In Parasyte: The Gray, Jeon So-nee plays a young woman, Sun-in, who must coexist with an alien parasite. But she is not the only one and, very quickly, humanity will have to fight for its survival. The series is a free adaptation of the cult SF manga.
Will humanity survive the “infestation”? This is the whole point of Parasyte: The Gray, the new Korean science fiction series added by Netflix this Friday, April 5. Jeong Sun-in (played by Jeon So-nee) will be one of the first infected, then it will spread: these parasites seem to need human hosts and seek to take over by causing damage along the way. They also change the biology of the host: like a carnivorous plant, they open from the head, revealing fangs and tentacles. Yes, you need a strong stomach.
Japanese manga Parasyte revisited
The story of Parayste: The Gray comes from the Japanese manga Parasyte, signed by Hitoshi Iwaaki. Its publication began in Japan in 1988, and was completed in 1994. In France, Glénat editions translated and compiled it in 2004. Parasyte is a well-established and acclaimed SF manga, which even has an institutional status among fans – its quality has earned it 25 million copies sold worldwide.
An animated series adaptation was produced in 2014. Available on Netflix and produced by the Madhouse studio, Parasyte: The Maxim is divided into 24 episodes. There is also a live-action Japanese film, divided into two parts.
The new Korean version, in live action, Parayste: The Gray, moves the action to Korea, to Seoul. The series is a free adaptation, which does not follow the anime. Producing is Yeon Sang-ho, the creator of the acclaimed k-drama Hellboundand the director of Last train to Busan — famous Korean zombie film. In short: when the series was created, the team was really solid. Even more so, they also received Hitoshi Iwaaki’s blessing, including on their narrative changes.
Even if the adaptation will deviate in part from the manga, we will find its philosophical themes, including solitude and coexistence. Because at the moment when Sun-in is parasitized, she is terribly alone: the arrival of the parasite, with whom she must learn to live, will very profoundly upset her relationship to her own existence – psychological, bodily.
You can also expect action and martial arts fights. Because, facing this strange extraterrestrial species, an armed human group — the grays — is working to track down and kill the parasites (and their hosts).
Parasyte: The Gray is divided into 6 episodes (which joins the very rare short Korean series, like My Name, For example). There is no information on a potential season 2.
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