Comic 'Gisaengsu' Spin-off Drama... Directed by Yeon Sang-ho
Ranked No.1 in 8 Countries Including Korea, Philippines, and Bolivia
The Netflix original series "Gisaengsu: The Gray" ranked first in the non-English series category during its first week of release.
On the 10th, Netflix announced that "Gisaengsu: The Gray" recorded 6.3 million views (Views: the number of viewing hours divided by playback time) from the 1st to the 7th of this month, ranking within the top 10 in a total of 68 countries. Among these, it took first place in 8 countries including South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Bolivia.
"Gisaengsu: The Gray" is a spin-off based on the world of the manga "Gisaengsu" by Japanese author Iwaaki Hitoshi. A spin-off refers to a derivative work that creates a new story based on the setting or characters of the original work.
The original "Gisaengsu" is a sci-fi horror story about parasitic creatures that eat humans falling to Earth. It was a big hit due to its ingenious imagination of parasites taking control of human brains and its philosophical message questioning coexistence between humanity and other creatures. It was serialized from 1988 to 1995 and completed in 10 volumes, surpassing 24 million copies in cumulative circulation by 2021.
"Gisaengsu" won the 17th Kodansha Manga Award in 1993 and the 27th Seiun Award in the comics category in 1996. Even 20 years after its completion, it has maintained steady popularity through adaptations into animation, live-action films, and dramas.
"Gisaengsu: The Gray" was directed by Yeon Sang-ho, known for the film "Train to Busan" and the drama "Hellbound." Actress Jeon So-nee plays Jeong Soo-in, whose body is partially controlled by the parasite, and Koo Kyo-hwan plays Seol Kang-woo, a violent gang member searching for his missing younger sibling.
Meanwhile, the romantic comedy drama "Queen of Tears," starring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, which was number one the previous week with 4.3 million views, ranked second and remained in the top 10 for five consecutive weeks. The reality show "Physical: 100 Season 2 - Underground," which ranked first in its first week, placed fourth and stayed in the top 10 for three consecutive weeks.
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