YMMV / Parasite In Love

• Alternate Character Interpretation:
  • Does Niall actually love Marlowe or does he only think he does because his survival depends on her?
  • How much of Niall's actions were out of him wanting to fulfill Marlowe's desire to start a family? How much of them were out of his own desire to multiply? When Marlowe implies that he's selfish he doesn't quite deny it.
• Draco in Leather Pants: Niall, the attractive brain-eating amoeba. While he isn't entirely evil, more so being a self-centered jerk, going the "mean" route with him shows that he can be quite controlling, has a temper, and uses his amoeba abilities to harm Marlowe when she tries to defy him. And it's not as though his behavior in the other routes is much better, as he tries to dictate what Marlowe can eat and multiplies inside of her without her explicit consent anyway. Despite this, some players still sympathize with him because of his attractiveness and because he can be kind of "cute" if the player chooses to have Marlowe play along with his house scenario. Some even wish there was the option to make Marlowe come back to Niall once she's healed from the infection.
• Epileptic Trees: Some players have interpreted the game as being a metaphor for an abusive relationship.
• Misaimed Fandom: Predictably, some fans took a liking to the premise of the game and Niall because of his attractiveness.
• Narm: While the entire game is intended to be serious, there's Niall's voice-acted dialogue during the ending sequences. There's also Marlowe's angrily screaming Niall's name in the "Good Ending" when she realizes that she's finally free of him.
• Nausea Fuel: The entire premise of the game and the changes to the interface as Marlowe's symptoms worsen.
• Paranoia Fuel: While it's rare to be infected by them, brain-eating amoebas are a thing that can potentially infect you if you swim in freshwaters such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs. Think about that next time you go for a dip.
• Squick:
  • Niall resting his head on Marlowe's stomach and talking about how warm it is inside of her, comparing it to how a fetus must feel.
  • It happens offscreen, however, the idea that Niall "multiplied" inside of Marlowe without her explicit consent is...gross.
  • Marlowe and Niall's "baby".
• Viewer Gender Confusion: Quite a few players assumed Marlowe was male because of her name (which sounds masculine to some despite being gender-neutral) and her appearance in some CGs. There's also her husky sounding voice.

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