Entertainment
08 June 2026
Link copied to clipboardA new kind of Japanese series is about to arrive. Netflix has announced the release date of Human Vapor, which premieres July 2. Toho’s legendary 1960 film The Human Vapor is being rebooted as an eight-episode epic drama with an entirely original story reimagined by Yeon Sang-ho and Shinzo Katayama — marking the first collaboration between TOHO and Netflix.
This new series is written and executive produced by Yeon Sang-ho, the creator behind international hits including Train to Busan, Hellbound, and Parasyte: The Grey. It is directed by Shinzo Katayama, a visionary known for his unflinching portrayals of human darkness and madness in Gannibal, Siblings of the Cape, and Missing. The series is developed and produced by TOHO and WOWPOINT, the Korean production company behind Colony and The Ugly.
Veteran actors Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi star as a detective and a reporter confronting the Human Vapor and his dramatic, pre-announced killings. Suzu Hirose and Kento Hayashi add a different flavor as a pair of livestreaming siblings whose complex motives weave through the case, while Yutaka Takenouchi appears as a former yakuza member turned company president, adding another complex layer to the mix. At the center is the Human Vapor himself, played by UTA, a talented newcomer making his acting debut. He delivers a chilling performance, oozing with an uncanny presence that draws viewers into fear.
A Killer Who Announces His Crimes
In the newly released main trailer, the Human Vapor steps out of the shadows and names himself. With a cold voice and a blank expression, he appears in a shocking video, claiming responsibility for a horrifying, unprecedented murder and declaring his intent to kill again. He promises to reveal his motives, methods and next target at a press conference — then vanishes, sending a wave of unease and fear across Japan.
Detective Kenji Okamoto (Shun Oguri) and reporter Kyoko Kono (Yu Aoi) throw themselves into the investigation, determined to uncover the truth and stop the Human Vapor, who seems to toy with them as each new target simply disappears. As the Human Vapor casually announces and carries out each crime in advance, he turns his killings into a spectacle, plunging society into confusion and dread.
A New Scale for Japanese Drama Production
Human Vapor also marks a new benchmark for Japanese series production. Filming took place over nearly eight months, from early September 2024 to late April 2025, in an operation of unmatched scale.
The shoot used around 120 locations selected from more than 1,000 scouted sites, featuring unprecedented car action like a dynamic backflip inspired by major global films such as The Dark Knight and 007. Following 1.5 years of negotiations with METI and the Cabinet Office, the production secured the first-ever full blockade of the area in front of Tokyo Station. This sequence represents the entire series' innovative blend of nationwide large-scale shoots and the advanced VFX of Academy Award-winning Shirogumi.
Within the series, the mystery of the Human Vapor becomes an all-out battle driven by clashing agendas: the police, the mass media, the criminal underworld, livestreamers and those in positions of power all collide as they chase their own version of justice, truth or control. When the thick gas shrouding the case finally clears, a shocking truth is revealed that will shake Japan to its core.
Human Vapor premieres July 2, only on Netflix.
About the Netflix Series Human Vapor
Story: The world recoils in shock when a person suddenly swells and explodes on live television. The culprit behind this unprecedented murder is the “Human Vapor” — a man who can transform his body into gas and slip through any barrier. He announces his killings in advance and carries them out, seemingly mocking the authorities as they struggle to close in on him. With each new incident, he corrodes society with a formless, pervasive fear.
Based on: The Human Vapor (Directed by Ishiro Honda / Written by Takeshi Kimura)
Directed by: Shinzo Katayama
Written by: Yeon Sang-ho, Ryu Yong-jae
Executive Producers: Yeon Sang-ho, Minami Ichikawa, Keiji Ota, Hisashi Usui, Yoshihiro Sato (Netflix)
Executive Producers - Creative & Production Lead: Nen Hyo, Ryoji Kure
Producers: Sokichi Onoda, Yoomin Hailey Yang
Co-Executive Producer: Akihiro Yamauchi
Produced by: Toho
In Association With: WOWPOINT
Production Company: Toho Studios
Released by: Netflix
Cast: Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi, Suzu Hirose, Kento Hayashi, UTA, Yutaka Takenouchi
Total episodes: 8
All eight episodes start streaming worldwide Thursday, July 2, 2026, only on Netflix
Netflix series page: https://www.netflix.com/humanvapor