Culture news After 9 years of waiting, this fantastic saga is back: a series from the same universe will be released in 2024 on Netflix
Korean culture, and more specifically South Korean culture, has been in fashion for several years. Beyond K-pop music which is attracting more and more fans, cinema and by extension television series arouse the interest of film buffs and other series buffs. Netflix has spotted the right opportunity and is investing massively to attract k-drama fans to its nets. In 2024, it is a franchise well known to manga and anime fans which is making a comeback with a so-called “live action” production.
The return to Netflix of Parasyte
A manga previously adapted into anime and then into live action films is heading to South Korea to be the subject of a new audiovisual adaptation. The land of the calm morning in the person of filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho (Last Train to Busan, Peninsula, Hellbound) takes over in 2024 a universe imagined by Hitoshi Iwaaki 35 years earlier. The spin-off series Parasyte: The Gray certainly moves the plot to the Korean peninsula, but retains what makes the essence of the saga… namely the elements of sci-fi and horror. Of course, Netflix seeks here to please subscribers looking for thrills and k-drama aficionados who swear by this format.
The first trailer proves one thing. Parasyte: The Gray merges the world of manga and South Korean cinema driven by the finest intentions. Of course, all the characters and the story differ from the original work. This k-drama sets its plot in another country and intends to exploit its characteristics and other specificities to chart its own path. Certain themes are universal and perfectly suited to Japanese and Korean visions of horror while others will allow The Gray to distinguish itself from its illustrious models: manga, anime and films.
The synopsis of the Parasyte: The Gray series:
Unidentified life forms take over human hosts and seek to become more powerful. As these parasites begin to disrupt society, a group of humans band together to fight against these evil forces. -Netflix
Parasyte: The Gray releases on April 5, 2024 exclusively on Netflix.
At the origins of contamination
The horror science fiction comic Parasyte was published between 1989 and 1994 in Morning Open Zokan, published by Kodansha. 20 years later, Madhouse Studios (Frieren) are bringing the manga back to life with a 24-episode animated series that quickly finds its audience. At the same time, a live-action cinematic diptych (Parasyte: Part 1 and Parasyte: Part 2) was released under the leadership of director Takashi Yamazaki, who recently won unanimous acclaim among the press and the general public with Godzilla Minus One. He then entrusted the main role to the Japanese actor Shota Sometani who subsequently lent his voice to the character of Minoru Okabe in Suzume by Makoto Shinkai. Without being exceptional, these two films received a positive reception (7.7/10 on MyDramaList).