Prime Video's New Hit Newtopia Is a Reminder to Watch Another Korean Horror With 100% on RT
The single six-episode season manages to tell a compelling story that blurs the line between action and drama.
Recently, Prime Video launched a long-awaited new project for Blackpink fans – the zombie horror series Newtopia, starring Jisoo. The series immediately became one of the Top 5 most watched shows on the platform and received high ratings from viewers – 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The release of Newtopia is a good reason to remember another highly-rated Korean horror series, Parasyte: The Grey, which received a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
What Is Parasyte: The Grey About?
Parasitic worms fall from the sky, penetrating the human brain and eventually taking over people's minds. With control of the body, the creatures gain the ability to transform their heads into deadly tentacles.
While the first monster, which caused a massacre at a music festival, has been eliminated, the rest of the infected now live among the people in a Korean city.
The main character is a bit luckier: the parasite has not taken full control of her body, but can only manifest itself for a short time. The dubious symbiosis must survive when danger comes from both humans and monsters.
The Show Is Based on Classic Manga, but Successfully Changes the Plot to Fit the TV Format
The series is based on Hitoshi Iwaaki's cult manga Parasyte, which has sold 25 million copies worldwide. The manga has already received a number of adaptations in its homeland – two parts of a live-action movie and the anime Parasyte: The Maxim.
Unlike those Japanese adaptations, Parasyte: The Grey borrows only the basic ideas from Iwaaki's work. In the original, the process of understanding human psychology by parasites who lack emotional intelligence was a key tool in revealing the topic of humanity.
The series begins with a similar introduction, but then it turns out that parasites can be driven by empathy and revenge. And it was a good decision – it gave the plot a dynamic that had to be crammed into six episodes of a single season.
Behind the Bloody Action Lies a Gripping Drama Filled With Existential Questions
The global plot of an alien invasion serves as a framework for a more local, personal story. The charm of the show lies in the characters, their experiences and interactions.
Policewoman Jun-kyung seeks revenge for her husband, who was killed by parasites. Criminal Kang-woo is an ordinary coward who wants to survive. And the main character desperately tries to find her place between two societies in which she, as a mutant, is suddenly an outsider.
Almost from the beginning, the screenwriters pit the characters against each other and external circumstances, and the story grows with new questions. Can a notorious coward find courage? What is family and why is it not always determined by blood ties? How far can a man go in his quest for power?
Parasyte: The Grey Is Friendly to Both Manga Fans and Newcomers
Retelling the familiar story by Hitoshi Iwaaki risked being boring for fans, but outdated and incomprehensible to new viewers. Netflix 's interpretation is a great example of reimagining classic titles.
Parasyte: The Grey is a bloody, spectacular, and gripping show that manages to balance action scenes and revealing philosophical questions about humanity in a relatively short running time.
Where to Watch Parasyte: The Grey?
Parasyte: The Grey is available to stream on Netflix.