Just Before the First Half of “VIVANT” Ends—A Series That Was All About “Family Feuds”—A Pleasant “Side Effect” That Even Surprised TBS Insiders

The first half focused entirely on “family feuds”

It has been a month and a half since the premiere of 『VIVANT』 Season 2 (TBS).

Since the previous season generated unprecedented excitement and became a social phenomenon, expectations for Season 2 were high, and strong ratings were anticipated. However, there seems to be a sense of unease in the air.

“VIVANT,” which aired in 2023, was a series that stood apart from previous commercial TV dramas. At the time, the production cost per episode (one hour) for a terrestrial TV drama was around 30 million yen, but “VIVANT” had a production budget of 100 million yen.

TBS’s promotional campaign was also elaborate. While commercials aired frequently, no details about the plot or the cast’s roles were revealed whatsoever; even searching for what the title “VIVANT” meant yielded no answers. Viewers at home found themselves unable to get “VIVANT” out of their heads.

Once the series actually began airing, it took on the feel of a show that invites viewers to speculate, yet the plot twists completely defied viewers’ expectations. Furthermore, the mystery surrounding the protagonist’s true identity only deepened. Nevertheless, from the mid-point through the finale, the pace quickened dramatically, and the mysteries gradually began to unravel.Combining mystery and suspense, and sprinkled with spectacular action, the series became a highly entertaining production packed with all the essence of a compelling drama.

As a result, the Season 1 finale achieved a record-breaking viewership rating of 19.6%. Furthermore, with a final scene that hinted at a sequel, viewers were convinced that Season 2 would go into production soon. After a wait so long it seemed to defy even those expectations, production of the sequel was finally announced last June.

Season 2 got off to a strong start… or so it seemed. The premiere posted a high rating of 18.8%, indicating a promising start, but viewership has been on a steady decline ever since, and currently hovers just barely above 15%.

What on earth is going on here? While ratings alone can’t measure popularity in this day and age, isn’t it fair to assume that viewers have started to tune out? We spoke with film journalist Harumi Nakayama, who is also a drama enthusiast.

“In the early episodes, with the addition of ‘F’—the alternate personality of the protagonist Yusuke Nogi (played by Masato Sakai, 52)—and Drum’s (Tomoe Drum, 34) voice app, it was simply an overload of information.I think they used this technique simply to explain the plot of Season 1, but I personally found it ‘annoying’ and was one of the viewers who stopped watching at that point. It feels like the series has fallen into the trap of the very flaws often attributed to Katsuo Fukuzawa’s works—doing too much of everything and cramming too much in.

Another issue is the presence of Kotaro Shinjo, played by Ryusei Ryu (33), as a traitor within the Public Security Bureau. The story was driven by the need to uncover his betrayal, but in the end, it turned out to be nothing more than an internal family feud!The selling point of this drama was supposed to be its grand scale set in Asia, but I feel like my anticipation for Season 2 has waned. I suspect these two factors are why so many people stopped watching.”

YouTube’s Maximum Concurrent Viewers Surpass 100,000

While it’s impressive that the viewership has remained in the 15% range,

“Once I got past the initial drop-off without losing interest, the story finally started to get interesting—I found myself wondering whether Mamoru Nozaki, played by Hiroshi Abe (62), is truly a traitor or connected to the Chinese public security forces. It’s a real pleasure to analyze the plot now. Moreover, bringing in China—a sensitive topic for Japan right now—is quite a bold move.“As Nozaki’s role has grown more prominent, the explanations about ‘F’ and the drums have decreased, allowing viewers to focus more on the drama itself,” (Mr. Nakayama)

he said. Furthermore,

“Relatively speaking, ‘VIVANT’ hasn’t generated much buzz overseas. The reason is that there’s simply too much exposition, and the constant betrayals and brutal torture scenes have become formulaic. In foreign productions, spies are usually killed off without much fuss.Since we’re shooting overseas anyway, I think incorporating more action that makes use of those locations would create a more dynamic feel,” (Mr. Nakayama)

he suggested, advocating for a sense of scale similar to Season 1. So, how is this situation being viewed within TBS?

“It’s true—when the ratings dropped in Episode 2, I thought, ‘Huh?!’ There was a wave of unease throughout the company. But we’re going to turn this around. The excitement within the network remains high, and staff members often talk about ‘VIVANT’ among themselves.Sales of original program merchandise are also strong, and items like ‘VIVANT Manju’ stamped with ‘Special Unit,’ ‘VIVANT Sablés,’ and ‘VIVANT Chips’ are hugely popular. The manju are currently sold out.“When we bring them along during sponsor visits, people are thrilled. They’re really helping with sales,” says a TBS source.

Furthermore, there’s this kind of synergy as well.

“It seems the ‘Villain’s Conference Room’ segment currently airing on the radio is generating quite a buzz,” (the same source)

“VIVANT: The Villains’ Conference Room” is a tie-in program broadcast on TBS Radio every Sunday at 11:00 PM. The three “villains”—Takaya Sakoda (49),Yamato Kawachi (47), and Toru Baba (38)—who were purged by Nogi in Season 1—serve as hosts. The show is structured around the three “villains” sharing their thoughts after watching the drama, discussing various theories, and plotting revenge against Nogi.

It’s said to be even more popular than the drama itself. Footage from the radio booth is also streamed on the official YouTube channel, where the number of concurrent viewers has surpassed 100,000. The hashtag “#Villain’s Conference Room” even trended on X, making it a welcome “spin-off” for the production company.

In Episode 6, a new character named Liu Mingxuan—played by Sakai—makes his debut. Not only does Sakai play three roles, but the plot takes a surprising turn as his character becomes both the protagonist and the antagonist.In Episode 7, Nogi resolves to travel overseas to rescue a fellow team member. Will this finally lead to the kind of grand-scale action set in Asia that we saw in Season 1?