A new Netflix Kdrama (기생수: 더 그레이) based on the famous Japanese manga Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki is here, and I am thrilled to review it. Let us see how this live-action fared.
Parasyte: The Grey Netflix Overview
South Korea delivered a chilling sci-fi horror series titled Parasyte: The Grey, by director Yeon Sang-ho. It draws inspiration from the manga series and it plunges viewers into a harrowing encounter with enigmatic parasitic beings who inhabit human hosts, instigating gruesome murders. Leading the cast are Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Lee Jung-hyun. Netflix globally premiered the series on April 5, 2024.
Originally dubbed The Grey during development (더 그레이; Deo geure-i), this project emerged from a collaboration between Netflix and Yeon Sang-ho, with direction and writing duties shared between Yeon and Ryu Yong-jae. Climax Studio and Wow Point oversaw the production of this show.
Koo Kyo-hwan and Jeon So-nee were selected for the lead roles, and their involvement was officially confirmed alongside Lee Jung-hyun on August 24, 2022.
I have tried my best to keep the review as spoiler-free as possible, but there are certain elements that I had to mention to give proper feedback.
– Minor Spoilers –
Parasyte The Grey Review and Recap – From The Korean Perspective
Who would have thought that we would get an alternate story inspired by the famous manga and anime Parasyte? At first, like many, I thought this would be the Korean remake of the Japanese manga, but that is not the case here. This is a re-imagination that is set in South Korea and is talking about different people, who were affected by the parasitic creatures that fell from the sky.
The series starts with a quote about how the existence of the human species is affecting the world greatly. And one imagines if the human population were to be cut in half, would that make the world a better place? This kind of thought is the base and reason behind the existence of the worm-like creatures called parasites. They are even thought of as an evolutionary countermeasure to humans, and it is their ultimate goal to eradicate humanity by any means possible.
But that does not mean they are brainless monsters that control humans only to feed on others. No, even when they are driven by a strong hunger towards the species they take over, these parasites are very intelligent and have their own free will. Because of this, when one of them fails to take over Su-in, the protagonist of this series, the parasite understands it will have to protect the host to survive.
This is a very similar situation to the manga, where both the parasite and the host worked together to survive the onslaught. Other than that, this series elaborates more on these parasitic creatures, their nature and how one can identify them.
Though, at base, the themes are similar to the manga, the storyline is completely different. Hence, if you are someone who has no idea about the original storyline, you can easily watch this. However, for those familiar with the manga and anime, this series may fall short of their expectations. It’s a fact that Shinichi’s story was far better than this one. He was a much better protagonist, and his story was properly fleshed out. The bond between Shinichi and Migi was undoubtedly authentic, and it was significantly better developed than the bond portrayed here.
Also Read: Hellbound Review: Morality, Sin and Death
Another criticism that I have is how dumb the police officers are in this series. You feel frustrated with their incompetence towards the end because of their decisions and lack of judgment. It almost feels like the officers who were so good at their work have suddenly become witless because the protagonist needs to have a hard time.
The CGI and cinematography were okay and nothing special. The actors do a good job of portraying their respective roles, but the team leader of Team Grey does come off a bit too over the top.
Verdict
As someone who has watched the anime and read the manga, my experience of this series will definitely be very different from someone who has no idea about it. Hence, I will recommend everyone to watch this show first and see for themselves, how they like it.
For me, the whole story was decent, but the ending was the ultimate highlight of the season. The last 2 minutes made me acknowledge this series, and now, because of that particular scene, I will look forward to the next season.
Also Read: Parasyte The Grey Ending Explained: What Happened To The Parasites?
Oohh god lord this is good one, its like parasyte maxim like the anime, i wish they made one with him too just like this,
Now this one could been 1 houer each episode, im at episode 4 and have alot of quastions,
My only complain here is that the show is TOO SHORT…everytime netflix making something good its always too short,
I watched the whole thing in one night, i did fastforward a bit, alot of talking between the fights,
I hope the good guys acttully survives and make a second sesson, dont spoil everything too fast, i want to know where the parasytes comes from and who the fuck dropping thise balls everywhere, but not too fast,
My score: 2.0 of 5, i be back later if sonething not likable happens…
Urrgg too short, netflix alwasy make the cool stuff too short, just dump the documents and politics in the garbage and make more like this,
And the competition show that has with work out stuff, fuck that, food shows NOOOOO WRONG PLACE, just make their own channel alone, piss of netflix, i like animals but not on netflix,
And this gamesxon netflix FUCK OFF…