Bar Lemon Heart
Bar Lemon Hart, sometimes referred to as "Bar Lemon Heart," is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsutoshi Furuya and Family Kikaku and published by Futabasha from 1985 to 2021. A Japanese television drama series based on the manga premiered in October 2015 on BS Fuji and had 6 episodes. A second season consisting of 26 episodes aired from April to September 2016.
Plot
Stories in Bar Lemon Hart typically feature three recurring characters: Lemon Hart's proprietor and two of his regular customers, Megane-san and Matchan. Each chapter generally introduces the reader to either one specific brand of alcohol, one variety of alcohol or cocktail, or one generic type of alcohol, although some chapters occasionally present multiple types of alcohol. These drinks are usually used to help solve a character's problems. For example, a customer who is being transferred to a Chinese branch of his company may learn about different types of baijiu, or a customer who has divorced his or her partner may learn their partner's true feelings after receiving a specific bottle of alcohol. A history lesson about each featured drink is also included in each chapter.The title is derived from Lemon Hart rum, which is produced by Hart & Son rum purveyors. Lemon Hart's barkeeper has referred to Lemon Hart 151 as the "world's strongest alcohol," although there are higher proof alcohols available on the market. The title is sometimes written as "Bar Lemon Heart," since the word ハート could be written as "Hart" or "Heart" in English. Both spellings appear on official merchandise.
The catchphrase 気持ちがすっごくあったかい！！ has been used for the series since Volume 4.
Characters
Main characters
;Master;Megane-san
;'''Matchan '''
Recurring Characters
;Toshi-chanFull name unknown. When he first visited Lemon Hart, he was an arrogant self-proclaimed expert of bourbon. His attitude changed once his lack of knowledge was called out by Megane-san. Toshi-chan's initial arrogance reminded Megane-san as a younger version of himself, and they develop a mentor/mentee relationship. Toshi-chan commonly wears a baseball cap. He brings multiple girls on dates to Lemon Hart and appears to be a bit of a playboy. He is initially referred to as the bourbon kid. His nickname changes based on his current obsession.
;Oden shop owner
Real name unknown, but has been referred to as Denroku. He runs a small oden cart. He is very knowledgeable about alcohol and has many discussions about it with Master. It is implied that he was a bartender before he owned his oden cart. His most distinguishable trait is his bald head and headband.
;Chiyoko Okano
Matchan's niece. She is an editor for the Oishī Nichiyōbi magazine. Chiyoko can be recognized by her bob cut. Her bubbly personality and exuberance often annoy her uncle, but she still greatly respects him and calls him Matsu-ojisama.
Media
Manga
Bar Lemon Hart has been serialized in Manga Action since 1985. On 4 January 2022, Manga Action published an obituary for Mitsutoshi Furuya in lieu of a new chapter, and the magazine has been rerunning previous chapters since then. Futabasha has compiled it into 37 volumes. The final volume was published in December 2022, and it contains previously unpublished chapters, an obituary, and unfinished layouts of planned chapters. AK is the publisher of the Korean language version of the manga.Television
A television series based on Bar Lemon Hart was produced for Fuji TV. Storylines were drawn directly from the manga. Season one contained six episodes, while season two contained 26 episodes. Each episode contains two unique stories, as well as a lesson on alcoholic beverages. Many episodes also contain interviewers with Japanese bar proprietors. Six two-hour TV specials were also produced between 2017 and 2020.Cast
- Nakamura Baijaku II as Master
- Kazuhisa Kawahara as Megane-san
- Satoru Matsuo as Matsuda
- Teruhiko Saigō
- Kenji Matsuda
- Yoichi Nukumizu
- Maiko
- Yosuke Asari
- Izou Oikawa
- Azusa Inamura
- Takako Hayashi
- Megumi Mori
Other media