This is a line from the first episode that sets the premise and the tone of the show, romanticizing bartending as a sophisticated and almost therapeutic vocation. Except that I am pretty sure that is not where the word comes from. A bartender is the person who “tends” the bar, as in “taking care of,” similar to "tending to a patient." This may sound like a strange nitpick, but it encapsulates the show for me.
The show is at its most interesting when it “talks shop” and explores the many kinds of cocktails, flavor, technique and bartending philosophies. If this is enough for you, you will have a good time. But in almost all other areas the show is awkward and unsatisfying.
The writing in the bar scenes feels very simplistic for what is supposed to be a conversation between adults about refined tastes and hardships in life. Sasakura, the genius bartender and the main character, explains every single detail about what he is thinking, what he is doing and what he means by it. Nothing is left unsaid or ambiguous so that the customer (and the viewer) can contemplate and interpret. Sasakura speaks more through words rather than through his drinks, which I feel goes against the premise of the show. When he mixes in some trivia and some life lessons, he often comes across as preachy rather than sympathetic. The stories that the customers bring to the table are also straightforward, like a rough day at work or doubts about a career choice. There are no layers to peel back, unusual personalities, or particularly complicated circumstances.
These interactions may be more enjoyable if the characters are charismatic or likable, but that is not the case here. Sasakura is just a “cool guy,” always poker-faced, both at work and outside of work, and he rarely says or does anything that reveals anything about himself. It is revealed in the first episode that he has some eccentric sides to him, but those have not been brought up again. I think his character is intended to be an enigma of sorts, but at the moment he just comes across as dull. Other characters are completely flat and get one-word descriptions like “perfectionist” or “workaholic,” if they are lucky. There seems to be an overarching story about recruiting Sasakura to work at a newly-open bar, but there is not much to it, and little progress has been made.
Unfortunately, not much is going on in the art and animation department, either. The cocktails themselves look nice, but the rest of the art is very bland; the bars look mostly flat and featureless. Characters are not very expressive and barely move, and most scenes unfold with characters sitting still and flapping their mouths. I understand that this show is a drama where people sit down and have drinks, but it does not look like the director is trying to do anything creative here at all.
I have not read the manga or seen the original anime adaptation, but I knew that they were well-regarded, and this show has not met my expectations so far. Going back to the “bartender” quote, I feel similarly about the show itself; it feels mildly pleasant but does not hold up to a closer look. This show is just not doing anything nearly as interesting or “elegant” as the subject matter itself, which makes the little annoyances all the more glaring. If you simply want to see great-looking cocktails, or if you want a calm, relaxing show to chill out to, you may enjoy this show. If you are looking for anything beyond that, I really doubt this show will deliver.
