Netflix 'Gas Human' series launches globally and draws crowds with Godzilla‑themed Shinjuku event

Netflix released the eight‑part Japanese series "Gas Human" worldwide on July 2, rebooting Toho’s 1960 special‑effects film. The reboot stars Shun Oguri, Aoi Yu and Suzu Hirose, is directed by Shinzō Katayama and written by Yoon Sang‑ho, with VFX created by the award‑winning White Union team that won an Academy Award for "Godzilla‑1.0". It marks the first original collaboration between Netflix and Toho and has quickly become a top‑rated title, ranking number 1 on Japan’s weekly Netflix series chart and entering the global Top 10.

To promote the series, a July 9 guerrilla event was staged in Shinjuku’s Kabukichō. A stone statue of the Gas Human was displayed, gas jets erupted from its base, and a massive 12 m × 9 m LED screen was suspended by drones to project new VFX footage. The spectacle showed the Gas Human confronting the iconic monster Godzilla, generating a wave of fan excitement on social media and extensive media coverage.

The series blends sci‑fi thriller elements with social commentary, depicting societal panic and political intrigue surrounding the titular gas‑based threat.