Kami no Shizuku Manga Review – Twelve Apostles and the Drops of God. Written by Tadashi Agi and composed by Shu OKIMOTO, Drops of God is an amazing manga about wine. It immediately turned into a hit in Asia and France between 2004 and 2014, with the 40-volume series regularly topping the charts.
Drops of God (Kami no Shizuku) is widely successful, receiving praise for its accurate knowledge of wine, characters, and story, and is famous for its global impact on the wine market. Let’s crack open this manga, shall we?
Basic information about the manga
- Volumes & Chapters: 44 & 439, Completed
- Published: Nov 18, 2004, to Jun 12, 2014
- Genres: Mystery, Drama, Slice of Life, Seinen
- Story: Kibayashi Shin
- Translation: Not entirely translated into English
- Sequel: Marriage: Kami no Shizuku Saishuushou
Story of the Drops of God
Yutaka Kanzaki is a world-renowned wine critic whose opinion influences wine prices across the world. He dies and leaves an unusual will to his two sons. A description of 13 wines he considers to be the best in the world, comparing to Jesus Christ and his disciples.
- The first person to find these “disciples” within a year, will inherit his fortune, a tremendous wine collection.
- This contest pits Shizuku, a novice in the world of wine but with the inherited tasting and descriptive power drilled into him by his dad.
- Against his adoptive brother, Issei Tomine, a brash, popular genius wine critic.
Imagination and descriptive power in Kami no Shizuku manga
One of the strongest and most captivating aspects is the imagination and description employed to match the thoughts and emotions of the character upon wine tasting.
The very essence of wine is perfectly conveyed, capturing the characters and the readers with everything working together in perfect harmony.
Incredibly powerful enough to peak your curiosity!
Rivalry in the manga
Worthy to be mentioned, Shizuku vs Issei is something I always love to see. How they influence and respect each other regardless of the experience gap.
- Must mention Loulan and Shinohara, the two female support characters they’re both lucky to have.
- It’s great to see Issei, despite being the genius with all the knowledge and experience often falls short and no longer underestimates Shizuku.
- And it’s amazing to see how the individual path they take to discover each wine during their quest.
Characters and individuals change
The beauty of it all is the wonderful array of characters and how wine miraculously influences each and every one of them in some way.
- It’s remarkable meeting strangers with varying statuses, stories, and understanding all tied to the very essence of wine or their passion thereof.
- Easily a favorite aspect of it. I could never get enough of the overflowing unspoken emotion matched and brought forth through wine, easing them of their burdens and helping them overcome themselves, through clarity, acceptance, and confidence.
Appeal in Kami no Shizuku
Never cared about wine or learning about it. That’s a rather tedious thing to do unless you’re involved with wine in some way or obsessed with it. But this manga makes learning about wine a whole lot of fun.
It’s awestriking realizing the depth of wine and its application. Putting across its complexity in detail and enhancing the appeal through mesmerizing imagery.
A fantastically received first and unique experience.
Other famous Impressions of Kami no Shizuku
“An almost psychedelically beautiful work… It’s like Speed Racer crossed with Wine Spectator.”
– The Daily Dish (La Times)
“Absolute page-turner… It’s the sweeping two-page illustrations of taste-transporting moments (a shirt-tearing jam by rock band Queen, a maiden feeling through strawberry fields) that better capture wine’s great allure than a thousand dry scribblings on history and weather conditions.”
– Times Out New York
“My favorite wine book of 2011… Pick up this first volume at your sleep’s peril. It’s a one-nighter, a wine tale that is equal art coming-of-age, love and detective stories. Along its nervy way, it nonetheless plainly explains various wines, wine talk and the how-to of wine tasting. As a graphic novel, it gets across a lot more emotion and imagery than mere prose… You’ll be drunk with anticipation”
– The Chicago Tribune
Conclusion
- The “12 apostles“, 12 wines singled out as an exceptional and legendary, mysterious 13th wine that stands above them all referred to as the “Drops of God“.
- One could see the passion and experience the authors have with wine. Genuinely one of a kind with such a theme and I’m glad it opened my world to wine.
Kami no Shizuku Manga, I am grateful for the experience. This piece of art is Premiere Cru!
Also Read: REAL Manga Review: A journey towards true path & self-discovery
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