Seriously. All things considered, they're a pretty small and self-contained part. The main characters were brilliant in their roles. I guess good actors figured that having parts where they're wearing masks the whole time wouldn't get them much exposure. The pacing and character development were superb.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Parasyte: The Maxim
(2014– )
Good battles. Interesting concept. Mediocre character development.
23 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Why you should watch this show:
1. The battles are pretty sweet.
Problems with this show:
1. The show's writers don't know what to do with female characters other than turning them into Parasytes or love interests of Shinichi. The only exception is maybe the one that got 17 students killed with a bottle of paint thinner, and she had a very small role. How do I know that Shinichi's changed? Well, you see, half the conversations are about how Shinichi's changed. All Murano and Shinichi ever talk about is Shinichi.
2. Murano saw 17 students get violently slaughtered in a hallway by a tentacle alien monster, and she got over that really quickly. I know she had "nightmares", but the most hardened member of Black Water would have been in a trauma ward the next day. It took her about a week to start talking to Shinichi again about Shinichi.
3. The only character that seemed like a realistic human being in the entire series was Shinichi's father. (Granted, Shinichi had the whole parasite-infecting-his-brain thing, so I can understand him being a bit robotic.) After seeing his wife get slaughtered, he started to drink heavily, got really depressed, and questioned his own sanity. I mean, that's about the reaction I'd expect. Still, I'd have expected him more than anyone else to think that Shinichi's weekend LASIK session after his mother died was a bit strange.
4. The composer wrote one single nostalgic rift that sounded pretty good, but they decided to play it every single time Shinichi is in the same frame as a female character. It's just overused.
5. The expositional dialogue. The communication between Shinichi and Migi is actually pretty well-formed and good at delivering information, but why would other alien parasytes narrate their actions and motivations in perfect English to each of their victims? Also, Shinichi narrates every half-formed thought that passes through his head. I know this is just a bad anime trope, but for heaven's sake, hold the art form to a higher standard. Show, don't tell.
1. The battles are pretty sweet.
Problems with this show:
1. The show's writers don't know what to do with female characters other than turning them into Parasytes or love interests of Shinichi. The only exception is maybe the one that got 17 students killed with a bottle of paint thinner, and she had a very small role. How do I know that Shinichi's changed? Well, you see, half the conversations are about how Shinichi's changed. All Murano and Shinichi ever talk about is Shinichi.
2. Murano saw 17 students get violently slaughtered in a hallway by a tentacle alien monster, and she got over that really quickly. I know she had "nightmares", but the most hardened member of Black Water would have been in a trauma ward the next day. It took her about a week to start talking to Shinichi again about Shinichi.
3. The only character that seemed like a realistic human being in the entire series was Shinichi's father. (Granted, Shinichi had the whole parasite-infecting-his-brain thing, so I can understand him being a bit robotic.) After seeing his wife get slaughtered, he started to drink heavily, got really depressed, and questioned his own sanity. I mean, that's about the reaction I'd expect. Still, I'd have expected him more than anyone else to think that Shinichi's weekend LASIK session after his mother died was a bit strange.
4. The composer wrote one single nostalgic rift that sounded pretty good, but they decided to play it every single time Shinichi is in the same frame as a female character. It's just overused.
5. The expositional dialogue. The communication between Shinichi and Migi is actually pretty well-formed and good at delivering information, but why would other alien parasytes narrate their actions and motivations in perfect English to each of their victims? Also, Shinichi narrates every half-formed thought that passes through his head. I know this is just a bad anime trope, but for heaven's sake, hold the art form to a higher standard. Show, don't tell.
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