Human Vapor

Solid Execution, Gaseous Villain: A Refreshing Sci-Fi Thriller

The concept was too good and the topic was interesting too, which made me binge-watch it in one day itself. Even though the "White Center" part is repetitive—as I have seen secret government organizations making poor people do all sorts of things in Stranger Things and even recently in The Wonderfools—it is just the same genre, but I still love the scenes between human Ren and the small girl, Kyoko. Seriously, their chemistry is too good, and I felt so bad for Ren throughout this entire series; it was heartbreaking to see him go through everything.

Damn, when I found out he is a new actor and, on top of that, a model, I was in shock because he acted so maturely in this series that it made me tear apart. Personally, he is the heart of this show, even more so than the main lead and Kyoko. I hope he does more projects in the future because I would love to see him more. The cast and crew, the cinematographer, and especially the casting director did a very nice job casting Ren, as he suited the role perfectly. The story is nice, but the ending was a little bit disappointing for me.

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One of a kind!

Despite being an 8-episode show, Human Vapor grabbed my attention which made me finish it in one sitting. Over 40 minutes each episode, the show didn't feel as much as lacking but definitely needed a second season if the are ever to make one with many unanswered questions left in the series.

The acting was superb and the soundtrack aided in the show. I must say the cinematography in this one is different from any Jdramas that I have watched or maybe it's just because it's a partnership with TOHO and Netflix that made the show seamless. Nevertheless, it was worth it watching the series.

SPOILERS:
Questions yet to be answered:
- are there any other human vapors? Or humans being mutated?
- where did that meteorite come from and did other researchers study it?
- who was the mastermind above Miura when he had that phone call?
- what happened to Ren and Kyouko at the end?

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Too Much Conspiracy, Not Enough Human Vapor

Human Vapor starts with a strong first episode, an intriguing premise, and solid production values. Unfortunately, instead of keeping the Human Vapor as the true driving force of the story, the series gradually shifts into a conspiracy thriller filled with secret organizations, human experiments, cover-ups, and lengthy investigations.

This change in focus slows the pacing considerably. Long conversations and extended exposition repeatedly interrupt the tension, making the mystery feel stretched rather than expanded. Ironically, the 1960 film explores the same premise in just 90 minutes while keeping the Human Vapor at the center of the narrative and allowing the investigation between the detective and the reporter to move much more dynamically.

The series is technically competent, with good visual effects and an impressive opening, but I found it far more interested in conspiracy tropes than in the fascinating concept that made the original story memorable. For me, it ended up sacrificing its strongest idea for a mystery we've seen many times before.

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Politics over Spiritual Mystery

The first episode of Human Vapor drew me into the spiritual-mystery of his way of killing rather than the reason behind the murder. It was kind of disappointing for me that as the story goes, the "how" was side-tracked and replaced by a huge "why" to fill the void.

Fortunately, those reasons were good enough, compact enough, and big enough to shift our focus from how Human Vapor could kill in such way. The line up was top-notch as well, didn't disappoint.

Worth to watch, minus the side effect that you would hum to Ellie My Love after finishing this series.

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Good plot bad execution

This series has a good plot but bad execution
One among the things that affect it is pace it is so slow you get tired of it after episode 2.
They had a nice storyline that could have made this amazing and keep us on our toes instead they gave us a taste of something sweet and then left us like that just reminding us that we tasted something sweet than continuing giving it to us.

Let me give you an example the first episode human vapor shows his power and tell everyone he will do it again live on national tv and then story goes to somewhere else and then stay there until the end they come back to good stuff.

You can watch but you wont be satsified with it.

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The Villain I Wasn’t Ready to Feel Sorry For....

I had already set a reminder to watch this series as soon as it came out, but when it finally premiered, I still hadn’t finished the series I was currently watching. So, of course, I had to marathon that one just so I could start this one sooner 😂 Thankfully, it was worth the effort. The first few episodes took their time building the mystery, but the strange idea of a man who can transform into gas and commit murders on live television immediately caught my attention. It felt dark, unsettling, and different from the usual crime thrillers I have watched.

What impressed me the most was how the series slowly turned its villain into such a tragic and emotionally complicated character. It never tried to justify his actions, but it made me understand how pain, exploitation, and a corrupt system shaped him into the person he became. Uta Uchida was especially impressive as the Human Vapor. I honestly could not believe this was his acting debut because his screen presence was so strong, even when he barely spoke. Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi were also amazing, and the emotional connection between the characters gave the story much more depth than I expected. The visual effects were surprisingly realistic, and the background music made every tense or emotional scene hit even harder. Also, Ellie, My Love is definitely going into my playlist now.

The pacing did feel a little slow in the middle, and I think the story could have been told more tightly in fewer episodes. Some parts also left me wanting clearer explanations, especially about the secret organization and what they were actually trying to accomplish. Still, once the tension picked up, I became completely invested in the mystery and the characters. Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. Dark, emotional, visually impressive, and much more heartbreaking than I expected.

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Ellie My Love

Genuinely wasn't aware this was a thing until it was seemingly dumped on Netflix last week. An extremely ambitious Japanese–South Korean co-production, Human Vapor does everything a remake should aspire to, utilising Honda's original film as a jumping-off point before going in its own direction to do something radically different with the material. It hits all the right beats, modernising the premise with a darker, more grounded tone that leads into a compelling supernatural murder mystery, gradually evolving into an exploration of revenge and the human cost of scientific ambition. It's just kind of a shame that the whole thing eventually runs out of steam by the end of its lengthy eight-episode run. Visually, however, there's little to complain about; Shinzo Katayama directs his socks off, the performances are superb across the board, while the music by Takashi Ohmama is simply outstanding. The visual effects deserve their own special mention; done by the same team behind Godzilla Minus One, they are outstanding; every transformation is thoroughly unsettling, inventive and seamlessly integrated. Although the momentum slows to an absolute crawl after an opening sequence that literally blows you away, the series never loses you, as you buy into the horror of what the Human Vapor truly is, remaining a hugely entertaining romp that sublimates the atomic-age paranoia and kitschy monster mayhem of the 60s into a thrilling cautionary tale for the modern era, replete with bountiful action, romance, peril and enough renditions of the Southern All Stars Ellie My Love to last a lifetime.

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10/10 Human Vapor

10/10 Human Vapor

Human Vapor is exactly the kind of mystery drama that rewards patient viewers. Instead of rushing through the story, it carefully builds its world, allowing every character to develop naturally while slowly revealing the bigger picture. The flashbacks are not distractions but essential pieces of the puzzle, adding emotional depth and making every revelation more impactful as the story progresses.

What impressed me most was the atmosphere. The series creates a constant feeling of suspense, making every conversation and every clue feel important. Rather than relying on nonstop action, it focuses on psychology, investigation, and the emotional burdens carried by its characters. This slower approach gives the story a unique identity and makes the eventual twists even more satisfying.

The performances perfectly match the serious tone of the drama. The characters feel realistic, each carrying personal struggles that influence their decisions throughout the investigation. The lead delivers a layered performance, balancing determination, vulnerability, and emotional conflict in a believable way, while the mysterious antagonist keeps the tension high in every appearance.

Combined with strong cinematography, excellent production values, and an intriguing narrative, Human Vapor becomes a gripping crime thriller that keeps you thinking long after each episode ends. It’s a series that values storytelling, atmosphere, and character development above cheap thrills, making it one of the most engaging mystery dramas I’ve watched. A well-deserved 10/10.

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Une série plein gaz, mais qui sent un peu.

Les remakes de films de super-héros sont devenus un genre à part entière au fil des ans. Reboot à grands renforts de CGI, parodie assumée ou hommage appuyé à l'œuvre originale, il existe aujourd'hui mille façons d'aborder ce qui n'est, au fond, qu'une gigantesque machine à cash. Plus personne ne s'attend réellement à voir émerger un chef-d'œuvre avec un énième Spider-Man ou Batman. Mais lorsque Netflix annonce une série inspirée de The Vaporman (Gasu Ningen Dai-Ichigō), film produit par la Toho en 1960, il y a forcément de quoi être intrigué.

Le film original surfait sur le succès de L'Homme invisible et de toute une vague de productions américaines mettant en scène une menace capable de se fondre dans la foule pour frapper anonymement. Une métaphore typique de la Guerre froide, du maccarthysme, de la peur de l'ennemi invisible, de la dénonciation du voisin et de l'espionnage permanent. Toute cette ambiance paranoïaque des années 50 et 60, alimentée par la menace nucléaire, avait déjà trouvé son exutoire au Japon avec Godzilla, autre immense parabole de cette époque.

L'ambiance est d'ailleurs immédiatement posée. Dès les premières minutes, la série adopte un ton volontairement rétro. La musique, omniprésente et grandiloquente, déborde de cordes dramatiques comme dans les bandes originales des Trente Glorieuses. Des héros sans peur, ou presque sans reproche, se jettent tête baissée dans le danger, avec une mention spéciale pour la journaliste incarnée par Aoi Yu qui affronte aussi bien les yakuza, sa rédaction, la police que le Gasu Ningen, (j'adore ce nom) .

Le "too much" devient la règle à chaque épisode, quitte à fatiguer le spectateur. Comme dans tout bon nanar, on retrouve des expérimentations sur des enfants dans un orphelinat tenu par des Naz... pardon, par des yakuza à la fin des années 60, heu non, 90. Une société secrète, évidemment. Un savant fou, évidemment. Et bien sûr, le duo comique C-3PO / R2-D2 des années 2020, incarné comme il se doit par deux influenceurs, ou plutôt deux YouTubers puisque nous sommes au Japon. Rien n'a été oublié pour cocher toutes les cases du parfait film de série B.

Présentée comme une sombre histoire de super-héros, la série recycle pourtant un scénario vu un millier de fois, et ce ne sont pas les scénaristes coréens embauché pour l'occasion qui parviennent réellement à lui insuffler une véritable personnalité. Les deux premiers épisodes sont particulièrement poussifs, avec une apparition triomphale du Gazu Ningen dans les cinq dernières minutes, histoire de justifier les millions investis par Netflix dans des effets spéciaux et des cascades, plutôt réussis, d'ailleurs.

La quasi-disparition du personnage dans les épisodes suivants apporte finalement une véritable bouffée d'air frais à une intrigue qui semblait s'engager sur une voie particulièrement nauséabonde. Entre le traditionnel savant fou finalement repenti et des yakuza plus caricaturaux que jamais, difficile de trouver de quoi s'enthousiasmer. Le troisième épisode, réduit à une petite demi-heure, merci Netflix pour ces formats toujours aussi frustrants, m'a même donné envie d'abandonner la série, malgré la promesse de retrouver Hirose Suzu, aperçue à peine trente secondes dans le premier épisode.

Et pourtant...
Je lance le quatrième épisode sans la moindre attente... et là, tout explose.
Je ne sais pas si les scénaristes n'ont été embauchés qu'à partir de celui-ci, mais en mettant presque totalement de côté le journaliste et le policier pour enfin se concentrer sur nos deux influenceurs, la série livre cinquante minutes d'anthologie complètement "What the Fuck".

Les références à la pop culture japonaise s'enchaînent avec une irrévérence jubilatoire et un troisième degré permanent. Entre un réalisateur complètement barré, un groupe d'idoles, les Dream Succub, encore plus Phantom Siita que l'originale, des bars à hôtes improbables, des maquillages volontairement excessifs et une galerie de personnages toujours plus absurdes, tout est objectivement mauvais... mais tout frôle paradoxalement le génie.

Mention spéciale à Hayashi Kento, qui connaît manifestement très bien l'univers des idols et pour cause, et qui, dirigé par un réalisateur assumant pleinement son amour de la série B, livre probablement l'une de ses prestations les plus déjantées. Quant à Hirose Suzu, elle retrouve enfin un souffle de fraîcheur dans son jeu, une fantaisie qu'on ne lui avait plus vraiment vue depuis longtemps. Impossible également de ne pas sourire devant cette référence évidente à Elephant Man, dont le maquillage donne finalement au personnage un air plus attendrissant que véritablement monstrueux.

La Toho a toujours assumé pleinement ses productions. De Godzilla à Ultraman, en passant par toute la galaxie des tokusatsu qu'elle a produits, le studio n'a jamais cherché à occidentaliser ses œuvres pour les rendre plus digestes auprès du public étranger, et ce malgré le succès mondial des Power Rangers.

Cette adaptation prouve qu'à l'heure où Netflix finance de plus en plus de productions japonaises destinées à un public international, il est encore possible de préserver une véritable identité culturelle. Derrière ses effets spéciaux, son humour absurde et son héros qui produit bien trop de... gaz, la série reste profondément japonaise. Elle ne cherche jamais à renier ses racines, préférant célébrer avec beaucoup d'autodérision cet héritage si particulier du cinéma populaire nippon.
Et finalement, c'est peut-être là sa plus grande réussite.

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