Drops of God

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is a Japanese manga series about wine. It is written by Tadashi Agi, a pseudonym employed by creative team of sister and brother Yuko and Shin Kibayashi, and illustrated by Shu Okimoto. The story is told in two parts – the first part focusing on protagonist Shizuku Kanzaki and his rival Issei Tomine on their search of the "Twelve Apostles" wines, and the second focusing on finding the "Drops Of God". A third part of the series serves as short sequel details Shizuku's life after the competition and taking Issei's daughter under his wing.

The series was first published in November 2004 in Weekly Morning magazine in Japan and ended in June 2014, with the final volume out in July. A sequel manga series, titled continued where the original manga left off, focusing on Shizuku traveling abroad to deepen his knowledge of wine and his search for the "Drops of God". The manga's theme is the "marriage" between wine and food, exploring the many different combinations between them. Serialization began on May 28, 2015, a few months after the original manga ended its serialization, and was completed on October 15, 2020, collected into a total of 26 volumes.

On September 13, 2023, another sequel was announced, titled and began publication in Weekly Morning magazine on September 21 and ended on April 18, 2024. The story takes place after Mariage, with an older Shizuku traveling the world and arriving in Paris to teach Issei's daughter about wine. It is slated to run for only two volumes.

Drops of God is widely successful, receiving praise for its accurate knowledge of wines, characters, story, and art, and is famous for its global impact on the wine market, especially the sales of wines profiled in the manga. Drops of God also inspired two live-action TV adaptations.

Plot

Shizuku Kanzaki is a junior employee in a Japanese beverages company, Taiyo ("Sun" in Japanese) Beer mainly focusing on selling beers. As the story opens, he receives news that his father, from whom he is estranged, has died. His father was the world-renowned wine critic Yutaka Kanzaki, who owned a vast and famous wine collection. Summoned to the family home, a splendid European style mansion, to hear the reading of his father's will, Shizuku learns that, in order to take ownership of his legacy, he must correctly identify, and describe in the manner of his late father, thirteen wines, the first twelve known as the "Twelve Apostles" and the thirteenth known as the "Drops of God" ("Kami no Shizuku" in the original Japanese edition and "Les Gouttes de Dieu" in the French translation), that his father has described in his will. He also learns that he has a competitor in this, a renowned young wine critic called Issei Tomine, who his father has apparently recently adopted as his other son.

Shizuku has never drunk wine, in part a reaction against the ruling passion of his late father, nor had any previous knowledge about wines. However, with strong senses of taste and smell, and an uncanny ability to describe his experiences from those senses, Shizuku submerges himself in the world of wine and tries to solve the mysteries of the 13 wines and defeat Issei. In this, he is also helped by knowledge gained from his time as a child with his father, and supported by his friends, including trainee sommelier Miyabi Shinohara and colleagues in the newly formed wine department of his company, which he now joins.

Following a draw on the "Apostles" wines, Shizuku and Issei received a near year-long grace period before the search for the "Drops of God" resumed. They are tasked by The Order of the Drops of God, a social club created by Yutaka and seven of his closest friends and fellow wine experts, to overcome each of their respective challenges to gain the seven pages of describing the "Drops of God" in Yukata's will. Aiding Shizuku in his competition are the family that operates the Western-style Izakaya Mama-Miya and other chefs, where Shizuku find temporary employment to study wine and food pairing.

Production

Development

All the wines that appear in the comic are authentic, with Yuko and Shin Kibayashi being passionate wine lovers and even owned a 3,000-bottle collection. Neither of the authors have professional wine qualifications, but they grew up learning about French food and wine from their grandfather and drank wine every day as a hobby. One day, the siblings tried a 1985 DRC Échezeaux and become more entranced in the deeper aspects of the wine world, stating "when [they] had it, it made us think about the culture, the people, and we started to see these complex pictures and patterns like a rug. It made us see these illusions."

Whenever the siblings drank wine, they played a game of describing the "image" of wine, much like how characters in manga tend to do, and realized they shared "similar imagery without much diversion of vision from each other". Wanting to share their visions with other people, Shin suggested creating a manga centered around wine. When deciding which wine to feature in the manga, they researched and consulted with wine experts, and every wine that appeared in manga the siblings tasted. Based on a certain standard, they tasted various kinds of wine at all price ranges and from different parts of the world, even ones that don't appear in the manga. They excluded wines they thought readers would be disappointed in, regardless of price, or wines they personally found "unattractive", though they made sure no negative thoughts about wines were shown in the manga.

For the sequel series, the siblings became more interested in food pairing after introduced the pairing of oysters and Chablis wine in The Drops of God. In the depiction of Drops of God: Mariage, they wanted to emphasize how food and wine were intrinsic with each other, as there "are combinations that complement each other and that work against each other". To find an exquisite food pairing, they choose to spend time in their kitchen and at restaurants trying out different ingredients from Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisines in order to find out what pairs best with wine.

Theme

As frequently shown in the manga, the theme of the manga centered around the deep complexity of wine and the "story" behind it, and how wine "mirrors a country's food culture and lifestyle." According to the Kibayashis, they stated that wine is the "main character" of the story, instead of the protagonists Shizuku and Issei.

In series, the word "tenchijin" is used, which refers to the "elements that create wine: heaven/vintage, earth/terroir and man." A Japanese winemaker, Koji Nakata, used this on his wine label and was one of the inspirations for the sibling writers as they realized that "every amazing wine has these essences. It needs good terroir, vintage, and more than anything, a good winemaker... None of these essences can be absent to create a good wine. Even if one of them overpowers the other, it'll offset the balance. It's not simply an industrial product. When a person receives the gift from heaven and the earth, he can create wine. In the back of our mind, we always wanted to convey how amazing that is."

Characters

A young employee in Taiyo Beer beverages company, and the legitimate son of Yutaka Kanzaki and his late wife (who died when Shizuku was six). His father gave him an elite education about wine when he was still a child, though he didn't realize it until reaching adulthood. However, he started rebelling against his father in his teens, resenting his father's obsession over it, and finally drove him to join a beer company. Incidentally, he was transferred to the wine department in the company and started to undertake the task of finding the "Drops of God". His sense of taste and smell is extremely sensitive, so much so that he could discern the components of an unopened bottle of wine. He also inherited the superb intuition and verbal expressiveness about wine from his father. On the other hand, his knowledge about wine is amateur-level, but has been growing since he started working in the wine department and meeting various wine experts and lovers throughout his journey. He also travelled around the world with his father during childhood, giving gave a him broad experiences, being well-immersed in arts and culture of the world. The first wine he had ever tasted was Château Mont-Pérat.

Shizuku believes drinking is an essential part in understanding a wine, and comes to see wine drinking as a fun experience under any circumstance. He is simple-minded and optimistic, radiating a charming and warm personality that allows him to easily befriend anyone he meets and is helpful towards those in need. His concentration when pursuing goals and handsome appearance have attracted many women, but his insensitivity to romantic cues meant such feelings are normally unnoticed and unreciprocated.

A sommelier apprentice working in a French restaurant, she is very knowledgeable in all matters related to wine and has shown some talents in wine tasting. However, due to bad luck and a possible lack of intuition, she has failed to pass the Sommelier qualification exam several times. She was subsequently contracted by Taiyo Beer to work as a consultant for its wine department and eventually earned her sommelier license during Shizuku's year-long traveling.

She has been supporting Shizuku with her knowledge about wine, but Shizuku often mocks her to be too bookish about wine, though her skills improves as time passes. She almost always appears together with Shizuku, and harbors romantic feelings towards him, often expressing jealously over other women Shizuku spends time with. In the story, a running gag depicts Miyabi as having the habit of bringing a male friend to her apartment to drink wine, and almost always ending up drunk and waken up realizing she has undressed herself to her panties while drunk.

Shizuki's father and was one of the leading wine collectors in the world, with his entire collection said to be worth around 2 billion yen at the current market price. At age 67, he died of pancreatic cancer before the beginning of the story and left a will that initiated the "Drops of God" search, with the underlying purpose of providing guidance to his two heirs, Shizuku and Issei. Yutaka was a globally renowned wine critic on par with Robert Parker and his writings used to influence the market price of various wines. In his younger days, Yutaka made a fortune through wine futures trading and has forged numerous connections throughout his lifetime, many of which Shizuku would become acquainted with during his journey.

Although enigmatic and deeply dedicated to his passion for wine, Yukata was ultimately a loving father to Shizuku, though he dislikes how Yukata put him through many strict, unique training methods in his youth and resented how Yukata seems to put wine over him and his late mother. During Issei's childhood, Yukata kept his distance from his older son, only checking in on him a few times, but eventually regretted this decision, thus including him in his will and legally adopted him one week before his death.

Young and charismatic, he is a renowned wine critic and became the adopted son of Yutaka shortly before his death, and set his eyes on Yutaka's huge wine collections. Shizuku and Issei are the two beneficiaries listed in Yutaka's will, subsequently he became the main rival of Shizuku in the search of "Drops of God". Issei is in fact the illegitimate son of Yutaka and Honoka, thus Shizuku's half-brother - a fact Issei is aware of and seek to surpass Yukata's legacy, though only a few people (not even Shizuku and Sarah) know this secret.

He is often seen as arrogant and cold, but is in fact extremely hard-working to improve his tasting skills and understanding of wine, enduring great hardship and even risked his own life to further his understanding of Yutaka's descriptions of wine in the will. For example, in the searches of "Drops of God", he traveled in Taklamakan Desert alone, climbed Mont Blanc, participated in multiple Marathons, and attempted deep diving. Issei has dedicated his life to wine to an obsessive degree, and will never lie about any matter related with wine, which is reflected in the fair-mindedness he has shown in his contest with Shizuku.

A young American man sent by his father, Charles Watkins, to join in the search of the "Twelve Apostles" wines, starting from the "Ninth Apostle" and onwards, as in accordance to Yukata's will. Raised by his wine expert father, he is a genius in wine tasting with experience and talent that rivals both Shizuku and Issei, such being was able to identify the first eight Apostles immediately after hearing the descriptions and even one-up them on a few occasions. However, at the end of the search of the "Ninth Apostle", Robert criticized him for simply "copying and presenting Yutaka's account" without truly understanding the nature of the wine. After this setback, Christopher decided to start a journey to his refined own understanding of wine, though he still observes the "Drops of God" competition for his father and unofficially participates in looking for the Apostles.

Although a frivolous self-admitted Japanophilia with a womanizer streak, Chris is a very sharp-minded, hard-working, and kind person, helping people along his journey. Despite knowing her feelings for Shizuku, Chris also develops a sincere crush on Miyabi, though she firmly rejects his romantic overtures.

She is Yutaka's lawyer and was naturally present when Yutaka made his will, being entrusted with the management of Yutaka's wine collection and the execution of his will. Along with Robert, Kiryuu presides as an overseer for the "Drops of God" search and thus a neutral figure in the competition, though she worries over Shizuku.

The owner and sommelier of the wine bar "Monopole", the mentor of Miyabi and a trusted counselor for Shizuku. While quick remind Shizuku and his friends of their ever-growing tabs, he is very generous and often takes out fine wines to treat friends (such as Opus One and Calon-Ségur) and provides samples to help Shizuku whenever he needs it. In his younger days, he studied wine in France and used to be a member of the student protest and communist movements. Over the course of the series, more of Fujieda's personal life is revealed, such as his family and is eventually married to his old flame, Akie.

The owner of a famous restaurant chain and Miyabi used to work in one of his restaurants. At the beginning of the story, he was a cold-blooded businessman focusing on maximizing profits, such as instructing his managers to reduce stocks of wine in the restaurants and buy from nearby liquor stores when customers place orders instead. After Mishima reunited with his past lover Anne, he became a warmer and more generous person. Mishima is a good friend to Shizuku and Miyabi, lending them a hand from time-to-time and serves as another confidant to them, and they also helps him in return. Sometime later, Mishima was forced to closed his business due Maki and Issei, and moved to Paris to run a small wine shop.

The president of Saionji Corporation / SAION Tradeing, which specializes in the import and sale of wine, granting her extensive connections in the fine wine business. She is the financial sponsor of Issei and his on-and-off casual lover, though she wishes to have Issei to herself, despite knowing his habit of having romantic flings with other women. Maki is an unscrupulous and spiteful woman that will do anything to achieve her own purpose, even once setting up a trap to disadvantage Shizuku in searching one of the Apostles, and driving Loulan away from Issei out of jealousy.

Half-French half-Japanese, Robert is a member of the Order of the Drops of God and Yutaka's most trusted friend and rival, having known each other since their youth. An eccentric with a cranky temperament, he currently lives in a cardboard hut built in a park in Ginza called Chateau Robert, while in fact he is a billionaire and the park in which he lives is actually privately owned by himself. Known as the "Minstrel of Wine", Robert is a renowned wine connoisseur and has the experiences and talents to accurately identify the Apostles after hearing Yutaka's accounts in the will, hence serves as the unbiased judge of the "Drops of God" contest. Although neutral, he will sometimes give out advice to both Shikzuku and Issei. While he tries to hid it, Robert's health has been weakening over the course of the series, but is determine see Yukata's will through.

Sarah

The half-French half-Japanese, maternal half-sister of Issei and a successful model, currently contracting with Taiyo Beer as its commercial model. She first drank wine at the age of 5, became a regular wine drinker at the age of 12, and started to fall in love with wine at the age of 14. She has extensive knowledge about wine, though not to the same extent as her brother, and Miyabi once commented Sarah is "like Madam Leroy". Sarah likes talking to Shizuku and has a somewhat devious interest in him, but keeps the fact that she is the sister of Issei away from Shizuku and sometimes checks on Shizuku's progress in searching various Apostles and reports the information back to Issei.

The manager of the wine department of Taiyo Beer and is one of the founder of the wine department, having established it with his superior and fellow wine connoisseur. A reticent and gentle old man, he often appears invisible in the department, but his knowledge and love of wine is unparalleled in the department. He also trusts his subordinates a lot and acts like a father-figure towards them, which greatly aids Shizuku in his search for the Apostles wines.

Shizuku's colleague in the wine department and a hardcore wine hobbyist. He was dumped by a French woman before and subsequently became a fierce supporter of Italian wine, having deep knowledge in that category. Of humble origins, both his parents died and he has devoted himself passionately to wine, with his small apartment is almost fully stuffed with wine storages. Despite clashing Shizuku at first, they become good friends and Honma looks after the younger members in a brotherly way and always eager to help Shizuku in his "Drops of God" competition. Tadashi modeled Chosuka after the real life Japanese wine critic Atsushi Honma.

The most junior employee in the wine department and most tech savvy out of all them. At first, he knew nothing about wine and wanted to be transferred to the PR department, but he was assigned to the wine department instead due to a mistake of the new employee training department. However, he was slowly brought into the world of wine, and started to appreciate the depth and delicacy of wine. He also started to develop romantic relationship with a female colleague in the company and enjoys trying wine together. Kido dreams of spreading cheap and delicious wine that is relatively unknown, including wines outside France and Italy, amid Japanese wine drinkers. As a running gag, Kido would often receive comical forms of abuse from Honma whenever he makes a cheeky remark.

Kyrgyz Loulan

A Xinjiang girl with a Japanese mother who lives in the Taklamakna desert, and she was named after the ancient Loulan Kingdom. During the search of the second Apostle, Issei met her and she aided him in his mission. She knew nothing about wine at first, but has a superb sense of smell that rivals Shizuku's, prompting Issei invited her to come back to Japan to help him in the search of Apostles. She entered a romantic, somewhat casual relationship with him, but a jealous Maki eventually drive her away. Loulan then went to France alone and was adopted by Charles Watkins after witnessing her talent with wine. Under his masterful tutelage, Loulan learned more about wine and established herself as a genius wine taster in Paris in a matter of months, becoming a more sophisticated and confident person in the process. Having seen his obsessive devotion to wine first hand, she determined to surpass Issei in order to save him.

and

Twins brothers that are Miyabi's high school friends and they look after their family liquor store together after their father retired. Junya graduated from the elite Hitotsubashi University and believes "the quality of the wine depends on from which winemaker's hand it is made". Unlike Junya, Kenya used to be a Bōsōzoku and dropped out of high school and believes "the quality of the wine depends on from which vineyard it is made". Their constant bickering initially caused them to split the store in two sections, but Shizuku and Miyabi helps them find a compromise and develops a good friendship with the former.

Smart, humble, and handsome, Ryo is Miyabi's high school classmate and her first love. Due to his wealthy family background, he was transferred to an elite private school where many of his schoolmates came from similarly wealthy backgrounds. There, his old value system was challenged and he slowly transformed to a brand-conscious and snobbish man. However, with the help of Miyabi, Shizuku and their colleagues Ryo regained his former self and rekindles his old friendships, as well forming one with Shizuku. After Ryo's father planned to send him to China to start new business there, Ryo proposed to Moegi, his former classmate's sister, and asked her to go to China together, which she accepts.

Ryo's girlfriend and Miyabi's old high school friend. She is a timid girl with low self-confidence, often thinking Miyabi and Ryo being a more matching couple. When invited to a party by Ryo, one of the girls in the party who knew Ryo in a miai tried to humiliate the humble-looking Moegi, and tricked Moegi in participating in a blindfolded wine tasting contest. However, Moegi turned out to have a great intuition about wine, and her descriptions of the wine received compliments from Issei. After a few months of dating, Moegi accepted Ryo's proposal to China with her fiancé and help him start a new business there.

A member of the Order of the Drops of God, she is known as the "Tasting Witch", a leading wine taster in France, and Yutaka's former lover. The mother of Issei and Sarah, and her husband (Sarah's father) is the director of a major airline. She had a complex relationship with Yutaka and is haunted by past, which reflects her peculiar relations with Issei and Shizuku. When Issei was a child, Honoka once attempted to kill him in a snow mountain during a depressive episode, which she is deeply ashamed of.

She has placed herself as a neutral figure in the contest between Shizuku and Issei, though will give them advice to nudge them in the right direction. However, both Honoka and Robert realize her personal feelings was affecting her judgement and stepped down of the Order, allowing her to be more relax.

Charles Watkins

Known as the "Noble Wine Collector", he is the father of Christopher Watkins and is one of the most wealthiest men in American, having a hand in many businesses and is a renowned wine collector. Similar to Robert, He is a long-time friend and rival of Yukata, and a member of the Order of the Drops of God. However, Charles also has complex love-hate relationship with Yukata, and according to Chris, wishes to take "revenge" against him by using Chris and his adoptive daughter, Loulan, to interfere in the "Drops of God" search.

Yoshida

The kind and gentle butler and caretaker of the Kanzaki mansion. During the "Drops of God" competition, he is a quiet neutral figure that helps with the service and attends to the various figures that visit the mansion, but he deeply cares for Shizuku and is privy to the fact Issei is his master's illegitimate son.

Komi Mamiya

A bright, sensible and friendly young woman that helps runs her family's Izakaya and helps Shizuku during his last months of traveling by employing him at the restaurant. More practical than her father, she sometimes argue with him over decisions, but wholly supports those she loves.

Kurazo Mamiya

Owner and chef of the Western-style, multi-location Izakaya Mama-Miya. A proud and stubborn man who runs his business with his wife Kami and daughter Komi. Despite being trained in French-style cooking, he knows little about wine, relying on Shizuku and others on such matters to create good pairings.

Tohru Kamoshida

Mama-Miya's sommelier and Komi's boyfriend, who is in charge of Mama-Miya's secondary branch. His family runs a sushi restaurant, but choose to earnestly devotes himself to wine and is a promising talent, but struggle with picking out proper wine and food pairings.

Count Romano Visconti

Known as the "Silent Wine Aristocrat", he is a strict and assertive member of the Order of the Drops of God.

Francoise Black

Known as the "Empress of the Vineyards", she is a member of the Order of the Drops of God with great artistic sense.

Lord Henry Gilbert

Known as the "Arbiter of Wine", he is a fair and impartial member of the Order of the Drops of God and a wine critic.

Andrew Wang

Known as the "Gold Taster", he is a cunning and capricious member of the Order of the Drops of God.

Émilie Mikasa

Half-Japanese Half-French chef that specialize in classic French cuisine. While serious and aloof, she's a pleasant, moral and passionate person, even outing herself for being put in unfair advantage by her sponsor in a competition. She moved to Paris to open a new restaurant and helped Shizuku in picking out wines for the "Drops of God" challenge. As small running gag, she has a habit of snapping corks with her bare hands when annoyed.

Louis Bernard

The Corsican owner of the business license and sommelier of Chef Mikasa's Paris restaurant, which he ran years ago with his deceased friend Alain before being it was shut down. Stubborn and traditional, he's proud of French wine and has little knowledge of New World wines, but putting in effort overcomes his biases. Aiding Mikasa in reopening his former place, he fell in love with Mikasa and the happy couple quickly married.

Jiro Bernard

Half-French half-Japanese, he is the son of Louis and his first wife, who died when he was young. Sweet and earnest, he is a patissier apprentice that studied under famous pastry chef Toshi Yoroizuka, and wish to find pairings with New World wines and French cuisine.

Harashima

The hard-working and honorable chef and owner of the popular Bistro 9. A former high school baseball famous player, he runs the Bistro with his former teammates and is affectionally called "Captain". After meeting Shizuku in a competition, the two became friends each other and consult with each other over food and wine.

The "Twelve Apostles" and "The Drops of God"

To win each round of the competition to identify the 13 mystery wines, Shizuku and Issei have to present a correct choice of wine and a justification of the choice which most closely matches Yutaka's description of the wine in his will. The judge is Yutaka's old friend Robert Doi. The thirteenth wine, "The Drops of God", is never revealed in the series, stating every person has own personal "Drops of God" because every person's taste is different.

	Shizuku's choice	Country	Issei's choice	Country	References
First Apostle	2001 Georges Roumier Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses	France	1999 Georges Roumier Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses	France
Second Apostle	2000 Château Palmer	France	1999 Château Palmer	France
Third Apostlea	2000 Santa Duc Gigondas	France	1981 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape	France
Rematchb	2000 Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo	France	2000 Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo	France
Fourth Apostle	1992 Château Lafleur	France	1994 Château Lafleur	France
Fifth Apostle	2000 Marc Colin Montrachet	France	2000 Michel Colin-Deléger Chevalier-Montrachet	France
Sixth Apostle	2001 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis	Italy	2001 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falleto	Italy
Seventh Apostle	2003 Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz Barossa Valley	Australia	2003 Sine Qua Non The Inaugural (Eleven Confessions) Syrah Central Coast AVA	USA
Eighth Apostle	Jacques Selosse Cuvée Exquise NV	France	2000 Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé	France
Ninth Apostlec	2005 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio di Sotto	Italy	2005 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio di Sotto	Italy
Tenth Apostle	2002 Grands Échezeaux Grand cru Robert Sirugue	France	2007 Grands Échezeaux Grand cru Robert Sirugue	France
Eleventh Apostle	Priorat (DOC) 2008, Les Manyes - Terroir Al Limit	Spain	Priorat (DOC) 2008, domaine Ferrer Bobet - Seleccio Especial	Spain
Twelfth Apostle	Château d'Yquem 1976	France	Château d'Yquem 1975	France
Drops of God

  Green background means the competitor won the round and picked the correct wine.
^a Both choices were judged to be incorrect, therefore a rematch was held.
^b Although they selected the same wine, as Issei refused to describe his wine, he was judged to have lost this round of the competition.

^c Christopher also participated in this contest and found the correct wine. However, Issei's description of the wine was closest to Yutaka's understanding, and was judged as the victor by Robert

Media

Manga

Drops of God was serialized was in Kodansha's Morning magazine 2004 to 2014 in Japan. It is also published in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Since April 2008, volumes have also been published in France by Glénat. By December 2007, the series had registered sales of more than 500,000 copies. By May 2021, Drops of God had sold over half a million copies, more than 3.5 million. By August 2021, series has cumulativated over 15 million copies in circulation.

Vertical Inc. published the series in North America under the title The Drops of God. After publishing four volumes (covering the first eight Japanese volumes and the first two Apostles), the fifth volume jumped ahead to the story arc for the Seventh Apostle (volumes 22 and 23 of the Japanese edition), published under the name The Drops of God: New World. Vertical stated that this was done "by author request" and urged readers to "tell all your friends about the series so there will be second and third seasons to fill in the gap!"

Starting on October 14, 2019, Vol. 1-11 of the English translation were available digitally through ComiXology on Kindle, with plans to have all 44 volumes in English translation by Kodansha. These were available free for Amazon Prime members. In May 2020, Vol. 12-22 of the English translation were released and Vol. 23-33 in October 2020. They released the final volumes, Vol. 34-44, in May 2021.

Volume list

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	March 20, 2005	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
2	May 21, 2005	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
3	August 21, 2005	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
19. 20. 21. 22. 23. Chablis and Oysters 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.
4	November 20, 2005	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38.
5	January 21, 2006	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.
6	April 21, 2006	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
7	July 21, 2006	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
8	October 23, 2006	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
9	November 22, 2006	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88.
10	February 23, 2007	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98.
11	May 23, 2007	Template:ISBNT	October 14, 2019 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108.
12	August 23, 2007	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
109. Seeds of Discontent, Growing in the Lonely Landscape 110. The Trap Set in Place 111. Trusted Bonds, Broken Wines 112. A Goodbye Amid Turbulent Winds. 113. Cheers to an All-too-Late Coincidence 114. Across the Sea, to a New Challenge 115. A Somehow Disengaged Relationship. 116. The Sadness of Those Left Behind 117. The Bottle that Lost Its Name. 118. Aromatic Synchronicity.
13	November 6, 2007	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
119. A Pair's Genius, Amid the Phantoms of Wine 120. Major Help from a Friend's Hand. 121. Beyond the Rising Bubbles 122. The Essential Champagne. 123. Flames Burning Like Magic 124. With the Matador of Joy. 125. Butterflies Flying in the Spring of Good Tidings. 126. Like the One I First Loved 127. In Pursuit of Familiar Faces 128. A Furtive Hand on an Enigmatic Head
14	December 6, 2007	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
129. A Deep Dive, When the Time is Right 130. Her Strings Vibrating with Solitude. 131. Uninhibited Above the Sunlit Grass 132. A Kiss for the Young Hero.. 133. Bargaining Between Man and Woman 134. A Beam of Light for a Sunken Heart. 135. Dousing One's Memories in Wine 136. Time Has a Way of Maturing a Man 137. Guided by a Returning Smile 138. The Master and the Cruel, Profound Reunion.
15	February 22, 2008	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
139. First Love, with a Single Tear Shed 140. A Serenade Greeted by a Smile 141. Embraced by a Mother's Image 142. Uninvited Guest to a Night of Disappointment 143. Soaking a Bitter Heart in Wine 144. Wine Be Ever so Capricious 145. In Pursuit of Vanished Goddesses 146. The Queen's Wine, Paired with a Mystery 147. When the Devil's Hand Brushes the Glass 148. Beyond the Stairs to the Cellar
16	May 22, 2008	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
149. The Girl Who Gazed at the Desert Sunset 150. Bewitched by the Persian Winds 151. The Moment They Were Lured to Their Dreams 152. Wild Fruit, Maturing With Time. 153. Grant Your Bliss, O Silvery Goddess 154. An Irreplaceable Encounter Off the Mount 155. The Largest Rose in the World 156. The Liquid Jewel, Sparkling Ominously 157. Guided by a Shadowy, Formless Voice 158. Their Hearts Soar Across Silvery Mountains
17	August 22, 2008	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
159: A Joyful Oath Atop Snow-capped Mt. Yari 160: The Great Rose Burns Anew 161: Aflight and Tempted by the Lure of Mischief 162: The Aloof Guide Shuts the Door 163: A Firm Handshake with a Trustworthy Friend 164: In Search of Faint Light Amidst Stormy Skies 165: The Siren Song of a Snow-Colored Demon 166: Terrified of the Gentle Call of Death 167: Waiting for a Rival Beloved Beyond Friendship 168: The Turned Figure Within Wispy Memories
18	November 21, 2008	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
169 The Graceful White Peak, Revived 170. The Stern, Yet Gentle Voice 171. A Friend, Always By Wine's Side 172. A Quiet Bloom in the Shade 173. Softly Unfurling Wings of Blue 174. The Wine Quintet Called Life 175. Swept in the Great Wind of the Mainland 176. The Pale Foe Lurking at the Great Table 177. Connected to the "Land Beloved By God" 178. Mediterranean Winds Easily Besting the Wall
19	December 22, 2008	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
179. A Simple Glance to Those Without Purpose 180. The Strategist Stains a Holy Wedding 181. Awakened from Slumber by a Loud Voice 182. The Mariage Vividly Soars Upward 183. The Dark of Night, Filled with Fragrant Orchids 184. Happy Tears, Shed Out of Sight 185. A Flower Swaying in Late Summer Winds. 186. Reunions and Letters Always Come Suddenly 187. Walking the Darkness, Enveloped by Eternal Void 188. A Godlike Flame in the Faraway Night
20	March 23, 2009	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
189. A Mountain Sunset Framing Ancient Japan 190. The Cold Akino Moon Above the Poem-Chasers 191. Asuka's Horizon, Burning Red Underneath the Sky 192. The Small, Brooding Maitreya 193. For Whom Tears Are Shed. 194. The Blue Moon Faintly Glints from Afar 195. A Light Like a Will-o'-the-Wisp 196. The Hand Reaches Out to One Puzzled Cheek 197. Departing with a Profound Smile. 198. Betting on a Beloved Trailblazer 199. A Resolute Shadow Over the Young Strategist
21	August 21, 2009	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
200. Saint-Émilion, The Unchanging Light of Beauty 201. The Bouquet Scatters to the Four Winds 202. Strong, Yet Gentle Arms Around the Bride 203. Wanderer in a 17th-Century Forest 204. The Rival's Voice Wavers 205. The Genius Boldly Raises His Right Hand 206. The Untold Truth, All Found in Wine 207. A Sudden Sea Breeze Rouses the Mermaid's Heart 208. Turning a Moody Wine Toward You Anew 209. A Reunion on the School Sports Field
22	November 13, 2009	Template:ISBNT	May 6, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
210. Sentiments, Resentments-a Familial Battle for a New Apostle 211. The People's Prayers and Wisdom Never Dying 212. On a Journey to the Unknown I'll Take You 213. A Genius' Fear Departed Beyond the Skies 214. The Black Shadow Creeping Into a Tranquil Vineyard 215. Pitch-Black Gunpoint and a Blue-Spark Roar 216. In a Cask Shrouded in Deep Purple Smoke 217. A New Hand Enrobed in an Inner Veil 218. To Me, New World Flowers Blooming in Profusion 219. Sunshine's Dazzling Smile and Heavy Brown Shadows
23	January 22, 2010	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
220. The Trees of Emerald Enmity Growing Triumphantly Lush 221. What's in You, Scarlet Flames, an Evil Heart or a Virtuous Soul? 222. A Comrade Shining on a Crimson Horizon in the Twilight 223. Dreams Spoken of by a Flickering Mirage of Trees 224.The Spire's Entrance in Unprecedented Serenity 225. Those Who Walk Arm in Arm to Time's Score 226. Awakening From a Century-Long Slumber to a Holy Dawn 227. The Faint Aroma of Artistry of a Glass Wet with Tears 228. Fight or Flight? A Raging Heart, Sparking with Spite 229. Back Towards the Gentle Aroma of Yesteryear
24	March 23, 2010	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
230. Eternal Bonds Rooted in the Gironde's Banks 231. Sweet Sorbets of Pauillac Bringing Insights to the Past 232. The Speedster Awakens to a Lion's Boldness 233. Saint-Julien's Healing Winds Fill a Warrior's Sails 234. Young Man, Feel the Terroir and Walk the Stately Path 235. The Princess Unlocks a 100-Year-Old Seal of Love 236. The Winds of Saint-Estèphe Bring Rose-Colored Joy 237. Expectant Blooms Illuminating the Roads of Bordeaux 238. Thorny Fruits, Opening at Night to Liven the Room 239. Surges of Passion, Flowing with Every Goodbye
25	August 23, 2010	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
240. May the Scent Bring Me the Terroir-Laden Winds 241. Lend an Ear to the Whispers of the Shimmering Sky 242:. Love Born in Silence Connects to Two Roads. 243. Flames, Kindled on an Odyssey, Burn on in the Heart 244. A Light Kiss to the You in My Memories 245. Let Your Voice Soar in the Warmest of Welcomes 246. A Cool Morning's Greeting, Like the Wings of an Angel 247. Raising a Glass Beyond Two Rising Suns. 248. White Bubbles Inviting You On to Hidden Memories 249. Peace and Darkness Contrast in a Lemony Afternoon
26	November 5, 2010	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
250. The Wind and Leaves, Amid a Sepia-Toned Pulse 251. The Lady with Golden Hair Enters My Gaze 252. A Novel Soft Cheek, Greeted with Tidings of Pink 253. Philosophy Taking Root and Nourishing the Heart 254. Vestiges of a Past Lover from the White, Empty Sky 255. An Unforgettable Glimmer, Sating Faithful Lips 256. A Melody of Summer Birdsong by the Babbling Brook 257. Für Élise 258. The Banquet's Aroma, Suddenly Piercing the Skies 259. Beyond a Clouded Conscious, The Crimson Light of Trust
27	December 22, 2010	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
260. Winds of Your Beloved, Lifting Pride-Woven Veils 261. The Free, Mighty Tree Lifts Its Leaves Up to Heaven 262. Bittersweet Shadows, Made by the Summer Sunset 263. Two Marionettes, Cursing the Unbreakable Strings 264. The Sun, Enclosed in Eternal Night, Is Reborn Anew 265. Young Grass, Burning a Summer's Lifetime in the Afterglow 266. An Eternal Flicker at the End of a Dreary Summer 267. Shining Sparks, Carving Out Vibrant Life 268. Sepia-Tone Treasures from a Distant, Nostalgic Home 269. In Praise of the Beauty of Eons-Old Mountain Ranges
28	March 23, 2011	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
270 A Young Tree's Dreams of Paradise Spread Across Fields of Passion 271. An Unforgettable, Elegant Night, Still Blooming in My Hand 272. A Holy Hunt, Driven by Silence, Bearing Fruits Beyond 273. A Quiet Nocturne from a Set of Pure Fingers 274. Your Baptism of Wisdom, Salvation for Bitter Fools 275. From Bitter Seeds Come the Sweet Buds of Spring 276. The Sun Touches the Eastern Sky, Blazing in a Day of Revelation 277. Through Hot, Dusty Lands, to the Land Between Moon and Sun 278. The Incessant Cavalcade of Trickery, Between Friendship and Invasion 279. Multi-hued Gospels, with Bewitching Noise, from the Wellspring
29	June 23, 2011	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
280. The Freed Child Sings Over Distant Castle Walls 281. The Awe-Inspiring Light of Three Suns on the Land 282. The Lustrous Bloom Connects Across Two Capitals 283. Light, Dark, and Swirling Winds Split Paths 284. A Jester's Earnestness Under the Laughs and Tears 285. A Decadent Aphrodisiac, or a Stirring Miracle Cure? 286. The Shining Elixir, and Wailing Dregs, of Wine 287. Aching Wounds Between Memory and Oblivion 288. Particles in the Mirage of a "Cool" Dream 289. A Mariage Reddening the Sun on the Road
30	September 23, 2011	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
290. The Dreams of Champions, Running with Past Flames in Tow 291. Red-Hot Passions in a Cruel World of White 292. A Moonlight Goddess Making the Setting Sun Shine 293. Melancholy Waters, as the Wind Fills Your Sails 294. Press On, Past the Horizon, to the Sage's Mountain 295. Delicate Sounds, Woven by a Born Master 296. A Young Tree, Glistened by Ashen Fog and Azure Dew 297. Heaven Smiles Only Upon Traversing Tear-Lined Trails 298. A Paradise that Opens After Days-Long Faith 299. Ripples Turn Into Waves in the Spring of Knowledge
31	November 17, 2011	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
300. Indomitable Passion and Force, in a City of Hope 301. Sudden Tidings from a Small, Open Window 302. A Small Wildflower, Sweetly Tilting Forward 303. The Sweet Aromas of Home, Poured Into the Spring of Tomorrow 304. A Small, Persistent Dream Blessed with Summer's Light 305. The Pilgrim-Blessing Angel, Wings Struck by Lightning 306. Eternal Thoughts, Painted on a Red Canvas at Midnight 307. The Young Lion, Polishing His Fangs in the Bottomless Valley 308. Which to Take: The Cup of Glory, or of Solitude? 309. A Chill Summer Wine Through the Gates of Glory
32	February 23, 2012	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
310. A Glass of Reminisces, Lost in a Forest of Sentiment 311. A Melodic Duet Echoing Across the Beautiful Heights 312. A White-Walled Maze, Lost Amid Infinite Stardust 313. Sepia-Toned Thoughts Before an Explosive Soul 314. Live Your Inscrutable Life, Though the Road May Vanish 315. Encounters in Blue Waves, Memories in Faint Place 316. Red Robes Waver Atop the Solemn Hill of the Cross 317. Village Wisdom, Dyed in the Colors of the Harvest. 318. A Great Blue Illusion, and an All-Black Reflection 319. A Beautiful Lost Bird, Moved by a White Ring
33	May 23, 2012	Template:ISBNT	October 20, 2020 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
320. The Grandeur of Japan, Seen Through a Fragrant Sea 321. A Samurai Proudly Choosing Shields over Lances 322. The Great Hand Speaks of the Earth and Trees' Secrets 323. Dazzling Figures, Similar but Never Meeting 324. The Song of Deep, Long Roots, Seen from Inside1 325. The Samurai Sees the Sky, Gauging the Way Ahead 326. Escape the Restive Paradise and Seek New Lands 327. Sinking Deep Into the Charms of Dark Beauty 328. The Stark Tactical Balance Between Life and Death 329. Valiant Survivors, Gather in the Halls of Judgment
34	August 23, 2012	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
330. The Blue Spring in the Darkness Reflects Warm Light 331. The Quiet of a Resting Sea, Embraced by Clear Skies 332. Let the Poem of Hope Echo Across Light and Dark 333. Ridges Taller than Mountains, Blessing the Chosen 334. Like Two Unique Stars, Diverging for Eternity 335. Casting Two Shadows Under a Long-Missed Sun 336. The Sun's Blessings Light Up a Warm Heart 337. A Sunny Veranda, Energized by a Nostalgic Figure 338. In a Field Never Tilting, East or West 339. Flying Rumors Invite a Nearby Home to Oblivion
35	November 22, 2012	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
340. A Calm, Dignified Flower In the Frigid Air 341. A Deep Scarlet Reflecting on the Rare Genius's Way 342. A Fleeting Beauty Under the Dazzling Blooms 343. Lured by a Bewitching Devil in a Ravine 344. A Kiss to the Flickering Flames of Memory 345. Multi-hued Seeds, Sensing a Sprouting Duet 346. The Flowers of Spring Tinting the Fields Pink 347. A Cup with the Spirit of a Hero 348. A Silvery Moon; a Lantern-Lit Night 349. A Sword of Onyx, Released From Its Scabbard
36	February 22, 2013	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
350. The Cup of the Sun Plays a Melodic Rondo 351. Psychologies of Time and Earth 352. Flickering Light and Shadow, Over a Song of Wind 353. Man, Run the Fields; Blooms, Color the Fields 354. Winds Across a Pond Shake Sunbeams and Couples 355. The Classic, Enjoyed Over Wine 356. Unexpected Companions, the Guides of Bacchus 357. Surging Seas of Gold, Fading Into Darkness 358. The Sweet, Aromatic Beacon of Aged Wine 359. Daydreams Catching a Rising Gust of Wind
37	April 23, 2013	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
360. Shining Bubbles Growing Above the Clouds 361. The Best of Memories, the Worst of Recollections 362 For Whom the Glass Rises 363. The Princess Awakens from a Long, Deep Sleep 364. The Evening Sun Gently Illuminates the Couple 365. Winds of Innovation Blowing Across a Nation 366. In Search of a Wandering Sunset 367. Silhouettes of Happiness, Growing Ever Darker 368. Lend an Ear to the Story the Drink Tells 369. A Game of Sunsets
38	June 21, 2013	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
370. The Story Changes Expression with Each Retelling 371. Firm Crimson Buds, Falling like Silk Thread 372. Sunset Over Granada 373. White Moonlight Shines on the Workings of Life 374. Time and Life, The Truth of All Space 375. The Fog Lifts with the Sunrise 376. The Spirit of Wine Sings a Song of Hope 377. Set Sail for the Stairs of the World 378. The Hero Flies as Far as His Wings Will Take Him 379. The Glass of Victory, Basking in the Afterglow
39	September 20, 2013	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
380. A Hazy Sun and a Gust of Wind 381. The Puppeteer Looks Into the Distance and Laughs 382. Two Dreams in One Bottle 383. After Many Years, the Trees Express the Land 384. A Movable Wine Feast 385. The Shining of the Stars Heralds a New Ripening 386. White Lands Rearing a Clear, Classic Drink. 387. The Student Overcomes the Master 388. Poems of Mountains, Winds, and Earth 389. The Beauty Lets Her Hair Hang Down
40	November 22, 2013	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
390. The Glittering Hall's Roots Come to the Surface 391. Great Japanese Wine Expands Social Rings 392. A Tough Father's Elegance, a Gentle Mother's Kindness 393. The Eternal Milky Way 394. Wine Builds Bedrock; Time Breeds Maturity 395. The Shining God's Seat Appears Over the Ages 396. A Rest in the Kaleidoscope Maze 397. A Strange Story Woven by Time 398. The Magic of Time Runs Across Landscapes 399. At Times, Like a Flower-Selling Girl
41	February 21, 2014	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
400. The God of Time Oversees the Ancient Manor 401. The Pair's Faces, Tinged in a Deep Crimson 402.The Corridor Reveals a Rainbow of Visages 403. The Lady Sings of the Joy of Togetherness 404. A Ruby-Tinged Decision 405. Encounter in the Fog 406. The Sad Solution to the Riddle 407. The Light Illuminates the Mist-Shrouded Path 408. Gazing at You 409. The Equivalent Exchange of Time
42	May 23, 2014	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
410. The Frame of a Lifetime 411. The Gold-Tinged Indiscretion 412. The Grape Badge 413. Rain Coloring the Reunion 414. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 415. The Poppies Speak 416. The Phantom Label 417. A Heart Full of Love 418. What Is Only Understood Now 419. Memories Melting Into the Night Sky
43	June 23, 2014	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
420. Beside You 421. The Moldy Label 422. The Storehouse that Locked In Time Itself 423. All Too Enormous 424. The Long and Winding Road 425. The Two Rivers 426. An Ode to Life 427. Another Journey to Maturity 428. The Final Present 429. Tonight, Wine with Us All
44	July 23, 2014	Template:ISBNT	May 18, 2021 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
430: The Apostle's Melody 431: The River's Eternal Surface 432: A Great and Mighty Chaos 433: The Brothers' Performance 434: The Arrogant Man 435: A Tacit Understanding 436: The Successors 437: The Happiest Night in the World 438: The Revelation 439: Time for Departure

Drops of God: Mariage

's serialization began on May 28, 2015, a few months after the original manga ended its serialization, and was completed on October 15, 2020, collected into a total of 26 volumes. On August 31, 2023 Kodansha USA revealed they licensed the sequel and the first volume was initially to be release digitally on September 26, 2023, but was pushed back to October 3, 2023.

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	October 23, 2015	Template:ISBNT	October 3, 2023 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
2	January 22, 2016	Template:ISBNT	October 24, 2023 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.
3	April 22, 2016	Template:ISBNT	November 28, 2023 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. Special End-of-Book Appendix Tadashi Agi's Post-Book Marriage Even a Dog Can Understand! Glossary for All Things Mariage Wedding Wine List
4	July 22, 2016	Template:ISBNT	December 26, 2023 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
29: 30: 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37.
5	October 21, 2016	Template:ISBNT	January 30, 2024 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46.
6	January 23, 2017	Template:ISBNT	April 23, 2024 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
7	April 21, 2017	Template:ISBNT	July 9, 2024 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64.
8	July 21, 2017	Template:ISBNT	September 24, 2024 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
65. A New Meeting 66. Suddenly Reunited 67. A Gâteau au Chocolat 68. The Art of the Pâtissier 69. The Perfect Mariage 70. At the Reims Cathedral 71. The Meaning of "La Vie en Rose" 72. Departure from Paris 73. Solemn Start to a Noble Battle
9	October 23, 2017	Template:ISBNT	November 24, 2024 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
74. Precious Little Memories 75. Victor of the First Round 76. The Second Course 77. Sensuous Champagne 78. The Curtain Rises 79. A Supreme Glass 80. A Glass Held High 81. The Fabulous Fourth Course 82. A Chance Encounter in the Past
10	November 22, 2017	Template:ISBNT	December 10, 2024 (digital)	Template:ISBNT
83. A Stream of Tears 84. The Final Dish and the Final Wine 85. The Conclusion of the Fourth Course 86. The Last Page 87. Challenging Chinese Cuisine 88. The Foibles of Food Sites 89. A Trip to Terzo 90. Shizuku's Decision 91. Comeback Plan
11	January 23, 2018	Template:ISBNT	—	—
12	April 23, 2018	Template:ISBNT	—	—
13	July 23, 2018	Template:ISBNT	—	—
14	October 23, 2018	Template:ISBNT	—	—
15	November 22, 2018	Template:ISBNT	—	—
16	January 23, 2019	Template:ISBNT	—	—
17	April 23, 2019	Template:ISBNT	—	—
18	July 23, 2019	Template:ISBNT	—	—
19	October 23, 2019	Template:ISBNT	—	—
20	November 21, 2019	Template:ISBNT	—	—
21	January 23, 2020	Template:ISBNT	—	—
22	April 23, 2020	Template:ISBNT	—	—
23	July 20, 2020	Template:ISBNT	—	—
24	October 23, 2020	Template:ISBNT	—	—
25	November 20, 2020	Template:ISBNT	—	—
26	December 23, 2020	Template:ISBNT	—	—

Drops of God deuxième

Another sequel manga, titled , began serialization in Weekly Morning magazine on September 21, 2023 and ended on April 18, 2024.

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	March 22, 2024	Template:ISBNT	—	—
2	May 22, 2024	Template:ISBNT	—	—

TV series

2008 Korean TV series project

In 2008, a Korean adaptation was in the works, with actor Bae Yong-joon (who the Kibayashi siblings modeled character Issei after) expressing interested in it, but ultimately fell through and was never greenlit.

2009 Japanese TV series

A live action television adaptation, also titled Kami no Shizuku, was broadcast by Nippon Television in January 2009.

2023 multinational TV series

On August 24, 2021, a multinational, multi-lingual TV series was announced. The series is a co-production between Legendary Television, Dynamic Television, France Télévisions and Nippon Television-owned Hulu Japan and in partnership with Adline Entertainment. Legendary Television will handle worldwide sales for all territories apart from France and Japan. Apple TV+ picked up streaming rights for the series.

It consists of eight hour-long episodes and filming locations for the series including France, Italy, and Japan. The screenplay was written by Quoc Dang Tran, and the series was directed by Oded Ruskin and produced by Klaus Zimmermann. In this adaptation, the main character Shizuku is portrayed as a French woman instead of a Japanese man, named "Camille", and Shizuku's father, Yukata Kanzaki, is reimagined as Alexandre Léger, the "creator of the Léger Wine Guide and emblematic figure in oenology". French actress Fleur Geffrier and Japanese actor Tomohisa Yamashita are starring as Camille and Issei, respectively. In an interview, Tran revealed that he read all 44 volumes of series and the TV drama spent five years in development, with various experts and consultants to ensure the story was authentic. Yamashita took 40 hours of lessons, underwent a strict diet, and watched the 2009 series in preparation for the role. Geffrier also received training from Sébastien Pradal, the show's consulting sommelier and tasting coach for the actors. The series premiered on April 21, 2023. In May 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.

Hulu Japan premiered the series exclusively in Japan on September 15, 2023.

Others

A social game based on Drops of God created by Mobage was released in on February 9, 2011, and is only available in Japan. In November 2007, a music album inspired by the series was released.

On January 22, 2009, a diary book detailing the Kibayahi siblings creative process about the manga and columns of their research was released. A photo book about Kazuya Kamenashi and the 2009 TV series on March 3, 2009.

Reception and impact

The series has received both local and global critical acclaim, being praised for its story, art, and educational knowledge of wine. It has been featured in the New York Times Best Selling list of manga many times.

Drops of God was also featured in The New York TimesTemplate:' Dining and Wine section, highlighting the wines shown in the manga and their impact of sales.

The success, popularity, and cultural impact of Drops of God has been credited to its influence for increasing interest in wines, especially the ones introduced in the manga, most notably, propelling obscure winemakers to celebrity status, increasing domestic and international sales, and even fed into wine speculation with bottles that were usually priced around $20 reaching the thousands overnight. In 2018, online wine magazine Grape Collective that French wine producers, such as Château Calon-Segur, Château Palmer, Saint-Estèphe, and Château Le Puy, gained 130% rise in sales in Japan during the first year of the manga's publication. In 2013, the mention of Château Poupille in the series had increased sales by 20 to 30% in Japan and around 50% in Taiwan, China and Korea.

When French comic book publisher Glénat translated Drops of God, the French wine market experienced visible changes in their stocks, particularly for three producers in their international and abroad sales. One of the most memorable wines covered in the Drops of God is Château-Mont-Perat, with its normal price of €15 changing to €150 per bottle and rise annual production of 25,000 cases to 50,000. In L'Expansion, the manga is cited to be "an extraordinary [sales] lever, much more effective than the Parker points". In France, the French government acknowledged that contribution, and the writers were presented with two awards, Order of Agricultural Merit in 2011, and Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2018 for their influential impact in their economy and help in maintaining interest in wine in young people. In 2010, prestigious La Revue du vin de France awarded the Drops of God staff their "Special Award of the Year", making them the first Japanese people to receive the award. In July 2009, Drops of Gods was even featured the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Hall of Fame.

The Japanese importer Enoteca has stated that the character Shizuku has begun to influence its stock ordering decisions. The sale of fine wines in South Korea has increased significantly as a result of the popularity of the comic, with the sale of wine rising from less than a third of the market to around 70 per cent of alcohol sales. In 2005, elite South Korean companies was even reported to had bought all the wines introduced in The Drops of God as a way to “educate” their employees.

Youth demand for wine in Taiwan is largely driven by Drops of God. After an issue with a mention of lesser known producer Château Mont-Pérat came out, a Taiwanese importer sold 50 cases of Mont-Pérat in two days. Sales of Umberto Cosmo's Colli di Conegliano Rosso also leaped 30% after being mentioned in the Manga series. All Nippon Airways reported it had to recraft the in-flight wine lists to accommodate the increased interest.

After being featured in the finale of the Japanese television adaptation series of Kami no Shizuku in March 2010, the little-known Bordeaux wine 2003 Château le Puy became significantly popular in Japan. In September 2010, the proprietor of Château le Puy, Jean-Pierre Amoreau, made public his intention to cease international sales of their 2003 vintage in order to deter wealthy speculators, so that the wine remains within reach of everyone.

A 2007 Reuters feature asserted that "wine industry experts believe part of the manga's appeal is that it teaches readers enough about wine to understand the drink and impress their friends, but does so in an entertaining way". In the July 2009 Decanter publication of "The Power List" ranking of the wine industry's individuals of influence, Shin and Yuko Kibayashi placed at number 50, citing that the work was "arguably the most influential wine publication for the past 20 years". In 2012, the Kibayashi siblings were nominated Wine Intelligence Business Award for their contribution in the wine industry. In 2016, the Kibayashis was awarded with the Asian Wine Personality award by The Drinks Business and Vinexpo for their influence on the wide trade, acknowledging wide readership across Asia, including Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Indonesia.

The 2023 live-action TV series has also received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the 2023 series has an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.2/10, based on 24 critic reviews.

By 2023, the franchise has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

An Indie game titled "Drops of God: Creating your Ambrosia" is based on the series.

Wine Salon and WineGame app

In 2019, the Kibayashis siblings collaborated with President of Bijou USA and Vice President of Bijou Japan, Peter Chiang, whose family the Napa Valley estate Kanpai Wines, on two Drops of God-themed projects, the Wine Salon and WineGame app. From October 20–21, the Kibayashis assisted in preparing the wine menu for a two-day event, choosing 30 different wines from 9 different producers. The Kibayashis also spend the event singing books and interacting with fans. During a press released, Shink and Yuko stated that they approached the event the same way they did with the series:

We will be applying the same principles for the exploration of American wines we shared in the manga: Heaven, Earth, Man and Marriage ... In The Drops of God, heaven represents the weather, and is a direct reference to the climate of a given geographical area. Earth refers to terroir, or soil and viticultural/cultural practices and conditions. Man refers to winemaking and cellar practices, while marriage refers to the marriage of wine and food.”

Winemakers that also attended the event credited the Kibayashis for their influence and praised Drops of God for its storytelling and creativity, as "[recognizing] these virtues in the wines that it folds into its stories" and emphasizes "The magic of wine is that it is as much a story as it is a beverage: a marriage of place, process, and people. Drops of God celebrates this magic.”

Following the venture, online wine salon for US consumers and a Wines of God app (developed by Chef Jose Andres and Rob Wilder), a branded version of the WineGame app, both named after the manga, was launched. Drops of God-themed Wine Salon and WineGame app features an interactive educational wine game, personal wine recommendations for individual members, special offers from restaurants and hotels, and notify members of wine-related events.

References

• Les Gouttes de Dieu publications Template:Webarchive Bedetheque Template:In lang

Footnotes

External links

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