The long-awaited second season of the hit TBS drama VIVANT premiered on July 26, 2026, and the first episode already had fans buzzing with an incredible lineup of voice actors. Alongside previously announced guests Hanae Natsuki and Kito Akari, surprise appearances by Takayama Minami and Seki Tomokazu sent social media into a frenzy. Here is a breakdown of each role and the reactions from viewers.
What is VIVANT?
First airing in July 2023 on TBS’s “Nichiyou Gekijou” (Sunday Theatre) slot, VIVANT follows Nogi Yusuke (played by Sakai Masato), an ordinary employee at trading company Marubeni Shoji, who gets caught up in a 13-billion-yen wire transfer error that leads him to the Central Asian nation of Balka. As he tries to recover the money, he meets Nozaki Mamoru (Abe Hiroshi) of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Security Bureau and doctor Yuki Kaoru (Nikaidou Fumi) from a global medical organization, and is drawn into a worldwide conspiracy. Nogi is far from an ordinary office worker, and the spy adventure is packed with twists and turns. The drama won the Grand Prize in the Continuous Drama category at the Tokyo Drama Awards 2024 and multiple major awards at the 117th Television Drama Academy Awards, becoming a social phenomenon. The second season began its two-cour run on July 26, 2026.
Hanae Natsuki & Kito Akari: News Anchors
Hanae Natsuki, who voices Kamado Tanjirou in Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Kito Akari, who voices his sister Nezuko, appeared together in live-action as news anchors. Hanae had already appeared in season 1, and Kito’s addition for season 2 was announced beforehand, drawing attention as the “Kamado siblings” made their live-action debut. The two appeared about six minutes into the episode when Nogi turns on a TV in what appears to be a safe house for the “Betsuban” (special unit). Hanae wore a suit while Kito was dressed in white, both reading the news. Fans who had been eagerly awaiting their appearance flooded social media with comments like “Not just voices but live-action!? Thank you!”, “Nogi’s office with those two in the background is too luxurious”, and “Akari-chan looks great as a newscaster!”.
Takayama Minami: Voice of AI Hayato
The voice of the new character “AI Hayato” was provided by Takayama Minami, best known as the voice of Edogawa Conan in Meitantei Conan and Rantarou in Nintama Rantarou. This marked Takayama’s first appearance in a Sunday Theatre drama. AI Hayato is a supercomputer that appears in a room where Nogi is summoned by Betsuban commander Sakurai Satomi. Under Sakurai’s instructions, it analyzes vast amounts of data at incredible speed, establishing itself as the “brain of the Betsuban.” Takayama’s name was not in the opening credits, leading to speculation on social media: “Who is Hayato’s voice?”, “Is it Tanaka Mayumi?”, “Maybe Seki-san? No, that doesn’t sound right…”. However, many viewers quickly identified her, saying “Hayato’s voice sounds just like Conan-kun lol” and “It’s too Conan lol”. After the broadcast, the official account revealed that Takayama Minami was indeed the voice of AI Hayato, and Takayama herself commented, “I’m not in human form, but I’m happy to be able to speak as a member of the Betsuban.”
Seki Tomokazu: Police Radio Voice
The voice of the police radio was provided by Seki Tomokazu, known for roles such as Honekawa Suneo in Doraemon and Shinazugawa Sanemi in Kimetsu no Yaiba. His name appeared in the opening credits, prompting viewers to wonder “Where will he appear!?”. The police radio scene occurred around 27 minutes into the episode, when the Public Security Bureau is tailing Nogi. While some viewers noticed, many were surprised by how natural it was, with comments like “I didn’t notice!”, “Where was he?”, and “That police radio with the great voice was Seki-san?”. After the broadcast, director Miyazaki Youhei posted on X (formerly Twitter), “I asked Seki Tomokazu-san to do the police radio voice.” Seki himself replied, “Thank you for a fun recording session!”.
Star-Studded Voice Cast Continues to Impress
While the appearance of the Kamado siblings was announced in advance, Takayama Minami’s surprise appearance caused a stir on social media. Since season 1, Megumi Hayashibara—who voices Haibara Ai in Meitantei Conan—has been providing the voice of the drum phone and narration. This led to comments from Conan fans like “It’s Conan and Haibara!” and “Even though it’s TBS, I thought of NTV lol”. Furthermore, Seki Tomokazu also appeared, and in episode 4 of the side story Drum: VIVANT THE ORIGIN STORY (streaming on U-NEXT), Ootani Ikue—known as the voice of Pikachu in Pokémon and Chopper in ONE PIECE—voiced Jamine’s phone. Ootani also voices Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko in Meitantei Conan, meaning that VIVANT now features main cast members from both Kimetsu no Yaiba and Meitantei Conan. Fans of voice actors were thrilled, with comments such as “The way they use voice actors is too luxurious…”, “The three main Kimetsu no Yaiba cast members in minor roles is such a luxury lol”, and “Is there a theory that amazing voice actors will appear every week?”. With season 2 now underway, viewers are eager to see if these voice actors will have more scenes and if new cast members will join.
■日曜劇場『VIVANT』番組概要
放送日時：毎週日曜21時～21時54分
製作著作：ＴＢＳ
【スタッフ】
原作・演出・プロデュース：福澤克雄
プロデューサー：飯田和孝
【キャスト】
堺 雅人、阿部 寛、二階堂ふみ ほか
（C）TBS
