Gas Ningen/Human Vapor: A flawed, yet watchable reboot.

 

Finally, a month on from its initial release, I sat through the Netflix reboot of the 1960 classic, Gas Ningen/Human Vapor. The 1960 movie, directed by Ishiro Honda and written by Takeshi Kimura, was a classic tokusatsu movie which focused on being entertaining whilst also having something to say in regards to the anxieties and paranoias of the time. So, it is rather curious that Toho greenlit a reboot in the form of a eight episode drama, working alongside Wow Point in collaboration with Netflix of all platforms.

During an interview between reporter Kyoko Kono and professor Sano which is broadcast on live television, the professor is suddenly levitated by a gaseous entity before it enters him and explodes him from the inside out. Shortly afterwards, a mysterious man who refers to himself as Gas Ningen/Human Vapor reveals himself and takes the credit for the murder. He then announces his intentions to murder those involved in an organisation known as White Center. Suspended detective, Kenji Okamoto, who happens to be Kyoko's ex-boyfriend, is re-instated and tasked to investigate. He soon crosses paths with Kyoko as she runs her own investigation into White Center and the organisation's involvement with a meteorite crash 27 years prior. Along the way, they encounter a Yakuza family, a corrupt politician and even crooked members of the police force. Add on to that, a brother and sister duo of YouTubers looking to gain internet fame and you have a whole heap of trouble brewing.

There are a few notable issues with the script. One major example being how Okamoto doesn't truly become an active force until the very last episode. The detective spends the vast majority of the drama simply being reactive to the events that transpire around him, such as the many, many betrayals he suffers through. Revelations also come at the most convenient of timings for our main characters, as if they suddenly realise that the story needs to move forward. Pacing is a real issue as some parts slow down the drama significantly and there are scenes that could have been cut to reduce the runtime whilst providing a better, more streamlined experience. 

On the positive side, the cinematography is sublime. The sheer scale of dynamism ensures that the drama is a visual treat for the eyes. The dynamic movements of the camera as it tracks, trails and pans provides a wonderful viewing experience. Seriously, just have a gander at the first few minutes of the very first episode, it's delightful stuff. 

Working in tandem with the cinematography is the visual effects. If you watched Godzilla Minus One, you'd be familiar with visual effects studio, Shirogumi. That same studio handled all of the effects for the drama and it worked out pretty darn well. I really liked how the Gas Ningen formed as it had rather horrific undertones, looking rather painful. The smoke effects are well done and don't ever look too cheap or tacky. I hope to see them get more work in the future and more prominence as they truly deserve it.

I noticed the fact that a major antagonist wore a rainbow pin at one point. I'm sure that the message that gives viewers is rather unintentional, but hilarious nonetheless. I also rather enjoyed seeing Okamoto actually put a foreigner in his place a bit. Palm as a character felt out of place and I rolled my eyes when he was introduced. I do not watch J-dramas to see foreigners. 

Shun Oguri gave a brilliant performance in the leading role of police detective Kenji Okamoto, despite not having the best script to work with in terms of his character. He nails the emotional scenes, forcing you to booth root for him and also hope for better. Oguri just really, really suits detective roles, I guess. He also is rather badass, especially in the most action-packed episodes that involve him having showdowns with the Yakuza. He has the most hype scene in the drama, a fight sequence in which he brutalises several foes and even yells during it. 

Yu Aoi put in quite an impressive performance as the female lead. For full transparency, I was rather annoyed with her at the beginning and had hoped for the realistic outcome of her being arrested for obstruction of justice. Despite that, she did manage to win me over somewhat with an array of emotional gravitas. 

This was UTA's first ever acting credit and the verdict is that he absolutely nailed it as Ren Tsutsumida. He was intentionally monotone and stoic when necessary, delivering some menacing lines and scenes. Then, when allowed to actually spread his wings and showcase his acting prowess, he actually excelled and became a fascinating character. 

Suzu Hirose was more than mere eye-candy, even if she was the prettiest lady on the set. Yes, she wore makeup of burn scars, but she still looked good. She had a pretty neat arc, starting with being reluctant to show her face on camera to by the end, becoming super comfortable with it to fulfil a certain dream. The YouTube duo served a specific purpose, with them being instrumental in locating the lair of Gas Ningen. 

Shout-out to Yoshida. That character was an absolute menace. He almost completely stole the show by the end. Two stand-out scenes: One involving a snake eyes bowling moment with dancing and the other involves him having a ridiculous amount of weapons on his person. 

Overall, I enjoyed watching through the reboot. It was far from perfect as I have mentioned in this blog post, but I was entertained well enough to binge it through to the end. Shun Oguri definitely played a big part in that and if you've followed this blog for a while, you'd know that he's one of my personal favourite actors. Anyways, if you enjoy sci-fi crime thrillers with a tinge of horror, give Gas Ningen/Human Vapor a shot. You could do much worse with your time.