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Title: Parasyte Vol 8

Author: Hitoshi Iwaaki

Publisher:  Del Rey

ISBN: 9780345500366

May Contain Spoilers

This final volume of the sci-fi horror series, Parasyte, packed an emotional punch in addition to providing another non-stop action thrill ride.  Shinichi and Migi are in the fight of their lives against the more powerful Goto, a cold-bloodied alien lacking any shred of compassion.  Goto has promised to destroy Shinichi, and Shinichi has likewise vowed to kill his deadly foe to protect mankind from the killing machine.  But when the final moments come, Shinichi is shocked by the conflicting emotions that make it impossible for him to kill his adversary.  Will Shinichi’s inability to act be the end for both him and Migi?

The entire series has provided page after page of entertainment, rarely missing a step as Shinichi grows from a confused school boy into a confidant, self-assured adult.  He has learned the value of all forms of life and the value of friendship during his incredible adventures after having his arm possessed by an alien.  Instead of allowing the horrifying events turn him into an unfeeling monster or rob him of his sanity, they reaffirm his humanity and  his ability to care for others.  His character development was convincing and uplifting, because at one point, there was not much to set him apart from the man-eating aliens he was fighting against.

The showdown with Goto was tense and exciting.  Migi and Shinichi are clearly no match for the freakishly powerful Goto, but they’re going to make a final stand, no holds barred.  When things end in disaster, Shinichi’s world is turned upside down again.  Bereft and alone, he learns to cherish all life, now that his is just a step away from being snuffed out.  It also gives him the strength to sacrifice himself for the good of others.  With Goto feasting on the residents of a tiny village, Shinichi knows he has to own up to his mistakes and rid the world of the terror he helped to create.  Shinichi’s soul searching tugged at my emotions; once he accepts his responsibility, he doesn’t allow his fears of his own death stop him from doing what he’s set out to do.  It’s only when he holds another’s life in the balance that he hesitates, because he has learned that all life has value.

Shinichi learns another difficult lesson, and it was a little more difficult for him to comprehend.  Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, and they aren’t always alien.  Some monsters hide in plain sight, human in every way but for the darkness in their souls.  Shinichi’s final battle isn’t against a parasite – it’s against a human whose heart is rotten beyond redemption, and who values nothing.  Not life, not love, not even himself. 

I avoided Parasyte back when Tokyopop was publishing the series because I didn’t understand what it was about.  It has horror elements, which was a turnoff, and I wasn’t so fond of the art.  What a difference a few years make!  I wasn’t ready for a series like this back then, and I’m happy that Del Rey re-released it so that I could discover this gem.  While it may look like a book about alien man-eating monsters, it’s so much deeper than that.  At its core it’s about the struggle to survive no matter the cost and the importance of life. 

Grade:  A