Parasyte: The Maxim - A moving story about the coexistence of an amazing life form and humans

Parasyte - The Maxim -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

October 9, 2014 - March 26, 2015

■TV Broadcast

• Nippon Television October 9, 2014 - March 26, 2015 Thursday 1:29 - 1:59 (Wednesday late night)
• Sapporo Television October 17, 2014 - Every Friday from 26:00
• TV Shinshu October 23, 2014 - Every Thursday 26:14
• Shizuoka Daiichi TV October 22, 2014 - Every Wednesday from 26:04
• Hiroshima Television November 5, 2014 - Every Wednesday 25:59
• Fukuoka Broadcasting System October 20, 2014 - Every Monday 25:59
• Kagoshima Yomiuri Television October 17, 2014 - Every Friday from 25:55
• BS Nippon Television October 22, 2014 - April 8, 2015 Wednesday 2:30 - 3:00 (Tuesday late night)
• NTV Plus (CS) January 30, 2015 - Every Friday from 25:30

■ Online distribution

• NTV On Demand
• Hulu
• Niconico Video
• GyaO!
• au Video Pass
• d Anime Store
• d-Video
• UULA
• Bandai Channel
• TV Dogatch
• Rakuten SHOWTIME
• Video Market
• DMM.com
• J:COM On Demand
• More TV
• Hikari TV
• U-NEXT
• HAPPY! Video
• Movie Full Plus
• Best Hit Videos

■Broadcasting station

Nippon Television

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 24

■Original Story

・Original story: Hitoshi Iwaaki (Kodansha "Afternoon")

■ Director

・Director: Kenichi Shimizu

■ Production

・Animation Production: Madhouse

Produced by Nippon Television Network, VAP, Forecast Communications

■Works

©Hitoshi Iwaaki/Kodansha, VAP, NTV, 4cast

■ Story

High school student Shinichi Izumi and the creature "Migi" that has parasitized his right hand. Their strange friendship - and then the battle begins.

One day, Shinichi Izumi, an ordinary high school student, is suddenly attacked by a "parasite" that flies into the sky. He narrowly avoids being infected by the parasite in his brain, but the parasite infects and assimilates his right arm.

A strange symbiotic life begins between the parasite, who calls himself "Migi" after his right hand, and humans. Shinichi is troubled by his inability to tell the truth to those around him, but before long, Shinichi and Migi begin to feel something close to a friendship.

However, other parasites begin to appear before Shinichi and Migi, killing people one by one, and the situation escalates to the point where people are killing the parasites. Shinichi's classmate Satomi is also in danger. Meanwhile, the parasites, including Tamiya Ryoko, a high school teacher, begin to develop their own values. "Why were we born?" The parasites were born to eliminate the humans who continue to destroy the Earth. The humans try to survive by killing the parasites. "Which one should survive?" Despite this, they must protect the Earth and their loved ones. With their values ​​fluctuating, Shinichi and Migi throw themselves into the fight against the parasites.

■Explanation

High school student Shinichi Izumi and the creature "Migi" that has parasitized his right hand. Their strange friendship and the battle begin. The original work was serialized in Kodansha's "Afternoon" magazine by Iwaaki Hitoshi from 1989 to 1995, and is a hugely popular comic that has sold a total of 11 million copies (10 volumes of Afternoon KC, 8 volumes of the complete edition).

The legendary monster comic will finally be broadcast on Nippon TV and other networks from October! The production company is Madhouse, and the director is Kenichi Shimizu, who was the action animation director for "Hajime no Ippo New Challenger" and the director for "AVENGERS CONFIDENTIAL BLACKWIDOW & PUNISHER". The character design is by Yoshifumi Hiramatsu, who was the character designer for "His and Her Circumstances" and "Abenobashi Magic Shopping District" and the original artist for the ending credits of "Attack on Titan".

■Cast

• Miggy/Aya Hirano
• Shinichi Izumi/Nobunaga Shimazaki
• Satomi Murano/Kana Hanazawa
• Yuko Tachikawa/Kiyono Yasuno
• Akiho Suzuki/Reina Maeda
• Kana Kimishima/Miyuki Sawashiro
• Urakami/Yoshino Hiroyuki
• Ryoko Tamiya/Atsuko Tanaka

■ Main staff

• Original work: Hitoshi Iwaaki (Kodansha "Afternoon")
• Director: Kenichi Shimizu
• Series Composition: Shoji Yonemura
• Character design: Yoshifumi Hiramatsu
• Chief animation director: Toshiyuki Komaru
• Art Director: Fuminao Akai
• Color design: Ken Hashimoto
• Director of photography: Akane Fushihara
• CG Director: Naoya Fukushi
• Edited by Yoshiko Kimura
• Music by Ken Arai
• Sound Director: Tomoaki Yamada
• Animation Production: Madhouse
• Produced by Nippon Television Network, VAP, Forecast Communications

■ Main Characters

• Shinichi Izumi is the protagonist of this work. He is a serious, very ordinary high school student. One day, he is attacked by a parasitic creature and ends up living with the parasite "Migi". This leads to a strange fate.
• Migi is a parasite who invades Shinichi, the protagonist of this work, through his right arm and tries to take over his brain, but fails. He then attaches himself to Shinichi's right arm.
• Satomi Murano Shinichi's classmate. Not knowing that Migi is parasitizing him, she is confused by the changes in Shinichi. Although she has a quiet and reserved personality, she gains strength as she spends time with Shinichi.
• Kana Kimijima is a female student at a high school in the town next to Shinichi. She senses something non-human in Shinichi's eyes and gradually becomes interested in him.
• Yuko Tachikawa Shinichi and Satomi's classmate. Member of the art club.
• Akiho Suzuki Shinichi and Satomi's classmate.
• Tamura Reiko Tamiya Ryoko, who disappeared, changed her appearance and name. She wonders "why were we born" and searches for the answer.
• A mysterious pleasure killer who was wanted in Urakami.
• Izumi Kazunori Shinichi's father. Freelance writer. He is unaware that Shinichi's hand is infected with a parasite.
• Nobuko Izumi Shinichi's mother. She worries about Shinichi and is confused by his changes. When Shinichi was little, she burned her hand while protecting him.
• Kazuki Nagai Shinichi's classmate. He has feelings for Satomi and sees Shinichi as a rival.
• B
  Shinichi will be fighting a parasite. He proposes a deal to Migi.
• A
  A parasite that appeared with Ryoko Tamiya. It has no name, and Ryoko calls it "A" for convenience.
• Mitsuo A delinquent from the neighboring town who hangs out with Kana. He's good at fighting, and is at odds with Shinichi's classmates, Kamijo and the others.
• Makiko is the daughter of a family who runs a private lodging. Shinichi's father is attacked by a parasite and hospitalized, and Shinichi meets her on a speedboat on his way to visit him.
• Uda and Joe attempted suicide, and while lost in thought on the cliff, they were attacked by a parasite. Like Shinichi, his brain was barely spared, but the area from under his nose to his chest was infected.
• Hideo Shimada A parasite who transfers to the high school Shinichi attends in order to observe him. He has good looks and attracts the attention of the girls.
• Tsuyoshi Hirokawa unites the parasites, speaks of his own ideas, and is elected mayor.
• Shiro Kuramori A detective who was asked by Reiko Tamura to investigate Shinichi's background.
• He plays a senior role in the Kusano organization and is a forceful parasite who will ruthlessly eliminate anyone who gets in his way.
• A parasite that challenges Shinichi Miki to a fight. Unusually for a parasite, he has a rich range of facial expressions.
• A parasite who works with Goto Hirokawa.
• A veteran detective in charge of investigations related to Hirama Parasite.
• Yamagishi

■Subtitle

• Stage:1／Transformation(2014/10/08)
• Stage:2／Demon of the Flesh (2014/10/15)
• Stage:3／Feast (2014/10/22)
• Stage:4／Messy Hair(2014/10/29)
• Stage:5／Stranger(2014/11/05)
• Stage:6／The Sun Also Rises (2014/11/12)
• Stage:7/Dark night journey (2014/11/19)
• Stage:8／Freezing Point(2014/11/26)
• Stage:9／Beyond Good and Evil(2014/11/26)
• Stage:10 / Crazy Universe (2014/12/03)
• Stage:11／Blue Bird (2014/12/10)
• Stage:12／Kokoro(2014/12/24)
• Stage:13／Hello, Sadness (2015/01/07)
• Stage:14／The Selfish Gene(2015/01/14)
• Stage:15／Something is Coming Down the Road (2015/01/21)
• Stage:16/Happy Family (2015/01/28)
• Stage:17／The Dying Detective (2015/02/04)
• Stage:18／More Than Human (2015/02/11)
• Stage:19／In Cold Blood (2015/02/18)
• Stage:20／Crime and Punishment(2015/02/25)
• Stage:21／Sex and Sacredness(2015/03/04)
• Stage:22／Silence and Awakening(2015/03/11)
• Stage:23／Life and Promises(2015/03/18)
• Stage:24／Parasyte(2015/03/25)

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1
  ・Let Me Hear
  ・Song／Fear, and loathing in Las Vegas
• ED1
  ・IT'S THE RIGHT TIME
  ・Song: Daichi Miura

Parasyte - The Maxim - Reviews and Recommendations

"Parasyte -the maxim-" is an anime series based on the manga of the same name by Hitoshi Iwaaki, and was broadcast on Nippon Television from 2014 to 2015. Despite being broadcast in a late-night slot, this work attracted many viewers due to its unique storyline and deep themes. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and recommended points of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Parasyte: The Maxim" begins with the strange premise that an ordinary high school student, Izumi Shinichi, lives in symbiosis with a parasite named Migi. The relationship between Shinichi and Migi is initially antagonistic, but gradually changes to something closer to friendship. This symbiotic relationship between a human and a parasite gave viewers a fresh surprise, and the bond between the two that deepens as the story progresses has touched many hearts.

Furthermore, the story is not just about action, but also delves deeply into the meaning of existence and ethical issues of humans and parasites. The question, "Why were we born?", gives viewers an opportunity to think about the meaning of their own existence. The premise that the parasites were born to eliminate humans symbolizes global environmental issues and human egoism, and can be seen as a sharp criticism of modern society.

Character Appeal

The main character, Izumi Shinichi, is portrayed as a serious, ordinary high school student who grows through his coexistence with the parasite. Shinichi's humanity and struggles evoke empathy from viewers and are an essential central character in the story. Migi, despite being a parasite, also begins to have emotions, making him seem more human. Migi's growth and change are depicted through his relationship with Shinichi, and the friendship between the two is a major part of the appeal of the series.

Shinichi's classmate, Satomi Murano, is a character who is confused by Shinichi's changes, but who grows stronger as she acts with him. Her growth and her relationship with Shinichi emphasize the elements of the story as a youth drama, and play an important role in helping viewers empathize with the story. Ryoko Tamiya and the other parasites also have their own values, adding depth to the story.

Production quality

"Parasyte: The Maxim" features high-quality animation produced by Madhouse. The parasite designs and battle scenes in particular are realistic and powerful, leaving a strong visual impact. Director Kenichi Shimizu is well-known for his action scene direction, and his skills are on full display in this film. Character designer Yoshifumi Hiramatsu's detailed depictions also bring out the individuality of the characters.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and the background music by Ken Arai effectively creates tension and emotion. The opening theme "Let Me Hear" and the ending theme "IT'S THE RIGHT TIME" also match the worldview of the work and are memorable songs for viewers.

Recommended points

"Parasyte: The Maxim" is a work that depicts deep themes and human drama, and gives many suggestions to the viewer. In particular, the scenes that make viewers think about the conflicts of adolescence and the meaning of their own existence will resonate with not only young people but a wide range of generations. In addition, the action scenes are powerful and the production quality is high, providing plenty of visual enjoyment.

This work is recommended not only for those who like science fiction and horror, but also for those who are interested in human drama and philosophical themes. In particular, since it depicts universal themes that go beyond the scope of late-night anime, it can be enjoyed from a variety of perspectives. Furthermore, fans of the original manga will be able to gain new perspectives and interpretations by having it made into an anime.

How to watch

"Parasyte: The Maxim" can be viewed through online distribution services. It is distributed on many platforms, including NTV On Demand, Hulu, Niconico Video, GyaO!, au Video Pass, d Anime Store, d Video, UULA, Bandai Channel, TV Dogatch, Rakuten SHOWTIME, Video Market, DMM.com, J:COM On Demand, Motto TV, Hikari TV, U-NEXT, HAPPY! Video, Movie Full Plus, and Best Hit Video. By using these services, you can watch it anytime, anywhere.

Conclusion

"Parasyte: The Maxim" is an anime series with deep themes and human drama, and high visual quality. The story of Shinichi and Migi's friendship, the fight against the parasites, and the meaning of existence of humans and parasites will leave viewers deeply moved and inspired. Please watch this work and experience its charm for yourself.