Parasyte -the maxim-

Episode 22

This was a strange episode! It started off normally enough, with the first third focusing on Gotou and Shinichi's long-awaited battle. But after a fairly predictable first act, it slowed down to introduce a new side character and smell the roses for a little while. And yet, in spite of that apparent lack of focus, it was actually one of the better episodes we've seen in a long time. Parasyte has had some problems with its fundamental variables for quite a while now, and it turns out the solution to that was staring the show in the face - just be a different show for a little while.

We started off this week with Migi immediately alerting Shinichi to Gotou's presence, and from there we were off, with Migi and Shinichi commandeering a car to escape the city and face down their enemy. The degree of harmony expressed by the two of them in these first scenes frankly made me feel a little regretful the show never quite came together on the two of them learning to respect each other. They've certainly learned to tolerate each other, and to accept each others' general values, but even though the show has hinted at shifts in Migi, I don't feel like we ever quite got enough tangible shifts in philosophy from him to really sell their bond.

That missed connection ended up costing the show a little later on, but the final confrontation between Gotou and the two was a fair enough battle, and Migi's underlying plan was a suitably clever one. I was less impressed by the execution, which didn't really build tension or frame the fight in a compelling way - the plan wasn't quite clever enough that its reveal was its own reward, so I feel the show would have been better served by making the fight's variables clear from the start and instead focusing on creating tension through visual drama and pacing. Instead, we simply learned what Migi's plan was at the same time Gotou did, but it was all over so quickly that it didn't came off as terribly exciting.

That led into the big emotional turn, where Migi urged Shinichi to abandon him and save himself. This was clearly a big moment for the show, but as I said above, I feel like we were missing a necessary scene or two to bridge the gap of Migi's choice here being believable. I do think he has a real fondness for Shinichi, but the shift to “I'm glad to have met you” felt just a bit abrupt, in spite of “I'm glad I didn't take over your brain” probably being one of the more entertaining declarations of friendship I've heard. And Migi's last moment, where he reflected on his last feelings being not a fear of death, but of loneliness, was an excellent twist on all that's come before.

From there, the episode took a serious shift, as Shinichi found himself in the care of an old woman named Mitsuyo. Shinichi spent most of the rest of the episode wandering around Mitsuyo's remote village at her side, hearing her complain of strangers dumping garbage in their valley and arguing with her about the value of a life. You'd think this abrupt detour would kill the show's pacing, but weirdly enough, I found this material to be easily the best stuff Parasyte's pulled together in weeks. Mitsuyo herself just felt much more lively than most most of the show's characters, and the way her childless position, thoughts on loneliness, and views about the value of a life reflected the show's overall themes felt far more natural than much of the on-the-nose material we've been running into lately. Even the concept here felt fresh, with the idea of Gotou being a lurking menace hiding in the hills of a remote village offering a compelling injection of classic horror into a show that had largely discarded the original menace of the parasites.

Chastened but not thwarted by Mitsuyo's protestations that he value his own life, Shinichi eventually leaves her care, and the episode ends with him heading off to face Gotou alone. The question of Migi's fate remains up in the air, and clearly Shinichi's going to need more than a rusty knife to take on the most deadly of parasites, but those concerns can wait until next week. This episode was a strange and welcome treat, and I'm happy to see Parasyte can still surprise me, even if it requires tossing in a loudmouthed old lady to do it.

Rating: B+

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.