Common Name: Isekai Shokudou
Alternative Names: Restaurant to Another World
Score: 9/10, 5/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Isekai, Foodie, Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Summary: While distinguishing itself as a "Western Restaurant" might be strangely vague, it is far from being the strangest aspect of the restaurant, Nekoya. One day a week, the restaurant closes its doors to the normal public so that it might serve it's more fantastical clientele. Though no one seems to know why, the doorway to Nekoya appears in several locations throughout a fantastical world where mystical heroes, dragons, and mages reside. So, either by chance or fate, beings from all over this other world come to find good company and even better food. Yet things aren't exactly easy for the owner of this mythical establishment. As exciting as it is to meet new and different peoples, he has had to serve this special clientele on his own for some time now. Perhaps it's finally time for the Nekoya's manager and chef to consider hiring staff from this other world.
Review: While Isekai Shokudou is itself an unassuming show that doesn't offer much, like most slice of life, episodic anime, it got me wondering what it takes for an episodic anime to be worthy of a 10/10 score. It's a fantastic show that twists the ideas of what it takes to fall into the isekai and slice of life genres. It presents the audience with story after story that stays true to the overall theme and hints at a few larger plotlines every now and then. While it doesn't really have anything like a solidly engaging drama or heart-pumping action storyline, the things typical of most 10/10 shows, it does offer a kind of soft and enticing luster to it that makes the show inviting in a strange kind of way. Yet I'm unfortunately of the opinion that it doesn't quite hit the mark for a 10. I'll try to go more into that "hitting the mark" concept in a future "Seasonal Stirrings" when I have the chance but in the case of Isekai Shokudou it just feels like something's lacking or that it never really had a shot at being a 10 at the start. Even so, it seems to be content with that fact since the show presents itself as a wholly unambitious title that's just happy to exist and look gorgeous the whole time.
Needless to say, I developed a bit of a sweet tooth for this kind of story.
Though it takes some time to reach the point where this is clear, Isekai Shoukudou basically exists as three different stories that find stability in each other and are developed by several smaller stories. These three stories follow as thus: 1) The story of the fantasy world the Nekoya restaurant is connected to, 2) The growth of the Nekoya staff who are from the fantasy world, and 3) The mystery of Nekoya itself and why it seems to spontaneously create permanent doorways to the magical world. The first of these stories is what comprises the vast majority of this show's run time since it focuses on ~18 characters/groups. While the majority of these stories feature the same arc format: the character is in dire straights, find a doorway to the Nekoya restaurant, enjoy food they'll never find anywhere else, and end up being saved by the Nekoya one way or another, they all offer a kind of unique perspective of the fantasy itself. Through these characters we learn about all the different cultures of this world, its peoples, its faith and economic systems, and even some of the world's ancient history. In a way, we are given a kind of "slice of life" story in regards to the fantasy world itself, taking chunks and snippets out of the overall narrative of the world and highlighting only the aspects that matter to the audience. Yet, eventually, the Nekoya doesn't just find connections to the world but also turns into something of a hub where these connections can converge and form in ways that would have never existed without it's interference. Everything from friendships and rivalries to romances develop in this place of mutual peace, likely in an attempt to make the fantasy world a better and happier place.
This cycle of saving, caring for, and connecting people in this divided world makes for something
of an interesting juxtaposition to how the chef himself ends up doing the exact same thing
in regards to his fantastical wait staff, which comprises the show's second story.
While it is clear that the hiring of staff at the Nekoya isn't exactly a common thing, it's an interesting thing to explore when you eventually discover how the restaurant itself functions. While Aletta and Kuro aren't necessarily in dire straights in the same way the rest of the cast are (except for a couple of characters/groups), they are most certainly in need of a different kind of salvation--one that will free them from their feelings of loneliness and persecution, self-inflicted or otherwise. Regardless of how or why they ended up coming to the Nekoya, their stories roughly similar. With the kind and caring support of the Nekoya's chef/manager, they both grow out of their desperation until they can start to feel comfortable around other people. They find a kind of happiness and drive to stay happy they never had before their days at the Nekoya.
With the two of these stories combined, we're given not only a vague glimpse at the third story but also a clear image at what exactly this show is going for. It's a story that acknowledges the saving power of a good meal. It revels in proving the importance of having a collection of friends and acquaintances who you can feel comfortable and confident around--people you can have a meal with and stupidly argue what defines good food without coming to blows--unless, of course, that's what makes you comfortable. It's a show that you are, yourself, meant to sit back and just enjoy for what it is a show with enough personal drama to be engaging, enough story to keep things interesting, and a kind of simplicity that's just good for the soul.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Yet, it is ultimately the final story this show has to offer--the story of the Nekoya itself--that ties everything together and gives it that last couple of points in my book that pushes it towards the 10/10 category. While I can't and won't go into great detail regarding this story, in the interest of encouraging you to just check it out yourselves, I have already hinted at some of the truths regarding this last story that are scattered throughout the series. Namely, the Nekoya is a restaurant that seems to have a mind and purpose of its own. While the restaurant itself is dedicated to serving good food with great hospitality, it is its connection to the fantasy world that gives it the ability to save lives and generally improve the living conditions for any and all who walks through the door. The reason why the restaurant's door does this isn't revealed until the very last episode though. While some characters, like the magically-sensitive elves, touch on the reason when they notice the high-level spell attached to the doorway when it appears in their world, they fail to grasp the purpose and intentions of the person or people who crafted the spell in the first place. To be fair, the food and otherness of the restaurant are pretty distracting and what do the intentions matter once they've been saved and captivated by the restaurant's influence. I'll leave it at this though: the revelation of why the restaurant exists simultaneously explains why it reaches out to those in need and why it seems particularly interested in this one fantasy world filled with elves, wizards, dragons, and cursed children of a Demon God. Isekai Shokudou creates a story solid enough to end the series on but it still leaves the audience with enough meat to want more. Like any good restaurant, it'll make you want to come back again to try something else on the menu. Unfortunately, the chances of a second season are probably next to nothing.
So, when all is said and done, I'm still unsure whether this show deserves that 10 or not, but I'll just say it's pretty darn close for me on a personal level. It has great art, great music, and a great series of stories that weave together to make one fantastic narrative. Personally, I'm going to hold out hope for an OVA that ties up all the loose ends, namely those regarding the connections formed between the restaurant's patrons. Even if that OVA will never come though, I'm definitely in a place where I will recommend this title without a moment's hesitation. It's just a good show that's good for the soul. It's simple, fun, and well worth the time and effort.