VIVANT Season 2 Divides Fans: Questions Swirl Over AI Character and Sakai Masato’s Triple Role

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The story

A 5channel thread discussing Season 2 of the TBS drama “VIVANT,” the sequel currently airing, has been split between praise and criticism. The main flashpoint is the show’s AI character, with critics calling its emotional expressions “off-putting” and dismissing it as “just a prop to get viewers theorizing,” while defenders argue it would actually be more unnatural for a modern intelligence agency not to use AI at all. Opinions also diverged over Sakai Masato taking on three roles and the drama’s long two-cour (roughly six-month) run, with the thread split between viewers wanting something simple and easy to follow and those who enjoy a show built for deep analysis.

What people said

1AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:36
It's trying to look epic in scale but the substance just isn't there.
3AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:37
Only reaction I've got is that the AI's characterization is so dumb it kills the mood.
9AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:40
This is exactly the kind of show the "theory-crafting" obsessives (kousatsu-chuu, viewers who love over-analyzing plots) eat right up.
11AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:41
Re: #9
I hate those "the theory squad figured it out! amazing!" articles.
And tapping away on your phone during the show instead of watching is just creepy.
12AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:41
Why are Japanese people always glued to the TV anyway?
13AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:42
Because it's a two-cour show (roughly six months), the pacing feels way too stretched out.
Still three months to go, so I bet the Hanshin Tigers stuff (the baseball team) is just the opening act.
14AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:42
Where does this mindset even come from — saying you hate it and it's boring, but still watching every week?
15AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:43
If they're going to air garbage like this, they might as well just rerun JIN instead (a beloved earlier TBS drama).
16AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:43
There are bits here and there where I can't make out what they're saying.
18AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:43
It's a "social phenomenon" drama, so watching it is basically mandatory, I guess.
19AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:43
The AI is genuinely unpleasant to watch.
Honestly, it would've been way better if Nogi just steamrolled everything and figured out the answers himself, like an overpowered hero in one of those "naro-kei" web-novel power-fantasy shows.
20AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:44
Something as straightforward as GTO is way easier to watch.
This whole "analyze it to death" culture needs to just die already.
21AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:44
That thing's supposed to be an AI — why is it showing so much emotion?
33AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:49
I don't get the division of labor between the AI and Blue Walker.
Seems like the AI could handle the hacking on its own anyway.
102AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:27
Re: #33
They already explained it — Blue Walker covers things overseas, Hayato handles domestic.
40AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:55
It's honestly a national embarrassment that people think a show this shallow is hugely popular in Japan.
51AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:59
Re: #40
Exactly.
The writing is so juvenile it's basically a shonen manga.
54AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:00
Re: #40
In cooking terms, it's like just dumping mayonnaise on it to cover up the taste.
59AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:05
This show is running for about six months, all the way to around January. How's that for good news?
65AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:09
Re: #59
And there's a movie coming too.
Must be thrilled, right? 🤣
63AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:08
Pretty disappointed by how lame the "Separate Squad" organization turned out to be.
67AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:09
Re: #63
Sorry, but I can't help laughing at that beat-up face.
66AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:09
Was it really necessary to have Sakai Masato play three roles?
They could've just made the characters similar in personality or vibe instead.
That third role is what made the whole show suddenly feel cheap.
71AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:11
Re: #66
Wouldn't be surprised if they pull an "actually they were twins" twist.
80AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:17
I agree the AI is off-putting, but it'd also be weird if a modern intelligence agency used zero AI at all — and for making things easy for viewers to follow, that approach might've been the only option.
86AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:20
Re: #80
That goofy, humanized character design and the whole "self-awareness" bit weren't needed at all.
83AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:19
Ryusei Ryo and Beki are both still alive anyway, right?
87AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:20
Re: #83
Obviously.
88AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:20
Re: #83
Well, of course.
Nobody actually thinks they're dead.
89AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:22
Same as season 1, but giving Matsuzaka Tori such a tiny role is such a waste of him.
103AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:27
Re: #89
Hayashi Kento's role is even smaller than that.
96AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:25
My mom said the story's gotten too hard to follow.
101AnonymousSep 1, 2026 12:26
Re: #96
Yeah, since I still don't get the connection between the nuclear fusion stuff and the tent, the story feels like it's skipping around.

Background and Key Points of Debate

VIVANT was a massive hit TBS drama starring Sakai Masato in 2023, and Season 2 began airing to high anticipation as its sequel. The thread’s disagreement broke down into two main points. The first is whether the AI character works: defenders argued it would be unnatural for a modern intelligence agency not to use AI, while detractors pushed back that its emotional expressions are unpleasant and that it’s little more than a prop to fuel viewer theorizing. The second is a broader backlash against “theorizing culture” itself, with many expressing fatigue at shows built around social-media puzzle-solving contests. Commenters also flagged Sakai Masato’s triple role, the drama’s long two-cour (six-month) run, and the limited screen time given to popular actors like Matsuzaka Tori. Posts also noted that the broadcast runs through around January of next year, with a feature film reportedly also in the works, underscoring the scale of the franchise. Some posts in the thread also mocked cast members’ appearances or personal lives, but those have been excluded here since they can’t be verified as fact.

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Nanademo Jikkyou G) thread “[Sad News] VIVANT Season 2 Is Not Interesting At All lolololololololol.”

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