The second season of TBS's Sunday Theater drama "VIVANT," starring actor Masato Sakai, kicked off its first episode (Episode 11) on the evening of July 26. And guess who made a surprise cameo? None other than legendary game creator Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind the "Metal Gear Solid" and "Death Stranding" series! His on-screen transformation was so drastic, many fans couldn't even recognize him, sparking a frenzy of discussion among viewers.
Episode 1 of the second season immediately plunged viewers into high-stakes drama. Five members of the "Beppan" special unit, involved in an infiltration mission against the "Tent" organization, were suddenly abducted by unknown assailants. This included Shun Kurosu, played by Tori Matsuzaka, who fought alongside Nogi in the first season.
According to investigations by the Beppan's supercomputer, "AI Hayato," the five members were transported via cargo planes to various locations worldwide, including Israel and Turkmenistan. In the hunt for the mole who leaked the abduction intel, surveillance footage revealed several suspects. And among them, playing the role of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ken Watanuki, was none other than Hideo Kojima himself!
(Side note: The voice of the supercomputer "AI Hayato" in the drama is provided by Minami Takayama, who famously voices Conan Edogawa in "Detective Conan.")
As one of the world's most recognizable game creators, Hideo Kojima is famous for his signature glasses and beard combo. But for "VIVANT," he ditched the specs, shaved the beard, and sported a slicked-back hairstyle – a total transformation that left many fans scratching their heads!
After the episode aired, Kojima himself took to X (formerly Twitter) to spill the beans: "I made a cameo in Episode 11 of TBS's Sunday Theater drama 'VIVANT.' I took off my glasses, slicked back my hair, and challenged myself to act in costume. However, the production team thought I looked 'too young' for a Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and 'in reality, hardly any police commissioners have beards,' so they even used CG to further refine my appearance. See if you can spot me!"
▼ Hideo Kojima shared his look from the cameo.
Netizens flooded social media with comments like: "No glasses, completely different hairstyle – absolutely unrecognizable!" "There's no way anyone could've found him!" "I confirmed his name in the credits, but after watching the whole episode, my wife and I were still debating, 'Where did he even appear?'" "Without the beard, he seriously looks like a completely different person."
