Parasyte—The Maxim: Collection 1

Given that teen hero Shinichi looks a bit like Marvel's Peter Parker, it's fitting that a popular manga comics series inspired this gruesome anime entry sporting a mutation-oriented vibe that is less akin to Stan Lee than to David Cronenberg during his horror-happiest phase. Schoolboy Shinichi is one of an indeterminate number of Earthlings infiltrated by brain-eating parasitic worms. But thanks to a tourniquet, Shinichi is able to confine the bodily invader to his right arm. Calling itself “Migi” and claiming ignorance of its origins (alien? GMO bio-weapon?), the creature grudgingly coexists with the schoolboy, granting Shinichi shape-shifting superpowers in savage death-battles against monstrous, fully-possessed victims of the parasites, who are carefully camouflaged in society. Although driven by instincts of self-preservation, the parasites also claim moral superiority over people, on whom they occasionally experiment with terrifying detachment. Meanwhile, the changes that gradually come over Shinichi begin to call into question his own humanity and alliances. Sporting several Walking Dead-style twists, Parasyte is an excellent and often fascinating series. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2014 in separate dual-language DVD and Blu-ray editions, rated TV-MA, this is highly recommended. (C. Cassady)