Shin'ichi Watanabe

Director and actor · Born September 6, 1964 (62) · Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Shinichi Watanabe (渡邊慎一 Watanabe Shin'ichi, born September 6, 1964) is a Japanese anime director and voice actor. He is best known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi's Excel Saga, in which he appears as the character Nabeshin. Watanabe stated that the nickname Nabeshin (which is a combination of 'nabe' in Watanabe and 'shin' in Shinichi) came to him from God. About his unique appearance (dressing similar to the character Arsène Lupin III) Watanabe said he grew out his afro and started wearing bright clothing in order to stand out and get attention.

Biography from TMDB.

Born: September 6, 1964 (62)
From: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Works as: Director and actor
Titles: 24 on MovieCove · 45 credits in all
Links: IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 30% in 30 days

What are Shin'ichi Watanabe's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight

Bonds

46%

Self

44%

Morality

Survival

Friendship3 Identity4 Coming of age2 Family bonds2 Romantic love2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Heroas Yusuke 'Bossun' Fujisaki in SKET Dance (2011)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful

Absurd

Thrilling

Romantic

Warm

Other

How their films linger

Fun5 Feel-good6

How their films end

Happy3
Bittersweet3
Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Shin'ichi Watanabe's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Crunchyroll (15).

Also on these channels

HIDIVE4 titles, show their 4 titles on HIDIVE
Midnight Pulp1 title, show their title on Midnight Pulp
RetroCrush1 title, show their title on RetroCrush

Subscription and free streaming for Shin'ichi Watanabe's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

45 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page.

The Fearsome Melody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Camera Production Assistant
Anne Shirley(2025)
Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Medalist(2025)
Show 10 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Sorairo Utility(2025)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Haigakura(2024)
Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Puniru is a Kawaii Slime(2024)
Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows
Protocol: Rain(2023)
Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows
Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and the Inexperienced Me(2023)
Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
16bit Sensation: Another Layer(2023)
Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows
Pokémon Horizons: The Series(2023)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!(2023)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
Management of a Novice Alchemist(2022)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows
I'm Quitting Heroing(2022)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows
The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!(2021)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all shows
Saikyou Kamizmode! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Show 5 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense(2020)
Show 5 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows
Assassins Pride(2019)
Show 3 episodes · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Prisma☆Phantasm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Storyboard Artist
Grand Blue Dreaming(2018)
Show 3 episodes · Storyboard
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Midnight Crazy Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Storyboard Artist
Un-Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Show 1 episode · Key Animation
C³: C Cube(2011)
Show Director
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
SKET Dance(2011)
Show Director · as Avec man
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Hayate, the Combat Butler(2007)
Show Director
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows
The Wallflower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Show 25 episodes · Director
Nerima Daikon Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Show 12 episodes · Director · Series Director · Storyboard Artist
Alice Academy(2004)
Show Director
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
Da Capo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Jyunanasai(2003)
Still Photographer
eX-Driver: Nina & Rei Danger Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Director
Tenchi Muyô! GXP(2002)
Show 26 episodes · Director · as NB (voice)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows
Puni Puni Poemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Show 2 episodes · Director · Series Director · as Shinichi 'Nabeshin' Watanabe (voice)
Dotto! Koni-chan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Excel Saga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Show 26 episodes · Director · Series Director · as Nabeshin (voice)
Lupin III: The Columbus Files(1999)
Director
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Gravitation: Lyrics of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Show 2 episodes · Director · Creator · Storyboard Artist · as Nabeshin
Tokyo Pig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Show 61 episodes · Series Director
Magical Project S (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Show 1 episode · Director
Beast City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Director · Producer
Beast City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Show 3 episodes · Director · Producer
Kodocha(1996)
Show Director
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows
The Brave of Gold Goldran (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Show 1 episode · Director · Storyboard Artist
Brave Police J-Decker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Show 1 episode · Director · Storyboard Artist
Super Real Mahjong: Mahjong Battle Scramble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Director
Super Real Mahjong: Kasumi Miki Shouko no Hajimemashite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Director

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles from 1990 to 2026.

Highest rated

Lupin III: The Columbus Files (1999)

Midcredits 58^th

Film career

1999Screen debut· Excel Saga

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting4 of 40Directing15 of 40Writing1 of 40Producing2 of 40Other crew30 of 40 · 35^th

40 titles, 9 with more than one role — other crew and directing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1990s11 · 2 acting · 11 crew2000s8 · 2 acting · 8 crew2010s5 · crew2020s16 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Who does Shin'ichi Watanabe work with?

People who share at least 2 of Shin'ichi Watanabe's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Keiichirô Kawaguchi shares the most, 2.