Episode 16 of the TBS Radio program VIVANT Akuyaku Kaigishitsu (VIVANT: Villains’ Conference Room), streamed on Sunday, November 8, 2026, has become a hot topic among fans after voice actress Hayashibara Megumi — who voices Drum’s smartphone assistant and provides narration throughout the series — made a guest appearance and dropped a surprise Detective Conan reference that sent listeners into fits of laughter.

About VIVANT

VIVANT is a TBS drama that premiered on July 16, 2023, in the prestigious Sunday Drama (日曜劇場) timeslot. Sakai Masato stars as Nogi Yusuke, an ordinary employee at a major trading company who is drawn into a globe-spanning spy adventure after a mistaken wire transfer of 13 billion yen sends him to the Central Asian Republic of Balka. Along the way he encounters Nozaki Mamoru (played by Abe Hiroshi), a Metropolitan Police Department public security officer, and Yuzuki Kaoru (played by Nikaido Fumi), a physician with a world medical organization.

Season 2 launched on July 26, 2026, running for two consecutive cours. Following the Season 2 finale on November 8, a theatrical film was announced for release on December 4, 2026, generating enormous buzz.

The Villains’ Conference Room Radio Show

Running alongside Season 2, TBS Radio has been streaming VIVANT Akuyaku Kaigishitsu, hosted by three villains who were eliminated by Nogi in Season 1: Yamamoto (played by Sakoda Takaya), Wanizu (played by Kawauchi Yamato), and Gobi (played by Baba Toru). Gathering from the underworld and prison, the trio monitors the events of Season 2 in real time and plots new schemes based on reports from “listener spies.”

The Conan Moment That Broke the Internet

Episode 16, released after the Season 2 finale, featured special guests Miyashita Kyoko — who plays Xinsi boss Han Linxin (樊林杏) — and Hayashibara Megumi, who joined via voice only.

When Yamamoto asked whether the voice cast ever talked among themselves about the drama, Hayashibara replied, “VIVANT has so many secrets, so I can’t say much.” But she immediately followed up: “But I did talk with Hayato. Hayato is a great detective, you know. He can solve all kinds of cases.”

The remark sent fans into an uproar. The AI character Hayato in Season 2 is voiced by Takayama Minami, the long-running voice of Edogawa Conan in the anime Detective Conan (Meitantei Conan). Hayashibara herself plays Haibara Ai in the same series, making her quip a perfectly layered in-joke for Conan fans everywhere.

Reactions flooded in online:

• “Teasing the great detective lol”
• “‘Hayato is a great detective’ is way too powerful a line”
• “For Conan fans this is absolutely perfect (laughing)”
• “Conan and Haibara chatting about VIVANT is hilarious”
• “The staff laughter in the background was the loudest I’ve ever heard”
• “As both a voice-acting fan and a Detective Conan fan, I was absolutely dying”

Sharp Wit Delivered in Full AI Voice

Hayashibara’s comedic timing also drew widespread praise. When a director instructed her to “speak more quietly,” she shot back: “It’s a smartphone — just turn the volume down.” The villains erupted in laughter. Remarkably, she delivered the punchline while maintaining her AI voice character throughout, earning comments like “Hayashibara-san’s humor is on a completely different level,” “Megu-san was totally in the zone — so funny!” and “She kept that voice and still landed the joke — incredible.”

Live Event and Upcoming Film

The fun continues beyond the radio show: a live event gathering the villains is scheduled for Monday, December 7, 2026. With the VIVANT theatrical film hitting cinemas on December 4, fans are eagerly anticipating what new behind-the-scenes stories will emerge — and how AI Hayato and Drum’s voice will feature on the big screen.

Series Information

Sunday Drama VIVANT

• Produced by: TBS
• Original story / Direction / Producer: Fukuzawa Katsuo
• Producer: Iida Kazuyuki
• Main cast: Sakai Masato, Abe Hiroshi, Nikaido Fumi, and others