Story: 6/10
Ristorante Paradiso follows Nicoletta, a young girl
who has come to Rome in order to inform her mother’s new husband that his wife
has a secret daughter. After meeting with her estranged parent at her
step-father’s restaurant – the Casetta Dell’orso – Nicoletta not only decides
to keep her mum’s secret for now, but she also falls for one of the waiters, an
older gentleman named Claudio. As she tries to win his heart, Nicoletta begins
working at the eatery and slowly begins to learn more about both her mother,
and her co-workers.
What I like most about Ristorante Paradiso is that it
feels a little more grown up – not in terms of sexual content – because there
isn’t any – but more the subject matter. Primarily, it’s a romance but there
are no hot young bishies with their great hair and gleaming smiles in sight.
Instead there are gentlemen – older, chivalrous, bespectacled gentlemen
that comprise the restaurant’s staff. Additionally, the manga then places these
attentive and experienced ‘objets de l’amour’ in the heart of Rome’s back
streets to completely round off the romantic mood. This overall sense of
maturity adds an extra dimension to the plot, as not only does it highlight
Nicoletta’s youth and distinguishes her from the rest of the cast, but it also
allows for all ages of women to relate to events – be they the same age as the
protagonist and finding themselves relating to her while falling for the
waiter’s charms themselves, or an older female finally getting some appropriate
eye-candy to gawp at.
While the narrative is interesting and the setting different
from the norm, it feels very hurried. Sadly, that is most likely a product of
the manga covering a mere six chapters, but even so, it all advances too
quickly. Nicoletta arrives somewhat aimless, finds herself attracted to
Claudio, tries it on, fails, and then whoosh, all of a sudden she decides she
wants to work at the restaurant and gets a job. Ideally, this type of story
needs a little time to ruminate before moving onto the next plot point in order
to make it seem more realistic, which unfortunately is not a luxury that a
one-volume manga can afford. Instead of racing through the main storyline, it
would be nice to explore the bistro’s staff a bit more, thus allowing for a
more believable progression in the central relationship.
Art: 7/10
Any kind of anime or manga that ventures outside of the
standard visual design automatically makes me sit up and pay attention. In this
case, mangaka Natsume Ono adopts a mature and stylised method of drawing for Ristorante
Paradiso, which works nicely in tandem with the plotline. This more
continental approach with its sketchy lines creates some gorgeous imagery
reminiscent of art you would expect to find hanging on the wall of a trendy
café or provincial bistro. Sadly, this standard isn’t always consistent and at
times the beautifully crafted illustrations morph into sloppy doodles that
appear rushed, occasionally to the point where characters appear to have
suffered a massive stroke.
Characters: 5/10
The Casetta Dell’orso certainly houses a nice range of
intriguing characters, but regrettably, the readers find out little about most
of them. Claudio and Nicoletta are reasonably fleshed out, with a decent amount
of the older gentleman’s past coming to light. Likewise a clear development in
Nicoletta is visible throughout and though she starts off as something of a
selfish brat, she grows into a more confident woman with an actual purpose in
life. Ultimately, this transformation makes the young girl much more likeable
as a protagonist, and encourages the reader to support her in her endeavours.
As for the secondary cast members, with one exception, they
remain complete enigmas. While it’s hinted that Luciano is actually kind
beneath his gruff exterior, it isn’t explored, nor do we learn much, if
anything, about Teo, Furio or Vito. Luckily, the Ristorante Paradiso saves itself by offering a small window into the life of the silent and
mysterious Gigi. His history with Olga’s husband receives a good few pages,
which helps flesh him out as a person. Without that, he’d simply be that
strange, silent sommelier who eats a lot, or in other words, yet another
slightly wacky personality in this offbeat restaurant.
Overall: 5.9/10
As much as I would love to score this higher, given my
love of the anime, when looking at Ristorante Paradiso as a separate
entity, I can’t help but mark it down. The plot feels hurried, there’s little
development in most of the characters, and the artwork can be inconsistent.
However, despite these flaws, this manga is a still a worthwhile read and does
contain some beautiful imagery. However, for a more well-rounded experience
it’s probably better to combine it with it’s spin-off series, Gente ~
Ristorante no Hitobito ~ and really delve headfirst into the world of the
Casetta Dell’orso.