December Anime Challenge: Restaurant to Another World (Isekai Shokudō)

If you are in the mood for something light to nibble on, with just the right side dish of humour served with fantasy elements then the anime Isekai Shokudou is just the anime ‘dish’ for you, simmered to the perfect heat. It is the perfect anime challenge for December. It is about a restaurant somewhere in Tokyo that specializes in Western cuisine, Mondays to Fridays. On Saturdays, however, it is closed to the public but then it is when a dimensional door opens and beast-men, lizardmen, swordsmen, wizards, shape-shifting dragons, treasure hunters and other fantasy world surprises go to the restaurant ‘Western Restaurant Nekoya’ to eat from its exquisite menu. (There is even a parfait that can cure illness!).

The anime is based on the Japanese Light Novel series, written by Junpei Inuzuka, with illustrations by Katsumi Enami of which five volumes were released by Shufunotomo. The novel was licenced by Seven Seas Entertainment. The anime adaptation, which is our challenge this month aired in Japan from July 3rd to September 18th in 2017. Masato Jinbo directed the series at Silver Link and Takao Sano and Keiichi Sano adapted the original character designs for animation. The opening track is “One in a Billion” by Wake Up, May’n, while the ending track is “Chiisana Hitotsubu” (“A Small Grain”) by Kiyono Yasuno.

Week 1 December 7 – 13 2020

Episodes 1 – 3

Konnichiwa Minna. Did you know that Isekai Shokudō stars Junichi Suwabe and Makoto Yasumura did a few bonus DVD cooking videos for the series where they put their culinary skills to the test? It is called Isekai Shokudō Okawari!. We’re sharing a video where Suwabe and Yasumura try to make omurice (omelette rice), one of their favourite meals. The two are joined by Chef Hiroshi Modegi, the third-generation owner of Taimeiken restaurant. Taimeiken is, like Yōshoku no Nekoya in the anime, a Western-style restaurant, well-known for their omurice.

We hope you enjoyed the cooking video. This week’s episodes are 1 – 3, have fun watching and have a super sugoi week.

Week 2 December 14 – 20, 2020

Episodes 4 – 6

Konnichiwa minna. All the food in the anime makes us hungry, yes? That princess parfait in episode 3 looked so yummy, why don’t we visit the YouTube channel Penguin Snacks. They have a recipe for us… Itadakimasu!!

Now that was a yummy video, enjoy the challenge this week. Itadakimasu!!

Week 3 December 21 – 27, 2020

Episodes 7 – 9

Konnichiwa Minna. It is week 3 of our challenge and Christmas week. We hope you enjoy this week’s challenge episodes. We want to wish all our readers a merry seasonal celebration and this week we play you a little Christmas song to add to the cheer,

Hatsune Miku – Silent Night

Hatsune Miku is a Vocaloid ( a humanoid persona voiced by a singing synthesizer application) and she was developed by Crypton Future Media. Hatsune Miku is portrayed as a 16-year-old girl with long turquoise twin tails. She uses Yamaha Corporation’s Vocaloid 2 and Vocaloid 3 singing synthesizing technologies. She was the second Vocaloid sold using the Vocaloid 2 engine, and the first Japanese Vocaloid to use the Japanese version of the Vocaloid 2 engine. Her voice is sampled from Japanese voice actress Saki Fujita. Hatsune Miku has performed at her concerts onstage as an animated projection.

Her name comes from merging the Japanese words for first ( hatsu), sound (ne) and future (miku), thus meaning “the first sound from the future,” referring to her position as the first of Crypton’s “Character Vocal Series.”

Merry Christmas minna!

Week 4 December 28, 2020 – January 03, 2021

Episodes 10 – 12

Konnichiwa minna, it is week 4 of our Isekai Shokudō and if you enjoyed this how so far we have the perfect recommendation for you, Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food From Another World

The official Page released the following synopsis: 

“On a deserted street somewhere in Kyoto resides a Japanese style pub called “Izakaya Nobu.” But this hole in the wall holds a secret: its entrance is mysteriously linked to another world! Chief Yazawa Nobuyuki and his server, Senke Shinobu, have decided to open up business in this distant and strange land, an ancient city known as “Aitheria.” Palace guards, craftsmen, merchants, noblemen… Nobu’s doors are open for business, welcoming one and all with a cold beer and a warm meal!”

Don’t think Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food From Another World is just like Isekai Shokudō, they might seem similar but they have differences. Izakaya focusses more on the food and the characters are more in the background, In Isekai Shokudō, as we have seen in the challenge the story focusses more strongly on characters, their backgrounds, how they magically found their way to the restaurant and meeting people from other worlds and ways of life they would not usually meet.

The bigger difference is that Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food From Another World is just 10 minutes of anime and then 5 minutes live-action, called Nobu+, where either chef, Ryuta Kijima shows us how to prepare food from the anime, or Izakaya enthusiast, Kenichi Nagira tour Japanese cities to taste versions of the food that featured in the episode. 

Here is more on the series from its director:

We would like to wish our readers a Happy New Year and hope you enjoy the final week of our last challenge for 2020.