Review of Parasyte: The Maxim

*Review contains spoilers* Story 8/10 Although this anime shares a topic that has been explored in may different ways in the past, the story is compelling and interesting. The anime manages to add nice plot twists that makes the story feel fresh and unique. I never felt any character was added just because or out of place. On the contrary, the characters experience a lot of character development which is always great to watch. I also appreciate how the story doesn't hesitate to delve into complex and tough situations to get viewers emotionally invested. There are somethings that I would have like more explanation on, for example,how did the police figure out the major was involved with Parasytes? I felt that wasn't clearly explained. Also, why were some humas able to sense the Parasytes like Kana?
We never get to know the origin or explanation on the Parasytes, but I really appreciate how deep this anime goes to explain the different degrees of life, life's value, emotions, logic, rationalization, rules and who creates or defines all of this.

Art 8/10
This anime has great drawings, a bit on the gory side but it is manageable.

Sound 8/10
I think this anime had a solid soundtrack and does great use of sound and music to convey character's emotions.

Character 8/10
I think Shinichi is a great lead character. I found his reactions and actions to be appropriate given his situation. I really liked his character growth and how he was resilient, moving past all the hardships he faced. I also like his interaction with Migi and how they learned a lot from each other. I do feel Shinichi was becoming more cool headed like the Parasytes while Migi had more human feelings and thoughts. Ryoko was another character that had a lot of development, not changing her nature completely, but being able to behave more accordingly to her knowledge. Was I the only one crying on her dying scene? Goto made me want to run for my life and I wasn't even in the anime! I found Kana annoying because her infatuation with Shinichi happened out of nowhere and I couldn't really understand why. Another character I found very annoying was Murano. WHY? Why was so fixated on Shinichi changing?! I mean, obviously he has changed but if you are not on board with the change, just let him be or leave him alone. She felt a bit bipolar to me because when her and Shinichi where doing fine she had to focus on his change, but then when he was not OK, she wanted to be his main supporter...make up your mind lady! What I did like from her is that she was blunt and open about her feelings, unlike the representation of Japanese female we see in anime.

Enjoyment 8/10
This is an anime you can watch 5 episodes straights without even noticing it. Highly recommended.

Overall 8/10