A notorious playboy seeks the attentions of a Casetta regular.
Creative Staff
Story: Natsume Ono
Art: Natsume Ono
Translation/Adaptation: Joe Yamazaki
What They Say
For the final course of Gente, a senator pondering a political maneuver arrives at an unexpected conclusion over a delicious meal at Casetta dell’Orso. A notorious playboy finds himself enthralled by the sophisticated Savina, a Cassetta regular. Lorenzo finally reaches the point in life where he needs glasses, and silent Gigi accepts an invitation from a young lady.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Ono-sensei continues at her usual leisurely pace in this final installment of Gente. The first half of the volume focuses predominantly outside of the Casetta. In fact, the first chapter, which follows a veteran senator, confused me at first because it didn’t have anything to do with the ristorante or its staff until the last seven pages. The common underlying theme of these chapters, however, is people heading toward their twilight years who reach some sort of realization while at the Casetta.
The second half turns our attention to Nicoletta, her stepfather, and her step-uncle. The chapter focusing on Lorenzo is very much a slice of life piece – very little action but drawing a deeper illustration of the kind of man he is. Gigi’s chapter has a bit more happening, but Ono-sensei’s particular style of artwork makes it difficult to see exactly what is happening in Gigi’s wine cellar at first glance. In addition, Maddalena’s behavior comes across as more bizarre than childlike.
This installment wraps up with a bonus seven-page short about Franz’s birthday. Of the material in this volume, this extra is the only part that appears in the anime.
In Summary
Work, romance, family ties. Ono-sensei serves another leisurely course of patrons and Casetta staff in pursuit of a life well-lived. Although Nicoletta figures into most of these stories, her interest in Claudio takes a backseat to her interactions with her stepfamily and the infatuations of the ristorante patrons.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: C
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: May 17th, 2011
MSRP: $12.99
