“If there were half the number of humans, how many fewer forests would we burn? If there was one human for every hundred, then the poison they give off would be that much less. We have to protect the future of all life.” These are quotes that permeate throughout the entirety of the Parasyte series.

Parasyte has taken many forms, but every time the story has remained the same with minor differences like the main character’s father being absent in the movie. For this review, we will be referencing the anime and manga story which take place in different time periods but are still virtually the same. 

The manga started in 1988 in Kodansha Morning Open Zōkan before moving over to Monthly Afternoon in 1990. Parasyte The Maxim first aired in Japan in October 2014 and Parasyte Part One was released the following November. The original manga was critically acclaimed and is the inspiration for many larger series like Tokyo Ghoul.

The series revolves around a high school boy named Shinichi Izumi who finds himself with a monster for a hand named Migi that can stretch and harden to become stronger than metal. As he realizes this, he also finds out he is the only person who knows about these parasites, which are supposed to take the head off of humans and become them, possessing their body and identity as a result. Shinichi goes hunting for the parasites while trying to keep Migi secret.

Parasyte is my favorite franchise of all time. I first watched the anime on Hulu after seeing a friend reading the manga and I’ve loved it ever since. The story of Shinichi and Migi, the characters, the villains, the worldbuilding, the soundtrack of the anime, I love almost everything about the series. 

Of course I have my criticisms. There are three parts in the show that I still feel uncomfortable watching to this day and the whole Kana arc is only really important after it is over, but having only two criticisms is really good for a 24 episode/8 volume series. I love this series and I can’t wait for the next installment in the franchise to finally release.

So what’s next for Parasyte? Well Neo Parasyte M and Neo Parasyte F have already come out in the United States, however we still have yet to get an official translation of Parasyte Reversi, though the r/parasyte Discord server has that base covered with a fan translation. On top of that, there are the Parasyte movies which offer a different take on the classic story. Finally there is Parasyte: The Gray which is a Korean live-action series based on the original manga. Obviously I’m excited for everything listed and can’t wait for The Gray.