The first trailer for Netflix's live-action adaptation of Parasyte is here, and some fans are worried it's not following the hit manga closely enough.
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the filmmaker behind Train to Busan, which is considered one of the best zombie movies of all time, the show – officially titled Parasyte: The Grey – swaps Japan for Korea, and follows a young woman as she "grapples with her newfound coexistence with a parasite". It also explores "the efforts of Team Grey, a group dedicated to fighting mysterious parasites that live off humans." Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Lee Jung-hyun star.
"Oh, I thought this was gonna be a, like, remake of the anime, which was phenomenal, but this looks like something else," one slightly confused viewer said of the teaser, which you can watch above, on Twitter. "Deff makes me wanna rewatch the OG though."
"Wait, so it's not gonna follow the manga storyline?? And it's a K-drama????" asked another, as a third said: "Oh, so this is nothing like the manga? They turned Parasyte into a full blown the public knows action story."
"So, they're dropping the "boy and his dog" bonding story and replacing it with a generic alien invasion..." wrote one more.
Others seemed more into it, with one enthusiastic fan tweeting: "BABY THAT LOOKS SO F***ING GOOOOOODDDDDDDD."
"I am most excited that this is 'a new story'; while I am the author of the original manga, I could also be a member of the audience that experiences thrill and awe," author of the original manga Hitoshi Iwaaki previously said in a statement.
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"Thinking back to when the original manga was adapted in Japan, Parasyte the manga is like a 'child' to me, born from my own work in a small room, while the animation and live action film were like 'grandchildren', born from my child going out in the world and meeting many people and their wisdom, experience, and technology. I am overjoyed that another 'grandchild' is being born in Korea. I believe that this 'new story' taking place in a different location will lead us into a world beyond my imagination."
Parasyte: The Grey releases on April 5. While we wait, check out our picks of the best anime series coming in 2024 or our breakdown of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way.
I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.