Regardless of age, most viewers would be familiar with the way alcoholic drinks are portrayed in the media as a gateway to uncontrollable debauchery and addiction, but rarely has the art of mixing them been depicted. Bartender: Glass of God mixes cocktails in a refreshing way, portraying the bar not just as a glamorous place for adults to have fun and meet people, but as a place to feel human, to be truly seen as a person at a certain point in time and to be treated with compassion just through a simple beverage. With bar culture around the world having been slowly closing down, Bartender: Glass of God remembers the artistry and care behind each drink.
At Eden Hall, each glass has a story. A quiet bar lies tucked away in the streets of Tokyo, and it seems only the most desperate souls burdened by their own troubles manage to find its doors. But after a glass of God poured by the brilliant bartender Ryu, they leave renewed. Ryu has a gift—he knows how to soothe the soul with the perfect drink. Who will he meet next?
For two months, the new Hotel Cardinal has a bar that remains empty due to the business planners Miwa Kurushima and Yukari Higuchi unable to find the perfect bartender for their picky chairman, one that can mix up the perfect “glass of God” to soothe their customers’ woes. However, she bumps into Ryuu Sasakura, the prodigy bartender behind the mysterious Eden Hall, who might be the one they’re looking for.
Bartender: Glass of God is a reboot of a 2006 anime, and both adapt a manga that ran from 2004 to 2011. Unlike the 2006 anime, and the 2004 manga, however, Bartender: Glass of God establishes Miwa Kurushima earlier on in the story. This choice is a great one, as Miwa’s goal to find the perfect bartender allows the series to be grounded in a casual drinker’s point of view while making Ryuu Sasakura and bartending in general seem more intriguing.
*points at Sasakura* I like the ba-ar-tender… (ooh, if you’re lookin’ for me), *points at Miwa* I’m at the ba-ar with her… (oh-oh-oh, okay)
