Ms. Kisner reviews the anime series, Parasyte.
 |
| "Imagine the things I can do in the bedroom." |
While there is no shortage of horror anime, a lot of it
tends to blend together. It usually involves demons, vampires, zombies and the
like. Parasyte differentiates itself
from the rest by using human beings as the monsters, which makes the premise of
the show even more frightening. If David Cronenberg directed an anime, the
result would definitely be something close to Parasyte. With its liberal dose of disgusting body-horror and pitch
black gallows humor, this show is a must-see series for both anime aficionados
and connoisseurs of the macabre. The show is based on a manga that came out in
the late eighties and does have a somewhat throwback feel, especially with how
the story progresses.
This show doesn’t pull any punches in depicting horrible
violence and gore. It’s one of the bloodiest shows I have ever seen and ranks
up there with Berserk or Gantz. The animation quality is
outstanding and it’s courtesy of veteran animation studio Madhouse. All of the
character designs are great too, and it maintains a more subtle look than other
shows that are out right now. It doesn’t look overly digital and the use of CGI
enhancement is minimal.
 |
| "Now imagine the things I can do in the bedroom." |
Parasyte is a
longer series, clocking in at twenty-four episodes. It doesn’t have any filler
episodes and the story moves along at a nice steady pace. The dubious
friendship that Shinichi forges with Migi is intriguing to watch and both
characters go through personal changes as the show evolves. I found myself
getting attached to Migi even though he is essentially a monster, as they do an
excellent job with making him endearing and relatable (even if he is really
gross looking). Shinichi also develops a love interest along the way (as is
expected) but it never gets too sappy or unbelievable. I find that older anime
tends to have a more focused and linear story progression. While the anime
adaptation of Parasyte is fairly new,
it follows the thirty-year-old manga closely and in doing so encapsulates the
“retro” feel.
One of the negatives of the series is the music score—it’s a
mix of cliché J-pop and crappy dubstep style electronic music. I got used to it
after a few episodes, but it never really gelled with the overall atmosphere of
the series. Parasyte also loses its
steam a little bit towards the end of the series and it drags on the finale a
bit too long. Overall, it’s a tightly paced series with just a few hiccups here
and there. It’s definitely a series worth watching and one of the better horror
anime series I have seen.
Like this? Please share.
