Parasyte – 18

Kana reminds Satomi about her feelings

It certainly looked like Reiko’s days were numbered at the end of the last episode, didn’t it?

Standoff!

Hirama finally confronts Reiko

With Reiko facing off against Shinichi, holding her child, and the arrival of the cops with the intent of taking out Reiko, it sure doesn’t look good for her. But I still thought that there was some way she could talk her way out of it. Offer to give up the other parasites, show her value to the police, turn on Hirokawa. And failing that, as Migi says, it would be trivial for her to get out of this by killing all of the cops. Yet she doesn’t raise so much as a single tentacle against anyone, just protects her baby as she takes it to Shinichi, wanting him to take care of its upbringing. That’s a bit of a high burden for a high school boy, especially one who has no mother. Speaking of mothers, I almost wonder if Reiko knew that she was risking a big problem with Shinichi, looking like his mother. It worked out in the end, but it could have ended up backfiring instead.

Is this a mother’s love?

But Shinichi already hated at least part of Reiko. And I think what he most reacted to was her cold as ice demeanor. And not that she was expressionless. I think that they’ve made her be more what I’d call ‘serene’, rather than emotionless. She was always unflappable, always calm and collected, and this time she was, even with bullets riddling her. I think that it has to be considered that she used her parasite control of the body to keep it going that long to get to Shinichi, because it’s likely that a body being hit by that many bullets will be shredded, and unable to move. But she does get there, and give Shinichi the child, and perhaps redeems herself in his eyes, while also impressing Migi. She had already touched Migi’s feelings by saying what she thought of the parasites. These two are by far the most thoughtful of the Parasites we’ve seen, and I hope that the story doesn’t lose it’s cerebral side with Reiko no longer a factor.

A final act, maybe her most human

Final Hope

That gambit did work on Reiko’s part, tho, keeping Shinichi there when she feared he’d run away. And I thought that was a nice little bit of worry by Reiko, that this last act she wanted to do would be wasted if he ran. And I wonder if she’s trying to make a deeper meaning, when she gives Shinichi the boy, and says “Raise him by human hands.” Her hands are more human than his, but is she also saying, tying in with her earlier topic, that Migi is human as well, ‘both sides of a whole’? But we’ve also seen that worry by Shinichi that he is now less than human, and had it echoed by Satomi. Unable to cry, unable to use that human range of emotions between ‘calm’ and ‘explosive’. And maybe this is the first time he’s able to face that loss, seeing his mother die again, finally able to cry. Perhaps being entrusted with this life has returned his humanity to his control. Satomi certainly thinks so when she sees him, far different from what she had thought in her other encounters with him.

Will he expose Shinichi?

But of course, everything’s not super peachy in the aftermath. There’s not a lot to say about the scenes with Uragami, a serial killer who claims to have the ability to identify those who are criminals… and those who are parasites. It’s certainly not far-fetched, since we know that’s an ability that others have had, like Kana and I’d say even Satomi, who seems to have a slight ability to feel the difference in Shinichi’s hands. So if Uragami claims to be able to detect parasites, he probably can, at least enough to interest Detective Hirama. The question that will come out is whether the police believe him over Shinichi, and will Migi break cover and give up their secret. One wonders how parasites respond to X-rays, for just one example of a procedure they could force Shinichi into to check him out.

Another excellent episode with the wrap-up to Reiko’s story. Is she the only parasite that’s willing to explore its own nature to that extent? We haven’t seen any others, although the only other ones still alive that we’ve actually seen talking are Gotou and Hirokawa (not counting Uda and Joe, since they’re ‘good guys’). And Hirokawa seems completely set in the idea that parasites are a higher form of life sent to visit retribution on humans. That mindset doesn’t lend itself to much in the way of introspection. So it’s with a bit of a heavy heart that I move on from Reiko, who I think has been my favorite character in this show.

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!