Forget Parasyte: The Grey, Its Anime Version Is So Much Better Even a Decade After the Release

Summary:

• These days, Netflix ’s top is headed by Parasyte: The Grey, the South Korean show, which presents a new vision of the Japanese 1980’s sci-fi horror manga.
• It was already adapted for the 2014 anime, which gained much acclaim.
• The series mixes horror, action, romance and comedy, perfectly conveying the manga’s catchy storyline.

Inspired by a Japanese science fiction horror manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Netflix’s sci-fi horror Parasyte: The Grey has prominently taken the first place in the platform global top. The South Korean take on the classic manga series, set in a world where parasitic aliens can occupy human bodies, has definitely captured the whole world’s attention.

However, it may come as a surprise for Netflix’s viewers that Iwaaki’s masterpiece was already adapted for the anime TV series, which was released from 2014 in 2015 with 24 episodes. More than that, it was received much better than the new version of Parasyte, as its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes equals 91% on the basis of more than 50k reviews, versus the new show’s 79% of public acclaim for today.

The anime’s plot revolves around Shinichi, a highschooler whose right hand becomes possessed by an alien parasite named Migi. The parasite didn’t manage to take control over the boy’s whole body and brain, so the two are forced to collaborate as they’re finding themselves in a battle against other parasites who conquer humans.

It is considered that the series, titled Parasyte: The Maxim (or initially Parasyte -the maxim-) took best from Hitoshi Iwaaki’s 1989 manga, adapting it to the realities of the 21st century.

“One of the very few manga-to-anime adaptations where I'd straight-up say the anime is better without any caveats,” says Redditor ProbablySPTucker.

The Madhouse’s anime series gained much praise for its perfect blend of action, body horror and, besides romance, finding a perfect balance between all these components. The whole storyline is also filled with comedy, coming mostly from Migi and its awkward interaction with Shinichi, which enhance the enjoyment of the series.

However, the humorous aspect doesn’t interfere with the anime’s obviously present philosophical message, as the alien parasites are compared with humans here. As we dive deeper into understanding of the aliens, one question starts to arise: who appear to be real parasites, given people’s own inclination towards violence and apathy.

Thus, forget the new Parasyte show and better binge-watch the Japanese anime vision of this story, as Parasyte: The Maxim is available on Netflix, Prime and Hulu .