★★★★
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?
