Netflix is not done with adaptations of major animated works: after Avatar or One Piece, it is Parasyte which will be entitled to its live-action… but with a few more subtleties!
Netflix has been trying its hand at adaptation for several years now, attempting to create live-action versions of pillars of animation or manga. And if things didn’t always go well at the start, as evidenced by Cowboy Bebop or Death Note, things seem to be clearly improving lately.
The announcement of an adaptation of One Piece made a lot of noise, alerting a community of fans as imposing as the work of Eiichiro Oda is cult. But the streaming platform did not let itself be impressed and succeeded in its bet, convincing the public and obtaining good audience figures. Results which have recently been surpassed by another equally ambitious production, that of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
And in the middle of the battle between these two giants, a new live-action adaptation is preparing to invade subscribers’ screens, namely Parasyte: The Grey. And this time, the fans seem rather calm. For what?
Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Parasyte has strong assets
While Netflix has just revealed the release date (April 5) and the first poster of its live-action version of Parasyte on X/Twitter, Internet users’ reactions are generally positive. And this for many reasons.
Oh swear a Parasyte spin-off in live action, crazy?
— Tilah (@Tilah) February 28,
First of all, because the adaptation was entrusted to a filmmaker who has already proven himself in cinema, notably in the apocalyptic horror genre: Yeon Sang-ho, director of Last Train to Busan, but also of the Hellbound series.
The K-drama universe also counts as one of the arguments in favor of the live-action Parasyte. Netflix has focused heavily on series from the land of calm mornings, to the delight of many viewers discovering a whole section of Asian culture, until now reserved for an audience sufficiently motivated to search for or translate versions that are difficult to access.
Yessss have the Koreans make the live actions. They do it way better
— King Beast (@Daddy_Xerath) February 28, 2024
“There are parasites hiding among us. Parasyte: The Grey, based on the manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, launches on April 5. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho (Hellbound, Train to Busan) and starring Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan and Lee Jung-hyun. / Yesssss let the Koreans do the live-action. They do it better”
Indeed, if Last Train to Busan had been given the spotlight at the Cannes festival, Hellbound was part of a trend launched by the streaming platform, and was able to convince the crowds. And by including Parasyte in a K-drama, a new horizon is offered to the story written by Hitoshi Iwaaki. The story is about a global invasion of aliens: by leaving Japan, the adventure gains depth while remaining coherent.
Finally, as the adaptation focuses on another country, we can thus ensure that it will not repeat the adventure of the manga and the anime. Some may miss Shinichi and his parasitic alien, but by choosing to deviate from them, the Netflix series reserves the chance not to betray Hitoshi Iwaaki’s narration.
It goes without saying that failure is always possible. But the latest live-action adaptations have been rather successful at Netflix: from One Piece to Avatar, via Yu Yu Hakusho, the streaming giant has managed to prove that the idea was not in vain.
See you on April 5, 2024 on Netflix to see if Parasyte: The Gray will be up to the task.
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