Bartender: Kami no Glass

Ah, Bartender—a timeless classic reborn in the form of a remastered anime, much like the beloved Spice and Wolf this season.

At first glance, you might be tempted to write it off as just another run-of-the-mill series about alcohol. But oh, dear reader, it is so much more than that. Bartender is a journey into the heart and soul of libations, each drink carefully selected to match the patron's mood and tell a story of its own.

Forget your overpowered heroes and flashy romances—Bartender is a different breed of anime altogether. It's a collection of short stories, each one a poignant tale of everyday people and their ... encounters with the magical elixirs served up by our enigmatic bartender.

What sets Bartender apart is its ability to create a sense of calm and tranquility, a refuge from the chaos of the world outside. As you sink into your seat and take a sip of your drink, you'll find yourself transported to a realm where time slows down and worries melt away.

It's hard to put into words just why Bartender is so captivating. Perhaps it's the way each episode weaves together the threads of human experience with the artistry of mixology. Or maybe it's the comforting familiarity of the bar setting, a place where strangers become friends over a shared glass.

Whatever it is, one thing's for certain: if you're looking for an anime with a chill vibe to unwind to, Bartender is the perfect choice. So sit back, relax, and let the soothing ambience wash over you. Cheers to good company and even better drinks—enjoy!

This doesn't feel like the Bartender I know.

In case you're wondering, yes, this anime is a remake/reboot of an anime that came out all the way back in 2006, called Bartender. Why is it getting remade almost an entire 18 years later? Other than how it might be connected to the fact that 18 is the legal drinking age in many countries, it beats me.

I'd heard about this new anime coming out that focused on bars and drinks and all that, and I just had to check out the original. And guess what? I genuinely liked it! I'm not even old enough to drink, ... and tbh, I'm pretty scared of alcohol, but getting to learn about different drinks, their origins, and the struggles of troubled individuals who wander into Eden Hall, all in such a cozy, homey atmosphere, was so refreshing.

So, now that this remake's finally airing, what are my impressions of it? Well, I'm conflicted.

Now, writing a preliminary review having only watched three episodes so far is kind of unfair in my eyes now, but WHAT THE HELL happened???? Nothing seems very comforting anymore and nothing is interesting. It just feels like some sort of odd ASMR instead, because the inside of the bar is so much more goddamn quiet, it's literally almost unnerving. The 2006 Bartender was one of those anime where it was soothing, and even lulled me to sleep a few times (because it was so chill, not because it was dead boring), but I just felt so oddly alert during every moment inside the bar in this one, and this feeling is strengthened even more by how off the characters and their dialogue seems, and the new sort of personality they gave Sasakura, our lovely bartender. It's like they made him so much more of a goofy idiot than actually mature and collected. Like, okay, maybe he regains himself when he's bartending, but there's still that lingering new aura around him that I just find so unfitting of him, and that really disrupts the already off-putting atmosphere.

I'm glad they didn't take the core aspects of Bartender away, though at least not yet. It still seems to have the same formula of a stressed-out drinker coming in for a drink, and having their worries completely washed away by Sasakura's exquisite skills in creating the perfect drink for any individual. Sometimes there's a bit of drama, sometimes it's just that smooth-rolling, straightforward experience. This time, though, there seems to be a goal of trying to get Sasakura to work at a bar, specifically on the top floor of a building. The problem is, he has a fear of heights, and refuses every time he is asked. This is an example of how they made him kind of dumb, but hey, there's a little underlying goal there. But I want my Gary Sue ikemen Sasakura Ryuu in perfect form!!!!

I'm not really liking this new adaptation of Bartender so far, but I'm not necessarily hating it either. It's got its unwanted changes in there, but it's not like it's a completely different anime. I'm holding on to hope that by chance this new adaptation could turn in a good direction soon, but that's gonna be a wait. Maybe I might write a complete review once this has finished airing, going over it in more detail, but who knows.

Thank you for reading my review.

I'm curious as to why they made Sasakura so clumsy and forgetful in the first episode and then we never see that kind of behaviour again in the following eps. Not only that, but the show has an air of pretentiousness when they're talking about drinks and bartending as a job. Especially when Sasakura serves drinks to elderly people or any persons in an authoritative position then they say some random shit like:

"Mmm your drink is lacking a face"
"your beefeater doesn't have enough character"

What the hell does that even mean? lines like this just make me cringe because nobody in real life ... would talk to a bartender like this. So pretty much, the difference between an average drink to an amazing one is either a slight change in temperature or whether it's stirred too much or too little.

In real life, yes this is a real thing. A drinks temperature can drastically change how the drink will taste but the way it's explained just seems so high-sounding. Bartending isn't some kind of craft you need to master where every drop counts and the temperature needs to be just right, it's just a job to serve alcohol but it's glorified too much.

Lets say, you're working a mundane job like a sales assistant and a somebody tells you that you're lacking "a face" when serving customers, then starts telling you how you SHOULD be doing your job, they're being a pretentious asshole. It would be so much easier if they just said "your drink is too warm, that's why it tastes different" but no, they gotta say eloquent nonsense to make it seem profound.

I had a feeling I would run into this kind of annoying behaviour when watching this show and I was right.