Parasyte – 13
Some internal discord?
We interrupt your stream of First Impressions for some shows that are finally picking up after the big hole where New Year’s celebrations go. So I’m getting back to all my shows that are continuing starting with Parasyte. (And everyone say hi to Akeno-san in my new icon over there, Thanks Ness!)
New Start?
Just blurt it right out, Akiho
After the New Year’s Break Parasyte is back with what feels like the beginning of a new story. That’s kind of odd since it wasn’t really the end of a story last time with the death of Kana, although it is the end of her pursuit of Shinichi. And the show’s still dealing with the aftermath of that, which primarily centers around suspicion of Shinichi for being the one to find Kana and the dead parasite who killed her. Akiho Exposition gets us right back in the swing of things, blurting out that Shinichi was there, and starting a mood of “everyone vs Shinichi” for the rest of the episode.
Those guys in the back seem to have problems
And it’s not just his classmates that are uneasy about Shinichi. The new mayor, taking time away from setting up safe places for parasites to eat people, starts asking questions about Shinichi, from worrying about which of the other parasites killed the rogue one. And Ryouko is the one who spills the beans about him, reappearing in the show as we figured she would. It’s kind of odd how so much time has passed that Ryouko has had her baby, but we haven’t seen anything about school years changing, or seasons changing (well, at least they haven’t pointed it out). But she’s now a mother… a really creepy mother. One wonders if Ryouko’s child is something like Shinichi is now, with parasite cells spread throughout his body, optimizing it and altering it.
Great moments in parenting
A Study Subject
Memories
But Ryouko is much more interested in studying Shinichi as a special case. It’s been very hard to really figure out what her motivations are. I would presume that she has been killing humans. But she has an odd ethic to it: she wouldn’t kill any of the students at the school, and she’s got her own agenda about things that may not really match up with the cabal she’s with. I won’t say that she’s got a soft spot for Shinichi, because duhhh, parasite. But she’s definitely closer to the Shinichi / Migi thoughtfulness than the others we’ve met. So when she has Shinichi tailed to find out what he’s doing, the reveal of Shinichi being a parasite to the PI causes a big split between him and Migi, which Shinichi wins, not killing the person. The repercussions on his life are something we’re going to find out, but I’m surprised that the guy was still following and observing Shinichi after finding that out.
Just can’t get together
Another part of his life that might be falling apart is his relationship with Satomi. It’s interesting that she doesn’t blame him much for ditching her and being found with Kana (‘s dead body). She actually trusts him on that. It’s the rest of things that she has problems with, the things that are an indirect result of his ‘partnership’ with Migi. And mostly, it’s the emotional distance that he always has from her. And Shinichi’s realizing that there’s a disconnect within him, a part of him that wants to be emotional, that wants to confide in her, that wants to be close, but that the parts that act things out just calm that down. And the frustration with that is starting to build. His attempts to revisit Kana’s death, going to where she was killed so that he can remind himself, again and again, that she died, so that he won’t forget about it are indicative of this desire to feel. But has he put the final nail in the coffin of his relationship to Satomi with his distance now?
My apologies if I offend anyone with the following, but it almost seems like Shinichi is having the kind of feelings that people with bipolar disorder or manic depression have described, with the effects from Migi being something like the medications that people use for them. He knows he should have an emotional reaction. He feels it inside of him. But it just doesn’t get out, and it gets damped down so much that he just ends up shrugging it off or forgetting it. I’ve known people who go off those medications for just that reason: they want to feel something, even if they know that it’s potentially destructive. And at the same time, Satomi is pulling away because she can’t see that emotionality inside him, she just sees the cold. Can anything save their relationship?
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: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I personally think Shinichi’s overthinking the whole ‘humanity’ thing. His so-called “inhumanness” is a mixture of nerves, desensitization to violence, and Migi’s ruthless practicality rubbing off on him.
Therefore, he really has nothing to worry about in that matter.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I agree that he’s overthinking it as well, but like my analogy he knows a way that he wants to react and he’s not reacting like that. So I can’t fault him for worrying about it.
I do think that there’s a bit of a physical component to it. Like he said, he is able to calm himself down immediately even while something shocking and bad is still happening, which is something that’s a bit odd. And he has those episodes where all of a sudden he’s gone from fine to overwhelmed and then back very quickly. So something’s there, but that doesn’t mean he’s *not* also overthinking it.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
His way of thinking is a 50/50 deal. He’s right but at the same time wrong. There’s no telling what can happen.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
They already said definitely that the baby is one hundred percent human, when Ryouko met Migi and Shinichi in the restaurant. Overall, I things will get a lot worse for Shinichi before they get better
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, they said that, but they also think that Shinichi’s brain is still 100% human. But there has obviously been *some* change in Shinichi since Migi saved him by spreading his cells around his body. Who knows what might have happened with an unborn baby. There are a lot of things that don’t transfer, but there are a lot of things that do, and it’s kind of a “oh really?” list. I think it’s very possible that those small cells that Migi thinks changed Shinichi have done the same to the baby.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
Yeah, but NOBODY knows about migi doing the heart surgery thing but the neck parasite guy. Ryouko has been around her kid the whole time, but the incident with parasite mom is unknown so she wouldn’t be able to understand the transformation
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
What I’m saying is that there could be changes that aren’t visible, just like Shinichi’s change might just seem cosmetic to outside observers. It’s not like the parasites are going to take the baby to a doctor and get all sorts of tests done. “What are we looking for?” “er.. nevermind.”
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The night is darkest just before the dawn.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well, I am bipolar, and largely most of us have internal battles similar to what Shinichi is going through. But I think that zz’s initial comment is pretty darn close to home.
But then, there isn’t a real right or wrong way to react to stimulus. There is your way. All of our feelings are a continuum….
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I keep finding myself pitying Shinichi more than I thought I would have. Things just aren’t going his way. To top it off, he now has to constantly look over his shoulder. It may not be comforting to say but he should be safe for the time being. That investigator seems smart enough to keep his mouth shut until something truly necessary comes along. Otherwise, he’d already report to the authorities.