Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki

2015 – 2017Show4 seasons16 episodes

87
ExcellentGoodWatch score

A wholesome, wondrous documentary series about everyday modern life and a real life story.

Good for family movie night · friends night · teens

Where to watch

Set your services

Not streaming in United States. Where it is:

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Not for scares, brutality or laughs.

Shows with

Episodes

4 seasons · 16 episodes · best: S1E3 "Inio Asano" 9.4

Episodes

9.1
8.6
8.7
8.9

Story

Urasawa Naoki no Manben (Naoki Urasawa's Manga Exertions) is a TV Documentary airing on NHK Educational TV. It follows acclaimed mangaka Naoki Urasawa (creator of 20th Century Boys and Monster) as he sets out to break new ground for manga even further than he already has. In an attempt to educate viewers about manga and preserve the intricate craftsmanship and process of Japanese artists on video for future generations, he invites a manga artist to have their workplace filmed for a couple of days, so as to display them in the process of crafting chapters for their current serializations. After the footage has been shot, Urasawa meets with the artist and they discuss the footage, talking about the artist's workplace and workflow, the difficulties involved in the mangaka lifestyle, their reasons for drawing manga in the first place, and their perspective on the current industry and their own work.

Feels like

  • Manga Documentary
  • Creative Process Insight
  • Japanese Artistry
  • Educational & Informative
  • Artist Profiles
  • Craft of Storytelling
  • Behind-the-Scenes
  • Drawing & Illustration
  • Cultural Preservation

Cast

Facts

September 4, 2015 · March 23, 2017 · Ended

First aired
September 4, 2015
Last aired
March 23, 2017
Status
Ended
Length
4 seasons · 16 episodes
Genres
Documentary
Original language
Japanese
Made in
Japan
Available in
1 country

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki?"

Questions about Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki?

It streams in 1 other country, but not in the United States.

Is Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki worth watching?

87
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 87 (IMDb 9.2).

Which season of Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki is best?

Season 1, with an IMDb average of 9.1. Season 2 is the weakest at 8.6. The highest-rated episode is Inio Asano (season 1, episode 3) at 9.4, and the lowest is Reiko Shimizu (season 4, episode 1) at 8.4.

Is Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki okay for kids?

Yes: the viewing guide lists it for family nights.

How long does it take to watch Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki?

12 h

About 12 hours: 16 episodes in 4 seasons of about 45 minutes each, aired from 2015 to 2017.

Will I feel good after watching Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki?

BleakHopeful

Yes, it's an uplifting series: the title analysis rates it 7 of 10 for hopefulness and 7 for wholesome.

Is Manben: Behind the Scenes of Manga with Urasawa Naoki plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on dialogue centrality (9 of 10) and character depth (8 of 10) more than on its plot.