First Impressions / Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「Let Me Hear」 by Fear, and loathing in Las Vegas

 

「変身」 (Henshin)
“Metamorphosis”

A two-decade old manga has finally gotten its debut as one of the more anticipated series this season. When I first heard about Kiseijuu (also known as Parasyte), I immediately knew that I was going to be a fan of this one. Even though I’m generally not a fan of horror or gore and blood, Kiseijuu has a much more than that and an intricate story is what I’m after. Best of all, it’s a finished manga series and unless the anime decides to great an original ending or the original material goes downhill, I’m expecting it to be a close adaptation. Anything less would be ruining the manga since its received so many great reviews and recognition.

Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakauritsu is essentially a sci-fi story about an alien race that has invaded Earth by invading the brains of humans. They come in the shape of small glowing worms and make their way into the brains of humans (or other mammals) and take control of the nervous system and the human consciousness. The person who used to inhabit the body would technically be “gone” and the alien that took over it feeds on other live humans. The alien also has to adapt to the “human world” and starts to learn Japanese to communicate. Our protagonist is a young student by the name of Izumi Shinichi (Shimazaki Nobunaga) and one night, an alien tries to climb into his brain overnight. Luckily, Shinichi wakes up to fight it off and the alien buries into his hand instead. The next day, Shinichi finds out that his hand is no longer ”his hand” and instead, this alien (Hirano Aya) has taken its place. The alien has full control over Shinichi’s “hand” but simply takes the form of a hand to sleep or hide its identity from humans. In the span of two days, Shinichi and his alien manage to somehow compromise with one another and neither will do anything to put their lives at risk.

This first episode was very introductory but still intriguing enough to keep my attention and want more. If you’re wondering what we’ll see next, I would bet that there’s going to be more human deaths, more killing and probably a more thorough look at Shinichi’s psyche. Just from this initial meeting, Shinichi and his alien hand have almost nothing in common and don’t deal with dilemmas in the same manner. Their outlook on death and killing is different and even Shinichi himself points it out. His life isn’t in danger (because his alien partner depends on his life to continue living as well), but learning to cooperate with the alien for his entire life is a different question. The alien doesn’t seem to have a morale sense of right or wrong as long as it lives and survives. It also has no memories of where it came from or what its goal is on Earth. The only one that seems to know what’s going on is the narrator at the beginning of the episode (and end) and that scene was cut short so the origin of the mysterious aliens will probably be revealed later on. I would expect that between then and now, Shinichi and his alien will grow to adapt the personalities of each other and learn from one another.

The premiere for this series was relatively tame compared to the image that I had for a horror/sci-fi series. I have never thought that aliens were considered scary and if you ask me, horror stories about murderers and criminals are much more terrifying. However, one thing that Kiseijuu has going for it is the shock and awe factor – especially in those first few seconds and last few seconds. Seeing the distortions in people’s faces is gruesome but better than being censored so I have no complaints. I won’t speak for the entire series, but so far you can recognize that this story comes from an older manga because what might have been original then is not unheard of now. Stories about alien races taking over human minds is a plot line that I’ve seen before (if anyone’s read The Host) and while an alien race taking over might have been a frightening idea twenty years ago, I don’t see that aspect being translated well into the anime. The atmosphere of the series is not as horrifying as I expected and compared to the recent Tokyo Ghoul or the old favorite Elfen Lied, this anime is not on that scale. I mention this because if you’re a big chicken like myself, I think this series will give you the thrill that you’re seeking for, without the “monsters-popping-up-at-you” scare. If that’s still not enough for you to give it a shot, this is a highly rated series backed by Madhouse and the production values are by no means low. It’s also been a while since I’ve noted a good soundtrack for anime, but I actually really like the ending for this one. It can be very soothing after an intense episode and right up my alley.

My final message is for you to go out and watch this one. Not even a three-episode trial period, just sit and watch it out for the entire two-cour because it’s going to be an adaptation of a finished manga with a good animation studio backed by decent staff. I don’t expect this series to be half-a**ed. Unfortunately I will not be blogging this series on a weekly basis even after an excellent premiere; I already have a packed week with 2.5 shows. However, never say never… so please keep your eye on the Fall Schedule for anyone that might pick this one up.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: #kiseiju_anime just blew my mind! Wow… for a two decade old manga, it’s not bad. I’m impressed =) or maybe Madhouse is just really good.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「IT’S THE RIGHT TIME」 by 三浦大知 (Daichi Miura)

Preview

108 Comments

    1. If this is the only anime from this season that you find to be “watchable”, maybe consider stop watching anime. It’s not going to get any better for you from now on and niche show like this are a once in a blue moon kinda thing.

      Zero
      Reply

      1. I like anime but the problem is in the anime industry because its making to much garbage that is meant for certain groups of people that have the maturity of an 8 year old. Just like the last season I only watched SPACE☆DANDY 2 and Zankyou no Terror wich are shows that were at least trying to become something meaningful and not just flash boobs and buts at us and call that entertainment.

        Zim
        Reply

      2. My reply came off more aggressive than intended. I just mean that this season is probably one of the better ones in a while in term of quality and variety. Shows like this tends to be very rare and it’s unlikely that you get more than one per season, if at all.

        Anime in general is still a medium that is targeted at the young teen/early adult demographic. The industry is struggling financially and moe just happens to be the kind of stuff that tends to sell. I am honestly surprised that a studio even took a risk making Parasyte. It’s an older completed seinen manga so it’s not like it’ll have a huge following. I find myself just reading manga more often these days.

        Zero
        Reply

      3. I am not sure, if calling shows that not to your taste garbage is very “mature” either to be honest. Even if you might not find certain show to be meaningful, others might (yea even those boobs and butt shows might have something underlying, sometimes). Definition of good is different for everyone, one might not require a show to be deep to think it good if all he/she looks for is a relaxing thing to watch.

        Either way, back to the show, ep 1 sure shows promise, here hope the adaption do justice to this great manga.

        otaku998
        Reply

    2. My reply came off more aggressive than intended. I just mean that this season is probably one of the better ones in a while in term of quality and variety. Shows like this tends to be very rare and it’s unlikely that you get more than one per season, if at all.

      Anime in general is still a medium that is targeted at the young teen/early adult demographic. The industry is struggling financially and moe just happens to be the kind of stuff that tends to sell. I am honestly surprised that a studio even took a risk making Parasyte. It’s an older completed seinen manga so it’s not like it’ll have a huge following. I find myself just reading manga more often these days.

      Zero
      Reply

    3. I kinda agree… 🙁 I also felt there was nothing promising up until now. Well… fate/stay night excluded! that looked pretty sweet too.
      waiting for psycho pass 2.
      and since I agree on this anime being watchable (and much more than that) I’m surprised it dind’t make it in the regular blogged series shortlist… I haven’t seen around stuff better than this (very nice op too). Well, I guess I’ll check again 😐
      (first time commenting here (yay~))

      Maio
      Reply

    4. I won’t say garbage to the things I don’t plan to watch – but other than that, I’m with you Zim.

      For this season, I might only be watching LH and PP. Though I’ll keep reading the weekly reviews hoping that I’ll change my mind.

      kabayongtao
      Reply

    6. You’re getting a lot of crap, but honestly I feel very disconnected from most anime these days. I don’t care for the moe style as I find the sexual overtones in most of these shows to be pretty gross since they all look like kids. I also don’t care for the sketchy ecchi harem shows. That knocks out a significant portion of each viewing season, and then I’m left with finding shows that I enjoy in the remainder. I love anime, but I do feel like it’s swung too far in that direction now so that there’s only a few shows each season for mature viewers who don’t want to watch 20mins of animated sex fantasies.

      Honfrein
      Reply

      3. Sometimes, it feels like I’m the only one who can appreciate a variety of genres and styles of anime… from plot-driven to action to SOL to ecchi.

        I really wonder if it’s a cultural thing, where only some types of anime appeal to a Western audience.

        Actar
        Reply

    7. Mushishi, NGE, Hayao Miyazaki’s animes, Cowboy Bebop, and other classic animes are the typical animes that these so-called anime elitists would brag to love just to tell the others how sophisticated and rich their taste in animes are. Oh and they would also dump on other mainstream animes as well.

      Ho-Hum
      Reply

    8. Why do people act so entitled? That every show that comes out in a season of anime must cater to their tastes? Otherwise, it always follows up with statements of how the anime industry is declining or about how inferior the fans and shows of today are.

      Honestly, it’s a matter of taste and preference. Nothing is objectively good or bad and it’s all a matter of the criteria you use to judge them with. Just because the industry and fandom has evolved into something that doesn’t suit your tastes and preferences doesn’t mean that it’s crap. If you don’t like something, don’t watch. Move on to find new, greener pastures if you feel that the grass is no longer to your liking.

      Also, who gives you the right to judge someone’s maturity by the content that they consume? How do you even define maturity? That’s pretty arrogant, if I do say so myself. I don’t want to drag this into a moralistic argument, so I’ll stop here.

      Actar
      Reply

      1. What’s entitled about that post. All I see is “I don’t like ecchi and I don’t like moe so there’s a lot less shows for me to choose from now that it’s an industry standard”. And it’s true. Honestly, you’re the person that sounds entitled and way too easily upset. There’s nothing wrong with someone saying that they don’t like the way the industry is going. They aren’t any less of a fan than you. If you can’t see the fact that anime has taken a definitive curve towards catering to sexually frustrated young males in recent years, then I don’t know what to tell you. As a medium, there should always be a variety of genres and experiences to choose from but anime of recent years has been doing a great job of locking itself in a very narrow stereotype with just a few outlaying titles.

        Not all people who watch fujoshi anime are women. Not all who watch shounen anime are men. To say they only appeal to those groups is wrong, but to say they are targeted at those groups are correct. I would say that most people age out of this type of pantsu moe kawaii anime into more mature shows. Not everyone, but most. There’s nothing wrong with watching it at any age and I’m not trying to suggest that there is. But I am saying that it is very wrong to say “Well, you aren’t the intended audience anymore so shove off and find something else”

        Ralicht
        Reply

  2. A species of alien parasites invading Earth and slithering inside humans’ ears to take them over? Alright, The Animorphs or this? Who ripped off who?

    That aside, reading the reviews for this, I get that it’s really popular and all, but I just don’t know. It just doesn’t seem like the kind of series that I would take a liking to. Could be wrong, admittedly, but I’m gonna wait a few episodes and jump in just to see where the plot’s going before I call it one way or the other.

    Ryan Ashfyre
    Reply

  11. Perhaps it’s just the dubstep soundtrack, but I almost felt like I was watching Jojo’s Bizzare adventure again. Anyway, I just saw a flying monster killer corgi get speared by a mutant alien space hand. 10/10, would fist again.

    Very sad that this won’t be covered weekly.

    Hochmeister
    Reply

  12. A little sad that you won’t be covering this show, but it’s okay if you’re busy 😀 Glad to hear you’ll be watching it even if you aren’t covering it.
    I’ll be watching this too and I hope I continue to enjoy it!

    ZJZJ
    Reply

    1. I can’t emphasize how badly I want to blog this show – but it’s not just a matter of how many shows I’m blogging, it’s also the day of the week and my time schedule. Seeing as I’m already blogging PP2 on Thursdays, if I were to fall behind, not only would PP2 be late, but so would Kiseijuu. I put a lot of thought into when I’m available and if I can deliver what people expect of me when I make a commitment like that… So I’m sorry that I can’t cover this, BUT! I will for sure mention it in the Monthly Impressions.

      Cherrie
      Reply

      1. By all means please blog Psycho-Pass 2. That might be my most anticipated show this season 🙂

        So no complaints from me.

        This show looks really good tho. Btw, thanks for the well written blog. I originally was going to pass on this show because I’m not a big fan of horror and gore. But the story was so well written I really enjoyed this episode

        Rick Anime
        Reply

      2. @Rick Anime
        I’m glad that you gave this a shot =) This is the purpose of these intro posts and I honestly think that Kiseijuu deserves all the hype that it gets. Even getting one more reader to watch it is a win for me! It’s not the typical “horror” that I’d expect, but I guess the idea of aliens taking over your mind is pretty horrifying =X

        Cherrie
        Reply

      3. I do hope that, even if you can’t cover it, you can probably convince one of the RandomC staff to do so! Maybe Stilts could – it’s a very complex story (at least from a manga perspective), and this could be something good!

        nanoed
        Reply

  13. I agree that its not really scary and I havent felt the shock factor either.
    By the way, has someone read Uzumaki by Junji Ito? That is so…disturbing. That is for me the only kind of horror that still affects me. I think its rare for shows nowadays to really create the feeling of horror without becoming something like Resident Evil. Until now Id say this is the Resident Evil-“horror”. But I wont judge the show yet.

    Libélula
    Reply

  14. This show really caught me by surprise and I am so glad it is going to be a 2 cour. I have never read the manga but, the way this first episode was done was really good imo. Parasites really creep me the heck out but, this show has me.

    PaladinJoe
    Reply

  15. I am a bit annoyed how reckless this is being directed compared to in the manga.

    Stopping a car in daylight with witnesses using your alien hand? Staging a battle with an alien flying dog in an open urban area? In reality there would be people everywhere and witnesses abound. It’s just hard to take the anime seriously without massive suspension of disbelief. Suspension of disbelief is always necessary in works of fiction, but when it’s required to this degree it just makes the setting stupid.

    Unfortunately anime always does this, and by this I mean magically erasing all witnesses and life except for main characters during battles in urban areas (To Aru no Majutsu no index is a huge offender, and more recently Zankyou no Terror). I think the only anime I can remember that handled suspension of disbelief intelligently was Death Note.

    Jibo
    Reply

    1. Are we watching Anime for the realistic Actions?

      No

      We are watching Anime for Entertainment.

      Perhaps you should think about yourself, what you see, if you watching your favorite Anime. A Guide for the Life? (Slice of Life Animes), Realistic Gun/Tank Fights? (Girls und Panzer, Strike Witches)

      If you really want to enjoy the Animes to the Core, shut Reality away, and just Enjoy the Ride, perhaps understand the Message it want to tell. But not every Anime want us to tell a Story, most of them just want us to Enjoy the Ride.

      If you want Animes with complex Story for Real Life, watch Studio Ghibli Movies

      Germanguy
      Reply

  16. Also, really starting to dislike anime that use synthesized opening vocals. People actually like that crap music? Reminds me of pop music in the west. The artists have no singing talent, they just rely on electronics to make music.

    Jibo
    Reply

  19. The excitement I felt from having heard this would be animated made me dust off my DelRey versions of the manga and start re-reading them. X3 Obviously I knew it would have to be modernized and maybe a little bit changed (don’t really wanna say censored). As always, still a fun series and morally compromising. Hopefully the anime won’t disappoint in that aspect. Only thing that really irks me for no reason right now is that childhood friend character. If it’s the same person I remember (up to vol.4 right now), she’s not supposed to show up until a later arc and doesn’t even have anything to do with the main character. :\ Anyways, here’s to the continued Parasyte logic that is sure to turn heads! XD

    Sissy
    Reply

  20. I liked the episode so I don’t want to nitpick but did they give him glasses just so they could make his “you have changed” more obvious? He looks similar to the manga in the OP so I’m really wondering what the motive behind this change was.

    HakumeiJin
    Reply

  21. Kinda sad this likely won’t be getting blogged, After the near perfect FSN prologue adaptation, I’d have to say this was my second favorite 1st episode of the season. I look forward to seeing how Shinichi adapts to having an alien life-form living in his had.

    And I couldn’t help but laugh at the opening. Through the whole thing Shinichi looks like a wuss, then suddenly…

    https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%20OP%20-%20Large%2006.jpg

    Ikemen.

    Also, skimming the first few chapters, seems like Madhouse changed some stuff. Apparently Shinichi is supposed to look the above pic from the start, there was no boob grabbing (attempt at grabbing otaku sales ftw!) and they committed the greatest atrocity of all…

    They removed the penis arm.

    Those bastards. 😛

    Kuntzy
    Reply

    2. I’m guessing they want to make certain changes and character progression more visually obvious.

      There’s another scene where his hand touches Murano and she calls him a pervert (though it doesn’t specifically show it grabbing her breast). Possibly they were combining those scenes?

      Rob
      Reply

  22. I wonder if this could be (part of) where Biohazard/Resident Evil got the idea for Las Plagas and the Ganado/Majini (being a parasite and at least the part where they go inside, connect to, and control via the host’s nervous systems). The dog morphing certainly made me think of the dogs from RE4 and 5 with how twisted they could look.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

      2. Aya has joined another agency after like a 2-year break from the public. I think she got over what crap her previous agency pulled and is steadily going back to work, though I have yet to see her make any new music. Lucy in Fairy Tail 2 was something like the first role she had after she returned.

        starss
        Reply

  25. I have never thought that aliens were considered scary

    I take it you never watched John Carpenter’s The Thing? It’s appropriate to, the various grotesque images of the Paraystes remind me of that movie. Suffice to say I find this series intriguing.

    fragb85
    Reply

    1. No I’ve never watched The Thing… someone also mentioned it in a comment above but the movie is quite old and uh… I wasn’t born yet =X
      However, I did watch Independence Day when I was really young – that had aliens and scared the shit out of me -___-‘

      Cherrie
      Reply

  26. For the most part I was pleased with the production values. But the character faces looked off pretty often. And that bad background CG at the street crossing!

    Also, the anime I was reminded of most while watching is Level E.

    sato
    Reply

  31. Been looking forward to this since hearing about the series and so far haven’t been let down. The premise isn’t overly unique, but compared to Terra Formars it isn’t ruined by overzealous censoring which will make things that much better when the plot begins moving; Madhouse doesn’t look likely to disappoint here.

    Also the author of Kiseijuu clearly has a love for John Carpenter’s The Thing, those alien transformations remind me a lot of that movie.

    Pancakes
    Reply

    1. Speaking of the Thing, there’s a brilliant part in the manga that…I’m not going to talk about for a good long while because there’s no way to approach it without massive spoilers.

      Anyway, Parasyte is one of my favourite manga, and I’m very pleased with the first episode.

      Rob
      Reply

  33. https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2024.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2030.jpg

    So…These are the “Parasites” eh!…I wonder what will going to happen next…

    Hakunamatata
    Reply

  34. I remember reading this a couple years back and enjoying it. The sudden news that they finally adapted it into an anime from this update has made me one very happy camper. 🙂

    daitro21
    Reply

  35. I hope they rewrite the plot. I read a few dozen chapters of the manga some time ago and it quickly becomes shock full of shitty shonen tropes. It starts off pretty great, but my guess is that it will fall off by the 8th episode if they follow the manga’s writing.

    Raw
    Reply

  36. I’m really disappointed ! They took away the seinen feel, the 80s/90s humour ! like when his right hand beats up some yankees in the first chapter, The MC is much more bold and likeable + isnt freaking out so much. The part where his right hand says “lemme see your d**k” when he’s taking a piss at school ! They totally modified everything. 🙁 it’s kinda sad. Adaptation isn’t faithful enough 🙁 No one noticed ! I really loved the original work too. sigh. Too bad it is 2014 🙁

    shensu3
    Reply

      1. They have not only changed character design but also characters’ personalities ! In the manga the MC is chilled out a bit sarcastic about the whole right hand situation. Here it’s like 21st century anime MC being a wuss. I appreciate what madhouse is doing. Magic kaito is totally different. I haven’t read the manga but they seem to have retained the designs and the 80s-90s feel ! It works ! Madhouse didn’t choose to retain that.

        shensu3
        Reply

    2. I suggest rereading the manga like I’m doing now. Because things are being modernized, of course there will be differences. Also would explain why the continued use of bloody deaths trumps making sex jokes (not counting Migi’s harassment). I won’t hold my breath for anything like that, but I do agree, some of the humor could be brought in. :\

      Sissy
      Reply

  37. Nice choice of screencaps! Sad that you won’t be blogging this 🙁 maybe someone else from the group would get it?
    https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%20OP%20-%20Large%2005.jpg
    Stages of Love:
    https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%2008.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%2033.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%2003.jpg

    Xignal
    Reply

  38. Now THAT was some creepy shit, especially how that worm-like alien parasite was trying to enter his body and eventually entered through his Shinichi’s arm. That hand of his,creepy as it may be,may actually provide us with some decent comedy when it comes to his normal life.

    I also liked how it started, as if to show right away that the obnoxious censors won’t be a problem here.

    MgMaster
    Reply

  39. I am sorry, am I the ONLY person who doesn’t want to keep on with this show? I mean the songs are great and the animation is fluid but just the concept of having someone’s hand turn into… THAT thing… creeps the fuck out of me. Call me a pansy but I can’t be the only person who finds it disturbing or disgusting.

    Now this comes from a person who plays violent video games and saw Kratos rip someone’s head from his body while he was alive, I am ok (albeit shocked) when I see stuff like that. But this?

    DEAR LORD.

    BladeBlur
    Reply

    2. Everyone has different things that creep them out… it’s called phobias! Or you know, stuff that just makes you extremely uneasy.
      For me, I hate things like coconut crabs, black flying foxes and holes! Holes are the worst… especially when they’re in the ground or on someone’s face o_o

      Not a reason not to give the anime a shot though. I don’t think the hand-turning-into-an-alien part is meant to creep people out. It’s more like aliens invading your mind. I think Migi comes in a form that’s not ugly or mutilated so to me it’s not hard to sit through. Have you seen Midori Days? That’s about a guy with a girl on his hand… >_>

      Cherrie
      Reply

      2. It is the slow uneasiness that’s the best part of this show. There’s immediate terror, yeah, but the subtle ways his behavior changes and his own personality and identity changes as he comes to grip with the new reality of immediate and future danger he’s in. His family remark the subtle changes, but takes them for granted. All great chekov’s guns.

        Slowly churns conflict and change in gradient, uneasiness within. Great conflict within his own head =D

        Drasca
        Reply

    4. In a way, this series is already doing it’s job of creeping people out, but if that’s the only reason you don’t want to watch it, go ahead and don’t look back. But if you want more interesting things past the creepiness of the parasytes, I suggest you stick around for the dialogue. These are, after all, two different species cohabiting the same body. Not only will their ideologies differ, but also their sense of right or wrong, if Migi ripping the dog heart is anything to go by at all. 😛

      Sissy
      Reply

  43. Consider me bought in. This is a damn good premier with a truly interesting premise, solid action, fun character humor, and of course ZERO censoring. Even the dubstep couldn’t detract from the glory that is talking-dog-morphs-into-fleshy-winged-creature.

    ShootPointBlank
    Reply

    1. 1st, if you like The Thing more than Parasyte, what are you doing here !!? a little lost aren’t we .. go watch The Thing and stop bothering us here.

      2nd, aside from the extremely basic concept of “mysterious creatures that invade bodies of people” the two stories are worlds apart, and that concept has been done many times before The Thing and after it, and it’s only the quality of Parasyte that made it so popular and a timeless classic just like The Thing.

      3rd, it doesn’t make you smarter or seem more knowledgeable to make such pointless comparisons.

      Hunter-Wolf
      Reply

      1. https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2001.jpg
        https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
        https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2024.jpg
        https://randomc.net/image/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu/Kiseijuu%20Sei%20no%20Kakuritsu%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
        yea…..if those aren’t imagery straight out of The Thing,then I don’t know what is.

        nexuszero
        Reply

  49. What a weird ending for this kind of show. Aya Hirano is still doing voices? Anyways what a good choice for the hand.

    I don’t know why you don’t have someone blogging this right away, but yeah I’d be surprised if someone doesn’t pick this up.

    sealouse
    Reply

  50. The idea of “Aliens” itself isn’t really what’s scary here, it’s something much more intimate than that, it’s “body horror” at it’s best .. the fear of your own body turning against you or transforming into something you don’t recognize (for whatever reason, be it aliens or a real-world disease like the ones that turn the immune system against one’s own body), it’s an idea that’s very creepy and very tangible (much more than the aliens from Independence day), another layer of “creepy” here is the fear of “others” being not what they really seem .. it might have sprung from the 80s USA phobia of Communism spreading within the USA itself (could your neighbors be communists in secret !!?), but it’s a fear that’s alive and well regardless of it’s origin specially considering the state of the world .. could your neighbors be terrorists or supporting terrorist groups in secret .. could they be planning a terrorist attack .. etc etc .. just replace communists and terrorists with aliens or mysterious organisms from space (also seen in the movie “The Body Snatchers”.

    All in all i’m super glad that the series isn’t censored .. that would have been a huge bummer (i’m looking at you Tokyo Ghoul), and i think no other studio could have made this show besides Mad House (maybe Studio I.G too).

    Also something that i have to note .. another important show that’s isn’t getting regular coverage !!! (first is Gundam G no Reconguista), didn’t you guys get more bloggers to be able to cover all important shows .. i can’t believe shows like Kiseijuu (a show based on an excellent and classic manga) and Gundam G (first show directed by Gundam creator in a long time and a fresh start for Gundam series) aren’t getting regular coverage .. that just doesn’t make sense !!!

    Hunter-Wolf
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  51. Well, The original manga does not provide any definitive, concluding evidence or answer to the question:

    “What is this thing? Where did they come from? (and if any) Who created them?”

    Hence, It is rather wrong (or hasty) to say that the manga (and the anime version of it) is about some mysterious aliens.

    In fact, the opening narrating lines of the original manga (and a Korean translation of it) implies more or less that it is a human, (maybe, a sort of mad environmentalist scientist?) who created the unidentified monsters to save the world from the human beings destructive activities.

    purupuru
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  52. And as CHERRIE pointed out correctly, the manga is much more than a ordinary gore, horror thing.

    It will turn out quite evident to everyone that the manga is also about those classical philosophical problems such as identity problem, the meaning of humane emotions in life, the border line of the good and evil etc, as the story of the anime proceeds.

    No surprise that the work has been an epic classic till now since its publication.

    purupuru
    Reply

  54. “not as horrifying as Tokyo Ghoul and Elfen Lied” Fuck, no. Admitedly I haven’t watch this yet but when the screencaps into WTF territory while TG needs to go full torture before it unsettles me, well…

    I’m not sure if I want to watch to this show. The story and the hype seems promising but the distubring-ness may be a bit too much for me.

    Salbazier
    Reply

  55. Just got done watching this and I must say Im liking it so far. I’m one of the ones who hasn’t read the manga so please excuse me if I’m alittle behind with names and plot.
    The hand, despite being creepy sometimes, I cannot help but go awww at it when it was studying and waddling around like some mutant chicken. And it’s voice…totally wasn’t expecting such a cute voice from such an icky looking ‘snake’ parasyte thing. I also totally ‘aww’ed at the ‘It’s cold’ part.
    Im also a bit against the whole ‘starts off nerdy and awkward with glasses and then turns into this ‘not wearing glasses, hair sticking up against gravity, spouting random cool catch phrases’ trope. But I guess that is the right hand’s doing then.
    ^^ Really though did this season have to have so many anime that I picked up? I dont think I’ve ever been watching so many anime at one time. @_@

    fish-fish
    Reply

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