Parasyte: The Grey was not a direct adaptation of Parasyte: The Maxim, but the live-action series got two major things right about the anime.
Parasyte: The Grey, Netflix’s live-action Parasyte spinoff, got two very important things about the anime right. Between Death Note (2017) and One Piece, Netflix’s live-action anime adaptations have an inconsistent track record. However, unlike previous adaptations, Parasyte: The Grey is not a retelling of the anime and instead takes place in South Korea. Parasyte: The Grey’s cast, led by Jeon So-nee as Jeong Su-in, consists mostly of original characters created for the K-drama.
The only exception is Shinichi Izumi, who appears at the end of Parasyte: The Grey. Even though Parasyte: The Grey is not a direct adaptation of the manga or the anime, comparisons between the Netflix show and the source material were going to be inevitable. As such, the 2024 series would have to nail some key aspects of Parasyte if wanted to be seen as a worthy spinoff to the critically-acclaimed anime.
Parasyte: The Grey’s Parasites Were As Creepy As The Ones In The Anime
Parasyte: The Grey’s visual effects did the anime justice
The design of the parasites in Parasyte: The Grey was fairly similar to the one featured in the manga and the anime, which was the right decision. While every adaptation is expected to make changes to the source material, some things simply do not need fixing. The way the parasites look and move in Parasyte: The Maxim is one of the best things about the anime, as it creates a sinister atmosphere every time they are on screen. This is something Parasyte: The Grey perfectly captured by delivering an accurate live-action rendition of the Parasyte creatures.
Parasyte: The Grey was not the first live-action interpretation of Parasyte. Between 2014 and 2015, alongside the premiere of Parasyte: The Maxim, two live-action Parasyte movies were released. The Japanese production was a direct adaptation of the manga and starred Shôta Sometani as Shinichi Izumi. The visual effects for Parasyte: Part I and Parasyte: Part II were solid and did the source material justice, meaning Parasyte: The Grey could not settle for any less than what the 2014 films delivered. Fortunately, from the transformation sequences to the battles, Parasyte: The Grey’s visuals were on point.
Parasyte: The Grey Was More Than Just Scary Monsters (Just Like The Anime)
Parasyte: The Grey used the monsters as a backdrop to tell a good story
Parasyte: The Grey had some scary, gruesome scenes, but it was more than just a story about monsters fighting each other. The same can be said about the Parasyte manga as well as the Parasyte: The Maxim anime. Hitoshi Iwaaki’s story used sci-fi and horror elements to explore deeper themes concerning the meaning of life, what it means to be alive, and what humanity’s place in the grand scheme of things is. As Shinichi’s journey progresses, audiences are invited to ponder important questions, and the line between heroes and villains becomes blurry.
Parasyte: The Grey took a similar approach and used its larger-than-life backdrop to discuss important issues. Su-in’s backstory as someone who grew up with an abusive father set the tone for the K-drama, which also explored the role of communities in how humanity evolves. The series discussed the dangers brought by corrupt leaders who take over important organizations, which turned out to be the main goal of the parasite organization’s leader. The parasite planned to replace the mayor and even run for president to infiltrate humanity’s most important institutions.
Parasyte: The Grey Is A Worthy Parasyte Spinoff
Parasyte: The Grey gets the important things right about Parasyte
Although Netflix’s One Piece was incredible and will return for season 2, great live-action anime adaptations are still the exception and not the rule. This is why there was a level of concern from those familiar with the source material when a new live-action Parasyte adaption was announced. However, not only did Parasyte: The Grey tell a brand-new story instead of recreating the anime, but it also honored the most important things about the source material.Parasyte may have been a longer, more complex story, but the Netflix horror K-drama was a solid spinoff.
Directly dealing with Parasyte ’s canon by having Shinichi in a potential season 2 may be risky, but it could pay off.
Su-in’s story is resolved much faster than that of Shinichi, which is perhaps one of the only flaws of the series. There is not much time for Su-in’s relationship with her parasite, Heidi, to develop, not to mention that they only directly talked to each other once. Still, if Parasyte: The Grey season 2 happens, the series can properly develop the dynamic between Su-in and Heidi while building up from Shinichi Izumi’s live-action cameo. Directly dealing with Parasyte’s canon by having Shinichi in a potential season 2 may be risky, but it could pay off.
