Bartender (manga)

Bartender

Cover of the first volume of Bartender, as published by Shueisha on December 3, 2004
バーテンダー
(Bātendā)
Genre Drama, slice of life
Manga
Written by Araki Joh
Illustrated by Kenji Nagatomo
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Super Jump (2004–2011)
Grand Jump (2011)
Original run May 2004 – December 2011
Volumes 21
Anime television series
Directed by Masaki Watanabe
Written by Yasuhiro Imagawa
Music by Kaoruko Ōtake
Studio Palm Studio
Network Fuji TV
Original run October 15, 2006 – December 31, 2006
Episodes 11
Television drama
Directed by Osamu Katayama
Written by Natsuko Takahashi
Network TV Asahi
Original run February 4, 2011 – April 1, 2011
Episodes 8
Manga
Bartender à Paris
Written by Araki Joh
Illustrated by Osamu Kajisa
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Grand Jump
Original run January 4, 2012 – 2013
Volumes 6
Manga
Bartender à Tokyo
Written by Araki Joh
Illustrated by Osamu Kajisa
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Grand Jump
Original run November 6, 2013 – present
Volumes 7

Bartender (Japanese: バーテンダー Hepburn: Bātendā) is a Japanese manga series written by Araki Joh and illustrated by Kenji Nagatomo. Its focus is Ryū Sasakura, a genius bartender who uses his talents to ease the worries and soothe the souls of troubled customers. The manga was first serialized in Shueisha's Japanese seinen magazine Super Jump from 2004 to 2011. The individual chapters were collected by Shueisha and released in twenty-one tankōbon volumes.

Bartender was later adapted into an anime television series, broadcast in 2006 on Fuji Television. The manga was also adapted into a Japanese television drama in 2011 that aired on TV Asahi. Two spin-off manga have been serialized in Grand Jump in 2012 and 2013, respectively. In Japan, Bartender has sold over 2.8 million copies, while it received a mixed reception from English-language manga and anime publications.

Plot

Bartender follows the nightlife of Ryū Sasakura (佐々倉 溜 Sasakura Ryū) (voiced by Takahiro Mizushima in the anime[1]), a bartending prodigy who is said to mix the best cocktails anyone has ever tasted. Upon returning from his studies in France, Ryū works as an assistant for a senior bartender at the bar Lapin. He later opened his own bar, the Eden Hall (イーデンホール Īden Hōru), which is hidden in a nook of the Ginza district in downtown Tokyo. Rumor holds that potential patrons cannot simply find and enter Eden Hall; rather they must be invited in by the host. Sasakura is known to serve the "Glass of the Gods" (神のグラス Kami no Gurasu), a way of saying that he knows just the right drink to serve in a particular situation.

The only other regular character is Miwa Kurushima (来島 美和 Kurushima Miwa) (voiced by Ayumi Fujimura in the anime[1]), the granddaughter of the owner of the Hotel Cardinal, Taizo Kurushima (来島 泰三 Kurushima Taizō). She is the office lady of the company and requires him to compete for the job of bartender in the hotel. Ryū is initially rejected by Kamishima (神嶋), the manager of the hotel beverage department. However, upon Miwa insistence, Taizo meets Ryū and becomes fascinated by his abilities, requesting her to insist on Ryū to bring him to work in the hotel.

Over the course of the manga, various other figures, all of whom share unusual troubles and heavy burdens, are invited into Eden Hall and are treated to Sasakura's fine drinks, which, with guidance from the young bartender, lead the customers to reflect upon their lives and decide on a course of action to tackle their problems.

Themes and style

Bartender is predominantly an episodic series,[2] and although the clients and problems vary,[3][4] each story revolves around problems being resolved through the right drink.[5][6] Alcohol is not depicted as a potential problem that might have negative effects such as drunkenness in the series; instead, "Bartender insists the right drink at the right time ... is about starting an earnest conversation with oneself."[4] To know which beverage is the most appropriate, according to the series, a bartender must be more than a liquor connoisseur; he or she must be a good observer.[2][4] For example, Ryū can deduce one's feelings by looking at one's hands and can know if someone is telling the truth or not.[2]

The anime uses New Wave film methods, including breaks with fifth wall, "stagy narration, [and] odd transitions".[7] It also explores staging techniques, such as monologues, spotlights, and half-screens showing storyteller and narrated story at the same time.[4]

Publication

The Bartender manga was written by Araki Joh, illustrated by Kenji Nagatomo, and serialized in Shueisha's biweekly seinen magazine Super Jump between May 2004 and September 2011.[8] With Super Jump's cancellation, the series moved to the then–new Grand Jump,[9] in which Bartender was serialized during November and December 2011.[8] Its chapters were eventually collected into twenty-one volumes, with the first volume released on December 3, 2004,[10] and the final volume on February 17, 2012.[11] The series is licensed by Haksan Publishing in South Korea,[12] and by Sharp Point Press in Taiwan.[13] An "Encounter Edition" (出会い編 Deai-hen), which follows Ryū's return from Paris, was released into four parts, with the first two volumes released on September 18, 2014[14][15] and the last two volumes on October 17, 2014.[16][17]

A spin-off series titled Bartender à Paris, with a new protagonist, Ren Sajima (佐島 蓮 Sajima Ren), began in Grand Jump on January 4, 2012; Nagatomo was replaced by Osamu Kajisa for the series.[18] It was collected into six volumes; the first was published on June 19, 2012,[19] and the last on December 19, 2013.[20] Bartender à Paris was licensed in Taiwan by Sharp Point Press.[21] On November 6, 2013, a follow-up, Bartender à Tokyo, began in the same magazine.[22] The first volume of this new story was released on April 18, 2014;[23] as of April 19, 2016, the seventh volume has been released in Japan with the series still currently in print.[24]

Anime adaptation

Bartender was adapted into an eleven episode anime series directed by Masaki Watanabe, written by Yasuhiro Imagawa, and produced by Palm Studio.[1][25] It was broadcast on Fuji TV with the first episode airing on October 15, 2006,[26] and the last episode airing on December 31, 2006.[27] Pony Canyon compiled the series and released it on five separate DVDs between December 20, 2006 and April 18, 2007.[28][29]

The music for Bartender was composed by Kaoruko Ōtake,[1] and subsequently released on an official soundtrack album on November 29, 2006 produced by Sony Music Japan under the DefStar Records label.[30] Both the opening theme, "Bartender", and the ending theme, "Hajimari no Hito" (始まりのヒト), were performed by Natural High. The opening theme, however, featured Junpei Shiina. Both themes were released by Sony as the single "Hajimari no Hito/Bartender" on December 13, 2006.[31]

Television drama

In November 2010, through the 24th issue of Super Jump, it was announced that a live-action Japanese television drama of Bartender would be produced, starring Masaki Aiba, who had been training with a professional bartender since September of that year,[32][33] and Shihori Kanjiya.[34] Directed by Osamu Katayama and written by Natsuko Takahashi,[35] the new series aired on TV Asahi's "Friday Night Drama" time slot from February 4, 2011 to April 1, 2011.[33][36][37] The series theme song, "Lotus", was performed by Arashi, a boy band of which Aiba is a member.[38] On August 5, 2011, during an event at the Tokyo Tower,[39][40] TC Entertainment released all episodes of the Bartender drama in DVD and Blu-Ray box sets.[41][42] Several tie-in products were also released, including straps, cups, pens, and candles.[34]

Reception

Bartender had sold more than 2.8 million copies in Japan as of January 2011;[43] individual volumes frequently appeared on lists of best-selling manga in that country.[44][45][46] The anime television series finale obtained a 3.4 percent television viewership rating, making it the fourth most–watched anime–related program that week.[47] The television drama debut had an 11 percent television viewership rating, while its finale earned an 11.7 rating.[36][37] Its DVD box set sold 7,978 copies,[48] considered a "successful" number by TV Asahi,[49] and its related merchandise also "sold well."[50] At Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix, Bartender was voted the fourth–best drama, and Masaki the third–best actor in a drama.[51] The television series also received coverage from the Nippon Bartenders Association.[52]

David Welsh, in the The Manga Curmudgeon, declared the way Ryu used liquor to help other people "a beautiful, uplifting message for a comic. Okay, maybe not, but it sounds like a lot of fun."[3] Writing for THEM Anime Reviews, Tim Jones called it "an interesting concept for an anime." Jones asserted that the animation was not "all that stellar", but commented that the drinks in CG "look quite good." He found the character designs "fairly generic" except for Ryū, and the music "a little repetitive" over the 11 episodes, although he stressed that it "fits the atmosphere of the show."[2] Bamboo Dong of Anime News Network (ANN) called it "a delicious ode to mixology",[53] while Erin Finnegan dubbed its graphics "craptastic" and called the idea of solving individuals' problems through drinks "chessy."[5]

ANN's Carl Kimlinger criticized Bartender's concept "as insipid, silly, and downright awful" and "monumentally uninspired". He praised its animation but said "no stylistic elaboration on earth can save it from boring its audience to tears".[7] Michael Toole, for ANN, wrote that although it is "pretty cheesy...there is something deeply, compulsively watchable about Bartender in spite of its plainness. It's gentle and sentimental, with powerful and surprising transitions."[6] At Ani-Gamers, a reviewer known as "Ink" wrote that the series unduly "romanticizes" a bar, but praised its storytelling and staging techniques, the narration, its "casual dialog and effective visuals", and its balance. He described it as "a love letter to liquor as opposed to the consumption thereof. In this series, the stories of the customers are sometimes, if not almost always, as important as and at times even parallel to the history of the liquors imbibed."[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 バーテンダー - フジテレビ (in Japanese). Fuji TV. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bartender". THEM Anime Reviews. December 2009. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Welsh, David (January 15, 2010). "License request day: I'll take the usual". The Manga Curmudgeon. Manga Bookshelf. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ink (April 4, 2015). "Drunken Otaku: Bartender (Anime)". Ani-Gamers. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Finnegan, Erin (November 16, 2013). "Miracle - Shelf Life". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Toole, Michael (February 8, 2015). "Imagawa Da Vida - The Mike Toole Show". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "The Fall 2006 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. October 22, 2006. Archived from the original on July 6, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Bartender : Fin et Début" (in French). Manga-News. December 21, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  9. ↑ September 18, 2011. "Shueisha Starts Semi-Monthly Manga Mag for Grown-Ups". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ バーテンダー 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  11. ↑ バーテンダー 21 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  12. ↑ 바텐더 21권 (in Korean). Haksan Publishing. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  13. ↑ 王牌酒保(21) (in Chinese). Sharp Point Press. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  14. ↑ バーテンダー 出会い編 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  15. ↑ バーテンダー 出会い編 2 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  16. ↑ バーテンダー 出会い編 3 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  17. ↑ バーテンダー 出会い編 4 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  18. ↑ 城アラキ原作「バーテンダー」、加治佐修作画で新章始動 (in Japanese). Comic Natalie. January 4, 2012. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  19. ↑ "バーテンダー a Paris 1" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  20. ↑ "バーテンダー a Paris 6" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  21. ↑ "王牌酒保 a Paris(01)" (in Chinese). Sharp Point Press. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  22. ↑ 「バーテンダー」新章がスタート、舞台は東京・銀座 (in Japanese). Comic Natalie. November 6, 2013. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  23. ↑ "バーテンダー a Tokyo 1" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  24. ↑ "バーテンダー a Tokyo 7" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  25. ↑ バックナンバー (in Japanese). Fuji TV. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  26. ↑ 第1回 (in Japanese). Fuji TV. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Bartender". Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Bartender vol.1" (in Japanese). Pony Canyon. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Bartender vol.5" (in Japanese). Pony Canyon. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  30. ↑ バーテンダー　オリジナルサウンドトラック (in Japanese). Sony Music. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  31. ↑ 始まりのヒト/バーテンダー (in Japanese). Sony Music. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Arashi's Masaki Aiba stars in "Bartender" drama". Tokyograph. November 23, 2010. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  33. 1 2 "Bartender Manga Gets TV Show with Arashi's Masaki Aiba". Anime News Network. November 23, 2010. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  34. 1 2 "a-friends テレ朝メルマガ" (in Japanese). TV Asahi. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  35. ↑ 金曜ナイトドラマ バーテンダー (in Japanese). TV Asahi. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  36. 1 2 "Japan's Animation TV Ranking, January 31-February 6". Anime News Network. February 14, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  37. 1 2 "Japan's Animation TV Ranking, March 28-April 3". Anime News Network. April 14, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  38. ↑ "嵐のニューシングルは相葉主演のドラマ主題歌". Oricon. January 17, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  39. ↑ 相葉雅紀（嵐）主演ドラマ『バーテンダー』の世界を体験できるイベント開催!. Only Star (in Japanese). Oricon. August 5, 2011. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  40. ↑ "バーテンダー Blu-ray BOX （5枚組）" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  41. ↑ "バーテンダー DVD-BOX　（5枚組）" (in Japanese). TC Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  42. ↑ "バーテンダー Blu-ray BOX　（5枚組）" (in Japanese). TC Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  43. ↑ 相葉雅紀は“神のグラス”で勝負「勝手に日本代表気取りですいません」 (in Japanese). Oricon. January 31, 2011. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 5–11". Anime News Network. February 13, 2008. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, August 2-8". Anime News Network. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 13-19". Anime News Network. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  47. ↑ "VOL.53　2006年　12月25日(月) 〜 12月31日(日)" (in Japanese). Video Research. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Japan's Animation DVD Ranking, August 8-14". Anime News Network. August 16, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Financial Report for FYE March 31, 2012" (PDF). TV Asahi. May 8, 2012. p. 18. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  50. ↑ "TV Asahi Corporation Consolidated Earnings Report for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2011" (PDF). TV Asahi. April 28, 2011. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Winter 2011): Aibou Season 9". Tokyograph. April 11, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  52. ↑ "特集: TVドラマ「バーテンダー" (in Japanese). Nippon Bartenders Association. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  53. ↑ Dong, Bamboo (November 16, 2013). "Drool-Worthy Food Anime That Will Make You Hungry". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.

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