Yu Aoi stars as detective Kyoko Kono in the Netflix series "Gas Man," which began streaming on July 2.
Yu Aoi plays detective Kyoko Kono in the Netflix series "Gas Man," a reboot of Toho's 1960 special effects film. The series, directed by Shinzo Katayama and executive produced by Yeon Sang-ho, follows detectives Kenji Okamoto and Kyoko Kono as they pursue a killer who can turn his body into gas. Aoi appears alongside Shun Oguri, who plays Kenji Okamoto, and UTA, who plays the Gas Man. The eight-episode series began streaming worldwide on Netflix on July 2.
Production details from the trailer release show the series filmed from September 2024 to April 2025 across about 120 locations, with location scouting covering over 1,000 sites. The production achieved the first full closure of Tokyo Station front for a Japanese film shoot after 18 months of negotiations. The cast also includes Suzu Hirose, Kento Hayashi, and Yutaka Takenouchi.
In a later interview, character design supervisor Isao Tsuge discussed the Gas Man's costume design and praised actor UTA for his performance. Tsuge noted he has known UTA since childhood through UTA's father, actor Masahiro Motoki, with whom Tsuge worked on "Departures" and "Gemini." The interview did not include additional details about Aoi's role or performance.
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6d ago
Isao Tsuge, the character design supervisor for the Netflix series "Gas Man," has explained the three concepts embedded in the blue-gray coat worn by the titular character. In an interview with Cinema Today, Tsuge said the coat's color first represents the gas-like nature of the character, second conveys a sense of otherness, and third shows respect for the 1960 original film, which also featured blue and gray tones. Tsuge, who has worked on films including "Departures" and "Shin Godzilla," designed the Gas Man after receiving the role two months before filming began. He praised actor UTA, who plays the Gas Man, for delivering emotionless lines with precise timing while also showing natural warmth in scenes with a young girl. Tsuge noted he has known UTA since childhood through his father, actor Masahiro Motoki, with whom Tsuge worked on "Departures" and "Gemini." The series, a reboot of Toho's 1960 special effects film "The Gas Man First Number," is directed by Shinzo Katayama and stars Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi alongside UTA. All eight episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Jun 8
Netflix and Toho have released the main trailer and key art for the eight-episode series "Gas Man," a reboot of Toho's 1960 special effects film "The First Gas Man." The series, directed by Shinzo Katayama and executive produced by Yeon Sang-ho, follows detectives Kenji Okamoto (Shun Oguri) and Kyoko Kono (Yu Aoi) as they pursue a killer who can turn his body into gas. The trailer shows the Gas Man, played by debut actor UTA, announcing a press conference where he will reveal his methods and next target. Suzu Hirose and Kento Hayashi play video streamer siblings, and Yutaka Takenouchi plays a former yakuza-turned-company president. Filming ran from September 2024 to April 2025 across about 120 locations, with location scouting covering over 1,000 sites. The production achieved the first full closure of Tokyo Station front for a Japanese film shoot after 18 months of negotiations. The series streams worldwide on Netflix from July 2.