Human Vapor
A vengeful gas-man targets a secret organization.
A Japanese-South Korean co-production, the 2026 science fiction crime thriller series Human Vapor adapts the 1960 tokusatsu film by Ishirō Honda and Takeshi Kimura. Written by Yeon Sang-ho and Ryu Yong-jae, directed by Shinzo Katayama, and starring Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi, Suzu Hirose, Kento Hayashi, Uta Uchida, and Yutaka Takenouchi, it was produced by Toho Studios and Wow Point. This Netflix release, which debuted on July 2, 2026, represents the streaming service's first collaboration with Toho.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Thriller
- Crime drama
- Based on
- The Human Vapor
- Ishirō Honda
- Takeshi Kimura
- Showrunner
- Yeon Sang-ho
- Writer
- Yeon Sang-ho; Ryu Yong-jae
- Director
- Shinzo Katayama
- ja
- 片山慎三
- Music
- Takashi Ohmama
- Country
- Japan; South Korea
- Language
- Japanese
Facts from the source article.
Premise
A figure calling himself the Human Vapor, capable of transforming into a gas, murders a professor live on television. He then declares he will kill all members of the White Center organization. Detective Kenji Okamoto is assigned to the case. His ex-girlfriend, Kyoko Kono, separately probes the White Center’s link to a meteorite crash from 27 years ago and the subsequent cleanup of the contaminated site. As they both dig deeper, Kenji and Kyoko’s investigations intersect, revealing a hidden conspiracy.
Production
The Human Vapor series began in 2018 when Toho producers and director Yeon Sang-ho discussed reviving the studio's Transforming Human Series. Yeon, known for Train to Busan and Hellbound, chose The Human Vapor for its mix of science fiction and human emotion, calling it a story focused on people and their feelings. The script took three years to write, with Ryu Yong-jae, Yeon's collaborator on Parasyte: The Grey, joining as co-writer. Shinzo Katayama, director of the live-action series Gannibal, was chosen for his skill in blending genre storytelling with intimate character work. This is Netflix's first collaboration with Toho, aiming to update the studio's tokusatsu tradition with modern visual effects. Wow Point, the production company behind Parasyte: The Grey, co-produces, bringing Korean genre expertise. Casting was announced in August 2024, with Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi as leads, reuniting after the 2001 TV movie Ao to Shiro de Mizuiro. Yeon specifically wanted Aoi for her roles in Hana & Alice and Wife of a Spy. Suzu Hirose, Kento Hayashi, and Yutaka Takenouchi were cast as streamer siblings and a former yakuza turned company president. Japanese model Uta makes his acting debut as the Human Vapor antagonist. Filming began in September 2024 at Toho's Stage 9 in Tokyo, with additional shoots in Shizuoka Prefecture from February to April 2025. Production paused briefly in December 2024 when Aoi had a high fever, but she returned after leaving the hospital. The series uses both practical effects and CGI to update the original's gaseous transformations.
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