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xosharkc's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4.00 - Very Good
Lovely facial expressions that are loyal to the joy of eating food. Descriptive narrative paired with a soothing flow of words. Relatable characters who pulled at my heart strings. Richly inquisitive portrayals of dining. Magical moments shared that bring a smile to my face. Cozy and light-hearted. Predictable plot.
Lovely facial expressions that are loyal to the joy of eating food. Descriptive narrative paired with a soothing flow of words. Relatable characters who pulled at my heart strings. Richly inquisitive portrayals of dining. Magical moments shared that bring a smile to my face. Cozy and light-hearted. Predictable plot.
damianameade's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
An adorable cozy fantasy story about a Japanese restaurant (with portal to another place?) opening in a medieval German fantasy town. The location is cold, contains a training military, and there's mentions of extortion from nobility in the form of taxes, fighting outside of the city, and lack of fresh food or very good food in the city itself. This restaurant not only is strange in that the signage is in another language and the windows are glass but the food is like nothing else available. The visitors come looking for a good meal, some ale, and a moment to relax. They leave with full stomachs, impressed by the new food, and often with a changed outlook on life in general.
If you like cozy, slice of life stories centered around food and how it effects people, this is for you.
Be sure to read it with a snack ready because the images and descriptions of food will make you hungry.
If you like cozy, slice of life stories centered around food and how it effects people, this is for you.
Be sure to read it with a snack ready because the images and descriptions of food will make you hungry.
megan_danyelle's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
nightshade_novels's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I got this book for free via NetGalley for a review.
This story is based around a Japanese style pub in a medieval European city. The pub gets a variety of customers who come to try its exotic food and drink.
I picked this one up as it sounded like a really fun premise. It is very good orientated with half the illustrations showing the different dishes. It is highly likely to make you hungry and desperate to try some of the tasty-looking Japanese dishes.
The world building is interesting as you don't get to see much beyond the pub itself but there are little glimpses of the city beyond. And there are hints that the pub is not quite what it seems dropped throughout the volume. From fresh ingredients that shouldn't be available in this European city, to backstreets beyond the pub's kitchen that don't seem to match those of the city.
The characters are varied and fun to get to know as new ones are introduced in each chapter. The character development isn't very deep since you see them for such a short amount of time, but you get given just enough information about them, their situations and past to feel like they are well rounded people.
There is little ongoing plot, as each chapter is very episodic, although there are a few characters that you see popping back into the pub again.
The art style was good and all the different food dishes are especially well drawn.
Overall this was a fun, light read, and I'd be happy to pick up a couple more volumes at least in this series.
This story is based around a Japanese style pub in a medieval European city. The pub gets a variety of customers who come to try its exotic food and drink.
I picked this one up as it sounded like a really fun premise. It is very good orientated with half the illustrations showing the different dishes. It is highly likely to make you hungry and desperate to try some of the tasty-looking Japanese dishes.
The world building is interesting as you don't get to see much beyond the pub itself but there are little glimpses of the city beyond. And there are hints that the pub is not quite what it seems dropped throughout the volume. From fresh ingredients that shouldn't be available in this European city, to backstreets beyond the pub's kitchen that don't seem to match those of the city.
The characters are varied and fun to get to know as new ones are introduced in each chapter. The character development isn't very deep since you see them for such a short amount of time, but you get given just enough information about them, their situations and past to feel like they are well rounded people.
There is little ongoing plot, as each chapter is very episodic, although there are a few characters that you see popping back into the pub again.
The art style was good and all the different food dishes are especially well drawn.
Overall this was a fun, light read, and I'd be happy to pick up a couple more volumes at least in this series.
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
‘Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Volume 1’ by Natsuya Semikawa with art by Virginia Nitouhei is a manga about a medieval town with a strange new pub.
Rumors abound about a new pub that serves cold beer and unusual food. Two soldiers who are tired of the usual fare of potatoes, are treated to a new dish. A little girl who is a picky eater, gets surprised by something she actually wants to eat to the delight of her caretaker. These are just a few of the encounters in this first volume.
I like this series about an unusual bar showing up in an unexpected place. The stories are charming and the premise of a meal unexpectedly made to meet a need is really good. The art is also nice as well.
Rumors abound about a new pub that serves cold beer and unusual food. Two soldiers who are tired of the usual fare of potatoes, are treated to a new dish. A little girl who is a picky eater, gets surprised by something she actually wants to eat to the delight of her caretaker. These are just a few of the encounters in this first volume.
I like this series about an unusual bar showing up in an unexpected place. The stories are charming and the premise of a meal unexpectedly made to meet a need is really good. The art is also nice as well.
lattes_lipstick_literature's review against another edition
4.0
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Hello Fellow Readers,
There's just something about mangas that feature food that just calls me to read them. They are always entertaining and leave me nothing but hungry, relaxed, and happy. There's always this wholesome feeling when sharing a good food story with others and seeing the characters appreciate and enjoy the (fictional) food. In Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu the characters find comfort and pleasure as they eat and it is delightful to read, but also a bit wonderous. It isn't hard to tell that the restaurant and food are from modern-day Japan, but the customers were of European descent from the past. How did this come to be and are we going to meet others from different areas and times? of course, this is the first book so it's mostly to introduce the shop, but I would eventually love to learn the answer to these questions.
twicomb's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A tasty treat of a book. This charming manga imagines how townspeople might react if a traditional Japanese restaurant opened in a medieval German town...and features every dish in delectable detail (black & white only, unfortunately - I wish this had been in color, although I might have actually drooled on the pages if it were!). Trust me when I say to do some Yelp research before you read this, and find a traditional Japanese restaurant near you, because you will *desperately want* all of dishes shown in this manga. I know I sure do. Bonus points because I'm not usually a manga reader, but this one won me over in just a few pages, and kept me engaged all the way through. I was tickled to see that there are many more volumes in the series. I'll be watching for those.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
jamiebrito's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for an arc of this. This is one of my favorite anime, so it was interesting seeing how similar yet different the manga is. I enjoyed the illustrations as well.
jkenna1990's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a good manga! I'm a sucker for anything to do with food so this one was right up my alley. I loved that all of the characters each had their own woes and that the food at Nobu was able to help each of them in a different way. I will definitely be reading the next volume!
cookeebookee's review against another edition
4.0
Such an adorable read! I’m so happy I found a food manga that I enjoyed. Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu takes the simplicity of a Japanese pub and turns it on its head by placing it in a medieval town of the past. I mean??? What? I enjoyed the nuances of the cross cultural engagement and the shock of the townspeople at the new dishes they ate. After being a bit turned off by Food Wars, Nobu hit the right spot.