As someone who loves anime centered around food/drinks, The Drops of God is a Spring 2026 show that has me intrigued. After all, this anime is based on a manga, which was hugely influential in the world of wine.
I’m not really much of a wine person. While I’d happily drink some wine, I haven’t dived deep into wine tasting, though I am into specialty coffee and I do enjoy craft beer. Thus, an anime about wine is something I’m very much interested in, as I might learn more about wine tasting and appreciation, enough for me to give more specialty wines a try.
Based on the first episode, it might do just that. What’s more, this is shaping up to be an anime that will be part of my Spring 2026 watch list.
[Spoiler Warning: This review has some spoilers for the anime’s first episode.]
The Drops of God Episode 1 introduces Shizuku Kanzaki, the protagonist, who is the son of the renowned wine critic, Yutaka Kanzaki, who recently died. Even though he’s the son of an esteemed figure in the wine industry, he has zero interest in wine. It’s shown in the episode that Shizuku had a strained relationship with his father, as his father focused more on wine than on his family.
Despite his lack of interest in wine, he is asked to head the new wine division of the beer company for which he works as a sales representative. What’s more, he discovers that his father has adopted a well-known wine critic named Issei Tomine. In his father’s will, Shizuku and Issei must identify thirteen unnamed bottles of wine, including the “Drops of God,” an incredibly special bottle. The one who identifies all thirteen bottles will receive Yutaka’s estate, including his valuable wine collection.
Aside from setting up this premise, the first episode also introduces some characters who will play a key role in Shizuku’s story. At the end of the episode, we also see another big challenge that Shizuku must face.
The first episode is quite packed story-wise, and while I would’ve liked a bit more breathing room, it still works overall in setting up the story. I particularly liked how personal wine is to the characters’ stories and motivations.
More than the story though, what grabbed me was the creative descriptions of wine tasting, as well as the various important elements of both wine production and tasting. I also liked the part where parallels were drawn to wine and coffee tasting, as specialty coffee is something that I have much more experience with.
Given that the manga that this anime is based on has been praised by wine experts for its accuracy, I’m very much interested in watching the rest of the show’s episodes when they air, especially as I want to know more about the world of wine.
The Drops of God – Initial Verdict
Episode 1 of The Drops of God can be a bit too packed with details and drama, but it is effective in setting up the show’s story, as well as its emphasis on tasting and appreciation of wine.
Based on what I’ve seen so far, this anime has the potential to be a Spring 2026 highlight, especially for fans of shows like Bartender: Glass of God.
The Drops of God will be streamed on Crunchyroll this April.