How a Japanese manga about wine became a global television sensation
In short: Drops of God transforms the high-stakes world of fine wine into a gripping, cinematic competition. By reimagining a beloved Japanese manga for a global audience, the series explores inheritance, trauma, and the pursuit of perfection, earning critical acclaim for its sophisticated storytelling and lush, international production design.
Created by Quoc Dang Tran and directed by Oded Ruskin, the series is an ambitious adaptation of the original manga authored by Tadashi Agi and illustrated by Shu Okimoto. The narrative centers on Camille, the estranged daughter of a world-renowned oenologist named Alexandre Léger, who must compete against her father's protégé, Issei, to inherit a legendary wine collection and a vast estate in Tokyo. This premise, which spent five years in development, required extensive collaboration with experts to ensure the depiction of the wine world remained authentic.
The production team made significant creative departures from the source material, most notably by gender-swapping the lead character from a Japanese man to a French woman. To prepare for their roles, actors Fleur Geffrier and Tomohisa Yamashita underwent rigorous training, including 40 hours of lessons for Yamashita and specialized coaching from sommelier Sébastien Pradal. The series, which premiered on Apple TV+ in April 2023, was praised by critics for its sleek, high-gloss aesthetic and its ability to turn oenology into a tense, sports-like epic.
Following the success of the first season, which holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the show returned for a second season in January 2026. This installment shifts the focus to a global quest for the world's greatest wine, filming across various regions including Georgia. Beyond television, the franchise continues to expand; in 2024, Softstar secured rights to develop a video game sequel to their existing winemaking simulator, further cementing the story's influence across different media formats.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Drops of God (TV series)
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