[Lost]

Bartender continues to impress me, no less with episode 8, with which I've just had the pleasure of catching up. What I liked was being able to peer into Ryuu's concept of lies, even for those of Love, being acceptable at the counter until they, and correspondingly the 'stage' on which they were set, could be remembered for sadness and bitterness in the future. From whence, they were forbidden. His rationale: all memories at a bar should be good ones. I for one was sceptical; don't all lies lead to sadness? Still, in this, it showed a depth I rarely see anywhere else. It made me think and question.

And then, just at that moment when I thought that Ryuu was being selfless in exposing Oda and protecting an innocent woman, a twist was introduced. Two of them, in fact. That Ryuu may have been doing this for a little more selfish reasons was evident from his lingering thoughts on the woman in question. Most touching, it showed that the woman wasn't that innocent after all. The love of this woman for her young daughter, in wanting to get her a father, led this woman to believe in the lie that any man would do. Thus, as the show implied, in a sense Oda wasn’t the only liar At least, that’s the way I'm interpreting it.

And at the end it left me uplifted. I mourn that so little people here appreciate this polished gem of a series.