‘Manben’ is a NHK documentary series hosted by renowned manga artist Urasawa Naoki ( Monster / 20th Century Boys / Pluto ) where he interviews other notable artists working in the Japanese comic industry. The title ‘Manben’ (漫勉) is a combination of the Japanese words ‘MANga’ and ‘BENkyo, the latter meaning ‘to study’.

This latest episode that has been uploaded onto NHK’s English channel ( September 2025 ) features none other than the legendary creator of AKIRA, Katsuhiro Otomo ! Urasawa talks at length with Otomo about one of his most important pieces of ( pre-AKIRA ) manga work, DOMU, with the master sharing many illuminating tools of the trade.

I am unable to embed the video directly into my post, but you can watch the whole episode here or click on the link via my twitter post below –

https://t.co/QBf1QRNPsG

— blauereiter (@blauereiter) September 14, 2025

If you are familiar with Otomo’s AKIRA but have not yet read DOMU, I really highly recommend it. It is truly a phenomenal piece of manga art without which IMHO Akira would not have been possible. The new OTOMO THE COMPLETE WORKS edition is excellent ( read my review here ) and hands down the best way to enjoy it, although your Japanese proficiency needs to be up to speed.

On a related note, I was able to visit the ‘“Manga That Nurtured Katsuhiro Otomo” exhibition ( see twitter post below ) during my Tokyo trip earlier this spring, but I’ve not yet had the time to write a more detailed post about it. It’s coming (soon) !

Visited the “Manga That Nurtured Katsuhiro Otomo” exhibition near Jimbocho book town. It’s a small exhibition, but there are lots of great insights on Otomo’s creative influences.
If I ever have the time, I might even try to translate them for Otomo fans to enjoy. ? pic.twitter.com/kL2gX2GYqD

— blauereiter (@blauereiter) May 16, 2025

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