What do you think?
Rate this book
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu (Manga) #3
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Volume 3
It's another day and another round of colorful customers at the Japanese-style pub "Nobu." Shinobu and company can contend with moody guild masters and a spy from a foreign land, but what about a wicked tycoon who threatens the very restaurant...?!
It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from - in this otherworldly slice-of-life story, patrons get treated to delicious flounder netsuke, potato salad, ajifurai... and a cold mug of "whatsontapp"!
It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from - in this otherworldly slice-of-life story, patrons get treated to delicious flounder netsuke, potato salad, ajifurai... and a cold mug of "whatsontapp"!
196 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2017
54 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 15, 2024
Just as good at the previous volumes!
I think that we see more of the world develop in this one. While I enjoyed the first two volumes, the stories in those felt less connected. This volume brings everything together and begins to show us how the connection between the two worlds exists. I’m excited to read the next volume because I’m sure we’ll get more insight to their back story.
I think that we see more of the world develop in this one. While I enjoyed the first two volumes, the stories in those felt less connected. This volume brings everything together and begins to show us how the connection between the two worlds exists. I’m excited to read the next volume because I’m sure we’ll get more insight to their back story.
December 24, 2022
The politics of this fantasy world is of very little interest to me, and this volume was largely concerned with that, and with... eel. The one time I had Japanese-style eel, I didn't enjoy either the texture or the flavor, but maybe I'd have liked it more if it was prepared differently, or if it was "just out of the river" fresh as it is here.
I suppose that Nobu's being an extradimensional establishment would exempt it from regional trade restrictions when it comes to specific food or drink. That's dealt with fairly quickly regarding the izakaya's "wattsontap" (Japanese pilsner), leaving the field clear for a new storyline in the next volume.
I suppose that Nobu's being an extradimensional establishment would exempt it from regional trade restrictions when it comes to specific food or drink. That's dealt with fairly quickly regarding the izakaya's "wattsontap" (Japanese pilsner), leaving the field clear for a new storyline in the next volume.
June 18, 2020
Herminaaaaaa!
I love all their customers and employees!
I love all their customers and employees!
April 17, 2021
I really like this volume the best because it's more plot driven. We see and learn more about Eiderech and the people living there. We see how Nobu has gathered them together inside their eatery as a community using food to comfort their souls and create more friendships between classes and different people. And when Nobu is in danger, the people work together to do everything they can to save it. My favorite volume so far!
March 20, 2021
This volume was a little more plot driven than the firs two. I like learning about how Shinobu and the Chief navigate the differences between their modern day life outside of the Izakaya and life in Eiteriach. Also I really wanted some unagi and tempera fried fish when I was all done.
August 21, 2025
Loved being back in this fantasy food world. Appreciated how food brings people together no matter the culture. The bad guy coming after Nobu and how that brought the community together was well done. I also loved bernholts wife and how happy they are! Good volume, will read more soon
October 3, 2020
I absolutely loved the volume. We get some conflict, some backstory, and a lot of fantastic moments between characters. The fact that so many of the regulars are not only customers but friends now makes this series so wholesome.
December 18, 2024
There's an amount I can't remember if this should be (high) fantasy or not, since the complaint I had about the series starting out is that there's SO MUCH emphasis on these people from another world enjoying modern Japanese food that there really isn't worldbuilding to speak of in the early chapters (that I haven't read since E.K. Weaver didn't start working on this series until this volume, doing the sound effects, though I did watch the anime and was moderately annoyed that they "cheated" by making half the show a live-action cooking and restaurant review show).
Well, this volume remedies some of that by making up for the worldbuilding quite a bit! Or, at least, getting more into some of the shady politics involved between the guilds and... contraband lager, the latter of which I still don't really get since I'm a teetotaller and would absolutely not understand the difference between lager and the ale they thought they were selling (which "the Chief" says is actually a pilsner—also news to me). [Also annoying, the fact that I STILL have to look up "the Chief's" name and only vaguely remember that "Nobu" is part of it, since NOBODY mentions it.]
I also found out literally just now that they made a live-action version of the show, too... huh. I mean, I guess it's easy enough to do, so why not?
Anyway, review! This is what would have hooked me from the beginning had it actually focused on that, instead of what felt like trying to sell Japanese food to... Japanese people?* Like, the first story is about my guilty pleasure (because eels are endangered) AND about changing people's prejudices ("eels are dirty mud fish that can't POSSIBLY taste good, eew"). Then there's a lovely story about the newlyweds and showing love through cooking! (This is more common as food becomes more prominent in a series, I think.) The rest of the book after that is the main event, though: A shady person accuses the izakaya of having smuggled lager (which... they wouldn't remotely need to do), so the restaurant is on the verge of being shut down and—at the worst—the owners executed. However, . So that's a VERY nice ending to the little drama!
There's also a fun follow-up where they not only poke fun at the whole incident but ALSO have a side story about "showing off" one's wealth by ! It's not the first time I've seen that story, but it's still a funny flex—especially when it's taking advantage of an accident, haha. I mean, if it works, it works!
So I think this is the one volume I would give a perfect five stars, because I don't think any of the other volumes (or anime episodes) were remotely as good. At best, they were on the level of the "spy" story in this one: Somebody comes in and is amazed by the food. Ooo, so original, like ALMOST EVERY STORY IN THIS SERIES. I don't know. I kept buying them to support E.K., but I can also just buy her stuff directly. I do really like this specific volume, though, so props to it!
*Another theory is that manga/anime turned the focus to food to EXPORT Japanese food to other countries, which... does make sense, but this series still leans a BIT hard into that—like how Tolkien wrote all those books to sell his made-up language.
Well, this volume remedies some of that by making up for the worldbuilding quite a bit! Or, at least, getting more into some of the shady politics involved between the guilds and... contraband lager, the latter of which I still don't really get since I'm a teetotaller and would absolutely not understand the difference between lager and the ale they thought they were selling (which "the Chief" says is actually a pilsner—also news to me). [Also annoying, the fact that I STILL have to look up "the Chief's" name and only vaguely remember that "Nobu" is part of it, since NOBODY mentions it.]
I also found out literally just now that they made a live-action version of the show, too... huh. I mean, I guess it's easy enough to do, so why not?
Anyway, review! This is what would have hooked me from the beginning had it actually focused on that, instead of what felt like trying to sell Japanese food to... Japanese people?* Like, the first story is about my guilty pleasure (because eels are endangered) AND about changing people's prejudices ("eels are dirty mud fish that can't POSSIBLY taste good, eew"). Then there's a lovely story about the newlyweds and showing love through cooking! (This is more common as food becomes more prominent in a series, I think.) The rest of the book after that is the main event, though: A shady person accuses the izakaya of having smuggled lager (which... they wouldn't remotely need to do), so the restaurant is on the verge of being shut down and—at the worst—the owners executed. However, . So that's a VERY nice ending to the little drama!
There's also a fun follow-up where they not only poke fun at the whole incident but ALSO have a side story about "showing off" one's wealth by ! It's not the first time I've seen that story, but it's still a funny flex—especially when it's taking advantage of an accident, haha. I mean, if it works, it works!
So I think this is the one volume I would give a perfect five stars, because I don't think any of the other volumes (or anime episodes) were remotely as good. At best, they were on the level of the "spy" story in this one: Somebody comes in and is amazed by the food. Ooo, so original, like ALMOST EVERY STORY IN THIS SERIES. I don't know. I kept buying them to support E.K., but I can also just buy her stuff directly. I do really like this specific volume, though, so props to it!
*Another theory is that manga/anime turned the focus to food to EXPORT Japanese food to other countries, which... does make sense, but this series still leans a BIT hard into that—like how Tolkien wrote all those books to sell his made-up language.
October 29, 2020
Not as good as Vol 1 -much better than Vol 2.
The stories are more connected here. There are a couple chapters on eels (and the eel line continues throughout the book). And a 3 chapter story on an evil politician tied into their Whatsontapp beer service.
I just ordered Vols 4 and 5.
The books are getting longer as more are published.
Eel/unagi is one of my favorites - some new ways to serve it here. I'm going to have to ask about them at my favorite local Asian/Japanese place!
The stories are more connected here. There are a couple chapters on eels (and the eel line continues throughout the book). And a 3 chapter story on an evil politician tied into their Whatsontapp beer service.
I just ordered Vols 4 and 5.
The books are getting longer as more are published.
Eel/unagi is one of my favorites - some new ways to serve it here. I'm going to have to ask about them at my favorite local Asian/Japanese place!
July 14, 2020
Loved how they added Hermina to the team of waitresses in this one, and how Berthold loves her cooking. The whole eel theme was also a good one. It’s great to see how much difference the Ikakaya makes in everyone’s life and I am glad they got to remain open.
Love the characters and how this series is drawn !
Love the characters and how this series is drawn !
July 13, 2024
I love this slice-of-life series. Of course I love stories about food (even if they always make me hungry and I can't necessarily find the food described near me), and this volume is particularly satisfying since it's a combination of new, short episodes, and a multi-chapter arc about the community that food has brought together doing what they can to keep their favorite magical izakaya open.
April 25, 2021
Nobu is put in danger when it turns out that 'whatsontap' might turn out to be lager that has been banned by the emperor.
These books are growing on me. I enjoyed seeing the townspeople pull together to save their favorite restaurant.
These books are growing on me. I enjoyed seeing the townspeople pull together to save their favorite restaurant.
March 15, 2020
The Izakaya that saved a small kingdom :)
August 2, 2020
Another fascinating volume in the series.
May 1, 2021
These just keep getting better!
April 2, 2022
Nobu encounters their first big threat but the community comes together to save the restaurant, and they get some very important visitors. This series is so wholesome, I love it.
October 27, 2022
Still just loving this!
June 20, 2023
It started ok, but then we had the DRAMA. I really loved it.
July 19, 2024
Watched the anime first, wanted to see more.
All these fried food can't be healthy though.
All these fried food can't be healthy though.
January 25, 2022
Nobu is a Japanese pub that mysteriously opened in the back alley of a fictional, medieval European town. The story almost exclusively takes place within the pub as we get to know its staff, and the new patrons with the guts to visit this peculiar location. Nobu is a pub with exotic food and drink, unlike any the citizens of this medieval European city have experienced....
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is a seinen manga based on a light novel series, Isekai Izakaya "Nobu." It's also been adapted into an ONA series (hello, Crunchyroll), and a television drama series.
This manga is hella fluffy, even the conflicts are light at heart and easily resolved. I love the sense of community and camaraderie. There are plenty of great characters, and we get to see them grow and change throughout the series. I like I’ve gained something with the completion of each volume… knowledge, a life lesson, or a sense of warmth.
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is informative on both a cultural and cooking front. It boasts Japanese, German, Italian, and French representation; I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and I expect more as the series progresses! The translation notes are a fantastic aid that I always enjoy digging into after finishing a volume.
If you like food based manga, or perhaps enjoy learning about other European and Japanese cultures, you’ll probably enjoy this series!
As for me, this is a series I plan to collect, though I am a bit sad that the more recent printings appear to be pretty different both the covers and the print paper.
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is a seinen manga based on a light novel series, Isekai Izakaya "Nobu." It's also been adapted into an ONA series (hello, Crunchyroll), and a television drama series.
This manga is hella fluffy, even the conflicts are light at heart and easily resolved. I love the sense of community and camaraderie. There are plenty of great characters, and we get to see them grow and change throughout the series. I like I’ve gained something with the completion of each volume… knowledge, a life lesson, or a sense of warmth.
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is informative on both a cultural and cooking front. It boasts Japanese, German, Italian, and French representation; I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and I expect more as the series progresses! The translation notes are a fantastic aid that I always enjoy digging into after finishing a volume.
If you like food based manga, or perhaps enjoy learning about other European and Japanese cultures, you’ll probably enjoy this series!
As for me, this is a series I plan to collect, though I am a bit sad that the more recent printings appear to be pretty different both the covers and the print paper.
May 7, 2019
very well assembled and an aesthetically pleasing book filled with a wealth of culinary and linguistic information.
there isn’t much of a plot but i am very interested in what the characters do with their lives.
a fun, light hearted read.
there isn’t much of a plot but i am very interested in what the characters do with their lives.
a fun, light hearted read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews