Parasyte: The Maxim (2014–2015) User Reviews

A classic I regret waiting so long to Watch.

[dameon_green · 9/10 · 1 April 2020]

For those who shy away from gore I'd suggest trying to make it through the first few episodes, unlike the major of the last 20+ years worth of "horror" this is not "gore porn" but brutality with a purpose, critical to the story.

The violence and pain all serve a purpose, telling a story and helping to define what is/not human.

For such a short run (24 Episodes) it does a unusually good job of capturing the stages of grief and the resulting "hollowness" that can be felt by those subjected to repeated trauma. It doesn't stop there and even highlights the growth that can occur as a result of enduring these hardships.

Highly recommended

[macakmacakmrnjau · 9/10 · 25 February 2015]

I will try to be,relatively,short. This is great anime show that will keep you glued to the screen for hours. Only thing about this anime that i can't understand is why it's labeled as horror? This is sf anime with the elements of action and drama(there are even scenes with good sense of humor about them).You will probably sense uneasiness while watching some scenes but i doubt that you will be truly frightened at any moment. Anyhow i highly recommend this one to all of you who like intelligent, interesting,drama-action anime with a bit of violence and gore every now and then.Plot is excellent and character development is very good even if it's slightly predictable in general.I will rate it 9 out of ten for now but i believe that my rating will go to full 10 if they can keep it at this level until the end of the show.

Amazing Series

[freys2 · 9/10 · 16 October 2015]

The plot of Parasyte is essentially a much more violent version of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers.' Parasitic aliens (we assume, the audience never gets a definitive origin story) covertly arrive on earth and begin taking over human bodies and eating humans indiscriminately. They accomplish this by "eating" the humans' heads and replacing them with their own bodies. However, some humans manage to stop the parasites from taking over their brains. But as a result, the parasites eat and fuse with a different part of the body in order to survive. The Main Character, Izumi, is one of these people. The parasite was only able to take over his right arm.

Because of his unlikely situation, Izumi ends up between a rock and a hard place. Since the only people who discover the parasites' existence are subsequently eaten, Izumi is the only living human who knows of their existence (at least in the beginning). However, Izumi's parasite, known as Migi (right), threatens to kill anyone who he attempts to inform. Nonetheless, the duo eventually grow to be allies as their number of mutual interests increase.

I have only one complaint about this series, regarding its pace. In my opinion, the series "crescendos" too early. The most emotional events of the series take place in episodes 5 and 12 (out of 24: less than halfway through the series), rendering the remaining half of the series a little deadpan and slow-paced. If I had to quantify the difference, I'd say that the first half of the series is a 10 but the second half is a 7. But when compared to other horror series, 'Parasyte' is still rather amazing.

Parasyte is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror series; but more than that, its very philosophically and emotionally stimulating. This series delves into the issue of the existence/purpose of altruism, which is left rather open-ended. I took the larger meaning to be that altruism, while pointless in-and-of-itself, is an unavoidable side effect of happiness, because comprehending happiness requires empathy. But every viewer will draw their own individual conclusions.

Why does a Caterpillar become a Butterfly?

[serbian_007 · 10/10 · 2 January 2015]

Everything in existence undergoes a process of change; therefore, change is inevitable; one might go so far as to call change a natural law, a universal "maxim". Parasyte: The Maxim is a stunning new science fiction anime with a unique story and rock solid character development. The series examines themes of transformation and change - Ovid's literary masterpiece "Metamorphoses", after which the opening episode is named, immediately comes to mind for comparison.

Parasyte: The Maxim (2014) is based on a manga series that ran from 1988 to 1995. Most of us won't realize this fact now, but bizarre science fiction focusing on alien lifeforms was quite popular in the 1980s and 90s. Great science fiction films like the Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Thing (1982), The Fly (1986) and They Live (1988) are but a few examples of films that popularized the genre. Parasyte has successfully resurrected bizarre sci-fi for a new generation, and the timing couldn't have been better.

The protagonist of Parasyte is not your typical hero and the plot is far from cliché. As a caterpillar undergoes change by transforming into a butterfly, so the protagonist undergoes change by transforming into a new man; your job as the viewer is to ask questions about this transformation and find the meaning behind it - ergo, what exactly has transformed and why does it matter?

The plot is believable and not outside the realm of possibility considering our limited knowledge of the universe. Like Ovid's masterpiece, the anime expertly probes the meaning of humanity; what it means to be human and what makes us human; as well as the psychological and physiological state of sentient beings. Ultimately, the series focuses on the protagonist's intellectual development or more precisely his intellectual "evolution". The evolutionary concept of survival of the fittest comes into direct conflict with the protagonist's views on empathy and altruism which proves problematic for decision making and creates for him a moral dilemma: should he place himself in danger in order to help others? The human part of him says yes, while another sinister part of him says no. But perhaps I've said too much.

The first 5 episodes set the stage for an astonishing and action packed story that follows. The series will make your jaw drop. I've seen every episode thus far and I see nothing but a bright future for this series. If you haven't seen Parasyte, what are you waiting for? This is the best new anime of 2014. It will become immensely popular. If you watch it now you will be amongst the few who can say that you were a fan from the start. Parasyte rivals Attack on Titan and Steins; Gate. If you loved those shows, you will love Parasyte as well.

A top notch science fiction anime with unlimited potential. DO NOT MISS!

10/10.

One of the best Anime

[ramanju-96044 · 10/10 · 19 April 2020]

Action , emotion, romance , etc it touches on everything and tugs on your heartstrings while also being to the point and no nonsense .One of the best anime out there , a must watch. If u don't like anime , this will change ur mind .Pls try

Yet Another Reason To Savor The beauty of Anime

[sudeeptranschanda · 10/10 · 13 April 2016]

**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!!!

Brutal but excellent

[Dunoes · 10/10 · 11 March 2015]

This show as brutal view on the real parasite who lives on our planet.

Although a alien parasite feeds on people, we get to see that the diferences are very small from the humans who kill and disrespect other creatures on Earth. The main character is well constructed and fits perfectly on the story. The battle scenes are intense and leave no trail to imagination because all things like body deformation or severe damaged are showed. The main story has the needed fast and slow pass so the viewer can enjoy some fights and then have some emotional moments.

Definitely one of the best animes I've ever seen. Ps: The "side-main character" also a genius character :D

I've watched many shows in my life. This one stands out from the rest.

[eelijahh · 10/10 · 24 December 2014]

Incredible. This story is so well done I won't be surprised if it quickly surpasses the most popular TV series today. I know for absolute sure it will be on the top 10 highest rated or most viewed shows in the next two years.

The social development of the characters progresses very well. The action is mind blowing. The newly grasped understanding of human nature is compelling. I just can't contain my excitement for this show. I can't wait to see it explode in popularity.

I have to fill out more lines apparently, All I want to do is praise the show without any spoilers.

Mesmerizing

[seschell · 10/10 · 14 July 2015]

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.

Dumb female characters

[salma_karbasi · 7/10 · 8 November 2021]

The show isn't bad, but what bothers me is the fact how dumb and stereotypical the female characters are written. Everything they care about is shinichi, they don't have a life and one of them even collected one of his hairs so she can smell it.

amazing and unique

[ballambikash · 10/10 · 14 January 2015]

after a long long time, i have been watching a quality anime.the strong point of this anime is that it has a excellent storyline,amazing body bizarre alien action, superb plot and characters,and story progresses in each episode in a good speed... it has all the ingredient to make a series a hit.only negative point of this anime is the story setup ,whic h is in the high school,which i find very common ,boring,and sometime annoying,,,,,but hey!!!as this series progresses on shinchi doesn't spend much of his time in school,rather he is busy in dealing and exploring the outside world problem.. ..................................... just keep it up!!!! worth a watch!!!

Bizarre and brilliant

[andrew_flay · 21 October 2019]

Great anime with a crazy bizarre story, watched it all in one weekend, well worth the watch.

Parasyte's a lot deeper than u might think.

[xtinafighter · 10/10 · 6 May 2022]

The series raises a lot of philosophical questions about human nature, What does it mean to be human? How humans relate to the environment, and whether human standards of morality can be applied to other species.. Migi, is motivated by survival instinct. It's acceptable to kill if it means sustaining himself. He's not driven by any emotion. Migi always tells Shinichi that humans do the same. They kill animals and eat them. They even harm other humans to advance their interests. What difference does it make for a parasite to do the same? Why when a superior being feeds on humans it's considered wrong? What makes it wrong/ immoral when humans do the same? This question wasn't completely resolved in the show Though.

The best anime I've ever seen

[Pukeonthestreet · 10/10 · 6 February 2021]

It's hard to say it with so many nostalgic ones or ones that transport you to other worlds but this is so well done and not to be missed.

Weird, Wacky, and Funny

[DeBBss · 8/10 · 28 January 2021]

I honestly enjoyed Parasyte more than I thought I would. I was consistently hooked after every episode. The pacing is really great; I never found one episode boring or uninteresting. The story is just really wacky, and its originality really makes the show more entertaining. The characters are by far the best part about Parasyte. The friendship between Shinichi and Migi is so strange and yet so well developed. Plus, the English dub is really, really good; it's far better than the average dubs you'd get. Overall, Parasyte's a great show, definitely worth your time.

A mirror on the face of human society

[abhilash-nanda1988 · 10/10 · 11 May 2015]

Today when I sit to write about this series, I honestly fail to write anything bad about this series. In the past couple of years we have seen shows of immense potential and sheer popularity, a la SnK (a big fan here). However, I would this show is even better made than SnK.

All the elements like action, drama, good soundtrack, romance are present and by Gods grace not just for the sake of it. It's a cocktail of these things added in the accurate proportion that give it the real natural feel.

But according to me the real meat of the show is the character development of Shinichi and Migi. How they slowly and organically come to understand each other better as the show progresses. The philosophical talks they have and the justifications of their actions.

If not absolute it surely is a master of character development.

P.S.: Music is one of the best I have heard, after SnK.

Can't honestly give is less then 10.

10/10. Go watch it. It will show you we are.

Give it a watch

[katirena · 7/10 · 26 March 2015]

It started out strong and I was obsessed. It's got everything, action, gore, psychological, drama, crime and even romance. My favourite parts are the ones with Migi and Shinichi, They're back and forth and character development is what sets this anime apart.

The downfall of this show, in my opinion, is the romance. Satomi (The love interest) was the worst thing about this show. I hated her and her stupid voice and her stupid face and her constant stupidity. She was just so intolerable and the romance was ridiculous. I understand what Shinichi saw in her in the first few episodes, But as he developed and saw monstrous things one would have expected him to move on to someone with more brains in their head instead of idealistic naivety. I really wished he had.

Look the plot and character development is good enough to carry the show, And yes the romance is annoying and terrible but you can skip it without missing much.

All in all, It's worth the watch and has great potential.

Brilliant Philosophical-Thriller

[akomapochuff · 10/10 · 1 October 2016]

There are many reasons why this is my favourite anime of all time..

The Character Development. I am always a fan of proper character development and this show is very rich in that. Some changing quickly others more slowly and some not at all but regardless if that is something you enjoy this show does it very well. The main character in particular undergoes extremely rapid change and affects how he relates to others and himself. His struggle, their struggle.. It's Heavy. I would love to talk about this in detail but to me its the most essential element of the show and I dare not spoil it.

The Philosophy, as a result of the rich character development, many characters find themselves pondering the situation they are in, who they are and what things mean. And I really empathized with many characters, especially once some of them have undergone some change. I am a sucker for quality philosophy. On that note it also deals a good amount with psychology.

The horror. Okay so this show isn't terrifying, and that is very much due to the way it was animated. If the anime style was darker (which I wish it was) this show would probably given me nightmares. Still there are some scenes where it is very easy to tap into what some of the characters are feeling, and it is pure dread. There is a good dash of lightness to the show at the same time.. And there has to be otherwise this show would just be so dark.

The heartbreak. I cried several times throughout this series.

The action. The action is the main of the show but there a good deal of it and it is done well for different reasons. From intense moments of power and gore to tactical contemplation in the heat of battle.

And finally the soundtrack to this show compliments it so well. During intense moments they play this hybrid dub-step in a horror setting.. my first time through this show it threw me to the edge of my seat. The opening theme is also epic.

I wouldn't consider this a show for everyone, but if you are one of those who it appeals to then congratulations! You are in for a treat.

Starts of strong ends weak

[OzzzzSSzzzzO · 7/10 · 28 July 2020]

Last 5 episodes were so bad it ruined the series for me.

Dammit, Parasyte! Just...dammit!

[MadMan400096 · 4/10 · 22 April 2016]

I really wanted to like Parasyte. Hell, for the first 11.5 episodes, I did. The parasites felt unique, the interactions between Shinichi and Migi were entertaining, and there were loads of great action sequences. Of course, even back then, there were problems. I hated Murano, the love interest with no personality other than to be either a whiny bitch or a blank slate, and few of the other characters were that interesting, either. There was also a tendency to hammer in pretentious morals about life. But as bad as they could get, they were tolerable, as the rest was generally good.

But then, episode 12 ended with a really dumb middle to anyone wanting answers to a certain character's burning mystery. And it only got worse, leading to one of the worst final episodes I've ever seen. Plot threads were either ignored or ended in incredibly lame ways, characters either were utterly wasted or turned into complete balls (think Reiko Tamura) Murano continued to be pointless and unlikable, and the hammering in of its hippie morals turned into full-on dropping an anvil-no, 50 an-screw it, there's not enough anvils in the world to describe the utter lack of subtlety. There's a place for ambiguity, but Parasyte overdoes it to the point of creating full-on plot holes.

In the end, Parasyte is a prime example of a good show that completely crapped on itself on the end. I'm surprised how many people love it, because whereas they see a deep, compelling show, I see a pretentious mess.

Scary things are often fragile.

[GiraffeDoor · 9/10 · 6 November 2021]

A brutal and thoughtful rumination of what it means to be human but surprisingly it actually manages to do so unpretentiously. Egoism, survival, speciesism and ecology are all themes but they do not lay them on too thick; they just let the story gradually unfold.

Visually captivating with its body horror that rivals the imagination of Carpenter's "The Thing", this comes from a very different place. Horrific, though no a horror, this compelling serial tells the story of a normal guy who is unwillingly endowed with immense power that may yet spell his doom (see what I did there?)

Migi is a fascinating character, not only for her identity but also in how she comes to develop. It's a long haul but every development is earnt.

The immense nihilism in this series can be very heavy. It creates a profound sense of vulnerable creatures and that we are dealing with life and death in a way I'm not used to seeing. No one is safe ever.

There are 24 episodes and I recommend thinking it as two seasons of 12 episodes.

Without exaggeration: the final episode made me laugh and cry. It left with me the desire to feel more empathy for humanity and to reconsider my misanthropy.

For the record, My Neighbour Totoru makes me feel homicidal.

The Spanish dub is very good.

amazing, just amazing!

[sulakevinicius · 10/10 · 10 July 2020]

This anime bring my attention from the first episode to the end. Amazing philosophy and great fighting scenes.

A thought provoking show (a short review)

[CinematicSyndrome · 10/10 · 24 October 2017]

As i watched the last episode i just sit there in silence as the credits roll thinking about the various themes this show explored. What it is to be human?. How everything around us should be treated? Are we supposed to be on the top? Do we deserve that? Are we any different from an animal simply wanting to survive? What separates us as humanity? This show beautifully explored these themes with the introduction of parasite in the human lives. An amazing character study on the meaning of life itself. On the surface its damn entertaining and sometimes sentimental with interesting characters and parasite and enough bloody violence for an avid anime watcher to love but will also bring delight to the ones looking for something more as well. And it delivers it all in a well made show which might possibly be one of the best animes i've ever seen.

Verdict: Beautiful

Kiseijû: Sei no kakuritsu: Enjoyable but flawed

[Platypuschow · 7/10 · 25 June 2018]

I want to like anime so much but seem to struggle to find things to my taste. I believe anime comes under three categories, the cutesy stuff (Dragonball/Naruto) the artistic epics (Ghibli) and the darker content (Death Note/Attack On Titan). The cutesy stuff doesn't appeal at all and sadly that seems to make up 90% of the anime industry.

When it comes to series so far I haven't watched many and it looks like this.

Death Note: 9 Attack On Titan: 8 Assassination Classroom: 8 Detroit Metal City: 7 Angel Cop: 6 Highschool Of The Dead: 6

So I think I've been doing fairly well.

I watched the two live action Parasyte movies first and really quite enjoyed them but was I ready for a 24 episode animated series?

At first I was unimpressed, the music was fantastic that immediatly got my attention but the story was failing to grip me.

The further in we went and the more it began to establish itself the better it got and by the end I was saddened that no second season had been made.

Don't get me wrong Parasyte is flawed in many areas but manages to grip and entertain where it matters if you can get over the goofiness of a man and his talking hand.

Suitably dark but very censored with cut away deaths Parasyte ticks the "Darker content" box for me and therefore it stood a chance from the outset and managed to appease me. Sadly the 20 minute episodes (Also made up of credits) made them feel far too fleeting.

To summarize Parasyte is a lot of fun despite its flaws.

The Good:

Decent plot

Some great sequences

Very enjoyable soundtrack

The Bad:

Needlessly goofy in places

Episodes have very minimal content

Some filler episodes

Things I Learnt From This Series:

When a show can make you re-evaluate mankinds place in the world its done a pretty good job

One of the BEST anime I've ever watched

[jace-rynearson · 10/10 · 20 November 2017]

To put it simply, I LOVED this show. Everything about it was just amazing, the story, the characters, the animation, the music, I couldn't find one fault with it.

I loved all the characters. The main character is just about the most well developed character in anime history. He changes plenty, but still keeps his established character, and he's so likable and relate-able it's impossible to not root for him. He and his girlfriend are just about the most romantic, realistic couple of all time. Even some of the villains are likable, I never expected myself to actually root for someone on the other side.

Speaking of, the story is just about polished to perfection. It shows both sides of the struggle, but maintains it's stance that the right side is the good side, even if some people in it are not good. It has some truly unexpected moments in it, others that are very emotional, and an ending that could not possibly be more satisfying. And best of all, it takes itself seriously, it doesn't deviate from the established character or plot lines too much. The whole thing feels very real, even though it's a fiction. And the animation and every single musical piece in it complements the story BEAUTIFULLY.

The voice acting in it is also really good. It's one of the few anime where I prefer the English version over the Japanese version because the English voice actors were so good. You could tell that through the whole thing, every single one of the voice actors did their best and took this project to heart. I'm surprised not all anime have English voice acting this perfect, because how could you not make it great in all of them? I liked all the voice actors, but I particularly liked the main voice actor.

All in all, it's an anime you won't forget, it did everything right, and it made it's way into my heart. It's a prime example of what to do in any kind of media. I definitely recommend this show, without any hesitation.