Parasyte

Parasyte (Japanese: 寄生獣, Hepburn: Kiseijū, literally 'Parasitic Beasts') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki. It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazines Morning Open Zōkan (1989) and Monthly Afternoon (1989 to 1994). The story follows Shinichi Izumi, a high school senior whose right hand is taken over by a parasitic organism named Migi after a failed attempt to invade his brain. Forced into an uneasy alliance, Shinichi and Migi must cooperate to survive against other parasites that have successfully taken over human hosts, leading to a tense and philosophical exploration of humanity, identity, and the nature of life.

The manga was first published in North America by Tokyopop, then Del Rey, and finally Kodansha USA. It has spawned two live-action films in Japan (2014 and 2015), an anime television series by Madhouse titled Parasyte -the maxim- (aired October 2014 to March 2015), and a South Korean live-action spin-off, Parasyte: The Grey, which premiered on Netflix in April 2024. By August 2022, the manga had over 25 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It won the 17th Kodansha Manga Award for the general category in 1993 and the 27th Seiun Award for best manga in 1996, cementing its status as a classic of the horror and science fiction genres. [edit]