260 – 5 Year Anniversary Retrospective Redux 1 – Parasyte

Come join us as we celebrate 5 years of podcasting! dakazu’s made a top 5 list of the most bizarre/interesting manga he’s ever talked about and we take a look back at one of our first Retrospectives ever, Parasyte!

Stream the episode above or [Direct Download]

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If you have any thoughts on the episode, manga suggestions, or anything else please comment below!

Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 – Intro Song: “Let Me Hear” by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from Parasyte -the maxim-, Opening, Reflecting on 5 years, Introductions
• 00:02:09 – To celebrate 5 years dakazu picked the top 5 most bizarre/interesting manga he’s ever talked about
• 00:03:23 – dakazu starts his list with the ghost writer scandal from Kirby of the Stars
• 00:07:26 – Joshi Kouhei was divisive for it’s unique story telling and over-the-top fan service
• 00:11:37 – dakazu recalls amazing behind-the-scenes reveals from ex-porn star Nayuka Mine’s memoir Sexy Joyuu-chan – Girigiri Mosaic
• 00:14:12 – Morgana has A LOT of question about dakazu’s #2 choice SXMCN
• 00:16:46 – X-Power Yojigen Nikutai Shinka might not even classify as an actual manga and might be an advertisement for a scam but it tops dakazu’s list
• 00:27:35 – We discuss the Japanese cultural reverence of Oda Nobunaga
• 00:30:42 – Next Episode Preview and Rundown: Manga in Motion for A Letter to Momo, we’ll be reviewing Hiroyuki Okiura’s 2011 anime drama
• 00:32:31 – Main Segment Retrospective Redux: Parasyte, Transition Song: “IT’S THE RIGHT TIME” by Daichi Miura from Parasyte -the maxim-, we revisit Hitoshi Iwaaki’s classic horror series about a boy getting infected by an alien organism that replaces his right arm
• 00:34:12 – After reading Parasyte for the first time Morgana expresses her disappointment with the female characters being mostly plot devices
• 00:38:18 – We discuss Migi’s abrupt change in relationship with Shinichi towards the end of the series
• 00:39:55 – Morgana really liked Shinichi because he reminded her of Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho
• 00:41:55– Morgana talks about the fascinating logic the parasytes have that conflict with human morals
• 00:43:52 – We discuss the horrors of human nature that happens at battle between the army and parasytes at the municipal building
• 00:45:51 – An exploration of moral choices weren’t what Morgana expected to read about in Parasyte
• 00:48:34 – Morgana was surprised Shinichi was able to keep Migi a secret throughout most of the series
• 00:50:04 – We comment on how the series ends without any focus on the parasytes
• 00:52:55 – We explain how the certain plot points had be contrived with the modernization of the anime
• 00:55:31 – After rereading Seamus thought many character arcs reflected the growth of a child
• 00:57:29 – Old lady Mitsuyo and small town girl Makiko were female characters we really liked
• 00:58:53 – Morgana wished the series explained the origin of the parasytes
• 01:01:11 – After rereading Darfox noticed the repetitive pattern of female character deaths throughout the series
• 01:04:10 – Now Darfox has stronger feelings towards the philosophical questions about overpopulation raised in Parasyte
• 01:07:53 – We discuss the influence of Japanese culture that impacted the way the government reacted to the existence of parasytes
• 01:12:18 – We appreciate that despite it’s serious story Parasyte had a lot of comedic moments
• 01:16:12 – We explore the varied personalities of the different parasytes throughout the series
• 01:17:15 – Morgana is confused why the story abruptly stops following Yuko after her run in with the Shimada parasyte
• 01:18:17 – dakazu talks about the various Parasyte spin-offs stories from Neo Parasyte Volume f,Neo Parasyte Volume m, Parasyte Reversi, and Neo Kiseijuu f
• 01:24:38 – We discuss the reluctance of exploring older manga and anime in Western audiences
• 01:26:58 – Darfox comments on the realistic portrayal of violence in Parasyte
• 01:27:59 – Iwaaki gave thoughtful responses to reader questions but also admitted to cutting his finger with a knife
• 01:29:21 – dakazu praises Iwaaki for his creative process that led him to end Parasyte despite it’s popularity
• 01:32:16 – During the original retrospectives Seamus made correct predictions about what would happen in the story
• 01:34:46 – dakazu recalls the existence of a hentai doujinshi shipping Uda with Tamura Reiko
• 01:39:18 – We praise Iwaaki’s use of different techniques to make a wide range of art
• 01:43:27 – Morgana liked how Migi and Shinichi would take time to strategize
• 01:44:38 – Darfox had some slight complaints about some ham-fisted direct translations
• 01:47:43 – Seamus thought Parasyte stood up well for rereading besides the final confrontation between Goto and Shinichi
• 01:49:55 – dakazu is considering revisiting Iwaaki’s current manga Historie
• 01:51:58 – We tease a future episode about fantasy manga publishing
• 01:54:35 – Seamus promises to catch up on Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Social Media Rundown, Sign Off Song: “wish men” by sunbrain from Beet the Vandel Buster