Parasyte -the maxim-

2014

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
8.3| 0h30m| TV-MA| en| More Info
Released: 09 October 2014 Ended
Producted By: Madhouse
Country: Japan
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.vap.co.jp/kiseiju
Synopsis

A species of parasitic aliens descends on Earth and quickly infiltrates humanity by entering the brains of vulnerable targets; insatiable beings that gain total control of their host and are capable of transforming themselves to feed on unsuspecting prey. High school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but the creature fails to take over his brain and ends up in his right hand.

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Reviews

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews
Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
mydiem Waste of time. This was one of the most pretentious shows I have ever seen. The monologues the main character has makes me roll my eyes. I think this is meant for edgy and rebellious teenagers. Just because there's violence and sex does not make a show more mature. The messages are misguided and not represented well. I'm tired of people saying this show is underrated and a masterpiece. If you're looking for a intelligent and engaging show then this is not it. It may be fun to watch this but remember that this show is not the best.
ThatAnimeSnob (ThatAnimeSnob) Nobody can deny that the premise of the story sounds very intriguing. Man eating monsters appearing and killing people from the shadows has a very cool vibe to it. And sure, there are hundreds of anime that have a similar get-up, but what makes Parasyte better than almost all of them is one simple thing: The monsters just appeared and the setting is just like our world. There is nothing supernatural in this world, no teenagers with superpowers, no secret organizations that protect mankind with giant robots, no magicians from other dimensions, and no 12 year old pink-haired busty girls with eyes half their head. Sounds mundane but it is also the thing that makes the threat of the monsters far more plausible and intriguing, since there is no pre-existing defense for such things.The premise of course means nothing if the presentation is not good, and this is where the series has a lot of issues that hurt the overall. Let's start with how despite the production values being quite good to the most part, there are still lots of scenes that use really bad CGI crowds, which are an instant break of immersion. The main music theme is also dub-step, which is off putting for most people. These are issues alright but they are very superficial. They make it harder to enjoy the show, but don't change the writing of it. I have tolerated lots of badly animated shows in my life, and the ones I didn't like amongst them weren't because the CGI was bad but because the plot and the characters were bad.And this brings us to an issue many had concerning the characters. WHY DO THEY ACT SO STUPID? WHY IS MURANO REPEATING THE SAME ANNOYING THINGS ALL THE TIME? I am not going to defend this, because it's true. What I can do, is point out a mishap in the way the animators present the story. You see, the anime is based on an 80s manga, and yet the studio decided to make it seem like the anime takes place in our times, by having people using cell phones and the internet. You can't believe how off tune it is to present a story that is supposed to take place in the 80s, instead taking place in 2014 with no actual modernization past cell phones and the internet.I grew up in the 80s. I remember very well what it was to be a kid in a world with no cell phones to warn others if something bad just happened, or search the internet for footage of things that happened ten minutes ago on the other side of the planet. We were far more isolated and uninformed back then. We were also far more naive and high spirited, full of patriotic ideals and xenophobia. It is very far away from how things are now. We became more cynical, we scroll the internet while taking a walk, we know things the moment they happen, and we are in overall not as gullible. So, a story like Parasyte is not working if it's supposed to be taking place today. The monsters wouldn't be able to remain hidden for more than a few days with all the surveillance cameras, and the random people with cell phones making calls and taking pictures. The monsters would also not be able to fool today's people as easily, eat them, and get away with it, without some forensic team doing some weird investigations that involve DNA analysis, satellite examinations, and tracing calls. It just doesn't work.Something else which many didn't like is how the show was becoming less interesting as it went on. The various arcs didn't seem to connect with each other too well, and many of the best characters were killed off midway, leaving only dull ones to carry the story with far less charisma. These are legit problems as well; the anime was more focused on theme exploration and not on character appeal or plot continuity.What I will strongly defend the show for though, is how it was never a battle shonen. Many didn't like the battle scenes because they were short and simple, with the final one in particular being anti-climactic and lame. I disagree; I found it to be a great subversion of typical shonen nonsense (if some want to see the show as a shonen so much). The hero didn't get another power up after training with a powerful martial artist, and didn't obliterate the big bad with an energy beam after they trash a whole valley with their punches. The hero was left weakened after he lost his Parasyte, afraid and helpless. He was found by a simple old lady that reminded him of what it means to be human. That is all it needed for him to face a monster which was a hundred times more powerful than him.So as you see, it all comes down to a simple issue. Parasyte is far better written than it is presented. I am the kind of viewer who appreciates writing more than anything else, so I liked the show as a whole. I also understand why those who want cool fights and a fairy tale ending, will not like it because it is not a fighting shonen but an anachronistic seinen that focuses on the values of humanity.
Sudeep Chanda **This review is done by a guy who watches/plays a lot of action/violent movies, games and anime... and yet the dumbstruck reviewer finds the prominent theme of Parasyte to be way better than just mindless fighting.**Parasyte is something of a one time enchantment. Just one season and thats just it. Its something you get when elements like action + sci-fi + gore + romance + psychology are added and created by the godlike Japanese. Let me say that after 5-6 years of me turning into an adult, this is the pretty much the one that brought me close to uhh... crying, something that I never do. It made me all giddy up inside with the story driven around a high school guy with an intelligent alien as his right hand, how his perceptions about being a human and how he views humanity changes, how he becomes inhuman (mentally, NOT physically) to the point where its visible to near and dear ones. Love life aside, the protagonist often ponders about how he got this way much like we think at night about ourselves. But its the essence of the protagonist's mental/psychological change that takes the cake. He concurs that regardless whatever humans go through, certain human elements (read: compassion, envy, self-preservation,but also sacrificing oneself for the greater good etc.) can never be given up, for they are in our blood, in our DNA (though I might be overstating a bit!).Also, the pain and suffering of losing a friend (who has a crush on you and you know it) is beautifully depicted and enhanced by the heavenly music. Oh, the music in this anime plays with your heartstrings, I kid you not. And this comes from a guy who isn't affected by romance genre. Im not going ahead and praising the action and the boss-battles (well implemented), you will have to treat yourself to it but the music really is divine, combining piano with dub-step, it gets your heart pumping. I personally award 11/10 for the BGM. Trust me when I say, the music is on par with Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack On Titan). A segment of Episode 02 will tell you that, you will know what Im talking about once you hear it. I actually watched that segment repeatedly ~20 times, just to hear the BGM.It was this combination of awesome elements mixed together beautifully that had driven me to binge watch the entire dubbed series. My only *minor* sorrow (not disappointment) is that I probably will not get to watch a sequel of this legendary franchise, for the manga this show is based upon, ended 20 years ago.I have already (personally) recommended this to all my friends and will do so here, because you will do yourself a big favor by witnessing this anime. Like I mentioned, for an action- maniac, I barely got into describing the tense action sequences. Treat yourself and go for it, its on par with Tokyo Ghoul (Season 1) and a great experience.Long Live Japan, Long Live Anime!!!
seschell We humans are the dominating species on earth, deciding who lives and who dies, controlling all creatures we consider to be 'inferior'. Until one day spores, containing worm-like aliens, come to earth, starting to control some of us and, in order to survive, steadily consuming mankind. These events, witnessed though the eyes of the main focalizer Shinichi Izumi, confront the viewer with many concepts and themes from modern philosophy: Egoism, altruism, deciding who lives and who dies, and who is the real parasite on earth? Is it the human who exploits his environment or the alien creature, which reduces mankind? Not to mention that Shinichi, due to circumstances explained in the first episode, lives in a symbiosis with one of the parasites, being confronted with the problems of both species. He is now a human-parasite-hybrid, with all the flaws and advantages.I personally liked this anime a lot, always catching myself thinking how I would have reacted in this or that situation :).I've been hooked from the first episode onwards! Highly recommended.

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