Parasyte - the maxim

[Kraco]

Episode 8 | 9 - HS


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Suddenly a double release! Of course I didn't realise it at first and only downloaded the latter, noticing it first when scrolling down releases. So, I watched first episode 9 and was thinking all the time this is a weird place for a time skip...

Shinichi really changed. It's quite a big change, no shit, but if you think of it in terms of novelty, it's interesting. You don't usually see changes like this, and this even has a good foundation. The natural one of the shock of getting infected by an alien parasite and then getting his mom killed by another monster. And the unnatural one becoming mixed blood between a human and an alien. It would be weirder if he didn't change. I think it's especially good that he has troubles realising it himself. It's like a genuinely crazy person doesn't realise he's crazy. Still, the dog scene felt really forced. Like the dog got hit by a car right then and there only to create a situation where Shinichi would unintentionally spook Murano.

Jolly episodes all in all. Looks like the world isn't quite as ignorant as it seemed. I remember hardly any details from the manga, but since I was left with a good general impression, I don't think there's any reason to worry this more Vulcan Shinichi would be unable to provide any thrill.

[Buffalobiian]

It's weird that Shinichi can't even compare his current self to his past self though. He thinks it's "normal", but I think he should be intellectual enough to actually realise how "illogical" his past actions were.

Regarding the antennae girl, I thought it would be hilarious if she ran into Tamiya Ryouko and would be forced to wonder if she was bisexual.

[Kraco]

Regarding the antennae girl, I thought it would be hilarious if she ran into Tamiya Ryouko and would be forced to wonder if she was bisexual.

That wouldn't unfortunately work anymore because Shinichi told her she's sensing dangerous people, not love compatible ones.

[Buffalobiian]

That wouldn't unfortunately work anymore because Shinichi told her she's sensing dangerous people, not love compatible ones.

I wouldn't have said she'd believe that (under normal circumstances), but the beginning of episode 09 showed otherwise.

[MFauli]

So Shinichi is dead.

It´s not that it´s a deal breaker, ruining the anime or such. However, it changes this from a character-driven story to a plot-driven story. It´s no longer about Shinichi, it´s now about observing how the parasites and humans will deal with each other. That´s intersting, too, but it´s kinda sad to see our hero gone. Unless he can somehow return himself back to normal, preferably mentally only.

[NeoCybercoin]

I wouldn't be surprised if Shinichi will try to start thinking how to act human after a while just to fit in again.

[MFauli]

episode 10 is out
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I love the method to identify parasytes. It´s so simple, yet entirely believable based upon what we had seen before. Fantastic, intelligent writing.

Shinichi seems to regain some of his human emotions, starting from the moment he saw all the bloody corpses in the school hallway. He also made a friendlier impression to me during the ending scene. Seeing how this anime actually makes use of well-thought out explanations, I can think of a number of reasons for a return to normal.

I didnt like, however, that Shinichi still keeps it all a secret from everyone. Even if there´s Migi´s unwillingness, I still believe that could be overcome by reason. And I sooo want him to tell Murano why he´s been acting so differently. Hell, he could just tell her noe that his mother was killed by one of these monsters. She´d be totally understanding.

[Kraco]

I love the method to identify parasytes. It´s so simple, yet entirely believable based upon what we had seen before. Fantastic, intelligent writing.

The man with few hairs left wasn't amused. Not amused at all.

I didnt like, however, that Shinichi still keeps it all a secret from everyone. Even if there´s Migi´s unwillingness, I still believe that could be overcome by reason. And I sooo want him to tell Murano why he´s been acting so differently. Hell, he could just tell her noe that his mother was killed by one of these monsters. She´d be totally understanding.

It's quite natural he might hesitate to tell his love interest that he's a monster hybrid. Even though he's basically hiding something he shouldn't hide, and can't hide, in the long run, it's still something that would be hard to tell. It's also a factor that he might not dare to really trust in his chances to maintain a long romance in any case, under these circumstances, so why not get whatever he can get out of it while he still can?

After rewatching the scene of Shinichi shortly meeting Murano before heading for the hospital I believe Murano guessed the mom is gone, the dad wounded. He's, probably, not the kind of guy who would try to score sympathy points anymore. Assuming he even could with his stunted emotions.

[Buffalobiian]

Parasyte keeps things so tense, and then turns it around at the end to give it all a nice warm feeling. I love this show.

I don't know if you guys watch the previews but... damn.

Shinichi's comment about these parasytes only wanting to kill each other was spoken without knowledge, but he does make a good point that when these cells aren't kept in check they become animalistic. That said, that's the case with all living beings. The main cerebrum developed on top of our midbrain is what allows us to control our emotions and have logical thought. All sentient beings actually are animals in check. Whether it's a mellow of vicious animal underneath is another story however.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 11

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This episode didn't turn out to be as dangerous as I thought it was going to be. Pulling hair was certainly a great way to identify parasytes... and get yourself killed by them. The government rejoiced too much when they found out about this method. They declared war without actually having a good countermeasure. Identifying them isn't the same as weeding them out into a group that you can target with conventional weaponry.

I'm really liking Kana more and more. She's right about Murano losing Shinichi due to her doubts as well. In fact, right now I feel that Kana is the only one who can accept Shinichi for who he is is accepting Shinichi because of who he is. Murano avoids his right hand while she grabbed it without much thought immediately post-transformation, albeit in a dream. Murano is trying way too hard to get the old Shinichi back.

Just going back to the whole hair thing, Shinichi still has little bits of Migi's cells throughout his body. Kana made a point of keeping his hair in her hanky - I think at some point she'll open it up to find minor changes that suggest (but not diagnostic for) a parasytic entity.

[MFauli]

Regarding Murano waning the old Shinichi back, I dont think shes wrong there. The "new Shinichi" is a sick Shinichi, someone with a serious disease, so to speak. And as this and the prpevious episode show, Shinichi IS fighting back. He has the short bursts of true human emotion, his body feeling like burning up from the inside and all. At some point, I think, "old Shinichi" will return. Of course, all the experience will have changed that Shinichi, too, but it will be a normal mind change, like it can happen to all of us, instead of a forced, physical change.

Regarding the "love triangle": Kana is hotter. You chose poorly, Shinichi.

Im also wondering when we´ll see proper counter measures from "normal" human beings, like police/military forces. As of now, a single parasyte could annihilate a whole town by itself.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't think she's 'wrong' either in that there is not 'right' or 'wrong'. However, I do think it's not a very fruitful outlook. There's nothing to suggest that Shinichi, or any changed person rather, is expected to change back. She takes no active part in it either besides questioning him.

There's nothing wrong with wanting Shinichi to be kinder like is old self. The problem here is that she's rejecting all else. She's merely keeping Shinichi around hoping he'd turn back. A better approach would be hope or strive for that while accepting real world results (that Shinichi may never be who he is was again, and still taking that in).

Say if your partner had a stroke, you may hope that they recover. However, to reject their current state or and not considering them to be the same person (and therefore not love them?) just leads to ruin.

The last episode suggested chemical warfare to be a good way to disrupt them. I also noticed that the parasyte here also had superior capabilities similar to Shinichi. It stands to reason that the parasyte's cells were spread out to augment the body, along with any pros and cons that brings.

I'd hate to think that they get this upgrade for free. Shinichi/Migi's trump card is that the human is stronger than expected (and should be stronger than a parasyte's human host), at the cost of Migi requiring sleep and possibly being more emotional.

[Kraco]

I'd hate to think that they get this upgrade for free. Shinichi/Migi's trump card is that the human is stronger than expected (and should be stronger than a parasyte's human host), at the cost of Migi requiring sleep and possibly being more emotional.

Migi had to replace a destroyed heart. I doubt the muscle parasyte needed to replace anything, taking over healthy victim. While it would naturally lose cells spreading all over the body to make it a terminator like we saw, the weakness generated would probably be lesser than in the Shinichi/Migi case.

The hair fad really is stupid. The council didn't think it through at all. It does nothing but generate more victims. It might make the parasytes a bit more nervous (or would if they had emotions), but that's all. They will still go around because they need to eat humans. Now they will simply kill also people whom they weren't planning to kill originally. They might even need to kill a whole bunch if there were a group of people present.

[Buffalobiian]

Migi had to replace a destroyed heart. I doubt the muscle parasyte needed to replace anything, taking over healthy victim.

Migi only temporarily replaced Shinichi's heart tissue until it replaced its own. I really don't think there is a significant chunk of 'Migi' stuck as Shinichi's heart like you're suggesting. In his words, he said that "the repaired heart was too strong" and his fragments were not able to make it back to his right hand. Instead, they were scattered.

In other words, their job was the provide the scaffolding to repair Shinichi's heart. Once their job was done, their mantra was to return to his right hand. Presumably the blood flow was too strong or something and the fragments were no longer able to navigate the bloodstream under their own power.

All 30% that Migi has 'lost' is distributed throughout Shinichi and enhancing his performance. If another parasyte was to have the same performance, they should need to pay the same price. Shinichi's heart doesn't hold a significant chunk of parasytic cells from the repair.

[NeoCybercoin]

Horriblesubs Ep 12 1080p

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Well shit.

[Buffalobiian]

Kana was both interesting and good eye candy, letting a human into the game of parasytes and all. Typical teenage girl downfall..

What a sad christmas.

[Archangel]

We keep going to that point of how he can't cry, which really can either be from the parasyte cells within him or the shock of losing his mother which personally i think he hasn't dealt with yet. The way they leave that question in the open is really great, it leaves you thinking. It's a shame Kana died but you can't argue with this level of character development.

AOTY, definitely.

Edit: And possibly OST of the year as well



You're welcome

[Buffalobiian]

The death of his mother marked the first personal loss from a parasyte. At this point, I don't think he can "get over" it any more than he has. Having killed the parasyte responsible, the only way for him to come to a full resolution to either eliminate all parasyte threats, or accept them as part of society. This is especially the case since Migi now has to sleep, so Shinichi will always have a window where he can only protect people within his immediate vicinity.

[Archangel]

The death of his mother marked the first personal loss from a parasyte. At this point, I don't think he can "get over" it any more than he has. Having killed the parasyte responsible, the only way for him to come to a full resolution to either eliminate all parasyte threats, or accept them as part of society. This is especially the case since Migi now has to sleep, so Shinichi will always have a window where he can only protect people within his immediate vicinity.

That's not how denial and shock work but ok

[Kraco]

It's so damn realistic how Kana was completely certain she could tell Shinichi apart from everybody else - only to fail in the most horrible and unlucky way possible. She should have known better, considering she headed out just a night or two earlier believing the random woman-parasyte was Shinichi. Love is blind[ness].

I like the combination of developed characters dying and Shinichi's cold despair due to his emotional changes and the fact he really can't do all that much, especially with Migi disagreeing so often. Their common ground is surprisingly lacking considering they are inseparable and constantly in dire situations (and naturally the main character or characters of the show).