Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」, lit. Alternate World Bar "Nobu") is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsuya Semikawa and illustrated by Kururi. It began serialization online in 2012 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It won the site's Ni Narō Con Taishō award before being acquired by Takarajimasha, who have published seven volumes since 2014 under their Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Virginia Nitōhei began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's seinen manga magazine Young Ace in July 2015. It's been collected in 16 Japanese tankōbon volumes as of December 2022.
Udon Entertainment announced during their panel at San Diego Comic-Con International that they have licensed the manga. As of March 15, 2022 volume 10 "ISBN: 9781772942163" has been published in English. An original net animation adaptation by Sunrise premiered from April 13 to September 14, 2018.
Synopsis[]
Experienced head chef Nobuyuki Yazawa and friendly waitress Shinobu Senke run a traditional Japanese izakaya called Nobu—a bar known for serving a tasty array of food and drink. Welcoming any customers, the pair strive to showcase Nobu's exclusive menu and provide the best possible experience.
However, despite its ordinary appearance, the establishment opens to the heart of Aitheria, a city from a parallel universe. As news of the restaurant's exquisite dishes spreads throughout the lands, Aitherian citizens from various social backgrounds travel to Nobu in search of new and delicious cuisine, bringing with them an empty stomach and riveting stories to tell.
(Source: ANN)
List of Published Books[]
Light Novels[]
It won the site's Ni Narō Con Taishō award before being acquired by Takarajimasha, who have published four volumes since 2014 under their Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! Bunko imprint.
| BOOK Version | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN |
| 1 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」) |
September 10, 2014 | 978-4-8002-3057-7 |
| 2 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Second Drink Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Ni Haime (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」二杯目) |
February 9, 2015 | 978-4-8002-3721-7 |
| 3 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Third Drink Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" San Haime (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」三杯目) |
June 24, 2015 | 978-4-8002-4174-0 |
| 4 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Fourth Drink Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Yon Haime (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」四杯目) |
December 4, 2015 | 978-4-8002-4877-0 |
| 5 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Fifth Drink Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Go Haime (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」五杯目) |
April 7, 2018 | 978-4-8002-5903-5 |
| 6 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Sixth Drink Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Roku Haime (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」六杯目) |
May 25, 2019 | 978-4-8002-9523-1 |
| 7 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Seventh Drink Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Nana Haime (異世界居酒屋「のぶ」七杯目) |
June 7, 2022 | 978-4-299-01830-4 |
| PAPER BOOK Version | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN |
| 1 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" (Takarajimasha Bunko) | August 18, 2016 | 978-4-8002-6000-0 |
| 2 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Second Drink (Takarajimasha Bunko) | December 20, 2016 | 978-4-8002-6503-6 |
| 3 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Third Drink (Takarajimasha Bunko) | March 18, 2017 | 978-4-8002-6873-0 |
| 4 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Fourth Drink (Takarajimasha Bunko) | November 21, 2017 | 978-4-8002-7795-4 |
| 5 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Fifth Drink (Takarajimasha Bunko) | December 20, 2018 | 978-4-8002-9101-1 |
| 6 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Sixth Drink (Takarajimasha Bunko) | April 21, 2020 | 978-4-299-00391-1 |
| 7 | Alternate World Bar "Nobu" - Seventh Drink (Takarajimasha Bunko) | June 21, 2022 | 978-4-299-03031-3 |
Manga[]
A manga adaptation with art by Virginia Nitōhei began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's seinen manga magazine Young Ace in July 2015. It has been collected in five tankōbon volumes. Udon Entertainment announced during their panel at San Diego Comic-Con International that they have licensed the manga.
| No. | Release date | ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 26, 2015 | 978-4-04-103780-5 | — | — |
| 2 | July 4, 2016 | 978-4-04-104425-4 | — | — |
| 3 | February 4, 2017 | 978-4-04-104426-1 | — | — |
| 4 | July 4, 2017 | 978-4-04-105793-3 | — | — |
| 5 | December 29, 2017 | 978-4-04-105794-0 | — | — |
| 6 | May 2, 2018 | 978-4-04-106842-7 | — | — |
| 7 | October 4, 2018 | 978-4-04-107365-0 | — | — |
| 8 | March 4, 2019 | 978-4-04-107916-4 | — | — |
| 9 | September 4, 2019 | 978-4-04-108598-1 | — | — |
| 10 | March 4, 2020 | 978-4-04-108599-8 | — | — |
| 11 | October 2, 2020 | 978-4-04-109818-9 | — | — |
| 12 | April 2, 2021 | 978-4-04-109819-6 | — | — |
| 13 | October 4, 2021 | 978-4-04-111817-7 | — | — |
| 14 | March 4, 2022 | 978-4-04-111818-4 | — | — |
| 15 | July 4, 2022 | 978-4-04-112713-1 | — | — |
| 16 | December 28, 2022 | 978-4-04-113421-4 | — | — |
| 17 | October 4, 2023 | 978-4-04-114129-8 | — | — |
A Spin-off manga adaptation with art by Kururi began serialization in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web's seinen manga magazine Konomanga from October 2015.
| No. | Release date | ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 20, 2016 | 978-4-8002-4733-9 | — | — |
| 2 | November 22, 2018 | 978-4-8002-8536-2 | — | — |
A Spin-off manga adaptation with art by Natsuya Semikawa began serialization in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web's seinen manga magazine Konomanga from November 2017.
| No. | Release date | ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 20, 2018 | 978-4-8002-8439-6 | — | — |
| 2 | June 14, 2019 | 978-4-8002-9573-6 | — | — |
| 3 | May 9, 2020 | 978-4-299-00453-6 | — | — |
| 4 | February 12, 2021 | 978-4-299-01349-1 | — | — |
| 5 | January 24, 2022 | 978-4-299-02498-5 | — | — |
| 6 | October 25, 2022 | 978-4-299-03470-0 | — | — |
| 7 | July 7, 2023 | 978-4-299-04504-1 | — | — |
TV Anime[]
An anime adaptation of the light novel series was announced in November 2016. Sunrise produces the original net animation (ONA) under the title Isekai Izakaya ~Koto Aitheria no Izakaya Nobu~ (異世界居酒屋〜古都アイテーリアの居酒屋のぶ〜) and it premiered worldwide simultaneously on April 13, 2018, on different streaming services. Katsumi Ono directed the anime with scripts written by Shin Yoshida and character designs by Mariko Ito. The ending theme is "Prosit!" by the musical trio Clammbon.
- Staff
- Original work - Natsuya Semikawa (from Isekai Izakaya "Nobu")
- Original character design - Ten
- Director - Katsumi Ono
- Series composition - Shin Yoshida
- Character design/meal scene supervision - Mariko Ito
- Sub-character design - Maiko Murase
- Food design/Cooking chief animation director - Kumi Ishii
- Art director - Jiro Kono
- Color design - Yori Suzuki
- Special Effects - Kumiko Taniguchi
- Director of Photography - Toshiyuki Sadamatsu
- Editing - Mutsumi Takemiya
- Sound director - Miwa Iwanami
- Music - Mito
- Music producer - Tomoko Yamada
- Music Production - Sunrise Music Publishing
- Producer - Atsushi Umezaki, Yuichi Sato (Nobu+)
- Planning/Production - Sunrise
- Production - Ancient City of Italia City Council (Sunrise, Bandai Namco Rights Marketing, Gurunavi, Banpresto, Asatu DK, Shochiku)
Crunchyroll is streaming the series.
| Episode | English title and Original Japanese title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Potatoes in Oden" Transcription: "Oden no Jagaimo" (Japanese: おでんのじゃがいも) |
April 13, 2018 |
| 2 | "Juicy Kara-Age" Transcription: "Wakadori no Karāge" (Japanese: 若鶏の唐揚げ) |
April 13, 2018 |
| 3 | "Rich Girl and the Impossible Order" Transcription: "Ojōsama no nandai" (Japanese: お嬢様の難題) |
April 27, 2018 |
| 4 | "The First Kaisendon" Transcription: "Hajimete no kaisendonburi" (Japanese: はじめての海鮮丼) |
April 27, 2018 |
| 5 | "Shinobu's Special Napolitan" Transcription: "Shinobu-chan no tokusei Naporitan" (Japanese: しのぶちゃんの特製ナポリタン) |
May 11, 2018 |
| 6 | "Kiss Day" Transcription: "Kisu no hi" (Japanese: キスの日) |
May 11, 2018 |
| 7 | "The Burglar" Transcription: "Nusutto (nu~tsutto)" (Japanese: 盗人（ぬすっと）) |
May 25, 2018 |
| 8 | "After Work Tonjiru" Transcription: "Shigoto-gaeri no Tonjiru" (Japanese: 仕事帰りの豚汁) |
May 25, 2018 |
| 9 | "The Company Commander's Weakness" Transcription: "Chū taichō no Jakuten" (Japanese: 中隊長の弱点) |
June 8, 2018 |
| 10 | "Uninvited Guests" Transcription: "Manekarezar-Kyaku" (Japanese: 招かれざる客) |
June 8, 2018 |
| 11 | "A Clash of Masters" Transcription: "Oyakata Kenka" (Japanese: 親方喧嘩) |
June 22, 2018 |
| 12 | "Beauty and the Abura-age" Transcription: "Bijo to Aburaage" (Japanese: 美女と油揚げ) |
June 22, 2018 |
| 13 | "Menchi-Katsu" Transcription: "Menchikatsu" (Japanese: メンチカツ) |
July 6, 2018 |
| 14 | "The Spy and The Salad" Transcription: "Mittei to Sarada" (Japanese: 密偵とサラダ) |
July 6, 2018 |
| 15 | "Kabayaki without Honor" Transcription: "Jingi naki Kabayaki" (Japanese: 仁義なき蒲焼き) |
July 20, 2018 |
| 16 | "The Company Commander's Triumphant Return" Transcription: "Chū taichō no gaisen" (Japanese: 中隊長の凱旋) |
July 20, 2018 |
| 17 | "A Tempura Early Summer Mix" Transcription: "Shoka no Tenpura Moriawase" (Japanese: 初夏の天ぷら盛り合わせ) |
August 3, 2018 |
| 18 | "The Great Drunken Kara-age Debate" Transcription: "San Suijin no Karaage Mondou" (Japanese: 三酔人のカラアゲ問答) |
August 3, 2018 |
| 19 | "The Female Merc" Transcription: "On'na Yōhei" (Japanese: 女傭兵) |
August 17, 2018 |
| 20 | "The Secret of Whatsontap: Part 1" Transcription: "Toriaezunama no Himitsu (Zenpen)" (Japanese: トリアエズナマの秘密 (前編)) |
August 17, 2018 |
| 21 | "The Secret of Whatsontap: Part 2" Transcription: "Toriaezunama no Himitsu (Kōhen)" (Japanese: トリアエズナマの秘密（後編）) |
August 31, 2018 |
| 22 | "The Old Man and Fish" Transcription: "Rōjin to Sakana" (Japanese: 老人と魚) |
August 31, 2018 |
| 23 | "The Tale of the Three Northern Territories Conference" Transcription: "Hoppou San Ryouhou Kaigi no Tenmatsu" (Japanese: 北方三領邦会議之顛末) |
September 14, 2018 |
| 24 | "Ale from the Ancient City" Transcription: "Koto no Ēru" (Japanese: 古都のエール) |
September 14, 2018 |
| TRAILERS | |
TV Drama[]
A drama adaptation aired on WOWOW between May and July 2020 for ten episodes. As in the previous seasons, Hiroshi Shinagawa served as the director and writer of the script, Rena Takeda, and Ryohei Otani acted as the lead in all three seasons.
- Staff (TV drama)
- Original work - Natsuya Semikawa "Isekai Izakaya Nobu" (Takarajimasha)
- Director/Screenplay - Hiroshi Shinagawa
- Music - YHANAEL
- Photography - Yohei Tateishi
- Art - Naoki Soma
- Lighting - Takeshi Tomasu
- Recording - Takehiko Watanabe
- Edited - Hiroshi Sunaga
- Producer - Masaki Yamada, Tomoaki Onuma, Shunsuke Koga, Norifumi Obinata
A second season was broadcast on WOWOW between May and July 2022 with another 10 episodes.
- Staff (Season2)
- Original work - Natsuya Semikawa [Izakaya Izakaya “Nobu” (Takarajimasha)]
- Director/Screenplay - Hiroshi Shinagawa
- Music - YHANAEL, DON
- Producer - Masaki Yamada, Tomoaki Onuma, Shunsuke Koga, Masayoshi Jonai
- Production cooperation - Yoshimoto Kogyo
- Production Production - Zahoor
- Production/Writing - WOWOW
A Third Season, titled "Isekai Izakaya 'Nobu' Season 3 ~Emperor and Princess of Oilia~" aired between January and March 2023 on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW 4K.
- Staff (Season3)
- Original work - Natsuya Semikawa [Izakaya Izakaya “Nobu” (Takarajimasha)]
- Director/Screenplay - Hiroshi Shinagawa
- Music - YHANAEL, DON
- Producer - Masaki Yamada, Tomoaki Onuma, Shunsuke Koga, Masayoshi Jonai
- Production cooperation - Yoshimoto Kogyo
- Production Production - Zahoor
- Production/Writing - WOWOW
Notes[]
- All English titles are taken from Crunchyroll.
- Taisho prayed to Inari for Nobu to be successful, but it's not stated why Inari decided to open a portal to another world.
- Eva is the first other worlder to become aware that Nobu ISN'T part of her world; having chased Inari's envoy through the back alley door into Japan.
External Links[]
- Isekai Izakaya Nobu — Web novel at Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese)
- Isekai Izakaya Nobu — Official light novel website (in Japanese)
- Isekai Izakaya Nobu — Official manga website (in Japanese)
- Isekai Izakaya "Nobu": Shinobu to Taishou Koto Gohan — Official manga website (in Japanese)
- Isekai Izakaya "Nobu": Eva to Makanai wo Yatsu — Official manga website (in Japanese)
- TV Anime "Isekai Izakaya Nobu: Koto Aitheria no Izakaya Nobu" Official Website - BS11
- TV Anime "Isekai Izakaya Nobu" Official (@isekaiizakaya) - Twitter X
- TV Anime "Isekai Izakaya Nobu" Official (アニメ異世界居酒屋 ) - Facebook
- TV Drama "Isekai Izakaya Nobu S1" Official Website
- TV Drama "Isekai Izakaya Nobu S2" Official Website
- TV Drama "Isekai Izakaya Nobu S3" Official Website
- Isekai Izakaya Nobu — Wikipedia JP
- Isekai Izakaya Nobu — Wikipedia EN
See Also[]
- Spin-off: Isekai Izakaya "Gen"
- Jashin ni Tensei shitara Haika no Maougun ga Sassoku Metsubou Shisou Nanda ga, Dousureba Iindarou ka, Another light novel series with the same author.
- Dai-7 Isekai no Radash Mura, Another light novel series with the same author.
- Shirokuma Tensei: Mori no Shugoshin ni Natta zo Densetsu, Another light novel series with the same illustrator.
- Okiraku Ryoushu no Tanoshii Ryouchi Bouei: Seisankei Majutsu de Na mo Naki Mura wo Saikyou no Jousai Toshi ni, Another light novel series with the same illustrator.
- Magic Maker: Isekai Mahou no Tsukurikata, Another light novel series with the same illustrator.
- Isekai Ramen Yatai: Elf no Shokutsuu wa "Ramen" ga Tabetai, Another light novel series with the same illustrator.
- Nandemo Hitotsu dake Kanau Negai ni "Kaisuu wo Mugen ni Shite" to Onegai shita Kekka, Another light novel series with the same illustrator.
Trivia[]
to be added.