If you are familiar with my column or have happened upon a conversation with me about anime, you will know my favorite themes involve the concept of otherness and the definition of humanity. It will also quite quickly become obvious that my favorite anime is Tokyo Ghoul, a series which tackles these themes in both aggressive and elegant ways. My second favorite anime, Parasyte, also sets up a dichotomy of the alien and the human, an us vs. them that ultimately leads the audience to question what exactly makes up a monster and what makes a man. This anime combines humor with the grotesque, action with angst, and evolves into a series you’ll want to binge and possibly even begin again.

I was thrilled to encounter a live-action counterpart to the anime on Netflix entitled Parasyte: The Grey. This adaption directed by Yeon Sang-ho takes the world created by Hitoshi Iwaaki and provides an alternative perspective set in Korea. The end result is one of the most ideal for a live adaptation. We have different characters dealing with the same crises, an invasion of the earth by alien creatures referred to as parasites for the way they take over human bodies as hosts, in ways both familiar and fresh. I wholeheartedly approve of the female strength presented in this version, both in the main character and the head of the police force tracking down the parasites that have invaded the planet (or at least their portion of it). The backstories of each character we encounter creates a rich fabric of compassion that pulls the audience in. I also commend the graphics used for the parasites and their transformations. The original source balances the absurd with the deadly in the presentation of these creatures and the live-action counterpart embraced this challenge and added just enough real-world texture to make the visuals believable.

One of the best things about this anime that was successfully carried over into the live-action adaptation is the fact that some of the major themes play out most deftly in secondary or even tertiary characters. There is one character in particular in the anime, a parasitized female schoolteacher named Reiko Tamura, who fully embodies the thematic dichotomy compounded into one. She is monster, she is man, she is a force to be reckoned with. While taking a different name and form, a similar character appears in Parasyte: The Grey. This is only one of the many reasons I recommend watching both the anime and the live action series. There is enough crossover and deviations to keep you entertained and asking for more in each rendition. And with the ending of the live actionwhich includes a cameo of Shinichi, the MC from the anime, I am hopeful for another season of Parasyte: The Grey.

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Melissa Nunez is a writer and homeschooling mother from South Texas. When not in the classroom or behind her computer, she is most likely to be found attempting to identify a local species of bird or plant or watching a really cool show (not always, but very probably, anime). She is contributor for The Daily Drunk Mag and Yellow Arrow, and staff writer for Alebrijes Review. Twitter: @MelissaKNunez