Yes!  I’m finally caught up with this series and I’m sure glad I have!  It’s been incredible!  Not many series can take its time and develop the manga entirely but I feel that  Kiseijū can really achieve that with a 2-cour airing!

Detective Harama–  it’s too bad this character couldn’t have had a single episode that focuses on him.  While this series doesn’t push them to the sidelines they use these cop characters when they absolutely need to and it works out especially in the case of this episode.

He’s intriguing and while we are finally getting down to the wire with Reiko’s story it’s the crime part of this series that shines it’s head here.  He rules out Shinichi as a suspect and it certainly is amazing that we are almost at the end of this series and the plot uses his ideas about parasites in order to follow-up with a conclusion in the death of Shinichi’s mother to make grand assumptions that turn out to be true here.  His verification of Shinichi being the same boy he investigated previously was a nice set up that perfectly brought an end to Reiko’s life.  Not to mention establish a new arc in the second half of this episode with Shinichi back into the picture!

This episode definitely took its time here with Reiko’s death.  This ends up being a very powerful scene–  there is no music playing around the shots of gunfire piercing a satisfied Reiko now that she’s been able to discern that she loves her child and is able to protect her own baby.  Those flashbacks intensify her gradual fading away from the world so well here!  So she gives up her baby to Shinichi,  to the only hope she has to a person that retains a strong parallel between parasites and humans.

Shinichi visualizes his mother in Reiko and I really am glad they use that mixed with all those flashbacks of what Shinichi has gone through emotionally.  It’s about what could have happened if Migi hadn’t entered the picture, the loss he’s held in his parasitic-infused heart and what concludes a long-time coming reunion with his human side!  The result here was spectacular–  he’s now able to shed tears!  Murano’s placement was well-timed and that piano piece is a solid way to bring their relationship full circle!

The second half of this is very different–  use a killer to catch a killer.  Nicely done–  the mystery aspect of this series that separates humans from the supernatural parasites of this series is coming back and what’s more is how they did it with a serial killer!  The same guy that was in the first episode murdering a woman and it’s the woman that shows up at the screening that doesn’t let go of the comedy this series does well at executing either!

What’s more interesting is how different this is to the manga–  the first time we see Uragami is at the beginning of the series.  However, in the manga it’s here where we see this serial killer for the first time!

One thing I do want to point out is how this series has shifted it’s characters with such contrast.  Kana had the same unique ability that Uragami has and while she was using it out of a naive attempt at getting closer to Shinichi and that she might have a soul mate in him here is the reversal with Uragami!  A perceptive look into discerning from parasite to human with killing intent!

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 10/10

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