Screenwriter Akiko Nogi posted a complaint on X on November 11. Amid the ongoing discussion around ‘VIVANT,’ she expressed displeasure that one of her own dramas had been dragged in as a point of comparison — reportedly sparked by a comparison post from film critic Tomohiro Machiyama. On 5ch, opinions split between those arguing that once a work is made public, comparisons are simply unavoidable, and those pushing back against critics using other people’s work as a cudgel to bash something else. The thread gradually expanded into broader takes on Machiyama himself, including his past remarks (such as those about the live-action ‘Attack on Titan’ film), and the discussion took off from there.
“Don’t Use My Drama as a Club to Beat VIVANT With” — Popular Screenwriter Airs Grievance, Visibly Unhappy With Film Critic’s “Comparison Post”
Screenwriter Akiko Nogi, 52, updated her X account on November 11.
In a post about the drama ‘VIVANT’ (TBS network), she voiced displeasure that a work she had written was being brought up as a point of comparison.
Because watching 'Russia Dissected' breakdown videos on YouTube is more fun than watching Peace-kun over at Omiya Park. (Peace-kun is a mascot livestreamed from Omiya Park; 'Russia Dissected' is a YouTube explainer series.)
3AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:50
I mean, what's actually wrong with that?
4AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:50
He's bashing the LDP that blatantly, but sure, go off I guess.
5AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:50
Why's that a problem, though?
13AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:53
Replying to 3 and 5: Other screenwriters who have nothing to do with this have also posted asking people to knock it off — stop using their work as a weapon to bash something else.
22AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:04
Replying to 5: Getting shoved to the front line of a manufactured feud does nothing good for her — she's just going to become a target for VIVANT fans.
84AnonymousNov 12, 2026 02:17
Replying to 5: Man, there are way too many idiots like you these days who can't get it unless someone spells it out for them. Use your head.
6AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:51
It's better than season 2, honestly. If it turns into a romance show though, I'm checking out.
10AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:53
Machiyama really never does anything but cause trouble.
12AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:53
I was hoping for an 'Unnatural' sequel, but I guess that's not happening.
14AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:54
That's just an unavoidable part of being a creator. You don't have the right to shut down criticism.
35AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:17
Replying to 14: But Machiyama's not even based in Japan lol
15AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:55
Is Machiyama pretending the live-action 'Attack on Titan' never happened? That was supposedly a movie only Isayama-sensei loved, right? (sarcastic — the film was widely panned)
17AnonymousNov 11, 2026 23:56
Replying to 1: Screenwriters are getting replaced by AI anyway, aren't they?
18AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:01
Is VIVANT actually any good? I dropped it a few minutes into episode 1's opening and don't regret it one bit.
49AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:37
Replying to 18: If you're that curious, just go watch it.
56AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:46
Replying to 18: Season 1's streaming free on TVer right now. It's up to episode 5, but episode 4 is only up until Thursday and episode 5 until Friday, so hurry if you want to catch it.
19AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:02
"Using it as a club to bash something" — that's exactly how 5ch posters talk lol. Is she secretly one of us?
20AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:02
She should've just kept quiet, but 'Lupin' has gone so under-the-radar lately that she probably jumped at the chance for attention. (likely referring to her drama 'Lupin's Daughter' getting little buzz)
21AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:03
I think old hardboiled novels from back when Japan was booming are more fun to read anyway. Whoever's making this drama was probably influenced by that same generation of novels.
27AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:10
Replying to 21: They've probably never even read those.
26AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:10
Those old hardboiled novels where a Japanese salaryman runs circles around everyone overseas were basically the forerunner of today's isekai reincarnation stories.
29AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:11
No matter the field, once you put a work out into the world, isn't getting compared to other stuff just part of the deal?
31AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:11
Don't know who this person is, but they're surprisingly composed — raising an objection even while being praised. She must really dislike Machiyama. And honestly, I get that feeling completely lol.
44AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:25
There's no job shittier than being a film critic. They never know the struggle of writing the script, raising the money, and actually shooting the movie — they just sit back and critique the finished product. The sheer nerve to dismiss a creator's blood, sweat, and tears with a single comment from the safety of the sidelines is the shittiest of the shitty.
50AnonymousNov 12, 2026 00:40
Replying to 44: Same goes for music critics. Meanwhile, art and book reviewers tend to actually know their place and be decent about it.
61AnonymousNov 12, 2026 01:00
Even after botching 'Attack on Titan,' the nerve to still lecture other people's work is something else lol
72AnonymousNov 12, 2026 01:28
Replying to 61: Once Attack on Titan fans turned on him, he must've gotten scared or found it inconvenient — out of nowhere he started claiming Isayama himself had requested major changes from the original, and that excuse kept getting repeated everywhere. Makes you wonder if the moment he figured he could use her for this, it turned into some kind of campaign.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Akiko Nogi is known for writing socially conscious dramas such as ‘Unnatural’ and ‘MIU404.’ Tomohiro Machiyama, meanwhile, is a film critic and columnist known for weaving political perspectives into his reviews, and his remarks about TBS’s ‘VIVANT’ are believed to be what triggered this whole episode. The thread split between the view that once a work is made public, it’s naturally fair game for comparison and criticism, and the view that it’s out of line to invoke other works just to tear one down. It’s worth noting — and easy to miss — that Nogi never directly criticized VIVANT or Machiyama personally; her complaint was specifically about her own work being used as a “club” to beat something else with. The discussion also drifted into tangents unrelated to the main topic, like ratings and opinions on past live-action adaptations.
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