is a Japanese

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

horror

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki. It was published in

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

's ''Morning Open Zōkan'' (1989) and ''

Monthly Afternoon is a Japanese monthly manga anthology published by Kodansha under the ''Afternoon'' line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of January 25, 1986. ''Afternoon'' has spawned many successful manga series such as '' Oh My G ...

'' (1989 to 1994). The manga was published in North America first by

Tokyopop Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licens ...

, then Del Rey, and finally

Kodansha USA Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC is a publishing company based in New York, US, and a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing company Kodansha. Established in July 1st 2008, Kodansha USA publishes books relating to Japan, Japanese culture, and man ...

. The series follows Shinichi Izumi, a high school senior who is the victim of a failed attempt by a parasitic organism to take over his brain. The parasite, Migi, instead infects and takes over his arm, and both are forced in a peculiar partnership to fight other parasites. The manga has been adapted into two

live-action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...

films in Japan, in 2014 and 2015. An

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series adaptation produced by Madhouse, titled ''Parasyte -the maxim-'', aired in Japan between October 2014 and March 2015. The English-language dub aired on

Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...

Toonami Toonami ( ) is an American late-night television programming block that broadcasts Japanese anime and American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and currently produced by Williams Street, a subsidiary of W ...

programming block in the United States between October 2015 and April 2016. By August 2022, the manga had over 25 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 1993, ''Parasyte'' received the 17th

Kodansha Manga Award is one of Japan's major manga awards. The event is sponsored by publisher Kodansha. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga in its third iteration since 1977. Categories The award was originally called the until 1968. In 1970, it was ...

for the general category, as well as the 27th

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Nihon SF Taikai, Japan Science Fic ...

for the best manga in 1996.

Plot

''Parasyte'' centers on a 17-year-old male high school student named Shinichi Izumi, who lives with his mother and father in a quiet neighborhood in

Fukuyama, Hiroshima is a city in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 459,160 in 214259 households and a population density of 890 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . After Hiroshima, it is the largest city in Hiros ...

, Japan. One night, tiny worm-like aliens with drill-like heads called Parasites arrive on Earth, taking over the brains of their hosts by entering through their ears or noses. One Parasite attempts to crawl into Shinichi's nose while he sleeps, but fails as Shinichi wakes up, and enters his body by burrowing into his arm instead. In the Japanese version, it takes over his right hand and is named , after the Japanese word for "right". Because Shinichi was able to prevent Migi from traveling further up into his brain, both beings retain their separate intellects and personalities. As the duo encounters 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 other members of the species they infect as food, while enlisting Migi's help. The series explores philosophical and psychological questions such as the meaning of humanity, humans' relationship to the environment and other species, the role of instinct and love, and the inherent anthropocentrism of morality. Shinichi's experience with Migi causes him to question if humanity has any right to claim moral superiority to the Parasites, while Migi and Reiko Tamura's experiences with humans cause them to take on more human traits, such as love and sacrifice.

Development

Iwaaki chose a high school setting due to a scene he had thought of. When considering a scene where Migi turns his shape into a penis in front of Satomi Murano, Iwaaki believed that the scene would work best in that setting. Iwaaki, Hitoshi (translated by Andrew Cunningham). ''Parasyte'' Volume 5.

Del Rey Manga Del Rey Manga was the manga-publishing imprint (trade name), imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. History Del Rey Manga was formed as part of a cr ...

. P. 288

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki, ''Parasyte'' was first published for three chapters in the special issue of

's ''

Morning Morning is either the period from sunrise to noon, or the period from midnight to noon. In the first definition it is preceded by the twilight period of dawn, and there are no exact times for when morning begins (also true of evening and nigh ...

'', ''Morning Open Zōkan'', from the ''F'' to ''H'' issues (August 1–October 3, 1989, issues). The series was later transferred to the publisher's ''

'' on November 25, 1989, and finished on December 24, 1994. Kodansha collected its 64 chapters in ten volumes, released from July 23, 1990, to March 23, 1995. It was later republished in eight volumes from January 23 to June 23, 2003. It was originally licensed for English translation and North American distribution by

, which published the series over 12 volumes from 1998 to 2002. The Tokyopop version ran in '' Mixxzine''. Daily pages from the Tokyopop version ran in the Japanimation Station, a service accessible to users of

America Online AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo! Inc. The service tra ...

. The Tokyopop English-language manga went

out of print An out-of-print (OOP) or out-of-commerce item or work is something that is no longer being published. The term applies to all types of printed matter, visual media, sound recordings, and video recordings. An out-of-print book is a book that is ...

on May 2, 2005.

later acquired the rights to the series, and published eight volumes following the release between 2007 and 2009.

republished the volumes in North America between 2011 and 2012. In March 2025, Kodansha USA announced a new black-and-white paperback edition for Q4 of the same year, featuring an updated translation, restored original art, updated interior design, and new covers.

Tributes and spin-off

A tribute project titled , consisting of various one-shots written and illustrated by various manga artists, and based on the original manga to promote the then upcoming anime adaptation, began publishing on ''Monthly Afternoon'' on September 25, 2014. The list of collaborators includes Akira Hiramoto, Yukari Takinami, Yasushi Nirasawa, Hiroki Endo,

Riichi Ueshiba is a Japanese Mangaka, manga artist. He has written and drawn Yume Tsukai, ''Yume Tsukai'' (''Dream Users'') and Mysterious Girlfriend X, ''Nazo no Kanojo X'' (''Mysterious Girlfriend X''), both of which were adapted into anime series. Another of ...

, Ryōji Minagawa, Takatoshi Kumakura, Peach-Pit,

Hiro Mashima is a Japanese manga artist. He gained success with his first serial '' Rave Master'', published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1999 to 2005. His best-selling work, '' Fairy Tail'', published in the same magazine from 2006 to 2 ...

, , Takayuki Takeya and

Moto Hagio is a Japanese manga artist. Regarded for her contributions to ''shōjo'' manga (manga aimed at young and adolescent women), Hagio is considered the most significant artist in the demographic and among the most influential manga artists of al ...

. The stories were collected into a single volume, published by Kodansha on July 22, 2016. In North America, Kodansha USA published the volume on November 21, 2017. Another tribute project, titled , began in Kodansha's ''

Aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...

'' on September 27, 2014. The list of collaborators includes MikiMaki, Miki Rinno, Ema Tōyama, Hikaru Suruga, Asumiko Nakamura, Kaori Yuki, Yuri Narushima, Yui Kuroe, Renjuro Kindaichi, Banko Kuze, Kashio, Yūki Obata, Asia Watanabe, Lalako Kojima and Hajime Shinjō. Kodansha compiled the stories into two volumes, published digitally on April 24, 2015. Kodansha USA published the stories in a single volume, released on October 25, 2016. A

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

manga, titled , started on Kodansha's ''Comic Days'' app on March 2, 2018. It was written and illustrated by Moare Ohta. The series finished on May 7, 2021, and was collected into eight volumes. Kodansha published the series in English on its K Manga digital service. Kodansha USA has licensed the manga for digital release and the first volume was released on October 8, 2024.

Anime

An anime television series adaptation titled aired in Japan on

Nippon TV JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as (NTV) or Nippon TV, is a Japanese television station serving the Kantō region as the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned and operated by the , a sub ...

between October 9, 2014, and March 26, 2015. It was produced by Madhouse, Nippon Television, VAP and Forecast Communications and directed by Kenichi Shimizu, with

Shōji Yonemura is a Japanese writer from Fukuoka Prefecture. He is known mainly for his work in anime and tokusatsu. After having graduated from Tokyo Zokei University, he worked as a freelance writer in Arakawa, Tokyo, Arakawa and would attend various film ...

handling series composition, Tadashi Hiramatsu designing the characters and Ken Arai composing the music. The opening theme song is "Let Me Hear" performed by

Fear, and loathing in Las Vegas is a Japanese electronicore band from Kobe that was formed in summer 2008. The band currently consists of vocalist So, keyboardist Minami, guitarist Taiki, drummer Tomonori, and bassist Tetsuya. They are best known for their heavy use of vocod ...

. The ending theme is "It's the Right Time" performed by Daichi Miura. At

Anime Expo Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...

2015, Sentai Filmworks announced that the anime would run on

programming block on October 4, 2015. The series was

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...

outside of Asia and by

Animax Asia Animax is an Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. The channel was originally owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and took its name from the Japanese satellite TV network; which was then-majority owned by subsidiary Sony ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

and

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC (or simply Sentai) is an American entertainment company. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is Sentai Studios. The ...

has licensed the anime for North America, South America, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand release. UK Distributor Animatsu Entertainment released the series in the UK and Ireland. In Australia and New Zealand, Hanabee acquired the series and released it within the region. The English dub, provided and distributed by Sentai Filmworks, was released on DVD and Blu-ray in two parts in 2016, with part 1 (episodes 1–12) on April 5, and part 2 (episodes 13–24) on July 5.

Anime Limited Anime Limited, also known as All the Anime, is a British anime distribution company based in Glasgow, Scotland. It releases anime for British, Irish, French and other European audiences. The company was established in 2012 by Andrew Partridge, ...

will release the series in a "Collector's Blu-ray" edition in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Live-action films

Hollywood's

New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...

had acquired the film rights to ''Parasyte'' in 2005, and a film adaptation was reported to be in the works, with

Jim Henson Studios The Jim Henson Company, Inc., formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (commonly referred to as Henson), is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is kn ...

and Don Murphy allegedly in charge of production. New Line Cinema's option expired in 2013, prompting a bidding war in Japan. Film studio and distributor

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

won the rights, and decided to adapt the manga into a two-part live-action film series directed by

Takashi Yamazaki is a Japanese filmmaker and visual effects supervisor. Known for his blockbusters featuring advanced visual effects, he is considered a leading figure in the Cinema of Japan, Japanese film industry. Yamazaki is the recipient of multiple accolade ...

. The first part, '' Parasyte: Part 1'', was released in November 2014 and the second part, '' Parasyte: Part 2'', was released in April 2015.

Live-action TV series

In August 2022,

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

announced a South Korean series adaptation, titled '' Parasyte: The Grey''. It is directed by Yeon Sang-ho and produced by Climax Studio and Wow Point, with Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan and

Lee Jung-hyun Lee Jung-hyun (; born February 7, 1980), also known by her occasional stage name Ava, is a South Korean singer and actress. She was first recognized for her acting abilities with award-winning role in her first film and has been solidified as on ...

in leading roles. It premiered its six episodes worldwide on April 5, 2024.

Reception

''Parasyte'' won the 17th

for the general category in 1993. It also won the 27th

for being the best manga of the year in 1996. On

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...

's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, ''Parasyte'' ranked 60th. By November 2013, the manga had over 11 million copies in circulation. By December 2020, the manga had more than 24 million copies in circulation; it had over 25 million copies in circulation by August 2022. The manga series has been praised and recommended by

Waseda University Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...

professor and literary critic , and by philosopher Shunsuke Tsurumi. The manga artist Machiko Satonaka praised the work and described it as "a masterpiece that makes you think about fundamental problems that raises the awareness of identity establishment". Connie Zhang of ''Mania.com'' ranked the first volume of ''Parasyte'' as A−. Zhang wrote that the series' main focus is the dynamic relationship between Shinichi and Migi and their discussions about

human nature Human nature comprises the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of Thought, thinking, feeling, and agency (philosophy), acting—that humans are said to have nature (philosophy), naturally. The term is often used to denote ...

. Zhang stated: "It is this casual philosophical pandering that makes ''Parasyte'' a cerebral manga. As the parasytes gradually adapt to human life and become cleverer at disguising their true identities, Shinichi finds himself in more and more danger". She concluded: "''Parasyte'' is not just about a teenager saving the world. It is about a teenager at the cusp of adulthood and his cynical, mutinous right hand...saving the world. Highly recommended". The anime adaptation by Madhouse was well received by critics and fans alike, getting praise for the animation, characterization, pacing and the soundtrack of the anime. In November 2019,

listed ''Parasyte -the maxim-'' in their "Top 100 best anime of the 2010s". ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' listed it among the best anime series of the 2010s.

China ban

On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture listed ''Parasyte'' among 38 anime and manga titles banned in

mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

. Nonetheless, the live-action version of ''Parasyte'' managed to be released in nationwide cinemas across mainland China, using a 125-minute special cut which condensed part 1 and part 2.

Notes

References

External links

Official manga website
at ''

Afternoon Afternoon is the time between noon and sunset or evening. It is the time when the sun is descending from its peak in the sky to somewhat before its terminus at the horizon in the west. In human life, it occupies roughly the latter half of the s ...

''
Official anime website
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