Review of Parasyte: The Maxim

Parasyte is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror series inspired by 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers.' The plot follows parasitic aliens who infiltrate Earth and begin taking over human bodies and eating humans indiscriminately. They do this by replacing the humans' heads with their own bodies. However, some humans manage to resist the parasites from taking over their brains. As a result, the parasites resort to eating and infusing different body parts to survive. The Main Character, Izumi, is one of these people. The parasite was only able to take over his right arm. Izumi finds himself in a difficult situation since he is the only living human who knowsof the parasites' existence. Unfortunately, the only people discovering the parasites' existence are subsequently eaten. However, Izumi's parasite, known as Migi, threatens to kill anyone he tries to inform. Despite the initial hostility, the duo eventually becomes allies, and their mutual interests grow.

The series has an incredible philosophical and emotional depth that explores the purpose of altruism. Though left open-ended, the series suggests that, while pointless, altruism is an unavoidable side effect of happiness because comprehending happiness requires empathy. However, each viewer will draw their own individual conclusions.

The only drawback of the series is its pacing. In my opinion, the series crescendos too early, with the most emotional events taking place in episodes 5 and 12. This renders the remaining half of the series slow-paced and deadpan. The first half of the series is a ten, while the second half is a seven. Nonetheless, compared to other horror series, Parasyte is still very impressive.