Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 3 hrs ago
Chinese media criticize Japanese drama Vivant over its portrayal of Chinese agents
Chinese media have criticized Vivant, a Japanese spy drama, for showing Chinese agents torturing Japanese intelligence operatives.
The scenes include agents cutting off fingers and stabbing people, according to the criticism.
China's state broadcaster said the drama distorts the truth and wrongly attributes atrocities to modern Chinese characters.
The Global Times said the series had become a trending topic on Chinese social media, where some users called its portrayal openly anti-China.
The current season names China directly, unlike the first season, which set its story in a fictional country.
The dispute comes as China-Japan relations are strained over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about a possible Taiwan emergency.
The second season began airing in July, and Takaichi has said she recorded the show but has not watched it yet.
Chinese media have criticized the Japanese spy drama “Vivant” for its depiction of Chinese agents torturing Japanese operatives.
China Central Television said the drama distorted the truth and incited hostility by attributing wartime atrocities to modern Chinese characters.
The Global Times said the allegations that the drama smears China had become a trending topic on Chinese social media.
The series’ second season began airing in July 2026 and, unlike the first season, directly names China, according to a social media user quoted by the Global Times.
The criticism comes amid strained relations between China and Japan over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about a Taiwan emergency.
- Who
- Chinese state media, including China Central Television and the Global Times, criticized the drama.
- What
- They said “Vivant” portrays Chinese agents as torturers and smears China.
- When
- The Global Times reported on Monday, October 26, 2026; CCTV’s criticism was reported on Sunday.
- Where
- The criticism was reported in China and discussed on Chinese social media.
- Why
- Chinese media said the drama distorts the truth and attributes wartime atrocities to modern Chinese characters.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The first season of “Vivant” aired.
The second season began airing.
China Central Television criticized the drama for distorting the truth and inciting hostility.
The Global Times reported that allegations of the drama smearing China were trending on Chinese social media.
- Drama
- Vivant
- Production company
- Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS)
- Lead actor
- Masato Sakai
- First season
- Aired in 2023
- Second season
- Began airing in July 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
creating conflict and inciting hostility by distorting the truth and attributing these atrocities to modern Chinese characters
anti-China narratives in Japanese cultural entertainment have shed their disguise and become open