The perfect Sweet Home replacement on Netflix shares many similarities with Song Kang’s monster K-drama, yet it also includes one major difference.
Parasyte: The Grey shares many similarities with Sweet Home, but there is also one important difference between Netflix’s latest horror K-drama and the two-season series starring Song Kang. Based on the Parasyte manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte: The Grey is a great show not only for those familiar with the source material but also for those looking for a horror series about monsters. Parasyte: The Grey could be Netflix’s Sweet Home replacement in the monster genre if the manga adaptation continues for more seasons, even though they are very different series about different themes.
Despite its title, Parasyte: The Grey is not a live-action adaptation of Parasyte: The Maxim but rather a brand-new story set in the same continuity as the manga. Shinichi Izumi is not Parasyte: The Grey’s protagonist, although the series included a major manga connection at the end. Instead, director Yeon Sang-ho followed an original character, Su-in, whose story can be compared to that of Sweet Home’s Hyun-su but with one important difference.
Parasyte: The Grey’s Protagonist Is On Good Terms With Her Monster (Unlike Hyun-su)
Su-in and Hyun-su both have to live with a darker side of themselves
Parasyte: The Grey and Sweet Home both follow protagonists who have to learn how to coexist with a different side of themselves inhabiting their bodies. In Parasyte: The Grey, this “other side” is actually a different life form entirely – Su-in’s body is inhabited by a parasite. This parasite, which became known as Heidi, is intelligent and almost took over Su-in’s brain. However, since the creature failed to do so, it had to learn how to co-exist with Su-in. This host/parasite relationship was quite different compared to Shinichi and Migi’s dynamic from the original manga.
At the end of Parasyte: The Grey , Heidi tells Su-in she is never going to be alone.
Still, even though Su-in and Heidi could only communicate through notes since only one of them could control their body at once, they soon developed a relatively healthy relationship. Heidi refused to take part in the parasite community’s plan and made sure to protect Su-in and those she cared about. Naturally, a parasite would want its host to remain safe regardless, but Heidi never appeared to be “evil” like other parasites. Instead, this creature was inspired by Su-in and even tried to learn from her. At the end of Parasyte: The Grey, Heidi tells Su-in she is never going to be alone.
This is radically different from the relationship between Hyun-su and his darker self, which takes the front stage every time Song Kang’s character begins to turn into a monster. As a neo-human, Hyun-su gets to control his transformation to a certain degree. Still, every time he begins to have dark or violent thoughts, Hyun-su’s monster alter takes over. This version of Hyun-su represents every evil about the character, which is why it is always scary when Hyun-su loses control. Sweet Home’s monster curse creates evil alter egos for those contaminated in a rather metaphysical approach to overused zombie tropes.
Sweet Home season 3 premiers in 2024.
Parasyte: The Grey’s Su-in & Sweet Home’s Hyun-su Share Many Similarities
Parasyte: The Grey and Sweet Home both follow tragic protagonists
In addition to the fact that both have to share their bodies with a different entity, Parasyte: The Grey’s main character and Sweet Home’s Hyun-su share other similarities. Both characters have a tragic backstory that makes them survivors and explains many of their actions. Hyun-su was the only survivor of a car accident that killed his entire family. At the beginning of Sweet Home, the character was dealing with depression and having thoughts about suicide just before the monster outbreak began. Much of Sweet Home season 1 was about Hyun-su’s healing process happening amidst the apocalypse.
Parasyte: The Grey episode 6 concludes Netflix’s live-action K-drama with an action-packed finale that also features a major Parasyte anime cameo.
Similarly, Su-in was not in a good place at the beginning of Parasyte: The Grey. The character was abandoned by her mother and had to live with an abusive father until she decided to call the police. Su-in had to grow up without a family, the only exception being the detective who answered her call that night and helped raise her. Su-in was still trying to find her place in the world when she was almost assassinated, after which her body was taken over by the parasite. Like Hyun-su, Su-in goes through an important character arc amidst a monster outbreak.
Why Parasyte: The Grey Is Netflix’s Best Chance At Replacing Sweet Home
Parasyte: The Grey can be Netflix’s next monster horror hit
Parasyte: The Grey might be the closest show to Sweet Home available on Netflix right now, both visually and thematically. While Parasyte: The Grey’s tone and aesthetic are based on the Parasyte manga, the series will feel familiar to fans of Sweet Home because it uses some of the same tropes as the 2021 K-drama. That said, Parasyte: The Grey adds its own spin to the monster genre. It is unclear whether Parasyte: The Grey season 2 will happen, but if it does, the series might become Netflix’s perfect replacement for Sweet Home.
