Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his 'Nabeshin' character.

Shinichi Watanabe (渡邊 慎一, Watanabe Shin'ichi^?) (born September 6, 1964) is a Japanese anime director. He is most well-known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi's Excel Saga, in which he appears as the character Nabeshin. In addition to his appearance in Excel Saga and Puni Puni Poemy, his likeness has also appeared as NB in Tenchi Muyo! GXP, Inu-Afro in Dotto Koni-Chan and in a bit role in Mahoromatic. In addition, an unmistakeable cameo of Nabeshin can be seen in Nurse Witch Komugi, although Watanabe had nothing to do with that project. More recently he has made an apperance in episode 32 of Hayate no Gotoku. Shinichiro Watanabe (渡辺 信一郎 Watanabe Shinichirō) is a Japanese director and writer. ... Original run April 3, 1998 – April 23, 1999 Episodes 26 Movie: Knockin on Heavens Door (天国の扉) Director Shinichiro Watanabe Writer Keiko Nobumoto Studio Sunrise BONES Bandai Visual[2] Released September 1, 2001 Runtime 115 min. ... Original run May 20, 2004 – March 19, 2005 No. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Mr. ... Serialized in Young King OURs Original run April 1997 – Present No. ... The anime OVA Puni Puni Poemy (ぷにぷに☆ぽえみぃ Puni Puni ☆ Poemii) is a frenetic spin-off from the popular Excel Saga animated series, featuring some of its secondary characters and many of its staff, primarily director Shinichi Watanabe. ... Tenchi Muyo! GXP ) is an anime spinoff of Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki. ... Koni Chan was an animated series that aired on 2000 in Japan and Korea as Dotto Koni-Chan and in Latin America as Koni Chan. ... Serialized in Comic GUM (COMICガム) Original run 1998 – 2004 No. ... Hayate the Combat Butler ) is a Japanese manga series by manga author Kenjiro Hata about a boy who starts a new job as a butler and the events he experiences with his employer. ...

Watanabe revealed that the nickname Nabeshin (which is a combination of "nabe" in Watanabe and "shin" in Shinichi) came to him from God.^[1]

As Nabeshin in Excel Saga and Nerima Daikon Brothers

Nabeshin (ナベシン), since he is based on the director, only appears in the anime version of Excel Saga, and the spin-off series Puni Puni Poemi. Nabeshin is a peculiar character, since he appears in two capacities - acting as a director, working on the show and often battling with Rikdo (in a parody of the conflict that original writers sometimes find themselves in when their work is adapted), and as a character in the fictional universe of the show, playing a role as a devil-may-care vigilante. His design is a combination of stylish cool and over-the-top absurdity; he wears Lupin the Third's suit and a gigantic afro out of which he can pull an endless supply of weapons. Nabeshin can be considered a parody of other directors who insert themselves into their shows to make themselves look cooler. Nabeshin (right) and Rikdo from Excel Saga This is a screenshot of a copyrighted movie or television program. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Woman with an afro at the Tribeca Film Festival For the Italian painter known as Afro, see Afro Basaldella. ... Self-insertion is a literary device in which the real author of a work of fiction appears as a character within that fiction, either overtly or in disguise. ...

As is the show's wont, nothing is ever really explained about Nabeshin, although it is hinted that he has a vast, complicated history. The series frequently features old allies and enemies of his, such as Space Butler XIII, Tetsuko, Red Beard and Antonio. He has had some prior encounters with the Puuchuu race, and he and Space Butler knew Hyatt and possibly Il Palazzo long before the events in Excel Saga. Nabeshin was involved in a dramatic battle at a location named Pogota (possibly after Bogotá), apparently involving That Man. Later in the series, Pedro and later his son Sandora are found to also have the "Power of the Afro", and Nabeshin becomes their partner in an offensive against That Man. Excel Saga is a comedy anime directed by Shinichi Watanabe and based on a manga series written by Rikdo Koshi. ... Hyatt is a fictional character in the Excel Saga animated series, and the manga upon which it is based. ... ACROSS: Il Palazzo (center), Hyatt (left), and Excel (right) Il Palazzo ) is the codename of a fictional character in the Excel Saga anime, and the manga upon which it is based. ... For other uses, see Bogotá (disambiguation). ... That Man is a fictional character in the Excel Saga animated series, named - or rather, not named - as such because he was originally only intended to have a brief walk-on part. ... Serialized in Young King OURs Original run April 1997 – Present No. ...

Nabeshin also appears as "Oya-san" (aka Pops), the rental store owner, in the musical comedy anime Nerima Daikon Brothers. Every episode he helps the three characters out of a predicament with a "rental," after they entertain him with a song. The Black Crook (1866) is considered the first musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Nerima Daikon Brothers , lit. ...

Nabeshin recently, made an appearance on Hayate the Combat Butler, notice that Excel Saga, and Nerima Daikon Brothers were on TV Tokyo. Hayate the Combat Butler ) is a Japanese manga series by manga author Kenjiro Hata about a boy who starts a new job as a butler and the events he experiences with his employer. ... Serialized in Young King OURs Original run April 1997 – Present No. ... Nerima Daikon Brothers , lit. ... The logo of TV Tokyo. ...

Works

Shinichi is the director of:

• éX-D: Danger Zone
• Excel Saga
• Goal FH
• Gravitation: Lyrics of Love
• Hare Tokidoki Buta (Tokyo Pig)
• Lupin III: Da Capo of Love: Fujiko's Unlucky Days
• Puni Puni Poemi
• Tenchi Muyo! GXP
• Dotto Koni Chan
• Nerima Daikon Brothers
• Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Known as The Wallflower in the US)

Serialized in Young King OURs Original run April 1997 – Present No. ... Gravitation (グラビテーション) is a shōnen-ai manga and anime series. ... Tokyo Pig, known in Japan as Hare Tokidoki Buta ) is a childrens literature and anime by Shiro Yadama. ... Lupin the 3rd and Lupin the third redirect here. ... Like Excel Saga, the Japanese anime serial Puni Puni Poemi (Japanese:ぷにぷに☆ぽえみぃ) is a wacky satirical parody. ... Tenchi Muyo! GXP ) is an anime spinoff of Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki. ... Nerima Daikon Brothers , lit. ... Serialized in Bessatsu Friend Original run 2000 – No. ...

Notes and references

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• A Fan's View - Shinichi Watanabe, Anime Convention Personality of the Week, June 27, 2004.
• 新装開店「もっとナベシンにもいわせろ！！」 - Shinichi Watanabe's website.
• Shinichi Watanabe's Thoughts on Anime Piracy - Video Clips of Shinichi Watanabe's Thoughts on Anime Piracy at Oni-Con 2007.