Common Sense Media Review
By Matt Cabral
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fresh take on alien apocalypse is scary, violent, bloody.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Parasyte: The Grey
What's the Story?
While PARASYTE: THE GREY is based on the popular Japanese manga series Parasyte, by author/illustrator Hitoshi Iwaaki, it doesn't directly adapt the source material's story. It retains the manga's terrifying alien invaders, which infect human hosts, morphing them into tentacled monsters, but spins a fresh tale of the invasion set in South Korea. A new protagonist, Jeong Su-in, is infected, but only partially taken over by the parasite. The series focuses on this complex dynamic, as well as the larger story of the city and its law enforcement dealing with the invasion.
Is It Any Good?
The television landscape is packed with so many zombie infestations, alien invasions, apocalyptic worlds, and dystopian tales that it can be difficult to tell them apart. Parasyte: The Grey immediately earns points for standing out from the end-of-days pack.
The action-horror series trades the usual brain-eaters and little green men for incredibly creepy, tentacled parasites that infect and fully control human hosts. While these nightmare-conjuring creeps set the stage for an absorbing invasion story, it's the Jekyll and Hyde-like predicament protagonist Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee) finds herself in that really sets the story apart. As a partially infected host, she's only controlled by the parasite when it's threatened. As such, the victim and her unwelcome visitor aren't aware of each others' activities, leading them to communicate by journal. The series is bogged down a bit by exposition-heavy exchanges, but the inspired invaders -- and Jeong's complex relationship with her own personal parasite -- elevate it far above your typical apocalyptic fare.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in the show. Does the blood and gore have less of an impact on the viewer because it's primarily carried out by fictional creatures? Does it seem less realistic? Or does the frightening appearance of the aliens make their violent acts even scarier?
Do you prefer television adaptations that stick closely to the source material? Is Parasyte: The Grey made better or worse by straying from the manga's story? Does watching the series make you want to read the manga?
How does the protagonist handle her complex situation? Do her emotions and actions seem justified? Do you see her as a hero, villain, or victim?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 5, 2024
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Action
- Topics : Fantasy
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Perseverance
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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