Review of Parasyte: The Maxim

This series opens with the time-tested anime narrative device of granting extraordinary power to an ordinary guy. Although it is an extremely common premise, that doesn’t necessarily doom the series to the tired Shonen formula. I see it like moving a pawn as your opening move in Chess—everyone from novice to master starts there. And so, to gauge the quality of an anime’s storytelling one needs to watch how it plays out. Story: 8/10 The story begins with Izumi, a geeky 12th grader, getting infested by an extraterrestrial parasite. This parasite, Migi, misses his intended target, the brain, and instead takes up residence in Izumi’s right hand.Across the world similar, infestations are taking place with most of the parasites reaching their victim’s brains, completely destroying the consciousness of the host and assuming control of their bodies. Unlike Migi, who survives on the nutrients within Izumi’s blood stream, the other parasites sustain themselves by devouring human flesh. Out of a mutual desire to survive from the other hostile parasites, Izumi and Migi form a mutualistic alliance while trying to live a normal human life.

The first half of this anime straddles the line between plot-driven and monster-of-the-week. I don’t have a problem with this as it essentially allows for the main characters and plot to develop separately, saving their intersection until later. The second half is when we start to run into trouble. When that ‘intersection’ finally arrives it is somewhat underwhelming. Many (but not all) of the plot elements that were painstakingly set up in the first 12 episodes are either unceremoniously negated or forgotten about later on. By the 2/3 mark, Parasyte becomes a different anime, with the plot losing a large portion of its scale and sense of urgency. It is still a great watch.

I found the story to be far more mature and introspective than pretty much anything I’ve seen since the first Psycho Pass. This anime generally succeeds in everything it sets out to do.

Characters: 8/10
Despite a few exceptions, only Migi and Izumi receive significant character development. Non-main characters are generally simplistic and sometimes appallingly forgetful of or indifferent to previously witnessed atrocities. They make it look easy to snap back from watching a bloodbath to resuming life ‘business as usual’. I found that part distracting and inconsistent with the story’s more serious tone. Even the notable ‘fleshed out’ exceptions did feel somewhat engineered—strategically set up to be killed off for the sake of advancing a narrow plot point. To be fair, isolation is a major theme in this anime and thus there really wasn’t a place for Izumi to interact too substantively with others. However, there are several interesting characters who, at least in my opinion, received too light a dusting of personality or longevity to fulfill a deep purpose.

Izumi: The concepts of change, evolution and hybridism are central themes in the storyline and are embodied in the main character Izumi. He starts out as a wussy high school kid but after fusing with Migi he begins to change in every way possible. There is a fascinating interplay between the biological effects of sustaining Migi, the psychological repercussions the duo’s violent encounters and the natural process of maturing into adulthood. Izumi’s metamorphosis happens steadily, inevitably and irreversibly. To some, Izumi’s character development will seem rushed or disjointed but I disagree. As anime viewers, we have been force-fed the cliché, shonen character development formula--loser gets superpower, struggles with power, finds inner badass after an internal monologue, uses the power of angry emotions to power up and defeat the villain, rescues girl. While Parasyte begins with Izumi fusing with Migi—an undeniable ‘super power’, the series is too ambitious to settle for such a simple, linear tale. Instead, the “rushed” development simply cuts out the filler and makes room for a more mature story later on.

Migi is one of those characters who almost everyone will love. If I have any problem with him it’s that he’s too likeable and distinct from the other sadistic and nightmarish parasytes. He’s cute, deadly, witty and very very handy :). I say this half in jest but their companionship does mitigate some of the terror and solitude that a horror-tagged anime might suggest. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, and the literal and figurative synergy between Izumi and Migi is really fun to watch. Their versatility and teamwork makes me wish I too had a co-pilot in my body.

Murano: She is Izumi’s love interest. She’s a boring, well-adjusted Japanese high school student. I wouldn’t call her a cardboard character but she’s definitely put in the story to serve a well-defined role in the narrative. That being said, her purpose goes well beyond just propping up a romance subplot; she serves as a barometer of, and anchor for, Izumi’s humanity. Everyone in the series changes to some degree but some much faster and divergently than others. This will make much more sense as you watch the series but I thought she was a very important--albeit somewhat uncharismatic—piece of the story.

Artwork: 9/10
Masterfully done, a 9/10 easy. The backgrounds were beautifully constructed and the character faces were very finely drawn. I was particularly impressed by artists’ ability to convincingly depict a wide variety of emotional states. At different points in the anime, the features of anguish, hope, coquettishness, anemia, fatigue, confidence, pensiveness, terror etc. were expertly captured with a rare, subtle elegance. The parasites were also very well drawn, especially the way they were shown to distort human faces and bodies in a way that was eerie rather than purely gratuitous. The fight scenes—though often brief—were superb, with the parasites executing an eerie, T-1000esque fluidity. My one complaint with the art is that Murano and Izumi’s mother looked uncannily similar. I found it weird, distracting and altogether too Freudian for my liking.

Sound: 9/10
I liked the intro and found it ipod worthy however it may be to angsty for some. The 9/10 comes from the music in the episodes which were very memorable. I felt like it accentuated emotional or dramatic scenes very nicely. There is this really haunting and delicate piece that is played during introspective and tragic sequences. It’s like xylophone music but it sends chills down my spine.

Overall: 9/10
Overall it was an a great, high-quality and thought-provoking anime. The bizarre premise, insectoid motifs and strong theme of isolation remind me of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis.