Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #shunoguri, aggregated by home.social.
TIFF 2026 – Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Review
The Bad Lieutenant series is an oddity in cinema. Each entry feels completely different and has a different…
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https://www.europesays.com/japan/94171/
‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ Review: Takashi Miike Brings Trouble To Tokyo
Takashi Miike took to the stage at the world premiere of his new film Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo like a rock star. “I’m Miike” he roared. “I’m back!” Which is immediately fu…
#Japan #JP #Tokyo #BadLieutenant:Tokyo #JeremyThomas #LilyJames #news #ShotaroMamiya #ShunOguri #TakashiMiike #tokyonews #toronto #TorontoFilmFestival #東京 #東京都
https://www.alojapan.com/1540378/bad-lieutenant-tokyo-review-takashi-miike-brings-trouble-to-tokyo/
‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ Review: Takashi Miike Brings Trouble To Tokyo
Takashi Miike took to the stage at the world premiere of his new film Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo like…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #Tokyo #BadLieutenant:Tokyo #JeremyThomas #lilyjames #ShotaroMamiya #shunoguri #TakashiMiike #Toronto #TorontoFilmFestival
https://www.europesays.com/japan/92633/
https://www.alojapan.com/1540378/bad-lieutenant-tokyo-review-takashi-miike-brings-trouble-to-tokyo/ ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ Review: Takashi Miike Brings Trouble To Tokyo #BadLieutenant:Tokyo #JeremyThomas #LilyJames #news #ShotaroMamiya #ShunOguri #TakashiMiike #Tokyo #TokyoNews #toronto #TorontoFilmFestival #東京 #東京都 Takashi Miike took to the stage at the world premiere of his new film Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo like a rock star. “I’m Miike” he roared. “I’m back!” Which is immediately funny, because he’s never, ever really been away; arguably th
‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ Review: Takashi Miike Brings Trouble To Tokyo In A Funny Riff On Abel Ferrara’s Corrupt Cop Drama – Toronto Film Festival
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Blood-Splattered Tokyo Fever Dream Stuns Toronto Film Festival
Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, Blade of the Immortal) should own the trademark for the term “gonzo,”…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #Tokyo #BadLieutenant #BladeoftheImmortal #IchitheKiller #shunoguri #TakashiMiike #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival
https://www.europesays.com/japan/92575/
‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ Review: Takashi Miike’s Loose Remake is a Complete Nonstarter
The second re-imagining of “Bad Lieutenant” — Abel Ferrara’s 1992 neo-noir starring Harvey Keitel — Takashi Miike’s baffling…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #Tokyo #BadLieutenant #HarveyKeitel #shunoguri #TakashiMiike
https://www.europesays.com/japan/92515/
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Review (2026 Toronto International Film Festival)
One of Japan’s most infamous directors is Takashi Miike. Having directed over 100 films, ranging from his horror…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #Tokyo #2026TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #BadLieutenant:Tokyo #Crime #lilyjames #LivMorgan #neon #shunoguri #TakashiMiike #thriller
https://www.europesays.com/japan/92399/
Toronto 2026 Review: BAD LIEUTENANT: TOKYO, Takashi Miike’s Fairy Tale of Redemption
Is the Bad Lieutenant ‘franchise’ an excuse for wild auteur filmmakers to craft slyly black comedies full of…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #Tokyo #AbelFerrara #BadLieutenant #FairyTale #lilyjames #LivMorgan #shunoguri #TakashiMiike #WernerHerzog
https://www.europesays.com/japan/92085/
Toronto 2026 Review: BAD LIEUTENANT: TOKYO, Takashi Miike’s Fairy Tale of Redemption
Is the Bad Lieutenant ‘franchise’ an excuse for wild auteur filmmakers to craft slyly black comedies full of…
#Canada #Toronto #AbelFerrara #BadLieutenant #FairyTale #LilyJames #LivMorgan #ShunOguri #TakashiMiike #Tokyo #WernerHerzog
https://www.europesays.com/canada/211336/
‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ Review: Takashi Miike Can’t Elevate an Uneven Entry Into an Unlikely Franchise
Japan is famous for its clean streets, and rightfully so: On the whole, Tokyo is far less dirty…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #Tokyo #BadLieutenant #DaisukeTengan #lilyjames #NicolasCage #shunoguri #TakashiMiike
https://www.europesays.com/japan/91605/
Amazing Must Watch Trailer for Takashi Miike’s ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’
Amazing Must Watch Trailer for Takashi Miike’s ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ by Alex Billington September 14, 2026Source: YouTube “Sushi?!…
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https://www.europesays.com/japan/91311/
https://www.magmoe.com/3164932/celebrity26/2026-08-16/ ドラマ『東京DOGS』1話 ~ 10話 🎬🎬Tokyo Dogs (2009)🎬🎬 Full Ep #1080p ##2000年代ドラマ ##HiroMizushima ##バディドラマ ##感動のラスト #2009 #JDrama #shunoguri #アクションコメディ #あらすじ #ドラマレビュー #ドラマ考察 #ドラマ解説 #ネタバレ #フジテレビ #三浦友和 #伏線回収 #刑事ドラマ #勝地涼 #吉高由里子 #名作ドラマ #大塚寧々 #小栗旬 #平成ドラマ #志賀廣太郎 #最終回結末 #月9 #東京DOGS #東京DOGSドラマ #東幹久 #水嶋ヒロ #神野正体 #福田雄一 #黒幕考察
Lily James Takes On The Underworld In Teaser For Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo
Neon has released the first trailer for the Lily James-starring crime thriller, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo. In this film,…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #Tokyo #2026TorontoFilmFestival #AbelFerrara #Crime #HarveyKeitel #lilyjames #neon #shunoguri #TakashiMiike #thriller
https://www.europesays.com/japan/69024/
Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 8: Wish (2026) – Review
I have to say, while my decision to review Human Vapor was one part random to two parts connection to Ishirō Honda, I’ve actually become exceedingly pleased that I picked the show out of the chaotic miasma of the Netflix algorithm. Not only has it been a cool sci-fi thriller with a memorable antagonist, but I was surprised at how deep into it’s conspiracy plot it delved, as it was dredging twists and revelations out of the entirety of the lives of its hapless characters. Well, it looks like even a Human Vapor has to disperse sometime, because we’ve now reached the eighth and final episode of the season.
With all the dirty secrets and hidden plots now out on the open, how will the show bid goodbye to such a complex cast and an even more complex plot? Well, one thing’s for sure, I’d certainly thought there’d be more Human Vapor in it – but even if the titular cloud-boy is working part-time throughout this finale, it turns out the show has a far greater resource to draw from in order to make this a very fond farewell. It’s cast.
Despite the fact that the incredibly corrupt Miura is seemingly in control of the Human Vapor, that doesn’t stop Kyoko and Kaho looking on in shock as the non-corporeal killer decimates his political offices. However, it seems that in his quest to become governor of Tokyo, Miura isn’t afraid to play dirty. Ordering the Vapor to attack his offices and kill a couple of workers (while giving orders that he himself is not to be harmed), he can flip the manufactured tragedy into something positive and pull ahead in the race as the time ticks away.
However, Kyoko has had something of an audacious plan that means both she and detective Kenji will have to place themselves in grave danger. Discovering that one of Kaho’s late brother’s discarded cameras caught Miura giving the Vapor his terrible orders, the race is on to achive two things – get the footage to someone who will air it and get Miura to unleash the Vapor on Kyoko.
To do that, Kenji stays behind to get beaten and captured so the Yakuza believe that they’ve gotten the information out of him under duress, but while the wannabe governor reprogrammes the tragic Ren with a fresh kill order, Kaho has made it to the offices of Miura’s main rival to leak that damning footage. But while her advisors suggest that she doesn’t touch it with a ten foot pole, Kaho manages to avoid the sticky politics by suggesting that she post it on her page and the governor’s office simply just share it.
Meanwhile, after escaping his captors, a battered and bloodied Kenji manages to rally his police comrades to also stride into murky political waters to arrest Miura for his crimes, but what of Kyoko? After getting all the data from the destroyed journal to JNT to corroborate the leaked footage, the reporter still has to find a way to stay ahead of the monster that once was her adopted father. But maybe she doesn’t want to – maybe she just wants this entire thing to end with her.
Possibly the most reassuring thing about the Human Vapor finale is that, for the most part, the makers have taken a “no man left behind” stance while wrapping things up. While it’s trendy to leave multiple threads hanging just in case you get an order for a second season, Shinzo Katayama and Yeon Sang-ho seem determined to ensure almost everyone gets something of a decisive ending. This proves to be rather refreshing as I’d become convinced that we were going to be left with a string of cliffhangers that may never have been resolved – but it does come at a cost. Considering that even second-tier characters such as corrupt psycho cop, Yoshida and Kenji and Kyoko’s partners in both the police and reporting have time spent on them to close out what little arcs they may have had, it does mean that the Human Vapor himself is somewhat underserved within his own season finale. Anyone expecting a huge, climactic setpiece involving the Vapor running rampant through the streets of Tokyo will probably be disheartened, but to my surprise, I’d found that I’d become so endeared to the various characters over the past seven episodes, I actually gave a shit about what happened to them and required legitimate closure. One of the more heartwarming codas sees the shy Kaho finally overcome her issues with her birthmark to not only endure that the Miura/Vapor footage gets aired, but she goes on to steer her late brother’s vlog to the success he’d always dreamed of. Kenji’s ending is noticably less sweet as it involves him once again playing the martyr and allowing the shit to be kicked out of him in order to fool the Yakuza. But after escaping and pulling an impressive Uno reverse card on that ass whupping, he manages to rile up a normaly tentative police force to take a stand against the corruption they’ve been so uncertain about facing.
From here, the main bulk of the action is taken up with the forces of good storming Miura’s campaign offices and while we get the oddly satisfying sight of Yoshida getting fucked up by his own garrotte (after a setpiece that amusingly reveals he’s absolutely riddled with hidden weapons), the moment when Kenji prevents the cowardly suicide of Miura in order to bring him to justice actually makes your heart swell.
But speaking of expanding internal organs; to the surprise of no one, the thread that binds both Kyoto and the Human Vapor together has a noticably less happy ending. It turns out that Kyoko’s whole endgame was to lure the Vapor to the old JNT building, coax him into the airtight vault in the basement of the building and lock herself inside with him to pay for her sins. Of course, the writers have obviously decided that Kenji hasn’t suffered enough this episode, so after a nail biting chase through the building that sees Kyoto barely stay one whisp ahead of her attacker, the besotted cop has to watch impotently through glass as her mutated, adopted father claims his last victim. Of course it wouldn’t be a true finale if some weird shit didn’t go down, and rather than popping his adopted daughter like a balloon, the Vapor himself seems to burst, and once the clouds disperse, there is no sign of Kyoto or Ren. However, that leads us to the final moments of the episode where, after a year, we find Kenji still despondent about his lost love. However, as he plays “Ellie My Love”, we see vaporous tendrils snake into his apartment to form a humanoid form, but rather than the male form of Ren, it takes an unmistakably female shape which suggests that Kyoko has taken on the misty mantle. While feeling a little like the ending of the original Candyman, it’s a good, freaky note to end the show on that raises questions that could be picked up by a second season – but if it isn’t, it’s still a striking note to end on.
Compact, but complete, Human Vapor ends its run on a high note thanks to a rather endearing attention to detail that ensures that all those many, complex conspiracy threads are neatly tied off. While it would have been nice to include the Vapor himself more overtly, the show manages to end on a great balance that both hints at a possible continuation or could be a definitive ending. Whatever happens, Human Vapor went out as it came in: full steam ahead.
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Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 7: Ellie My Love (2026) – Review
It seems that I was a little premature in my earlier assertion that Human Vapor have finally coughed up the majority of its secrets, as “Ellie My Love” reveals that there’s still a fair few reveals to go. Last episode unloaded a hell of a lot of backstory on us that thickened the connective tissue that binds the whole conspiracy plot together. Kyoko was exposed as the one controlling the Human Vapor, who in turn was revealed to be a kindly man who helped her after her child-self escaped the homeless-abusing horrors of the White Centre. However, in the here-and-now, we find that atop of the conspiracy mountain sits Governor Miura, who is control of the various Yakuza bosses and corrupt civil servants that Kyoko and the Vapor have been targeting – and worse yet, Miura has managed to discover how to control the vaporous assassin and plans to use him to clear the way to running all of Tokyo. It was certainly a lot, but no one wants a simple conspiracy, right? Well buckle up, because we’re not done yet.
I won’t go into what happened last episode as I technically just did, but after the tragic sacrifice of Fujita Fujikawa allowed his sister, Kaho, to escape the Vapor’s clutches, she finds herself alone on the streets of Tokyo. Meanwhile, it’s flashback time once again as we duck back into history to fill in those last, lingering gaps, and the main one is obviously how the tragic Ren Tsutsumida ended up under the thrall of his former ward, Kyoko in the first place. It seems that after looking after her, Kyoko’s no-good mother comes back into the picture with a worryingly familiar boyfriend. In a startling coincidence, her other half is Yasutoshi Mori – the Yakuza gang member who goes on to be investigated by Kenji Morimoto for killing an underage girl years later – and in order to ensure Kyoto doesn’t have to go back to White Centre, Mori convinces Ren to work a single shift at the meteorite clean up – and we all know how that turned out. However, what we didn’t know is that Kyoko actually witnessed Ren’s “death”, but after years and years of mourning, six years before the events of the series began, she stumbled upon his new, petrified form in the ruins of the old Bunko Ramen restaurant when chasing up a story for JNT.
Eventually discovering she can wake him up with the playing of “Ellie My Love”, Kyoko discovers that the Ren she knew is essentially gone, but the blank slate that remains seems willing to carry out “wishes” that are asked of him. Years later, while dating Kenji, she discovers that he’s trying to unsuccessfully pin Mori for a murder and realises that it’s the same guy who took Ren away from her. Using her over-zealous attempt at an interview to provide a reason for why this man would suddenly die in the middle of the night, it turns out that Mori was actually the first person Kyoko ordered the Vapor to kill despite them both making it look like the suicide of a guilty man.
Meanwhile, in the present day, Kenji approaches Kyoko about what he’s discovered about her, and Kaho learns exactly how Miura plans to use the Vapor.
So it seems there was still quite a bit of housekeeping left to take care of before we dive fully into whatever craziness the finale can bring. However, while “Ellie My Love” mostly concerns itself with plugging up those story gaps, by now I’m so on board with the show in general that waiting a little bit longer while the show gets its house in order is a courtesy I’m only too happy to pay. However, some may feel the need to call bullshit on exactly how much of the story is actually connected, as it turns out virtually everything that’s occurred and everyone it contains has had some sort of previous meeting that’s set them on the path they’re on. However, that’s pretty much how most sci-fi conspiracy series tend to go, so suspended some disbelief and let’s get stuck in.
Once again, we’re playing the flashback game, but while the vast majority of it finally straightens out the Kyoko/Ren timeline, we still keep a toe in the present day to keep tabs on our leads. After witnessing her brother go boom, Kaho wanders the streets of Tokyo in something of a daze, but once the shock subsides, she eventually manages to get in touch with Kyoko who is still unaware that she’s lost control of the Vapor. But she has a few other things on her plate when Kenji confronts her with the fact that he’s figured it all out and knows that she’s the one that’s been siccing her former protector on those that have wronged them. However, in an interesting twist, Kenji seems quite understanding of the whole thing which suggests he’s either willing to finally discover why Kyoko felt the need to betray him over Mori a year, or he’s simply exhausted by playing catch up for three whole episodes – but whatever the reason, both we and he discover that he’s more connected to this mess than he ever could have dreamed of. You see, the officer who got between Kyoko’s mother and Ren all those years ago was actually Kenji’s father and even though he tried to facilitate a happy ending despite Miro’s interference, it obviously was not to be.
You can tell that along with a fair amount of circumstance, director Shinzo Katayama and co-writer Yeon Sang-ho are doing their best to jack up the tragedy. Both Kaho and Kenji are still traumatised by resent events and the toll they’ve taken, and the grasping fingers of White Castle have seemingly been sullying their lives for years (wanna bet folding money that Kenjo’s dad directly died as a result of the organisation?). However, while Kyoko is an old hand at getting fucked over by the various slime who ran White Castle and repeatedly ruined her life, we get a glimpse of how she turned some of that injustice into a weapon.
Her discovery of Ren in his statue phase is cruel enough, but to discover that, while a beloved song will rouse him, he can only echo long forgotten statements from happier times, is just one injustice too far. As a result, The fact that her betrayal of Kenji and her leaking of the Mori case was less a greedy attempt to further her own career and more of a smokescreen to provide the first steps toward faking his suicide is actually fascinating and Katayama gets some nice quasi-humerous moments where the horror of taking a life – even with the aid of a mindless mist-man – temporarily prove to be too much for her. However, now that we’ve really covered all the backstory, I’m raring to see how Human Vapor will end. Will it be a self-contained story, or will Netflix leave the door wide open for a second season? Personally, I’m hoping for the former (there’s no guarantee of a second season for anything these days and I’d rather not have another unresolved cliffhanger setting off my OCD), but who knows which way the clouds will blow?
Despite the fact that I’m eager to see how this all ends, Human Vapor takes some time out of its crowed schedule and lifts its foot off the gas in order to straighten out the sheer scale of its conspiracy once and for all. Thankfully, it still proves to be pretty gripping, but with the finale on the horizon, it’s time for the Vapor let of some climactic steam.
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Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 6: Mufu (2026) – Review
The previous episode of Human Vapor hit us with more than it’s fair share of revelations, such as identity of its titular killer, the twist that it’s been Kyoko who’s been pulling the Vapor’s strings all along, and various other plot swerves that beat us mercilessly about the head and neck with surprise after surprise. However, nailing an audience with multiple shock moments are one thing, but to properly pull them off requires something of a follow-through that gives your twists sufficient weight in order to stick with you long after that first, initial gasp. Revealing Kyoko controls the Vapor is one thing, revealing how she controls him is something else entirely and many a twist has been undone by a show not managing to follow it up to satisfying effect.
While we’re yet to discover that particular detail, it’s time for Human Vapor to now funnel it’s reveals into something that’ll infuse the final three episodes with enough energy to carry it aggressively to the end. Judging by the effect of “Mufu”, we’re off to a great start.
Just as we got a flashback to Kyoko’s hellish time in the White Centre camp dealing with her subsequent escape and first meeting with a pre-Vapor Ren Tsutsumida, it’s time to discover just what occurred in 1999 to cause him to go all misty in the first place. As work on trying to dispose of the crashed meteorite has proved to be both costly in money and the lives of the hired homeless, Ren is part of a last-ditch effort by the unscrupulous ones in charge as he’s part of a quartet chosen to carry a bomb underground to where the glowing space rock resides (note the callous handing out of face masks to protect them from space radiation). But while he actually succeeds after everyone else perishes, the glowing pink/purple rays start to cause his DNA to turn to vapor and the subsequent explosion scatters his atoms.
Meanwhile, in the present, brother/sister duo Fujita and Kaho are paying the price for the former co-opting the suggestible Vapor to boost their online channel when the Yakuza pay them a visit. But while they’re beaten and tortured in order for them to spill the secrets of the Vapor, Kyoko’s about to put the final pieces of the puzzle together once and for all. After talking to the widow of Superintendent Sakamoto, not only does she finally discover what “Mufu” is (it was the band he was in as a youth), but who the mysterious Kai is too (Mufu’s frontman). However, the reveal of the final member of the White Centre conspiracy is made all the more complex when we realise that “Kai” grew up to be politician Takeshi Miura, a man who is currently running for governor of Tokyo. With all the pieces now linked (late Yakuza boss Otomo was also part of the band and White Centre), Kyoko sends the final kill order to her inhuman assasin – however, thanks to Fujita breaking under duress, the vengeful reporter may not be in control of the Human Vapor anymore.
With Miura making his presence felt and ordering the Vapor to kill Fujita and Kaho as a test, will the siblings survive where so many have died? And has Detective Kenji finally figured out the connection between Kyoko and the Vapor?
There’s something about an episode that finally brings everything together that just gets the blood pumping. During my review of the previous episode, I wondered if the show could ultimately manage to carry many of those twist over into actual plot threads that would lead to more interesting paths for the story – but “Mufu” manages to put all my fears to rest. While there’s still some questions left to answer, the majority of the cards are now laid on the table as the ultimate villain shows his face, the mindless allegiance of the Vapor shifts and poor, old, clueless Detective Kenji finally catches up with everybody else. But beyond finally lifting the veil of mystery and giving us a robust, Human Vapor origin story right put of a comic book, it’s also time for a shock death that raises those all-important stakes.
But first, let’s focus on that flashback that finally shows us how poor Ren Tsutsumida became that mass-switching assasin, and director Shinzo Katayama reveals a bunch of winning inspirations as he fills in this very important gap. Essentially one of the hapless group coerced by White Centre to clear up a glowing meteorite, he gets the Spider-Man villain treatment when the pulsing glow of the space rock (amusingly the same, violet light usually used in Lovecraftian cosmic horror such as From Beyond and The Color Out Of Space) starts fucking about with his genetic makeup. But beyond his painful transformation and the scattering of his atoms when the bomb he’s planted blows, the makers of the show are obviously using it as a great big analogy to the shady practices of businesses who rate human lives and the environment way less than the bottom line. This carries over into the fact that alongside complicit professors, corrupt senior police and a Yakuza mob boss, the whole, inhumane deal was being run by an immoral politician who now has plans to be governor.
Essentially, we’ve hit every base you’d expect from a science fiction conspiracy show to show corruption on almost every level – even one of our heroes is technically pulling antagonist shit in the form of Kyoko’s quest for vengence – but you can’t keep piling up the injustice without something finally giving and after Miura takes control of the Vapor, it’s the Fujikawa siblings who are used as a dry run to see just how obedient this misty attack dog really is. As the pair flee while the Vapor gives chase, Fujita ultimately sacrifices himself for his sister by hurling her into a nearby river and cashing out in impressive style. Dousing himself in gasoline he waits until the Vapor envelops him completely and while the killer pours himself into his victim’s lungs to pop him, Fujita turns the tables by igniting himself and temporarily blowing the Vapor apart. As sacrifices go, it’s a fucking awesome way to go out (if undeniably painful), but it’s also a necessary way to both raise the stakes, bring the arch villain out of the shadows, and “punish” Fujita for his sins of posting a video of the Vapor that ultimately screwed everything up.
Finally, we find both Kenji and Kyoko playing catch-up, with the latter finding out about Miura and the former finding out the truth about her. Kenji’s been sliding into the background over the last few episodes, so it’s good that he’s gradually getting his detective mojo back. But with him belatedly getting on the same page as the rest of the major cast, it looks like we’re almost free and clear to have a spirited sprint to the finale now that some many of the lingering secrets have finally been revealed. Simply put, all the various elements of Human Vapor have drifted together to make a cohesive whole – which is pretty damn fitting when you really think about it…
With it’s sixth episode, Human Vapor unleashes the majority of its remaining secrets while simultaneously ensuring that the plot still holds together with style. Corruption, sacrifices, villain turns – it’s all here and it’s all insanely satisfying as it starts raining some serious payoff after a season-full of build-up. Can it keep this going for the last two episodes? I can’t wait to find out.
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Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 5: Bunko Ramen (2026) – Review
As we drift into the second half of the season, we find that with all the new characters and all the startling revelations we’ve recently discovered, the world of the Human Vapor is a far more complex place to be than it was even one episode ago. With the addition of the Yakuza, various conspiracies and a sudden and total shift in focus to a pair of sibling vlogers, the Vapor himself is now only a small piece of a far larger puzzle that still doesn’t have all of its components on the table yet.
However, surely the biggest news from the last episode is that the Human Vapor is only a pawn in someone else’s revenge and at the close of episode 4, it seemed like the puppet master behind the frightful fog-man was reporter Kyoko Kono herself! But why would a reporter look so deeply into her own crimes? Well, a quick deep dive into her surprisingly tragic past reveals that she certainly has the motivation.
Yes, it seems that Kyoko is indeed the mastermind behind the Human Vapor murders, but as she explains her motives to a stunned Kaho and Fujita, we find that she’s hardly a cackling madman hiding behind her misty muscle. Yet more revelations are abound when we discover that as a young girl in 1999, Kyoko was an orphan at the White Centre and we finally get to see just how badly the various homeless and orphaned people there were treated by the cruel people in charge. Essentially living in a state of paid slavery, Kyoko’s older friend, Satsuki, volunteers for the meteor cleanup detail which ultimately costs her her life. Discovering her body before its disposed of by the Yakuza, Kyoko manages to escape and ultimately ends up at the Bunko Ramen restaurant where she’s helped and fed by the kindly Ren Tsutsumida, the man who will eventually become the Human Vapor.
Back in the present, Kyoko explains that she’s been using her reporting skills to uncover more of the White Centre conspiracy and has at least one more name she intendes to target: Superintendent General Mamoru Sakamoto of the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police. However, it’s here her trail runs cold and if she’s going to discover the remaining conspirators, she’s going to need the siblings to sit on what they’ve discovered. But while she continues to manipulate detective Kenji Okamoto and gets him to confront a man he sees almost as a father figure, both Fujita and Kaho have differing opinions about what to do next.
While Kaho finds Kyoko’s plan for vengence abhorrent, Fujita comes up with a sneaky plan and gets the mindless Vapor to make another video, this time threatening Sakamoto, to put up on his page and finally get the followers he craves. But this starts a chain reaction that sees the Yakuza and the corrupt inspector Yoshida band together to plug some awkward leaks.
To say that Human Vapor has suddenly gotten insanely complicated would be something of an understatement. While the last episode actually slowed things down and simplified things a little by focusing fully on Fujita and Kaho, we now find all the multiple threads suddenly smashing together in a way that raises more questions just as fast as it can answer the old ones. The main headline is that it’s Kyoko controlling the Human Vapor; but even though this seems like a devestating discovery, the show holds back a bit on the whys and wherefores which leads to an interesting issue. Without an explanation to exactly how Kyoko can control her whispy assassin, I’m not entirely sure if the twist is actually a good one or not, although we certainly get a good look at her motive. The flashbacks that show the infamous White Centre treating their charges like something out of a POW camp or corrupt prison certainly drive home the human cost of this long running conspiracy and more connections are made when young Kyoko meets Ren, who feeds and cares for the terrified little urchin. Again, we have no clue how this caring, kind man becomes the Human Vapor, so the questions keep mounting, but as Kyoko seems to have been playing both sides as she’s been reporting on the very crimes she’s been instigating, at least we’re creeping our way closer to the truth.
However, yet more complications arrive thanks to the Fujikawa siblings who react to the news of Kyoko’s counter-conspiracy in very different ways. While the reporter is hardly a rambling, vengence-fueled mad woman, her cold-blooded quest for payback has Kaho a little nervous. However, Fujita is more than happy to take her money to hold off for a while to let her get to the bottom of things. However, while she gets back into reporter mode as she and Kenji go to confront Sakamoto about his involvement with the White Centre and try and get more facts out of him, Fujita simply can’t wait and selfishly uses the easily controlled Vapor to aid his YouTube channel.
With the sheer amount of moving parts happening here, “Bunko Ramen” is something of an overwhelming experience. In fact, despite watching the show closely for the past 4 episodes, I was completely taken by surprise by how layered and intricate the plot has suddenly become. The thing is, while the episode rockets along, dropping revelations on you and merging plotlines together, it’s certainly gripping, but I couldn’t tell you for the life of me right now if it’s actually all coming together well or if we’re spiralling into ludicrous, jump-the-shark territory.
Still, this doesn’t stop director Shinzo Katayama having fun with it all, as everyone is now apparently deadset on betraying one another. Fujita opens up a massive can of worms when his Vapor video sets the Yakuza onto his sister; Kyoko’s questioning of Sakamoto causes him to break to Kenji in a different way she was expecting as he confesses that he was responsible for the death of the detective’s father; and finally, Fujita’s greedy meddling results in Yashida assassinating the Superintendent while he’s on his way to confess all to an emergency press conference leaving everyone none the fucking wiser. Like I say, I’m giving the show the benefit of the doubt because, for all of its conspiratorial chaos (and a genuinly amusing bowling sequence), I actually enjoyed the merry hell out of it – but the remaining three episodes have a hell of a lot of work to do as there’s so much more ground still to cover. After all, we still don’t know how Ren became the Human Vapor, how Kyoko got him under control, why Sakamoto is responsible for the death of Kenji’s father, or even who the identities of the mysterious last two members of the White Centre conspiracy are. Never mind the genetic makeup of the Vapor, my brain is starting to go all foggy…
Finally unleashing the true scale of its scope in an episode that bewilders and entertains in equal measure, the show still has a lot to reveal in its remaining episodes that could make all the difference either way. However, if its makers want to stop it all collapsing in on itself over the next couple of installments, they’d do well to ensure that the next few offerings are far clearer than the misty form of Human Vapor himself. With all that being said – it still contains the best bowling celebration you’re likely to see all year and that’s got to count for something.
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Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 4: Terror Zone (2026) – Review
As we hit the midway point of Toho and Netflix’s sci-fi mystery, we find something of sudden shift in our regularly scheduled programming that finds the show taking a whole new viewpoint out of nowhere. While the puzzle-solving aspect of deciphering the who, what, why and where of the Human Vapor is still intact, the powers that be have decided to make the potentially jarring choice to temporarily ditch all of its main characters and secondary plot threads in favour of introducing two entirely new faces trying to crack the enigma of the vaporous killer.
It’s a risky move, because after spending three whole episodes following both detective Kenji Okamoto and reporter Kyoko Kono as they try and crack the case, the complete rug pull of basing an entire episode around two misfit livestreamers could be in danger of confusing, frustrating, or downright infuriating viewers who are caught out by the rather unsubtle change. However, hang in there, because not only do we get more, shocking revelations concerning the Human Vapor, but Fujita and Kaho Fujikawa prove to be quite the sleuths in their own right.
While we previously left Kenji and Kyoko clearing up another one of the Human Vapor’s murders after a Yakuza crime boss became his latest victim, we take a quick jaunt back in time to see what two entirely new characters have been up to. Fujita and Kaho Fujikawa are a couple of siblings who keep to themselves and are trying to find fame and fortune through their struggling livestream horror channel, The Terror Zone. Brother Fujita is socially awkward and despises the poor life that he and his sister are forced to lead, while Kaho is withdrawn because she’s massively self conscious of the birthmark that covers half of her face. However, the two have an unbreakable bond that kicks into high gear when they discover a lead to the whereabouts of the Human Vapor.
After watching a DVD of a music video featuring J-pop band, Dream Succubus, performing a song called “Bakuretsu Aishuteru”, Fujita notices that in one of the shots, the Human Vapor is visible in one of the windows of the abandoned warehouse where it was shot. Realising that they’re in with a chance to make their livestreaming channel finally successful with this information, they post it, only to get a meager handful of hits. However, they do get an offer from the mysterious “dadashow”, who wishes to pay them handsomely for any more details.
Snapping into detective mode, the brother and sister team start to backtrack in an attempt to discover the location of the warehouse used in filming. First faking an interview with eccentric director, Goro, and then tracking one of the equally weird band members back to a club where they discover the video’s original cameraman, the siblings not only locate the warehouse, but find the Human Vapor too. However, things aren’t what we first assumed about the misty marauder as he’s not only in a petrified state, but he’s also triggered by the playing of a certain song. Is the Human Vapor actually the brainwashed weapon of someone else; and who is the mysterious benefactor who calls themselves dadashow?
There’s a sense that with such a large shift in the show’s status quo, Human Vapor has reached something of a make of break moment. While both co-writer Yeon Sang-ho and director Shinzo Katayama are obviously looking to keep us on our toes with such an audacious shift in focus, it runs the very real risk of switching us off entirely. If I’m being honest, I initially came pretty close to zoning out myself as not only does the show demand that we suddenly empathise with entirely new characters, but it does so immediately after a previous installment that proved to be the season’s best. Simply put, going from a special effects laden, car chase setpiece to a whole new plot line that requires introductions to fresh characters could have been disastrous, and yet despite the break in momentum, “Terror Zone” ultimately ends up being a fun place to be.
I would say that the decision to abruptly focus all of the episode entirely on two character only briefly seen in a couple of episodes means that we have to start an entirely new angle on the investigation into the Human Vapor mystery, but when you realise that the entire show seems to be a ode to figuring out X-Files-style problems, it does make thematic sense. However, while the show seems dead set on coming at this Humor Vapor conundrum from multiple angles, there’s a massive risk that comes with flipping an entire season on a dime.
It admittedly took me a little while to adjust to the changes and the fact that the show was essentially starting from scratch by turning the clock back to the time of the first murder meant that we’re going over some already familiar territory. It also took me a little longer to fix onto the wavelength given out by the two new – and very strange – lead characters; but while a lot of “Terror Zone” proves to be unnecessary in the grand scheme of things, the second half of the episode yanks it out of the three-star range and comfortably back into four. With the focus now on the determined Fujita and the terminally shy Kaho, not only does the humor content increase thanks to cheeky pisstakes of J-pop bands (stay tuned during the end credits to get the entirety of the Bakuretsu Aishuteru music video), but the rather sad lives of the media obsessed siblings actually add a great amount of heart to the show. Not only did Fujita and Kaho gradually grow on me as the episode went on, but it’s fairly interesting to see yet another angle of the titular mystery cracked from scratch. Of course, just like any good mystery show, any answers lead to yet more bizarre questions, and it seems everything we thought we knew about the Human Vapor is false.
Discovered in a petrified, statue-like state, it seems that the Vapor has been programmed to attack his targets by a Rube Goldberg style set up that activates him like a sleeper agent with the playing of a particular song by the Japanese band, Southern All Stars. As revelations go it’s huge, as it means that the Vapor is only a tool in someone else’s agenda and the finger of suspicion falls on an unlikely party when it’s revealed that the interested party known “dadashow” who claims to be willing to pay the siblings for the Vapor’s location is none other than Kyoko. Does this mean that she’s actually in this far deeper than she previously let on, or is this just the reporter once again getting to the bottom of a story by extreme means? We’ll find out soon enough; but Terror Zone deserves top marks for pulling off such a risky move.
While at first it seems that the writers have outsmarted themselves with such a ballsy choice (literally a third of the episode is arguably unnecessary if we’re being scientific about it), the introduction of two random, puzzle-solving weirdos not only proves it’s worth by the end, but even has us stumbling upon yet more startling revelations. It’s nice to know that a show called Human Vapor is able to successfully shift forms at will.
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Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 3: The Journal (2026) – Review
If the first episode of Shinzo Katayama and Yeon Sang-ho’s modern retelling of Ishirō Honda’s The Human Vapor set the scene with the titular character showing off his smokey skills with impressive results, and the second dug deeper into the vast and complex conspiracy surrounding him, it feels that episode three sees the series fully embracing it’s potential. With such aspects as the Yakuza being added to the plot to muddy the waters for diligent cop, Kenji Okamoto, and relentless reporter Kyoko Kono, “The Journal” manages to take the mystery aspect of the show and merge it more completely with the the horror/sci-fi elements of an antagonist who seems genuinely impossible to stop. The result is Human Vapor’s best episode yet as the show blends action and humour while adding yet more twists to its already intricate plot.
With the murder of Hiroki Obata, it seems that a major piece in the Human Vapor puzzle has been lost. The last link between the mysterious, inhuman killer and the even more mysterious White Centre that allegedly created him, Obata was stabbed to death on his way to reveal all to Kyoto by an assassin working for the Fujishiro Yakuza Syndicate – which, to be honest, only raises even more questions. However, while Obata may be deader than disco, vital information lives on in the form of his journal which the hitman now has on his possession to give his bosses to use as a bargaining tool.
As Kenji and his fellow officers arrive at the scene and spread out looking for the killer, the assassin is forced to steal a phone in order to send pictures of each page to his superiors. But as he burns the journal as he goes, he’s found by, Yoshida, one of Kenji’s close police colleagues who suddenly reveals he’s not only working for the Yakuza, but also a double informant for another involved party known only as “Mufu”. After shooting the assassin dead, Yoshida realises that the Fujishiro boss wishes to blackmail his mystery partners, which seems somewhat reckless considering that he’s apparently on the Human Vapor’s kill list.
Meanwhile, Kyoko discovers that her phone has been bugged thanks to some installed malware and deduces that the only person who’s had contact with it other than her is Yoshida after her first encounter with the Vapor. As well as figuring out that one of Kenji’s colleagues is dirtier than a redneck’s mudflap, the reporter decides to use her contacts to spy on the Yakuza at their local gambling den while Kenji leads another strike team to bust up the Syndicate. However, after taking an episode off, the Human Vapor arrives to scratch another hated name off of his shit list in the form of the conniving Yakuza boss. The chase is on as the murderous cloud-man pursues his next victim as he speeds away through busy Tokyo traffic.
Thanks to the rather tangled web that co-writer Yeon Sang-ho and director Shinzo Katayama have taken their time to spin a complex vortex of conspiracy that surrounds its titular antagonist. With the addition of the Yakuza involving themselves in the affairs of whispy murderers, we find that we’ve turned another complicated corner that now throws in hitmen on the run, crooked cops and a blistering car chase which succeeds in bringing the house down. But first, let’s cast an eye over the doings of one of our protagonists, and the fact that Kyoko is making steady progress during each and every episode means that the show is keeping up a nice, brisk, pace. With every new question that arises, she – with the help of her trusty news team – manage to solve conundrums and decipher clues which vitally keeps the forward momentum trundling along. It’s proving to be especially important because sometimes shows like this get caught up so much on building the mystery, they frequently forget that they also have to get it solved too and keep things moving as they do so to prevent things growing stale. With the plot thread of Obata literally dispensed with thanks to his messy stabbing, attention quickly moves onto his journal which contains the secrets he died for. However, the show seems to be just as twitchy about using maguffins as it is about having loose ends and the book itself is soon destroyed, with all of its juicy contents uploaded to a phone. It’s actually an amusing touch that the various things our characters are racing to get their hands on changes forms just as quickly as the Human Vapor himself.
With the news that Yoshida is not only working for the Yakuza, but is also feeding information to yet another source tentatively known as “Mufu”, there’s a sense that his fellow cop, Kenji, is starting to sink beneath the rolling waves of this fast-expanding conspiracy while Kyoko floats with ease. But while there’s a slight imbalance with the effectiveness of our leads in this episode, matters are greatly enhanced by the memorable return of the cloudy star of the show.
If you thought that the Human Vapor vs a police strike team was fun, wait until you watch the Vapor blow through a building of unprepared Yakuza (although I don’t think I’d be prepared for anything either if I’d blown my wages on an elaborate game of “turtle roulette”). Beyond the awesome sight of the inhuman assassin being unfazed by katanas passing through his misty form, the visual effects team also give us some memorable insight into just how freaky his abilities can really get. When the Human Vapor is scoping out the gambling den, he does so by sending a tendril of vapor under doors and into room with his eyeball fully formed on the end of it and it’s little body horror details like this that really sell the innovation of the character.
Better yet, once he finishes up with the Yakuza’s den, the Vapor engages in a high-speed chase as he rockets his hazy form after the escaping Yakuza boss. Katayama endures that the sequence is full of little character beats to give the action a larger than life feel such as having the boss exclaim that he’s going to retire and open up a restaurant while the Vapor hammers on the bullet proof glass of his speeding getaway car. This attention to detail almost makes the Vapor feel like the more amorphous members of the rogue’s gallery of Spider-Man, such as Sandman or Hydro-Man and the effects are of such a high quality and the stunt work is so polished, it rivals the kind of stuff you’d see in a big budget, American comic book movie. Of course, once the action is done with, it’s back to the mystery once more as Kyoko gets hols of the Yakuza phone with all the info on it, a police badge left with the Vapor’s discarded clothes hints at another big clue and the two young podcasts seen in the first episode seem to stumble upon the villain’s hideout. Much like the Vapor returning to his human form, the plot thickens.
A return of the Human Vapor provide the boost the show needs to hit a new high as all of its composite parts nicely drift together. Whenever the slow untangling of the conspiracy plot threatens to override the arching threat of the Vapor, the show drops in a banging action sequence that balances everything out. If the show can keep this up, the Human Vapor may prove to be one of Netflix’s most hidden gems.
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Spectacular visual effects. A shape-shifting killer. A cross-border creative team. But for Shun Oguri and director Shinzo Katayama, the heart of Netflix's "Human Vapor" is something much simpler: love. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/07/08/tv-streaming/human-vapor-oguri-katayama-interview/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #tvstreaming #netflix #japanesetv #shunoguri #shinzokatayama
Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 2: Informant (2026) – Review
As we seep into the second installment of Toho and Netflix’s sci-fi mystery (or should that be “mist-tery”? – no, definitely mystery. Sorry about that), we find something of a surprising shift. While the first episode of Human Vapor sealed it’s science fiction credentials by bookending itself with scenes of vaperous action as the titular killer stretched his intangible legs, we find “Informant” putting the kibosh on any and all vapor-based activities to focus more on trying to figure out the mystery behind it all.
Yep, it seems watching detective Kenji and reporter Kyoko hunt down the self proclaimed Human Vapor is going to to get far more complex than we originally thought as the search to uncover what The White Centre is means that covered-up meteor crashes and even the Yakuza now come into play. Can these sudden and rather wild deviations from the main plot cover for the fact that in only it’s second episode, the Human Vapor himself has seemingly already dissipated?
As they shake off the sight of an entire strike team getting their heinies handed to them by a man made of mist, both Kenji and Kyoko tale stock of the situation they’ve found themselves in. But while they separately try to think up their respective next moves, we get a handy flashback to show us what happened between them four months ago to breed all this animosity.
After being placed with Kenji for a story, both he and Kyoto fell in love to the point where the detective was contemplating marriage, but after an investigation into a former member of the Yakuza drugging and killing a minor goes bad, the budding reporter takes it upon herself to take all the info and run a whole news story on it and even tries to interview the man on the street. The result is that the suspect commits suicide, Kyoko is promoted and Kenji is suspended for “leaking” vital information on a case – which explains his distrustful nature of her.
Meanwhile, both of them actually make headway on the bizarre case and discover various leads. While Kenji finds that the clothes that the Vapor left behind contains a lead that suggests his next victim will be a victim of the Yakuza, Kyoko manages to piece details from the killer’s video and finds a source who can tell her more about this strange White Centre he keeps mentioning. This, in turn, leads her to Hiroki Obata, the former director of The White Centre, who has been plagued with guilt-induced flashbacks of his time taking part in a grand conspiracy. Despite being a shelter for orphans and the homeless on the surface, the company used them all for forced labour on a clean up of a meteor crash site 27 years ago and one of the “missing” victims in Obata’s hidden files looks suspiciously like the Human Vapor.
However, while Obata wants to finally come clean and offload decades of guilt, yet another interested party seems eager to keep him quiet – but why would the Yakuza want to get involved with all of this?
After a solid start that laid out both the police procedural and the sci-fi aspects of the show, Human Vapor pops a childlock on their VFX budget and instead goes all in on conspiracies, betrayal and the effects of prolonged guilt on the human psyche. To be fair, I’m not entirely surprised as I wasn’t expecting the team of Toho, Netflix, Yeon Sang-Ho and Shinzo Katayama to be shelling out eight whole episodes of non-stop, Vapor happenings; but it does mean that the show now has to fly solo without the training wheels of ambitious visual effects sequences to back it up. While the show noticably ramps itself down in order to accommodate the noticable lack of vaperous humans, it does start expanding the scale in some other interesting directions.
For a start, there’s a noticable upping of emotional content thanks to both the moral conundrum of the haunted Hiroki Obata and the fact that we discover what Kyoko actually did to get Kenji suspended. To tackle the last subject first, it’s actually a very telling reveal as we discover that not only were the pair a serious item, but Kenji was actually going to propose to her the day she stabbed him in the back – professionally speaking. However, while what she did was underhanded and had grave consequences for virtually everyone except her, there is an argument to be made for Kyoko thinking that she was doing the right thing as her decision to “out” the slimy Mori seemed to be born from Kenji’s drunken frustration that he couldn’t nail the man for his heinous crime. This seems to kick off a continuing theme of guilt and responsibility that continues through the episode with the introduction of Obata, who proves to be the missing link between the Human Vapor and The White Centre that everyone is looking for.
Utterly consumed with guilt to the extent that he’s having vivid, almost dementia-style hallucinations/flashbacks of past indiscretions, the old guy finds that his own, existential trauma is being mirrored by one of the children in his care who is also having problems coming clean about something he’s lied about at school, and the whole mini arc does well to explain Obata’s mindset and why he’d suddenly want to tell the truth.
Elsewhere, the show doubles down on its detective work as both Kenji and Kyoko both find different inroads to discovering who the Human Vapor might target next thanks to various clues left by their cloudy quarry. However, while discovering that the Yakuza is involved adds an interesting criminal wrinkle to things, it’s the gradual uncovering of the business of The White Centre that gathers the most steam. Thanks to the meteorite hitting in the same area within the same year as the 1999 Children Of The World Expo, all attempts to expose the shady dealings of the Centre has been killed unless it brings shame to the prestigious event. What we’ve been able to piece together so far is that Sano (the professor murdered in the first episode) was in charge of the safety committee and deemed it safe for the White Centre’s slave labour to go in and clear up the space debris. The result was a lot of dead people coated in radiation burns who were disposed of by the Yakuza and one of these missing souls ultimately became the Human Vapor.
I have to say, the conspiracy plot birthing a vengence obsessed superbeing feels nicely reminiscent the origins of V from V For Vendetta, but ensures still carries its own identity, despite not sticking super closely to the original, 1960s movie. Still, with the inclusion of the Yakuza, we get a slick, climactic action sequence that sees the criminals make a grab for Kyoko only to get thwarted by Kenji; and to close us out, we get a shock death as the repentant Obata is murdered by a hitman while on his way to spill the beans. There may be precious little Human Vapor in this episode, but the makers make sure they still include a lot of smoke.
A shift to solid detective work may annoy those hoping for a Vapor kill-fest, but co-writer Yeon Sang-ho and director, Shinzo Katayama ensure that the shift into full conspiracy continues to grip. With the inclusion of eyepatched hitmen and tattooed crooks, it looks like the Vapor isn’t the only threat in town…
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Human Vapor – Season 1, Episode 1: The Interview (2026) – Review
Considering how much influence Ishirō Honda has had on popular culture, I’m frankly amazed that more of his stuff hasn’t been updated or adapted for modern properties. Obviously, being the man who directed the original Godzilla should be impressive enough as the big, unstoppable lizard is currently experiencing a period of immense success. However, beyond that city-stomping icon, Honda made a whole clutch of sci-fi thrillers, each one worthy of some modern appraisal, and this brings us to Netflix’s redux of The Human Vapor.
Originally made in 1960 and the third part of the Transforming Human Series after The H-Man and The Secret Of The Telegian, the film saw a lowly librarian gain gaseous powers and uses them to commit crimes – however, for this Japanese/South Korean production, the scale has been increased to include modern themes and effects to give the story a thorough update. Will the result yield a show that simply cannot be mist?
Kyoko Kono is a reporter for JNT who, despite the fact that she’s recently been promoted, is still struggling to get into the studio in time to interview University Professor Emeritus Kyugo Sano on the finer points of biomass power regeneration. While that sounds like something of a rather dull topic, even for live television, the broadcast gets some horrific pizazz when a seemingly sentient mist enters his lungs and causes him to first violently blow up like a balloon and then pop, sending the resulting offal all over the Tokyo airwaves and Kyoko’s horrified face. In the aftermath, no one quite knows what to do as speculation runs riot about this bizarre death, but the news team ultimately find a clue in an empty box that was delivered to the station on the same day that contains a QR code.
Once scanned, Kyoko finds that it contains a video message from a mysterious man who calls himself the “Human Vapor” and who swears terrible vengence on those who have wronged him. Claiming that the professor was only the first, the Human Vapor says he will talk more at a specific time and place and soon everyone and their dog converges on the ramen restaurant where this bizarre killer claims he’ll appear next.
But what are the police doing about this? Well, for a start they’ve reinstated Detective Kenji Okamoto back to active duty to take on this near impossible case; but making things extra awkward is the fact that Kenji and Kyoko have some sort of past together and it was she who managed to get him suspended in the first place. However, despite some initial hesitation, the city holds its breath as they await the Human Vapor to arrive at his designated meeting spot – however, both Kyoto and Kenji soon realise that this is actually a red herring and the Vapor’s instructions are actually referring to an older, closed down restaurant across town. Racing there, they finally understand what it is they’re dealing with when the shocking truth is revealed. The killer didn’t murder the Professor with deadly gas – he is the deadly gas, as he can transform himself into deadly vapor at will. But how are you supposed to catch a man who can’t be held?
Thanks to the fact that a lot of classic Japanese sci-fi is still incredible tough to view on demand in the west, there’s a regrettable, Transforming Human-sized hole in my Ishirō Honda filmography as I’m yet to see either H-Man or the original Human Vapor (the second movie was helmed by Jun Fukuda) – still, that didn’t stop me from becoming intrigued by this new take on classic material that takes a somewhat different route. While the 1960s version saw a simple man gradually lose his humanity due to his new condition (think a visible Invisible Man), the 2026 version goes full sci-fi mystery as we initially lock into the people trying to solve an unsolvable crime.
Straight off the bat, the first episode brings everything up to date with an opening sequence wreathed in body horror and fittingly reminiscent of the infamous opening skull-popper from David Cronenberg’s Scanners. Both taking place during a publicised interview that’s being viewed by the public, watching the visual effect team that bequeathed us with Godzilla Minus One levitate a thrashing man and bursting him like a water balloon in an expensive suit proves to be a fairly successful statement of intent. From here, we mostly focus on the people trying to make sense of what has transpired, with Yū Aoi’s ambitious reporter making the best of a bloody situation and trying to unravel this sci-fi mystery. Interestingly, the Human Vapor himself is kept more in the shadows for the first episode with only the gory results of his powers and an imposing, monotone, message left as a clue. But already we find that this version of the misty murderer desires revenge rather than staging bank heists like his 1960s forebear, and is eager to annihilate anyone who works for something called “The White Centre”, which I’m assuming has given him his cloudy condition in the first place.
The final piece in the first episode’s puzzle is Shun Oguri’s affable detective, Kenji, whose sense of innate decency is shown when he leaps to the defence of an immigrant being hassled by his boss. He’s obviously one of those cop archetypes who hates authority while looking cool in a leather jacket, but the show also makes him nicely vulnerable due to a salty past with Kyoko that’ll no doubt unravel more as the episodes go on.
As it stands, Human Vapor gets off to an intriguing, if hardly roof-lifting start as we’re only just getting introduced to the entire scenario. The script, co-written by Train To Busan director, Yeon Sang-ho, is perky enough and Shinzo Katayama’s direction is energetic enough to ensure this first episode set-up zips by despite all the exposition and various musings. However, most memorable is that splattery opening and a climax that sees the titular gas-man use his powers to beat the shit out of an entire strike team as our dumbfounded leads look on. It’s genuinely cool stuff as we watch the villain first transform his body molecule by molecule (think the rapid deconstruction of the human state seen in Paul Verhoven’s Hollow Man) and then ragdoll grown men as a particularly violent cloud. As antagonist introductions go, it’s certainly memorable and it’s yet another example how a modern day tokusatsu show (a live-action show or film that utilises special effects) can now easily match the visuals of their western brethren.
It’s early days yet and there’s still a wealth of plot, backstory and supporting characters still to dive into; but on the strength of the first episode, it looks like Human Vapor has the ability to be a real gas. Yes, that’s a terrible joke, but it’s what you get when the first episode of a vaperous murderer proves to be impressively solid.
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With a Japanese cast and crew and a script by South Korean film industry veterans, "Human Vapor" has a style and energy that make it one of the more memorable entries in Netflix Japan's catalog. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/07/03/tv-streaming/human-vapor/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #tvstreaming #netflix #shinzokatayama #yeonsangho #ryuyongjae #uta #yuaoi #suzuhirose #kentohayashi #shunoguri
https://www.magmoe.com/3051606/celebrity26/2026-06-22/ 小栗旬、かつて「大嫌いだった」俳優を実名告白！再共演で評価が180度変わった衝撃の理由 ##俳優トラブル ##日本芸能 #HiroMizushima #KizunaBuzz #ShunOguri #俳優関係 #再会ストーリー #小栗旬 #小栗旬再共演 #小栗旬嫌いだった #小栗旬実名告白 #小栗旬水嶋ヒロ #小栗旬衝撃発言 #小栗旬インタビュー #小栗旬エピソード #小栗旬実名 #感動実話 #暴露 #水嶋ヒロ #水嶋ヒロ現在 #真相 #芸能ニュース #芸能人衝撃発言 #芸能暴露 #芸能界衝撃 #芸能裏話 #衝撃 #驚愕
https://www.alojapan.com/1464907/tokyo-unveils-its-first-poster/ Tokyo unveils its first poster #BadLieutenant #BadLieutenant:PortOfCallNewOrleans #BadLieutenant:Tokyo #LilyJames #news #ShunOguri #TakashiMiike #Tokyo #TokyoNews #東京 #東京都 Eleven months have passed since Takashi Miike, the Japanese director behind films such as Audition and Ichi the Killer, went into production on Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo – and while we still haven’t heard a specific release date for the movie, we do know that NEON will be bring
Tokyo unveils its first poster
Eleven months have passed since Takashi Miike, the Japanese director behind films such as Audition and Ichi the Killer, went into production on Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo – and while we still haven’t heard a specific release date for the movie, we do know…
#Japan #JP #Tokyo #BadLieutenant #BadLieutenant:PortofCallNewOrleans #BadLieutenant:Tokyo #LilyJames #news #ShunOguri #TakashiMiike #tokyonews #東京 #東京都
https://www.alojapan.com/1464907/tokyo-unveils-its-first-poster/
Kosai Sekine’s pandemic-centric docudrama traces the crisis Japan faced at sea before lockdowns and masks became the norm. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/06/19/film/frontline-yokohama-bay/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #kosaisekine #covid19 #covid19injapan #shunoguri #torimatsuzaka
https://www.magmoe.com/2009908/celebrity/2024-12-15/ ドラマ『東京DOGS』9話～10話 🌈🌈🌈 Tokyo DOGS (2009) ##YouCut #320x240 #Blog #clip #closing #creditless #culture #culturequirk #CUT #Cx系東京dogsドラマテーマソング #dogs #drama #Ending #EXILE #futatsu #HD #Hiro #japan #Japanese #kuchibiru #language #learn #method #mizushima #no #oguri #ost #quirk #review #shun #ShunOguri #song #study #theme #tokyo #video #vlog #Yoshitaka #yuriko #エグザイル #エンタメ #ニュース #ふたつのくちびる #ふたつの唇 #京dogs01 #品番rzcd46438 #小栗旬 #弘 #日 #月9 #東京DOGS #東京eggs #東京ドッグズ #水 #水嶋ヒロ
https://www.magmoe.com/2004624/celebrity/2024-12-13/ ドラマ『東京DOGS』1話～2話 🌈🌈🌈 Tokyo DOGS (2009) ##YouCut #320x240 #Blog #clip #closing #creditless #culture #culturequirk #CUT #Cx系東京dogsドラマテーマソング #dogs #drama #Ending #EXILE #futatsu #HD #Hiro #japan #Japanese #kuchibiru #language #learn #method #mizushima #no #oguri #ost #quirk #review #shun #ShunOguri #song #study #theme #tokyo #video #vlog #Yoshitaka #yuriko #エグザイル #エンタメ #ニュース #ふたつのくちびる #ふたつの唇 #京dogs01 #品番rzcd46438 #小栗旬 #弘 #日 #月9 #東京DOGS #東京eggs #東京ドッグズ #水 #水嶋ヒロ