First Manga Chapter Impression: Isekai Shokudou

Synopsis

In a small corner of a shopping district near a business centers there lies a restaurant known as the “Yōshoku no Nekoya” (Western Cuisine Cat Restaurant). From Monday to Friday, this is simple restaurant with a large amount of loyal business customers. But when Saturday arrives and the clock strikes midnight, a change comes over to the door of the restaurant. The door is in fact a gateway to another world and act as a passage to all kinds of colorful customers,from an old mage, to elves, and even a mermaid, each one has a story to tell.

The Good

Chaos, in the best way possible is what defines this manga from its anime adaptation. As a work that is set in a restaurant that is able to travel to a different world and attract different customers, you would expect the place to be packed half the time. This is where the manga work takes shine. While there are plenty of customers with interesting designs to them set around the scene, the general style for each panel manages to keep things focused on the main character of the chapter.

On the note of designs, there are some clear differences to the work in comparison to many other modern designs. Things such as the general designs of the characters to the little details going on in the background to put imagery to the character’s thoughts on the food makes for a fun visual spectacle. Then there are the smaller things such as the door seeming to actually be alive and how certain panels take focus on how exactly the character is enjoying her food that makes for a fun perspective unique to the manga.

The overall story still holds interest and the general idea for the character that was taken focus on was interesting as well. So more than the general art style and the little details that were placed in, the face that the manga was able to insert so much personality into its story in just one chapter along with a dash of mystery is commendable.

The Bad

Being a slice of life fantasy work only on its first chapter, harsh judgements may be best placed for around the fifth above chapter. But there are some things to note on which could have made the work better than it was. The first is that while it is clear that the scenes when the character is trying out the food for the first time could have been more expressive. While the close up shots are nice, some may consider it highly similar to how characters are experiencing food from “Shokugeki no Soma” but without the stripping or crazy effects.

But then maybe these should have at least been implemented to the scenes. As a fantasy work the art could have done a little more exploration. On the other hand, if anything else were to be added to the scenery, then there may be a crossing to the line of chaotic imagery already. Simply put, just a smidge of creativity on certain parts could have worked out better if balanced right.

Conclusion

For a first chapter it held a lot of strong points to it and established a good story and interesting characters to the work. As a fantasy work there could have been a bit more creativity to the expositions but at the same time, as a slice-of-life work it presented a nice and simple framework and with a dash of mystery towards the end, placed a further reason to continue on with the series. Overall, it is a visually pleasing and interesting story to get into, should you not know about the anime that is.

Rating: 8.5/10