Before the anime Parasyte -The Maxim- and the Parasyte live-action movie there was the manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki released in 1989 simply titled Parasyte. While this manga was critically praised at the time of its initial release and has received two awards to compliment this praise, it is still somewhat underrated. Many don't even know this manga is a thing but do know of its anime counterpart.
That's what this list will be all about. While the anime is simply okay the manga is one of the greatest of its kind. This series may even be one of the best pieces of horror science fiction media period. Let's take a look at why with this list of 10 reasons it's worth your time.
10 THE ART
Parasyte's art is one of a kind with Hitoshi Iwaaki's art style being like nothing before or after it. This art compliments the horror tone of the series perfectly as it has a very somber look to it and is able to shift to fit comedic and action-packed moments as well.
While you're reading, you'll definitely find yourself stopping to look at the characters and their surroundings as the art's beautiful simplicity will really immerse you even deeper into the world of Shinichi Izumi. Sooner or later you might feel like you're really experiencing the story unfold first hand.
9 THE CHARACTERS
When going into a series like this you may feel as if the characters will take a backseat to the horror, but that isn't even close to being the case here. You will find yourself falling in love with the various characters introduced throughout the story and always waiting for them to show back up.
This is because these characters are very round and while reading you'll witness their growth from page to page. The main character Shinichi has one of the greatest character arcs bar none and will steal your heart without a doubt. Watching him grow and change due to the situation he's thrown in is a true treat.
8 THE WRITING IS PERFECT
While reading this manga you will never find yourself questioning the writer's choices unlike others of its kind. The story is written very tight on a scale where it feels as if the writer is never overstepping his boundaries or stepping out of his strong points.
The story's premise is something that will immediately hook you as it starts strong and ends the same way. The weird and creepy factor of it all only amplifies how strong it is. It feels as if Iwaaki doesn't skip or miss a beat when it comes to exploring the world he has presented us with.
7 IT'S VERY ORIGINAL
The concept is something that has never seen before. Parasites are nothing new to the world of horror science fiction media but the way they are used here is something completely new. The closest thing it comes to is the symbiote from Spider-Man but that's beside the point.
With originality comes a very unique flavor to the whole experience and that's something any reader should welcome with open arms. This originality removes a lot of the fear of there ever being a dull moment in Parasyte meaning you'll always be entertained.
6 THE ACTION
With an original concept such as this, the action scenes are really new and refreshing. While there are still human type hand-to-hand combat scenes, there are also parasyte-to-parasyte action scenes. Watching two guys morph their body parts into giant sharp and blunted objects to hack and slash each other to the death has never been so entertaining.
Many times you may find yourself making it past one panel, just to back-track to that panel again just to see how badass something was. When your arm can morph into anything due to an alien being connected to it, things can get mad crazy.
5 THE HORROR
Parasyte is a manga where an overarching tone of horror takes center stage to everything happening around. The combination of the art, writing, designs, and plot really present a tone that will be sure to have readers feeling a touch of unease while reading. There's the perfect amount of spookiness thrown into this story to keep things eerie 24/7.
This is a point that it feels the anime didn't capitalize enough, and a reason it's recommended to read the manga even if you've already sat through the animation. The monster designs bring the horror scale up even higher.
4 MONSTER DESIGNS
Yeah, it was brought up a bit in the last point, but it's so important that it needs its own entry. These designs of the Parasytes and the humans they infect are the stuff of nightmares. Hitoshi Iwaaki knows this and capitalizes on it as early as chapter one where we see a man's face break apart revealing it to be just a huge mouth before he takes a huge chomp out of someone's head.
If you've ever watched John Carpenter's The Thing you'll know what these monsters are all about, so think twice before wanting a Parasyte of your own.
3 THE COMEDY
While Parasyte is predominantly a horror manga filled with gore and scary monster designs there is a great handful of comedic moments in the mix. There is no way to read through this manga without finding yourself letting out a chuckle every now and then.
Iwaaki's brand of dry humor is the perfect fit for a story such as this, as the spontaneous things that happen and the reactions that follow are flawlessly placed in the Parasyte world. Migi definitely steals the show when it comes to this. Who is Migi you ask?
2 MIGI
Migi is the secondary main character and the main namesake for the manga's name. He is a Parasyte that has the pleasure of attaching himself to our main character, Shinichi Izumi's arm and becoming the buddy of this buddy cop manga. Think of it as a Batman and Alfred relationship if Alfred was Batman's actual costume.
Not only is Migi a hilarious character that centers himself in all the antics of the series but he is also a great foil to Shinichi and helps the character grow throughout. Without Migi there is no Parasyte.
1 PERFECT PACING
The pacing of this series is absolutely amazing. Never does it feel rushed or like a new plot point is jumping the gun. Everything is put together flawlessly and it truly feels like it's going from level to level with the stakes and complexity increasing in the most comprehensive way possible.
While this may make it seem like the beginning is a bit slow, this was Iwaaki's intention and it makes this manga truly feel like an epic. This manga is worth your time and should definitely be your next read.