Love is Like a Cocktail is a Japanese web manga written and illustrated by Crystal na Yousuke. The series was later adapted by Creators in Pack and aired from October to December 2017. The show has 13 episodes, all of which are just three minutes in length, with a story that follows a married couple and their time making cocktails together after a hard day's work.
While anime of this length are typically unable to build strong characters, Love is Like a Cocktail does a fantastic job of making its protagonists both likable and relatable. Each episode covers a particular type of cocktail (providing viewers with the precise recipe), depicts the love life of the story's two protagonists and shows what happens during their daily lives. The series manages to show off some touching moments and is filled with a considerable degree of cuteness that will likely get a blush or two from viewers.
Love is Like a Cocktail’s Plot
Chisato Mizusawa is a hardworking and collected assistant office manager who refuses to drink with her colleagues because of her ‘dislike’ for alcohol. However, after putting her nose to the grindstone during the day, viewers get to see the secret side of her life that she only reveals to her husband, a bartender named Sora.
When Chisato comes home, she kicks back and lets her beloved provide her with an exquisitely cooked meal and a stiff drink. While she pretends to dislike alcohol, this is only because of her hidden persona that emerges when she is drunk. As she gulps down everything from a Plum Splet to an Irish Coffee, Chisato becomes redder in the face and increasingly cuter by the minute.
However, there is something that Chisato loves even more than an alcoholic beverage and a finely made dinner: her attentive husband. Together, the pair share a life that is filled with happy moments, understanding and a great deal of compassion. No matter how hard a day Chisato has had, Sora is always on hand to give her the support she needs and is ready to whip up the necessary drinks or confectioneries to make her feel better.
Why Love is Like a Cocktail Is Worth a Watch
With a runtime of just 39 minutes in total, this super-short series can be watched in a single sitting. Fans of the slice-of-life genre have little to lose in giving this a shot and will likely be wishing that there was more by the time they’re done. However, regardless of the series’ length, it’s a winner. Chisato and Sora are incredibly compelling characters and will stay fixed in viewers' minds days after they’re done watching this little gem.
While the pair arguably suffer from the ‘too perfect to be real’ trope that is often seen in anime, there is something subtly nuanced about their interactions that make their relationship feel both believable and charming. From the way Chisato looks at her partner to how each of them holds hands, there is an element of tangibility that isn’t often seen in married couples across Japanese animation.
If this couple’s relationship wasn’t enough to create an engaging set of episodes, its cocktail guide certainly does. Sora is a committed barman who is seemingly able to craft stunning drinks with a flick of his wrist. The recipes for each of these creations are neatly outlined in every episode and are simple enough that anyone with a few ingredients can make them.
While Love is Like a Cocktail might not have the most complicated plot, in-depth character development or high-intensity scenes that would typically get fans coming back for more, its simple approach is such pleasant viewing that the series might as well be retitled ‘a warm bath.’ Chisato is the personification of kawaii, and while this may have some rolling their eyes, the pure joy that she exhibits from all of life's pleasures could warm the soul of even the biggest of scrooges.