E8 - A Challenge

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
SIGN    Ginza Shopping Center
SIGN    Ginza M's Building
[00:02] Ryu
    What? You want... me for that?
[00:06] Miwa
    Yes. My grandfather absolutely insists.
[00:10] Taizo
    Mm-hmm. I'd like you to.
[00:12] Ryu
    I don't think it's my place to comment
    on who you hire at the hotel.
[00:17] Taizo
    Well, I'm not asking you to act like
    you work in the HR department.
[00:23] Taizo
    You've heard of the Cocktail Award, right?
[00:27] Ryu
    Yes. Some bartenders I know are competing.
[00:31] Ryu
    I've been hearing a lot about it.
[00:34] Taizo
    The Cocktail Award is a competition
    for original cocktails.
[00:39] Taizo
    It isn't just about demonstrating
    your abilities to the judges.
[00:43] Taizo
    It's also a test of your imagination
    in creating a new cocktail.
[00:48] Taizo
    The hotel's lounge bar is a kind of stage
    where one performs for a large audience.
[00:52] Taizo
    I'm not looking for mere skill.
[00:55] Taizo
    I want a bartender
    who's willing to try new things.
[01:00] Miwa
    Well, yes, that's about it.
[01:03] Miwa
    So we'd like to ask you to observe the
    Cocktail Award finals and share your opinions.
[01:10] Taizo
    You don't need to put
    too much thought into it.
[01:12] Taizo
    All we ask is that you tell us
     which contestants you found interesting.
[01:18] Miwa
    So, would that be all right with you?
[01:22] Ryu
    You always ask the impossible
    as if it's nothing.
[01:25] Ryu
    I'm sure this is difficult
    for the contestants too, though.
SIGN    Glass of God
[03:02] Kyoko
    Have a good evening.
SIGN    Minami
[03:04] Minami
    Good work today.
[03:05] Minami
    Are you going to stay and practice again?
[03:07] Kyoko
    Yes. I'll be sure to clean up afterward.
[03:11] Minami
    Don't wear yourself out, okay?
[03:14] Kyoko
    All right.
[03:18] Kyoko
    That's easy to say, but I've got to practice
    a lot more to compete for the award.
[03:26] Kyoko
    I've got to make a cocktail
    in front of all of those judges,
[03:30] Kyoko
    so I'd better be confident
    about what I'm doing.
[03:34] Kyoko
    Ouch.
[03:36] Kyoko
    If they see how clumsy I am, it'll tarnish
    the reputation of Bar Minami.
[03:43] Kyoko
    Anyway, it's all about practice!
[03:48] Uehara
    So, how's it going? Decide on a recipe yet?
[03:51] Yuri
    Not yet.
[03:53] Uehara
    Oh? Are those past winners?
[03:55] Yuri
    I thought they might give me a hint.
[03:58] Uehara
    The award is a competition
    for original cocktails.
[04:01] Uehara
    That "original" part is
    the real tricky part, huh?
[04:04] Yuri
    Yes. Every year, many
    new recipes are submitted.
[04:09] Yuri
    I have to make something different
    from all of them. A real original.
[04:12] Uehara
    I guess, historically speaking,
    the most famous one was Snow Country.
[04:17] Yuri
    It seems so.
SIGN    m 0 0 l 17 0 13 5 0 5
SIGN    m 0 0 l 100 0 100 70 0 70
SIGN    RECIPE
SIGN    Snow Country
SIGN    Yukiguni
SIGN    Japanese Craft Vodka HAKU (White)
SIGN    Hermes White Curaçao
SIGN    Suntory Cocktail Lime
SIGN    1. Shake, then pour into a cocktail glass that
    has been rimmed snow-style with sugar.
SIGN    2. Decorate with a mint cherry.
[04:19] Yuri
    1959, huh.
[04:22] Yuri
    How old were you then?
[04:24] Uehara
    Oh, I wasn't born yet. That was even
    before Okinawa was returned to Japan.
[04:29] Yuri
    Is that right? What a surprise.
[04:31] Uehara
    What's a surprise?
SIGN    1. Shake and pour into cocktail glass.
SIGN    2. Garnish with candy, heavenly bamboo leaf,
    glass noodle, dragée, black olive.
SIGN    Umemiyabi
SIGN    m 0 0 l 17 0 13 5 0 5
SIGN    m 0 0 l 100 0 100 75 0 75
SIGN    RECIPE
SIGN    Suntory Plum Liqueur 20ml
    (Blended with Sakura Barrel-Aged Plum Liqueur
     from Yamazaki Distillery)
SIGN    Lejay Crème de Cassis 15ml
SIGN    Calvados Boulard Grand Solage 10ml
SIGN    Fresh Orange Juice 10ml
SIGN    Sandeman Ruby Porto 5ml
[04:33] Uehara
    What's that one?
[04:34] Yuri
    The cocktail that won last year.
    The Umemiyabi.
[04:37] Yuri
    "The plum wine-based Japanese craft cocktail
    that enchanted the world," huh.
[04:43] Uehara
    People sure think up
    some interesting drinks.
[04:46] Yuri
    The recipe is hard enough, but the part
    I'm struggling with most is the name.
[04:52] Yuri
    It has to be memorable,
    easy to order at a bar,
[04:56] Yuri
    and have some kind of story behind it.
[04:58] Uehara
    You always have an eye
    for details like that.
[05:01] Uehara
    Don't you think eye'm right?
[05:03] Yuri
    If I could just figure out the name,
    everything else would fall into place.
[05:07] Uehara
    Well, don't overthink it, or else
    you're gonna make your chiburu yamu.
[05:12] Yuri
    Nobody says "head hurts"
    in the Okinawan dialect anymore.
[05:17] Uehara
    Nankuru nai! It'll all work out!
[05:19] Yuri
    Okinawan dialect, huh...
SIGN    Ryukyu Aged
SIGN    Shimakiku
SIGN    Ryukyu Awamori
    30 Percent
SIGN    Oukyu
SIGN    Ryukyu
    Awamori
SIGN    Umikaze
SIGN    Imaizumi
SIGN    Ogura
SIGN    Sharpen
    Up
SIGN    Minami
[06:00] Kyoko
    Have a good evening.
[06:06] Minami
    Good work today.
[06:07] Kyoko
    Oh, Minami-san!
[06:09] Kyoko
    I'm sorry. I start to worry
    when I'm not practicing.
[06:14] Minami
    Two things that are crucial for a
    bartender are to see and to be seen.
[06:20] Minami
    Your customers are also watching you,
    just like the judges will.
[06:25] Minami
    You mustn't make your guests
    feel uncomfortable.
[06:28] Kyoko
    Right.
[06:29] Minami
    Why don't you actually take a look
    at yourself? To see how you look?
[06:35] Kyoko
    Huh?
[06:38] Kyoko
    Good idea.
[06:39] Kyoko
    If I watch a video of myself, I may spot
    some mistakes and things I need to change.
[06:47] Kyoko
    I shouldn't get so nervous recording myself.
[06:53] Ryu
    So you already went to the semi-finals?
[06:55] Kyoko
    Yes. Last weekend.
[06:58] Miwa
    How did it go?
[06:59] Kyoko
    I think it went well.
[07:02] Kyoko
    Now I just have to wait for
    the judges' decision.
[07:05] Kyoko
    While I continue practicing, of course.
[07:08] Kyoko
    I've been shaking that big shaker
    so much that I built some muscle!
[07:12] Miwa
    That must have been really tough.
[07:15] Kyoko
    Oh, that's right.
    He was one of the contestants!
[07:19] Ryu
    Huh?
[07:20] Kyoko
    Chen-kun! Chen-kun. I was so surprised.
[07:25] Ryu
    Chen-kun was there?
[07:26] Kyoko
    Yes. I heard that he quit Bar K, but I wonder
    if he's been training at another bar.
[07:32] Miwa
    How did he seem then?
[07:35] Kyoko
    Well, he was unfriendly, as usual,
[07:39] Kyoko
    but what really frustrated me was that...
[07:45] Kyoko
    he was still so hot.
[07:49] Miwa
    Sasakura-san, have you heard anything?
[07:53] Ryu
    No. I haven't heard anything
    since the meeting with his father.
[07:58] Ryu
    But I guess he didn't give up
    on being a bartender.
[08:14] Miwa
    I'm so glad that everybody
    made it into the finals!
[08:19] Ryu
    So am I. They've spent every waking moment
    practicing for their big performance.
[08:26] Miwa
    I hope everything goes well.
[08:38] Uehara
    Haisai, gang!
[08:42] Uehara
    I brought something for you all to eat.
[08:45] Uehara
    Sata andagi.
[08:48] Uehara
    Try to keep your composure.
[08:50] Uehara
    Don't get so flustered you 
    can't speak a ward. Yeah.
[08:54] Uehara
    Just go grab that award.
[08:57] Contestant
    What was that? Some kind of dad joke?
[09:01] Uehara
    Yuri-chan.
[09:03] Uehara
    Chibariyo!
[09:06] Yuri
    I will!
[09:14] (Flashback) Chen
    I want to live my life as a bartender!
[09:22] Chen
    If Dad doesn't want to allow it,
[09:29] Chen
    then I'll have to force him
    to accept the fact
[09:33] Chen
    that I'm a bartender!
SIGN    Glass of God
[09:49] Announcer
    Ladies and gentlemen,
    thank you for joining us today.
[09:53] Announcer
    It's time for the Suntory
    Cocktail Award finals to begin.
[09:59] Announcer
    But first, we would like to ask
    the representative from the judges,
[10:03] Announcer
    Kuzuhara Ryuichi, to say a few words.
[10:07] Kuzuhara
    In 1931, The Cocktail Award was established
    as the first cocktail competition in Japan.
[10:15] Kuzuhara
    It was held to facilitate the spread
    of Western cocktail culture in Japan.
[10:19] Kuzuhara
    What we ask of you bartenders
     is your unfaltering discipline
[10:24] Kuzuhara
    and creative innovation.
[10:27] Kuzuhara
    We hope that each of you can fully
    demonstrate the fruits of your labor today
[10:31] Kuzuhara
    and wish you the best of luck.
[10:35] Announcer
    Well then, on to entry
    number one: Kinjo Yuri.
[11:11] Announcer
    And now, please present your cocktail.
[11:15] Yuri
    This cocktail is called the Chimugukuru.
SIGN    Chimugukuru
SIGN    m 0 0 l 80 0 80 60 0 60
SIGN    Japanese Craft Vodka 30ml
SIGN    Lejay Pear 10ml
SIGN    Hermes Blue Curaçao 10ml
SIGN    Suntory Sudachi Watsunagi 5ml
SIGN    Fresh Lime Juice 5ml
[11:19] Yuri
    When I left my home in Okinawa and was
    struggling to fit into a new environment,
[11:24] Yuri
    my bartending senpai, who was also
    from Okinawa, came to my rescue.
[11:29] Yuri
    The name is an Okinawan word
    that means "heart" or "empathy."
[11:34] Yuri
    The drink expresses the warmth
    of friendship with a vodka that,
[11:38] Yuri
    like Okinawan Awamori,
    is made from rice. Haku.
[11:41] Yuri
    It is also made to be
    reminiscent of the blue sea.
[11:46] Announcer
    Thank you very much.
[11:53] Announcer
    Next up is entry number two: Kawakami Kyoko.
[11:59] Kyoko
    The glasses are chilled.
[12:01] Kyoko
    The positioning of the shaker,
    measuring cup, and bottles is okay.
[12:06] Kyoko
    Now I just have to do what I practiced.
[12:22] Kyoko
    Why... can't I move?
[12:26] Kyoko
    I practiced so much for this.
[12:30] Kyoko
    I'm gonna run out of time.
[12:33] Kyoko
    If I fail now, it'll look bad for Bar Minami!
[12:40] Kyoko
    Minami-san... came to root for me?
[12:48] Kyoko
    He's the one who sent me to the
    competition to represent his bar.
[12:54] Kyoko
    He believes in me!
[13:18] Kyoko
    My cocktail is called the Headwind.
SIGN    m 0 0 l 80 0 80 60 0 60
SIGN    Headwind
SIGN    (Mukaikaze)
SIGN    Suntory World Whiskey Ao 30ml
SIGN    Kimia 10ml
SIGN    Drambuie 10ml
SIGN    Suntory Ginger Watsunagi  5ml
SIGN    Fresh Lemon Juice 5ml
[13:21] Kyoko
    Since deciding to become a bartender,
    I've faced a lot of challenges and setbacks.
[13:27] Kyoko
    I decided to to face that wind of pain
    and confusion head on and inhale all of it!
[13:33] Kyoko
    That's why I made this drink.
[13:35] Kyoko
    The flavor has a big kick to it.
[13:38] Kyoko
    But don't give up. Face it head on!
[13:53] Announcer
    Next up is entry number 12: Kelvin Chen.
SIGN    Kelvin Chen
[14:05] Miwa
    His movements really are graceful.
[14:08] Ryu
    Yeah. But...
[14:16] Chen
    I thoroughly researched cocktail contests
    around the world, not only those in Japan,
[14:20] Chen
    and studied what points
    they were evaluated on.
[14:23] Chen
    Movements have to be big, but smooth.
    Use your whole hand, down to the fingertips.
[14:29] Chen
    That said, I never expected
    Kuzuhara-sensei to be one of the judges,
[14:33] Chen
    but he isn't the type of person to let
    personal feelings cloud his judgment.
[14:36] Chen
    There's no need to hesitate.
[14:39] Chen
    I'll serve an equal amount with each pour.
[14:44] Chen
    I sent my dad the address for the online
    video stream. This is my response to him.
[14:50] Chen
    Now they'll all have to accept me.
[14:52] Chen
    The judges... as well as my dad!
[15:08] Chen
    I've failed?
[15:10] Chen
    I can't expect a decent result now.
[15:15] Chen
    Is this the end of my life as a bartender?
[15:27] Miwa
    Huh?
[15:30] Miwa
    Why?
[15:33] Chen
    I named this Lion City.
SIGN    m 0 0 l 80 0 80 65 0 65
SIGN    Lion City
SIGN    Japanese Craft Gin 20ml
SIGN    Lejay Framboise 20ml
SIGN    Suntory Yuzu Watsunagi 10ml
SIGN    Suntory Grenadine Syrup 10ml
SIGN    Fresh Pineapple Juice 20ml
SIGN    Fresh Lemon Juice 10ml
[15:36] Chen
    I wanted to make a cocktail that would
    represent my home, Singapore.
[15:43] Kuzuhara
    May I ask a question?
[15:44] Kuzuhara
    Why did you only finish one cocktail?
[15:48] Kuzuhara
    Even if you couldn't make the required five
    cocktails, you at least could have made four.
[15:56] Chen
    I decided to participate in the award
    because I wanted to be praised and accepted.
[16:05] Chen
    But I realized that, for a very long time,
[16:07] Chen
    all I've cared about
    is being accepted by others.
[16:12] Chen
    But that wasn't because
    I wanted to improve myself.
[16:15] Chen
    I think I was simply afraid
    of not being accepted.
[16:20] Chen
    However, after I made that mistake, I still
    strongly felt that I didn't want to give up.
[16:28] Chen
    Even if I am disqualified for this, I wanted
    to complete the cocktail that I created.
[16:33] Chen
    I put all of those feelings
    into this one glass.
[16:38] Kuzuhara
    Well then, why did you use a recipe
    different from the one you submitted?
[16:43] Kuzuhara
    That recipe shows only one chrysanthemum,
SIGN    Kelvin Chen
SIGN    Lion City
SIGN    m 0 0 l 80 0 80 65 0 65
SIGN    Japanese Craft Gin 20ml
SIGN    Lejay Framboise 20ml
SIGN    Suntory Yuzu Watsunagi 10ml
SIGN    Suntory Grenadine Syrup 10ml
SIGN    Fresh Pineapple Juice 20ml
SIGN    Fresh Lemon Juice 10ml
[16:47] Kuzuhara
    but your final drink is garnished with two.
[16:52] Chen
    I made this cocktail to represent Singapore.
[16:56] Chen
    However, I then realized that wasn't enough.
[17:01] Chen
    I don't have one home country.
[17:04] Chen
    I also have roots in the country
    with a flag of red and white. Japan.
[17:09] Chen
    In addition to my pride in my fatherland,
[17:12] Chen
    I want to show my respect to the country
    that taught me how to live as a bartender.
[17:15] Chen
    To the culture of Japan.
[17:17] Chen
    And this is the cocktail I wanted
    to make. This is my cocktail.
[17:23] Kuzuhara
    I have no further questions.
[17:27] Miwa
    Chen-san!
[17:34] Announcer
    Well then, it is time to present the winner.
SIGN    Keypad
SIGN    Speaker
SIGN    Others
[17:44] Chen
    Hello?
SIGN    Chimugukuru
SIGN    Kinjo Yuri
SIGN    Congratulations! 
    Winner
[18:00] Uehara
    Yuri-chan, one more Chimugukuru.
[18:03] Yuri
    Coming up.
[18:08] Miwa
    I wonder what happened
    to Chen-san after that.
[18:12] Ryu
    I hear he's continuing to train
    as a bartender in Singapore
[18:16] Ryu
    at the bar in his father's hotel.
[18:18] Miwa
    Really? I'm glad.
[18:22] Ryu
    Have you decided on a bartender
    to work in your lounge yet?
[18:26] Miwa
    Yes. Following your recommendation,
    we made an offer to Kyoko-san.
[18:31] Miwa
    My grandfather was happily saying, "I bet
    she'll put a new wind in this bar's sails."
[18:38] Ryu
    I'm glad to hear it.
SIGN    Minami
[18:43] Minami
    Kawakami-kun.
[18:45] Kyoko
    Yes?
[18:46] Minami
    I'm going out for a bit.
    Keep an eye on things.
[18:49] Kyoko
    All right.
[18:54] Kyoko
    It's been four years
    since I first came to this bar.
[19:01] (Flashback) Kyoko
    Oh, shove it! I'm not drunk at all!
[19:05] Kyoko
    I drowned my sorrows a little too much
    and was an awful customer.
[19:11] (Flashback) Minami
    Do you know what kind of job
    bartending really is?
[19:16] (Flashback) Minami
    It's to make sure that
    when a guest goes home,
[19:21] (Flashback) Minami
    they're just a little happier than
    when they walked through the door.
[19:26] (Flashback) Minami
    That's what this work is for.
[19:30] (Flashback) Minami
    As such, perhaps it's best to
    make that your last drink.
[19:37] Kyoko
    And now I'm standing here behind the bar.
[19:44] Kyoko
    Welcome.
[19:45] Kyoko
    Uh. Minami-san?
[19:48] Minami
    I came alone. Is that all right?
[19:52] Minami
    I'd like a Horse's Neck.
[19:56] Kyoko
    Uh, sure. As you wish.
[20:03] Kyoko
    Could this possibly mean...?
[20:08] Kyoko
    Here you are. A Horse's Neck.
[20:23] Kyoko
    Um...
[20:24] Kyoko
    I, Kawakami Kyoko, would like
    to move on from Bar Minami.
[20:29] Kyoko
    Is that all right?
[20:31] Minami
    A bartender never moves on.
[20:35] Minami
    From day to day, from second to second,
    a person is always changing.
[20:39] Minami
    The cocktails you mix for guests
    should also always be changing.
[20:44] Minami
    Bartending is a job with
    a beginning but no end.
[20:50] Minami
    Thank you very much. I wish you
    the best of luck at your new position.
[20:56] Kyoko
    Sir!
[20:58] Kyoko
    Was I able to make you just a little happier
    than when you walked through the door?
[21:08] Minami
    Yes.
[21:14] Kyoko
    Thank you very much.
[22:49] Taizo
    So, how did things go
    with that fellow from Singapore?
[22:53] Kuzuhara
    He was extremely immature. Very green.
[22:57] Taizo
    That sounds like he has promise.
[23:00] Taizo
    The Western cocktail was
    originally an imported culture,
[23:03] Taizo
    but Japanese bars made
    their own new developments,
[23:06] Taizo
    and now young people come
    from overseas to study that.
[23:09] Taizo
    How the times have changed.
[23:13] Kuzuhara
    Speaking of green, do you still have
    your sights set on that one bartender?
[23:19] Taizo
    There's nobody else worth
    opening up the counter bar for.
[23:26] Kuzuhara
    Do you think he'll eventually
    make his way there?
[23:27] Taizo
    With the Glass of God?
[23:30] Taizo
    We're certainly making progress toward that.
[23:34] Taizo
    But he is moving very slowly.
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SIGN    A Message to the Neighborhood
SIGN    Episode 9