Avid fans of K-Drama have been waiting for the release of the sci-fi series called Parasyte: The Grey. But with its success, many can't help but ask: is Parasyte: The Grey a sequel to Parasyte? Here's what we know about the two shows.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Parasyte: The Grey, so proceed with caution.
What Is Parasyte: The Grey About?
Parasyte: The Grey is a South Korean sci-fi series that follows a woman who tries to live harmoniously with a parasite inside her mind.
As she meets other humans who are fully controlled by these parasites, she realizes that they see her as a threat.
Thus, it is up to Jeong Su-In (played by Jeon So-Nee) to survive against both humans and parasites who want to kill her.
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Is Parasyte: The Grey a Sequel?
No, Parasyte: The Grey is not a sequel. Even though Parasyte: The Grey is a spin-off series that shares the same universe as Parasyte, the two do not share any similar storylines.
Parasyte: The Grey is based on a Japanese manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki in 1989. Since then, it has been adapted into two live-action Japanese films that were released in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
After that, an anime TV series of the manga was released in 2014. This show was called Parasyte: The Maxim.
The Japanese films and anime have religiously followed the original manga.
Meanwhile, the creators of Parasyte: The Grey were given creative freedom to create a world of their own based on the same universe.
This explains the cameo in the ending, which was the lead character of the original material.
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Parasyte: The Grey vs Parasyte: Differences Explained
Since Parasyte: The Grey is not a sequel to its source material, a lot of things were changed in the K-Drama.
For starters, the lead character is an adult woman who works at a grocery store. In the manga, the story follows a teenage boy.
Another thing that differs between the two is how the parasite manifests itself to its host.
In Parasyte, Migi (the parasite) can speak to Shinichi directly. In the K-Drama series, Heidi (the parasite) has to write to Su-In to communicate with her.
Lastly, the storylines in the two shows are different. In the K-Drama, the South Korean government was already able to identify the monsters and create a task force to eliminate them.
Meanwhile, the anime and manga follow Shinichi's journey to accepting the parasite as part of him.
However, his cameo in Parasyte: The Grey could be where the two stories intertwine.
What do you think about Parasyte: The Grey? Let us know in the comments below.