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Netflix’s Human Vapor drama was inspired by Honda Ishiro’s 1960 film of the same name. Sadly, I haven’t seen the original yet. As I sat through this drama I was honestly wishing to be watching Honda’s THV instead of this dreary, overly long re-invention of a man who can turn into a murderous vapor.
Detective Okamoto Kenji has been on suspension for 3 months after his reporter girlfriend Kono Kyoko uses his case file for a story. He’s called back into action when a professor Kyoko is interviewing on television is attacked by a vapor monster and blows up. From there Kenji is taken down a meteorite hole of government and police corruption in league with the yakuza.
What I liked:
The acting was strong for the genre.
The special effects were quite well done, though they were used sparsely.
The drama looked good.
What made me go hmmm….
~~The yakuza tied to all of the corruption doesn’t have their own surveillance around their super not so secrety building and gambling operation?
~~I was startled when a character ordered a cream soda and got a ghastly, ghostly green drink. Turns out it’s a very different drink in Japan than where I am. There it’s melon flavored. Here cream soda is a creamy, vanilla tasting drink. No shade, I just learned something. ^^
~~For the millionth time, tires do not squeal on grass or dirt.
What didn’t work for me:
~~This drama played out like a Korean political corruption drama. When I checked the writers, it turned out that it was written by South Korean writers. Wrong place, wrong genre, for this muddled mess of government/police/yakuza corruption.
~~Overuse of the worst thriller tropes:
Run to the most isolated place if being chased by gangsters.
“I have the only copy of the evidence that will prove everything, let me just physically take it slowly on a deserted road to turn it in.” I was ready to root for the yakuza when they were smart enough to avoid this trope.
~~Far too much filler. “We’re finally making progress with the story, let’s spend an episode going down a weird garden path that could have been revealed in minutes.”
~~The whole White Center meteorite story was a dumpster fire of illogical storytelling. A glowing meteorite origin story is okay in monster flicks, but not when they try to shoehorn it into realistic world building.
~~Monologuing villains. I do not care about Miguel and beekeeping. STFU and get on with it.
~~Most egregiously, they literally sucked all the life and human interest out of the Human Vapor. I really hated the plot turn regarding the Vapor.
To sum up:
This could have been an entertaining monster revenge drama, but they couldn’t help themselves from layering in the corruption. The only monster was the human syndicate of stereotypical villains that hogged the camera and dragged down the story. There were too many loose ends and unanswered questions. And by the end, I didn’t even care if they didn’t answer the questions, I just wanted the Vapor to evaporate.
4 October 2026
Trigger warnings:
Nudity. Turtles being spun on a roulette wheel. Torture. Exploding body.
Detective Okamoto Kenji has been on suspension for 3 months after his reporter girlfriend Kono Kyoko uses his case file for a story. He’s called back into action when a professor Kyoko is interviewing on television is attacked by a vapor monster and blows up. From there Kenji is taken down a meteorite hole of government and police corruption in league with the yakuza.
What I liked:
The acting was strong for the genre.
The special effects were quite well done, though they were used sparsely.
The drama looked good.
What made me go hmmm….
~~The yakuza tied to all of the corruption doesn’t have their own surveillance around their super not so secrety building and gambling operation?
~~I was startled when a character ordered a cream soda and got a ghastly, ghostly green drink. Turns out it’s a very different drink in Japan than where I am. There it’s melon flavored. Here cream soda is a creamy, vanilla tasting drink. No shade, I just learned something. ^^
~~For the millionth time, tires do not squeal on grass or dirt.
What didn’t work for me:
~~This drama played out like a Korean political corruption drama. When I checked the writers, it turned out that it was written by South Korean writers. Wrong place, wrong genre, for this muddled mess of government/police/yakuza corruption.
~~Overuse of the worst thriller tropes:
Run to the most isolated place if being chased by gangsters.
“I have the only copy of the evidence that will prove everything, let me just physically take it slowly on a deserted road to turn it in.” I was ready to root for the yakuza when they were smart enough to avoid this trope.
~~Far too much filler. “We’re finally making progress with the story, let’s spend an episode going down a weird garden path that could have been revealed in minutes.”
~~The whole White Center meteorite story was a dumpster fire of illogical storytelling. A glowing meteorite origin story is okay in monster flicks, but not when they try to shoehorn it into realistic world building.
~~Monologuing villains. I do not care about Miguel and beekeeping. STFU and get on with it.
~~Most egregiously, they literally sucked all the life and human interest out of the Human Vapor. I really hated the plot turn regarding the Vapor.
To sum up:
This could have been an entertaining monster revenge drama, but they couldn’t help themselves from layering in the corruption. The only monster was the human syndicate of stereotypical villains that hogged the camera and dragged down the story. There were too many loose ends and unanswered questions. And by the end, I didn’t even care if they didn’t answer the questions, I just wanted the Vapor to evaporate.
4 October 2026
Trigger warnings:
Nudity. Turtles being spun on a roulette wheel. Torture. Exploding body.
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