Review of Parasyte: The Maxim

Parasyte the Maxim is a story that handles questions about what makes us human, taking us on an unforgettable horror-adventure in the process. Right from the start the show has clear and compelling conflicts, with our main character Shinichi facing both external and internal battles, be it the violent parasites he fights or his gradual and scary decent into becoming less human. With good pacing and a story that kept leading in directions that made sense, usually, Parasyte keeps you immersed in its story. Where the show shines the most is its main character, one of the most fleshed out and developed examples I’ve seen in sometime. From beginning to end we keep seeing new sides to him that make you both cheer and worry for him, all while entertaining you with the interesting dynamic he has with his parasitic hand.

What does bring the show down somewhat is that the rest of the cast-members aren’t written as interestingly, particularly the female characters. We have girls putting themselves at risk despite being warned and knowing better, as well as a romantic interest that keeps ignoring obvious clues around her. But the women are not the only ones, humans in general seem to be intentionally written dumber, making the main character and the parasites seem more logical and threatening in comparison.

Something I appreciate about the series more than anything is that it didn’t fall into one of my pet-peeves, which would be to have a message that raises a lot of questions without giving any answers to them. Without spoiling too much the series has an environmental message toward the end, a less than subtle one. I cannot stress how many times I’ve felt like stories with this message tend to just paint humanity as the villains, never offering any particular ideas on how we can improve. The way Parasyte includes more positive notes to balance things out ellavates it to a more thought out story, managing to avoid coming off as pretentious when it very easily could have.

Overall, with the occasional bump on the road, Parasyte is among the best character-pieces in recent memory. It is hard not to recommend for anyone that enjoys some thoughtful horror and adventure.