Parasyte -the maxim- (寄生獣 セイの格率)
is a 24 episode seinen action/horror anime based on the manga Parasyte by
Iwaaki Hitoshi. The series aired on TV in Japan from Fall 2014 until
Spring of 2015.
One night, creatures of unknown origin spread across the world. These parasites devour the heads of their human host, morph to mimic the host, and use their body for mobility and life support. One parasite failed in its attempt to devour its targets head, instead devouring the lower half of its right arm. That human, Izumi Shinichi, discovers his unique problem and through the parasites coxing decides that the best course of action is cooperation. In order to better understand his strange bedfellow, Shinichi dubs it Migi, which is the Japanese word for right. Migi, ambivalent and alien with regards to human thought patterns, accepts the title and uses the tenuous relationship to better understand the world around it and it’s self. Soon Migi is forcing Shinichi to approach other parasites in order to better understand himself and them. Unfortunately his kind tends to not be receptive to discovery and almost immediately they have to fight the ones they come across. The parasites are able to mold and manipulate their bodies in amazing ways. They have heightened senses and incredibly amplified reflexes. In their encounters with other parasites, Shinichi can do little nmore than stand in horror/amazement as Migi does what he can to protect himself and his host. The battles tend to be life or death and Shinichi has to come to terms with the idea of participating in exterminating another life form.
The parasites primarily feed on humans, so Shinichi sees them as an evil that must be purged. Migi, who is not human, counters Shinichi's human-centric reasoning as it being the natural order of things. The series underlies the concept of human superiority and its special place in the world. Are humans more important than other animals? If not, then why is it wrong for the parasites to feed on them as humans do other 'lower' animals? Migi and Shinichi's existence is a precarious one. For fear of an unwelcomed outcome they have to keep their partnership hidden. Due to the parasites ability to sense each other they find themselves continuously battling for their lives. Soon they encounter parasites that have been able to move beyond base animal impulses. A cabal seems to be working together to protect their existence and maintain their feeding habits. Shinichi, with Migi, finds himself the lone person who understands the reality of the parasites and unwittingly becomes a protector of humanity. Migi strives to understand what reasons may exist behind his kind’s existence while Shinichi is faced with altering his perception of morality and purpose.
Generally I am not a fan of seinen monster horror titles that tend to mostly be about the ultra violence and gore with little in the way of thoughtful plot or interesting story development. I have a long standing history of distaste with such seminal titles as Guyver and Genocyber. I decided to give this series a fair shake and wait out the first 5 episodes. I am glad I did, because the events of episode 5 and 6 really turned me into a fan of the show. There is more to this show than death and destruction. Almost immediately it brings up the idea of objective morality and the perception of human exceptionalism when compared with everything else in the anime kingdom. It does at times get preachy in regards to this, referencing the parasites as a way to cull human over population to help restore the balance of nature. That's not to say there aren't some pretty exciting and graphic fights though. The parasites prefer to battle with elongated tentacles tipped and edged with blades, slicing and chopping at whim, leaving bloody dismembered corpses everywhere. The initial broadcast, of course, was edited to a degree to meet Japanese broadcast standards. I expect the DVD releases to be more graphic.
Shinichi is kind of a wet noodle hero. He starts out as a timid book worm that eventually has to harden his heart towards the terror he witnesses and participates in. Through everything he has to deal with he still end's up being wishy-washy. Not only does he have to face the horrors by himself, the only one he can talk do about this is Migi, who offers little in the way of compassion and instead retorts with razor sharp rationality. The progression of the story and Shinichi's personality is the definitive loss of innocence narrative.. It can also be used as a metaphor regarding the general peace and tranquility for Japan it's self. A nation mostly isolated from the horrors and misery of many other parts of the world. As stated earlier, the dialog between some of the characters can get a bit preachy, sometimes bordering on environmental zealotry. Don't try to let it distract you too much from enjoying the show though. Instead ponder the ideas Migi presents about the reality of humanities place in the animal kingdom and the justifications we fabricate to make ourselves feel better for the destruction we sow.
The series sadly ended after 24 episodes. It ended well though, even though for a minute it seemed like it was going to end in legendary fashion. Unfortunately there was very little in the way of answers for the main deeply rooted questions. Who are the parasites, where did they come from and for what purpose, if any? Instead the story wraps up rather tidily and we move on. I did enjoy it, surprisingly more than I ever would have imagined and recommend it. Perhaps I should read the manga which spans 7 tankoubon.
The show was simulcast on Crunchyroll and Right Stuf has acquired the distribution rights to it, so we should see disc releases in North America in the near future, which I'm sure will come with English dub variant as well. Part one of a two part live action movie series came out last year in Japan as well. The North American version of the manga is currently being released by Tokyopop.
One night, creatures of unknown origin spread across the world. These parasites devour the heads of their human host, morph to mimic the host, and use their body for mobility and life support. One parasite failed in its attempt to devour its targets head, instead devouring the lower half of its right arm. That human, Izumi Shinichi, discovers his unique problem and through the parasites coxing decides that the best course of action is cooperation. In order to better understand his strange bedfellow, Shinichi dubs it Migi, which is the Japanese word for right. Migi, ambivalent and alien with regards to human thought patterns, accepts the title and uses the tenuous relationship to better understand the world around it and it’s self. Soon Migi is forcing Shinichi to approach other parasites in order to better understand himself and them. Unfortunately his kind tends to not be receptive to discovery and almost immediately they have to fight the ones they come across. The parasites are able to mold and manipulate their bodies in amazing ways. They have heightened senses and incredibly amplified reflexes. In their encounters with other parasites, Shinichi can do little nmore than stand in horror/amazement as Migi does what he can to protect himself and his host. The battles tend to be life or death and Shinichi has to come to terms with the idea of participating in exterminating another life form.
The parasites primarily feed on humans, so Shinichi sees them as an evil that must be purged. Migi, who is not human, counters Shinichi's human-centric reasoning as it being the natural order of things. The series underlies the concept of human superiority and its special place in the world. Are humans more important than other animals? If not, then why is it wrong for the parasites to feed on them as humans do other 'lower' animals? Migi and Shinichi's existence is a precarious one. For fear of an unwelcomed outcome they have to keep their partnership hidden. Due to the parasites ability to sense each other they find themselves continuously battling for their lives. Soon they encounter parasites that have been able to move beyond base animal impulses. A cabal seems to be working together to protect their existence and maintain their feeding habits. Shinichi, with Migi, finds himself the lone person who understands the reality of the parasites and unwittingly becomes a protector of humanity. Migi strives to understand what reasons may exist behind his kind’s existence while Shinichi is faced with altering his perception of morality and purpose.
Generally I am not a fan of seinen monster horror titles that tend to mostly be about the ultra violence and gore with little in the way of thoughtful plot or interesting story development. I have a long standing history of distaste with such seminal titles as Guyver and Genocyber. I decided to give this series a fair shake and wait out the first 5 episodes. I am glad I did, because the events of episode 5 and 6 really turned me into a fan of the show. There is more to this show than death and destruction. Almost immediately it brings up the idea of objective morality and the perception of human exceptionalism when compared with everything else in the anime kingdom. It does at times get preachy in regards to this, referencing the parasites as a way to cull human over population to help restore the balance of nature. That's not to say there aren't some pretty exciting and graphic fights though. The parasites prefer to battle with elongated tentacles tipped and edged with blades, slicing and chopping at whim, leaving bloody dismembered corpses everywhere. The initial broadcast, of course, was edited to a degree to meet Japanese broadcast standards. I expect the DVD releases to be more graphic.
Shinichi is kind of a wet noodle hero. He starts out as a timid book worm that eventually has to harden his heart towards the terror he witnesses and participates in. Through everything he has to deal with he still end's up being wishy-washy. Not only does he have to face the horrors by himself, the only one he can talk do about this is Migi, who offers little in the way of compassion and instead retorts with razor sharp rationality. The progression of the story and Shinichi's personality is the definitive loss of innocence narrative.. It can also be used as a metaphor regarding the general peace and tranquility for Japan it's self. A nation mostly isolated from the horrors and misery of many other parts of the world. As stated earlier, the dialog between some of the characters can get a bit preachy, sometimes bordering on environmental zealotry. Don't try to let it distract you too much from enjoying the show though. Instead ponder the ideas Migi presents about the reality of humanities place in the animal kingdom and the justifications we fabricate to make ourselves feel better for the destruction we sow.
The series sadly ended after 24 episodes. It ended well though, even though for a minute it seemed like it was going to end in legendary fashion. Unfortunately there was very little in the way of answers for the main deeply rooted questions. Who are the parasites, where did they come from and for what purpose, if any? Instead the story wraps up rather tidily and we move on. I did enjoy it, surprisingly more than I ever would have imagined and recommend it. Perhaps I should read the manga which spans 7 tankoubon.
The show was simulcast on Crunchyroll and Right Stuf has acquired the distribution rights to it, so we should see disc releases in North America in the near future, which I'm sure will come with English dub variant as well. Part one of a two part live action movie series came out last year in Japan as well. The North American version of the manga is currently being released by Tokyopop.
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