Parasyte took a moment to catch its breath this week, and so we got little vignettes from a variety of narratives. Which was a lot of fun, actually – Kana’s a pretty endearing mix of confidence and naivety, and that central fight scene was a totally unexpected visual bounty. Almost weirdly so, in fact – so far I’ve felt Parasyte’s atmosphere has generally been more effective than its big action setpieces, but that scene’s action was great. I’ve always liked the way the schoolyard fights generally resolve in one or two quick, brutal strikes, and applying that style to an extended fight made for a really tremendous sequence.

Here’s the full ANN post. Rough episodic notes are below the cut!

Opens with a classic parasite murder vignette

“I don’t care for meat that contains alcohol.” lol

Kana has some surprising fantasies!

Nice visual effects and ideas for this nightmare. Creepy monsters

ahaha, Shinichi on his horror-horse

Oh my god, buff monster Shinichi please stawp

Ugh, awkward CG dude in this first school shot

I wonder if I like Kana’s character just because Miyuki Sawashiro. This really isn’t fair

AND SHE SAVES THE HAIR IN A HANDKERCHIEF. GIRL YOU HAVE ISSUES

“This girl’s special. Maybe I should just tell her everything… but Migi’s awake.”

And then we get more Migi internal monologue. Migi’s essentially a main character outside of Shinichi at this point, and has his own narrative

“Aren’t you a normal human being?” MOMENTARY PAINED LOOK FROM SHINICHI

“You’re worried about me? That kind of makes me happy.” GODDAMNIT KANA THIS IS SERIOUS

“The way you talk to her gives her all kinds of hints.” True

“He saved your life?! You have dreams like that, too?!?” Oh god Kana

“He has this ferocity to him…” So Kana specifically likes New Shinichi. She’s also a more “effective animal” than Murano – she dominates her environment

Oh man, that first kill. Parasyte’s split-second fight animation again. Such a great style choice – completely unheightened violence that lands with tremendous impact

OH MAN. WHAT A FIGHT. Fantastic choreography and direction of this big fight scene, and even the music works! The movement of bodies constantly pulling the camera around – this is like what the Bourne movies want to be, basically

So this is a parasite with very different, crazier motives – he just wanted to test himself, and murdered indiscriminately without even eating. Another alien perspective

So can parasites recognize each other in non-visual ways, then? Does each parasite give off a different “tone” or something?

And now our young lovers get to go on a date. Hurray for temporary happiness

So Murano does remember seeing a parasite now. And of course her friend obviously saw it

“Think of people like cattle. That way, butchering them isn’t so bad.” Goddamnit Shinichi you are the worst at comforting

“Maybe Izumi-kun hasn’t really come back since he left on that trip.” Damnit Parasyte I used that exact line in my review don’t go spelling it out

Oh no a puppy

Flashback to his mother’s death. “There’s a hole…”

“I still care about her. That feeling is mine alone.”

“You’re Izumi Shinichi, right? If only we’d gotten closer much sooner… I could believe that you are.”

Parasites running for public office! Is this historical fiction?