Japanese animation today is very popular not only in the homeland of this genre, but throughout the world. However, neither Korean, nor American, nor any other anime can still be compared with what the Japanese do. They are the best at that.
A great example of a high-quality and interesting anime series is Parasite. The characters and plot of this multi-part cartoon were taken from the manga of the same name, which was published in 1990. The manga was quite successful, so after two decades it was decided to remove its animated adaptation.
"Parasite" (manga)
Before you get to know directly the anime "Parasite" and the characters from it, you should turn to the original source, that is, to the Japanese comic book, on the basis of which the animated series was shot.
The plot is based on the idea of infecting all life on our planet with foreign invaders, which are essentially parasites. These are microscopic creatures that, getting inside a living organism, begin to slowly capture it. Their ultimate goal is to conquer the brain and complete power over their carrier.
"Parasite" (anime)
The main storylines and key characters were taken from the manga, but the multversion was slightly supplemented and modified.
The animated series was released by Madhouse Studios, which is known for such works as: Pirates of the Black Lagoon (2006), Barefoot Gene and others.
The anime series was broadcast in 2014-2015. and today has only one season. It is still unknown whether there will be a continuation, but the adaptation has been quite successful. So fans of manga and anime have something to hope for.
Plot
The plot and manga and anime are led by a Japanese teenager (high school student) who, after capturing the planet Earth by parasitic aliens, managed to keep his mind unenhanced. There were only a few people like him, so he and all the survivors will have a hard time.
They are constantly forced to fight for their lives, and at the same time seek the opportunity to overcome evil. This is a difficult horror anime, where drama, horror and tragedy are woven together.
There is something to ponder and learn from here. Many fans of this creation note that the anime "Parasite" the plot of the film was able not only to adapt, but also to make it somewhat more modern and interesting.
Alien invaders
The parasites themselves are some creatures that look like worms. These creatures are inhabited inside other creatures, because they are not able to exist without the blood that they consume from their carrier.
An important point in capturing a carrier is the quick mastery of its brain. This not only allows you to control your carrier, but simply vital to parasites. If he cannot capture the brain, he will be dependent on the carrier and under his control.
Moreover, parasites in the anime and manga that managed to take possession of the brain do not accept those who never got there. They consider them a threat and destroy.
Parasites are quite organized and lead a social lifestyle. But they make all efforts to socialize their society solely with the goal of improving their own lives. Each of them is extremely self-centered, cold and completely does not feel compassion, understanding and pity.
Parasite Characters
In the anime, almost all the characters are taken from manga. The main character of the anime "Parasite" is a young guy who has not had time to finish school yet. He miraculously managed to keep his mind, and now he is constantly fighting against enemies. His name is Shinichi Izumi.
Before the capture of the planet, he was a simple carefree schoolboy. A parasite settles in his right hand, because of which Izumi has a rather strong hand, this often leads to awkward situations, since the young man is not always able to control his actions.
The parasite that captured Shinichi but failed to master his brain is called Migi. The alien was forced to live in his right hand and gradually decompose inside the guy's body. The symbiosis of two creatures from different planets led to the main character becoming stronger (much stronger than ordinary people), but at the same time he absorbed some other features of an alien: coldness, insensibility, selfishness.
Izumi, together with Migi living in it, is forced to constantly fight other parasites that consider them a threat and save people who have not yet been captured by aliens.
Satomi Murano is the main female anime character. She is Izumi's best friend, and in the struggle against the invaders, young people develop a romantic relationship. She is almost completely unaware of the existence of Migi, who promised to fall asleep and keep herself a secret from her.
Relations between Satomi and Shinichi are developing quite rapidly, the only limiting factor is the influence on the psyche of a guy living in him a parasite, which reduces the emotionality and sensitivity of a person.
Reviews and opinions of fans
Since the time of the manga, this story has a lot of fans who were looking forward to filming in 2014. Many were worried that adaptation would turn out worse than manga, would be too soft or unauthentic.
But when “Parasite" was released, most viewers agreed that the animated series was very worthy. The plot was almost completely preserved, and in the anime "Parasite" the characters also correspond to the original source. The animation looks good, it's interesting to watch the series.
Of course, there are negative reviews, but they are much smaller. This work is designed for senior school age and youth. It should not be shown to children.
Older people raised in the USSR are also unlikely to be able to understand and feel this anime.
Voice Actors
Excellent Japanese actors who professionally and efficiently did their job worked on the voice acting in the original. The role of the main character was voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki, who coped with his task in the best way possible.
The voice of his parasite Migi was Aya Hirano, who has a very rich experience in dubbing anime. She took part in creating such animated films as: “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya”, “Bleach 3” and “Death Note Rewriting: Through the Eyes of God”.
Satomi was voiced by Kana Hanazawa, who also took part in voicing cartoons. She has worked on animes such as The Blue Exorcist, Garden of Fine Words, and Stein's Gate: Deja Vu.
The involvement of such eminent voice actors in the project indicates a serious approach to business. Of course, much more people worked on creating voices for the heroes.
Film crew
Not only the voice actors worked on the creation of the cartoon. The main work was performed by directors, animators, designers and artists, as well as screenwriters. Professionals acted very diligently to get a decent sight.
By the way, there were several directors in the picture (Kenichi Shimizu, Yuki Inaba, Kenichi Kawamura), as well as screenwriters (Hitoshi Iwaaki, Shoji Yenemura, Shinzo Fujita).
Their joint and fruitful work allowed to create an excellent multi-part anime, which has gained a large number of fans. Their hard work and the principle of combining the best of manga with well-designed innovations have borne fruit.
The production designer was the talented draftsman and experienced manga creator Fumihisa Akai. Among the designers who develop the appearance of the characters and small details are Kunihiko Sakurai and Kenichi Shimizu, who brilliantly completed their work.
Conclusion
Anime "Parasite" and the characters of this animated series are widely known and popular among fans of anime. People far from this genre are practically unfamiliar with it.
This work is very interesting not only in terms of animation, but also as a moral and instructive show. It covers many topics related to society, morality and compassion. As is characteristic of all teenage animes, the Parasite has a large number of slow scenes with thoughtful dialogs, but there are a lot of action scenes with epic battles full of blood and cruelty. They are very spectacular, which adds interest to what is happening.
As a teenage cartoon, this anime simply incredibly harmoniously combines cruelty, ruthlessness and immorality with deep thoughts, a demonstration of humanity and a desire for life. Here, as it were, a confrontation is presented between all the bad in human society and the good. However, there is no clear division between these concepts, that is, they simply intertwine with each other, demonstrating the fact that both sides of the coin coexist in people at the same time.