Parasyte – 07
Death From Above!
Time for the big showdown, right?
Misdirection
“Hiiiiii”
Well, the quick glimpse we got of the potential enemy for Shinichi and Migi, that one that looked like a guy, turns out to BE a guy and not Nobuko. Who it really is is Uda, who is more of a wishywashy milquetoast than even Shinichi used to be. Recently divorced, he even failed at killing himself (not that that’s something easy to go through with, but he thinks it’s something of a failure) but it was his proximity to a cliff that kept him from becoming a usual Parasite victim. In his case, the part of his body that was taken over was his lower jaw, chin and neck. Kind of a weird area, it’s not like Shinichi’s arm which was an isolated area. But the story about saving Uda from drowning brings an interesting addition to the Parasite list of self-directives: Save even a host you’ve failed to take over. And this was a different situation from Migi saving Shinichi: you could argue that they already had some sort of bond. But in Uda’s case, it was before anything like that.
This post needed some Maki blushes
So “Parasite” took what he could get, and they worked out what to do after that. And whether it’s their isolated location or Uda’s easygoing attitude rubbing off, Parasite is pretty laid back, and is also much more gregarious than the others we’ve seen. But that gregariousness also seems to help make friends with Shinichi, who quickly transitions from ‘ready to kill her’ to ‘hey, it’s nice to find someone like me’. Uda even offers to help keep an eye out for “Nobuko”. I guess when you’ve already gotten past the hurdle of “You’ve got an alien parasite who has control of your arm?” you can deal with it pretty well to make friends.
Changes
Nice demonstration here
For something a bit unbelievable, Migi having to explain to Shinichi about his newfound physical abilities was pretty much an exercise in not paying attention. I mean, it took Issei Hyoudou a shorter amount of time and less evidence to realize that his body was different after being made a demon. But perhaps what Shinichi is most uncomfortable with is not the reality of his newfound physical prowess, but the worry that Migi’s cells are all through him, with the possible future ramifications of that if they aren’t as out of contact as Migi says. In the meantime, tho, it’s good to have all that new capability when he comes up against “Nobuko” finally.
It’s funny that Parasite hasn’t ever seen another one of his kind, and good that he learns quickly. It helps that Nobuko is rather inflexible, certainly less flexible than Shinichi or Uda. And that gives Parasite a chance to fool her with a little bit of an unbelievable move. But the real interest is Shinichi’s newfound agility, bringing him, solo, up to the level of a parasite in fighting. He would have completely beaten Nobuko, except for his momentary pause when seeing her scar. But that also gives Uda a chance to get back in the fight, and he has a good reason to, that Shinichi shouldn’t have to kill his mother. It’s also good that Uda’s not going to die, although I don’t know if he’ll get back into the show after this. He would seem to be right where he is supposed to be, on that island without too many chances of other parasites coming after him.
Nice wrap to the Nobuko story, where you knew she had to go, but it was Shinichi fighting her, and gave a good intro into another person like Shinichi. We also had the “love that never was” with Makiko. At least she wasn’t killed as an innocent bystander, but she fell pretty hard for Shinichi and got completely ignored. It was quite a bit of a crush, and it was an interesting point of view for the show, given that Makiko’s pretty much the first girl that he encountered after his transformation. I also don’t think that she was able to pick up on his condition, not the way that Satomi or Kana have been able to. Kana even ramped that up a notch at the end of the episode, being able to recognize that he was in the crowd behind him. I wonder if we’re going to revisit Kazuyuki’s thoughts about Nobuko’s death, or if it’s just “we both know what happened, we won’t talk about it anymore.”
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
I was reminded of Alex Mercer from Prototype with Shinichi and that blade hand. Fun game, still need to play the sequel.
That’s a weird place to have the parasite alright. He could have given it a better name than Parasite though. At least Migi was a decent and appropriate name.
And I just found the fight against Nobuko to be funny, especially with Uda flailing around and almost suffocating that it also affects Parasite. Shinichi did well to fight on his own too. I imagine Shinichi had to hide away in the forest until Migi woke up to turn his hand back to normal. The question is who is going to be the one fighting when Migi is awake.
Shinichi’s finally turned into the look in the OP. Glasses off, hair slicked back. He’s like Aizen.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The comfort of knowing someone else understands your plight because they share the same circumstances. Now Shinichi doesn’t have to stress about his alteration since he has another he can relate to. Though I feel more pity for Uda based on where he’s infected. *shivers*
Finally, that imposter’s dealt with and Shinichi gaining peace of mind that his mother’s been avenged. I must say his transformation was a drastic one. Between whom he was and how he looked back then and now, one would be hard pressed to say it’s the same individual. Life really does change a person.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
We have two parasites now that have failed to take over their hosts. Which raises the question “Are there others?” How often do parasites actually fail, for one reason or another?
I was almost certain Makiko was going to fall victim to “Nobuko.” I’m glad she didn’t even though she’s probably a character we’ll never see again.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The entire planet is being infected by the parasites so it’s safe to assume there’s fair amount that have failed, even if it’s small and created anomalies like Shinichi and Uda. It would be kind of biased to think those two are the only ones who are different from everyone else.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I’m really liking the overall pacing and character development. And no wonder Shinichi is looking dapper with the transformation. Ladies will be a flockin’.