Ristorante
Paradiso
Number of episodes: 11
Production Studio: David Production
Fansub Release Viewed: Frostii
Likelihood of US Release:
Streaming at Crunchyroll.com
Nicoletta moves to Rome to reconnect with the mother who left her years ago. At her mother’s restaurant, she struggles to understand her feelings towards Claudio, an older man and employee of the restaurant.
Episode Summary
This series is available streaming for free on Crunchyroll. I have just used the fansubbed version in order to get screen captures.
Nicoletta arrives in Rome, and makes a beeline for the restaurant that her estranged mother’s lover owns. Nicoletta hasn’t seen her mother in years; she left Nicoletta with her grandmother when she was only six years old, and Nicoletta can count the times that her mother came to visit. Now nearly 21, she plans to reveal to her mother’s boyfriend that her mother is divorced, something the man finds distasteful. When Nicoletta arrives at the restaurant, the Ristorante Casetta Dell’orso, she finds it packed to the gills with middle-aged women, and staffed by a troupe of attractive mature gentlemen with glasses, many of whom don’t actually require them for reasons of poor eyesight (her mother apparently has a preference for gentlemen with spectacles, and won’t hire a man unless he agrees to wear them). After a confrontation with her mother, desperate to keep her former marriage a secret, Nicoletta reluctantly agrees to pose as the daughter of her mother’s friend.
The next day, while sight-seeing, she meets the head waiter, Claudio, on the street. He invites Nicoletta to share dinner with him and the rest of the restaurant staff. While there, she gets a taste of everyone’s personality, but becomes a bit downtrodden when she finds out that Claudio, who she had found attractive, wears a wedding band. Despite the fact that she’s still quite frustrated with her mother, Nicoletta decides to stay in Rome and enjoy the company of the restaurant staff, whatever may come of it.
Thoughts
Ristorante Paradiso is one of those series that only comes along once-in-a-while. It’s not action-packed, it doesn’t have a story that speaks to grand ideals or universal concepts about life and humanity. What it is, however, is a mature, relaxing series that offers the viewer the comfort of good food, good company, and characters that are unique, mature, and who live their lives within a place of great beauty and culture. Much like the series Bartender of which I am definitely a fan, this show serves as a more subtle, contemplative counterpart to all of the comedies and action series that arrive on the scene each season.
It’s worth mentioning early on that this series is definitely not meant for people who get squicked by unusual relationships. All signs point to Nicoletta and Claudio entering into some sort of relationship at a future point, and considering their difference in age, it seems like almost a given that many people might be put off by such a situation. If it’s any consolation, I normally get a bit creeped out by that sort of thing as well, but I think the opening episode was handled in such a way as to remove a lot of that uncomfortable feeling. In fact, I even found myself a bit attracted to the bevy of mature, sophisticated men, once they were introduced formally. There’s something to be said for class and experience.
Not that I generally like to focus too much on the complaints of others, but I’ve heard a few too many objections about this show “not having a point” — the idea that a series may not have an overarching plot full of intrigue, mystery and action seems to confuse some people. Judging by those standards, yes, a series like this which is character-focused would seem to be kind of boring. However, I tend to like this type of series because of that. Without all the other baggage, a show has to step up and let the characters tell their own story, and so far I’m getting a good feeling that the characters will be able to convey as much. I’m already interested in how the unusual relationship between Nicoletta and Claudio will play out, which I feel marks the intro episode as a success.
The visuals in the show utilize a lot of CG for backgrounds, much like Antique Bakery, though here the texturing is done much better and feels more natural than in that series. The character designs are a bit unusual. I suppose what I should say is that all of the characters have distinctive facial features, and while they don’t look outlandish, the features are certainly more pronounced than in your average series. I like this particular style, but it may be a bit too non-standard for others. The animation itself is nothing to write home about, but this show doesn’t feature much action anyway, since it’s very dialog-based.
For all the grown-ups out there searching for a series that doesn’t focus on outlandish action and obnoxious teenage characters, or for fans of “healing” anime like Bartender, you’ve found yourself a winner right here.
Pros
- The story is relaxing and character-based rather than needlessly flashy
- The series features the chance for an unusual relationship without making it seem creepy or weird
- The CG backgrounds are subtle and detailed enough to blend with the character animation
Cons
- Some people may not like the character designs
- This isn’t the series for people hungry for heavy action or comedy
