Parasite in Love (2021) Review: Can Love Overcome Fear?

 

Parasite in Love | 2021 | 1h 40m
Genre: Romance | Country: Japan
Director: Kensaku Kakimoto | Writers: Sugaru Miaki, Yukiko Yamamuro
Cast: Kento Hayashi, Nana Komatsu, Arata Iura
IMDb: 6.0
My Rating: 9/10

Hijiri and Kosaka are unsure whether the attraction they feel for each other is genuine love or merely an illusion created by the parasites living in their brains.

Warning:

Contains scenes of suicide.

 

Synopsis of Parasite in Love

Kosaka (Kento Hayashi) suffers from mysophobia, an intense fear of germs and contamination that makes it difficult for him to be around other people. His excessive fear of bacteria affects nearly every aspect of his life. Even something as ordinary as someone sneezing beside him can trigger intense anxiety.

To protect himself from germs and bacteria in his surroundings, Kosaka constantly wears clothing that covers most of his body, along with hats, masks, and gloves.

Hijiri (Nana Komatsu), meanwhile, suffers from scopophobia, an intense fear or discomfort associated with being looked at by other people. Although she is still a high school student, her phobia has become so severe that she chooses not to attend school.

Hijiri always wears headphones to distract herself from the people looking at her. With them on, she feels more comfortable and safe.

Kosaka and Hijiri accidentally meet after Kosaka faints in the middle of the street. Hijiri takes him to her grandfather, who is a doctor. She feels an immediate connection with Kosaka because she believes they share something important: both of them struggle to live normally because of their fears.

Through someone they know, Kosaka is encouraged to become friends with Hijiri and discover why she refuses to go to school. Kosaka is uncomfortable with the idea at first and does not particularly want to get involved.

But as they spend more time together, Kosaka and Hijiri gradually become closer.

Then a disturbing truth comes to light about the parasites living in their brains—a revelation that changes the way they understand their feelings, their behavior, and everything that has happened between them.

 
Review

Parasite in Love is based on the novel Koi Suru Kiseichu by Sugaru Miaki. The premise is quite interesting and unique. It is not often that a story uses a parasite as the source of a person's mental illness and suggests that the parasite may even influence or control the thoughts and feelings of its host.

The music is carefully matched to each scene and effectively supports the atmosphere. The camera movement and editing are also handled well.

Some scenes require very specific visual details, and the film uses close-ups and extreme close-ups to allow viewers to clearly see the details and messages being conveyed. Scenes that require a different emotional atmosphere are sometimes presented in slow motion.

The CGI effects are also relatively smooth and do not feel excessive.

The story is presented clearly and systematically, with very little unnecessary dialogue. Everything feels concise and purposeful. The backgrounds and personalities of the two main characters are also developed well, allowing viewers to understand their circumstances and the story as a whole.

The performances are another major strength.

Nana Komatsu does a convincing job portraying a high school student who is deeply afraid of being watched by other people. She manages to communicate Hijiri's discomfort and anxiety naturally.

Kento Hayashi's performance as Kosaka is equally convincing. His acting feels natural rather than stiff, which is particularly important for a character whose daily life is shaped by an intense fear of germs.

Portraying these kinds of phobias convincingly is certainly not easy, but both actors manage to communicate the difficulties their characters experience quite well.

There is, however, one small detail that may have been overlooked in the story. It does not disrupt or ruin the film, but it creates a slight inconsistency.

There is a scene in which Kosaka and Hijiri seem to have difficulty being inside a café together, almost as though it is their first time doing so. Yet earlier in the film, they had already met at a café, and neither of them appeared to experience the same level of fear or discomfort.

There is also another detail involving Kosaka's mysophobia. It seems unlikely that someone with such an intense fear of germs would casually invite Hijiri to meet at a café. Even more noticeably, despite being uncomfortable with physical contact and fearful of bacteria, Kosaka can casually drink coffee from a glass served by the café.

These details feel slightly inconsistent with the severity of his phobia.

Still, they do not significantly affect the overall story.

Overall, Parasite in Love is a recommended film for viewers who enjoy romance stories with a touch of fantasy. The relationship between Kosaka and Hijiri develops naturally, and the chemistry between the actors is one of the film's strengths.

 

Memorable Scene

Hijiri falls into despair when her grandfather asks her to undergo treatment that could potentially erase the feelings of love she has developed for Kosaka.

Seeing her in that state, Kosaka sets aside his phobia and embraces Hijiri tightly to comfort her.

The scene shows how powerful love can become when we truly care about someone. Sometimes, it can give us the strength to set aside even the deepest fears we have carried for a long time.

 
Memorable Dialogue

“Let's get treated and do normal stuff again.”

 

Ending

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation

Recommended.

 

(Aluna Uwie)

Had been published in Alunauwie.com

"This article was originally written in Indonesian and has been adapted into English for international readers."

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