Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

As someone who is very intrigued by human-monster stories, parasyte caught my attention immediately as soon as I heard of its existence. With the 1989 manga being a highly praised classic, it’s no wonder the community was excited to see how this adaptation will unfold. Landing in the hands of the illustrious studio madhouse and receiving two cours worth of content, parasyte looked in very good hands. There is no other studio that can capture a gritty sensation full of tension as well as madhouse as they have proved they can create works of that calibre with Monster and Kaiji being the two best examples. ... And for the most part it certainly delivered on the promised hype. Instead of opting to focus on one or two specific elements parasyte wanted to be a jack of all trades with high stakes action, intellectually stimulating themes, a dash of psychological elements and even some romance. Its balance between so many tones provided the show with something for everyone to enjoy and is one of the core reasons why it exploded with popularity when it aired back in 2014. Though it is without a doubt unquestionable that the anime did have some very obvious defects along the way that detracted from it reaching greater heights despite doing a moderately good job juggling so many balls.

The first ball is the action and I would say is the dominant one. Before it’s a romance, or a psychological show, parasyte is a high-intensity action thriller. Most of its plot is driven primarily through its action sequences. The action scenes on their own are breathtaking. Throughout its entire run parasyte’s animation was fairly consistent and that kept the action from falling into mediocrity in the latter half, something that happens to a lot of shows in their 2nd half. Along with the animation, parasyte was heightened by its thrilling EDM OST. It’s quite rare to see an anime in this era with an OST of this nature, and I am not personally a fan of the music but parasyte nailed its use completely. Before action sequences were about to begin, the show opted to use more mysterious and slower paced soundtracks to build up the tension and heighten the level of danger. Once the action scenes themselves initiated, the soundtrack switched to a more fast-paced beat to capture the feeling of intensity that comes with parasyte’s action. Packaged in a great exterior by the animation and OST, the action scenes were further enhanced by the high stakes that came with them. There was no room for error, no room for breathing. With every mistake Shinichi made, he got punished for it, and even making one mistake in a deadlock battle with his enemies could have been the end for him. With every grating strike; the stakes only increased, and this is what ultimately makes parasyte’s action scenes great to sit through. When shit hit the fan; the adrenaline and tension were unreal.

The second ball is the character relationships. This wasn’t handled rather too well, with the cast being hit or miss as a whole. What was the highlight of this section is the dynamic relationship between Shinichi and Migi. Having completely different morals and ways of living that were consistently clashing is what made them such a joy to watch. Their character interactions were meaningful to the story, engaging and throughout the show they both grew as characters by understanding each other’s viewpoints. Furthermore, as individual characters their character progression was interesting, instead of progressing in a cookie-cutter manner, Shinichi and Migi slowly started to develop traits that were present in the opposites personality, with Shinichi becoming more like a parasite and Migi showing more human traits as the story moved along. Migi’s growth came as a result of furthering his understanding of human society and the social norms that comes with them. Shinichi’s case is unfortunately not as natural but nevertheless it was still engaging to watch his character progression as the plot unfolded. Both of the Main characters beliefs were challenged as the series progresses, but their ideals are never truly changed. This action plays positively into parasyte’s hands as it highlights one of the shows biggest messages; to never try and understand the mindset of a different species from your own, as it’s impossible to judge them using your own species standards.

The third ball is the romantic relationship between the two female leads. This is by far the weakest section of the show. Kanna and Murano were both very weak as characters and i would go as far as to call them useless. Their contribution to the story can be summed up in two lines. “ARE YOU REALLY SHINICHI-KUN?” and, “SHINICHI YOU ARE THE ONE”. Yes. That’s it. Murano is a classic anime plot device that only exists to forcefully let the audience know that Shinichi is not the person he once was like a propaganda tower preaching some third-rate ideology. Additionally, she was always a damsel in distress. She found herself on more occasions that one in sticky situations so Shinichi can have a girl to save. Other than that, she was only there to comfort Shinichi. Realistically speaking their romantic relationship makes sense as they knew each other for a long time, but the role that Murano plays in the story is stupid and trite. On the other hand, Kanna was completely retarded. Having being introduced quite early on in the story Kanna fell in love with Shinichi only a few episodes after they met and it was for the most stupid reason you could imagine; because she could sense his presence using some stupid unexplained sensing technique where she can feel a parasyte’s aura if one was nearby. First of all, why does that sensing technique exist? Second of all, why was she attracted to him for such a petty reason? And last but not least, which human being is stupid enough to risk their life to meet someone even after being warned? Serving zero purpose to the overall plot and proving to be more retarded than a 5-year old, Kanna only existed in the show to once again ham-fist us the point that Shinichi is not the same he once was.

The fourth and final ball parasyte tried to juggle was tackling a wide range of themes including identity, ecology, human nature and more all mixed into its story and characters. I will refrain from talking about its themes too much as it will get into spoiler territory, but the hot topic that was present from the very start and is the essence of parasyte is a study of ecology. Primarily about how different species interact with one another, both physically and mentally. Throughout its entire run, parasyte raises questions about whether different species should attempt to understand each other, the purpose of a species existence, the fundamental reasons on why a species behaves the way in which they do. Parasyte is filled with interesting ideas and concepts not present in many anime from this decade. Some of the themes explored are disconnected from each other, but that doesn’t stop parasyte from being an intellectually energizing work that will certainly leave an impression.
The character who drove the ecological developments of the show forward was Tamura Reiko. Her role in the story proved to be one of the most important as she was the main focal point for Parasyte’s themes. Her character progression was joyful to watch as she questioned the reason for her species existence as well as trying to empathize with human behaviour, particularly the significance of the maternal bond in later episodes. Identity was also explored through Tamura’s significance to the story. But not an identity crisis in the same sense as Shinichi, but rather the identity of an entire species as she searched for a reason that validated her breed's existence.

Another notable character is the main antagonist of the show; Goto. While not as interesting as Tamura Reiko Goto still has a role to play, and that is being a representation of the untainted beauty of nature. He in himself is an illustration of a wild animal simply on the hunt and following his instincts. Not influenced by outside sources or societal constructs. In a way, Goto is also an answer to one of Parasyte’s biggest questions; what are the parasites? Goto shows that no matter how strong a creature may appear on the exterior, internally they are just another life-form frightened by the mere fact of losing their life.

The anime preferred to only touch upon these themes rather than viewing them as a whole under the magnifying glass and can at times be a little forced due to the over dramatic nature of its cast, but what was impressive is that parasyte wasn’t sugar-coating its ideas or being idealistic in its thematic approach. It presented its themes through an unbiased lens, showing the darker sides to humanity when it could have easily played them out to be the heroes, and giving the audience an understanding of the parasite’s actions while it could have easily played them out to be the villains. It’s an accurate representation of the law of nature and the ecosystem that governs all the species that live on planet Earth, all while mixing in fast-paced action sequences. It is plagued by obvious drawbacks but it achieves a good balance between popcorn entertainment and insightful commentary on the nature of humanity and ecology as a whole. It could have very easily crumbled under the pressure of mixing so many elements at once or being too overly-ambitious in its thematic approach and as a result coming off as convoluted or over-bloated with unnecessary dialogue. But the show kept its composure and is all around a nice piece of work.

As far as the technical side of things goes, Parasyte was solid for the most part.The show could have benefitted from a grittier art style to match the sense of unease that the show was going for, but nonetheless the artwork and art style were nothing to write home about but worked well enough for its contemporary setting with both the character designs and backgrounds satisfactory. The animation during the action sequences was also quite fluid with only a few noticeable derps. However the show is bogged down visually with some immersion-breaking CGI on background characters multiple times.
There are also a few problems present in the plot that do make it a little difficult to take Parasyte a little seriously. Most of these problems do arise because the director is tasked with trying to adapt material that is set in a different time period. Keep in mind that this manga began serialization in 1989. As a result of the director’s poor translation of the material into a modern setting, the writing did come off as stupid at some points in the show. Another setback were some contrivances in the final two episodes which influenced the outcomes of the Shinichi vs Goto fight and the ending of the series which made it feel rather cheesy, a bit of a blunder for a show that was asking its audience to take the ride seriously.

But ultimately those drawbacks didn’t matter too much to what the show conveyed and achieved. Whether you are a diehard anime fan, a casual, a pleb, a critic, an elitist, a cat or a dog. It’s an anime i encourage everyone to try as it’s one of the only recent anime that is capable of providing something for everyone to enjoy. Romance, action, commentary, social criticisms and a grim reminder of what it feels like to not be on top of the food chain.

Parasyte is unlike many horror and Seinens we see today, its both of those done right. I really don't need to review this. To sum up this review, GO FUCKING WATCH THIS SHOW NOW!!!!!!! Now for the people who have time to read this, this show has been praised to the sun, it deserves the praise it gets, a well written plot, some really well developed characters, one of the best OPs like of all time, smart censoring and a goddamn blast to watch. Thats a second summarisation of this review...

Parasyte's story is truly unique from start to finish, it pulls you in with the ... idea of its alien like creatures known as 'parasites' it explains to you everything you need to know in its first ep. and then slaps you on your butt gently and then you're good to go. It really explores human society and how its one fucked up society. The problems would probably include how the pacing can sometimes be, slow, we see something happen but in a way where the show needs half a damn episode to explain, get to the point already! Also it can suffer from its story can be a little dull, we get focused on one parasite in the beggining of the story, which isn't really that important and later on we get some dull things to get you hyped for bigger things to come which really does ruin the show's mood.

The characters are really well done. At first we have Izumi Shinichi, the main protagonist in this show, he seems like you're typical average student, but migi comes along and spices his life up (the second MC) and seeing how 2 different beings work together is pulled off well. We see how both grow as characters and slowly become badass. There's Murano, which many people hate, I liked her, she cared for Shinichi, she dosen't wanna see him go through bad things, she's there to help him with problems, in the manga she's way more of a bitch to how people talk about her, so no hate.

The Animation is pretty good for the most part, its solid and some techniques of censorship is done really well, it leaves your imagination and thats really the true gore of it. The music is decent, the OP is goddamn amazing and upbeat while the ED dosen't really fit the show, its nice yet seems more fitting to a Slice of Life than a horror. The OSTs are good even though they're dubstep, but are creative for some scenes. The voice acting is done well and deserves bonus points for realism.

The show is a blast to watch, with tense ass action scenes and scenes that really get you on the edge of your seat, No dialouge is useless and it takes no time to waste your time unlike as I said earlier where some dialouge does seem to drag on. There was one episode in particular that made me bored but besides these little technical problems, you'll find not very much boredom.

Story: 9.3
Art: 8
Sound: 9
Character: 9.5
Enjoyment: 9.7

Parasyte stays true to its manga which is fucking 26 years old! Yes something that old can still be good. And as people say it 'Retro will always win'. Madhouse did a splendid job adapting and i give kootos to them and hope their future projects are as good as this, especially with a One Punch Man adaption on its way by themselves! Stop everything you're watching and watch this shit, you won't regret a single minute.

Parasite is niiiice...a real gem within the rocks.
There is absolutely nothing wrong about Parasite.
The anime keeps you on edge from start to end...it has no flaws as a story-line, art or flow...the rest depends on the personal taste of its person.

As an anime, it is exceptionally intriguing, there are no unnecessary scenes or dialogues and every sentence that is uttered has meaning.

The characters are interesting, although not so influencing as to get obsessed with them.

It is also rare, the fact that it poses questions of the world's general ideology. Why is the human species superior? Why is the "survival of the fittest" being denied by ... humans as soon as someone fitter appears, from the moment they established it?

The few battles that it has are conducted in a most zestful and alluring way, while dubstep that accompanies them makes you all the more excited...neh, chibi?...

If one was to find flaws, that would be at the appeal of the story. Even though, it is particularly well made and thought out, it emits an invisible coldness that makes it somewhat distant. For example, One Piece is an anime which makes you bond with it because it focuses very very much on the characters. Someone might dislike the fact that parasite focuses too much on the story and uses characters to narrate it.
If One Piece's characters are on the surface, Parasite's are underneath.

That, along with the violence and bloody scenes. However, unlike other anime with raw violence, Parasite doesn't use scenes as a tool to show blood, they feel almost necessary, hence the reason one might not mind them. They do not provoke, compared to other which simply want to show blood, you can say that Parasite has to.

What I love the most about Parasyte is how it starts being awesome *immediately*. It's extraordinarily rare to find an anime with such a strong opening, and I almost felt like giving it a 10 after just a couple of episodes. It has this incredibly sense of immersion which draws you in as a viewer and constantly keeps you wanting to find out what happens next. As a result, this is one of the most addictive and marathonable anime I've seen in a very long time.


--Story--
Based on the classic manga by Iwaaki Hitoshi, Parasyte is a science-fiction horror story about 17-year-old Izumi Shinichi who one ... day gets his right hand devoured by an unidentified, worm-like parasitic life form. The organism was actually trying to take over his brain, but failed and thus had to settle with taking over the place of his right hand instead. And thus begins the thrilling journey of a symbiotic relationship between a human and an alien sharing a single body, and their horrifying struggle against other Parasytes and society itself, as danger lurks around every corner when any given human might secretly have had their brains taken over on the inside by the enemy. When both human and non-human lives are weighted against each other, the story forcefully asks the question of just how much a human life is truly worth.

The Parasytes are highly metamorphic and can shapeshift to just about any form imaginable at an incredibly high velocity. This enables them to disguise themselves, extend their bodies dozens of meters, harden their skin and take the shape of sharp blades, or even split in two like amoebas. Because of this there's an effectively endless potential for creativity in this anime as almost nothing is impossible when Parasytes are involved.

The story kicks off with a bang and goes right into the action from pretty much the very first episode. It is interesting, original and amazingly well presented. he death count is extremely high which always keeps you on your toes as you can never take any character's survival for granted at any given moment. The pacing is superb, and on top of that the show also has a tendency to end all of its episodes in mini-cliffhangers which really makes you want to watch the next episode immediately thereafter. It reminds me a bit of Code Geass in that sense, and as a result I would highly recommend Parasyte to be marathoned rather than watched over time. I didn't watch it while it was airing myself, but in retroperspective I'm very glad that I didn't. Having to wait a whole week between every episode of this anime sounds like a nightmare.

--Characters--
If you want to talk about character development, then you'll be hard-pressed to find someone who changes more over time than Shinichi does. He doesn't just grow up, but effectively becomes a completely different person over the course of the anime as a result of the horrific events he's forced to experience. What I love the most about his character is how well it showcases his struggle for his own humanity. With his right hand belonging to an alien rather than himself, can he really call himself human anymore? What consequences does this have? His emotions (or lack of emotions) are extremely well expressed in this sense and really makes you feel for him and his situation.

His symbiotic partner, fittingly named Migi (which means ‘Right' in Japanese) in reference to Shinichi's right hand, is perhaps even more interesting. The Parasyte race does not possess the concepts of emotions, empathy or sympathy. Migi is an entirely logical being more reminiscent of Kyuubey from Madoka Magica or even a computer if you will with the way he thinks and acts. Of course this mentality more often than not clashes directly with Shinichi's own opinions, especially when it involves other human lives as Migi only cares about his own survival. As a result they're both friend and foe at the same time to one another, but since they're both dependent on each other they have to find a way to cooperate as best as possible nonetheless.

There is also a rather large supporting cast both among humans and Parasytes in this show, some of which are more noteworthy than others but they all have their own roles in the story and feel relevant in the grand scheme of things.

--Art--
Parasyte is animated by Madhouse, and as you may expect from them at this point, there is essentially nothing to complain about as far as the visual aspect goes. Everything in this show looks detailed and polished, albeit not mind-blowing either. What is definitely worth mentioning however is the way the motions of the Parasytes themselves are animated. The way Migi and the other organisms constantly morph and distort in almost horrific fashion looks amazingly gruesome and intense. The fight scenes in-between Parasytes take place at superhuman speeds, where they transform themselves into numerous tentacle-like arms with large, sharpened blades at the tips, resulting in monstrous types of fencing scenes in mid-air. It looks revolting yet captivating at the same time, and it never ceases to amaze you with how jarring it feels.

--Sound--
The soundtrack mainly consists of electronic music and dubstep... yes dubstep in anime. Not something you hear every day. However this actually happens to fit the anime's intense segments surprisingly nicely, and helps to emphasize the intensity of it all very well. On top of that there are also some more tranquil piano tunes and similar, some of which are surprisingly beautiful. Bottom line being that it always feels fitting for each and every scene when it's presented.

Sadly I can't quite say the same for the OP which is somewhat of an average screemo song that I didn't really like, and also the ED was really out of place I felt. Sure it was quite beautiful, but it didn't really fit the intense and serious atmosphere of the show very often.

As far as the voice acting goes, we have Shimazaki Nobunaga doing an exquisite performance in the role of Shinichi, as more or less every ounce of his character was drawn out almost perfectly. Also to my amazement, Migi is actually voiced by *Hirano Aya* herself out of all people. Even now I still feel a bit weird knowing that the same VA who voiced Suzumiya Haruhi and Izumi Konata among others is now doing the voice for a metamorphic alien lifeform in a horror anime, but honestly she pulls it off almost shockingly well, which once again is testament to just how talented of a voice actress she truly is. As a side note I must however say that Hanazawa Kana's role as Shinichi's classmate Satomi was not really her best one. Or rather I don't know why she of all people was chosen for that role as it really didn't fit her voice very well.

--Enjoyment--
Let me put it this way; I started watching Parasyte two days before the final episode aired with the intention of catching up just in time for it to finish... and even that ended up being too early. Seriously I could easily have watched this entire anime in one sitting had I had the option to at the time. It's just that addictive. Once you've started watching it, it's effectively impossible to stop.

--Overall--
I will honestly have to say that I severely underestimated this show prior to watching it. Horror is generally one of the least interesting genres in anime for the simple reason that... cartoons aren't scary. However Parasyte proves once and for all that when correctly combined with other genres and with some stellar writing, then it doesn't actually need to be scary in order to still be absolutely thrilling.

Parasyte is easily one of the best shows of 2014, perhaps even *the* best depending on who you ask. It's a fantastically well-written show with great production value, lots of originality and above all an enormous amount of plain addictiveness. Granted, the ending is perhaps not the best one you'll ever see but it's still decent enough to not drag the show down as a whole.

If you're squeamish about blood and gore, or if you just don't like violence in general then you might want to take caution as Parasyte definitely has an abundance of that. Beyond that fact though, I would honestly recommend it to just about anyone. It's just that good.

This series opens with the time-tested anime narrative device of granting extraordinary power to an ordinary guy. Although it is an extremely common premise, that doesn’t necessarily doom the series to the tired Shonen formula. I see it like moving a pawn as your opening move in Chess—everyone from novice to master starts there. And so, to gauge the quality of an anime’s storytelling one needs to watch how it plays out.

Story: 8/10
The story begins with Izumi, a geeky 12th grader, getting infested by an extraterrestrial parasite. This parasite, Migi, misses his intended target, the brain, and instead takes up residence in Izumi’s right hand. ... Across the world similar, infestations are taking place with most of the parasites reaching their victim’s brains, completely destroying the consciousness of the host and assuming control of their bodies. Unlike Migi, who survives on the nutrients within Izumi’s blood stream, the other parasites sustain themselves by devouring human flesh. Out of a mutual desire to survive from the other hostile parasites, Izumi and Migi form a mutualistic alliance while trying to live a normal human life.

The first half of this anime straddles the line between plot-driven and monster-of-the-week. I don’t have a problem with this as it essentially allows for the main characters and plot to develop separately, saving their intersection until later. The second half is when we start to run into trouble. When that ‘intersection’ finally arrives it is somewhat underwhelming. Many (but not all) of the plot elements that were painstakingly set up in the first 12 episodes are either unceremoniously negated or forgotten about later on. By the 2/3 mark, Parasyte becomes a different anime, with the plot losing a large portion of its scale and sense of urgency. It is still a great watch.

I found the story to be far more mature and introspective than pretty much anything I’ve seen since the first Psycho Pass. This anime generally succeeds in everything it sets out to do.

Characters: 8/10
Despite a few exceptions, only Migi and Izumi receive significant character development. Non-main characters are generally simplistic and sometimes appallingly forgetful of or indifferent to previously witnessed atrocities. They make it look easy to snap back from watching a bloodbath to resuming life ‘business as usual’. I found that part distracting and inconsistent with the story’s more serious tone. Even the notable ‘fleshed out’ exceptions did feel somewhat engineered—strategically set up to be killed off for the sake of advancing a narrow plot point. To be fair, isolation is a major theme in this anime and thus there really wasn’t a place for Izumi to interact too substantively with others. However, there are several interesting characters who, at least in my opinion, received too light a dusting of personality or longevity to fulfill a deep purpose.

Izumi: The concepts of change, evolution and hybridism are central themes in the storyline and are embodied in the main character Izumi. He starts out as a wussy high school kid but after fusing with Migi he begins to change in every way possible. There is a fascinating interplay between the biological effects of sustaining Migi, the psychological repercussions the duo’s violent encounters and the natural process of maturing into adulthood. Izumi’s metamorphosis happens steadily, inevitably and irreversibly. To some, Izumi’s character development will seem rushed or disjointed but I disagree. As anime viewers, we have been force-fed the cliché, shonen character development formula--loser gets superpower, struggles with power, finds inner badass after an internal monologue, uses the power of angry emotions to power up and defeat the villain, rescues girl. While Parasyte begins with Izumi fusing with Migi—an undeniable ‘super power’, the series is too ambitious to settle for such a simple, linear tale. Instead, the “rushed” development simply cuts out the filler and makes room for a more mature story later on.

Migi is one of those characters who almost everyone will love. If I have any problem with him it’s that he’s too likeable and distinct from the other sadistic and nightmarish parasytes. He’s cute, deadly, witty and very very handy :). I say this half in jest but their companionship does mitigate some of the terror and solitude that a horror-tagged anime might suggest. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, and the literal and figurative synergy between Izumi and Migi is really fun to watch. Their versatility and teamwork makes me wish I too had a co-pilot in my body.

Murano: She is Izumi’s love interest. She’s a boring, well-adjusted Japanese high school student. I wouldn’t call her a cardboard character but she’s definitely put in the story to serve a well-defined role in the narrative. That being said, her purpose goes well beyond just propping up a romance subplot; she serves as a barometer of, and anchor for, Izumi’s humanity. Everyone in the series changes to some degree but some much faster and divergently than others. This will make much more sense as you watch the series but I thought she was a very important--albeit somewhat uncharismatic—piece of the story.

Artwork: 9/10
Masterfully done, a 9/10 easy. The backgrounds were beautifully constructed and the character faces were very finely drawn. I was particularly impressed by artists’ ability to convincingly depict a wide variety of emotional states. At different points in the anime, the features of anguish, hope, coquettishness, anemia, fatigue, confidence, pensiveness, terror etc. were expertly captured with a rare, subtle elegance. The parasites were also very well drawn, especially the way they were shown to distort human faces and bodies in a way that was eerie rather than purely gratuitous. The fight scenes—though often brief—were superb, with the parasites executing an eerie, T-1000esque fluidity. My one complaint with the art is that Murano and Izumi’s mother looked uncannily similar. I found it weird, distracting and altogether too Freudian for my liking.

Sound: 9/10
I liked the intro and found it ipod worthy however it may be to angsty for some. The 9/10 comes from the music in the episodes which were very memorable. I felt like it accentuated emotional or dramatic scenes very nicely. There is this really haunting and delicate piece that is played during introspective and tragic sequences. It’s like xylophone music but it sends chills down my spine.

Overall: 9/10
Overall it was an a great, high-quality and thought-provoking anime. The bizarre premise, insectoid motifs and strong theme of isolation remind me of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis.

Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu or "Parasyte" was very interesting and kept me on edge almost the whole way through.

I'm sure others will review this anime to the 'T' so this will be short and simple if you don't know if you'd like it.

I'll break it down into the categories that we have to grade the anime on. I'll will try to avoid any insider spoilers other than common knowledge about the anime. I'll also try my best to explain (short n sweet style) why I gave it the score I did.

Story- (9/10): The story, as you probably know is all about that 'Humanity' and having ... it on the verge of being destroyed. That by itself is something I'm extremely interested in (Attack on Titan sort of anime) so I'm all ears at this point. I have to say, it does deliver. Its not the impact left after watching attack on titan (obviously) but it had its own twist that I'm sure anyone would love to watch. It's an experience that pulls the heart strings, gets your blood pumping and makes you want the next episode immediately. I was very happy with it.

Art- (9/10): I love them gory anime, know what I mean? This anime looks pretty without a doubt from the very first episode. Once you see the 'Monsters' attack and eat, it's crazy. I rate art usually on how nice it is to watch and how smooth everything happens. They did a very good job in my opinion.

Sound- (8/10): There isn't anything wrong with this soundtrack so I bounced between 7 and 8 for this score. Its nothing amazing but it went with the show. In a situation where everything's going to hit the fan, its kicks up some dubstep. Made my battles scenes all the better to watch.

Character- (9/10): The characters were mostly parasites, mostly. With that being said, they had their own attitude and general mind set for domination. It was really something. With the exceptions of a few parasites that didn't make a host of the human, which made matters even more interesting. It was a pleasure to watch everyone develop and the plot thicken over time. I'm positive that the characters make this show what it is.

Enjoyment/Overall- (9/10): This is a solid 9 in my book and other fans of the show probably agree. It had me hooked to the point that when I started an episode, it was over instantly. I can't say many shows do that for me. Watching someone get their head chopped off or the main protagonist figure out if this right hard is a friend or foe is just a great watch. If you want a show that delivers a good story, no ecchi, and plenty of gore then this is your show. It's nuts.

This anime is literally what makes me want to throw up. Every time someone has suggested that I watch this garbage, it makes me want to tear my hair out. I don't understand how people have any love for this.

The only thing this anime has going for it is the art/animation, that shit was okay, but when it came down to the anime's story and character development, Parasyte has completely screwed itself over. Parasyte had the opportunity to be a 'good' anime, but they completely destroyed that hope after the first two episodes when there was completely miss-matching music, the dubstep just completely threw ... me off of it.

The fight scenes being screwed over by the terrible dubstep and the fact that they last around 2-4 minutes at a max is an extremely bad thing.

Moral of the story, do not watch Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu/Parasyte: The Maxim or whatever the hell it's called, because it is not worth your time of 24 episodes. Just find something better and cooler to watch, you won't regret it.

This is my first review here on MAL but I felt that this anime was certainly deserving of being my first.

Story: 9/10

Upon completion of the anime I went back through and did a quick run through of it again, the story is well developed, but it isn't without a few problems here and there. Without spoiling too much the main problem I have with it is the parasites origins, and how it was never really explained. This was left a mystery even at the very end, and overall I felt that it could've lent a little closure to all the characters. It also felt somewhat ... rushed at times, but not to any major extremes so I felt it deserved a 9.

Art: 10/10

The first glimpses of the art, animation, and character designs may not have seemed impressive, but upon watching it a second time I was really impressed with how they didn't go overboard, and add too much or too little detail. Everything from the houses, buildings, exteriors, and even the gore and battle scenes were really well balanced. The battle scenes were especially well done in this regard, they easily could've hammed it up and made it intolerable, or made them far too quick and left them lacking. So for excellent balance in the art department this I give a firm 10.

Sound: 10/10

The soundtrack for this anime is excellent, and that is not an easy feat in my opinion. They managed to take several genres and styles of music and use them really effectively. At no point did I feel that the music was repetitive, and it always complimented what was going on instead of overpowering it. The opening and ending themes were excellent choices as well going perfectly in there respective spots, and I have to say it's the first time in a long time that I've watched every episode beginning to end listening to both.

Character: 10/10

As much as I wish I could find at least 1 character to complain about I really can't. Every character felt very realistic like someone you could easily know in real life, instead of a generic anime stereotype. Migi and Shinichi were well portrayed and I have to give credit to their voice actors and whoever recruited them because they did a perfect job. The interaction between all of the characters was extremely well done, and at no point did I ever find my self questioning why a particular character did what they did. So with that the characters have earned a well deserving 10.

Enjoyment: 10/10

As someone who has watched well over 100 anime, I can say that this is easily taking a spot in my top 5. I became attached to most of the characters parasites included, and this has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had with an anime since I began watching as a kid. If I were to give 1 complaint it would be that this series deserved a longer run maybe 1 or 2 more episodes on it to close it out, however the ending as is was extremely well done, and I can not fault it at all for where it did end so I'm giving it a hard 10.

Overall: 10/10

This anime is near perfect, and as mentioned before is certainly going into my top 5 favorite anime. From beginning to end it kept me invested with the story, the art and animation were perfectly balanced, the music and themes were well chosen and used, the characters were believable and sounded the way they should, and it has been an overwhelmingly enjoyable experience. Despite some minor complaints that really were out of the staffs control this has been one of the best anime I have ever had the privilege to watch, and I would recommend it to anyone as a good anime to start out with, as long as their not a small child. This has earned the 10 that I'm giving it, and I hope that others can watch this masterpiece and see for them selves what can be done in a great anime like it.

Fascinating, suspenseful. Parasyte leaves you craving to know more, and keeps you company with a charming creature character.

★★★★

Parasyte is the best anime of 2014 (and likely 2015). I say this with confidence.

The story is about parasitic creatures that invade human bodies, taking over the brain and replacing the person. Not “controlling” them, but straight up taking residence. Your main character (MC) gets a parasite, too, but the creature fails to capture his brain. The parasite ends up taking over his right arm giving that arm shape shifting abilities.

Turns out, the parasites are sentient creatures. The MC’s parasite gets a name: Migi. It means “right hand.” ... Instead of a being a monster, Migi turns out to be the best (and most adorable) character of the show. It’s not even a contest. He’s curious, he speaks his mind, he cares, he’s logical—he’s a little Spock. The MC himself isn’t too bad either. He has development: going from a wimp to getting a new haircut and a girlfriend—and being less of a wimp.

The plotting is addicting. You’ll learn more and more about the parasites. You’ll find yourself popping one episode after another to see what happens next. It’s 24 episodes, but they go by fast. If you weren’t forced to catch this weekly then you’re lucky. The rest of us suffered every week. The episodes seemed like they lasted 5 minutes a piece.

The action is engaging because there’s always this real possibility the MC and Migi could be killed by other parasites. They’re forced to strategize about their encounters. There’s no power of friendship to save them. Plus, the MC has to keep Migi a secret so the whole show has this fundamental layer of tension. They even have to grapple with moral dilemmas.

The animation is good enough. It’s not particularly detailed or interesting to look at. It’s a faithful adaptation, but they should’ve added their own changes. It could’ve used more hand jokes with Migi. Some characters deserved more screen time. But these are all very minor negatives. Did I mention the awesome dubstep?

"If you have the right to live, so do we. Granted, I believe rights are a concept unique to the human species." -Migi

Parasyte The Maxim is anime that deals with interesting topic; what makes us, humans, “so special” in comparison with other species?

Story: 8/10

The story is really interesting, and even though there are animes that have similar plot as Parasyte The Maxim, I find this one best developed. Everything is well explained and you can always keep up with the plot. The only problem I have with the plot is the “romance” part of it. Most of the times I felt it was too ... “forced” and sometimes even a bit annoying.

Art: 7/10

The art is not bad by any chance, but it's not breath taking either. You can say it's a little above average.

Sound: 9/10

The opening of this anime is simply awesome. Maybe there is a little bit too much autotune, but I don't care. It really sets the mood for this series. The background music fits the series really well, except for some dubstep tracks. It was harder to concentrate on what's going on while dubstep was playing. The voice acting was simply amazing.

Character: 8/10

Well I can't really talk too much about characters without spoiling the series so I will just say that the characters are well developed throw each episode are most of them are really likeable. You will definitely find at least one character with whom you can connect in one way or another.

Enjoyment: 8/10

I really enjoyed this anime. With each episode I like it more and more. Until the last episode. The last episode was a bit too rushed.

Overall: 8/10

This anime is not perfect, but it's not bad either. The story is, to some extent, original, the art is good, the music is amazing and the characters are really likeable. I would really recommend this anime to anyone who likes horror/sci-fi/ genre.

Ah, Parasyte. An anime about mankind, humanity, humans, aliens and dubst-
Hey, I'm Jumpy. Here's my review of Parasyte.

Parasyte is an anime by Madhouse, about a teenager called Izumi, that suddenly is attacked by this worm thing and now has a Parasyte in his right hand, which he names Migi. Let's get to the point; is Parasyte good? Well, yes, but it's hard to say. It has great moments, the story is actually pretty good and for the most part, well executed. Even though the pacing was, sometimes, all over the place, it tried to keep itself in one route and succeded at that.

The characters in ... the anime are a bit too easy to judge, actually. Izumi and Migi are great and both are well developed, but the others... Well, not so much. Murano is a very cheesy 80's chick. It really felt out of place and kinda weird, but that's one thing. It does feel like that, because the manga was made in the 80's. Madhouse adapted this anime now, in 2014, but they didn't really wanna put us in the 80's setting, so they shoehorned the internet and cellphones in this, which really can take a few viewers out of the anime. This would make more sense if it was set in the 80's, because with the internet and phones now in this generation, I don't think these monsters can hide for more than a day without being posted on Facebook. I feel like this was a stupid move, and they should've kept it in the 80's, but that's just one large nitpick.

Anyways, other than Murano being a whiny shit about Izumi changing all the time, the characters were all pretty good. Yes, not all of them, but for the most part, they were alright.

The animation is pretty cool. I liked it. People complain about the CGI, but to be honest, I never really noticed it. I did researched a few of the CGI in the show, which is mostly crowds and some action scenes, but they never really took me out of the anime like some other ones. You know, Aldnoah.Zero...Yeah.

People complain about the soundtrack, but that's completely subjective. It comes to your taste in music, and I personally liked it. The dubstep was pretty good and so was the OP and ED. One thing I will admit is that some dubstep background songs will be playing while people are talking and/or standing, which looks kinda dumb when the drop happens in the song.

Overall, Parasyte is a pretty good watch and despite some of its flaws, I thought it was pretty great, it had a good story with likable and great characters, and I didn't mind the CGI nor Dubstep. It's pretty hard to rate the show, (for me at least) because my enjoyment gets in the way, but here's how I'll settle it.
Parasyte is a 7/10. If I include my enjoyment, which was rather high, I would give Parasyte an 8/10. We good? We good.

Parasyte the Maxim my favorite anime. A beautiful story that in the end shows you alot more than just an enjoyable time. For the first 5 episodes i was a little so/so on the show. The main character just wasn't for me at the time. But after a big change happens he really starts to come through and become the hero he needs to be. The part i liked the most about parasyte was the fact that it teaches how the world needs balances. Not all parasytes are monsters they just need to eat to survive, while others are in fact "monsters'. But at the ... end of the show they show us how people can be monsters as well.

I wish there was more to this show, a second season would be wonderful even if it didn't follow Shinichi Izumi and instead was in the future about another Person infected with a parasyte. I recommended that everyone give this show a try and if you don't like it at first don't give up after a couple episodes. A solid 9.4/10 overall

I think this anime is a pure masterpiece, a huge pearl. It made me think and touched me along. The story is simply beautiful and superb.
I loved the plot which I found very original. I've never faced this kind of story and frankly, from the start, it makes me very excited. It's innovative, new and fresh. And frankly, it's nice to have a story like this one, which is not full of cliché and stupid stereotypes.
Without spoiler, and it based only on the anime, the story is well done and the protagonist’s evolution is progressive, we understand his reactions and at the same time we ... put them into question. His view of life is changing, for better or worse. Some parasytes are even surprising. It follows the moments of everyday life of the hero in total opposition to the fight against parasytes. These creatures have different characteristics, including that of being able to remotely identify and recognize each other, which does not facilitate the task to blend into the crowd.
The topics discussed in this anime show current thinking and go in perfect harmony with environmental concerns. Moreover, the ecological side comes mainly from Migi. It is about the place of humans with respect to other animals, other species and the planet overall. Man isn’t itself the parasyte of this planet? This anime is supposed to bring us some answers.
Otherwise in terms of gore that is present in the fight scenes, it is true that there are sometimes a lot. But it is only used wisely and also causes several feelings in the viewers as terror or disgust. There is always action and we do not get bored for a second during his viewing.
Secondly, the graphics: I find them beautiful and really fun to watch. The colours are well used and are not garish; the proportions are very well respected. The physics of our hero (Shinichi) is very well done and it is quite realistic and not pushed or exaggerated.
Thirdly, the music: The opening and ending are very good, nice and well presented. Let's say the opening puts us right back in the bath and the ending finish on a sweet note for that we are recovering, slowly but surely, from our emotions.
Fourth, the characters in general. I liked the most of them, such as Shinichi who is charming and brave. It is the most developed character in the story, and I admire his reflections. I must admit however that his change of behaviour / personality is rather abrupt but pleasant because it simply proves that the story is in progress and his vision too. After he has become much more strong than before, this does not mean that he is no longer human, quite the contrary. Then our second hero (Migi), I admire his knowledge and supposed reflections. He is a character who can generate a lot of things at the audience, especially sympathy. Yes, I have sympathy, a sort of strange love for this little insignificant and ugly thing. Migi is attractive and surprising at the same time, and I must say that this is what makes him charming.
Overall, Parasyte is really a must-watch anime because in any case, you will not regret it. It is a masterpiece, you mustn’t skip it!

[A quick note: There will be some minor spoilers here, but the source material for this show is 25+ years old so go figure. The narrative is by no means original or groundbreaking but I will avoid mentioning anything overly significant.]

So, Parasyte has finally come to a close and the adaption turned out to be simultaneously good and bad at the same time. You know, like most anime. If you haven’t heard about this show yet, it’s the one everyone is talking about with the main character who has a weird alien growing out of his hand and struggles with the implications of how this ... will affect his chronic masturbation habit, amongst other things. Or was that Midori Hibi…

On the plus side, the pacing was done pretty well (until the final arc, where Shinici lives in a small village community for a number of days as represented by mere minutes of screen-time). Parasyte did manage to sell suspense to the audience well enough as the story unfolded. However there were a few patchy parts and some of the climatic parts were often hurt by censorship.

Nonetheless, we got to see Shinichi change massively as a character – from bumbling self-conscious nerd to an existentially challenged hybrid parasyte murderer over the course of 24 episodes. And for the most part he was likable. It was interesting to watch him attempt to understand his relationship with Migi (the creature that has morphed into his hand) and the implications of playing host to such an intelligent yet wildly unpredictable and bizarrely foreign entity.

Conversely, Murano managed to single-handedly cripple the show in ways that are impossible to overlook. She is a very old-school love interest: she’s totally gorgeous, possesses the brain of a goldfish and the personality of a particularly unremarkable rock. Not even the voice talent of the omnipresent Kana Hanazawa could save such a poorly written character.

Murano is constantly at Shinichi’s side throughout the show like a sad puppy, hoping to understand his erratic behaviour despite the fact he keeps everything secret from her. I can’t count the number of times she said “Are you really Shinichi-kun?”. It was fucking mind-numbing. If she had a personality or some ambition then maybe I could connect with her but she has nothing. She simply just is. For the sake of it.

Fortunately there are a bunch of more interesting side-characters, and the relationship between Migi and Shinichi was cool.

Unfortunately, the OST was unremarkable and the action scenes were hit and miss. World-building was handled well enough but the narrative was plagued by a couple of significant hiccups, relying on Muranos selective memory (did I mention she was stupid and forgetful?) and possibly even stupider police decision-making to advance the plot. These flaws were particularly difficult for me to overlook.

An additional sin made by Parasyte came in the form of an epilogue. Shinichi treats us to a pseudo-intillectual and complentative monologue that touches on how humans are actually kind of greedy creatures themselves and, get ready for this bombshell: parasitic in nature, and that we should be nicer to each other and our environment.

In essence, Parasyte was not a bad show. Although it likes to think it’s a lot smarter than it actually is.

Humans are the smartest creatures in existence right? We have brilliant mental processes, reasoning and thoughts which are astonishing in comparison to other organisms. But, what if we came across an organism which was exactly like us? And worse still, a threat to us?

Parasyte follows the life of Shinichi, a shy, average 17 year old who's life was turned upside down after a parasyte named Migi burrowed into his right arm. The story documents Shinichi fighting against parasytes who have taken other people's whole bodies, as well as trying to come to terms with their existence.

In terms of a genre, Parasyte isn't far enough to ... be classed as a horror, but more as a sci-fi thriller, and it's the thriller aspect of the show they succeed at. Atmospherically, the sudden switch from the norm for Shinichi's life almost has a direct effect on the viewer, as in the first few episodes, the fast pace of the story allows us to relate to Shinichi struggling to come to terms with parasytes who are looking to attack him. It's almost as if both the viewer and Shinichi is thrown into the deep end straight away. As a story, Patasyte tries to view a possibility of a symbiotic relationship between humans and parasytes, as well as empathizing with a species that, with a high amount of knowledge like humans, gets killed off due to them being feared as they kill humans. Parasyte looks at survival of the fittest, whether it be for humans or parasyte, and thus leads the show to take more of a philosophical route. Are humans really morally just in its treatment of other species? These questions are constantly made throughout. Lastly, Shinichi's life is turned upside down and the story looks at how him becoming half parasyte-half human affects his own beliefs, his family and his friends around him.

However, the main weaknesses of the show are it's pacing, the message the story tried to make and the ending. In terms of pacing, the fast paced start at the beginning lead the show to become interesting early on, as we wanted to gain more information about how parasytes are, how they think ext. However, the pace of the story couldn't keep up with its fast paced start, which lead to a decrease in character development which couldn't occurred later on, secondly, there were many instances in scenes which felt very rushed and uncomfortable, as it didn't seem to fit well with what was going on at the time. Furthermore, the message it tried to get across seemed too cheap. Although it clearly showed how inhumane humans can be, it was almost mixed up in trying to decide whether to understand where parasytes came from, or to try and understand them, or both. Lastly, the ending mainly was an upset due to it coming across as a filler, as well as the constant repeat of its philosophical message.

In terms of animation, the battle scenes really do spice up the thriller aspect of the show, with the fluid animation of fighting in full view. Very typical of madhouse to make sure the show was given a great feel with the brilliant lighting, as well as making darkness that bit more sinister.

The characters in parasyte are done to a acceptable standard. Shinichi and Migi make up the the main characters of the show, with both equally sharing the spotlight because of their symbiotic relationship. Shinichi is developed very quickly in a very short space of time, due to the events of parasytes attacking him, as well as killing others lead to Shinichi to overcome drastic changes, which cause a devastating effect to his family life and his life at school. He turns from shy and fragile to assertive and calm for the most part. He constantly undergoes many internal struggles to find the answers in understanding parasytes, as well as humans too. Migi comes off as more of an interesting character, as his lack of emotion as a parasyte comes across as simplistic at the start, as he helps shinichi defeat other parasytes, but Migi also tries to empathize with humans too. Finally Tamura Reiko, a parasyte who had taken over a teachers body acts as main embodiment of the relationship between parasyte and humans, with her theories and beliefs ever present in the shows message.

However, the main criticism of the cast is towards Murano, shinichi's partner. She is very much useless in terms of what she brings to the show, as her stance mainly stays the same throughout, as she constantly repeats "shinichi, you've changed" over and over again. Furthermore, she tends to be neglected for large portions of the story, making her influence on the show very slight.

In terms of music and OST, parasyte has a very quirky soundtrack, with many battle scenes containing dub step music, which fits in quiet well. Not to mention the increased suspense it gives to certain scenes. Also, the opening song was sort of a cross between techno and rock, which I wasn't a huge fan of. But I did personally lie the mellow j-pop ending.

To conclude, parasyte started off as a show with potential to become a stand out show, which it had done based on the epic battles and interesting concept, but failed as story.

What makes us human?

Parasyte: The Maxim focuses on explaining the difference between humans and supernatural parasites which are invading the Earth and possessing human bodies as well as makes a statement on human emotions, morality, and the rules of the animal kingdom.

Parasyte is very complex show with many plot twists and emotional moments. The show is full of action, intellectual discussion, and touching moments between human characters and parasites alike. My only issue over the story is that by the end there were some plot points which were overlooked and not discussed. This could be seen as grounds for another season or an excuse ... to read the manga (note that I usually watch the anime before reading the manga because it prevents me from being overly critical of what is different between the two). The art is excellent, the soundtrack was extremely impressive, and there weren't very many characters that I was indifferent about, which is a big deal for me to connect to the characters. Shinichi in particular goes through interesting character growth and development, which aids in the overall feel of the show.

Overall, I rated the show an 8/10.
It was very good in almost every category, but not the best anime that I have ever seen.
Parasyte has an interesting plot, but at the same time is similar to a large number of anime that has been released recently. This could be seen as both good and bad; good because you can find other anime to watch in the same genre to type, but bad because it could seem unoriginal at the same time.
The characters are interesting and easy to get attached to, but overall there were a few plot points that were overlooked or brushed off that I would have preferred to have seen explored a little more.

Man good ol' Parasyte was going to give this anime a 9.5-10 until the last 2-3 episodes just ruined it for me, plus with some lackluster side characters and repetition of certain odd-fitting music at times brings it down to an 8.

Izumi and Migi make a great team no doubt about it though!

Story: I don't really want to ruin the plot that much, but Izumi gets infected by a parasyte, but Migi failed to control the brain, so he's stuck with Izumi and now has to balance between being a human and a parasyte. He's only in between, and feels as a total outcast ... to both human and parasyte, best way to describe this feeling is those children who were born of white and black parents back in the day(they were shunned by both races).

Anyway, the story is a pretty good one, not too many flaws, however, there's one really stupid plot twist at the very end, with Uragami, Izumi, and Satomi...... that's not how you end an anime imo!!!! Really stupid, like why would you leave Satomi behind when Uragami is a know serial-rapist-killer........ that was just stupid....

Art: Love the artwork, very nice feel to it and the fight scenes are amazing!

Sound: The voice acting is pretty well done, they nailed down Migi's voice pretty well too! My critique is some of the music is very unfitting at times though.

Character: Probably the weakest part of this anime. Lets see most of the female cast is just garbage.... except for Tamiya Reiko, she gets really great character development in this one. The love relationship with Izumi and Satomi just didn't do it for me. I didn't really care for them, and Kana was annoying at times. A weak female cast of characters does ruin the score of this anime...

Overall, pass all those negatives this is still a really good anime!

We have all been familiar with the concept of aliens landing on Earth and trying to achieve world domination. This has been recycled in films and TV shows many times successfully or disappointingly. However, an anime which came out in winter 2014 and finished early 2015 more or less dealt with the theme of man versus aliens. But, this particular anime portrays this concept in such a way that seems very plausible if you ask me!

The story is about a high school boy named Izumi Shinichi *yep ANOTHER high school nerd* who lives in Tokyo with his parents. His life was normal until one ... particular day these alien lifeforms known as Parasytes rain down from the sky and take humans as their hosts by taking control of their brain. A parasite threatens to do the same to Shinichi while he is asleep, however it is unable to do so because Shinichi was wearing headphones *I swear Beats missed a perfect opportunity to have a product placement over here*. Anyway, the parasite then gets inside his right arm and is unable to seize Shinichi’s brain. As a result, Shinichi now has to deal with the fact his right hand is a dangerous alien being that now solely depends on our him to survive. He names the parasite in his right hand Migi which is Japanese for ‘right hand’. The series mainly focuses on the two’s relationship and the encounters they have with other parasytes. Not to mention, the struggles Shinichi faces in this show.

Now, even before I started watching this show I knew that I was in for a treat. The story sounded very interesting despite the fact I’m not the biggest sci-fi fan. And also because the Parasyte manga in case you didn’t know was published during the 80s and it got an anime adaptation like recently. So, I was really curious to see whether the anime would take place during that time period or will take place in modern times. Well, they chose the latter and I must admit it works to the show’s advantage very much.

The modern setting in my opinion was necessary in the development of Migi’s character if you ask me. Because throughout the show he does gain his knowledge from the internet. Migi thanks to the internet ends up being a walking encyclopaedia, while the rest of us waste our time debating about the colours of a stupid dress! The show may not have had the most original setting considering the fact parasites and ghouls apparently lurk in the same area, however they successfully managed to tell the story in a different time period!

The characters in the show are relatable, real people who have their fair share of problems. First of all, let’s talk about our main lead Shinichi. He reminds me of another character who deals with a drastic change in his life, and the way they both get developed is more or less the same. Shinichi at first is weak and frail guy who was living in a harem anime until the parasites arrived. The next thing Shinichi knew that he jumped from Clannad to fucking Tokyo Ghoul.

But, in all seriousness I really liked the character of Shinichi. He has been through a lot in the series and instead of being a wuss he does whatever he can to survive and he constantly tries to help the ones around him. He also becomes a badass after the death of a certain character which causes him to become stoic like Migi and the rest of the parasites. Then again after the death of another important character Shinichi becomes human again which I thought was very ironic and also well executed.

Now, his right hand is a character of his own. I loved how Migi’s character was very developed in the series where he starts of this calm and emotionless parasite that always thinks practically and will do anything for only his survival. He doesn’t really care about Shinichi at first let alone the humans. However, as the series progresses Migi and Shinichi’s friendship blossoms.

I would also like to talk about Tamura Reiko, who starts of as a brutal and emotionless parasite that ends up being pregnant with a human child. A first she was considering to experiment with it or eat it, however the woman has a change of heart and actually grows to care for the child. After twenty episodes of seeing what huge assholes parasites can be, I didn’t expect one of them to actual develop such human characteristics. And I am glad that she did change which caused her to be more likeable and relatable. I wish she would have gotten more screen time, but none the less she was one of the best characters the show had to offer.

The rest sadly were not very well developed ranging from Shinchi’s parents to his friends. Shinichi’s love interest does get some development towards the end but throughout the series she was nothing more than just a potato. Then again, I guess being a potato is better than being what the rest of those undeveloped losers are.

Also, only one death was truly sad whereas the others just didn’t make the audience care that much. Mainly because the characters didn’t get much development before having them literally chopped off from the show. Also, their deaths were also very predictable due to all the flashback and dream sequences.

Another thing was a real let down was its inconsistent pacing. In my opinion the show started out great, but through out the middle it got a little slow however by the last seven or eight episodes things became twice as great than it was at the beginning. It’s not a major issue in fact, but it’s slow progress in the middle might cause people to drop the show. However that’s just how I felt while watching the show, you might have seen it in a different light than me.

The soundtrack for the show hands down deserves a Grammy.There was only one opening and I salute this show for not changing it to something crappy in between.The opening is without a doubt one of the best I have seen in the past year and it still stands out today among very stiff competition. It was very well animated and I also loved how the opening foreshadowed what will happen in the show without making it too obvious. The song Let Me Hear by Fear and Loathing Las Vegas really helps me get into the mood of the show. The song really gets me pumped for it and you just don’t skip this hella good opening. I mean you just can’t it’s that awesome.

The ending song comparatively is much calmer, which I guess the audience needs after an intense episode. The background music overall was really good and it really helped set the mood during some scenes. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of the use of dubstep of the show mainly because I hate dubstep, but hey that’s my opinion and for that reason I am not counting the dubstep as a flaw. The music that plays especially during the sad moments or the moments shared by Murano and Izumi truly stand out in numerous ways, like seriously I want this music to play when I die.

The show, I heard was more or less faithful to the manga and I am glad that Madhouse was able to pull off a good adaptation of the series. Then again, it’s not like we didn’t expect anything but greatness from Madhouse . The animation was really good if not great and the character designs were still very amazing, despite the fact they are a little outdated. The show overall had this dark and serious tone but when they had some comedy in there, they handled it very well. There wasn’t much comedy not that it needed more comedy but the scenes that were supposed to be hilarious really were very well executed.

Now the ending of the show, in my opinion was amazing and it managed to bring a smile on my face. I basically wanted an ending like this and I am glad I got it. However, I am not sure if others would agree with me, but don’t worry the ending was nothing like the load of turd ‘Lost’ served us. The ending in my opinion didn’t ruin the series but in fact it managed to wrap everything up very well.

Nonetheless, the show did have several plotholes though as some things remained unresolved like where did the parasytes come from and yes we more or less get an understanding of why they arrived, but I really wanted to know since the beginning from where they originated or did someone create them? Also, another thing I am curious about is how Cana was able to sense the presence of Parasytes. I wish the show would have offered us an explanation to how she was able to have such psychic abilities. Okay the serial killer’s reason to have this ability makes sense, but what about Cana’s? Well actually the serial killer distinguishes based on people’s behavior whereas Cana on the other seemed to have some psychic abilities which never really got cleared up, which was really sad!

Despite its flaws, Parasyte the Maxim is without one of the best series I have ever watched in recent times and it might just go down in anime history with the greats. I would highly recommend this show to those who love the sci-fi genre .

Aight. Time to try this again without spoiling anything. I done that in my last review I did, but the parts of spoilers got removed, but still...

Okay, first I'm going to start with the story, because that's what you are supposed to do. Parasyte -the maxim- or Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu, follows the story of a 17 year old high school student named Izumi Shinichi. One day a meteor shower happens, a bunch of alien like creatures come out and infect people's brains and stuff.

One parasite by the name of 'Migi', well, that's his nickname, goes into Shinichi's room and tries to infect him. But, ... Shinichi is wearing headphones, so he isn't able to get in. Migi then burrows into Shinichi's hand and Shinichi prevents Migi from going up any further into his arm by tying his headphones around his arm and, basically... strangling the life out of his arm.

I wasn't actually sure about the story at first. Not quite sure what it was about at the time. But, I figured out at about episode 5 or 6. Something like that. Now, I'm a diehard fan of psychological, supernatural type anime. And this one really creeps into my skin. There is so much gore in this anime, but I don't even care. That's one of the things that I like about it (I know it sounds kinda creepy).

Shinichi goes on all kinds of battles with Migi. Fighting parasites, monsters, well, both of them are the same thing. Shinichi suddenly stops wearing glasses after about episode 6 or something. I don't know why, I think his eyesight has improved, I seriously don't know. Shinichi survives a stab through the heart, and his body undergoes some changes.

Shinichi gained the ability to run like sanic, jump super high, and even at one point he ripped out one of the parasite's hearts. That was out of anger, of course. I think this anime has at least one character death per episode, either a main character or just a parasite nobody gives a damn about.

So basically, in conclusion the story is about a parasite burrowing into a teenage boys skin, and then they end up fighting a bunch of creepy, mutated aliens together. There's more to it than that, but I can't be bothered writing that right here and right now.

The soundtrack of this anime is amazing. There's often some 'Chopin' music placed here and there, by that, I only mean about two episodes. Anyone know who Chopin is? Eh, nevermind. I would recommend checking out the soundtrack via... I don't know, however the hell you listen to soundtracks and OSTs.

The characters in Kiseijuu are amazing. All though you would only know a character for one episode or so, you'd still feel bad for their death. Is that a spoiler yet? No. I don't think so. (Insert spoiler here). Damn it! That part is going to get removed! I'm gonna explain some characters, but not all.

Izumi Shinichi is the main anta-prota... anti-... I don't even know. Main protagonist of the anime, I guess? He's that type that isn't really that strong, and looks like he couldn't really do anything to anyone in the school. Next minute, jumps out of a school window and survives it. That's in episode... eh, I don't know. Not important. May contain spoilers if I write it.

Izumi's father is not really that main to the story, because he only shows in the first couple of episodes until (insert spoiler here). After that, the only appearances he ever had, were about four or five more episodes.

I'm gonna stop with the characters, I'm just gonna say, that all the characters in the anime are freakin' amazing!

This anime was really enjoyable to my extent. Did I use that term right? Eh, it doesn't matter. I watched this anime in about a day, because the anime is only roughly... 10 hours long. But, I couldn't stop watching it. I said to myself 'one more episode' until I wanted to take a break, but I couldn't take a break. I was to addicted at the point.

This series can have some seriously heartbreaking moments, but that's what life is about, isn't it? We all have our time on earth... eh, shut up, me. I'm just trying to be scientific. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this anime as much as I did.

Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu.
I started this anime one night around 4 a.m. I was super bored and couldn't sleep so I stumbled across this anime while I was looking at the popular charts on CrunchyRoll. That night I finished every episode there was out up until that time. This anime kept me captivated and wanting more as I continued to watch. The storyline was unique compared to the other animes that i watched previously and was an overall good experience. There were some things that I did not like about this anime such as the ending that I won't give too much details other than ... I felt like it was lacking. The supporting character development was slow so it was hard to get attached to some of the characters.
In the end, I rate this anime an 8/10. The lack of details and poor character development in the supporting characters prevent me from giving it a higher score but the unique story and the cliffhangers at almost every episode makes this anime a very good anime in my opinion.