Plot: When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who, in a snub, went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines that serve as divine examples of the drink’s rich heritage and mystery.
Review: A few months ago, I tried reading the first volume of Tadashi Agi‘s Drops of God manga, and I must confess, I could not get into it. I found an inherent snootiness in the writing, with descriptions of the wine that went overboard, giving the book an air of pretentiousness I couldn’t stomach. So, when I heard Drops of God was getting a new anime adaptation, I didn’t think much about it. However, when a screener for the first episode crossed my inbox, I decided to crack open a bottle of 2022 Anubis from Caduceus Cellers I’d been holding onto and give it a swish.
To my surprise, Drops of God went down smooth. Under Yu Mitsuru’s pen, the first episode of the series forgoes the arrogance I’d found in the manga, replacing it with passion for presenting wine as a spirit with a rich history, and characters who are as interesting and mysterious as the lengths some will go to when hoping to discover the perfect bottle. Instead of feeling out of my depth (after all, I know next to nothing about wine), I found this version of Agi’s story charming, and immediately considered giving the manga another shot.
In Drops of God, Shizuku Kanzaki, the blood-related son of the world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki, finds his world turned upside-down when his father unexpectedly dies of pancreatic cancer. In Kanzaki’s will, he establishes a contest between Shizuku and Issei Tomine, a skilled wine expert whom Kanzaki adopted one month before his death. With his 12 billion yen wine collection, property, and other assets hanging in the balance, Shizuku and Issei must locate 12 bottles of mythical wine from across the globe to win their father’s fortune.
While Issei uses his training and years of expertise to identify wine, Shizuku relies on memory, his nose sniffing out notes and ingredients like a god-tier sommelier awakened from a deep slumber. When Shizuku inhales the wine, he’s transported to another time and place. To depict this transportation, the animation team uses beautiful, fractal artwork that’s a cross between a kaleidoscope of stained glass and all the fancy labels you see on wine bottles at your local liquor store. The effect is gorgeous, dazzling, and wholly appropriate, given the show’s subject matter.
From their first meeting, Shizuku and Issei establish a fun rivalry that I’m interested in watching evolve as the series continues. While others look down on Shizuku for his lack of wine knowledge, Issei knows not to underestimate his opponent. Meanwhile, the first episode introduces Miyabi Shinohara, a sommelier-in-training who recognizes Shizuku’s uncanny ability to identify ingredients with his powerful sense of smell. Miyabi is adorable, observant, and encouraging. She’s everything Shizuku needs to boost his confidence and hone his skills. I like Shizuku and Miyabi’s chemistry so far, and the duo’s willingness to help one another despite only knowing each other for a short while.
I don’t think Drops of God will be for everyone, but I think it has potential to become one of this year’s best anime dramas. It’s self-serious, which adds an undercurrent of hilarity to the circumstances. Still, it also instills an appreciation of wine making, one of humankind’s oldest methods of getting sloshed and sharing stories with others. In my experience, what makes wine special is its history. Each seed, every grape, comes from a different part of the world. Everything matters when you’re making wine: the grapes, the soil, the sun, the vintage. It all adds up to an experience that differs with every bottle. I hope that the rest of Drops of God is as delicious as this first episode. Salude!
