Recently added to Netflix, Parasyte - the maxim - is the 2014 TV adaptation of Hitoshi Iwaaki's award-winning manga which debuted in 1988. Animated by Studio Madhouse, the TV series takes us through the extraordinary life of Shinichi Izumi, a student who is attacked by a parasite one night which enters his right hand. Tying a headphone cord around his arm, he's able to stop the creature properly entering his body, but now he has a living organism inside his hand (named Migi, which translates as "Righty") and the pair must form an uneasy alliance to survive a wider invasion.
I was first introduced to the series by Leah Holmes, now a prominent anime historian who gives lectures at conventions. I'm grateful for the introduction too, as I was always a bit squeamish about body horror! It's not a series I would have bought, but Leah's made of sterner stuff and after a few chapters of her collection I could see the appeal. The weird and surreal imagery of the Parasytes is both disturbing and incredibly beautiful. Much like HR Geiger's work, there's something slightly spellbinding about the organic nightmares in this series.
The TV adaptation (which has a great intro) is sharp and well realised, but lacks the gritty style of the manga. I think I would have preferred a rougher look in line with the original and a more muted palette - as it is, there's a generic look to the show that it could have avoided. Not that the series can't go dark when it feels the need, as it demonstrates toward the end of this initial episode with a flashback to the spores falling from the sky, but I'm hoping the show's aesthetic will grow darker as it delves further into the story. (I had a sneak peek at the second episode and an early scene certainly indicates it won't be pulling punches with the violence!)
To counter all the gruesome death, there's a strangely endearing relationship between our hero and his right hand. The two bicker constantly as they try to understand one another, and there's plenty of comedic misunderstandings as the people in Shinichiro's life wonder why he's acting so strangely. A little respite from the horror makes our lead(s) easier to root for.
I was oddly enamoured with the backgrounds and setting of the show, it perfectly captures the tidy and ordered look of Japan, from the distinctive architecture to the safety bars and perfect hedges of it's well-ordered streets. It's a small detail, but the sense of place is really palpable in Parasyte and I appreciate the attention to detail Madhouse has given this aspect of the show. Maybe it's because the current lockdown makes visiting Japan again unlikely in the near future, but I was getting a real sense of nostalgia for my time there.
The first episode certainly entices more viewing - the origin of the spores, the breadth of the threat and just how Shinichi is going to work together with his unwelcome guest is tantalising. The powerful imagery and violence is also strangely alluring, and although this is definitely not the sort of anime I'd normally track down, this adaptation seems to be very much in the spirit of the manga I was shown over 20 years ago. Having recently touched base again with Leah, it seems appropriate that the world she introduced me to should pop up on Netflix at the same time. Serendipity indeed!
Even without the nostalgia goggles, I'd recommend the show due to the strength of this initial episode. It looks like it'll hold to the spirit of the original, while Director Kenichi Shimizu skillfully creates moments of shock by slowing down the immediate aftermath of the Parasyte attacks and creating dread by lingering on out-of-focus cadavers. Chilling, but engaging!
Parsyte - the maxim - is available on Netflix.
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