I watched the anime after having read the manga, so I tried to focus more on presentation rather than depth of plot or depth of character.
Story: 9/10
Having read the manga, I already knew the story--all its twists and turns, who would die, what characters would show up when and so for me--this anime was less about being surprised and even more about being immersed in the world. While being new to the plot would have definitely helped immersion, it isn't a necessity. The story was nothing amazing to me in the first place: another anime high school student (who really doesn't go to
...
high school though) grows up through a new character that throws his life into chaos--a generalization, but more or less the archetype that these sort of animes follow. But the presentation was well done.
To me, pacing means to control how long events have to sink in or how long a person dwells upon an emotion; how long a certain idea is thought about or how quickly a character changes and pulls the plot with him--this anime creates a plot that is neither a bland mishmash of insignificant ideas nor a road trip where each event is another landmark along an otherwise boring journey. I may have known what was going to happen, but the plot moved at an enjoyable pace: traumatic events that happened in previous arcs were not forgotten about; no event felt unimportant and moreover, I never felt like the plot had become sluggish. By sluggish I mean that characters were not doing negligible acts. In doing so, the plot was merely an obstruse structure that allowed the characters actions, reactions, thoughts and emotions shine through. There were flaws, of course: certain events felt like they were still forced from the manga, such as both of the incidents at the school. This lowers the score and so the story-telling warrants a 8/10. If you're interested in the plot alone, as in the shockingness of certain events, then I'd gives it a 5/10. The presentation pushes the anime's story to a 8/10.
Art: 7/10
Having read the manga, my expectations were relatively low. However, just the first episode made it clear to me that I was wrong. The art is fine and there is a strong focus on detail on the background and many of Migi's transformations. I'm not a great art critic, so I can't say much, but the animation was definitely fluid and very little felt lazily done. It didn't wow me like any of Shaft's animes but I didn't cringe when I looked at it like ping pong the animation. So 7/10--good--seems about right.
Sound: 9/10
Voice acting was fine and the sound effects were fine. Both were helped immerse the watcher. However, inventive hardly begins to describe the music and its usage. I really wanted to give a lower score at first mainly because the dubstep track used "I am" in the beginning episodes of the series had the bass drop in the middle of conversations which always made me burst in laughter because of how out of place it was--breaking both the immersion and the fact that I was supposed to take the scene seriously. On the other hand, the other music tracks were lovingly made and supported each scene, usually without detracting from it. In fact, they added to it too. For example, Murano, the primary love interest, has a theme song called "Bliss" and surprisingly, it pays homage to "Just the way you are" by Bruno Mars. As the main character Shinichi changes, Murano rails against the change almost showing how she wants him to stay just the way he is. But near the end, she grows to fully love him the way he is--whether he changes or not. Realizing this made every scene with her slightly more meaningful to me. Otherwise, the music was generally memorable and felt full of emotion, like "next to you". These strengths made up for the awkward flaws with utilizing dubstep. So to me, it's 9/10.
Character: 7/10
As expressed, I already knew the characters, their main flaws, strengths, motives and general thought processes. Sadly, this anime didn't fix some of the more useless characters that were not only one-dimensional, but seemed to show up specifically so that it wouldn't seem like an isolated world with just the main character and his newfound companion. I constantly questioned the existence of every other love interest and possibly even the primary one. In general, this anime focused so intently on characterizing probably three characters to the fullest that the rest had no real depth at all. I can't blame them too much, given their source material, but aside from the main character, his hand and one of the antagonists, I couldn't bring myself to care about anyone else--they felt less like people and more like images on the screen. However the 3 to 4 characters that were fully developed and helped exemplify the definition of "dynamic character"; their thoughts and emotions were clearly expressed and while some parts seemed a bit roughly glued together, the majority of it made a convincing case that these characters were "real". Compared to the manga, its presentation felt stronger. And to me, after 24 episodes, any anime that can convince you that the main two characters are somewhat real deserves a 6/10 at the very least.
I also want to explore another aspect of characters: character relationships. How characters talk/react to each other and how this action changes throughout the anime is important; it not only helps to highlight a character's changing personality or explore their depths, but also helps make the scenario real. This could easily be part of the Story section, but I feel it fits more here. In any case, Shinichi's initial relationship with Migi is great. It was exactly what I would have expected if we were given Shinichi and Migi's personalities to begin with. And as the series progressed, their interaction was excellent. It was not only what I expected, but it was shown in a proper manner: their quibbles, their agreements and their compromises. It was a continual dance in conversation. This really gives the anime's character a more real feeling. A real Shinichi and a real Migi, living in a real world. I wanted to give at least an 9/10 for that.
And then there's Shinichi's relationship with many of the other characters. They are present, but to me, most felt purposeless. Some might argue that this helps fill up an otherwise necessary void. But to me, every horror genre type of art attempts to convince the reader that some part of the horror--the situation, the emotions, the thoughts--is real despite being clearly fictional. And these relationships that exist but feel pointless really undermines the immersion process. That drags down the score to a 7/10.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I suppose this is where I admit to my bias. I like flashy things; I like non-repetitive fight scenes and innovation in battle. I like just enough exposition to get the ball rolling and just enough action for further action to remain meaningful. I like to see characters change, to see their motives and how they think. I like to see them follow behaviors that come from their motives and thought processes--and then change what they think (but showing the progression too) from time to time. Parasyte fits that bill.
Overall: 8/10
It averages to 8/10. But honestly, if you didn't already read the manga, it should be a 9/10. Moreover, the rewatchability of this show far outstrips many other horror anime that I've watched. Thanks for reading!
May 2, 2015
Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
(Anime)
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I watched the anime after having read the manga, so I tried to focus more on presentation rather than depth of plot or depth of character.
Story: 9/10 Having read the manga, I already knew the story--all its twists and turns, who would die, what characters would show up when and so for me--this anime was less about being surprised and even more about being immersed in the world. While being new to the plot would have definitely helped immersion, it isn't a necessity. The story was nothing amazing to me in the first place: another anime high school student (who really doesn't go to ... 
May 11, 2013
Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki
(Anime)
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Unlike many other reviews, I actually watched this movie before watching "Summer Wars" and "The Girl who leapt through time". But I suppose I'll just get to the review:
Story: The story felt more segmented to me rather than a fluid movie--not that this is a bad thing. The director clearly wanted to give a general contrast between city and country life, if I am to be as vague as possible. But let's look at the first segment: the preparation segment The set-up for the story was well done: not too much emphasis on the romance, and explaining all the details as efficiently as possible. I thought ... |
