TBS President Defends Against Accusations of National Targeting, South Korean Media Calls It a Recurring Issue

As reported by Japan’s *Tōsō Web* on October 29, Chinese media have issued strong criticism against the Japanese TV drama *VIVANT* broadcast by TBS. Faced with mounting anger from Chinese authorities, TBS President Ryōhō Masahiro hastily addressed the issue during a routine press briefing on the 28th, clarifying that the series is “a completely fictional entertainment work” and adding: “We did not intend to target or disparage any specific country.” South Korea’s *Kyunghyang News* and other outlets also noted that Japan has a history of such provocations, repeatedly stoking tensions with neighboring countries.

Since mid-October, criticism of the series has intensified on Chinese social media platforms. After October 25, major state-run media outlets in China began issuing formal statements expressing sharp disapproval.

A scene in the drama depicts members of a Chinese organization inflicting exaggerated physical torture—such as cutting fingers and stabbing the abdomen—on Self-Defense Forces personnel. This portrayal draws on historical allegations of wartime atrocities committed by Japanese military forces against the Chinese people, while simultaneously idealizing Japan’s Self-Defense Forces as morally upright.

Starting October 25, leading Chinese media published official statements condemning the content: “Deliberate defamation of China! How absurd is a Japanese drama like *VIVANT*, which falsely attributes past Japanese military brutality to Chinese people?”

The controversy has extended to South Korean media. On October 28, *Kyunghyang News* reported: “Incidents of Japan deliberately provoking neighboring nations continue to emerge.” The article referenced a Japanese film depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in which the assassin was portrayed as a South Korean sniper. The inclusion of politically sensitive topics in Japanese films and television productions has sparked unnecessary diplomatic friction with neighboring states.

Taiwanese media have also detailed the intensity of mainland China’s reaction, noting that tensions between China and Japan have remained elevated since Sanae Takagi’s remarks on “Taiwan’s potential crisis.”

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880336613026891/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.