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Parasyte: The Maxim

Parasyte: The Maxim

Introduction

All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey. Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to relocate, the parasite, now named Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi in order to stay alive. Thus, the pair is forced into an uneasy coexistence and must defend themselves from hostile parasites that hope to eradicate this new threat to their species. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Audience ratings

MyAnimeList / Tenrai : 8.32/10 · 1268732

1/101494
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10/10210227

Audience reviews

20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.

OphiuchusImre

Just really mid. I see how it could’ve been influential for all the “human condition explored through the collision with the “other””-type anime and manga, but there are things that just did so much better regarding the topic. The idea was promising and the body horror was genuinely exiting. That’s it. I thought that the animation was noticeably weak, especially after the first few episodes. I also saw the comments about the music being terrible. I thought it was alright, but yeah, genuinely cringe at times. The 2015-2017 EDM didn’t age well. Although, I wouldn’t bother reading the manga either. The plot drags on too long, the “plot twists” are totally anticlimactic and not a single charismatic character in sight. You can tell why this title vanished from the public sight despite being p…

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avsgepk88

Parayste's premise is interesting enough to draw in unsuspecting viewers, but please do be aware that this anime is an incoherent mess with little in the way of redeeming qualities. The characters are incredibly stupid, the protagonist is whiny and annoying, the plot is filled with holes and contradictions, the 'message' (if indeed there is any) is trite and meaningless. There is no unifying vision or understandable progression here; it felt as if the writers threw in a whole bunch of random shit and expected it to form a proper story, which it naturally didn't. I have a fairly high tolerance for various flaws ubiquitous in this medium, but Parasyte still managed to piss me off to no end. The one thing I can say I definitely enjoyed was watching the parasites being killed (go humanity!) a…

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YamiLoon

As you can see, I gave this anime a perfect score, so you probably already know what I think about it. It's easily one of the best anime I've ever watched, without a doubt. Parasyte: The Maxim is one of those series that does a really good job of mixing action, drama, psychological themes, and emotional moments together. The story follows a young boy named Izumi Shinichi, whose life suddenly changes forever when he encounters a parasite that crawls under his skin. At first, it might seem like just another action anime, but as the story goes on, it starts getting into much deeper topics and does a great job with its character writing, both for the humans and the parasites. I really liked the psychological side of this anime. It makes you think about what it actually means to be human and…

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abikaaaa

This was an interesting one.The story's premise reminds me of Tokyo Ghoul. The concept of the parasytes was really intriguing to me, also them learning more about humans and borrow their traits and virtues was done pretty well. The characters are great, relatable and likeable but they can act incredibly stupid from time to time, which did actually make my blood boil, but they always have redeemed it afterwards so it was fine. The soundtrack was nice too. Also, this is based on a pretty old manga, so the story can feel outdated in some ways but I would say it still holds up pretty well, they even modernized it a bit so maybe u won't even notice. The visuals were great, but I wasn't really suprised because it was made by Madhouse, the same studio that have done HxH before, which had amazing…

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Jxbinha

A genuinely unsettling and surprisingly thought-provoking anime. I really enjoyed the concept and the constant tension created by the parasites' existence. The relationship between Shinichi and Migi is easily one of the strongest parts for me, especially because neither of them remains the same throughout the story. What I liked most was how the anime explores humanity from such an unusual perspective. Sometimes the monsters feel more human than the actual humans, and that uncomfortable contradiction makes the story much more interesting. It can be brutal and disturbing, but it also has moments that made me genuinely reflect on what it means to be human. Definitely one of those anime that stayed with me after finishing it. Score: 8/10

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temperatureishot

The premise is interesting , a body horror , parasite attached to a human . One thing that i hated was why would Migi support human over her own species , the story never gives us a good reason for that or the reason story gave didn't satisfy me. Also the interactions between them feels scripted (maybe it is jut me ) . And I really hate the mc's decision , he makes very dumb decisions throughout the story . Starting episode are enjoyable but later on it is not great , could have done a lot more . It is decent watch if you can ignore these and you won't regret watching this .

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Stefan_Stefanov

Maan I really wanted to like this more. It is a good show, no doubt about it. The first 10 or so episodes are almost brilliant. This is one of the very few shows which takes itself 100% seriously, and rightfully so. It is brutal, tragic, horrifying. Definitely not for everyone. Probably the only horror anime I've ever watched. Not that it's that scary, but I think horror is a good category to put it in for sure. The best part about the show is that the plot is constantly moving at a good pace. Well for 2/3rds of the show at least, it slows down in the last third. But it is very hard to find a show with good plot, good pacing and keeping things interesting at all times. I was never bored while watching this show. The reason for my score is that the ending especially the last episode was a…

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bozophobic

SHORT REVIEW OF PARASYTE THE MAXIM: The sheer level of suspense and survival in this one is great, although the overarching plot (government vs parasites, ambushes etc.) are somewhat generic but still intriguing. So what really carries this for me is that Shinichi, the MC, is one of the best representations of suffering in anime. His character development is insane, he goes from being like a stereotypical, meek boy but his life permanently changes when Migi attaches himself to his arm. (Migi is also amazing and has a great dynamic with him, reminds me of Ryuk and Light but way more beneficial and I love how he grows to appreciate Migi more and more, ep 22 was devastating) This results in many things, such as Shinchi seeing a lot of death happen right in front of him, even being the cau…

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Quantum_Adam

Parasyte starts with a genuinely interesting premise: a mysterious invasion, body horror, and the uneasy coexistence between Shinichi and Migi. Migi himself is easily the best part of the show – his design, his cold logic, and the initial tension of having a parasite literally attached to the protagonist all suggest a story with enormous potential. For a while, it feels like the series might become something sharp, strange, and memorable. Unfortunately, almost everything around that premise collapses. The writing is painfully weak: the characters rarely feel like real human beings, the dialogue is stiff, and the relationships are so artificial that they often seem written by someone observing human interaction from behind aquarium glass. The romance is especially terrible – awkward, shall…

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xKyro_

Parasyte:The Maxim is an anime that i liked it so much even if it had disturbing scenes like those aliens or parasytes or whatever they were,i enjoyed Shinichi's growth through the anime and how he changed himself because he lost his mother at some point by one of those Parasytes and i enjoyed his interactions with his Parasyte in his right hand named Migi and how much Migi adapted to the human society even learning to speak just to understand what Shinichi Izumi was saying and to speak with him too. The story isnt so much,we dont know that much about why those Parasytes appeared on earth but still,personally it didnt need a backstory. The animation was amazing for me,it had many fights you couldnt get bored in the anime where was so many fights through all those 24 episodes. Overall,i…

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Vxerix

After writing so many negative reviews on anime that frustrated me with their flaws, I’ve decided it’s finally time to share some love for one of my absolute favorites. Parasyte: The Maxim is the anime that got me into the medium and still stands as one of my all-time favorites. If you're tired of the battle-shonen pretentiousness that Tokyo Ghoul leaned into, or want a more thoughtful, philosophical view than Elfen Lied, Parasyte: The Maxim feels like a breath of fresh, horrifying air. It ditches the shonen escalation in favor of something tighter, smarter, and far more grounded in its tension. Where Tokyo Ghoul often gets lost in its own spectacle and adaptation woes, Parasyte stays laser-focused across its 24 episodes. The story follows Shinichi Izumi, a normal high school kid whose ri…

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simplyfaster

This anime had a very strong start. However, any interest that the viewer may gain from the first five or so episodes slowly breaks away as the anime drags along. What was supposed to be the rising action felt more like stagnation. There was a very overt formula to the episodes past the start, and that wouldn't be a bad thing if there were other interesting things about these episodes, such as the world or characters developing, but that development happens so slowly that the viewer likely doesn't realize until episode 18 or 19. So, the show loses all of the steam that the beginning makes for it. Shinichi does not change past episode 5, nor do any of the other characters, excluding Migi (imperceptibly) and Tamiya. The characters themselves are not likable as they are, so the ending falls…

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jay_quelin

This seinen title impressed me in middle-school. Revisiting this as an an adult is an entirely different story. Don't get me wrong, Parasyte the Maxim is still, by all means, a good alien action-drama. Brain-eating Parasyte invades earth, fails to seize the brain, then matures in a high-schooler's right-arm. Overtime, the two learn to coexist together, and they learn to fight other parasytes to protect humanity. To be honest, a lot of my issues with this show relates to the romance plot and Shinichi's behavior. You have a high-schooler dealing with grief and identity, a half-baked love triangle, and a mishmash of different story arcs spread across 24 episodes. To start off, Murano has to be the worst romance interest of all time. She's not even a romance interest. She's just... there. Not…

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Tjones5

Originally watching this show as a kid I gave it a 7/10, and wrote my personal review containing the following deep thoughts: "It was really interesting and had pretty good symbolism. I really liked the ending". Aside from annoyance at my younger self's penchant for the word "really", after having a random urge to rewatch this show and subsequently marathoning it in two days, I'm left with a lot of thoughts that I don't quite know what to do with. Parasite is a show about men and predators, about one young man's struggle to hold onto the things most precious to him while the world relentlessly attempts to destroy them. While so many other shows present the main character as a singular existence, with side characters completely defined by their relationship to them, Parasite gives us a ca…

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Gainster123

I just finished watching this anime for the first time, and I already feel a sense of nostalgia. Parasyte: The Maxim is one of those works that has a special atmosphere; while you’re watching it, you know you’re witnessing something different. Whether it’s the charismatic animation, the incredibly well-developed characters, or the soundtrac, particularly the song Next To You, which gives me chills every time I hear it. Despite being a work of fiction centered on the strange creatures known as parasites, this anime radiates “humanity.” It’s a difficult feeling to explain, but it’s as if the author perfectly captures human nature. It’s an anime that conveys and evokes all kinds of emotions, not only in the most shocking and bloody scenes, but also in the small moments (just like in life its…

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jlzap

This was a real good series. We follow an interesting concept, with our main character having his right hand taken over by a parasitic alien. These two work together at times but against each other at other times. The show takes us through their relationship, as well as the relationship between Shinichi and his peers and how that changes now that he has his parasitic alien hand, Migi. The story is unique, very developed, and has a satisfying ending. The only reason it's not higher is because I feel like they could've done a biiiit more with it to make it perfect. It was so close, but not quite there. An absolute W of a watch though, would highly recommend.

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FAKEANIMEGIRL

(Check my profile for a link to my personal site containing more up-to-date reviews and bonus media!) Originally written on November 6, 2016 11:03 pm EST This sounds like something you might think would be right up my alley, or at least you should, but I ignored it for a while based on a few things. One was that it deviated considerably from the manga in some undesirable ways. Another was that images and posters of the series looked too bright in tone compared to what I'd seen of the manga. I worried it wouldn't get the most mileage out of its horror concept. Now having seen Shiki, I've unintentionally run into far worse ill-fitting character designs, and I loved the show despite that. Parasyte's barrier of entry for me dissolved, and like many things, I started it on a whim after thinki…

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Igoe

An excellent anime. Even though it’s not exactly my type—since I usually prefer action and fighting anime—this one really hooked me. It was so engaging that I often couldn’t stop at just one episode. I’d end up watching several in a row until two in the morning because I just couldn’t leave it for the next day. The romantic storyline got a little tiring at times, but it wasn’t too bad overall. The anime also touches on some interesting philosophical themes, which added depth to the story. It was never boring to watch, and it definitely stirred emotions. Once again, I found myself completely immersed while watching. As always, music plays a big part in how I experience anime, and “Next to You” is an absolutely amazing soundtrack—it fits the show perfectly.

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YumbBoi

I remember loving this before but one thing that stands out to me is how quickly they killed off the mother of the mc. it always felt jarring to me because I barely felt any of the intended emotional impact. even worse the storyline pretty much ended after like two episodes. and I feel basically the same way about every major death in this anime. the mc are just so bland and pretty much all the characters barely have any personality whatsoever. he did gets better but it was too little and too late. I was curious about the pacing so I decided to check the manga in between episodes and the manga actually took some time to progress the story. there's a lot more tension to it and the horror element is way more obvious. not to mention the mc in the manga actually retained some of his personali…

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YamiLoon

Parasyte: The Maxim is one of those rare anime that blends action, emotion, and philosophical depth perfectly. The story is unique and thought-provoking, dealing with questions about humanity, survival, and morality without ever feeling preachy. The art style might not be flashy, but it fits the dark tone of the story really well. The character designs are sharp and expressive, especially when things get intense. The sound design is excellent, it heightens every moment, whether it's a brutal fight or a quiet emotional scene. The characters are well-developed and feel real. Shinichi’s evolution throughout the series is especially strong, and the way he reacts to each situation feels grounded and believable. Even the supporting characters have meaningful roles and personal growth. This an…

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