The Benza
The Benza | |
---|---|
Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | |
Directed by |
|
Starring |
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Theme music composer | Takahiro Nomiya |
Opening theme | "The Benza Theme" by Takahiro Nomiya |
Country of origin | Japan |
Original language | Japanese |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 7 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Jeff Cisneros |
Producers |
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Production locations | Nakano, Tokyo, Japan |
Running time | 20-35 minutes |
Production company | Tokyo Cowboys |
Distributor | Amazon Prime Video |
Release | |
Original release | April 9, 2019 |
The Benza is a Japanese web television comedy that premiered on Amazon Prime Video via Prime Video Direct in April 2019 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan.[1] It then premiered in Germany in July 2019. It is currently available in over 130 countries
The series follows Kyle (Kyle Card) and Chris (Christopher McCombs) as they try to figure out how their toilet seat (便座, benza) broke and prevent the end of the world. The six episode first season was filmed entirely on location in Tokyo, Japan by director Raito Nishizaka. The seven episode second season is anticipated to be released in December of 2021 and was directed by Raito Nishizaka and Michael Williams. The entire series was written by series creator Christopher McCombs.
History[]
"The Benza" began as a Japanese short film that was partially inspired by true events.[2] Pre-production began in early 2018 and the short film premiered in Tokyo, Japan on April 6 of the same year.[3] After receiving several awards from various film festivals around the world including Best Comedy at Mediterranean Film Festival in Italy, Rising Star for main cast Christopher McCombs and Best Pilot at Seoul Web Fest in 2018, Tokyo Cowboys received an offer from Korean mobile service KT mobile to create a series based on the short film.[4]
The series began shooting in September 2018 and wrapped filming in mid-December. Post production continued into mid-January 2019.[5]
Series creator Christopher McCombs said on UK news site Otaku News, ""The Benza" has been in the works for over a year and I am so happy we can finally sit back and enjoy it with everyone. It's so important to take a step back and laugh so that we can get back to the important things in life. "The Benza" is the perfect way to take a break, smile, and refresh." Lead actress Haku Inko added, "We set out to make an outrageous comedy and I think we did, but it's not finished until we hear your laughter. It's such a lovely idea that people all over the world might be laughing together about "The Benza.""[6]
Plot[]
Chris and Kyle are two Americans who share an apartment in Tokyo. They lived in peace and happiness until the day their toilet seat broke. This leaves them with questions such as what happened to their toilet seat? How does one say 'toilet seat' in Japanese? Where does one buy a toilet seat in Japan? These questions are explored by Chris and Kyle on their journey for answers.[7]
Episodes[]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Benza" | Raito Nishizaka | Christopher McCombs | April 10, 2019 |
2 | "The Benza 2: Final Benza" | Raito Nishizaka | Christopher McCombs | April 11, 2019 |
3 | "The Benza 3: Turbo Hyper Benza" | Raito Nishizaka | Christopher McCombs | April 30, 2019 |
4 | "The Benza 4: Championship Benza" | Raito Nishizaka | Christopher McCombs | May 7, 2019 |
5 | "The Benza 5: Fight For The Benza" | Raito Nishizaka | Christopher McCombs | May 15, 2019 |
6 | "The Benza 6: Grandmaster Benza" | Raito Nishizaka | Christopher McCombs | May 20, 2019 |
Cast and characters[]
Main[]
- Kyle Card as Kyle[8]
- Christopher McCombs as Chris
- Haku Inko as Inko-sensei
- Michiko Noguchi as Noguchi and Za
- Masahito Kawahata as Tamura
- Janni Olsson as Alena
- Lee Min Kuk as Lee
- Alexander Hunter as David (Season 2)
- Hannah Grace as Stephanie (Season 2)
- Kaori Ikeda as Kaori (Season 2)
Recurring[]
- Kosuke Imai as Kosuke
- Maria Papadopoulou as Maria (Season 2)
- Shizuka Anderson as Carol (Season 2)
- Maxwell Powers as Max (Season 2)
Reception[]
The Benza has been over all well received and maintains an over 4 point score on Amazon Prime Video in America, Germany, Japan, and U.K.
Sora News24 writer Master Blaster wrote, “Full of literal toilet humor and heart, this Amazon Prime series is a breath of fresh air.” Master Blaster continues, "But what really stands out about The Benza is that it depicts foreigners in Japan as normal people rather than the stereotypes we are used to seeing on Japanese TV." Speaking about the international cast he says, "With a nice balance of Japanese and foreign performers, the result is a series that is able to poke fun at each other without ever being demeaning."[9]
Spin-Off[]
In 2019, it was announced that "The Benza" receive a spin-off series called "Benza English".[10] Production began in late 2019, and the series was released in April 2020.[11] The series features minor characters from "The Benza" appearing in larger roles along with the original series' main cast, and is set in an English learning television show that takes place in the world of "The Benza".[12]
In 2020, a spin-off retro rpg video game called “The Benza RPG” was announced.[13] It was initially released for iOS platforms in October 2020 and takes place between “Benza English” and series two of “The Benza”. The player primarily plays as Chris and Kyle as they try to save Higashi Nakano from Inko Sensei and save Lee who has been kidnapped.[14]
Awards and Honors[]
The following are nominations and awards that have been earned by the cast and crew of The Benza' for series 1 in 2019:
Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Festigious International Film Festival[15] | Best Web Series | The Benza | Won |
Best Ensemble | The Benza | Won | |
Best Song | The Benza "Running Around" | Won | |
Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival[16] | Best Web Series | The Benza | Won |
Seoul Webfest[17] | Best Comedy | The Benza | Nominated |
Best Guest Star | Kaori Ikeda | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Janni Olsson | Won | |
Best Director | Raito Nishizaka | Nominated | |
Best Actor | Christopher McCombs | Won | |
Best Actress | Haku Inko | Nominated | |
Florence Film Awards[18] | Best Web/Television Award | The Benza | Won |
New Jersey Web Fest[19] | Best Duo | Christopher McCombs and Kyle Card | Won |
Best Theme Song | The Benza | Nominated | |
Best Fantasy Comedy | The Benza | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Haku Inko | Nominated | |
Cult Critics Film Festival[20] | Best Supporting Actor | Masahito Kawahata | Won |
Asia Web Awards[21] | Best Actor | Kyle Card | Won |
International Online Webfest[22] | Best Original Soundtrack | "The Benza" Series 1 Soundtrack, Takahiro Nomiya | Won |
The following are awards that have been earned by the cast and crew of The Benza during its short film iteration in 2018:
Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
---|---|---|
Festigious 2018 Best Duo [23] | Christopher McCombs and Kyle Card | Won |
Seoul Webfest 2018 Best Rising Star | Christopher McCombs | Won |
Seoul Webfes 2018 Best Pilot | The Benza | Won |
Comedy World Network Int. Film Festival 2018 Best Short Film | The Benza | Won |
MedFF 2018 Best Comedy | The Benza | Won |
Unko Film Festival 2018 Best Picture | The Benza | Won |
Asia South East-Short Film Festival 2018 Best Comedy | The Benza | Won |
References[]
- ^ "Watch The Benza". Amazon.com.
- ^ Sturdevant, Kayla (1 April 2018). "Tokyo Cowboys shoot for more diversity on Japanese screens". The Japan Times.
- ^ Caprio, Danny. "The Benza, interview with Award Winning cast for The Best Comedy MedFF 2018". The Blog DC (in Italian).
- ^ "2018 Award Winners". Seoul Webfest.
- ^ Naro, Ali (23 January 2019). "Tokyo Cowboys". Movies OVER The Rainbow.
- ^ "The Benza - A Comedy about a Quest for a Toilet Seat". Otaku News. 15 August 2019.
- ^ McCombs, Christopher. "THE BENZA". TOKYO COWBOYS (in Japanese).
- ^ Inc, Natasha. ""壊れた便座"巡る日本発のコメディ「The Benza」韓国の国際映画祭で2冠(コメントあり)". 映画ナタリー (in Japanese).
- ^ "Toilet-seat themed comedic-adventure The Benza breaks new ground for foreign talent in Japan". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 14 August 2019.
- ^ "実話に基づいた日本発のコメディ作品「The Benza」が韓国で開催された世界最大級のドラマ賞で主演男優賞と助演女優賞を受賞!". Excite News (in Japanese). 20 May 2020.
- ^ "'The Benza' proves that toilet humor is universal". The Japan Times. 20 May 2020.
- ^ "Benza English Cast". Tokyo Cowboys (in Japanese). 20 May 2020.
- ^ "Le RPG Benza apporte une action rétro gratuite aux appareils PC et iOS". 45secondes.fr (in French). Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ "The Benza RPG: Story". tokyo-cowboys (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ "JUNE 2019". festigious.
- ^ "WINNERS LIST" (PDF). Eurasia Film Fest.
- ^ "2019 Nominations". Seoul Webfest.
- ^ AWARDS, FLORENCE FILM. "July 2019". FLORENCE FILM AWARDS (in Italian).
- ^ "New Jersey Web Fest". New Jersey Web Fest. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Cult Critics Film Festival". Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Asia Web Awards". Asia Web Awards. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "International Online Webfest Winners and Nominees". International Online WebFest. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "WINNERS AUGUST 2018". Festigious.
External links[]
- 2019 web series debuts