Forum - View topicBartender Glass of God (TV).
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 2905 |
|
||
|
#8
At least I guessed right about this week's episode having the cocktail award as the centrepiece. I haven't checked to see if Suntory really does do an annual cocktail award in Japan, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did. It's an informative episode as well, showing what kind of preparation goes into participation of such a competition. Sasakura aside, all of the other bartenders featured thus far in this adaptation are involved in the competition in one way or another. The Kevin Chen story from the last week is resolved, while Kawakami Kyoko gets a resolution to her background story which started fairly early in the adaptation. Yuri did very well to win outright, but she has her owner to thank for giving her the inspiration she needed with the cocktail naming and its backstory. Kuzuhara may have rated his former understudy poorly, but he still convinced his father he was better off being a bartender rather than a hotel CEO which he never aspired towards. He certainly picked up the skills needed to make a living off his profession, even if Kuzuhara doesn't rate him Sasakura and the others definitely did. Kawakami Kyouko goes from drunk customer to insecure understudy to hotel bartender. Not quite Sasakura's position, but she's on the same level as the other hotel bartenders who were at Sasakura's bar last week. Although not at Yuri's level, she too has something to look back at and be proud of. With all the back stories, there is one more which hasn't even started: Sasakura Ryuu's. We know next to nothing about it apart from his previous training in Paris, and his visit to that empty lot post-credits hints the next arc might finally start to tell his story rather than him resolving the problems of others through his concoctions. |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 2099 |
|
||
|
That was a nice way to finish off several storylines in one go. It is also nice to see some creative drinks, though I would pass on some of them if I am honest. As for Sasakura, I kind of assumed him going to work at the other place would be a series ending thing, maybe I am wrong though.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 2905 |
|
||
|
#9
It's a contrived coincidence, but meeting his former senior in one of Kabukicho's (of Yakuza series fame and still a haunt for hostess clubs and the underworld) hidden bars is the trigger for Sasakura Ryuu's character arc to finally begin. The old bartender who always features in the OP and from whom Sasakura imitates some of his mannerisms from is the former owner of the Kaze bar Sasakura kept visiting after he returned to Japan. Now we know what happened to him, and why Kitakata is so embittered after seeing Sasakura again. He's also highlighted the underside of Sasakura's usual policy about bartending being a lifestyle: if people don't see you as a person behind the drinks you prepare then you're just a service provider who has no personal connection with the clients. Keeping a bar open at the expense of personal health or the opportunity to start a family is an inevitable road to ruin as far as Kitakata is concerned, hence his advice to Sasakura not to repeat the same mistake. The cocktails introduced this week are a mix of the familiar and the exotic. Bloody Mary's are a staple of most bars around the world, but the Brazilian Caipirinha wouldn't usually be seen outside of its homeland. The latter is an interesting one, as Sasakura continues his usual policy of customising his cocktails according to his customers need which gives the more traditionalist Kuzuhara the shivers. Kitakata despite his earlier retort on Sasakura's wandering eye is just as observant when watching Sasakura work behind the counter. The older Kurushima hasn't given up on recruiting Sasakura, but until the younger one figures out the true reason why he keeps rejecting the job offer they won't ever change his mind. Kitakata holds the key to that, as it appears Sasakura blames himself for a customer's accidental death and feels he cannot perform as a hotel bartender ever again because of his past. Next episode has my attention, and it seems the adaptation should end after Sasakura's arc finishes and a final decision is made over the job offer. |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 2099 |
|
||
|
Good lord, I get that Ryuu takes his job/passion as a bartender very serious but he is not Atlas in that he has to take the world on his shoulders. Wanting to provide the perfect drink for the occasion is one thing, blaming yourself for not having been able to stop someone from taking their own life due to your drink is another. Not to mention that lots of people complain about how life sucks when in a bar/drinking, does that mean having to play therapist for all of them to prevent the possibility of a suicide?
|
|||
|
|||
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 2905 |
|
||
|
#10
An interesting reason behind Sasakura's reluctance to work at another hotel bar: he does not want to repeat the same situation he once faced years ago in Paris. Most people don't really care about the plight of strangers, even if they happen to be the last person to see individuals alive before they die. However, Sasakura's line of work means he is extremely skilled at seeing to the wants of his customers. And the reason behind his reluctance to work at a hotel again is he probably did too good a job with that drink to the customer, giving him no reason to continue living. Kitakata described his situation quite succinctly, so the remaining episodes appear to be finding a way to resolve Sasakura's problems to finally allow him to move on. It's not just Sasakura who's in this episode. One of the strongest episodes in the adaptation to date because it brings in many ideas from past episodes and brings them together with Sasakura as the centrepiece. The cigar-loving couple from a few weeks before make a reappearance, which is rare since one-off guests don't usually have cameos. A similar issue to Sasakura; the manager Hasebe got over his previous workplace snafu and won himself an overseas posting but isn't happy about it at all. His diametrically opposed viewpoints on work and career stand in contrast to the older Kurushima, who sees business as a legacy to bequeath to younger generations rather than just a means of making money or as compensation for sacrifices incurred. A chance reunion with the Sendai-posted doctor makes him rethink his priorities, and with a little help from Kitakata (who could easily make a living as a casino croupier) plucks up the courage needed to take the biggest gamble of his life. With the next episode title being a double-header, I wonder how Sasakura is going to resolve his dilemma as the first bar he worked under is named. He doesn't talk about his own issues, so he'll find a way to resolve them himself even if it's excruciatingly time consuming when viewed by outsiders. |
|||
|
|||
Edjwald
 Posts: 1204 |
|
||
|
Welp, I've watched more episodes of the remake than the original now, so I guess I officially like the redux version more on some level. Plot aside, the show might not have the best OP of the season (or it might) and it might not have the best..EP? CP? Closing piece of the season (and again, I really think it might, but there's some strong competition) but both its opening and closing are top notch and go together like bookends. No show has a better combo IMHO.
The show's strength doesn't really lie in any one character for me. I like Sasakura, but he's more enigmatic than accessible. Not that engimatic isn't fine...in fact, for this show it's appropriate since, as Sasakura said last episode, bartenders aren't there to blab about their own problems. Besides, prying him open a bit is one of the main character quests. And I like Miwa, but she's also pretty reticent, to the point where I was surprised to see her getting the love interest treatment in the closing piece. I'm also a little worried about her developing a drinking problem 
The way the show takes bartending into a near mythological realm is both silly and cool, but I always like the occupational and historical trivia, which is the bread and butter of slice of life anime. To me, the show's greatest strength is consistent attention to detail in maintaining the mood and atmosphere. There's something a bit melancholy and comforting about the classic idea of a small bar though I'm not sure it would be a sustainable business model for the current day and age, and this show does a good job in capturing that appeal. The setting as a low key oasis for somewhat lonely souls is well handled, and I want to see these bruised but not broken people find some comfort. |
|||
|
|||
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 2905 |
|
||
|
#11
Classy. That's the adjective to describe this penultimate episode. The episode is a much better viewing experience because viewers who have stayed since the first episode are rewarded with the resolution of some of the most crucial story threads in a satisfactory manner. The closer next week will finish the main story, and it's been a pleasant journey throughout. We've seen glimpses of Sasakura's mentor throughout the series, but this is the episode that actually shows why Sasakura rates him so highly. Not surprising, since Kaze and Kitakata taught the foundations of bartending to Sasakura, only for him to strike out on his own in Paris and be successful there. It's surprising Sasakura chose the life of a bartender despite a university background: just as much as a shock that the gyoza-serving owner has a Kyoto University philosophy degree. It does explain why he has such an encyclopaedic knowledge of cocktails, since his academic background allows him to absorb and retain these anecdotes more easily than most. Seeing the pair of them discuss the various alcohols that could have been what Miwa saw when she was a child is another indicator that the pair have much more learning than their appearances would suggest. Kaze's sendoff is the highlight of the episode, as the old bartender has a one night revival to give him one last memory before he departs. The scene with the flaming vodkas is especially memorable because Sasakura himself has to do it in turn, the symbolism may be heavy handed but it's very in character for Sasakura. The few customers who did return for that evening may have been the ones who abandoned Kaze when he collapsed from overwork, but neither Kitakata nor Sasakura begrudged them their wish to have one last opportunity to drink Kaze's offerings. The Kurushima's arc in the second half is also very well done. It was surprising to hear the background behind the older Kurushima's hotel, but it does explain why he's always in a kimono and has such peculiar views about business and its relationship to a legacy. We don't know if Sasakura's conjecture about the bottle the departed son intended to present is correct; but the explanation he gave certainly clicked with the Kurushimas and the elder one certainly accepted the rationale behind it. He even came to Edenhall to thank Sasakura for the trouble (and considerable expense). The only issue remaining is whether Sasakura has done enough for himself to move on from Edenhall, as its owner has already signalled his intent to close it regardless of Sasakura's intentions. |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 2099 |
|
||
|
It really seems like a show about goodbyes and closure to me. Yes, there have been meetings and new starts too yet most cases resolve around ending something and the melancholic and/or sad feelings that came with that. While none of the episodes are too much of a downer I could probably not handle binging the show to be honest.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Edjwald
Posts: 1204 |
|
||
|
The first half of the penultimate episode - with the old mentor having one last night behind the counter and there was a montage of lots of his old customers showing up while vaguely operatic music swelled in the background - made me feel as if I were watching an Italian film.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Eilavel
Posts: 50 |
|
||
|
An episode of two halves, and they are both great. A lot of sentiment, but both earned and played just right. It really shows the superiority of this version versus the episodic prior anime. Slowly and gently the show has seemed to be drifting along but has actually been building the connections to make this work the whole time.
"There's only one kind of person that never makes any mistakes at work. Do you know what kind of person that is? The answer is someone who doesn't work in the first place." - Its not a new conceptualisation, of course, but its a pithy way of putting it. I'm likely to make use of it in the future. |
|||
|
|||
Piglet the Grate
 Posts: 607 Location: North America |
|
||
|
It is for shows like these that I primarily watch anime. Sadly few outside Japan (I have not seen anything similar from a non-Japanese source) appreciate the quiet aesthetic and measured pacing, instead considering it boring.
|
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 2099 |
|
||
|
Yeah, that was as perfect of a final episode to end things with as I can imagine. It wrapped a neat bow around the resolving issues regarding Ryuu and ended with him finally giving in to Taizo (bless his eternal stubbornness/patience) and yet taking his old bar with him (both literally and figuratively). It also showed all of the characters we have met along the way and seeing Ryuu's Glass of God saving a soul was a great moment.
As you say @Piglet the Grate, Glass of God is not a show for everyone but it has a lot to offer. Besides the many educational bits surrounding alcohol of all kinds the characters had interesting stories and the show had a very strong vibe/charm. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group