “Don’t fight me, wont go like before” very calmly unlike before when he would nervously plead not to rely on violence. •Shinichi gains PTSD, and they express this very realistically and not edgy and anime-like how cough Tokyo Ghoul cough did. •Shinichi is finally able to cry in episode 20 when Ryoko(a very intelligent parasite) dies and hands him his baby before talking about how she changed and started to use human emotions which Shinichi wasn’t able to cry until now and Murano was there to see it after always questioning the Shinichi she knew was gone and how he changed and her seeing him cry she knew he was back. Beforehand Shinichi couldn’t cry that the fact his mom died, that Kana died, and his friend died. Even afterwards he always had a calm constant emotion. •At first he hated the parasites but eventually he recognize them as beings that are similar to humans and killed only for food, he obtained sympathy for them, he event thought he was not much different from them before he had that whole understanding with parasites. •Shinichi went through so much obstacles that would break any human in reality but he went through these and got stronger, but he also became more understanding with death, life, parasites, animals, humans, and the environment through his journey and grew as an individual in general. -Migi’s character development •Migi was very intelligent almost from the very start since he doesn’t most of his time reading books and looking up information in the internet in his free time(when Shinichi was sleeping). •Migi started out as an emotionless being that would do anything to keep himself alive without hesitation to a being that called Shinichi is friend and was scared of dying alone, and couldn’t even kill his own race. This change was visible throughout the show despite how slow it went unlike Shinichi’s(fast change). Shinichi’s change wasn’t rush even though it was fast. •Also anytime I call Migi “he” I just make it simple but technically he’s neither since he doesn’t have male sexual organs nor female because she never reached Shinichi’s brain. •Migi also went through a journey with Shinichi and grew as an individual. •When Migi decided to go into deep sleep so Shinichi could live his life despite Shinichi didn’t want him to and wanted Shinichi to forget him(Shinichi didn’t), showed how much he grew, and saving Murano despite it didn’t affect Migi’s existence was truly amazing character development. -Murano •Murano is a reminder to Shinichi that he’s human and that he’s vulnerable whenever Shinichi went through that drastic change, she’s also a reminder that he had someone that cares for and someone to look after. Murano is his support and helps him through the toughest decisions and vice versa for Murano, Shinichi saves her multiple times and takes care of her. They are a package how Shinichi and Migi are a package just in a different tone. •Murano’s and Shinichi’s romance is beautiful and natural, the ways they were feeling through tough times felt realistic, they lacked communication by default but Murano started understanding to an extent that was implied. •This character is important for Shinichi to cope for the shit he’s been through, she makes Shinichi feel safe, when he was frightened he went to her, when he was hurt he went to her. •Since she reminded him that he was human he buried the dog after he threw it in the trash. -Reiko Tamura •This character is vital for the bridge of parasites and humans just like Migi and Shinichi are vital for the bridge between humans and parasites except for instead of having a bond of co-existing she has curiosity which eventually develops into having a child that she cares for and loves but lies and says it for research. •She’s also vital for Shinichi to gain the ability to cry again and to recover from his PTSD. •She was very intelligent but also became a true mother and became an unfortunate loss. •Going to leave this character short because like I said earlier I can spend so much on each section and each character but I’m trying to keep this review compact. -Kana •A tragic character that puts a toll on Shinichi after her death. •She believes the two are connected and she can sense but she thinks it because that’s her true love, but in reality she can feel brain waves and later on send out her own so she can sense parasites. •She’s one of the few that know Shinichi’s situation and about Migi. •Shinichi is always trying to protect because she accidentally always finds trouble. •Another important side character. -Kuramori •Keeping this one simple, pretty much Kana’s role but not obsessed with Shinichi because of love but because of his mystery and bridge between humans and parasites, he’s a good guy that dies and loses his family yet when he lost his family and when he was dying he protected Shinichi’s true identity. —Soundtrack— •In my opinion sometimes the music can bring you out of the mood, but this case is on the contrary, the soundtrack brings you into the scene and really feel it out. •The soundtrack is diverse with different music, dubstep, a trap/hip-hop beat mix, slow lofi, sci-fi mystery, opera intense epic fighting music or opera intense dramatic scene music, and it’s all original soundtrack, 90% of the music very good and 100% of it is appropriate. •The song ‘Next to You’ this song is the most recognizable or most popular song in this anime, I call it Murano’s theme even though they play during any sad or emotional scene, but it becomes a trend later on the show when it only plays when Murano is around or when Shinichi is talking to Murano in the park. It’s a bitter-sweet piece of music. —Animation— -The animation is pretty good, it’s not dogshit and it’s no Violent Garden or Demon Slayer(pretty much god tier animation, sometimes they use CGI to blur out the background to gain focus on the main characters and main situation which is affective or sometimes express how ugly and disturbing the parasites can be, and despite that it’s cgi it never looks awful like Berserk 2017 did. —Memories I have with this show— -Nostalgia, I have so much nostalgia with this show, I first watched it with my best friend 3-4 years ago back when I was in high school, a sophomore, not that anyone cares but we are best friends still, in fact we are roommates and we have been friends for 15 years now, but anyways he introduced me to the show and the first episode I fell in love with it. It was so good I showed my ex(my girlfriend at the time) a week later and rewatching so quickly after my first viewing of the show didn’t make it worse for me at all, I loved it. I then showed my young er brother who’s 3 years younger(we are pretty close, he’s like my other best friend) 4 days ago and it’s already nostalgic to me. -Coping. The ex I mentioned earlier, I dated her all throughout high school for about 3-4 years and when we broke up my teenage heart was destroyed(end of junior year), so I put on Parasyte and watched it, it helped a lot, I couldn’t watch shows, movies, or play games only way I could cope was hang out with my buddies and get high or just hang out, go on long walks, or watch Parasyte. 2 years later I lost my grandmother who adopted me, she died from age so she lived a good long life, but her and I were very close and I was devastated, I didn’t get high or drunk like I did in high school to cope with my breakup because I matured but I was still very sad, she was like my mother, but when I put in Parasyte it distracted me and temporarily made me better until I fully recovered which I don’t if I did yet but I’m doing a lot better, when I saw Shinichi lost his mother it reminded of me losing my grandmother since she was like my mother and it hit me hard. The soundtrack especially next to you was a great way to cope or to sleep. —Conclusion- •Why am I explaining this useless review well its fun and I thought I should share my love for this show. It’s a beautiful show with horror, philosophy, gore, action, consistent story line, romance, slice of life, and great memories.
I cannot explain how much I despise this show. This show had interesting characters with interesting personal struggles and problems and then the dude loses his heart and then the show becomes a shitty version trying to talk about the human psyche and It is so fucking pretentious and boring. I could not explain to any person how horrible this show is and I would never in my life recommend this boring, pretentious, drawn own, flaming pile of garbage to anyone. This show attempts to explore what it means to be human and if people who do not understand emotions can be able to feel. This is the only good part of the show and the adult female alien (This show is so bad I forgot everyone's name) And I do enjoy this part of the show. But __SPOILER ALERT!__ ~!She gets fucking killed. They killed off the only point of interest in the show.!~ It then becomes a shitty slasher where the main character constantly questions his own humanity over and over in the same way and never comes to the most basic of conclusions and it is so fucking frustrating to watch. The end fight and villain are essentially dropped out of nowhere and are almost pointless and add nothing to the story but to add another fight to Migi's battle reel. This show also has insanely boring and basic fight scenes that are essentially just flurries of swings over and over and over that have no interesting commentary. I will never understand that someone can actually watch this show and not force themselves to finish. The characters are basic and boring and show that is meant to question the psychology of humans should add unique commentary. It is the same thing over and over, the main character says, "why don't I have emotion" over and over. The commentary this gives is not commentary at all because it doesn't apply to a situation that would exist. No human becomes replaced with alien parts and loses their emotions. Shows like Evangelion actually make you question shit and have a meaning behind it, commentating on how escapism can throw you farther into your issue instead of confronting it, but this show just questions what emotion is but the way they do it wouldn't actually apply because while Eva is set in a fantasy world with human stories, Parasite is set in a human world with completely ridiculous and non-human possibilities. If you want to question the human psyche, do it where you can relate to the character or understand their struggle. This character is almost flawless and the only flaw is a lack of emotion. If that Is the only flaw, at least make the character interesting or have interesting dialogue instead of making them boring as fuck. If you see this review before you watch the show, please, save yourself from this dumpster fire of an anime and go watch something else.
"Someone on Earth had a sudden thought. Life must be protected." At it's core, Parasyte -the maxim- is an anime about environmentalism, humanity and coexistence. Parasites are beings that inhabit human bodies and have a directive to kill humans, the reasoning for it can range from saving the environment, or individualistic purposes. There's a strong message on how humans need to be kept in check, and how they're the "real monsters" (I know it might seem cliché, but this was written in 1989). It showcases how privileged it is to simply be born as a human being. ~!I think the dialogue Migi has sums it up well, humans have lots of time to think, therefore they have time to spare heart. Given enough time, even parasites like Migi and Tamura learned to spare heart.!~ Parasyte's outlook on altruism was also interesting. They explain that altruism is simply rooted in the nature of living beings as a means to passing on the gene, as well as Shinichi's dialogue on how Humans do what seem to be "altruistic" deeds such as preserving the life of other species is because of loneliness and how humans save the environment as a means avoid their own extinction, therefore these acts are selfish at it's core. The theme of coexistence was presented very well, and explains that if you are born, you have a right and a reason to live. All species have this right, thus all must find a way to acclimate to nature. It really is quite the philosophical anime, although it's environmentalist theme seems to rush itself towards the ending section of the anime, I think it's conveyed in a well-thought and appropriate manner. The main characters, Shinichi and Migi are the perfect duo. Their dynamic is perfect, Shinichi being on the altruistic, empathetic and sympathetic character, as opposed to Migi, a perfectly True Neutral character with the single desire to survive and has a 100% logical mindset. Seeing the growth of their dynamic and how each of their characters progress in the story was interesting to watch unfold. This is not to say the side characters weren't interesting, the individual character arcs of Tamura Reiko and Kana had some powerful themes that I won't get into much due to spoilers. Animation-wise, it was pretty stunning for the most part. The action sequences were great and I think the art style is quite pleasing to watch. The OST also really grew on me, it captured the essence and atmosphere in all of the scene perfectly, and I was never really sick of hearing any of them. The VA performances were fitting and emotive, I enjoyed hearing a good portion of the dialogue as well. TL;DR Parasyte is a philosophical story that touches on environmentalism, humanity and coexistence. Presented with great animation, memorable soundtracks and great VA performances. It's a must-watch for new and old anime watchers.
Note: this review will contain some spoilers, but I will try and keep some of the more major spoilers vague. Enjoy! Wow. Having just finished this show last night, I feel like the morning after is the best time to let my raw and unfiltered thoughts about it be known. Let's dive right in. Right off the bat, the main premise of the show is this: Shinichi, who is a senior in high school, becomes a byproduct of a failed brain takeover by a parasitic space alien. The alien instead takes over his right hand, and just like that, the two beings are stuck together and have to find out how to coexist. Meanwhile, these brain invading parasites are taking control of humans en masse. Throughout the rest of the series, the right hand (named Migi) and Shinichi explore what it means to be human while combatting the droves of parasites that they encounter simply in the name of survival. The first few episodes, kind of the first 1/3 of the show, in which Migi and Shinichi are first learning how to use one another and coexist are excellent. They move fast, and the internal struggle Shinichi experiences with the fact that Migi is only using him as a host and means of survival is really interesting. I really loved the interactions between Migi's cold and calculated demeanor and Shinichi's often panicked and obviously more human reactions to the insane happenings all around him. After the conclusion of the first major arc, however, things change a lot. First of all, Shinichi has experienced a huge tragedy. Due to this, Migi's cells have spread throughout Shinichi's body, giving him superhuman athletic ability and stone-cold composure. Furthermore, Shinichi has become more like Migi; he doesn't display a whole lot of emotion, and is behaving more like Migi had been. During this middle section of the show, Shinichi's relationship with his girlfriend, Murano, is put under serious pressure. Shinichi can't tell her that he's part parasite, or else Migi will kill her, but he also wants to protect and care for her. Through his further interactions with Murano during this part of the show, Shinichi begins to rediscover his more human side again. There's one scene in particular that I really loved between the two that demonstrates this really well while also pulling at your heartstrings pretty hard. Despite all of this, the middle 1/3 section of the show is probably the worst part. A character named Kana gets introduced, whose arc and general involvement with Shinichi feels kind of clunky and aimless at times. Shinichi also kind of turns into an asshole during this part, for lack of a better word. I do kind of forgive the show for this, since his abrupt personality change, as well as the change of the general tone and feeling of the show during this section, is kind of the whole point of this arc. The pacing during this part also feels very slow and disconnected. It definitely feels like we are watching Shinichi grow and change, but it's being done through events that only feel very loosely related or lightly strung together. Once we get into the stretch of the final 8 or so episodes, the show improves a lot. I will leave the ending unspoiled for those of you reading this, but I really loved Shinichi's progression over this stretch, and Migi has some really awesome moments too. The ending feels natural, I liked the resolutions for both Migi and Shinichi. Despite the pacing issues of the middle section, I really did like this show. To me, Parasyte is a character study of Migi and Shinichi (whose relationship totally carries the entire show). I forgive the issues with the awkward middle of the narrative since the pacing and tone is intended to reflect Shinichi's changed nature. It's kind of storytelling through the style of the show itself rather than strictly the characters. The animation is excellent, the main characters and their relationship are really fun to watch, and the concept itself is great. If you are a fan of psychological brain twister shows sort of in the same vein as Death Note, then I highly recommend this show. It'll give you something to think about. I think an 89 is appropriate for Parasyte. Hope you enjoyed this review, and that you decide to give Parasyte: The Maxim a watch!
— Less spoiler short review — Summary: Shinichi Izumi a high school boy who was encountered by an unknown being called parasite. As the time flows many more of this parasitic beings started to show up and started to kill people. Shinichi teaming up with his parasite started new journey to save the human being from its demise. Parasites were a new unknown being. They take over a human body's control by mutating themselves with the human brain. They kill people for their food. They are physically more powerful than any other living beings. They don't have any kind of emotion like me humans to in fact they think rationally about everything. The parasite living inside Shinichi was named Migi. Migi wanted to coexist with Shinichi. Migi didn't need any human flash to survive. All over the world chaos started because this parasites. People were being killed and this matter needed to be solved as soon as possible. Many incidents took place and the government planned to exterminate Parasites. Some of these parasites joined a alliance under a City mayor for a consistent food supply. Among them there was a prudent parasite owning a woman's body named 'Ryouko Tamiya' . It wanted to learn more about human kind and it's behavior , many facts which was unknown to it. But parasites started to make their move. After discovering a parasite body and analyzing it the government found a way to kill them. The Government planned a attack on the town hall which was a gathering site of many parasites. The attack was a success and they were able to wipe out a great number of parasites. This incident also created a fear among the parasite. Number of murders decreased drastically. Parasites made themselves accoustomed to human food. All these information about parasite remained confidencial. At a point people forgets about it starts their life again like before. Protagonist: Shinichi Izumi played nice role as the protagonist. The character development was really great. How getting influenced by a parasitic being changes your way of thinking. Although in some of the cases he was driven by emotion for which he made some mistakes. But as the time flows he realises what really matters is self preservance. He learned how to control himself in anytime while facing a pile of corpses or in any other dangerous situation. He forgets sadness and all other human emotions. But as a human being it's impossible to do so. 'Satomi Murano' was the person who made remind about these emotions which gone missing in him. Overall : Parasite is a great show to watch. The story was pretty great. What makes this really great is the fine character development. Just how a character becomes so much strong in the end. I also love the fact that it not only shows the thought of mankind towards a parasitic being but also the perception of a parasitic being about mankind. Intro and Outro: The intro song was the best . The vocal, lyrics and bgm was nicely done. As for the ending song it's quite decent.
Introduction It always pains me to see an anime suffer from its own length. Even in today's times, when an adaptation is never too far off for any popular manga series, I feel that every new anime announcement should be met with some minimal degree of celebration. Even announcements for the absolute worst anime are at least a signal that the medium is still alive, that there is still money and time and interest in this little cultural niche that we call home. It is for this reason that I always try to steer clear of criticizing long-running shows specifically for being long-running, because, no matter their quality, these giants are what keeps the industry healthy. That being said, sometimes the opposite is true, and there's simply too much money to go around. Certain stories were meant to be told in a short time, and their worlds were never meant to be fleshed out. Some anime deliver a singular message and then end. This is precisely how I feel about Parasyte. Synopsis One night, alien parasites invade the Earth. They fall from the sky and enter human bodies, attempting to reach their brains to take them over and live out a human life as an impostor. However, due to some extenuating circumstances, high school student Shinichi Izumi stops a parasite before it can exit his right arm. The creature settles there and devours his arm, but is blocked from entering into his body any further. Shinichi and the parasite, nicknamed "Migi," are now forced to coexist and learn to live with each other. At first, they are each trying to fulfill their original purpose, Shinichi's being to go to school and Migi's being survival at any cost. However, they quickly discover a common goal in hunting down the other aliens that are blending in with human society. It seems to be going well, at first, until Shinichi's girlfriend Murano points out that he has been acting less than human lately... Strengths Parasyte has some of the best opening episodes I've ever seen. The very first episode is told in non-chronological order, forcing the viewer to piece together Shinichi's original personality after he's already bound to Migi. Following this is a thrill ride of epic proportions as we watch his family, friends, and future get dismantled in a series of parasite-related murders. For the first eight episodes or so, I was absolutely gripped by the developing mystery around these alien invaders. To put the icing on the cake, at the end of this introductory arc, Shinichi undergoes a huge character transformation in every way possible. He changes physically, emotionally, and mentally. A major death forces him to reconsider his entire mindset and way of life, and this is accompanied by a complete overhaul of his appearance in an oncoming masterstroke of visual storytelling. Watching his character change throughout the series and seeing his actions, words, and thinking slowly imitate Migi's is an enthralling experience. The best part is that Shinichi himself doesn't even notice until much later, instead being told this by his human friends. Additionally, though the show mainly focuses on developing its protagonist, I was pleasantly surprised by Murano's prominent role in the plot. Too often do these thriller anime feature a "girlfriend character" female lead, only to have her serve the humble role of being kidnapped whenever the male lead needs some motivation. This is not the case here, and although she lacks powers of her own, Murano is not afraid to tell Shinichi exactly when he screws up. Admittedly, she is conveniently placed in danger often, but I felt it was always deserved given the context in the story, and Shinichi definitely learns to take a hint from her by the end. Weaknesses Now, to finally get to what I was saying in the introduction, Parasyte is a story that I felt like went on for far too long. After that magnificent opening arc, the plot got massively sidetracked. As much as I like a story that's not afraid to kill off minor characters, it got annoying to spend three to four episodes following a random detective or something only to have them die before revealing any important information. This show also felt like it had two culminating finales, one that was passable but came way too late, and one that was downright terrible. The big raid battle of humans vs the parasites was fairly well done, but it failed to address the hype that is typically merited after building up for twenty episodes. Additonally, the big final boss villain Goto manages to escape, essentially robbing the main character Shinichi of any reason to even participate (which he barely did). The real finale, meaning the ending to the last episode of the show, was so god-awful that I took off an entire point from my final score. After already becoming frustrated with the number of needless side characters, the story's epilogue is based entirely on a one-off character with an uninteresting power that was already held by a debatably better character in the show's beginning. This almost makes me think that the story writers removed Kana's power from the scene, figuring that she was an easy target for an emotional reaction, then wanted to retcon it later down the line because they needed that power for plot convenience. Even if my theory is incorrect, her death and the succeeding appearance of the serial killer character (whose name I can't even bother recalling) come off as sloppy and dissatisfying. Conclusion I enjoyed my time watching Parasyte, but most of that enjoyment really came from the first ten or so episodes, followed by a dozen episodes of wishing the quality would return to its original level. I feel like I would be much more willing to overlook overly quick pacing than overly slow where the story is concerned, especially when all the exciting stuff is crammed in the beginning. I know that pacing issues are cited for pretty much every anime someone doesn't like on this site, but I feel this is a genuine case of going on longer than it should. Removing side plots, dream sequences, and a multi-episode fight in an anime that's not really about fighting would all contribute to making this feasibly fit all the good parts into a single cour. One last thing I would like to address is the differing themes of Parasyte. I could not include this in the strengths or weaknesses section because the two takeaways from the show are bizzarely opposite in this regard. On the one hand, I felt that Shinichi's discovery of what it means to be human yet empathize with other living creatures was a fantastic theme executed with just the right degree of subtlety. On the other hand, however, the theme that the show advertises is predictable and cheap. It posits that maybe humans were the real parasites all along, and we're destroying the Earth with pollution and wars! Maybe this is true, but that announcement at the end of an already declining story was unrelated and undeserved. This was not a plot about pollution, it was a plot about what it means to be human! At the end of the day, though, I am not a career writer and my suggestions should be treated as those from an amateur. I am always seeking to improve my reviews, and aspire to make each one better than the last; please leave some feedback on my profile if you feel strongly about any of this.
(Contains SPOILERS) Parasyte: The Maxim had a brilliant narrative that explored intriguing philosophies threaded into heart-wrenching storylines. Migi and Shinichi's relationship was complicated and kept you guessing how one would influence the other. Would the Parasite or Humanity control Shinichis mind and decision (and I don't mean in a literal sense). The show sparked questions on what it truly is to be human, and his relationships with Murano and Kana delved deeper into this, using love and over human emotions to create powerful heart-wrenching scenes such as Kanas death. Yet it took a twist by developing characters such as Reiko Tamura and The Mayor. Starting off, the show leads the audience to believe that the Parasites are the enemy and must be stopped under any circumstances; Migi is a mere exception. Yet as time goes on, we discover there is a change due to Tamuras child, and humanity seems to be taking control of their emotions. Though maybe it is not necessarily humanity, but that the Parasites actually _do_ care. More grey areas appear when the explosive and tense evacuation arch begins, where parasites and humans alike are shot down by police, this forces the audience to start questioning whether _humanity really are the good guys_. I believe this to be set in stone when we find out the Mayor is in fact human all along, despite there being clear implications that he is a parasite; he is working with them after all. This throws the final punch to blur the lines between what is good, what is bad and what it means to be human. Are the Parasites the bad guys, or are they simply trying to _exist alongside humanity?_ All of this makes for a thrilling and intriguing narrative which keeps us on our feet; at this pace it was entering the top tier of my anime list, yet unfortunately this pace did not continue, or rather the execution seemed to fall off. The last few episodes seemed to lack that extra oomph that was needed, missing character depth as well as further expansion on the mystery and philosophy. To put it plainly, it fell short on the extra depth that was needed to produce a completely satisfying ending. Up until episode 22, the show seemed to run very smoothly and built up the pace rather well, however the last 3 episodes felt very disconnected from the previous ones. I liked where Migis character went, yet their revival seemed rushed and wasn't much of a surprise. In addition, Shinichis general story, his relationship with his Dad, Satomi and the overall philosophical narrative felt like they were missing a bit of extra depth. It seemed they forgot about many characters such as the Dad, the detective and even Satomi (until the very end). I believe this to be another reason for the disconnection in the last few episodes, it felt different from the other episodes as it missed these characters and satisfying conclusions between them. If the final big fight with Goto vs Shinichi involved other characters, further philosophical depth and maybe called back to earlier plot points in meaningful ways, I feel it would have been a more satisfying ending battle. Instead it involved new characters I felt we didn't need or seemed random (the old lady) and it just seemed a little rushed. The relationship with Murano was at least involved at the end and I liked that they used the murderer to further emphasise the evil of humanity, that was a good call back and use of existing characters. I believe the creators intended to keep mystery at the end and offer questions to be left, but overall it felt a little unfulfilling. In conclusion, the end of the show felt complete in a way that was good, but not excellent. I really wanted the deeper philosophies it set early on to pay off later in a way that involved all the characters, as to create a more explosive and emotional execution of the final episodes that would have rounded off characters and gave more clarity to the points the show was trying to make about humanity and its flaws. This would have brought it into the Top Tier for me. However, overall it was very good and if executed slightly better, could have been up there with the greatest shows. P.S...It also had one of the coolest and unique OSTs in anime...well done Ken Arai!
_"Why don't you admit it? Prioritize the lives of all beings above the human race. Only then would you prove to be a superior species. You imbeciles, claim that justice is on your side. What justice is this to which you appeal? We inhabit the human and we take on the role of the balance preserver of all life. It's the damn humans the real infestation of usurping animals. Better... A parasitic life form."_ [HIROKAWA, Takeshi] __SPOILER WARNING__ Kiseijuu is a shocking experience. On the one hand, it gives a serious story of urban fantasy. A bloodthirsty sci-fi universe, ruled by body horror and by which the protagonist, Izumi Shinichi, wanders as a victim of inevitable involvement. On the other hand, it turns out to be something else. A story that delves into the nature and behavior of the human species and subverts its themes into a philosophical, though not difficult to access, message. As an adaptation of a 1989 manga, Kiseijuu inherits features from pre-2000 horror and sci-fi classics such as Alien. The narrative starts from mysterious beings, whose identity and precise origin remain hidden throughout the plot. After all, nothing contributes more to terror than not knowing precisely the origin or nature of an element. At some point, these creatures take control of the human brain and metamorphose, blending into contemporary society. Acting as cannibals towards humans, they are responsible for the "mincemeat murders", which would come to terrify the Japanese population (and the world) in the next stages of history. Our protagonist, Shinichi Izumi, is another poor victim of these beings. Except for the fact that, unlike other humans, it's not his brain that's completely taken over by the parasites, but his right arm. To the detriment of this failure, Shinichi is forced to live with 'Migi', as he calls the parasite, and see him as an ally in the fight for survival. And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us to the first great merit in history. Izumi is a person described as sensitive, as initially noted by Murano. As a human being, one of his greatest qualities (and his greatest downfall) is his constant sentimentality and the way in which his passion clouds his judgments and makes him make logically wrong decisions. There is a stark contrast between him and Migi, who, devoid of emotions and a maturing way of life, is cold and logical in the sense of guiding his actions and thoughts about his own survival. Migi initially lacks a sense of species and collectivity. None of the parasites do. All they think about is survival itself, as in a wild and savage state or, better said, in a food chain. Migi is unable to understand Shinichi, who sustains a sense of responsibility and assumes selfless behavior that gets him into trouble, in disadvantageous situations. Migi cannot understand empathy. And the same path works for Shinichi, who repeatedly blames and angers the parasites for the misfortunes that happen around him. However, as the narrative progresses, there is an escalation of the tragedy. Eventually, the parasites reach Shinichi and those close to the protagonist. Shinichi loses his mother to an unfortunate encounter, and even facing the certainty of her death, his reaction is as human as possible. He refuses to accept the loss, and his continued restraint behavior undermines Migi's efforts, resulting in both of them nearing death. If you ask me, I would say that this way the author treats Shinichi is very proper and real. After all, recently involved in an incident of such proportions and still bearing the guilt of agreeing to his parents' trip, he can't be expected to make the most logical and appropriate decision. Normal people aren't like that. Humans are not like that. Psychology tells us that the act of going through near-death experiences can bring about drastic changes in a person's behavior. Psychological shock confers an adaptive transition and the appreciation of certain things that were not before. Well, in the case of Kiseijuu, this is true, not only in the psychological sense, but also because of the plot factor itself that makes Migi's intervention entail physiological effects. From the incident with his mother, Izumi develops as a colder person and gradually watches her emotions fade away. Although his altruism is still there, there is constant self-doubt on the part of the protagonist and an identity crisis. Gradually, the fragile and emotionally unstable human's face is replaced by a silhouette ever closer to Migi, the entity he called a monster. Izumi recognizes himself as closer to those he abhorred. Details that the director and the author himself put on the spotlight show this. Even those close and loved by him see this transition. From the horror of not knowing the origin and nature of the parasites, Izumi now no longer understands the nature of himself. On the other hand, parasites mixed with society show very heterogeneous progressions. True, many give in to cannibalistic behavior and meet Shinichi, sooner or later, surrendering to the apparent nature of the species and representing what we initially know of them: bloodthirsty masses of destruction. Others who survive longer develop nuances of behavior. They question superiors' decisions, take action and organize themselves, as happens with the group that tries to assassinate Ryouko Tamiya. And, speaking of it, there are those who go through a deeper development and decide to fully integrate into society. Ryouko Tamiya is one of these parasites. Interested in human behavior, she takes a different route from her fellow species. Although it is given as a hint that she was never able to fully understand such emotions, Ryouko awakens traces of empathy by following up on one of her experiments: she becomes a mother. At first, humanity was not expected from her, and Shinichi himself verified the statements that the human child she had with A was just a victim of her experiments. But, as the plot progresses, Ryouko herself finds herself laughing at certain situations. Her genuine representation of emotions takes on even greater contours, so that at the end of the story, in her last moments, she really cares for her child, consolidating the presence of the maternal instinct. In addition to this surprise, Kiseijuu increasingly pushes the deconstruction of the references she initially establishes. In contrast to Shinichi, Migi is perhaps the greatest example among parasites who acquire empathetic tendencies. It's almost metaphorical and ironic that Izumi and Migi are one. Both progress as a mean between their initial states of personality and empathy as they learn about each other and try, albeit incompletely, to assimilate the other species' views. And it couldn't be different, since the message and the path the author wants to take are really these. With the discovery of the parasites and the ensuing government investigation, human beings show the true face behind empathic and altruistic fragility. We've spent nearly twenty episodes learning and getting in touch about how parasites are murderous monstrosities and creatures that threaten the limits of our species. Although the piece gradually makes us question the boundaries between humans and parasites through the sad progression of Shinichi's psyche, as well as thinking about the possibility of coexistence through Tamiya's actions, all we see is a poor protagonist sneaking into deal with that. Humanity's collective efforts to confront the parasites have yet to be seen. Their interventions have not yet been expressed. And human interventions, just like in the real world, are cruel. Kiseijuu, in addition to a story, is a reflection. The work makes us reflect on how human beings are cowards, they are selfish, but unlike works that address the social relationship and these manifestations among ourselves, Kiseijuu focuses on how we subjugate the different. In certain cases, like Izumi's, we can care for our preservation. There is the sense of species, the sense of altruism and collective survival. However, this arm extended to people is the same one that takes away from those who are different, from our neighbors of other species that we subjugate. It is possible to understand the reality of an equal. However, we lack when the challenge is to empathize, assimilate and understand the vision of a different, another being. Kiseijuu, paraphrasing what the author himself tells us, is proof that human beings are the real parasites. We create laws for the preservation of our planet, but the real concern that gives root to this thought is nothing more than our own preservation. We subjugate parasites because they are killers, but there is nothing more murderous than ourselves. And this unquestionable fact is stamped in front of us, as we watch the chaotic government intervention and its atrocious operation, slaughtering innocent people in order to eliminate the "greater evil". I mean, how hypocritical can we be? How many corpses would we resign ourselves to walking on to exterminate the "potential threat"? As Migi projects, if the operation were to fail, the next steps would likely be Napalm, missiles or nuclear weapons. Until the last one perished, we would kill more and more civilians. And most frightening of all this is not its gore or graphic horror, but its veracity. It is this scenario that happens in wars. It is this panorama that is seen in terrorism hunts, in the most recent geopolitical scenarios. How many civilians who had nothing to do with the matter were murdered when the hunt for Osama bin Laden was launched? How many victims who had nothing to do with the frictions of war have not been wiped out by nuclear weapons? __That is why there is no way to defeat human beings: for nothing can overcome not our intelligence but our unscrupulousness.__ Despite its engaging and incredibly clear message and its qualities that I recognize, I also have criticisms of Kiseijuu. In this text, I focused more on the central and most important characters in the work. As you can see, I really like the progression of some of them and the illustration that others represent. Shinichi's father and his family drama associated with recovery difficulties and alcoholic tendencies makes a great and emotional representation of how easily we are shaken by loss. Detective Kuramori and his thirst for revenge add a lot to the deconstruction that, at that time, was already underway. However, it must be said that not everyone is like that. While they are important representations, some of the parasites and other characters are shallow. The prime example of this factor is Gotou. His greatest merit in the work is to reinforce the issue of fragility and deconstruction that Kiseijuu prints. However, when it comes to the main villain, he adds very little to the cast or the story as a whole. We know little of his way of thinking and he's reduced to the simple concept of parasites, which doesn't make him so great as a villain, let alone as the ultimate opponent. Uragami is at the top of that list, being a negative milestone in the show in my opinion. The appearances he makes, for the most part, are to get the script moving, and his psych goes into the details only by explaining his recognition ability and, later, his obsession with Shinichi. Not only is the origin of his criminality barely explored, he is also marked by being the only caricature in Kiseijuu that I consider out of place. In a show permeated by graphic horror applied when necessary and seriousness, he became a negative example with his caricatured expressions, sticking his tongue out and passing on the stereotyped image of psychopathy that is not very proper for a serious seinen, let alone a of this caliber. Other characters like Kana and Murano are competent and humanized in my view. Although they don't play as important a role as Shinichi and Migi, their observations contribute to the central theme and it's understandable why they like Shinichi through what is exposed from each other's psyche. However, I need to point out that Kana's sensitive ability, despite yielding unpredictable and inconvenient moments in the plot, is not properly explained. Other girls, like Ahiko, harbor feelings for Shinichi and this too is never explained, unfortunately. I could comment on several other characters in the anime or delve deeper into the ones I just mentioned. As you can see, I have a hard time summarizing things and that would be to my liking. However, for reasons of extension, I preferred to leave the rest of the cast and most of the characters open as only superficial comments. If there's one factor that Kiseijuu doesn't miss, it's suspense. The apparitions of the parasites occur at the most inconvenient times possible and cause significant damage to Shinichi's life. From the character's difficulty in reconciling his romance with the sense of duty in being the only one to know about the parasites that surround him, to the loss of his mother and the need to save Murano and Kana while hiding his secret. The sense of danger is constant and decisions matter, since the author is not afraid to kill important characters, and this obviously works in favor of the anime. Although not like Gyakkou Burai Kaiji, Kiseijuu also applies strategies that sometimes go wrong. Migi, though extremely intelligent and observer, is bound by the host's limitations. At certain times, the psyche and traumas acquired by Shinichi make a difference and his difficulty in calming down and facing the situation rationally balances Migi's ease. Besides, even at the end of the anime, strategies like the one used against Gotou don't work perfectly. It is a work that does not lack resistance in its plot, so to speak. Adapted by the Madhouse studio in its glory years, Kiseijuu contains a visual identity suitable for a seinen, I would say. With the exception of the Uragami caricature, the characters have clean and more serious looks, and the studio does very well the body horror scenes, a necessary element for this story. Despite that, I personally find this production a bit weak for Madhouse. While the director manages well in foreshadowings and scenes that require less elaboration, such as in Migi's speeches and demonstrations, the presentation leaves something to be desired in the action scenes. As someone who consumed the work thirsting for the reputation of its philosophy and the presence of the element of psychological suspense, I wasn't particularly impacted by this factor. However, those thinking of watching Kiseijuu for the action will likely be disappointed, as the battles are much more strategy oriented than choreographed and visual presentation. In some cases, these are repeated clashes between the parasites, like "whips" colliding in the same way. Some crowd scenes also feature poor CGI usage, and this hurts the animation's impression a bit. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is quite competent. From the piano sounds that play in sadder moments to the good use of the "It's the Right Time" ending in some of the episodes, Kiseijuu evokes a good sound collection to complement its audiovisual effects in the sad and tragic moments that surround the work. And, of course, it doesn't fall short in moments of suspense and in creating an atmosphere of strangeness and in sustaining the mystery of the parasites, making use of strange and exotic sounds or classic melodies with a heavier atmosphere. Personally, my favorites from this collection are "Next to You" and the episode preview song "Choir". Some director's choice moments are a little weird, in my opinion. The most emblematic example is the scene where Shinichi meets Uda. Desperate for the presence of a parasite next to him, Shinichi runs to meet him, in a moment of suspense, while "Next to You", a piano score more suited to sad scenes, is employed. Despite this, these are rarer slips and likely to have little impact on the viewer's experience. The opening and closing themes are of a more personal assessment, as far as the music is concerned. However, I must draw attention to the fact that the symbology of the opening lyric, "Let me Hear", expressively reiterates the main message that the anime covers. I mean... Generally, the opening lyrics meet the symbology for the anime, since the vast majority are made for the show itself. However, when it comes to Kiseijuu, it specifically caters to one face of the show, and that is its philosophy. Since the first time we have contact with opening, there has been questioning about the relationship between species and a letter that constantly points to human nature and its anomalous position, isolated from the food chain and natural selection. In that sense, seeing Let me Hear's lyrics is well suited to fans at the end of the anime, and it more adds or reaffirms the story's message, rather than just offering musicality. Unfortunately, I don't appreciate its visual choices in the same way and I don't consider it a brilliant presentation or as rich in terms of visual symbolism, although we can see a few. Watching Kiseijuu was a rewarding experience for me. Despite having some problems with the work and some more evident with the production, I could see the author's passion for conveying a proper message and evoking a reflection in his readers. Living up to what's expected of psychological suspense, my favorite genres, this work more than deserves a place on your list if you're a fan. And for comparisons that point it as superior to his Pierrot "cousin" Tokyo Ghoul, I completely agree.
~~~Parasyte, or as I like to call it, ayy lmao meets real human bean~~~ ~~~---------------------------~~~ ~~~Review Theme (highly recommended):~~~ ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DSVDcw6iW8)~~~ Many guts and many laughs are had, but perhaps the parasyte were the friends we made along the way. Art style is nice and all but not spectacular. What you'd expect from a modern animu with decent budget. OST gets repetitive real fast specially during battles/tense scenes.. OP is annoying in my opinion, screamo-trying-too-hard-in-your-face annoying kinda. Not gonna lie bros, I skipped it errrry time. ED is kawaii and bretty good 10/10 (but it doesn't make up for the rest of the ost being sorta repetitive). Decent characters overall, though some could've used more development, but the MC is really the star of the show so maybe it doesn't even matter. Highly enjoyable and probably somewhat gory for most people but not all that much really. Great if you're looking for Seinen/Horror/Sci-fi stuff. I suppose great overall regardless as far as animu goes, story has some originality and it's rather entertaining to watch it play out. That said and funnyspeak aside, Parasyte does draw some inspiration from Horror Classics that use body horror for their storytelling. If you like movies like The Thing, Body Snatchers and such other titles, then I think you'll have a great time watching this show. Body horror is of course not the only thing it has going for it, although that's a big part - Parasyte manages to weave in some light philosophical themes into its narrative (although let's not kid ourselves here, don't expect to get any depth similar to reading Hegel or Evola, or Wittgenstein here... who reads Hegel anyway?). For me, one of the most striking features of Parasyte was to remind me that sometimes in life we think we're bothered by something - that we're inconvenienced by a certain situation, or that you wish for some drastic change, not taking into account all of the intricacies implied within said change, only to realize when it comes, that your previous state (or situation) wasn't as unfavorable or uncomfortable as your perception made you rationalize it - and that maybe you actually enjoyed it, but didn't give it enough attention or did not appreciate it as you should until it was gone. For me, that's how I'd describe the main character's relation with Migi (the parasyte). And I can relate it to many instances of my own life... and perhaps so can you, avid reader. Final warning (maybe might be spoilerish, but I don't think so, but I mean maybe): Characters die. And then they're gone. Don't expect a "favorite" character to live "just because". It can be brutal out there. ~~~TL;DR img220(https://c.tenor.com/ncYO7yYfaTIAAAAM/aye-ayy-lmao.gif)~~~
_This is my first review here, I hope you like it, it contains spoilers!_ __A work brimming with humanity for the better__ Through its story, Kiseijuu pushes us to think about the nature of mankind and parasites. Over the course of 24 episodes, rich in twists and turns, the anime tries to make us understand that our species, from an external point of view (that of the aliens) is the most dangerous pest. Migi even goes so far as to call us demons. Rest assured, all is not lost. And it is above all through love that the series proves that we are not as bad as all that, _"that there are more things to admire in men than things to despise"_ wrote Camus in The Plague. __...as well as for the worst__ I'd like to go into the final fight to prove the truth of my words. Gotou was already saying: _"I only know how to fight."_ Unlike Reiko, this character couldn't give us a philosophical speech. And this is where all the subtlety of the confrontation comes in: Gotou is the hunter, Shinichi the hunted, allegory of the invasion of the parasites, that "_order came from above_" said Tamura (that is to say God and/or natural selection). Izumi will be forced (I insist on this word) to kill his tracker, for fear that he will attack his relatives and himself: a death that makes sense. The law of the strongest is always the best, and the strongest here is Man, but not in the way you think. Our two opponents were fighting to the death in a forest in the middle of the countryside, because Gotou preferred this fresh air to urban pollution. If this predator died, it was because of this factor. There was a landfill nearby and our hero had shoved a rusty, contaminated metal bar into one of the gaps in his opponent's armour. This reminds me of the duel between Netero and the invincible Meruem: An atomic bomb slowly but surely killed the Ant King. Humanity and its infinite malice, an ironic victory, right? __The laughing parasite__ Love is an irrational concept for parasites. Indeed, apart from securing offspring, what is the point of reproducing for them? What is the point of cherishing one's children or partner? Human eaters do not need emotions or sensations to live, as these do not contribute anything to their survival, hence their neutral and lifeless expression. They can't cry or smile...well, that was until a very peculiar character appeared. The character of Reiko Tamura. This alien looking for a meaning to her life had a sexual relationship with another parasite before giving birth to a human baby. She who was so distant from this little being will end up loving him. Her maternal instinct will be so strong that she will sacrifice herself under the assault of inspector Hirama and his group. Instead of killing them all, she will create an indestructible cradle around her child. To encourage Shinichi to protect this infant, her face took on the shape and features of Izumi's dead mother, so that his sensitivity would take over this incongruous situation. She managed to reach her goal, and before collapsing to the ground, said: _"The other day I tried to imitate humans by laughing in the mirror. It did me a lot of good."_ In 1534, Rabelais had written: _"Laughter is the nature of Man."_ The parasite, that horrible and merciless beast, finally appears fallible to us (it must live at the expense of another). They, who continually struggle not to perish, are so different yet so close to us. We also have our weaknesses. One day, a woman under the snow had dropped these few words to a young man who was a bit lost: _"Shinichi, don't bully us. We are so fragile."_ She died. And the young man, with a warm baby in his arms, for the first time in a long time saw tears running down his cheeks. __A breathtaking thriller__ _"Shinichi, a congener has appeared. He is about 300 meters away from us..."_ How many times has this sentence made us seriously shudder? Could it be an enemy or an ally? What I loved about Parasyte was this form continuous tension. You always get the feeling that the storm is never far away, and when it finally comes, you're baffled. My biggest fear came at the end of episode 5: parasitic Ms. Izumi facing her son. Our fears were confirmed and we were appalled. We imagined ourselves in the place of the unfortunate Shinichi, unable to open his eyes to this sad reality. The fade to black and the beginning of the ending really comforted us, we couldn't take it anymore. __Not everything is perfect in this anime, there are obviously some pacing problems at times, especially the aftermath of the confrontation between Shinichi and Gotou, with a rushed last episode. However, my impression remains very positive: Kiseijuu, behind its sordid story, is a work that overflows with a deep and sincere humanity. __
[Spoilers ahead, obviously] I started off enjoying Parasyte. It has an interesting premise and as far as thrillers go, the concept of losing control of part of your own body to another being is inherently deeply mortifying. Bodily autonomy comes as an expectation of living as a sentient being, and there's a certain degree of fear that comes sheerly just from that aspect alone. Watching the relationship between Shinichi and Migi form with the juxtaposition of chaos and bedlam going on as a result of the parasites allows for a really intriguing and horrifying form of contrast. That being said, at the same time you begin to feel sympathetic for Migi and by extension his entire kind the show turned their intention into a political message, and at that, a flawed one. The show, consequently, all but entirely lost me at this point. If you're going to try and do some form of redemption arc for the antagonistic faction of any form of media, doing so off of the premise of ecofascism is a (putting it lightly) bad way to do so. Though the ideology hasn't been used in *full* in any country, its routes are the same as those that have inspired mass murder and policies which resulted in the deaths of a good number of people. The show tries to make viewers sympathetic for the parasites by justifying their actions in a fake-deep, sanctimonious attempt at a Joker-esque mantra of __"What if the real monster was society all along?"__ And though that may work coming from a different angle regarding power dynamics and circumstance, trying to play off mass murder by saying "oh, you eat chicken and overcook your planet by having too many babies" doesn't exactly work. Nor is it strictly factually accurate. A thriller routed in environmentalism is entirely possible to pull off, and given how real of a threat that is, it could make for something that could truly shake its audience to their very core. Parasyte took this opportunity and instead used it to misplace blame for the degradation of the ecosystem on the actions of humans as individuals. If you found yourself agreeing with the points made regarding how humans are the ultimate evil and that overpopulation is the real villain, I truly do recommend reading up on the harm of ecofascism. There are people who are a lot more intelligent and well-read than I regarding the topic. Needless to say, this decision made the media somewhat insufferable to watch. I frankly only continued to the end of this car crash to see if the show would try to redeem itself and, unfortunately, it did not. I will, however, say that the animation itself was quite good and the sheer fluidity of the monsters added an extra layer of horror. Tl;dr, the show starts off really good (though a little corny at times), but completely lost me with the shoddy attempt at making a political message regarding the environment. Though there are ways to properly execute this, Parasyte instead takes the route of promoting a demonstrably harmful ideology.
This time i will review my first completed anime. __Title__ : Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu __Release Date__ : October 9, 2014 __Episodes__ : 24 __Duration__ : 24 Minutes per Eps __Genre__ : Action, Drama, Horror, Psychological, Sci-Fi __Story Source__ : Manga __Studio__ : MADHOUSE - - - ##~~~__Storyline & Characters__~~~ ~~~img(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ayXLwM2oFg/WOn_tw3qLuI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/dJNVDbohNZc6R44TsJ_O0GPKPIw8Dp1YACLcB/s320/Shinichi-school.jpg) *Before being possessed by a parasite*~~~ Okay, in this anime, a young man whose name is Izumi Shinichi is told. He had a 'snake' in his hand but he tied his arm with a headset. Which the next day it was discovered that that night was not a snake, but a parasite that wanted to enter the human brain. Luckily he tied his arm with a headset, because of that the parasite only reached Shinichi's right hand and so he could talk + smart, but don't have feelings! Long story short, the hand parasite was named Migi, then Shinichi wanted to eradicate other parasites that had managed to enter the brain and eat humans, and indeed the two of them met and fought several parasites. This story is cool, the story is similar to Tokyo Ghoul, a bit gore too. There are many scenes that can make you emotional, Shinichi also becomes cool over time. The story seems to satirize humans who are arbitrary on earth and now humans are given Predators, overall it's good, really really. ~~~img(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OrLC5ZT06oA/WOn_z6gfJ1I/AAAAAAAAAKg/rcuRMVtTF7UwgIZAzD0YrxVYTG8NsXk0wCEw/s320/tumblr_inline_nfb2yijNy91r8nl7d.png) *After being possessed by a parasite*~~~ - - - ##~~~__Graphic Visuals__~~~ ~~~img(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-th7JBSgCYbk/WOn_Q_ioHUI/AAAAAAAAAKI/M6LxWtZGSM4C_S8e-wk7plCl654UKW1OACEw/s320/Kiseijuu-EP007-007.jpg) *the details are graphic*~~~ Made by Madhouse, who is known for his cool art and total animation. One Punch Man is an example. Yep.. The graphics are really good! Without eliminating the characteristics of the adaptation (manga). The animation is made smooth and dramatic, especially in this anime, there are lots of action scenes. There's almost no miss in the graphics, the backgrounds are also drawn in detail, Great One.. - - - ##~~~__Sound__~~~ ~~~youtube(https://youtu.be/Rm8UjBAS3cs) *Opening*~~~ Characteristics of the Psychological Thriller anime, yep, BGM that is horrifying - deliciously horrifying. But it's also not just like that, the BGM varies quite according to the atmosphere of the Scene, SFX like broken glass, braking cars are also well presented. The opening is sung by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the lyrics really match the story in the anime and for 24 episodes he doesn't change the opening. The seiyuu are also suitable, after the change in Shinichi who was mixed with parasites, the language style changed but was not rigid. Migi's flat voice is also cool. - - - So at the beginning of the episode of this anime you will be bored, but after watching 1 episode, you will definitely be curious about what's going on.
This anime is a Mona lisa, an intricatically crafted tale that goes in the deepest philosophies and mysteries of existence, its insanely deep There are only stupid teenagers on this website, thus some bad reviews This anime is like a deep well, the water is at 10 feet deep, yet most bring a 6 feet rope so they dont get much, bring a 10 feet rope, meaning enough dedication and effort and you will get one of the most thought provoking experiences of your life Most like it for the action or gore yet these are mere add-ons, Its the philosophy thats everything, its how it makes you think about humanity, about the world, about existence Its not the answers, well not just the answers but the questions that it raises, about our existence, about society, about the ecosystem, about the planet, about what it means to be a human being, what is Life? Why were parasites given life? what is the purpose of life? why were we born? where do we go? All characters are smart and so three dimensional that you feel immersed and forget yourself The character development of Shinichi is simply stunning, from being a weak average guy not wanting to kill people then through traumas into an emotionless monster only to then get some of his humanity back Yet it isnt done superficially like tokyo ghoul, its done thoroughly and slowly, as you grow with him In the beginning of my watch, Izumi was an amazing character, but I actually liked Migi more, it such a unique concept, what the parasites are, its such a unique worldview that you can rarely see anywhere else Migi (the parasite in the right hand of shinichi) is especially extremely intelligent and emotionless thus he always goes straight to the point in the anime, Parasites are a Reality, imagine if that was our reality, but of course you cant because you arent immersed enough I was immersed a lot since it was my second rewatch and thus I was amazed by how the reactions of society, the philosophies of the parasites, of migi, of shinichi, Tamia ryouko, and the various other character interacting with each other The evolution of the worldview of shinichi, migi and the various other characters Yes, I said I liked migi more and didnt like shinichi in the beginning because he was a naive kid with too many emotions But its not That, when I was watching, it struck me, its not shinichi nor migi, its their Partnership! Humans are too emotional, parasites are too ruthless, migi and shinichi are both sides working together and thus they can overcome many obstacles because they have different worldviews and work together as seperate entities trying to achieve a unity to survive There were various times in which migi was right intellectually but it wouldnt have worked in the action and shinichi interfered although emotionally it helped overturn the situation Like Migi thinking to use the classmates are human shields, shinichi refusing then having to face the parasite head on yes it seems superficial yet its because of that shinichi was understimated and they were able to outsmart the parasite imagine if they had used humans as shields, the parasite would always be on edge and protect itself since they are hiding, yet because izumi brought a different view, the parasite saw shinichi alone and thus had no reason to protect himself thoroughly or be careful On the other hand, Migi's plans are just pure genius, you just stand in awe at the plans he makes to overcome enemies in the middle of a fight out of nowhere Like in the fights with Gotou scenes, those plans were pure genius, he even was able to near defeat him multiple times just pure sheer thinking outside the box, Gotou the near invincible parasite, just goes to show how migi is pure genius And its not superifical plans, you are given information from which migi make his plan, and seeing the plan migi makes is always suprising Both shinichi and Migi influence each other and slowly they start to understand each other Slowly, Migi and shinichi become one unity, they start to know each other, even without talking, they know each other and thats when they become truly strong But the Philosophy is where everything gets its weight Migi said that his earliest memory is him being told to take over the brain and then being disappointed when failing Tamia ryouko brings up "how everything might be under a derective, an order to do something" She then asks "where did we come from? where do we go? why were we born?" This is not just for the parasites but for humanity as well What is Life? One day we were born out of nowhere, we then learn to live, eat, move, study, play, work, pop some kids then die, this is what every human has done since the dawn of time But as there is a niche for everything, so did a minority of human beings decide to walk into the unknown and explore it Is the world just a coincidence? What is life? Where did it come from? Scientists might try to explain oh well these compounds with other compounds made life possible, but then where did those compounds come from? Where did atoms come from? Maybe there were always there, maybe not, no one knows Maybe there is a God, maybe there is nothing but a Void We can't know, no one can know There is no objective meaning to life, and life itself is merely a series of events for a person to survive, pass on their genes and then die Of course, this is a pretty nihilistic point of view but I made it for a purpose since parasites are emotionless rational creatures Parasites unlike humans do not have emotions, they are rational and their unique goal is survival, there is no love or friendship, there is interest in knowledge and excitment for battle, but they dont have emotions that cloud their judgments When shinichi turned emotionless, after the dog died, he threw it into the trash can, since the dog died, the consciousness inside died as well, thus he said it was merely a hemp of flesh in the form of a dog which is absolutely right intellectually, but murano an emotional human being was shocked Flesh is just that, flesh, a corpse of a dog, or a human, or any other creature are just that, a bunch of flesh Yet human beings being emotional beings would cry over the dead or see throwing a dead dog thrown into a trash can in contempt But there is an inherent hypocrisy underlying human beings Human beings only care about their entourage, yes most naive humans would disagree with evil, yet all their action contributes to the destruction of the planet Those environmental activists who take planes to get to conferences about climate change to countries starting wars over ressources, to politicians boasting about climate actions while sending their trash in cargo ships to poor countries Yes most human beings wouldnt want to do that or would they? with time and some minor things or temptations, some hardships or for survival anyone would be forced to commit evil and they will do it, we can see this clearly in war torn third world countries Or politicians thirsty for money, or mentally ill people, humanity has much of a good side as a dark side Or in history, when normal people followed hitler to fight bloody wars, which I remind you everyone would do it since humans are always easily influenced by environment and people they know From this point of view, is Parasites eating human beings any different? They are doing it for survival It could be said Parasites are the good guys while humans are the evil ones, but both good and evil are merely human standards of judging As Shinichi said it in the last few episodes, the Planet is emotionless, he should only care about his entourage, people he cares about, yes his enemies are doing it for survival Thus he kills Gotou despite his initial sympathy towards creatures wanting to just survive Its funny in the last 2 episodes, migi became like shinichi and didnt want to kill one of his own The inherent hypocrisy of humanity is clearly shown that despite being inherently emotional beings, some humans care more about their own selves than most people There is an inherent filth to human beings, if you give power to anyone, no matter who it is, they will be corrupted, 100% Most human beings themselves are completely selfish, they only care about looking good to others, they will care about what they experience They would help charities but hate having to look at homeless people They might be rich or middle class, when they look at someone at the bottom, its as if they look at trash or a lower being Some give them money just to feel good about themselves or advertise it to others This part of humanity is rotten and has been more and more prevalent And especially with parasites, finally there was an actually other power that was there to threaten human beings and force them to change But even this humans being good or evil is merely human standards of judging There is No Good and No Evil Anything anyone does is for survival, even caring for others is for one's own survival, a hyenah eating a cheetah's cub is for survival, love and affection to strengthen family ties is for survival, attraction to the opposite sex and love is for survival Everything is there for survival, the good side and bad sides of humanity are all their for each individual's survival Even a leader helping people will always want to get respect and status back which is way to feel good about himself also for survival In this way, Parasites have actually been completely right from the beginning Well yes, but not totally Until now, I told of the bad side of humanity, but the good side cant be ignored either Having affection and emotional attachments helps alleviate suffering and help every unfortunate life by considering all life to be precious Its a complete shift in perspective from seeing everything is there for survival to everything is there for affection and love and all life is precious Murano embodies the second side and is there to help shinichi not lose himself in the first side Since both sides are True. When she goes against shinichi for throwing the dog in the trash can She embodies human affection that gives life meaning and helps shinichi not lose himself in the first side especially since she helped him in one of the crucial parts when he changed to being emotionless There is always this interplay of going from the first to the second side continuously, from meaninglessness to meaning, since both are sides of life, accepting one and rejecting the other wouldnt work in parasyte since the other side will just come out again Only by accepting both sides, Migi and shinichi, Parasyte and Human, these two facets of One Whole This is what Tamia ryouko said on her last moment "we are fragile "beings", don't bully us, I've come to understand we both are two parts of the same whole" This same whole would mean the Wholeness of Life, of existence, good and bad being the same sides of the Oneness of All Its this Wholeness that Life is or perhaps what we call God God in here isnt the same as in religions, God is neither good nor evil I subscribe to God being Life, God being the world, a form of pantheistic approach to existence Only by accepting both sides of life, can one Know Life and Accept Life as it is. And by knowing and accepting Life as it is does one becomes utterly Free I think its this or something even beyond that Migi went to search when he decided to sleep and go back to find something beyond in the dream with shinichi Its simply trying to find the Origin of Life or atleast Understand It. Why were we born? Where did we come from? Where do we go? What are we? Its these questions that animate Life and is why I believe Life is created This anime is simply a Masterpiece, its provoked such thoughts, I've wrote twice these words but resumed it for readers As a philosophy and one who is deeply interested in the Mystery of Life and existence, I am deeply in awe at how the mangaka was able to put such a tale to life Literally better than 99% of anime, simply a Masterpiece The Purpose of Life, Existence, the Secrets of the Universe, Love, Hate, These are what Animate our Universe pain, pleasure, good, bad, righteousness, evil, good, bad, Human beings, Parasytes, Two fact of the Same Whole, Two facets of Life Without bad, why talk about good? Without evil, why talk about righteousness? Without pain, how can pleasure have any value? How can one grow? Maturing in reality is realising that Life is Perfect as it is. All the facets of existence, humans, saving the environmemt, pollution, growth, decay, building, destruction, saving a life, killing, All of These are Facets of the Same Whole All Existence is merely a Reflection of that same Wholeness or what we call God
Parasyte is about what it means to be human; it deals with important issues such as being faithful to one's own nature; it teaches you to question your beliefs and ideas of good and evil with a light and heartwarming friendship that slowly develops throughout the entire series. It is an anime that covers many aspects of being human, and it brings you to shatters to then give you hope for the main protagonist; there are moments when he seems to lose his own sanity and go rogue, but he maintains his calm also thanks to a dear childhood friend which keeps him stable, is tricky to review Parasyte without mentioning the main character personal journey of acceptance, and grief, as it is crucial to understanding the deep intricacies which go on in this anime. Parasyte is about, in broader terms, the environmental damage that humans brought and the instability that has been caused due to human loose waste management, battery farming, and cultures. The author offers a solution to this issue, which is natural selection; in the anime, the Earth recurs to the use of these parasites as predators, which take control of their host by mainly going for the head if they are successful. Still, sometimes, as it happens to the main character, they do not, and thus, the long friendship and changes occurring through the main character's mind all come from this first contact with this alien body taking over his right hand. There are many episodes which delve into deeper topics like motherhood and mutualism from the scientific point of view broadly concerning the Earth we live in as a living being; there is an interesting quote which covers the same lines as Dr Anderson from The Matrix said by a mayor working with the man-eating parasites about how in reality humans are the natural parasites for our planet. This anime is also one of the reasons why, after I finished it, I struggled to find any good anime that could make me feel, or that intrigued me. I thought a lot about my own behaviour and how it is so easy to fall into being animals; we are all children of the Earth. How could humanity be a collective organism that should be seen not individually but as a community? This story goes so deep into the big questions that it messes you up in multiple ways. It gets to you emotionally, physically, and foremost through reason. I could put it on the same shelf as Death Note for the depth of how it goes through the difficulties of being human and searching for true justice. On the other hand, I would put it on the same shelf as Clannad for the amount of tragedy the main character goes through and dealing with grief, and I should also put it on the same shelf as Gurren Lagan for how it develops the friendship between the host and its symbiont. After all, this anime is a must-watch if you are interested in thinking about what it means to be human.