REVIEW: ‘Parasyte: The Grey’ Is How Adaptations Should Be Done

Parasyte is a defining manga for many who love horror. Written by mangaka Hitoshi Iwaaki, it inspired live-action adaptations before and spun off several works in both animation and manga. But director Yeon Sang-ho’s Parasyte: The Grey adds to the iconic story by honoring visuals and themes that fans of the manga and Parasyte: The Maxim fell in love with decades ago.

Set in Namil, a city in South Korea, the series opens with a spore falling into a nightclub. From a ball, it transforms into a sharp tentacle that slithers into the ear of an unsuspecting partier, and all hell breaks loose. The monsters are seeking human hosts, parasites taking over humanity. They do so violently and the action holds true to that. In the first minutes of the series, the action ramps up to eleven, and director Yeon never loses that tone.

Parasyte: The Grey isn’t about the parasitic alien species taking over in secret. Instead, it follows the powerful team called the Grey, which works to eradicate the threat by any means necessary. One of its leaders is Choi Jun-kyung (Jung Hyun-lee). Her pursuit of eradicating the extraterrestrial threat is personal, as she has lost the person closest to her. But we don’t just see the army dedicated to killing every parasite. This is where the sci-fi goes as far as possible. The conflict between the parasites and the task force makes for the series’ most entertaining conflict.

This is where the action happens. Grand spectacles of violence with parasite design straight from the manga, the violence is extensive, and all hits. The series starts with an infection that tears through a nightclub, stepping on the gas pedal the moment it opens.

Like the original work, the series focuses on a character who must learn to live with the parasite inside her. Su-in (Jeon So-nee) was brutally attacked and miraculously survived. In fact, she’s in perfect health. As she begins to lose periods of time, she finds notes and videos that show what’s hiding inside her. But she isn’t alone. There is an entire network of parasites, and while Su-In has maintained her humanity, most infected humans have ceased to remain human.

Action is the core of this Netflix horror adaptation’s success. 

Director Yeon’s eye for action has been proven time and time again in films like Train to Busan and Jung_E. In his series Hellbound, another Netflix Original adaptation of the webtoon of the same name, Yeon highlighted his skill as a writer to adapt existing stories. Parasyte: The Grey is a convergence of both of these. It features stunning and fast-paced action sequences that keep pushing the tempo of the series. More importantly, it expands Iwaaki’s world with original characters while tackling similar themes in a different and sometimes even more intriguing way.

Parasyte humorously deals with the symbiosis between the parasite and its host, but The Grey tackles it with a more serious tone. Out of necessity, Jeong Su-in’s parasite, Heidi, attaches to her. When it enters her, it has to choose to die or to heal her. It chooses the latter.

For Su-in, the relationship keeps her alive and helps her handle past trauma. “The Grey” in the title may refer to the task force, but it also points to the liminal space where the two talk, the spot where they’re connected and one. What it means to be a host involves and complicates the series as the two begin to work together. But more importantly, they begin to protect each other. When Su-in’s world falls apart, Heidi guards Su-in from the trauma. Or, at the very least, giving her host time to process it.

The relationship between Heidi and Su-in gives Parasyte: The Grey the depth it needs to not just be another action sci-fi outing. Instead, the dual sides of the character help ground the series emotionally. As she oscillates between the two distinct personalities in one body, actor Jeon reaches new heights. It’s a tall task for any actor and Jeon is able to become confident and brash as Heidi and then vulnerable and scared as Su-in. The duality she portrays works perfectly.

Beyond Heidi and Su-in, Seol Kang-woo (Koo Kyo-hwan) stands out in the series. Not only does he show off his physicality in the action, but his charisma is necessary to show the moral nuances attached to the choices being made by everyone around him. He’s not a bad guy. He’s a little selfish, a little empathetic, and ultimately chooses to do the right things, especially by Su-in’s side.

Parasyte: The Grey brings a stunning cast that doesn’t quit.

The rest of the extended cast, Lee Jung-Hyun, Kwon Hae-Hyo, Kim In-Kwon, and Lee Hyun-kyun, round out an ensemble that fires on all cylinders, whether in action sequences or narrative development. The story, which is difficult to discuss without spoilers, excels given the nature of parasites pretending to be humans. Let’s say how the series handles a cult as a perfect hiding place makes everything fall into place.

The action does, too. But its director Yeon’s take on the parasites that make Parasyte: The Grey truly makes this Netflix Original series special. With designs from the manga, the CGI effects work is fantastic. Some moments are awkward, but that’s in line with the illustrations and the animation this series adds to. But when they’re fighting, and when the faces of the unwilling humans open up to reveal the tendrils of the parasite, it shocks nearly every time. No matter how often you see a head open up, it never stops being excitingly weird and horrific.

Another jewel for the Korean Drama (KDrama) line-up for Netflix, Parasyte: The Grey is exactly how adaptations should be done. This series expands Iwaaki’s world of body horror by using existing key Korean television series tropes without losing the overall themes and tone that the franchise is known for. As a horror series, Parasyte: The Grey is superb. As sci-fi, it’s exciting. But more importantly, as an adaptation, this is a showstopper. With the surprise guest at the end of six episodes,  it’s clear that writer-director Yeon loves the source. Parasyte The Grey Season 2 can’t come soon enough.

Parasyte: The Grey is streaming now exclusively on Netflix.