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TBS’s Sunday Theater drama “VIVANT” returned for the second half of its second season on October 4, after a two-week break for Asian Games broadcasts. In episode 19, actor Takumi Nishigaki appeared unannounced as a member of the Special Operations Group, a special forces unit, drawing surprised reactions from viewers who recognized him from his role in “Dragon Zakura.” Meanwhile, on 5ch, reactions were split: some were confused by the tangled plot of shifting missions and unclear life-or-death stakes, calling it “impossible to follow” or “bait-and-switch previews,” while others enjoyed the guest’s dubbing performance, joking that “Wakamoto stole the whole show.” Overall, opinions on the drama were divided.
10/4 (Sun) 22:10
Episode 9 of the second half (episode 19 overall) of TBS’s Sunday Theater drama “VIVANT” Season 2 (Sundays, 9:00 PM) aired on the 4th. After a two-week broadcast hiatus for coverage of the “Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026,” this long-awaited return for the second half set social media abuzz with viewer posts. In that episode 19, actor Takumi Nishigaki made a surprise appearance as a member of the “Special Operations Group.”
He played a member of the “Special Operations Group,” the Ground Self-Defense Force’s top-tier special forces unit, described in the show as an elite unit ranked just below the “Beppan” (the covert team at the center of the show).
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Enough with that already.
They already blew it with the voice acting.
It's still coming.
Elisha's daughter is probably Jamiin.
Or so it seems—?
This is turning into Otokojuku territory (a manga infamous for characters surviving absolutely anything).
Was he in Dragon Zakura?
One actor playing three roles? Come on.
It ended without rescuing everyone.
Bet he comes back via nuclear fusion or something.
Beppan agents train to come back from the dead, so he's fine.
My wife said "Anago-san's in this one."
I'm out, not watching anymore.
That traces back to the Kumagai clan's territory from Emperor Kanmu's time or so.
Not to be rude, but they must've bred like crazy and had a real knack for military achievements — even as vassals they kept getting granted land and spread out everywhere, so naturally there are plenty of Kumagais in Kumagai City too.
It's not some lazy naming coincidence like "Mr. Minami-Alps from Minami Alps City."
Season 1 was at least decent.
and somehow not the least bit entertaining (lol).
If they're going full comedy, I want them to commit to it with that kind of nerve.
The plot's going nowhere.
The nuclear fusion plotline will likely get tied up in a movie version down the line.
And in that movie, maybe Nogi or Nozaki dies protecting Jamiin.
It's ending next month, so it's really more like 1.5 cours.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
“VIVANT” is a popular TBS Sunday Theater drama whose first season aired in 2023, drawing attention as an espionage thriller set in Mongolia. During its broadcast, Season 2 took a two-week break for coverage of the “Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026,” and this episode marks the resumption of its second half. Takumi Nishigaki, who appeared in this episode, previously starred in another TBS Sunday Theater drama, “Dragon Zakura.” In the show, the “Special Operations Group” is set up as an elite unit ranked below the “Beppan,” the covert unit the protagonist belongs to. The thread was split between viewers who found the tangled character relationships and unclear life-or-death stakes “impossible to follow,” and those who simply enjoyed the guest actor’s dubbing performance as the highlight — a divide between judgments of the writing/plot and judgments of the acting/direction that isn’t obvious from the article text alone. The series is set to reach its finale next month, with roughly five episodes remaining.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku Sokuho+) thread “‘VIVANT’ Sudden Surprise Storm After Its Return! Takumi Nishigaki Appears Unannounced — ‘Dragon Zakura’ Fans Thrilled.”
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