BLOG #7. Parasytes

by Unknown 7:51 AM 2 comments

Parasyte centers on a 17-year-old male named Shinichi Izumi, who lives with his mother and father in a quiet neighborhood in Tokyo. One night, worm-like creatures called Parasites appear on Earth, taking over the brains of human hosts by entering through their ears or noses. One Parasite attempts to crawl into Shinichi's ear while he sleeps, but fails as Shinichi is wearing headphones, and enters his body by burrowing into his arm instead. In the Japanese version, it takes over his right hand and is named Migi  after the Japanese word for 'right'; Tokyopop's version, in which the images are flipped horizontally, has the Parasite take over Shinichi's left hand and it is named Lefty.

Because Shinichi was able to prevent Migi from travelling further up into his brain, both beings retain their separate intellect and personality. As the duo encounter other Parasites, they capitalize on their strange situation and gradually form a strong bond, working together to survive. This gives them an edge in battling other Parasites who frequently attack the pair upon realization that Shinichi's human brain is still intact. Shinichi feels compelled to fight other Parasites, who devour humans as food, while enlisting Migi's help. In there school he meet the his high school teacher named Ryoku Tamiya. Reiko has scientific inclinations, and is driven to discover the biology, origin, and purpose of Parasites. Reiko discovers—by becoming impregnated by another Parasite named Mr. A—that a pregnant body controlled by a Parasite will bear a normal, human child, and that Parasites have no apparent means of reproduction. This however came at the cost of losing her job for bearing a "fatherless" child. After killing off Ryōko's parents, the Parasite changed its looks and created a new identity known as "Reiko Tamura". Reiko is more logical and reasonable than many other Parasites, and allows Shinichi to live unmolested largely because she finds him an interesting anomaly worthy of study. She eventually gives birth to Mr. A's baby; after betraying her fellow Parasites and killing quite a few of them, she lets the police brutally kill her in an ambush in a park instead of trying to resist or escape. The baby survives because of her protection and decision not to fight back against or run away from the police.