{"rewrite":{"id":"r_50d333395d41083574aa1959","clusterId":"c_e652b2dee9a2c92d20701731","slug":"isao-tsuge-details-the-three-meanings-behind-gas-man-s-coat","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Isao Tsuge Details the Three Meanings Behind Gas Man's Coat","summary":"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.","whyItMatters":"Tsuge's detailed breakdown of the Gas Man's costume design reveals how the reboot consciously bridges the original 1960 film's visual language with a modern aesthetic, while his personal connection to UTA adds a layer of intergenerational collaboration to the production.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTsuge joined the production two months before filming began, sketching character designs while reading the script.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe blue-gray coat color was chosen first, and that palette then informed the everyday clothes of Ren Tsutsumida (UTA) before his transformation: denim jackets, overalls, and work clothes for the mine.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTsuge said the original 1960 film features blue and gray \u0026#34;surprisingly frequently,\u0026#34; including the light blue of a female bank clerk\u0026#39;s uniform, the gray of a safe and building walls, the blue-gray of the Gas Man\u0026#39;s suit, and the pale blue when the Gas Man glows.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDirector Shinzo Katayama studied under Bong Joon-ho, director of \u0026#34;Parasite\u0026#34; (2019).\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThis is Tsuge\u0026#39;s second collaboration with Katayama, following \u0026#34;The Lust in the Rain\u0026#34; (2024).\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTsuge praised UTA for delivering emotionless lines with \u0026#34;appropriate timing, neither too much nor too little,\u0026#34; while also showing natural warmth in scenes with a young girl who escaped a facility.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTsuge said he has known UTA since childhood through UTA\u0026#39;s father, actor Masahiro Motoki, with whom Tsuge worked on \u0026#34;Departures\u0026#34; (2008) and Shinya Tsukamoto\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Gemini\u0026#34; (1999).\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe cast also includes Suzu Hirose and Yutaka Takenouchi.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe series took eight months to film.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Isao Tsuge says the Gas Man's blue-gray coat represents gas, otherness, and respect for the 1960 original. He also praised UTA's performance: 'He easily cleared the hurdle of impressing both extremes within a short time.'","twitterPost":"Tsuge on the Gas Man's design: 'The idea came in an instant.' He also revealed a personal connection to UTA, having worked with his father Masahiro Motoki on Departures.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Character design supervisor Isao Tsuge breaks down the three meanings behind the Gas Man's blue-gray coat in the Netflix reboot. He also reflects on his long-standing connection with UTA and his father, Masahiro Motoki.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Cinema Today\",\"url\":\"https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0155920\",\"title\":\"Three things represented by the coat of \\\"Gas Man\\\": Character design supervisor Isao Tsuge reflects on his connection with Masahiro Motoki and UTA as father and son\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":10766,"outputTokens":1411,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1784582134,"createdAt":"2026-07-20T21:03:13.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-20T21:07:29.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-20T21:03:13.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_e652b2dee9a2c92d20701731","canonicalTitle":"「ガス人間」のコートが表す3つのこと　人物デザイン監修・柘植伊佐夫、本木雅弘＆UTA親子との縁に感慨","representativeArticleId":"a_302884623d0d91cabdffc0e7","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Gas Man\",\"Gas Man No. 1\"],\"studios\":[\"Toho\"],\"people\":[\"Isao Tsuge\",\"Masahiro Motoki\",\"UTA\",\"Shun Oguri\",\"Yu Aoi\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-17T23:02:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-18T03:10:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-20T21:07:29.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Cinema Today","url":"https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0155897","title":"「ガス人間」小栗旬×蒼井優×UTA「間違ってなかった」伝説特撮のリブート　心に響く壮絶ドラマの裏側【ネタバレあり】"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Gas Man","Gas Man No. 1"],"studios":["Toho"],"people":["Isao Tsuge","Masahiro Motoki","UTA","Shun Oguri","Yu Aoi"],"type":"news","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Isao Tsuge designed the Gas Man's blue-gray coat to represent gas-like nature, otherness, and respect for the 1960 original film.","The Netflix series \"Gas Man\" is a reboot of Toho's 1960 special effects film \"The Gas Man First Number.\"","UTA plays the Gas Man, with Tsuge praising his ability to deliver emotionless lines with precise timing.","Tsuge has known UTA since childhood through UTA's father, actor Masahiro Motoki, with whom Tsuge worked on \"Departures\" and \"Gemini.\"","All eight episodes of \"Gas Man\" are now streaming on Netflix."]}