It may be spring, but it’s also alien invasion season onNetflix. And while3 Body Problemdeals with that premise in a very high-concept way, it’s been unseated from the top of the list ofNetflix’s most popular showsby a new South Korean series calledParasyte: The Grey.
Parasyte: The Greyis based on the popular manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, which has previously been adapted as an anime series and two live-action movies in Japan. But you don’t need to know anything about those to enjoyParasyte: The Grey. This is a separate story that features its own characters, and it’s clearly catching on with fans around the world. That’s why we’re sharing three reasons why you should watchParasyte: The Greyon Netflix.
It’s the story of a girl and her alien
Fans of the originalParasyteand its previous adaptations will recognize the dynamic that exists between Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee) and the alien parasite that bonds with her. But for everyone else, the best frame of reference may be Marvel’sVenom. Su-in’s parasite gives her superhuman powers and she has a mind of her own.
The parasite takes the name Heidi, and the only reason why she didn’t completely take over Su-in’s body is because Su-in was badly injured and she would have died if Heidi hadn’t healed her. Because Su-in and Heidi can’t directly communicate most of the time, it makes their shared existence difficult. And it doesn’t take long before both Su-in and Heidi are forced to take sides in the emerging war between humanity and the parasites.
The alien parasites are really unsettling
Over time, you may get used to seeing the parasites emerge on this show, much in the way that the Xenomorphs became less frightening over the course of theAlienmovies. But the first few times that the parasites show their true nature, it’s unnerving and borderline grotesque.
When the parasites aren’t engaged in slaughter, the show does take the time to establish what they want and how they plan to go about achieving it. That does tend to tone down how scary the parasites are, but it also givesParasyte: The Greya different take on traditional alien invasion stories.
It ties back into the original Parasyte
AlthoughParasyte: The Greycould be mistaken for a reboot of the original story, the final moments of the six-episode series make it clear that this isn’t a do-over. This is either a continuation of the originalParasytestoryline or a concurrently unfolding tale.
This final tease may not have the same impact with anyone who isn’t familiar withParasyteand its main character, but it’s basically the equivalent of Nick Fury showing up at the end of the originalIron Man. There’s a shared universe in play, and that could lead to some exciting developments ifParasyte: The Greygets a second season.
