Review of Parasyte: The Maxim

Overview: "Parasyte", known officially as "Parasyte_the maxim", may be an anime that aired only a few years ago, but it's based on a manga from several decades ago. Yet in spite of that, this still manages to be one of the freshest and most unique anime in the past decade, with a deep, philosophical plot, incredible art and animation, fantastic music and voice acting (both in Japanese and in English), and some of the most creative action scenes and set-pieces you will find anywhere. While not everything works, and there are moments when the series starts to show its age, the end result is a fantasticpsychological horror anime that any fan of the genre would be crazy to miss.

Story (8.5/10):
The series is set in modern Japan, where a number of vicious, inexplicable killings have occurred, dubbed the 'Mincemeat Murders' by the police. As we soon learn, however, these "murders" are being caused by mysterious aliens known only as Parasites, which can only survive by possessing humans, allowing them to shapeshift into gruesome monsters. One such Parasite finds its way into the body of 17-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi, though it only manages to possess his right arm, which allows Shinichi to maintain his individuality. Ultimately, the two form an uneasy alliance, as they find themselves constantly under attack from other Parasites, and if Shinichi dies, the Parasite, called 'Migi', dies too as he can't survive without a host.

What makes the story so interesting is that what initially seems to be a typical alien invasion soon reveals itself to be anything but. The Parasites may be possessing and killing humans, but it's not out of any malicious intent or a belief that they're weak or anything like that. They're just doing what they need to in order to survive. As Migi points out, the whole reason these killings are considered so disturbing and treated as murders is because it's humans that are being eaten. If it were animals that were being eaten, no-one would bat an eye. And while Parasites may show zero remorse for their actions, it's because that they don't know any better. They don't have emotions and can't understand them, and the series shows how a Parasite can become more human, or vice-versa in Shinichi's case. The idea that you shouldn't apply your morality to a race that's not your own has been put forward before, but it hasn't been explored quite so deeply as it is here. Ultimately, there are very few people that can be called completely good or evil in this series, and those that do fit that description can be counted on one hand.

All of that being said, the story is also not without its fair share of problems. While the pacing is really good for the most part, towards the end it starts to feel really dragged out in places. The ending ends up being the opposite, as a number of plot points are just conveniently wrapped up in the final episode, and we end up getting a final confrontation that's so disappointing, it's almost pitiful, making the whole thing pretty anti-climactic. Another problem is that the story just isn't as smart as it thinks it is. There are occasions when it can really overdo the philosophy, to the point that characters will occasionally say things that just don't fit with their personalities (see Sound & Dialogue below for more details). Don't get me wrong, though. The story is great. It just has one or two hang-ups that keep it from sheer brilliance.

Art & Animation (10/10):
"Parasyte"'s visuals are absolutely sublime. From the characters to the environments, everything is very detailed and flows brilliantly. The Parasites are especially impressive, with their body horror-style shapeshifting. This effect is used amazingly throughout the series, particularly with Migi, who frequently changes from Shinichi's hand to Parasite form and back again extremely fluidly. I honestly can't think of any way the series could look better, as there are no rough edges to be found or anything. This is, without a doubt, one of the best looking anime I have seen.

Sound & Dialogue (9/10):
Sound-wise, "Parasyte" is fantastic. Some may find the soundtrack ill-fitting, but there are very few soundtracks like it. It generally depends on how much you like dupstep. Besides the opening and ending themes, there are plenty of great tracks to be found, and "Next to You", "Lives" and "Solitude" are just a few. The voice acting is generally great as well, and I would recommend watching both the subbed and dubbed versions as both of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. The dialogue, however, is somewhat hit-and-miss. For example, in the original Japanese, Shinichi is being scolded for not being able to cry for a close friend, being told he's not even human, and he responds by saying "Why do you [humans] go down so easily?!", which may SOUND deep and thought-provoking, but also makes Shinichi sound uncharacteristically condescending. Thankfully, the dub changes this to the FAR more appropriate "You don't know who the hell I am!", which is a reflection of Shinichi's self-hatred and him questioning just what the hell he's turning into.

Characters (7.5/10):
This is definitely the weakest part of the series, even if you wouldn't think so looking only at the main characters. Shinichi starts off pretty wimpy, but that quickly starts to change once he encounters more and more Parasites and, more importantly, ends up nearly killed which forces Migi to repair him. He ends up going through a transformation as a result, becoming a total badass who doesn't flinch at anything, as well as gaining a strong resolve to protect the people he cares about. At the same time, however, he also becomes more like a Parasite, gradually losing empathy and his ability to cry, something he loathes himself for. This makes him both a character we want to root for and one we can easily sympathise with. His opinion of Parasites also changes a lot over the series; at first, he views them as monsters due to them being responsible for the 'Mincemeat Murders', which only strengthens as several people he knows end up getting killed by them. Later on, though, he encounters humans who prove themselves to be just as bad as Parasites, if not worse. This, combined with becoming less human himself, causes Shinichi to seriously question who the real monster is. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that conflict is pretty much the driving part of his entire character, and this makes him an incredibly compelling protagonist, and by far the best character in the whole series.

That being said, Migi, the Parasite that inhabits Shinichi's arm, is easily second-best. Basically, he serves as Shinichi's foil; while Shinichi has a strong hatred for Parasites, Migi similarly has a low opinion of humanity, even comparing them to demons due to the fact that they- we- eat many different creatures in order to survive, while Parasites only eat one or two. He may protect Shinichi's life, but that's because he can't survive without a host, and makes it clear that if it wasn't for that, he couldn't care less what happened to Shinichi. Despite his callousness, he is surprisingly endearing due to his cluelessness about human society, which makes for some pretty hilarious moments. Additionally, while Shinichi gradually becomes more apathetic and cynical overtime, at the same time, Migi becomes more empathetic and idealistic, and the two end up forming a strange, but ultimately very close, bond.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast aren't quite up to snuff. Not many characters stick around for more than a few episodes, and those that do aren't that important. One example is Shinichi's childhood best friend and love interest, Satomi Murano. Exactly why they love each other isn't really gone into much detail, and she's mostly just there to be rescued. It doesn't help that she has no idea about Migi, which similarly isn't helped by Migi refusing to let Shinichi tell anyone about him. She does become more badass later on, however, if not in fighting prowess, than in attitude, which really shows in the final episode of the series. Another girl whose eye Shinichi catches is Kana Kimishima, who is best described as "wasted potential incarnate" (and coming from me that's saying a lot, since I'm usually not one to worry about what could have been). She has this mysterious ability to sense Parasites, which is never explained or elaborated on. Ultimately, the only contribution she has to the story is serving as foreshadowing for one of the villains, even though it hardly takes a genius to see that she could have been so much more. Honestly, they should have combined Satomi and Kana into a single character and made them a third part of the main cast, but I guess they wouldn't have done that in a 90s seinen manga. Alas...

On the other hand, the series also features a number of great villains. My favourite would have to be Reiko Tamura, who like Migi, is a Parasite who develops human emotions overtime. While she's presented as an antagonist, exactly how evil she is is debatable, since she's mostly concerned with learning why the Parasites came to Earth and blending in with society. However, as I said earlier, almost none of the villains can regarded as completely evil. There is one huge exception, however, and he is an individual you will absolutely despise.

Enjoyment (8.5/10):
"Parasyte" can be pretty grim at times, but it's also very enjoyable and entertaining. Shinichi and Migi are very strong, but Parasites can't be brought down by brute force alone, and so the two of them are forced to use every trick in the book in order to survive, which makes for some really creative and suspenseful battles. There's also some fantastic set-pieces with multiple parts of the story taking place in the countryside as well as the city. And while Shinichi may go through a lot of horror and trauma, the series ultimately ends on a surprisingly optimistic note, so it's worth seeing how it ends in spite of the anti-climax.

Overall:
Madhouse have succeeded in making an old manga relevant again, by delivering one of the most original and compelling horror anime ever conceived. It can be pretty pretentious at times and there are a few things it could have done better, but the amount of stuff it gets right cannot be overlooked. If you're a fan of horror or science fiction, or simply want a new take on either genre, then "Parasyte" is definitely a series that's well worth watching all the way to the end.

Score:
8.5+10+9+7.5+8.5=43.5/50=8.7/10