“You sacrifice other lives so that your own life can continue. That is how animals live. Humans are one of a kind creatures that commit suicide.” – Migi, Episode 3
Humanity is a fascinating subject. What does it truly mean to be human? Do extraterrestrial beings exist? If so, do they emote the same as we do? Surely this is a greatly exhausted topic of conversation, but one that never ceases to be interesting. Why are humans naturally altruistic? Is that what separates us from the creatures of the Earth? Parasyte The Maxim, adapted from a late 80’s manga by the illustrious studio Madhouse, takes these
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concepts and crafts a brilliantly paced suspense-thriller that hammers these questions home.
Shinichi Izumi is a timid, mild-mannered high school student who fits most of the normal “Slice of Life” quotas. He has the normal stresses of a teenager, and has a love interest made apparent from the very beginning. Shinichi becomes infected by a parasite, whose true origin is unknown. Instead of taking over the brain like most of its cohorts, the parasite (named “Migi” by his host) is stunted, thus limiting his control to the right arm. Migi’s introduction allows Izumi to do things he couldn't possibly do under normal circumstances, and causes his arm to take on a mind of its own. The rest of the series follows Izumi and Migi’s relationship as they adapt to survive and attempt to clarify the blurred lines of humanity.
As I much as I loved the series overall, I can't say I cared for the beginning as much. Instead of taking the time to flesh out the main cast ahead of time, the writers drop us in the midst of a parasite infestation from the very first episode. This puts a check in the action column, but forgets about the development one. The result is a protagonist that we really only know in tragedy, and a bunch of other characters that seem mostly reactionary in nature. It's really a double-edged sword. Sure, we get comments from Satomi (Shinichi’s love interest) about how he’s changed, but the comparison material is absent.
The first major positive about Parasyte is its outstanding pacing. There are no unwarranted time gaps or over extended fight scenes, resulting in an ebb and flow, with a suspenseful story line. Most of the time it appeared as though Shinichi was just struggling to stay alive, invoking a real sense of panic into each scene. I will say that the script writers did a fantastic job engaging the audience into an exciting and dramatic show. I get that some purists will disagree, citing that the anime doesn't stay true to the manga but I'm getting kind of tired of hearing that incessant argument…. it's not going to change anything.
With an anime whose characters exhibit supernatural qualities, there's really only two ways to approach it: either the oddity is explained via some “made up” reason, or nothing is said about it at all. The latter approach is one of the biggest complaints many people have about the series. Whether it's the random humans that can detect parasites based on intuition or the smorgasbord of a villain Gotou was, breaking many rules of the parasites themselves, it can be a tad frustrating. Perhaps less time could've been spent fighting the final enemy, and more time devoted to wrapping up loose ends. Although, you could also argue that the origin of the parasites was not the intent of the show’s message… which is personally how I feel. To be honest, I really didn't care where they came from because I was more focused on the intricate relationship between the parasites and the humans.
This brings me to the exploration of themes present within Parasyte. I've seen other anime that involve creatures attempting to comprehend humanity (HxH’s Chimera Ant Arc for example), and it's intriguing to see the similarities and differences across each series. It's possible that I'm more obsessed with the idea itself then the way it was handled specifically here, but it was still captivating nonetheless. Could these instinctive beings, who were so initially focused on vanquishing the human race, really know how to empathize or imitate human behavior? This is largely illustrated in the growth of Migi. Despite possessing an innate desire to protect only itself, Migi eventually learns to bond with and even depend on Shinichi. You could say at the end that they're even best friends. Ryouko Tamiya’s arc is just as interesting, and she's possibly the most developed character of the entire cast. The message exists that quite possibly the parasites really aren't so much different than humans, and that our very existences threaten each other’s. It's a race to see who’s eradicated first. It can get a bit preachy and repetitive towards the end (most notably the mayor’s speech), but still resonates.
The character development of the parasites is far superior to that of the humans, with many of the side characters being quite useless or convenient. For someone who’s so focused on throughout the anime, Shinichi’s development is there, but it’s just not enough substance. I had a difficult time adjusting to the massive change he underwent midway through the series, and I would've liked to see a bit more time spent on what he was “thinking” outside of battle strategies. Most of the “human” women in this series are also incredibly dense. I'm not sure if this was on purpose, but many of them seemed to do such drastic things without fear of consequence. Shinichi acted more on saving damsels in distress than exterminating the parasites at times. In the aforementioned paragraph I discussed the great characterization Migi and Ryouko underwent, convoluting the notion that parasites are inherently evil even more. It was brilliantly approached.
Animators assigned to Parasyte certainly had their work cut out for them adapting the evocatively dark manga. I feel they did a superb job keeping the ominous and menacing nature of the parasites and gore scenes while maintaining the necessary level of censorship. The way the shot would shift during various character’s dismemberment was done with finesse and barely made you notice how purposeful it was. The character models were modernized appropriately and the parasites looked terrifying and intricate during the action sequences. The OP was also fantastically timed and strung together.
Parasyte is quite the mixed bag when it comes to the music. The OP always got me pumped with its unique blend of AutoTune and hardcore, though it kind of waned on me when I realize they were speaking broken Wnglish through the verses O_o. The ED on the other hand did its best to kill any type of tension or suspense built up from the end of each episode. The worst instance was when it was used as its full version during one of the episodes. The track sounded more like a Boyz2Men song than a part of an anime OST. The EDM tracks get overused at the beginning of the series, but I really enjoyed the rest of the soundtrack. A seamless transition of tracks between scenes. Perhaps the greatest achievement in sound within Parasyte is the voice acting. A star-studded cast shines brightly in each of the major roles here, and some of the inflections in their voices were shrill and desperate.
Maybe I enjoyed Parasyte more than I should have given it's flaws, but the flawless pacing and nail-biting suspense made it an anime I'll truly remember for a long time. Plus, the thematic exploration and talented acting was right up my alley. Understandably, there are a plethora of loose ends and unanswered questions to be had, plus a few character development problems… but overall I think it's a solid series. I recommend it greatly, especially those who are looking for a gripping story with a strong underlying message. Thanks for reading!
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Parasite, Parasitic Beasts, Parasyte
Japanese: 寄生獣 セイの格率
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
24
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 9, 2014 to Mar 26, 2015
Premiered:
Fall 2014
Broadcast:
Thursdays at 01:29 (JST)
Licensors:
Sentai Filmworks
Studios:
Madhouse
Source:
Manga
Demographic:
Seinen
Duration:
23 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#2352
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#42
Members:
1,877,448
Favorites:
34,852
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 374 / 413
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Your Feelings Categories Feb 15, 2017
“You sacrifice other lives so that your own life can continue. That is how animals live. Humans are one of a kind creatures that commit suicide.” – Migi, Episode 3
Humanity is a fascinating subject. What does it truly mean to be human? Do extraterrestrial beings exist? If so, do they emote the same as we do? Surely this is a greatly exhausted topic of conversation, but one that never ceases to be interesting. Why are humans naturally altruistic? Is that what separates us from the creatures of the Earth? Parasyte The Maxim, adapted from a late 80’s manga by the illustrious studio Madhouse, takes these ... Mar 25, 2015
Hello, humans. This is Ebb a parasite living in mercury1980's body. If you were wondering what happened to mercury1980, he just got caught in an accident and he is severely injured. And now I am supposed to make him recover and do this review. Instead I am supposed to review this anime on the behalf of him. I took most of his memory from this anime so that I can take time to process what is going on. With that said, let's get onto the review.
STORY (8): This anime follows a human being, Shinichi Izumi who lives with his parents in Tokyo. Parasites like us are ... Aug 4, 2015
Parasyte is an odd anime. Not in terms of its basic premise, story or characters or anything like that. It's an odd anime because there's so much it does right, yet leaves an unsatisfying feeling once you're done.
The basic premise isn't anything exceptional or noteworthy, though it isn't bad in any way either; the show opens up with a normal teenager waking up and realizing that his arm is gone, and in its place is a parasite (roll credits folks). The show basically covers the dynamics between the parasite and the student, exploring how parasites are slowly taking over the world, melting into human society and ... May 6, 2015
I really wanted to watch it in one go but could not due to My papers. Still It took me 3 days to finish it. You can see how awesome this anime is.
Story: 10/10 Story is awesome. Cliffhangers , plot twisting and every thing are amazing. Now about little words about plot of this anime, Human being are considered to be ultimate species but what will happen when another species come which comes at top of food chain as well as more intelligent than humans.There numbers are few though What chaos can it create and what are humans gonna do.... Art: 9/10 Art was good. Fighting scenes ... Mar 29, 2015
Now that i've actually gotten to actually finishing it. Overall it was pretty good. The start went off strong but then the crying and cowering was just getting to me. Just like Mirai Nikki (Future diary) But either than that the gore,slaughtering and epic moments were real in this anime. If you want to see some gore,mass murder and pretty epic kills then this is a MUST watch. As for character development there's quite alot, even to the point where he changes. But i wont say when and how.
Mar 25, 2015
"If you have the right to live, so do we. Granted, I believe rights are a concept unique to the human species." - Migi
Kiseijuu was one of the most hyped animes of the 2014 season. Not only did the anime ended up living up to most of the expectations, it completely stormed threw the anime world as one of the best and i now consider this anime a all time classic. the story revolves around The 17-year-old Izumi Shinichi who was your normal average everyday teenager until 1 night that changed his life forever.that night, worm-like aliens called Parasytes invade Earth , entering human bodies ... Jan 28, 2024
It's been a full decade since this anime aired, and I must say that it holds up incredibly well. It's not perfect, no series is, but it's definitely up there when it comes to the story, art and sound design.
Story Premise: 7/10 The basic idea of a parasitic organism inhabiting a human, coexisting within them and being used as a means to fight with other similar creatures has definitely been done a few times, and it's still explored to this day. At the time it probably seemed a lot newer, and I must say that I really enjoy the idea itself. Execution: 8/10 Although the premise is fairly simple, ... Mar 28, 2015
To sum up this show? Good
Nothing much more but nothing much less either. I actully put off starting this because I thought it would be really gorry or scary and to be honest it was neither. lets face it, anime just can't be scary... it's not possable. By that asside why I feel this show is just 'good'? Well the premise is pretty good and a little different from any epidemic like show I have even seen before, for that I can give it credit. please be aware I haven't read the manga... I found the characters a little boring, Shinchi probably the most so and that's ... Apr 23, 2015
Parasyte is a refreshing anime in the sci-fi horror genre. It starts off strong by being strange and unusual, and will leave you wanting more by the end of the first episode. The parasites are brutal and capable of manipulating their human host in unspeakable ways, with little to no regard for emotion and sensibility. Their main concerns are for their own survival and the extinction of the human race. This anime is an exciting thrill ride from start to finish, with a quality storyline and great character development. You know the character development is top notch when it includes development of your feelings toward
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Mar 25, 2015
[SPOILERS] (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)
This anime gets a thumbs up from me, and here is why. This anime starts out like every other anime, guy sees boobs, guy is a loser with glasses, but my main man here gets some sort of protozoa parasite that crawls into his arm. You might think "but what is so cool about a parasite in a guys arm? Shouldn't that make his arm to rot and cause infections?" Unless badassery is a type of infection, then yes, he does. My man over here becomes a jack ass and kills people left and right, my buddies and I started ... Jul 3, 2015
The other reviews here are very detailed, I want to share just one thing. This is definitely an anime way out of my comfort zone. It's the second one I watched as a recommendation after Tokyo Ghoul, therefore I don't have much experience. Even so I found it pretty interesting and as someone who is more interested in a story rather than visual violence, it had a very good balance between horror/bloodshed moments, but not enough to make me turn away. I had a feeling this was not the focal point and that is why I expected more of the story side. There were some
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Jun 8, 2015
Wow. I finished Parasyte last night (technically this morning) at around 2:00 AM. It's one of those anime. Now I'm not here to critique it's fine points, because you can break down even the greatest anime until they look like pieces of crap. So I'm here to simply talk about what was GOOD about the anime without giving any spoilers.
I'm usually one to zone out and simply enjoy my anime, so I usually don't try to write reviews as I don't go in depth too much, but ... Mar 25, 2015
To preface this review, I started watching it with next to no expectations whatsoever, good or bad, and I have never read the manga.
Parasyte: The Maxim has been a bit of a weird experience for me. On one hand, I think it’s a good show, but on the other, I don’t get the massive hype surrounding it. The show’s themes and plot definitely appealed to me, so there’s that bias. And by and large, I enjoyed the show. But there were a number of elements, mainly early on, that I simply couldn’t overlook. These are mainly personal issues, granted, but they bear mentioning. So, ... Jun 30, 2015
Parasyte the Maxim is perhaps the most entertaining, yet disjointed show I have seen over the past year. The premise is simple; one day parasytes turn up in Japan (or across the globe, it's not known) taking over human bodies and using their human hosts to feast on other humans. Shinichi, our 17 year old protagonist, has his right arm taken over by a parasyte, Migi, and must learn to survive and co-exist with the parasyte while fighting other parasytes. This is a great premise, however the execution of the story that follows is flawed.
There are two things that are consistent in Parasyte; the young ... Mar 25, 2015
This anime excels with its very unique story and progression of the characters, plot, and the anime itself. The story is well written, that creates a lot of suspenseful situations that leaves me on the edge of my seat. It had amazing music tracks that are queued in at the right time and great use of sound effects with some generic ones. The style and art of the anime can be seen being evolved and shows the artists in the production being increased in their skill, not saying the art was bad at first but you can really notice the effort and precision put into
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Mar 25, 2015
This show was great! I just finished today, and the series amazed me. Throughout the show there was action. The last episode caught me by surprise because I had not read the manga before watching. I have since went back and read certain parts of the memorable scenes and seen that they did a great job portraying the actions as described in the manga.
My favorite part of the show was the music. For each scenario, be it action packed or even a romantic part, the music was on point. I did feel like it was slow at some points, but after seeing the whole series ... Jul 2, 2015
Story
Parasyte's greatest strength is the relationship between Shinichi and Migi. Migi is more than Shinichi's right hand, Migi has his own intelligence and personality. As such, it is a nice treat seeing how the two of them grow as characters throughout the series. The really intriguing thing is how the two of them shape the views of other, with both of them behaving startlingly similar to the other at different points. Soundtrack While it got off to a bit of a rocky start with its heavy use of dubstep-like music early on, Parasyte's soundtrack eventually grew on me and now I can't imagine ever forgetting the ... Apr 2, 2015
Lets start with the story. It was well put together and complete. The one thing missing was sufficient amount of background information so that the as called plot twists would be more twisty. On every scene there was a really high chance of you knowing whats happening next. These bits harm the otherwise naturally going story. I've got to mention that the decisions main characters made were rational in compassion of what they were presented. 7
Art was top notch. I could ask for more frames per second or smoother development in Izumi but on the other hand I understand this way of approaching. The style ... Apr 7, 2015
Summary:
Parasyte adopts many characteristics akin to previous great, popular anime. Specifically, it introduces an original fantasy concept and attaches it to an ordinary main character (such that the viewer can imagine themselves in that situation). The chosen concept allows for cool fight scenes and cliffhanger episode endings, both of which give the viewer a constant sense of anticipation and excitement. Sadly, Parasyte offers little beyond this enjoyment. While the anime attempts to explore themes relevant to modern times, it offers little incite into these areas beyond "humans are polluting the earth" and "human values are often inapplicable and illogical". In fact, the points it tries to ... Jul 29, 2015
Parasyte (Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu) is a throwback to the old nineties sci-fi alien killing machine anime with a very thought provoking message.
Story: Unpredictable - Parasyte goes from light-hearted school life moments to some of the most gruesome murders in the same episode. Parasyte does well to let you know early on that everyone is in mortal danger and nothing is sacred. There are moments where I was nearly unable to continue watching the show, which made it all the more impactful. Art: Parasyte's animation is above average but nothing too special in this day and age. The important scenes and characters are well drawn, however ... |