The Benza

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. It then premiered in Germany in July 2019. It is currently available in over 130 countries via Amazon Prime Video and Plex.

The series follows Kyle (Kyle Card) and Chris (Christopher McCombs) as they try to figure out how their toilet seat (便座) 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 was released in Japan via Amazon Prime Video in December 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. Pre-production began in early 2018 and the short film premiered in Tokyo, Japan on April 6 of the same year. 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.

The first series began shooting in September 2018 and wrapped filming in mid-December. Post production continued into mid-January 2019.

The second series of The Benza held its world premiere at MCM Comic Con Birmingham in November 2021 and held its domestic premiere in Tokyo, Japan at Nakano Zero on December 11, 2021.

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.""

Main

 * Kyle Card as Kyle
 * 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."

Spin-Off
In 2019, it was announced that "The Benza" receive a spin-off series called "Benza English". Production began in late 2019, and the series was released in April 2020. 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".

In 2020, a spin-off retro rpg video game called "The Benza RPG" was announced. 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. The Benza RPG is currently available for iOS and Android devices as well as for PC and Mac via Steam in Japanese and English. Plans for a Nintendo Switch port were announced by Christopher McCombs via Steam in December 2021.

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:

The following are awards that have been earned by the cast and crew of The Benza during its short film iteration in 2018: