Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Manga Volumes: 21 in Japanese, 10 in English
Here’s the quick version for anyone who just wants the numbers:
- Japanese volumes published: 21 (serialized — meaning released chapter by chapter — in Young Ace, a manga magazine published by KADOKAWA)
- English volumes published: 10 (published by UDON Entertainment)
- Series status: Ongoing
The original story comes from novelist Natsuya Semikawa, and the manga adaptation is drawn by Virginia Nitouhei. It’s a faithful adaptation of Semikawa’s light novel series (light novels are short, illustrated Japanese novels, often the source material for manga adaptations). The manga translates the warmth and charm of that source material into gorgeous food illustrations and expressive character art.
One thing to be aware of right away: the English release is significantly behind the Japanese edition. With 21 volumes out in Japan and only 10 in English, there’s a substantial gap. That’s not unusual for manga published by smaller English-language publishers — UDON Entertainment handles a more niche catalog compared to larger publishers like Viz Media or Yen Press, so release schedules tend to move at a different pace.
The good news? Ten volumes is a solid amount of reading. You’re not jumping into a series with only one or two books available — there’s enough here to really sink into the world.
If you already know Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu through its anime adaptation or live-action TV series, the manga is well worth picking up separately. Virginia Nitouhei’s food art adds a dimension that animation can only partially capture, and the manga follows the light novel source material closely, giving you a richer version of stories you may have already seen on screen.
Complete English Volume List
Below is the full list of English volumes currently available. Since exact release dates can shift depending on the retailer, I’ve left those out — check your preferred bookstore’s listing for the most current availability info.
| Volume | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | Introduces the izakaya, its owners Nobuyuki and Shinobu, and the mysterious door connecting modern Kyoto to a medieval fantasy city called Eiteriach. Early customers discover Japanese pub food for the first time — their wide-eyed reactions to draft beer alone are worth the price of admission. |
| Vol. 2 | The customer roster expands with new regulars from the other world, each with their own reasons for returning to Nobu. A tax collector and a young waitress from a rival tavern become recurring faces. The food descriptions get even more mouthwatering. |
| Vol. 3 | Deepens the relationships between the izakaya staff and their otherworldly regulars. Cultural misunderstandings around food and drink create charming comedic moments, and we start to see how the pub is quietly becoming a fixture in the fantasy city’s social fabric. |
| Vol. 4 | New dishes, new faces. The series begins exploring how Nobu’s existence quietly affects the lives of people in the fantasy city — a struggling merchant’s fortunes shift after a chance meal, and a city guard’s nightly visits become a form of therapy. |
| Vol. 5 | The story weaves in more of the fantasy city’s politics and social dynamics as a religious authority takes notice of the mysterious pub. Everything is still filtered through the warm lens of shared meals, but the world feels bigger. |
| Vol. 6 | Seasonal ingredients and menu changes keep the food content fresh and specific — the shift from summer dishes to autumn fare drives several chapters. The fantasy city’s own food culture gets attention alongside Nobu’s menu. |
| Vol. 7 | Recurring characters get spotlight chapters that flesh out their backstories and motivations. Emotional payoffs for threads planted in earlier volumes make this one of the most satisfying reads in the run. |
| Vol. 8 | The cozy, episodic storytelling (often called “slice-of-life” in manga — stories focused on everyday moments rather than big dramatic plots) and gentle worldbuilding continue. By this point, the cast feels like a genuine community. |
| Vol. 9 | Developments in the fantasy city spill into Nobu, raising small but meaningful stakes without abandoning the series’ relaxing tone. The relationship between the two worlds gets more interesting. |
| Vol. 10 | The most recent English volume. Advances ongoing character threads while introducing new dishes and new customers, keeping the formula fresh even ten volumes in. |
A Note on Content Descriptions
The volume summaries above are general and qualitative — they’re meant to give you a feel for the series’ progression rather than spoil specific plot points. Each volume is relatively self-contained in its episodic structure, so you can enjoy them one at a time without needing to binge.
Where the Story Starts
Volume 1 is a perfect entry point with no prerequisites. You don’t need to have read the light novel or watched any adaptation. The manga does all its own worldbuilding from page one, introducing the concept, the characters, and the tone in a way that welcomes complete newcomers.
What Makes This Isekai Different — A Food-Focused Portal Fantasy
If your mental image of isekai involves a hero getting hit by a truck and waking up with overpowered abilities, Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu will feel like a breath of fresh air.
The Premise
The setup is beautifully simple: Izakaya Nobu is a small Japanese pub in modern Kyoto. Its front door opens onto a normal Japanese street. But its back door? That opens into a medieval European-style fantasy city. The pub’s owner, Nobuyuki (known as “Taisho,” a common Japanese honorific for a restaurant owner), and his server, Shinobu, serve Japanese food and drinks to customers from both worlds — though most of their clientele comes through that mysterious back entrance.
That’s it. That’s the premise. There’s no demon lord to defeat, no quest to complete, no leveling system. The “conflict” in any given chapter is usually something like: can Taisho figure out how to prepare a dish that will cheer up a heartbroken soldier, or will Shinobu’s recommendation of cold beer on a hot day change a grumpy merchant’s entire outlook on life?
Why It Works So Well
The magic of this series is in the details. Virginia Nitouhei’s artwork makes every plate of food look incredible — you can practically smell the grilled fish and hear the sizzle of tempura hitting oil. The fantasy-world customers’ reactions to tasting things like oden (a savory hot-pot stew), karaage (Japanese fried chicken), or namabiiru (draft beer) for the first time are genuinely delightful. There’s a recurring sense of wonder that never gets old, because the series finds fresh angles on the culture-clash comedy.
But it’s not just a food showcase. Over time, you get to know the regulars — guards, merchants, nobles, craftspeople — and their lives in the fantasy city. The izakaya becomes a gathering place where social barriers dissolve over a shared meal. It’s a warm, humanistic take on the isekai concept.
Who Will Love This Series
- Fans of cozy, low-stakes manga — if you enjoy series like Laid-Back Camp (a relaxed outdoors manga about camping) or Sweetness & Lightning (a cooking manga about a father and daughter), Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu hits a similar vein of gentle comfort
- Foodies — the food art and descriptions are a huge draw, and you’ll almost certainly end up looking up recipes afterward
- Isekai readers looking for variety — this proves the genre can do much more than combat-focused power fantasies
- Readers who want shorter, episodic chapters — great for reading a chapter or two before bed without needing to track complex plot threads
How It Fits the Broader Isekai Landscape
Food-themed isekai has become a genuine subgenre, with titles like Restaurant to Another World (a similar portal-restaurant concept) and Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill (cooking meets adventure) exploring related territory. Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu was one of the earlier entries in this space, and it remains one of the most focused. Where some food-isekai series eventually introduce combat storylines or adventuring elements, Nobu stays committed to its pub-and-plate identity. That consistency is one of its biggest strengths.
Is Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Finished or Still Ongoing?
The series is ongoing. There are 21 volumes published in Japan through KADOKAWA’s Young Ace magazine, and the manga continues to release new chapters.
What About the English Edition?
The English edition from UDON Entertainment currently has 10 volumes available. That means there’s an 11-volume gap between the Japanese and English releases. For collectors, this is a double-edged sword:
- The upside: There’s a huge backlog of untranslated material, which means English readers have plenty more Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu to look forward to if UDON continues the release.
- The consideration: Smaller publishers sometimes experience delays or pauses in their release schedules. There’s no indication that the English edition has been discontinued, but the pace of releases has been slower than what you’d see from larger publishers.
What This Means for You as a Collector
If you’re the type who only wants to start a series once it’s complete, you’ll be waiting a while — the manga is still running in Japan with no announced end date. But if you’re comfortable collecting an ongoing series (and honestly, the episodic nature of this manga makes it very easy to enjoy at whatever pace new volumes arrive), there’s no reason to hold off. Each volume stands well on its own, and you won’t be left on a painful cliffhanger between releases.
For readers who want to get ahead of the English release, the original Japanese volumes and the source light novels are options — though neither has full official English translations beyond what UDON has published in manga form.
Where to Buy Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Manga Volumes
Publisher and Format
All English volumes are published by UDON Entertainment in a standard single-volume paperback format. As of the latest information, there are no collected multi-volume editions, hardcover editions, or deluxe versions available for this series. Each volume is a straightforward paperback release.
Buying Your First Volume
The best place to start is simply Volume 1. The series requires zero prior knowledge — no light novel reading, no anime watching, nothing. You open page one and the manga sets everything up on its own. It’s one of the most beginner-friendly isekai series out there.
If you’re looking to grab the most recent English volume, Volume 10 is the latest release from UDON Entertainment.
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu
Retail Availability
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu volumes are available through Amazon and other major manga retailers. Since UDON Entertainment is a smaller publisher, stock can sometimes be inconsistent at brick-and-mortar bookstores, so online ordering tends to be the most reliable route. That said, it’s always worth checking your local manga shop or bookstore — supporting local retailers is great, and some carry UDON titles regularly.
Pricing Expectations
Individual volumes are priced at a typical manga retail range. Since there are no box sets or bundled editions for this series, you’ll be purchasing volumes individually. If you’re building a collection over time, picking up a volume or two per month is a perfectly reasonable pace that won’t strain the wallet.
A Note on Digital Availability
If you prefer reading digitally, availability for UDON Entertainment titles varies by platform. Some volumes are available through Kindle and other digital storefronts, but UDON’s digital catalog is less consistent than what you’d find from larger publishers. It’s worth checking your preferred digital platform directly before assuming every volume is available in that format.
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Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is one of those series that reminds you why isekai works as a genre in the first place. It’s not about escalating combat or world-ending threats — it’s about the simple, universal joy of good food shared with good company, even when that company comes from an entirely different world. Whether you’re just discovering the series and picking up Volume 1 or you’re an existing collector tracking the English releases, ten volumes in and the charm hasn’t faded one bit. Pour yourself something cold to drink and enjoy the ride.