Masato Sakai Endorses VIVANT Season 2 Premiere Ahead of July 26 Broadcast
The Season 2 premiere packed multiple unannounced cameos and a high-stakes abduction plot into its first hour, signaling that the production is betting on surprise reveals and expanded scale to sustain momentum three years after Season 1.
Key Facts
- VIVANT Season 2 premiered on July 26, 2026, at 9 p.m. on TBS Sunday Theater as Episode 11.
- The episode reveals that five Betsuban members have been abducted, including Shun Kurosu played by Tori Matsuzaka.
- Voice actress Minami Takayama voices the new supercomputer AI Hayato, marking her first Sunday Theater appearance.
- Game creator Hideo Kojima appeared as a photo of Superintendent General Ken Watanuki in the episode.
- A radio program "VIVANT Villain Meeting Room" will air on TBS Radio every Sunday at 11 p.m. after Season 2 episodes.
Reporting from 3 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Cinema Today, Anime Anime.
Masato Sakai, star of TBS's Sunday Theater drama "VIVANT," appeared at a Season 1 special edition screening event on July 25 at Tokyo International Forum Hall A alongside producer Kazutaka Iida and director Yohei Miyazaki. The event preceded the Season 2 premiere, which aired on July 26 at 9 p.m. as Episode 11. Sakai, who had viewed an almost-complete version of the episode, called it "interesting" and said viewers would be drawn in and unable to stop, advising them to prepare everything around them before watching. The episode opens immediately after the Season 1 finale, with protagonist Yusuke Nogi returning from missions against the terrorist organization Tent and spotting a red bun at a shrine, signaling an emergency summons from the Betsuban intelligence unit. The premiere revealed that five Betsuban members have been abducted, including Shun Kurosu played by Tori Matsuzaka, prompting Nogi to travel to Balka and Cyprus. The episode also introduced surprise guest appearances: game creator Hideo Kojima appeared as a photo of Superintendent General Ken Watanuki, and voice actress Minami Takayama voices the new supercomputer AI Hayato. Voice actors Natsuki Hanae and Akari Kito appeared as news anchors, and judoka Natsumi Tsunoda appeared in an airport scene. Takayama, known for voicing Conan Edogawa in "Detective Conan," said she focused on clarity and ease of understanding for the AI role. Director Miyazaki stated the team aims to deliver a work that meets audience expectations.
Director Yohei Miyazaki revealed that editing for Episode 11 continued until the day before broadcast. Producer Kazutaka Iida told the audience that the director and assistant directors were still working on it, drawing surprised reactions.
Takaya Sakoda, who played the deceased Tent monitor Takumi Yamamoto in Season 1, appeared as a surprise guest at the screening event. When Sakoda walked from the audience door to the stage, director Miyazaki retorted that his character is already dead. A newly filmed character visual for Yamamoto was released on the program's official social media for Season 2. Sakoda said a return is "totally possible."
A radio program called "VIVANT Villain Meeting Room" will air on TBS Radio every Sunday at 11 p.m. after Season 2 episodes, also streamed live on YouTube. Sakoda, Yamato Kawachi (Waniz), and Toru Baba (Gobi) will gather in a prison set to give fresh impressions while watching the broadcast in real time alongside viewers.
Voice actor Tomokazu Seki provided the voice for the police radio in the episode. Megumi Hayashibara returns as the voice of the translation app used by Tomoe Doramu.
Director Miyazaki said the team aims to deliver a work that meets audience expectations. Producer Iida said the production aims for a "VIVANT that you can touch with your hands" through events, merchandise, and promotional activities. A fan meeting called "Sunday Theater 'VIVANT' PREMIUM SUMMER PARTY" is planned for August, and a "TBS Drama Experience Event VIVANT IMMERSIVE MISSION" where participants carry out missions within actual drama sets is planned for September.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Denfaminicogamer 『VIVANT』シーズン2に“小島秀夫”監督がまさかの出演。「全然気が付かなかった…！」SNS上で驚きの声が広がる
- Cinema Today 「VIVANT」初回からサプライズ連発 意外なゲストが続々登場【ネタバレあり】
- Anime Anime 「難易度高いって」小島秀夫、ドラマ「VIVANT」にカメオ出演で視聴者驚き!! 世界的ゲームクリエイターが警視総監役に「全然分からんかった！」