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The plot is definitely thickening with Kiseijuu, which is staking out a place as the all-arounder anime of the season. There are other shows that have reached higher highs and may do individual elements better, but Parasyte is the whole package – I don’t see any weaknesses so far in either the material or the adaptation (overwrought protests about last week’s dubstep notwithstanding) and every episode has been spot-on.
This episode was definitely in action-thriller mode from the outset, and never left – it was a tense ride. We have an important new cast member in Tamiya Ryouko (Tanaka Atsuko), another member of Migi’s species that’s quite different than anything we’ve seen up to now. Like most of them it’s taken over the brain of its human victim, but what was once and still calls itself Tamiya-san is interested in hiding its identity and blending into human society. This immeasurably complicates the story in myriad ways, and that’s not even accounting for the fact that she’s chosen to do so as a teacher as Shinichi’s school.
Did Tamiya choose this avenue because it knew Migi (and Shinichi) were attending? I don’t think that’s been made clear yet, but now that she’s installed Tamiya definitely knows Migi is there – and the reverse is also true. For now she seems quite genuine in looking at this as a research opportunity and refraining from dining on the students, but I certainly don’t blame Shinichi for not trusting her. Especially after she shows up for the after-school meeting she demands with A-san (Aizawa Masaki) in tow. He’s trouble with a capital T, seeing little use in Tamiya’s go-slow approach and no reason to hesitate in eating wherever and whoever he wants.
The big bombshell here is the fact that as we saw at the close of Episode 2, A-san and Tamiya have had sex – or perhaps the bigger one is that the baby growing inside her as a result is a normal human. That has all kinds of interesting implications about the nature of what these creatures might be, not to mention the fate of the baby itself. But it’s also important that Tamiya, like Migi, is showing curiosity about that question – not content simply to eat and survive, it wants to understand itself and those like it. And unlike Migi she’s fully in control of her host, so there can be no question that these impulses come from the parasite, not the body hosting it.
For now those questions will have to put on-hold, as Mr. A has decided to eliminate what he perceives as a threat in Migi. As for Tamiya she’s not taking sides – as soon as she realizes what’s happening she recuses herself to observe (presumably) at a safe distance. A-san invades the school, slashing teachers as it comes, and Migi’s plan – use the other students as a “wall of meat” and use the opportunity that provides to pierce A-san’s heart as it’s mowing them down – is a not-so-gentle reminder that he’s still very much a cold and alien presence who places no abstract value on human life. Shinichi vetoes this plan and isolates himself, which both fascinates and puzzles Migi but doesn’t seem to anger him.
It seems as if the duel between Migi-Shinichi and Mr. A is going to be a watershed moment in the relationship between human and whatever Migi is. Migi’s Plan B is to use Shinichi – who it assumes A-san will completely ignore – as a secret weapon in the fight, to tip the scales in their favor. Really for the first time we’re seeing both parties embrace the notion that their situation could actually be an advantage – giving them a leg up against members of either of their species who don’t have a similar arrangement. I’m not going to go so far as to call it symbiotic and the name of the series is “Parasyte” after all, but this relationship is certainly a complicated one we’ve only just begun to explore.
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sonicsenryaku
October 23, 2014 at 10:52 amyou know what i noticed watching the opening this week..and i dont know why it didnt hit me sooner, but what if shinichi's mom is the host of a parasyte, and that maybe the parasytes have been on earth for a while and shinichi is the byproduct of a parasyte curious about developing a family, sort of like how tamiya is. I only say this because there's a woman in the opening that looks like shinichi's mom (someone correct me if im wrong) who stares at the screen and then you see three red lines come across her face, sort of like a face-opening effect. In the first ep, when shinichi's mom reaches to open his door, we see a weird bruising on her arm. At this point it's just speculation but i feel like there's something more to shinichi's parents; as loving as they are. Perhaps this could add to the whole parasytes blending in with society to the point where they seem human concept this series is handling
admin
October 23, 2014 at 11:10 amI'm going to jump in here with "please don't correct me if I'm wrong". I think this is the sort of speculation that would be hard to address without spoiling.
sonicsenryaku
October 23, 2014 at 11:33 amyea you're right; ill just wait for my speculations to be answered throughout the series
Kamui
October 23, 2014 at 5:08 pmYour speculation is so specific that there is no way to tell you hints or something without spoiling something big or minor. Good job lol
I hope no one tries to give a shot at it.
sonicsenryaku
October 24, 2014 at 3:16 amyea; see i mostly wanted to someone address whether the character in the opening was shinichi's mom and that maybe i wasnt confusing characters (like maybe it was some random character who hasnt been introduced; to which they could just say "no sonic, that's not shinichi's mom, but a character who has yet to be introduced), but i think answering that would tempt some serious spoilers so ill just wait for the anime to give me my answers
Path
October 24, 2014 at 4:18 amWouldn't Migi have notice right away though? He always tells Shinichi when another one of his kind is near.
sonicsenryaku
October 24, 2014 at 11:25 amtrue, but we still dont know to what extent migi's senses can go. We dont know too much about the symbiotic process of these parasytes, What if a extensive period of symbiosis makes it impossible for migi to sense one of his kind? it could be possible but hey i could be entirely wrong; im just throwing out theories
melodic thoughts
October 24, 2014 at 12:38 pmI'm also speculating as well, but I don't think by procreating, the parasyte-human would have undergone a major change. And Migi is likely to be a parasyte that is unrelated to shinichi's family. Though I agree and feel that this parasyte invasion is a gradual process rather than a one-time phenomenon. According to what I understand from the anime, I think the parasytes have to find a host immediately after "falling from the sky" (that's what the op showed lol)
Blueicegal ♥
October 24, 2014 at 9:07 pmi was really hesitant to watch this because i can't stomach horror but i made it through the first ep and it's toned down quite a bit. i am finding the relationship between shinichi and migi a huge driving force to give it a chance.
John Gottschalk
October 28, 2014 at 11:49 pmJust watched Cencuroll and although at first it doesn't seem it, it's actually pretty similar to Parasyte. There are alien creatures that are mostly unexplained and have a human host, but unlike Parasyt they don't take over the human, aren't even connected and don't speak. However the creature linked to the main character can shape shift, the creatures are essentially canabalistic, eating others of the same species, and the main creature accidentally eats his hosts arm and then starts filling the roll of his arm.
It's so similar that it actually feels like the anime's creator might have been inspired by the manga form of Parasyte.What do you think?
John Gottschalk
October 28, 2014 at 11:50 pmoh also gif: http://33.media.tumblr.com/78e21b6af5bc6398b224a0aebdb0643d/tumblr_nb9gpwgGsP1qfjqf7o1_500.gif