Parasyte the Maxim: A Must Watch

Adeeb Imtiaz

People all over the globe were mesmerized by the first season of Tokyo Ghouls, so when something of the similar background started being aired late last year, people’s expectations of Parasyte the Maxim knew no bounds. Now I did say somewhat similar background but, after the initial episodes Parasyte, the Maxim takes a different route and has a different ending as compared to Tokyo ghoul which is still expected to have a third season.
The anime follows the story of Shinichi Izumi, a high school student with a normal life until one day his world along with many other people’s lives’ changes forever. Parasites out of nowhere start invading the human body and take over the brain. They then control the thoughts, emotions and other stuff related to the functions of the human brain. But, the parasite that attacks Izumi is unable to take over his brain and has to suffice with his right hand. The two start sharing the same body and immediately attract the attention of other parasites hosting human bodies as Izumi and his parasite seem to be one of kind. Thus, it starts Izumi’s fight for survival against the parasites while also trying to fight for humanity’s survival. There are a few clichéd characters in the anime that could have brought the anime down but, the creative team deals with them with utmost professionalism and recovers the lost pace quite well. The constant evolving of Izumi’s character throughout the anime is also something to take notice of, as every time, Izumi’s character evolves the pace in the anime is also adjusted to suit the nature his character. The background theme along with the opening and ending songs are used quite spontaneously to depict the surroundings of the anime and all in all it is a must watch.

Aldnoah Zero: Overhyped and wasted

Noirit Mustapha

One of the more controversial names in anime is writer Gen Urobuchi. The man dishes out tragedy like no tomorrow, with results that tend to divide opinions strongly. Madoka Magica, Psycho-Pass, the original novel version of Fate/zero, and even his visual novels all tackle more tragic and cynical matters. However, one thing the man always did was making his own stories, so at least they remain consistent throughout. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about Aldnoah Zero, which was simply created by Urobuchi with writing duties given to someone far inferior. The result is a lot of wasted potential.
After alien technology was discovered in Mars in the 1970s, mankind was divided into those who left for space and colonized the planet, hoping to one day take over Earth, and those who opted to avoid the technology and remain back home. This gives way for two protagonists, one from each side of the conflict, to drive the story. All this happens while the Martian princess tries to go back to Mars and stop the war. Terran hero Inaho is as boring and one-dimensional as a board and taken to even more robotic extremes in the second season. On the other hand, his foil on the Martian side, Slaine, tries to develop some character, only to fall back on his angst and selfish methods.
Even besides them, none of the supporting cast is that memorable either, plus the writing completely backtracks and takes absurd turns after the first season finale. This is evident when they decided to make a second season after that cliff-hanger ending. The animation is standard, though the mechs always being in CG against everything else in 2D can be a little jarring. The soundtrack does juxtapose nicely with some of the action, thanks mostly in part to popular composer Hiroyuki Sawano of Attack on Titan fame. Otherwise, this is one anime better left untouched.