With Sweet Home and Stranger Things, we weren’t surprised that Netflix opted to create a live-action Parasyte, but we were surprised it comes from the other side of the sea. Based on the iconic Japanese manga, Parasyte: The Grey is a Korean spin-off with different characters but the same titular aliens, with a more serious approach to the concept. The series alternates between the Grey Team, the leading government agency that aims to eradicate the alien parasites at all cost, and with Jeong Su-in, who, like the original Shinichi Izumi, co-exists with her parasite, as they try to figure out their strange existence. Fans of the original might be disappointed at the lack of humor, but some viewers might appreciate the unflinching, gruesome way The Grey deals with the parasitic nature of human society, as well as the gross and scary transformations these aliens make of their hosts.
Synopsis
When unidentified parasites violently take over human hosts and gain power, humanity must rise to combat the growing threat.
Storyline
A group of parasitic creatures from outer space have found a host in humans, killing them, and taking over their bodies. The government-formed Grey Team is tasked to eradicate them, and loved ones of the victims seek revenge, but one host, namely Jeong Su-in, manages to survive and share her brain with the alien parasite inside her.
TLDR
Step aside, Sweet Home, there’s a new mysterious, transformative illness in town, and it comes with a side of aliens!
What stands out
Unlike the original Japanese anime, the parasite in the main character isn’t a fairly separate entity that the human host can talk to– instead, it’s more of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation, where the parasite can only communicate with the host through writing and videos, and only at 15 minutes at a time. This change means less comedy than the source material, but the show doesn’t really maximize the pure terror of having a parasite inside without any knowledge of it.
