The H-Man

The H-Man

Year: 1958

Runtime: 87 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Ishirô Honda

HorrorHorror

People are dissolving! The horror of a flowing radioactive liquid! Nuclear tests create a radioactive man who can turn people into slime.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The H-Man (1958)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The H-Man (1958). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Outskirts of Tokyo

The story unfolds on a rainy night in the outskirts of Tokyo, with scenes shifting between dim urban streets, a cabaret, and the sewers beneath the city. The setting juxtaposes a police investigation with a nightlife district, highlighting the city's hidden vulnerabilities. Industrial areas, docks, and emergency services footage create a moody backdrop for the menace of the H-Man.

🌃 City outskirts 🌧️ Rainy night 🚓 Police activity

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:45

Main Characters – The H-Man (1958)

Meet the key characters of The H-Man (1958), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Arai Chikako (Yumi Shirakawa)

Arai is a cabaret singer who becomes a key witness after Misaki’s death. She provides testimony about the night’s events and pushes the investigation forward. Her involvement links the nightlife underworld to the police's pursuit of the H-Man.

👩‍🎤 Singer 🧭 Witness

Masada (Dr. Masada) (Kenji Sahara)

Masada is a Jyoto University professor who theorizes that radiation exposure is dissolving Misaki and others into a liquid form. He leads the medical institute demonstration of the H-Man and guides the investigators toward a solution.

👨‍🔬 Scientist 📚 Professor

Inspector Tominaga (Akihiko Hirata)

Tominaga helms the police investigation into Misaki’s disappearance and the H-Man threat. He coordinates the team, balancing skepticism with urgency, and ultimately helps devise the plan to stop the creature.

👮 Police 🔎 Inspector

Dr. Maki (Koreya Senda)

Dr. Maki is Masada’s superior at the medical institute, contributing to the scientific handling of the H-Man and validating the lab findings with clinical expertise.

👨‍⚕️ Doctor 🧬 Researcher

Nishiyama (Nishiyama) (Jun Fujio)

A gang member who threatens Arai and ties the criminal underworld to the H-Man crisis, pushing the plot toward a climactic confrontation in the cabaret and sewers.

🕵️ Gangster 🧭 Smuggler

Uchida (Makoto Satō)

Uchida is a gangster who escapes into Emi’s room during a raid, illustrating the criminal network’s desperate attempts to retrieve drugs and outmaneuver the authorities.

🕶️ Gangster

Emi (Ayumi Sonoda)

Emi is a lead exotic dancer at the cabaret who becomes entangled in the criminals’ schemes and pays a fatal price in the chaos of the H-Man's attack.

💃 Dancer 🎤 Performer

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:45

Major Themes – The H-Man (1958)

Explore the central themes of The H-Man (1958), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧪 Science

Scientists Masada and Maki study radiation effects and a transforming liquid lifeform, anchoring the film's menace in plausible science. The investigators push for explanations and control, while the creature defies neat scientific boundaries. The theme explores how rational inquiry clashes with something alien and uncontrollable that melts its victims.

🌧️ Rain & Mutation

A persistent downpour floods the city and nourishes the H-Man's spread, turning rain into a catalyst for fear. Rain-soaked streets and sewers become physical pathways for the creature's arrival and pursuit. The weather amplifies tension as characters frantically try to outpace the threat.

🕵️‍♂️ Investigation

The police force, led by Inspector Tominaga, teams with Masada to trace Misaki's disappearance and the H-Man's origin. Clues come from witnesses, gangsters, and scientists, revealing corruption and danger in the urban underworld. The pursuit culminates in a coordinated plan to stop the threat, blending forensic work with action.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:45

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Atomic Age Sci-Fi Horror movies like The H-Man

Pulpy tales of grotesque mutations and scientific dread from the nuclear era.If you liked the radioactive terror of The H-Man, explore more movies like it. This collection features classic sci-fi horror stories from the nuclear era, where experiments and fallout create monstrous threats, blending investigative plots with chilling body horror.

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Narrative Summary

Stories typically begin with a scientific or military event, like a nuclear test, that creates a monstrous threat. The plot follows a linear investigation as characters—often scientists and authorities—race to understand and contain the anomaly before it causes widespread destruction, culminating in a decisive confrontation.

Why These Movies?

They share a specific historical and thematic context, a dark tone rooted in contemporary fears, a straightforward investigative structure, and a focus on grotesque, concept-driven horror rather than deep personal tragedy.

Noir-Inflected Monster Investigation movies similar to The H-Man

Fast-paced investigations into a grotesque threat, blending police procedure with sci-fi horror.Fans of The H-Man's blend of police work and sci-fi horror will enjoy these similar movies. Discover stories where detectives and scientists investigate a bizarre monster threat, creating a tense, fast-paced experience that feels like a noir mystery with a horrific twist.

investigativetensenoirishproceduralsuspensefulmonster threatpulpy

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a series of strange incidents that prompt an official investigation. The plot interweaves the procedural steps of the inquiry with the escalating attacks of the creature, often crossing paths with a criminal underworld or skeptical authorities, building to a climactic reveal and battle.

Why These Movies?

They are united by a specific narrative structure that merges investigative crime drama with monster movie tropes, a consistent fast pace and high tension, a dark and pulpy tone, and a focus on survival against an unpredictable threat.

Unlock the Full Story of The H-Man

Don't stop at just watching — explore The H-Man in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The H-Man is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The H-Man Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The H-Man, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The H-Man Summary

The H-Man Timeline

Track the full timeline of The H-Man with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The H-Man Timeline

The H-Man Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The H-Man that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

The H-Man Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The H-Man

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The H-Man: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About The H-Man

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