Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is a lighthearted fantasy manga about a modern day Japanese restaurant in a medieval European town. In the second volume there is much more character development, plus the introduction of the adorable character Effa.

The art is lovely and I love the detail put into all the dishes. I didn’t think a manga would be able to make me crave trying squid, but it definitely did!

3.5
This volume is basically the exact same as the first. An extremely laid-back story with a focus on Japanese food. It is a very cute way of introducing Japanese cuisine to someone who has zero experience with it. But nothing much is really going on with the story. We do have a new character added to the cast, but she's very much a minor character. The art style is still very cute. But I doubt I would have read this second volume if it wasn't for NG giving me an advanced copy for free.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the e-book copy!

This is the second volume in this series and I'm still enjoying the story. I read volume one a few months ago and was intrigued by the story since it reminded me of another series. This volume expanded the lore of the Izakaya and its staff as well as the addition of a new character. I would still recommend checking this series out if you like slice of life with a food element.

I liked book 2 better than book 1 I feel like we got to see more of the shopkeepers' story this time and the interactions between them and the people in the other world is definitely interesting. They even added a new adorable character in the shop who brings some cute life into the shop.

I want to thank Netgalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

I have read vol 1 thanks to netgalley not long ago and I really enjoyed it so I was very happy to be able to read vol 2, the same vibes continued through to this book and continued where it left off with a fantasy comfort vibes with food and giving some details about that food, which I highly enjoyed but as the story developed I started to love the serving girl and the little girl that we get to meet 😀. I see this as a good series to read that's fast Paced and with a comfort feeling.

As delightful as the first volume, and maybe more coherent, with focus on the people working at the pub. Food continues to be the main thing, making my mouth water. Not a life-changing story, but perfect for when you want something happy-making.

Another really cute volume in this series. But I do wish that they included the recipes at the end of the chapters. 3/5

I was a little surprised seeing this on netgalley as this volume has been out for a couple of years but I wasn't going to waste my chance to read it so I made sure to get a copy.

Going into this volume, I had not read volume one so I was curious if I would be able to follow the plot of the story without volume one. That being said, I have watched the anime on crunchyroll and the anime seemed to have followed the manga closely so it was easy to understand. This volume in particular was even part of the plot of the anime so I knew I was going to enjoy the story before reading it.

The plot itself was very enjoyable and easy to follow even if this is the only volume you pick up. They do a good job of giving a brief explanation of the world and how it works at the beginning and each chapter focuses on its own story. Each story choosing a food to focus on and letting the characters go on a short journey through that food. It gives off slice of life with fantasy elements. This makes it easy to enjoy in small chunks and easy to understand so the story is ideal for people with shorter attention spans.

One thing that did confuse me were the translations added in the margins or rather which words the editors chose to translate. We start of the story with walking into Nobu and being welcomed. The word 'irasshaimase'. I've read enough manga to understand this means welcome but some might not and having the chief behind her say welcome after might not be enough. I'd like the translations to be consistent. I also noticed that they didn't translate schnitzel right away but I'm guessing that is because they deemed it as a common enough food for people to recognize and that in a later chapter they use the our ignorance of that word for the plot. That being said, I loved the use of German words to describe the food from the fantasy world to show off more of a difference between the Japanese food. Helps things stand whimsical.

If I had one complaint about the plot though it was that watching the anime, I know how whimsical the story can be. It was probably just the plot that this specific volume decided to focus on, but I loved the idea of a door that magically appeared in random places and fed some of the strangest and most mystical of creatures like lost travellers and dragons. This volume shows Nobu situated in one location and it doesn't look like it will move. I like the recurring characters that comes from this but you can do that while still travelling.

So overall, I love the story and idea behind the manga but I don't think this volume in particular was my favourite. It could have been more whimsical for what it was. But the food is always good so I'm not complaining.

My Thoughts:
This is not a new manga, but it is a heart warming story of a magical izakaya in some German made up village. It is placed in a world where what is foreign and exotic for this town is not ridiculed as gross and different. Instead, in this seemingly secretive space, regulars find good food, cold drink and the ability to fellowship with enemies and superiors.

In this second volume the reader gets a look into the magic of the place and how the pub sits in one time continuum/place and the back door of the restaurant is a portal into a future Japan. Through the eyes of a young girl and would be water thief, the readers get a glimpse behind the Nobu curtain. This is perfect for young middles and upper elementary. Readers will understand that kindness and hospitality will go far. Here is a place where rivals can find more in common than what makes them different. In addition, behaving badly cuts you off from the goodies. Also, if you are in the middle of the continent, USA, try to find some of these Japanese foods. It will be an adventure.

From the Publisher:
Japanese-style pub “Nobu” is open for business in an odd, foreign world, and the ever-welcoming Shinobu and Chief are happy to serve up unusually tasty bar food to an array of strange customers. A little thief, an obnoxious messenger, and a pair of squabbling craftsmen are all ready to chow down! Kisu tempura, sashimi, omusoba, and shuto and more are on the menu... The delicious aromas of food and drink bring everyone together in this gourmet tale of humanity!

Publication Information:
Author: Natsuya Semikawa
Artist: Virginia Nitouhei
Translator: Caleb D. Cook
Publisher: Udon Entertainment (December 11, 2018)
Paperback: 180 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1772940688

Volume 2 of Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu continues in the same manner of the first one - a comfy restaurant in a fantasy world with fresh ingredients and cuisine that warms the heart and soul. This time we've got some new characters and some further backstory and depth on existing characters, but even if we didn't, this sort of story-by-the-chapter fare is nice and low key with delicious looking food.

Thank you to Udon Entertainment and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!

tl;dr
Characters and places from the first volume get fleshed out more, while retaining the pleasant low-drama story.

Thoughts
I called the first volume of this manga comfort food, and the second one follows in the same vein. Food illustrations remain a strong point, although I'd also like to call attention to how well the artist draws hands holding chopsticks. The chapters remain short, sweet, and digestible, with a mix of warmth and humor. The chapter about squid has an ending you can see coming from a mile away, and it still winds up being hilarious. But beyond the disconnected vignettes of vol. 1, we also see stories about recurring characters unfold. Characters have lives and dreams, and sometimes those lives intersect with others at a charming (and supernatural) izakaya. The introduction of a new staff member is a great decision - she's charming and determined, and the chapter where she visits "the other side" was especially fun. If you enjoyed the first one at all, this will charm and warm you just as much, if not more.

Semikawa somehow managed to make this volume more wholesome and adorable than the last! With a whole cast of new characters being brought in as well as our favorite soldiers from volume one Chief, Miss Shinobu, and their new Part Timer Effa are serving up pure joy one delicious dish at a time.

The only thing I don't recommended about this series is eating it when you're hungry!

As always thanks to Udon Entertainment and NetGalley for the eArc!

A delightful second installment in a fantastic isekai-type manga! I am falling more in love with the atmosphere of Izakaya Nobu with every volume I read. If this was a real izakaya I would be there every day for the delicious looking food, lovely staff, and wonderfully colourful regular visitors!