# 第十二回 VIVANT 悪役会議室

- Show: VIVANT 悪役会議室
- Published: 2026-10-11
- Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/6793030182_d18b6b8bcbd9.html
- Audio: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/TBS4731342542.mp3
- Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary.

The latest episode of the villain talk show VIVANT Akuyaku Kaigishitsu (悪役会議室) aired right after Season 2 Episode 20 of the TBS drama VIVANT, recapping Nogi's daring extraction of Kurosu, Takada, Hirose, and Kumagaya from the shooting range. The actor who played the presumed-dead Wada Mitsugu (和田みつぐ) joined as a guest to discuss the behind-the-scenes grind — including a brutal cut from a physique he had built for a separate production. Listener mail kept the question alive: is Wada really dead?

## What this episode answers

### What outcome did the prison-break operation in Episode 20 reach?

Nogi successfully extracted Kurosu, Takada, Hirose, and Kumagaya from the shooting range. Yamamoto witnessed the entire operation on the ground despite being caught in an explosion, and boasted that he had "memorized every route."

### Did Wada Mitsugu die in the drama, or is he still alive?

The official announcement states "Wada's angel is real," treating him as dead, but the cast member playing Gobi said he "doesn't believe it because he was already betrayed once," and multiple listener letters also cited evidence suggesting Wada may still be alive.

### What physical preparation did the actor playing Wada Mitsugu undergo for the role?

He had bulked up significantly for a separate production before Season 2, then had to cut back down to convincingly portray a captive who had wasted away — all while training hard on his upper body because he anticipated a shirtless scene in the torture room.

### Why was "Ton" called as a guest on the show?

Ton was one of the five-person group who kidnapped Kurosu on behalf of Shinshi (シンシー), making him a "genuine villain" whom Gobi summoned from the underworld. However, Ton had no lingering attachments and vanished from the show almost immediately.

### What evidence did listeners submit in support of Wada still being alive?

Listeners cited three points: Nogi was shown pressing his ear against Wada's chest; Kurosu only said "Wada is in the torture room" and never explicitly said "he died"; and around the 46-minute mark, Nogi appeared to pull a bag open from above in a way that suggested he was checking on a body rather than a corpse.

## Article

## Episode 20: The Extraction Operation Kicks Into High Gear

This episode was recorded immediately after the broadcast of Season 2 Episode 20. The episode depicted Nogi storming the shooting range and escorting Kurosu (クロス), Takada (高田), Hirose (広瀬), and Kumagaya (熊谷) to safety, while also attempting to bring Wada's body back to Japan. The cast were unanimous in their surprise: "We never thought things would move this fast this week." Some admitted they had been bracing for a more subdued cliffhanger — "I thought it would end on 'All right, let's go' and nothing more."

Yamamoto (山本), who has been trailing the Nogi team and staking out locations week after week, reported that he was caught in an explosion and sent flying — yet still claimed he had "memorized every route." Gobi (ゴビ) and Wanizu (ワニズ) rolled their eyes, but Yamamoto held his ground: "I always keep my word." The familiar chaos that defines Yamamoto's segments was very much on display.

## Guests From the Underworld: Ton and Wada Mitsugu

Gobi staged his usual theatrical summons, calling two guests from the afterlife this episode. The first was "Ton" (トン), one of the five-person crew who kidnapped Kurosu on Shinshi's orders — a bona fide villain by Gobi's standards. The invitation fell flat almost immediately: Ton had no lingering regrets and disappeared in seconds. Gobi offered a wry explanation: "Those with no attachments return to the underworld just as fast. You" — pointing at Yamamoto — "are the unusual one."

The second guest was the actor who played Wada Mitsugu, the character officially listed as dead. He showed no recognition when Gobi introduced himself as "Gobi Horlan, representative of Bere-El Takayama" — "Who? No idea" — but warmed up once he was told that Nogi had successfully freed Kurosu and the other three, and that his own body was en route back to Japan. "I understand. Thank you for holding on," he said. He eventually agreed, somewhat reluctantly, to stick around for the rest of the episode.

## "Is Wada Actually Alive?": Listener Mail

Several listeners wrote in with theories arguing Wada may have survived. Three main pieces of evidence were cited. First, there was a shot of Nogi pressing his ear against Wada's chest — the classic check for a heartbeat. Second, Kurosu only said "Wada is in the torture room"; he never said "Wada is dead." Third, around the 46-minute mark, Nogi was seen reaching down and pulling a bag open from above in a way viewers read as checking on someone still breathing, not simply retrieving a corpse.

The official position remains that "Wada's angel is real" — in other words, he is dead. But Gobi was unambiguous: "I was already betrayed once, so I don't believe the official line." The episode ended without resolving the question, even with the actor himself sitting in the room.

## The Actor Behind Wada Mitsugu on the Shoot

The actor described a stop-and-start production schedule: scenes set in the wax environment, scenes of being restrained at the shooting range — all shot in disconnected bursts over three to four months since Season 2 began.

The physical side was particularly demanding. He had put on significant muscle for a separate production, then had to reverse course for VIVANT Season 2 to believably portray a prisoner who had been starved and broken. "But I figured there might be a scene where I appear shirtless at the end," he said, "so I kept training as hard as I could — I wanted to look good even for just a moment."

He also acknowledged with disarming honesty that he had not been given the chance to do "anything that actually feels like a Beppin (別班) operative" throughout Season 2. Even so, he said he was genuinely happy when Gobi and Yamamoto told him, "Even with no lines, you look like no one but a Beppin." He added that Takada, Hirose, and Kumagaya all talk about exactly this feeling the night before studio sessions.

## Listener Mail: Shu's Threat and the Body-Bomb Theory

A listener calling themselves "Villain Patrol Naka-san" reported that Rinrin (リンリン) — the cast member who plays Shu (シュウ) — had commented on social media referring to this podcast as a "minor-villain meeting room" and promising to "upgrade it to an ultra-villain meeting room." Gobi and Yamamoto reacted with equal parts excitement and dread: "We're terrified, but we have no choice but to invite her." "I'll give up the leader's seat the second she walks in."

The Wada actor, who has worked alongside the actress who plays Shu, was candid: "When she's around, I genuinely start to get irritated. It took real effort to keep myself in check."

A separate listener raised a chilling possibility: what if a transmitter or explosive had been planted inside Wada's body, meaning Shinshi has a trap waiting when the remains arrive in Japan? The entire cast visibly shuddered.

## Takeaways

- Episode 20 brought the most tension-filled development of the season as Nogi successfully extracted Kurosu and three others from the shooting range.
- The actor who plays Wada Mitsugu appeared as a guest, opening up about the grueling process of cutting weight after building up for another production and candidly admitting he "couldn't do a single thing befitting a Beppin operative."
- Multiple listener theories — backed by specific scene evidence — suggest Wada may still be alive, and doubts persist in spite of the official announcement that he is dead.