English Dub Review: The Drops of God “Take the Distant Path”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Loulan’s jealous rivals plot to separate her from Tomine.

Our Take:
Shizuku and Tomine’s trips down memory lane have led them to realize the Third Apostle’s true identity.  But at the end of the day, it was Shizuku who claimed victory in this round, despite Tomine understanding the wine better.  However, we still have a long way to go in this wine-based competition.  Given that the show is listed for 24 episodes rather than the usual 12, we would see the contest continue sooner, rather than waiting another couple of years for the next 12.  Although it highlights the conclusion of the Third Apostle, the episode also focuses more on the growing relationship between Tomine and his new partner, Loulan.  However, the acquaintanceship has gotten pretty rocky, as Tomine’s other partners have gotten pretty jealous of his new recruit, particularly Maki, who does whatever it takes to get rid of Loulan.
As mentioned earlier, I didn’t expect Loulan to have much of a significant role in the show after her first appearance in the eighth episode.  I thought she was going to be a one-and-done deal, but as it turns out, she’s becoming more of an equivalent to Shizuku’s ally, Miyabi, where she assists Tomine in the competition with her expert sense of smell.  Of course, there is some romantic tension between Loulan and Tomine, more so than in the partnership between Shizuku and Miyabi.  Does it also evoke more interest in Tomine’s development?  Personally, yes.  Despite its use of the jealousy narrative trope, this moment is enough for the episode to conclude the first half of the anime adaptation, which has been surprisingly enjoyable so far, despite my inexperience with wine.