English Dub Season Review: The Drops of God Season One
Overview (Spoilers Below):
When world-renowned wine critic Toyotaka Kanzaki (Mike Smith) passes away, he leaves behind an enviable collection. The will promises his estate to whoever correctly guesses the brand and year of the 12 greatest wines he selected, and the legendary wine that stands atop them all, “Drops of God”. The challengers are Toyotaka’s son, Shizuku Kanzaki (Christopher Guerrero), and a young critic, Issei Tomine (Reagan Murdock), who was adopted by Toyotaka.
Our Take:
The Drops of God is an anime adaptation of a manga series written by Tadashi Agi (Shin Kibayashi and Yuko Kibayashi) and illustrated by Shu Okimoto. It is directed by Kenji Itoso, with Yū Mitsuru writing and supervising the screenplays. It is produced by Satelight, known for such projects as Geneshaft, Legends of the Dark King, Black Summoner, and The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World. Takehiro Suwa designed the characters, while Eishi Segawa composed the music. For the first cour, Hokuto Yoshino performs the opening theme song, “hate you? love you?”, while Maaya Uchida performs the ending theme song, “Kami no Shizuku”. For the second cour, Super Dragon performs the opening theme song, “Call Me Asap”, while Eill performs the ending theme, “Every Summer”.
Every competition we see follows an intense matchup where players either battle each other or search for specific items. In the latter case, this contest has two contestants searching and testing their knowledge of something as precious as life itself: wine. You might be wondering how this alcoholic drink could possess this type of importance besides getting people to relax and throw their worries away. Of course, that includes me, since I rarely drink wine. Well, if you have the eyes and nose of a wine expert, that answer may become much clearer than you think. If not, then this anime may help you change your perspective on this particular drink made from various grapes.
When Drops of God was released, it was widely praised for its wine knowledge and for conveying the authenticity of each wine’s background and history. Combined with its engrossing storytelling and art style, the manga made a huge impact on the global wine market, as people rushed out to try some of the most valuable wines depicted in the story. This popularity alone also spawned two sequels and two live-action adaptations, including one made for Apple TV+ that recently ended its second season. With this type of success, the manga became one such instance where a source material’s take on a lesser-known topic, whether wine, food, or whatnot, can rejuvenate people’s interest that was originally vague. Following its live-action route, the manga series is finally making the leap to anime territory, aiming to bring its reflection on wine to life through animation.
As I said, I was one of the few who didn’t drink wine as much as others. I would usually try a few out during special occasions a few years ago, but after that, I mostly dabbled in other types of alcohol like beer and seltzer. When I heard about Drops of God and read its premise, I started wondering whether the anime could regain my interest in wine. Given how successfully it depicts each wine’s background, it could be either interesting or boring to me. After watching the first few episodes that introduced its characters and the Apostles contest, I was a tad concerned that, despite a few intriguing moments, it may not be to my taste. But as the competition heated up, I started to see why audiences couldn’t get enough of its flavor.
Drops of God, consisting of 24 episodes, sees the two characters, beer company employee Shizuku Kanzaki and renowned wine critic Issei Tomine, competing in a contest after the former’s father, Yutaka Kanzaki, passed away. The competition has the two traveling around the world to search for and identify the “Twelve Apostles”, the valuable wines that Yutaka discovered throughout his life, which will lead them to uncover the greatest wine of all, the Drops of God. Basically, this is another series that focuses heavily on a contest between individuals or groups based on a food or beverage. I believe the last time I watched an anime like that was Food Wars!, particularly its fifth and final season, though that’s more about cuisines than drinks. However, Drops of God isn’t like Food Wars! in tone or concept. Instead of adopting the kinetic, over-the-top essence of Food Wars, Drops of God has a tranquil, delicate aura that mirrors the relaxing authenticity of drinking wine at a fancy restaurant. Although it includes some comedy through the characters’ expressions, the series remains patient, letting the peaceful flavor it achieves sink in. This makes watching Drops of God surprisingly pleasant while maintaining the historical accuracy and intrigue of the wines’ origins.
While the Apostles contest is front and center throughout the season, the series really focuses on the development of two distinct half-brothers who share the same passion for wine. For example, Shizuku has never drunk wine, despite his father being an expert wine critic. But thanks to his impeccable sense of smell and taste, he sets out on a journey to experience the world of wine. But he also finds himself in the crosshairs when he compares his own knowledge to Issei Tomine, whom his father adopted as his other son. This path leads Shizuku to reconnect with his late father through childhood memories and search for the Apostles as he tries to uncover the hidden meanings behind the wines Yutaka chose. As for Issei, he’s an expert wine critic who dedicated his life to wine, even risking his life to study Yutaka’s wine descriptions in the contest. At first, his arrogance and cold nature would’ve made him the show’s antagonist. But as the series progressed, we started to see Issei grow into a complex character haunted by his secrets and childhood, making his personal journey as interesting as Shizuku’s.
There’s no doubt that the Apostles contest is engaging enough to highlight each wine’s background and the show’s visual artistry. But when it comes to the characters and themes, that’s where the narrative flavor in Drops of God really shows its true colors. Like in the manga, Drops of God offers a deep, complex exploration of wine and how it mirrors a person’s lifestyle. Throughout the season, we see Shizuku and Issei meet people whose lives are shaped by a specific wine, leading them to uncover the meaning behind the Twelve Apostles. It shows that even though wine is seen as an ordinary drink, it’s also described as a gateway to the memories they once shared with that wine. Despite the repetition in its 24-episode structure, the source material’s themes still shine in the anime adaptation, making viewers see their favorite wine flavors in a different light.
As for its presentation, I’d say it’s as flavorful as the alcohol itself. While it’s pretty solid for its character and background designs, the flashbacks and “wine reflections“ stand out the most in its artistry. Whether through the Apostle clues or the characters’ visual descriptions of the wines, the animation conveys those feelings through an artistic, paint-like style, like a portrait you would find in an art museum. Moments like these show how an anime can look as standard as others in its presentation, but shine most when it delivers stylistically demanding sequences. There were also a few moments where they utilized CGI for the wine, mainly when characters pour it into their glasses. However, it flows naturally with the 2D aesthetics rather than creating an “uncanny valley“ effect in those scenes.
This is one of the shows that I was initially hesitant about, and it’s not just because of the premise. It’s also because I didn’t connect with wine as much as those who do, despite having a few drinks years ago. So I was concerned that an anime about people drinking wine wouldn’t resonate with me as a newcomer. However, it proved that you don’t need to be a wine expert to enjoy this delectable experience. Drops of God is a suitably adapted journey that’s as delicious and delicate as a glass of wine, thanks to its flavorful blend of story and presentation. But the key point is that it’s accessible not just to wine fanatics, but also to newcomers curious about the alcohol’s various histories. At times, the structure can feel repetitive, and the detours the two wine lovers take may slow the plot a bit. Despite that, it’s a surprisingly enjoyable reflection of life through the power of wine, thanks to its character development and solid animation. It also got me interested in more wine facts as Shizuku continues his journey, assuming we get a season two on the horizon.
