Ratings Rise but Vivant Season 2 Draws Heavy Criticism

Beijing, Oct 29

Japan's TBS has aired Season 2 of the drama Vivant, and the series has maintained high ratings since its release. However, the storyline has been described as strikingly absurd by critics who have examined its content.

The critics highlight a central comparison in the show between a purportedly outdated Chinese intelligence group and Japan's modern intelligence service. In one set of scenes, a Chinese agent tortures a Japanese agent by cutting a finger and inserting a needle into the stomach. These methods, the critics say, resemble those employed by Japanese troops against Chinese patriots in the past.

The critics argue that the drama presents white as black and intentionally fuels hostility. They also charge that it quietly softens Japan's maritime military actions overseas, creating ambiguity around the boundaries of its Self-Defense Forces.

According to the same critics, Japan's Foreign Ministry has spent 5,600 crore yen on overseas strategic information efforts since 2015. They say the spending aimed to tarnish China's reputation and reshape historical accounts.

The critics also point to remarks by former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who recently stated that China has no question of occupying Japan. They stress that Japan's war caused the deaths of millions. Without open scrutiny of such views, they warn, Japan's possibility of resuming war cannot be ruled out, especially if these views are buried under industrially or commercially produced falsehoods.