Otakuism

Gartender

I can confidantly Bartender is one of the best things I’ve watched all season. The atmosphere, the characters, the animation, the music, the drinks, everything was perfect. This IS what you call mature (and manly) anime. Bartender is obviously about a bartender. However this is a special bartender. Ryuu Sasakura is the bartender for Eden Hall, a small, picturesque bar in Tokyo. He is famous for his ” Glass of God ” ability, basically being able to make the perfect drink for each person by closly observing them. The main story is told in flashback narration by Kamishima, a man who hates bars and bartenders who has been given the task of designing a bar. After having his design rejected, he wonders the streets until he finds Eden Hall. There Ryuu greets him and serves him his perfect drink, restoring Kamishima’s faith in bartenders and making his bar a success. Also a girl Miwa Kurushima also helps narrate, though she’s more of a main character.

It may not sound like much but Bartender’s appeal lies in it’s ability to completely wrap you in an atmosphere. It’s very hard to describe without watching it. It’s the way cg is used to render the glasses and bottles, looking life-like but not intrusive, the blend of music always in the background, the way the light just shines on Ryuu like he’s an angel. It strikes the perfect note for everyone who has romantic ideals about bartending and the guy always willing to listen to a problem. It all just makes you feel warm inside. On other notes the Op is nice, a jazzy duet with nice animation. The Ed is unique, as the whole thing is real, with the actual singer singing while a real life bartender makes the special drink shown in the episode. A very nice touch for a show that strives to be realistic in every manner. After so much moe eroge and bishoujo mecha it’s nice to just sit back and watch a show about…well just sitting back with a drink. I’m gonna follow this one closely. Hopefully the guy who subbed this won’t make it a one time thing. Also I can say I am terribly GAR for Ryuu.

Notice a trend in the pictures?