The Drops of God Anime: Initial Impressions & The Quest for Maturation Like Fine Wine

In April 2023, the acclaimed manga The Drops of God (Kami no Shizuku), created by Tadashi Agi (Shin and Yuko Kibayashi) with art by Shu Okimoto, received an eight-episode live-action adaptation on Apple TV+. This production, a collaboration between French, American, and Japanese studios, was a rare instance of a Japanese work first getting an international live-action series before an anime. It notably altered the gender and nationality of one of the main protagonists. Praised for its dramatic depth and overall quality, this live-action series recently concluded its second season. Now, on April 10, Crunchyroll launched the anime adaptation of The Drops of God from Satelight studio, aiming to be more faithful to its original source material. We had the opportunity to watch its inaugural episode.

The narrative of The Drops of God centers on Shizuku Kanzaki, a young man who works for a beer company and is the son of the late Yutaka Kanzaki, a renowned enologist and one of the world's foremost wine collectors, whose collection is valued at an astonishing 2 billion yen. Upon Yutaka’s death at 67, his will sets in motion a quest for the legendary "Drops of God," intended to guide his two designated heirs. These heirs are Shizuku and Issei Tomine, an accomplished wine critic whom Yutaka formally adopted as a "spiritual son" just two days before his passing.

Tomine, a professional wine critic, was adopted by Yutaka specifically to compete against his biological son. According to the will, both must demonstrate their profound knowledge in enology, with the victor inheriting Yutaka’s invaluable wine collection. Though often perceived as arrogant and cold, Tomine exhibits an intense dedication to his passion for understanding wine, enduring hardships and even risking his own life to deeply comprehend the complex descriptions laid out in the testament.

Kanzaki and Tomine are tasked with identifying specific wines that correspond to poetic definitions, which include evocative analogies and require discerning the unique ingredients that contribute to each bottle's character—a challenge that goes far beyond just vineyards and grapes. Shizuku faces a significant obstacle: he cannot taste wine due to a traumatic past experience involving his father. Consequently, his acute sense of smell becomes his greatest asset, and alongside friends from the wine sector, he must study and recall all the lessons Yutaka seemingly imparted to him indirectly throughout his life.

Forming a comprehensive opinion on the The Drops of God anime based solely on its first episode is challenging. The anime's pacing appears considerably faster compared to the live-action series, which provided a more gradual and effective contextualization of the story, balancing a deliberate tone with subtle moments of humor. With each anime episode lasting only 24 minutes, some narrative gaps are noticeable, and there's an expectation that subsequent episodes will provide greater depth. This initial impression might be influenced by prior familiarity with the story’s other adaptations, making it particularly interesting to hear the perspectives of viewers who are new to the narrative.

Nevertheless, the journey of Shizuku Kanzaki and Issei Tomine in their quest for the "Drops of God" remains compelling. It’s still difficult to definitively state whether Camille Léger (portrayed by Fleur Geffrier), Shizuku's equivalent in the Apple TV+ Drops of God, is entirely inspired by the manga character. Her portrayal shows a woman deeply affected by her father's decisions, harboring resentment towards him, and facing a medical inability to taste wine. This often makes her appear as a protagonist plagued by misfortune. However, this represents just one way to adapt the same core story. In contrast, the anime’s Shizuku emerges as a more archetypal "prodigy" figure in the world of wine, and presents a somewhat more jovial demeanor than his live-action female counterpart.

Only time will tell if the anime, much like fine wine, will truly mature and improve with further episodes.