Based on Hitoshi Iwaaki’s classic Japanese manga Parasyte, a hit in the 1980s and 90s, it also has a popular anime series and a two-part film in Japan. Director Yeon Sang-ho (연상호) stated that “Parasyte: The Grey” is in the same timeline as Hitoshi Iwaaki’s “Parasyte”. The only difference is that it is a phenomenon happening in Korea, at the same time as in Japan.
Imagine living in a world where there’re other entities lurking around. Having a secret organisation controlling and studying about humans. Can the parasites and humans coexist? Or would they kill each other and claim the world? Here are 6 fun facts about the 6-episode series on Netflix:
1. How did “Parasyte: The Grey” come to life?
Director Yeon Sang-ho (연상호) read the manga “Parasyte” when he was a student studying animation. He describes the manga, “Parasyte”, as like a bible for animation students. It got him to imagine what would another universe within this universe be like.
Director Yeon thought to himself, “What would Korea be like if it coexisted with parasitic beings?” Thus, Director Yeon wrote a letter to Hitoshi Iwaaki (岩明 均) explaining that he wanted to create this new series from Parasyte. Director Yeon said during the press conference that the mangaka agreed and gave Director Yeon his permission to create the series and he (Iwaaki) would like to see Director Yeon’s adaptation.
2. Why ‘The Grey’?
The subheading The Grey and the task force’s name is the symbolism of the coexistence between black and white. “If you think about special agents, there are white agents who reveal their identity and black agents who hide their identity and grey could mean the mixture of these two different kinds of agents. That’s why we named the task force The Grey,” said Director Yeon. In his explanation, he also talked about coexistence between humans and parasites. Su-in, played by Jeon So-nee (전소니), is in the grey area between parasites and humans.
3. The cast
The actors and their characters:
- Jeon So-nee (전소니) as Su-in who shares a body with a parasite, Heidi, who tries to seize it.
- Koo Kyo-hwan (구교환) as Kang-woo, the ex-gang member who later joins Su-in to fight against the parasites.
- Lee Jung-hyun (이정현) as Jun-kyung, the leader of the anti-parasite task force Team The Grey.
- Kwon Hae-hyo (권해효) as Chul-min, a father figure to Su-in and the head detective at Namil Police Station.
- Kim In-kwon (김인권) as Won-seok, Chul-min’s junior colleague and a detective at Namill Police Station.
4. Lee Jung-hyun joined the production after giving birth
In the “Parasyte: The Grey” press conference, it was revealed that Lee Jung-hyun joined the production three months after giving birth. She said that the rifle she used when filming was 5kg and it was really heavy. She would carry around 3kgs of dumbbells and do arm exercises before holding the rifle to make it easier to use. She also practised with the stunt team to make sure she had the stamina and agility for her character.
5. Director Yeon leading the crew hands-on
In the press conference, it was revealed that Director Yeon showed the crew how he wanted the characters to act by demonstrating it himself. He explained what a parasitic being is like and showed the camera crew how he wanted the angle to be and how the sound of parasitic beings sound like when they scream.
Actor Koo Kyo-hwan (구교환), who acts as Kang-woo said during the press conference, “Director Yeon Sang-ho threw his own body to direct us.” He added, “We came onto the set after watching and understanding his demonstration, so I could visualise the action lines.”
6. “Parasyte” VFX
“Parasyte” falls into the Body Snatcher genre, where ordinary beings are revealed to be different than expected, creating intense horror. What sets “Parasyte” apart is its visual representation: the faces of the hosts completely change, emphasising the genre’s theme as faces literally open up. The focus was on visually depicting the process of the parasite and host becoming parasitic beings.
Unlike previous works with uniform creatures, “Parasyte” features uniquely designed parasites, making the visual effects more challenging and realistic.
Watch the trailer here:
Be sure to ready your pillows and snacks because this amazing series will be showing on Netflix on 5th June 2024!
Sabrina Azahar contributed to this article.
