Story:
I loved it. Fairly long but not of epic sizes, it's just right not to be too short and leave you disappointed of an abrupt ending, nor is it one of those mangas you just lose interest after days of reading it because it seems it will never end. The storyline can be classified in only a few major chapters, and all of them continue each other, so basically it's a continuous reading, not the type of manga where you see a major enemy getting killed and just when you think that's about it, a new menace appears and must be stopped. When the plot starts, it starts without being too much all of a sudden, but it doesn't stagnate, and when it ends, that's it. Forever. No sequel, no nothing. Only an extremely short epilogue, so you won't be left thinking, 'wish there was more', because that epilogue gives you closure, with no loose ends within the characters or the storyline.
The plot itself is simple, but not completely clear on all details. You never get to find out where exactly DID the parasites come from, what ARE they, not what is their PURPOSE in the world, only enough hints to be well-rounded. What is clear is, they come from outer space as snakes/worms, they invade a part of a human's body (preferably the head), they can change shape, aaand~ they eat their host's species, using their host's own organs to digest it.
Story goes like this: parasite comes to earth, tries to enter Shinichi's head, fails, retains his arm and so becomes part of his host, without either of them losing their personalities. So, they go out facing those who wish to kill them, help a little the japanese army in fighting the maneaters, become stronger together, and also learn to understand each other in their free time. It's related mostly from Shinichi's point of view, but there are exceptions.
A few random scenes are shown so that you are helped to understand what kind of world this is, like, for example, a dog getting infected, a parasite attacking his prey while he's driving so that they both end up dead/on the verge of it, etc. In the end, all small things fit into place.
Art:
It's a stretchy art, not your every day anime style, with big eyes, small mouths and unnoticeable noses. No wasp-shaped female bodies, with departed feet and toes from one foot facing those of the other. So, if you like it realistic, you'll love it, and if you prefer classic innocent art, you should go pick something else to read. Either way, it's very clean, no useless lines, no greys, no overwhelming background. Balanced and nice. Not much gore, merely your every-day blood here and there to go along with the severed arms, heads, feet, and not to forget, the corpse-left-to-dry-on-a-rope-like-a-piece-of-clothing, with bones and flesh sticking out.
Character:
The characters are well- made, each of them has its own personality and way of thinking, even the parasites, who basically become human-like diverse, with emotions (...well, mostly different ways of interpreting their instincts), memories, and judgement. No two parasites are the same. some are dumb, others are curious, some are intelligent whilst others are leaders, well... you get the idea. People are just as well outlined: sometimes, you can guess how they will react, other times, they surprise you.
Reading the story overall, you can outline 3 distinct collective characters: parasites, feeding of and mingling with humans; humanity,conscious of the presence of its predator and fighting it off, and the 2 known symbiots (parasites who failed to invade the brain + the host), outcasted by other parasites, are helping humanity. Sometimes, parasites win, other times, humans do.
The most complex characters are Shinichi and Migi, and in both their cases we see a huge character growth from the start to the end of the story.Migi becomes like a thinking weapon for Shinichi, whilst Shinichi grows up, matures, and changes along the way. He becomes more mature in the way of thinking and judging, and at the same time, his emotional nature is being dulled by the presence of his parasite, to the point where he is regarded as an extremely cold person by some.
Enjoyment:
Well, I did say i re-readed it a couple of times already, and it's also my favorite manga of all times, so it's obvious that I really enjoyed it. I laughed my ass off when Migi transformed into a huge penis when Shinichi was in public, I felt sad for the puppy that died in Shinichi's arms after being hit by a car, and I was hooked up with the development of the plot 'til the very end, not once bored.
There are no flashbacks, so the story is incredibly easy to follow.
Overall: The only thing I trully didn't like about the manga was that I didn't get to know what exactly were the parasites and where did they come from and all of that. It felt as id there was some sort of all-powerful being that had a plan for them, and after a while, he abandoned it and left the poor parasites to survive on their own and do what they will with their lives, as if it was testing humanity. It left a blank sheet on this chapter. But this is only a small Minus that is overthrown by countless Pluses. I deeply recomment it to anyone who appreciates action, crime, survival and evolution. If you just want to see senseless fighting, sex or an alien invasion, pick something else, because this is not what you're searching for.
