Parasyte 1

This is a lighter horror-genre manga, where the main character was invaded by a parasite which was supposed to get into his brain but missed and ended up in his right hand. Other parasites have infected other hosts and the dynamics ensue from here. There is subtle humor in this one and also some pretty nasty exploding head scenes. Its going right next to Kamiyadori, as my favorite manga so far although they are very different types of manga. I highly reccommend this one and it would also probably be okay for teens 13+ to read. FYI if letting a teen read this: there is one picture where his hand turns into a penis-shape for a second.

Let me just say this if you looove sci-fi and manga then this is an absolute *must* Parasyte really is weird! You've got a main character with another character attached to his left arm!!!! His name is Lefty because he takes over his left hand and arm. Shin stops him from taking over like the others do. Lefty doesn't express much emotion and that's what makes it funny. It gets very, very gorey especially in volume 5! But when you look at the artwork you really get sucked into the story. When I read the first volume I had to get the others! I roared through it soooo quickly that's how good it is! The story, characters and you really never know what is going to happen next. The artwork is amazing because it feels like it is on the verge of being animated. There has been talk about doing a "Parasyte" movie or series, but nothing yet. I sooooo see this being made into a series or movie I really do! This has got to be a top favorite of mine. I just looove it! What makes it so amazing is all of the characters are dimensional and the minute you read it you really can't put it down. The story is strong through out the whole series and before you know it you are on the last volume! Glad it got re-printed for awhile it was out of print. Definitely not meant for younger kids especially volume 5. The goriest volume of the manga. This manga gets ***** stars for character development as well as the plot. It is all laid out beautifully. Pick this one up! No manga collection should be without it!

Parasyte, from Del Rey Manga, combines elements of two of Hollywood's most famous Sci-Fi films, "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "The Thing" (Think the John Carpenter version). Alien spores fall to earth and hatch worm-like parasites that enter the openings of the body, i.e., nose, ears, and eat the brain of their host and takeover their bodies. As in Carpenter's version of The Thing, once they have taken over the body they can change their shape into some very bizarre and deadly forms. Unfortunately, once they've taken over a body, they can only sustain themselves by eating other humans. Of course, this rule is in place for whatever type of body they infected. Some have erred and taken the bodies of dogs and other animals and once inside, they cannot leave. Shinichi is an ordinary high school student living in Japan and he, too, has been infected by one of the parasites that bored its way into his hand. But before the creature could reach his brain, Shin tied off his arm with a tourniquet, trapping the worm. We'll soon learn that because the parasite has now matured, it can no longer enter Shin's brain. That's the good news...the bad news is that Shin's right hand now has a mind of its own...not to mention eyes and a mouth. Shin's right arm is now fully malleable as well as intelligent. It reveals that it came to Earth to prey on humans but it has failed in its mission. Shin and the parasite now share a bond, dependent upon one another as the parasite cannot live without Shin, but it can also kill Shin if it chooses. This strange bonding is at once terrifying and yet also quite humorous as the parasite has a curiosity about the world, wanting to learn more and more, even reading books on its own as Shin sleeps. When the parasite needs rest, Shin's hand and arm again turn to normal. But there is also danger facing the pair. The parasites can sense each other's presence when they are near and soon Shin and his alien partner have to fight other parasites that consider Shin a reject. The parasite, which Shin nicknames Migi, now has to protect its host from others of its race who try to kill him. Parasyte is written and drawn by Hitoshi Iwaaki and is a fantastic first volume to a new series. Iwaaki shines when he lets his imagination run wild with the incredible and deadly transformations of the parasite-infected bodies. The bodies literally become weapons, sprouting deadly, razor sharp tentacles, often from the face of their hosts that literally split apart. Quite terrifying and graphic! This is one you definitely need to check out! REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

This book is GOOOORRRYYYYY. I usually can't stand that much gore, and I had to frequently put the it down, but I couldn't for very long. This manga has a great story that is pretty dang freaky. Along with the horror and violence, the book also has some pretty funny stuff, such as the parasyte that took over Shinichi's(main character) hand trying to figure out how human minds work. It basicly revolves around Shinichi trying to get along with Migi(his parasyte) who has taken over his right hand. Migi can't live without Shinichi, literally, and the two of them must get in life or death fights with other parasytes that have taken over other humans and animals. The parasytes can actually make someones body morph and stretch, as well as make it as hard as iron and sharp as a razor. I would reccommend this series to those who are not faint of heart, or squemish. If you have ever seen the series "Elfen Lied" and enjoyed it, you will enjoy this.

They came from space at night; aliens falling planet-side while people sleep. These slugs crawl like snakes as they seek human hosts to feed on from within. One by one they easily nestle into the brains of those humans they find. These hosts are no longer who they were as the space slugs take over thoughts and their body, but conceal themselves and their master plan by pretending their human host remains in control. However, one failed to cuddle inside the brain when high school student Shinichi sneezes as the slug enters his nostril. He grabs the creature that he thinks is a snake, but it escapes. When it soars at his face, he instinctively puts his hand up; the parasite enters him there. Shinichi still controls his brain and can communicate with Migi as he calls the creature residing in his right hand. As Migi studies the host population, mass kings and serial murders become frequent. It appears man's reign is through with Shin the last hope although first he must defeat Migi over just whose body is it before he can try to save the world. Mindful of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, this gritty grim apocalyptic manga thriller is a reprint of a tale released in the United States in 1990. The plot holds up quite nicely as a terrific coming of age tale with several twists all inside a sneaky invasion by what would seem a whimper but is a pandemic big bang. However, it is the manga art that grips the audience as the simplistic dark and grainy pictures means not to eat while reading or just afterward as the gloomy vividness will stay inside your brain like a lingering PARASYTE long after this first book is finished. Harriet Klausner