This review contains no spoilers

To think that I have even begun to grasp the essence of "The Drops of God" (TDoG) is mere ignorance on my part. I do not have the elegance or ways with my words to even begin to describe it nor do I have the imaginative senses require to form a coherent image about this manga, but one thing I do know is that the essence of this manga would oppose to my self-reflection there if I were to use that as a reason to stop myself from expressing my thoughts about this work. As such, this will be my first step into "writing reviews" just as Kanzaki took his step into the world of wine.

TDoG presents itself as a wine competition between Kanzaki and Tomine as the two main leads and their rivalry being the driving plot of the story, but it only ever becomes more obvious that nothing in this story is as simple as it seems on the surface. The author perfectly used wine to deliver the readers on the journey of the essence of human life, to lead through the course of life itself, and to attempt to answer any and all questions that present itself during one's stay. The one trap that comes with reading TDoG is to come away thinking that this is a work about wine, to ignore the imagery that parallels our own lives and also perfectly encapsulates the human condition. From the moment of birth, to experiencing the first loving touch of a mother, to witnessing the guidance of a gentle father, to learning the bittersweet but necessary pain from first love, to taking the first step in challenging what is thought to be dangerous and to put one's life in danger, to looking back and witnessing the affectionate smile of one's parents as they leave, to strive for one's dreams together and lean on one's companions, to look up to someone, forever unreachable but always admirable, to tasting the first victory, not one of extrinsic substances, but a victory that quenches the thirst for fulfillment, to singing out the joy of life as the fear of death settles in, to learn what it means to lose someone and to bask in their shining life for one last time, to seeing the memories of your life flashes past you one last time, knowing you will be gone but also knowing your legacy will be carried on, each one of these experiences were masterfully orchestrated through the wine presented in the story. But each individual is unique, no two lives are identical, and nevertheless the two main leads often come to the same image about wine even with their differences from their lives. Often times, what connects us to the people in our lives is not just merely hobbies and interests but what lies beneath them, racers can race in a variety of vehicles, but they are all driven by their desire for thrill and their deep rooted competitiveness, chefs from different regions cooking different kind of food are still united by their desire to elevate their cuisine or something as simple as serving their loved ones. As such wine is simply another connection point that is fueled by many human desires.

However, describing life is not the only thing this incredible work is capable of, as the door of wine opens up to the characters, reading TDoG feels like it opens up the door to writing for me. This manga doesn't teach you about life, it allows you to open up to yourself, to ask yourself what you are capable of, to let yourself thirst for your own adventure with your passion, to want to make something apart of your life and be surrounded by it. Nothing is unapproachable but it is up to you to make the first step, there will be a wall looming ahead, but you have your own two feet, your own strength, and your own perseverance, along with your companions. No matter how small how might feel, how inexperienced you are, you have your own five senses that are unique to you. As I was reading this manga I took a break to watch some other animes and I happened to run across a beautifully written review for a movie I had just finished watching, after reading it I thought that there were nothing new i could add and there was nothing that I would remove from it as it spoke my feelings perfectly, all this to say I was defeated, realizing my lack of experience without the elegance to hide it through my writing, but that was when i looked back to TDoG, repeated throughout the story is the line "Wine is meant for drinking", no matter how expensive, rare, or even bad, wine is indeed made for drinking, as such i saw no reason to bottle up my thoughts, to not let my thoughts flow out to be heard or to be seen and to be read and discussed about. The same applies for this manga, it was made to be read, you could ponder about it endlessly and read countless reviews but at the end of the day it is up to your own interpretation and your own experiences that makes the manga unique to you. And so even though it is antithetical and unnecessary to the manga to provide it with a "score" after discussing it, it is indeed required to post a review on here, but understand that scores will only bring prejudices without a voice behind it, so I will leave you with my favorite description of wine from the whole story:

Spoiler, click to view

"Where on earth am I? Enveloped in a warm embrace, I'm blown by a calm wind, with scent of oranges. For a moment, peace shrouds me. Then, I look to see where I have been placed... So bright... This orange light... Where am I? It's from my memory. A sunset... The one from that day. I can see his back. Amid the orange setting sun, his figure stretched upward like a vast tree. I tried to approach, seeking him out. But his back informed me... No one can choose where they are born. But everyone has the right... to choose how they live. At the time I didn't understand. I thought the sun was something that's always rising. The sun I knew was a great, bold presence... A scorching ball of heat, burning all beneath it. My fear drove me to fight against that sun. But... This wine teaches me that the sun... exalts all life. It shows, the cool soothing wind. The rustling trees and grass celebrate the moment. I believed their echoes would continue on and on, for all time. But as the wind brought relief... it also took it away. The sun's warmth vanished as it disappeared... So I chase the wind... I chase the setting sun. Pursuing that great figure... who shows his back to me as he edges away... Its strength never tries to force you forward. When I tried to touch his back, the warmth was taken by the wind... Bringing it to a place that's just barely out of reach. All I can do is watch as his back melts away... into the dancing haze of the sun. And then, you learn... You see the sun's gentleness before it burns you. You learn of the wind blowing across all that remains. And so, this wine... is the Ferrer Bobet Seleccio Especial from 2008. The afterglow left by those near the end of their lives. The setting sun's last will and testament."