Parasyte Sci-Fi TV Anime Slated to Premiere in October

Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy Arts revealed at its Tokyo International Gift Show exhibit on Wednesday that the television anime of Hitoshi Iwaaki's Parasyte (Kiseiju) manga is slated to premiere in October. The anime is in production simultaneously with the science-fiction horror series' two live-action films, and the exhibit also confirmed that the first film will premiere in December. Takara Tomy Arts is planning tie-in gacha prize toys, regular toys, and various other goods.

The story is set in a world where alien beings called Parasites come to Earth. They start taking over humans by entering in through their noses and ears and attaching themselves to their brains. One alien called Migi is only able to take over high school student Shinichi Izumi's right arm, and is unable to control Shinichi completely. Migi and Shinichi learn to co-exist, and the two battle other Parasites who see humans only as food.

Iwaaki serialized the manga in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1990-1995. The 10-volume series (later reprinted in an eight-volume version) has more than 11 million copies in print. Mixxine, the company that eventually became Tokyopop, published Parasyte in its Mixxine magazine and later in compiled book volumes. Del Rey then republished the series from 2007-2009, and Kodansha Comics republished the manga again from 2011-2012.

Takashi Yamazaki (live-action Space Battleship Yamato, Always: Sunset on Third Street) is directing the live-action films with Shōta Sometani (live-action xxxHOLiC, All Esper Dayo!) as Shinichi Izumi, Eri Fukatsu (Onnanoko Monogatari) as Ryōko Tamiya, and Ai Hashimoto (Blood-C: The Last Dark, live-action Another, Sadako 3D) as Satomi Murano. The films will open in December 2014 and 2015.

Tokyo International Gift Show is being held at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center on February 5-7.