Izumi High School

Lore & Background

Izumi High School is located in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan, and is attended by Shinichi Izumi, a high school senior. The school represents the ordinary teenage life that Shinichi struggles to preserve after a Parasite fails to take over his brain and instead infects his right hand, naming itself Migi (from the Japanese word for 'right'). The halls and classrooms become a backdrop for Shinichi's efforts to hide his condition while dealing with other Parasites who attack him upon realizing his human brain is still intact. The school also serves as a place where Shinichi's relationship with Satomi Murano develops, and where the contrast between normal adolescent concerns and the existential threat of the Parasite invasion is most stark. Teachers and students remain largely unaware of the true nature of the danger, creating an atmosphere of isolation for Shinichi as he navigates both academic pressures and the need to survive.

In Their Own Story

One night, tiny worm-like aliens with drill-like heads called Parasites arrive on Earth, taking over the brains of their hosts by entering through their ears or noses. One Parasite attempts to crawl into Shinichi's nose while he sleeps, but fails as Shinichi wakes up, and enters his body by burrowing into his arm instead. In the Japanese version, it takes over his right hand and is named Migi, after the Japanese word for 'right'. Because Shinichi was able to prevent Migi from traveling further up into his brain, both beings retain their separate intellects and personalities. As the duo encounters other Parasites, they capitalize on their strange situation and gradually form a strong bond, working together to survive. This gives them an edge in battling other Parasites who frequently attack the pair upon realization that Shinichi's human brain is still intact. Shinichi feels compelled to fight other Parasites, who devour other members of the species they infect as food, while enlisting Migi's help.

Reader's Guide

Izumi High School is the central location for Shinichi Izumi's daily life as a high school senior in Fukuyama, Hiroshima. It is where he attempts to maintain normalcy while hiding Migi, the Parasite that took over his right hand. The school provides the setting for key interactions with classmates and the ongoing struggle to survive against other Parasites. For fans, the school represents the fragile normalcy that Shinichi fights to protect, and the contrast between ordinary teenage concerns and the horror of the Parasite invasion. The series explores philosophical and psychological questions such as the meaning of humanity, humans' relationship to the environment and other species, the role of instinct and love, and the inherent anthropocentrism of morality.

Did You Know?

• Shinichi Izumi is a 17-year-old high school senior who lives with his mother and father in a quiet neighborhood in Fukuyama, Hiroshima.
• The Parasite that takes over Shinichi's right hand is named Migi, after the Japanese word for 'right'.
• Shinichi was able to prevent Migi from traveling further up into his brain, so both beings retain their separate intellects and personalities.
• The series explores philosophical questions such as the meaning of humanity, humans' relationship to the environment, and the inherent anthropocentrism of morality.
• The manga received the 17th Kodansha Manga Award for the general category in 1993 and the 27th Seiun Award for the best manga in 1996.