Netflix now has the perfect K-drama to watch while waiting for Sweet Home season 3, which premiers sometime in 2024. Sweet Home has been one of Netflix’s most popular Korean dramas since its release in December 2020, even though season 2 took three years to arrive. Fortunately, Sweet Home season 3 will premiere this year as part of Netlix’s 2024 K-content slate. A first look at Sweet Home’s third chapter has been revealed, featuring returning characters and indicating that Song Kang’s Hyun-su will take center stage again after missing most of season 2.
Those who cannot wait for Sweet Home to return have a few options for horror K-dramas on Netflix, from relatively old series like Kingdom to new hits like Gyeongseong Creature. That said, even though there have been shows like Sweet Home on Netflix for a while, the streamer has just released what might be the best Sweet Home spiritual successor. Parasyte: The Grey, director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest horror series, combines his signature social commentary seen in Hellbound with the world of Parasyte in a monster show whose first season has made a strong impression.
Parasyte: The Grey tells the story of Su-in, whose body is almost taken over by a parasite after countless mysterious organisms arrive on Earth. The series, which works as a spinoff to the Parasyte manga, tells an original story set in the same continuity as the source material. While Shinichi Izumi appears in Parasyte: The Grey, Netflix’s latest K-drama does not recreate the events of the anime. Parasyte: The Grey’s cast consists mostly of original characters based in South Korea instead of Japan, but the series manages to capture the essence of the original manga.
Much like Sweet Home, Parasyte is a horror story whose real meaning has more to do with humanity than with the creatures or the monsters. Parasyte uses its sci-fi background to tell a deep story about the meaning of life and humanity’s place in Earth’s ecosystem, which is similar to what Sweet Home’s first two seasons have done. Parasyte: The Grey may have explored different themes from the manga or the anime, but the show was not just about monsters fighting each other. The live-action series found the perfect balance between action and having something to say.
Sweet Home also used its scary monsters as a background for human stories and has been a character-focused series since season 1. Hyun-su is the heart and soul of Sweet Home, and it is through his eyes that audiences perceive the monster outbreak. In Parasyte, this role belongs to Shinichi, whereas Parasyte: The Grey tells the story from Su-in’s perspective. The parasites in Parasyte: The Grey are as scary as the monsters from Sweet Home, and there is even some resemblance in the way the creatures fight. These elements make Parasyte: The Grey perfect for those missing Sweet Home.
One of the biggest similarities between Parasyte: The Grey and Sweet Home comes from their respective protagonists, Su-in and Hyun-su. Both Su-in and Hyun-su have to coexist with an alternate, darker side of themselves that is associated with their monster powers. Su-in’s body is inhabited by a parasite that has its own consciousness and can take over her body in times of distress. This parasite was named “Heidi” by Kang-woo as a reference to Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Heidi cannot interact directly with Su-in, but they can communicate through notes.
Hyun-su also has to share his body with another entity, although it is more of an alter ego created by the monster curse rather than a proper organism inhabiting his body. Whenever Hyun-su loses control of his powers or lets his darker thoughts take over, his monster alter appears. This has happened quite a few times in Sweet Home, and it is usually a sign of trouble. Hyun-su’s monster self can come in handy during battles, but there is always a risk that Hyun-su will one day fail to regain control and transform into a monster completely.
Parasyte: The Grey and Sweet Home are both great examples of how to make live-action adaptations, although with some differences. Sweet Home is based on a webtoon, which are usually relatively short stories. As a result, while Sweet Home season 1 was somewhat faithful to the source material, season 2 was basically an original story. Most of Sweet Home season 2’s new characters were not from the webtoon, and the story went in a very different direction compared to the first season. Still, the K-drama starring Song Kang did a good job of expanding the series beyond the webtoon.
Unlike other Netflix live-action anime adaptations, Parasyte: The Grey did not recreate the events of the manga and instead positioned itself as an original story. There was even some confusion about whether Parasyte: The Grey was supposed to be considered part of Parasyte’s canon, but Shinichi’s cameo at the end settled that question. Su-in’s story happens in the same universe as Parasyte or Parasyte: The Maxim, but the live-action series is mostly a standalone experience. Parasyte: The Grey can be enjoyed by those who are not familiar with the source material despite the references and Easter eggs.
If Parasyte: The Grey season 2 happens, the series could become Netflix’s perfect Sweet Home replacement. Sweet Home season 3 is described as a “grand finale,” indicating it may be the K-drama’s final season. If so, Parasyte: The Grey could be Netflix’s next big horror K-drama hit. The live-action adaptation has enough compelling characters and takes place in a world full of possibilities. There are countless parasites all over the world as revealed at the beginning of the series, which is why Team Grey continues to operate even after they defeated the local parasite organization.
Shinichi’s return in Parasyte: The Grey opens the door for the show to continue and makes it a sequel to a beloved anime. Having Shinichi in Parasyte: The Grey season 2 would certainly bring in more viewers, even if as a supporting character only. Parasyte: The Grey has the major advantage of being attached to an established IP and could be even bigger than Sweet Home if it continues for more seasons. Funnily enough, Netflix has joked about the parallels between Sweet Home and Parasyte: The Grey with an Instagram post combining the latter with other horror K-dramas.
Sources: Netflix (via Instagram)
Stream Sweet Home on Netflix
Stream Parasyte: The Grey on Netflix