Poignant subject matters (along with making alcoholic beverages) seem to be this anime’s bread and butter. This episode is no exception to this standard. Between honoring an old mentor’s wish and lingering on memories of a conversation unsaid, episode 11 is emotional and continues to set this bittersweet tone as the anime progresses. Here is the eleventh episode review of BARTENDER Glass of God.
Recap of BARTENDER Glass of God Episode 11
The episode starts off with Kitakata telling Ryu that their old mentor Kase is being temporarily discharged from the hospital. With Miwa tagging along on their trip, Kase mentions that he wants to be behind the bar one last time before he goes back to the hospital. Kitakata closes down his bar for the night and sets out the old ‘Bar Kase’ sign outside of his door. People flock immediately thanks to a tweet Miwa made about the bar and Ryu, Kase, and Kitakata run the bar like how they did back when Bar Kase was still around. There is a small flashback where Ryu accidentally shatters a glass that Kase’s late wife had given him, and Kase mentions to Ryu that you’re allowed to make mistakes when perfecting your craft.
In the present, Miwa asks Ryu if he would be able to find a bottle of alcohol that she would be able to give to her grandfather. The alcohol is sentimental to her; her father and grandfather had argued a lot when she was a child and, when her father had wanted to present the bottle to her grandfather, she had accidentally knocked it over and broke it. 25 years after the incident and with her father having passed 6 months after she broke the bottle, she blames herself. Ryu finds the old bottle of whiskey and they present it to her grandfather, who appreciates the gift immensely, and has a drink in honor of his son and the conversation they never got to have.
Review and Overall Thoughts
BARTENDER Glass of God episode 11 presents the topic of grief and making mistakes in such a poignant way. It’s hard to accept our mistakes, whether it be at our jobs or in our home life. I think a lot of people are afraid to make mistakes because they believe they should be perfect in their craft. It’s human nature to make mistakes no matter how long you’ve been doing your hobby or your job, and it’s nice to see an anime that can provide that lesson.
In terms of grief, I think how they handled Miwa’s guilt over a mistake she made as a child very well. It was lovely to see her finally accept that the mistake wasn’t her fault and that both her and her grandfather essentially found peace with the 25 year old argument left unsaid. I think we all hold onto our guilt and wonder what would have happened if some things didn’t go said or if we had apologized or done something different to prevent certain outcomes. BARTENDER Glass of God showed us that hanging onto our guilt can be painful and, when we finally let go of it and accept it, we can start moving forward to a brighter future.
BARTENDER Glass of God can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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