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The story
TBS’s Sunday drama “VIVANT” has become a hot topic in China. Local media have slammed it fiercely, but according to a PRESIDENT Online article, actual viewers are enjoying it so much they’re resorting to illegal streaming to watch it — and that article sparked a thread on 5ch. Comments from people claiming to be Chinese themselves stood out — “I’m Chinese, and I think VIVANT is genuinely good” — along with skepticism about how Japanese media is framing the story: “It looks like there’s a wave of criticism, but over there it’s really not like that.” At the same time, posts voicing complaints about the show’s production quality and hopes for a sequel or movie piled up, making for a thoroughly mixed bag of reactions.
Actually, Chinese people want to watch “VIVANT” so badly they’ll break the law… The “real voices on the ground” that contradict Chinese media’s fierce criticism | PRESIDENT Online
PRESIDENT Online 2026/11/01 11:00
Kei Nakajima, Freelance Journalist
Source: president.jp / Original article here
What people said
Well, obviously, reactions vary
There's no real info given, so it's just: grab whoever looks suspicious → torture → turns out innocent → grab someone else → torture → innocent again → grab → …
Middle of the season
No more adventure stuff, it's just guys acting homoerotic at each other and torturing people
There's no point watching this
They probably just ran out of material once season 2 got extended out of nowhere
Same thing happens on Chinese boards too
The patriotic types mock people over it, like "lol, illegal streaming"
The only people in Japan criticizing it are Konitan and Maekawa the Pervert
Machiyama's in on it too
Tonight's broadcast of #VIVANTep23 will premiere the first teaser trailer🎬
https://x.com/TBS_VIVANT/status/2116651439405633560
Yep, there's gonna be a movie after all
So that's why it's on the Kohaku lineup too
Hope it gets a release in China as well
Tons of people brainwashed by the drama are gonna flock to it, so it'll make money — no way they skip making the movie
Didn't TV Asahi try "the finale continues in theaters" with Kamen Rider, get torn apart for it, and then apologize?
China and Israel both monitor what Japanese media and magazines report or broadcast.
In Israel's case, the private Simon Wiesenthal Center handles that and reports back to the Israeli government.
Japan's not really in a position to talk big either, even if it's not as bad as China
Early Niconico was pretty rough too, and even now plenty of YouTube videos get made using copyrighted footage and images without a second thought
Especially on YouTube, there's this attitude of "if the rights holder doesn't say anything, might as well use it"
Even today, the live commentary for the All Japan Intercollegiate Ekiden was blowing up on Bilibili
There are way more people into Japanese content than you'd expect
Isn't Bilibili Hong Kong-affiliated?
Though Hong Kong's already fallen under Xi Jinping's clutches too
Background and Key Points of This Topic
“VIVANT” is a hit drama from TBS’s Sunday Drama slot. As noted in the thread, a sequel series is currently airing, and a theatrical film adaptation has also been announced. Many Japanese shows have no official broadcast or streaming deal in China, so popular content tends to spread through illegal video sites and fansub sites — this report on “illegal viewing” appears to be one example of that pattern. What divided opinion on the thread was skepticism toward how Japanese media framed the story as “fierce backlash in China.” In reality, criticism and favorable reactions coexist, which is reflected in comments like “it’s really not like that over there.” There’s always a gap between the official stance of the Chinese government and media and how ordinary viewers actually receive something — and it’s worth noting this isn’t unique to “VIVANT”; it’s a pattern often seen when Japanese dramas and anime are received in China.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Drama] Actually, Chinese people want to watch “VIVANT” so badly they’ll break the law… The “real voices on the ground” that contradict Chinese media’s fierce criticism.”
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