A killer who can transform into a gaseous substance, exploding human bodies from the inside out and causing mayhem on the streets, drives the drama of ¡°Human Vapor,¡± a new limited series from Netflix.

But Shun Oguri, one of the show¡¯s leads, says its central theme can be summed up in one word: love.

It may seem like a surprising answer for an eight-episode mystery and sci-fi series based on a 1960 film. But Oguri, who plays Kenji Okamoto, a troubled detective tasked with catching the titular villain, believes human connection lies at the core of the story.