The Drops of God Manga Officially Unveils Its Final Form With New Crunchyroll Anime (Episode #1 Review)

In a world of anime adapting both old cult classics and recent short-lived favorites, the idea of a new Drops of God series may not be as shocking nowadays. After all, with a pair of stellar sequels and 15 million copies sold for this franchise, it’s hardly a surprise, despite the original manga completing its run in 2014.

But what is surprising, is that despite a J-drama in 2009, and then a 2023 French-American-Japanese Apple TV drama, and even an attempted 2008 K-drama, Drops of God never actually had an anime. But for a cuisine-centric series focused on high-stakes wine identification, 2026’s The Drops of God proves its concept is timeless while still showing its age.

Thanks to a screener courteously provided by Crunchyroll for The Drops of God episode #1, I was able to experience the anime as it lays out its premise ahead of its April 10 release date. Animated by Satelight of Macross, Fairy Tail, and Hellsing: Ultimate fame, the series thankfully doesn’t compromise its setting, concepts, or even its 2000s-2010s vibe.

The Drops of God Marks the Anime Final Form for a Seinen Classic

The Drops of God introduces its viewers to Yutaka Kanzaki, the famed wine critic whose recent passing kicks off a race for his 12-billion yen fortune, as the anime spells out. His estranged son, Shizuku, would have otherwise been perfectly positioned to inherit the Kanzaki estate’s prized wine collection, but it turns out, Kanzaki has a different plan in mind.

Shizuku has never drunk wine in his life, spitefully rejecting the activity in an act of rebellion against his father. He even worked at the Taiyo company’s beer division at the start of the series, but upon a meeting in which he is transferred to their wine division. Shortly after, Shizuku learns of his father’s death, but not before catching sommelier apprentice Miyabi’s eye.

As Shizuku steps in to help Miyabi with a grouchy restaurant guest, he perfectly decants their wine, while the anime shows the strengths of its medium. During all of this, the visuals are a mixture of 2006-core character designs and interior backdrops, mixing in elegant painterly flair as the characters visualize their experiences tasting wine.

In a way, it’s perfect that The Drops of God gets an anime now, as well as its numerous live-action treatments. It’s a perfectly accessible concept, and, say what one may about wine-tasting and its legitimacy, there is no more expressive medium than anime for its most abstract notions. But as the story takes off, its substance meets its style.

Crunchyroll’s New Seinen Anime Sets Sky-High Stakes for Blind Tasting

After Shizuku learns of his father’s death via breaking public news, he visits his family home, where he is shown the critic’s last will. Despite being Kanzaki’s last living blood relative, its contents lay out a competition to identify twelve great wines he selected, as well as one above them all, “The Drops of God”, by name, vintage, and maker.

But Shizuku is given one more push: he must compete against Tomine Issei, the “prince of the wine world”, who turns out to have been adopted by Kanzaki as well. Despite having no tasting experience, Shizuku’s gifts have not gone unnoticed, especially by his new friend Miyabi, who picks up on his incredible sense of smell, possibly Shizuku’s greatest asset.

However, there’s no way around it: Shizuku has the odds stacked against him as he must identify each of these wines against his rival, a world-class critic like his father. But in preparing for the task, Shizuku’s memories are triggered by the scents of each wine, and his world-class palate will soon come into play. But will it be enough?

The Drops of God Will Undoubtedly Be a Niche Spring 2026 Sleeper

Much of episode #1 of The Drops of God lays out the premise well enough for newcomers to the series. The anime will likely go underappreciated, as indicated by glimpses at MyAnimeList’s Spring 2026 rankings, charting close to the bottom indicating low viewer awareness.

Still, the anime is fairly well-produced if episode #1 is any indication. It’s certainly not animated with intents to blow minds, given its fairly grounded premise and old-school vibes (including unironic, period-appropriate flip phone usage) but The Drops of God is visually competent. It features strong character designs and near-psychedelic renditions of wine-tasting that are rather impressive.

Yet, The Drops of God is awkward at points, including multiple shots of wine being poured using low-quality CGI, a frankly unnecessary step given earlier scenes showed pouring being animated traditionally as well. Characters move rather stiffly, with the series banking more on vibes and atmosphere, rather than kinetic energy to bring its visual storytelling forward.

Still, for cooking anime fans craving more of the vibes of seinen high-class presentation like Bartender, rather than the fanservicey extravagance of Food Wars!, The Drops of God may still be your cup of wine. It’s not the most elaborate presentation out there, but it has its visual moments, and is impressively nostalgic in its own right.

Release Date

April 10, 2026

Network

Tokyo MX, Kansai TV

Directors

Kenji Itoso

Writers

Yū Mitsuru, Shin Kibayashi, Yuko Kibayashi

Cast

• 

  Takuya Sato

  Issei Tomine (voice)

• 

  Kazuya Kamenashi

  Shizuku Kanzaki (voice)

Pros & Cons

• Strong character designs and excellent vibes
• Timeless premise spells out the fascinating world of wine
• Nostalgic setting is met with premium QOL features like crisp visuals

• Character animation is stiff
• Background music, while appropriate, is nothing special
• CGI for closeups of wine-pouring sequences feels dated