"Bartender" is an interesting eleven episode Japanese anime series that is a slice of life story with a lot of drama. The series is directed by Masaki Wantanabe and it was created by "Palm Studio." It had aired for about two months on Japan’s "Fuji TV" network. This has a lot to do with the career of being a bartender and a lot to do with mixed drinks. In the beginning, it’s established that alcohol and mixed drinks play a big role in this series. But the title of "Bartender" is already a dead giveaway of what to possibly expect. But, this is something that all adults that have experience in going to bars can watch. As a person that frequents the bar a lot, I can perfectly relate to this.
The main protagonist is a young man named Ryu Sasakura who is a highly skilled and talented bartending who works at a bar called "Eden Hall" which is an old bar hidden in a nook of downtown Tokyo. Eden Hall is a place that attracts people of various statures with each of them having troubles and heavy burdens. They are "invited" to Eden Hall by a special sense. Ryu Sasakura has the ability to make the best drinks. He explains that there are two jobs where one cannot betray the client/patient.
The first job is the doctor and the pharmacist. Then Ryu explains that the other job is the bartender. How Ryu makes his drinks is like if he was a doctor and a pharmacist. He explains how and why he made this person’s drink. Ryu also explained the importance of bars and how they cannot exist without the gentleness of patrons. Interestingly enough, at the end of each episode there is a featured cocktail along with the recipe and instructions how to make it.
Ryu as the main protagonist is the bartender who is there for the various characters that step inside of Eden Hall. He helps out those people by making those specialty drinks. This person of all bartenders knows that one person’s taste in a drink is different from another. He is basically the bartender from Heaven. This is an interesting anime series to watch if you want to wine down. If you enjoy mixed drinks and cocktails, you might enjoy watching Bartender.
Bartender is the perfect mix of romance and alcohol. This series puts cocktails and the field of bartending in an interesting and romantic life. Though there isn’t an actual romance in the story, there seems to be an actual romance surrounding alcohol. However, this romance isn’t portrayed in a perverse way. It is what it is, an attractive form of romance. Through those cocktails, Ryu brings out that romance. Ryu maintains his calm and cheerful personality throughout the series and always listens to people’s problems.
The burdens that Ryu listens to are the important aspect of Bartender. From there, Ryu can make that important assessment of what drink he needs to make. In a sense, it could be considered a chick-flick type series due to the romantic aura that Bartender presents. The craft of bartending and the life of the bartender had never been brought up in a romantic and passionate perspective such a fashion as this series. It is sweet yet very much grounded in reality in emotion.
Each episode, there are various spirits and wines mentioned as they also play an important role of the lives of the people that do enter Eden Hall. In a sense, Eden Hall is like the Garden of Eden with alcohol. For anybody fascinated with the craft of bartending, this is one series that they must check out. After seeing this anime series, you may not look at bartending the same thing again.
It is unknown if or when Bartender will get licensed for an official release to North America. Should it get a license, we can expect Bartender to be released to North America in at least one or two years.