Only Shin, a high school senior whose left hand was infected by a Parasyte, knows of the existence of the alien invaders. It's a heavy burden to bear - one which, until now, he's had to bear alone. When a girl who can psychically sense Parasytes misinterprets her feelings around Shin as a romantic link between them, Shin has to warn her of the danger that the signal embodies. The parasytes have killed everyone else who got in their way ... a girl who can sense them would be a threat, indeed.

Shin
A 16-year-old student, Shin is the only thing standing between humanity and alien domination. A Parasyte attacked Shin, but before it could fully assimilate with him, he was able to trap it in his left arm. Although Shin feels obligated to tell people about what has happened to him and about the alien invasion underway, he fears for the danger it would place him and his loved ones in.

Lefty
The Parasyte that attacked Shin is appropriately named Lefty. It has developed a personality of its own and is very inquisitive, but like other Parasytes has no emotion.

Parasyte - published in Japan as Kiseiju ("Parasitic Beasts") - was created and drawn by Hitoshi Iwaaki. It was originally serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Afternoon. The popular ten volume manga series later won the Kodansha Best Sci-Fi Award in 1993.