Radio host Genki Kawamura recently invited retired Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki into the TokyoFM studios to record a podcast. During their chat the former Ghibli man revealed that at one point the legendary anime studio came close to adapting Hitoshi Iwaaki's classic sci-fi/horror manga.
At first blush, Parasyte, with its frequent bouts of blood, guts and shounen-style monster mash-ups, might not seem like a good fit for a studio like Ghibli, but beyond its patina of gore, Parasyte is actually quite a thoughtful series, one that raises serious questions about the nature of mankind and its place in the environment. According to Suzuki, this made Parasyte an enticing prospect for the studio, which often tackles projects with environmental themes. Even Hayao Miyazaki was a fan.
This isn't the first Parasyte movie adaptation to stall during the planning phase. In 1999 plans were in place for a live action version from Jim Henson studios. Scripts were written and a director drafted, but for whatever reason, the US version of Parasyte never materialised.
After spending the best part of of a decade in development limbo, the rights for the series reverted to Japan, where it was quickly snapped up and resurrected as an anime series and set of feature films.
While it's a shame that we will never get to see the Ghibli version of Parasyte, it's good to see the series finally getting the respect it deserves, and animation fans can still scratch their anime itch by checking out the recent series from Madhouse Studios.
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