[Movie] Parasyte「寄生獣」Part 1

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, this movie was made based on worldwide best-selling manga Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki. I didn't read the manga, but I watched the anime series titled as Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu「寄生獣 セイの格率」(Parasyte -the maxim-) which was 24 episodes long. It was one of my favorite anime series because the story has deep lessons for humans, to appreciate each other and also respect any kind of existences. Plus, I like Migi. His (or its?) personality and especially his voice! His seiyuu (voice actor) is Aya Hirano which surprisingly also the voice actor of so many girl anime character and the voices she made is very different. 

Based on the anime, the story tells about an worm-like alien invasion on earth which they tries to eat human's brain to take over the body by entering through ears or noses. They're called as parasytes. One parasyte tried to get into Shinichi's ears, but failed since he was wearing an earphone. It entered his body into his arm instead, took over the right hand and named as Migi (in Japanese, it means 'right'). Having mind and personality each other, they agreed to work together to survive while battling other parasytes since they keep devour humans as food.

In the movie, the main concept is the same, but there are some missing part that I expected to be included. There are a lot of differences between the anime and the movie. But since I know it's because the limited duration, I tolerated and I was kind of enjoy the movie. Here are some differences I found while watching the movie *I'm comparing the movie with the anime version because I don't read the manga*:

• In the anime, Shinichi wears glasses in the beginning and made a total makeover in the end of episode 7.
  In the movie, Shinichi never wears glasses, and didn't make any makeover.
• In the anime, Shinichi live with both his mother and father.
  In the movie, it seems like his father died a long ago and her mother have to role as a single parent. 
• In the anime, Shinichi's mother died during a trip with her husband by a random parasyte.
  In the movie, Shinichi's mother died on her way home by A in order of revenge. 
• In the anime, Satomi and Shinichi liked each other but they become a couple near the ending of the series.
  In the movie, it seems like they're already go together as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Kimishima Kana & Uda Mamoru

• In the anime, the first parasyte Shinichi met is formed as a dog.
  In the movie, the first parasyte Shinichi met is a butcher. 
• In the anime, there is a girl who can feel the presence of parasytes like parasytes do each other. Because of that, she's interested in Shinichi but she get killed by parasyte in episode 12.
  In the movie, she is a total absence.
• In the anime, Shinichi met a person with a parasyte took over his mouth named as Uda Mamoru which helped him to revenge to the parasyte killed Shinichi's mother.
  In the movie, Uda Mamoru never existed.
• In the anime, Shimada featured as an average-height, expression-less boy.
  In the movie, he's featured as a tall boy who smiles almost all the time.
• In the anime, Shimada's disguise in school discovered by Satomi's friend. She made an appointment with him, and tried to fight back using kind of an alcohol until Shinichi saved her.
  In the movie, his disguise discovered in front of all art-class students. The one who tried to fight back using alcohol is Satomi, Shimada got uncontrollable, and her friend get killed. 
• In the anime, Shinichi killed Shimada by throwing a rock in a high speed using Migi's help.
  In the movie, Migi turned into a bow and Shinichi killed Shimada using an arrow. 

There are a lot more differences to tell, but some aren't too significant, so I think the differences I told above is enough. Actually, there's one more difference for me. I personally think that Migi in anime is a lot wiser than the Migi in the movie. In the anime, Migi always guide Shinichi neatly, full of considerations. But Migi in the movie is too rush and kind of childish. In my opinion, that might ruin Migi's image to the people who watched the movie and didn't read the manga or watch the anime version. It's only my personal thought, anyway.

Although the story is a bit too rush, I like the movie a lot since the director can fit the half of the anime series into a movie by including important parts of the story. The visual effect is excellent! I can't see any flaw of the graphic of the parasytes. I wonder how the animators make their face changes so nicely. Migi looks so cute, too!

Ai Hashimoto (right) as Murano Satomi (left)

Plus, I like the actress who play as Murano Satomi. She's so beautifuuuulll! At first I was confused. I was like 'who the hell is this beautiful girl' until I realized she's Satomi. Since the anime genred as seinen, the girls aren't cute or anything. Well, it's all because she's too beautiful to play as Satomi. But she played Satomi very well: soft-hearted yet so playful girl. 

Last but not least, at the ending of the movie when Shinichi fight A (in his mother's form), Shinichi was unguarded once. A took advantage by attacking, but her mother prevent A's action. It was really touching, although after that Shinichi had to kill her mother's body.

Rate

Story: 3/5

Cast: 4/5

Directing: 4/5

Visual Effect: 5/5

"If the human population were to be halved, would the number of forests being burned off also be halved? 
If the human population became 1/100 of what it is today, would the waste product also become 1/100 of what it is today?" 
-Tamiya Ryouko-