TBS Sunday Theater’s “VIVANT,” Starring Masato Sakai, Is a Thoroughly Secretive Production

Even though there are still three months to go until the start of broadcasting, there is still a lot of talk about the TBS Sunday theater “VIVANT” for the July season. The reason why there has been so much talk about it is that this drama has many “unorthodox tricks” that have never been seen before, which is why viewers’ expectations for the drama are so high.

“This is a completely original story written by Katsuo Fukuzawa (59), who directed “Shitamachi Rocket” and “Hanzawa Naoki,” as well as the original story. Until the first broadcast, not only the storyline but also the roles of the actors are all kept secret, and the staff is under a strict gag order,” said a person involved in the production of a commercial TV drama.

The leading actor Masato Sakai (49), Koji Yakusho (67), Hiroshi Abe (58), Momori Matsuzaka (34), and Fumi Nikaido (28) as the heroine are all in the leading roles. However, that is all we know about them, and we will not know what kind of roles they will play until the first broadcast. On the official Twitter page, a photo of the five dressed up was posted,

Friend or foe, friend or foe, the adventure begins this summer.

“Pushing the limits! Adventure Drama.”

However, on April 1, the photo on Twitter was replaced by a mysterious creature named Vivan-chan,

Cat or dog, dog or cat? A collection of superb cats representing the #Nekokai!　”Pushing the limits! Cat Adventure Drama” starts this summer!

and tweeted “Nyahhhh, it’s taken over! So what is the atmosphere like on set?

The filming is currently going smoothly with location shooting in the city and in buildings, but we are on high alert during the scenes where some of the five main characters are together. We are very tense because we don’t want anyone to know what kind of roles they are playing. The security is also ministerial (laughs).

For example, on the floor where a building was rented for filming, employees are not allowed to enter, and security guards are posted around the building and in the underground parking lot, and if a car approaches the building, they immediately rush over to check it.

The ’20 edition of “Hanzawa Naoki” recorded the highest viewer rating of 32.7%, but the three productions after “Old Rookie” in the July ’22 season have not even reached the highest rating of 12%. There is no doubt that this is a drama that staked its corporate fortunes in order to regain brand power. The production team is determined to do everything they can to the utmost of their ability.

I can’t wait to see if the state-secret gag order and state-guest security will prove to be a blessing in disguise three months from now.