Caution: Food Puns Ahead
Food is good. So is manga. A manga about food? Yes, please! There’s a veritable buffet of popular anime and manga series about food: Food Wars!, Restaurant to Another World, Toriko, Delicious in Dungeon, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? are just a few that come to mind. Before you decide what to put on your plate, allow me to tell you about another delicious dish Udon Entertainment will bring to the U.S. manga table on September 18th: volume 1 of Otherwordly Izakaya Nobu.
Nobu (as it will be referred to moving forward) is based off of a light novel series of the same name written by Natsuya Semikawa, with character designs by Kururi. It was eventually adapted into a manga with art by Virginia Nitōhei. Nitōhei has also contributed her artwork to two Manga Classics titles: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe, and Dracula (set to be released September 1st). The manga was serialized in Japan in the seinen manga magazine Young Ace starting in 2015. At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International, Udon Entertainment announced it had licensed the manga for U.S. release. The series also got an anime adaptation this spring, which is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Nobu takes place in a fictional, medieval German village called Eiteriach. Rumors of a mysterious pub with amazing food and drink bring an array of characters, from common soldiers and merchants to wealthy aristocrats, to its back-alley doorway. Each chapter has new characters trying new dishes with an ever-growing sense of humor, warmth, and fun. Where did this mysterious pub come from, and how did it end up in this fantasy town? It’s hard to say for now. This is volume 1, an aperitif to what is sure to be an exquisite meal of a series.
How is it?
There is something exceedingly entertaining about watching other people eat and enjoy good food. I can’t tell you how many YouTube videos I’ve watched of people trying different kinds of food. You recognize those wide eyes and satisfied smiles because, chances are, you’ve had a similar experience. All the manga I’ve seen and read have taken that experience and magnified it in a way that makes it even more tangible for their audiences. Despite the numerous foodie series out there, each one has an entertainment factor hinging on that experience recognition, and Nobu is no exception.
Volume 1’s chapters are their own individual stories that sometimes weave into one another, but only lightly. We start out following two soldiers, followed by one of these soldiers bringing in his commanding officer. Next, it’s a rather snobby tax collector, followed by a stubborn 12-year-old heiress. After that, it’s two young merchants, and then it finishes off with our two young soldiers again. Seeing new faces with each chapter, mixed with characters we get to know a little better makes it feel like you yourself are a new customer in Nobu slowly becoming a regular. It’s not a new way of writing by any means, but the setting of a restaurant adds to the atmosphere and makes it easier to slip into the world of the story.
Each chapter follows a similar formula: new person comes in, isn’t sure of all the strange decor and/or food, tries the food, and loves it. You’d think this would get a little monotonous, but it’s not. It always manages to be rewarding, like comfort food. If I had to describe this series in two words, that’s what they’d be: comfort food. Watching each character try and love the food is always rewarding. I even found myself laughing out loud a lot, especially during the chapter that features the tax collector trying spaghetti. Spaghetti is life.
A Feast for the Eyes
The shining star of this book, the signature note that makes this brings everything together and makes this book a real winner, is the artwork. Virginia Nitōhei is an exceptional manga artist. Her skills in character work and attention to detail bring out the absolute best in this story. Though the original character designs are not her own, Nitōhei took Kururi’s concepts and gave them such vibrant life. Each character is a joy to look at. They have a softness and warmth that draws the reader’s eyes in. You want to drink them up. And their faces of joy and delight when savoring a first bite are the cherry on top.
Another impressive accomplishment is making the food look so delectable in black and white. Confession: the thing that kept me from reading manga at first was I just couldn’t imagine how the stunning imagery Japanese art styles are known for could be nearly as impressive without color. I have long since learned that a skilled manga artist can give their audience plenty of splendor without the full rainbow. Nitōhei is definitely one of those artists. She recreates the visual beauty of each dish, making them look beautifully appetizing. Like every Nobu newbie, my worries for the food were quickly abated.
When I first got this book, I thought I’d read it the next day. I casually glanced at the first couple of pages, but it drew me in so much that I ended up reading the whole book from cover to cover. I found myself smiling the whole time, and felt happy and refreshed by the end. And like every customer and Nobu, I want more. This first volume of Otherwordly Izakaya Nobu is an excellent start to a fun feel-good series. If you want to pre-order a copy of volume 1, check it out at Rightstuf, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
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