Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Drops of God’ on Apple TV+, Where an Estranged Daughter and Spiritual Son Compete for Wine Connoisseur’s Legacy

Based on brother-sister duo Yuko and Shin Kibayashi’s manga series The Drops of God, this Apple TV+ original drama series is about so much more than just vino. Dig below the surface and you’ll find layers of complexity and richness to rival the finest wine around.

DROPS OF GOD: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A man is challenged to identify a red wine based on scent alone. In a voiceover, he shares in Japanese that he always thought he was the best in the biz when it came to wine… “and then I met her.”

The Gist: After this brief opening scene featuring who we later learn to be a man named Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita), we’re transported back in time to follow a young red-headed girl being led by an older male into a cellar.

There, she wears a blindfold and is made to correctly guess the flavors she is tasting based on mere morsels attached to toothpicks. When she struggles to guess an answer, the man, her father, reacts with a violent shove to the table. The girl goes on a journey within her own mind to a vibrant forest that leads her eventually to the correct answer. Her test ends there, and it’s a relief for both the girl and the viewer.

In the present, we learn that young girl Frenchwoman Camille Léger (Fleur Geffrier), now in her late 20s or early 30s and living in Paris. She attends a friend’s birthday party at a bar, where we swiftly learn that she does not drink alcohol. After reluctantly fielding a call from her ailing father, with whom she clearly has a fraught relationship, we swiftly learn why alcohol is a no-no for Camille. A well-meaning 22-year-old kisses Camille with alcohol still in his mouth, and when she tastes it, her nose immediately begins bleeding profusely and eventually passes out.

Camille ends up at home, still tending to her nose as her mother urges her not to listen to her father. Camille’s dad, Alexandre Léger (Stanley Weber), is a world-renowned authority and collector in the world of wine. In his earlier phone call, he tells Camille that he is dying and wants to fly her to visit him in Tokyo that very night. Both mother and daughter are clearly estranged from Alexandre, putting them both in a difficult position as they wonder if he is just being manipulative or telling the truth about his condition.

Despite her mother’s wishes, Camille reluctantly voyages to Japan aboard her father’s private jet (he’s got money), only to find out upon arrival that her father passed away while she was in transit. She gets the news from her father’s longtime friend and restaurant restaurateur Luca Inglese (Diego Ribon), who also acts as a guide, support, and driver for Camille while she is in Tokyo.

Also in Tokyo is 29-year-old Issei, who dismisses a beautiful and presumably wealthy woman at a bar due to her shallow nature. Evidently, he’s not looking for love, but seems solely focused on wine.

inheritance.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Much like Succession, the plot revolves around the offspring of a larger-than-life father figure whose memory evokes bitterness, admiration, and a feeling of abandonment. And, like in Succession, said offspring must compete in winning their birthright against an ambitious outsider.

Additionally, the way Camille’s nose erupts when she tastes alcohol is somewhat reminiscent of Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) nosebleeds from overusing her powers in Stranger Things.

Our Take: Drops of God is a symphony of stunning and vivid visuals mixed with layers of language (French, Japanese, and English, so subtitles will be a must) and the complexities of familial bonds. It’s surely no coincidence that the red drop that appears at the bottom of the title sequence could be blood just as easily as it could be wine. Wine is what ties Camille, Issei, and Alexandre together. Camille’s blood relations get equal footing with found family in Issei when wine is involved, making either one equally worthy of the late Alexandre’s inheritance.

While wine and the central competition drive the primary plot, the undertones of the series are what really pop and resonate the longer you watch. We can perhaps all relate to how difficult it can be to see one’s own parents as the complex, perfectly flawed human beings they really are, and we watch Camille go through that process as she comes to see her father in a whole new light. For her, this is so much more than a competition, it’s the long-awaited opportunity to feel close to a father she once loved to spend time with in his wine cellar, even when her mom disapproved. It’s a quest for redemption, forgiveness, and self-discovery.

And then there’s Issei, who is still something of a mystery to us, especially regarding how he went from teacher-student with Alexandre to a “spiritual son.” How close were they? And did Issei only work his way into the older man’s company for the potential wealth and access to wine?

These are just some of many questions that the pilot raises (others include: What the heck are these vivid visions Camille keeps having when she tastes things? And what went down to tear the once close Camille and Alexandre apart?) that make you want to keep watching.

Sex and Skin: None in this episode, but it’s TV-MA so who knows what could happen later down the line.

Parting Shot: Camille tearfully finishes watching her father’s deathbed video in which he implores her to stay and take the tests for his will. She looks back at Luca, and her frown morphs into an enigmatic, Mona Lisa-like smile.

Sleeper Star: Fleur Geffrier’s facial expressions and body language transcend language barriers as she expertly portrays Camille Léger’s warring grief, resentment, and love towards her late father and the situation he has placed her in. Here’s hoping this show helps to continue to keep the talented French actress on the world stage.

Most Pilot-y Line: From Alexandre’s deathbed video to Camille: “I know it’s silly… because if you’re watching this that means I’m dead. But through these tests, I hope that we will get to know each other a little. And maybe one day, who knows… you will be able to forgive me. Stay, please. Do it for us.”

Our Call: STREAM IT. Whether you’re a wine lover, trying to fill a Succession-shaped hole in your heart, or just wanting to watch something new, Drops of God is a unique and engrossing show that seems poised to be a full-bodied feast for your senses.

Maddy Casale (@madhoops) is a freelance writer based in Chicago, Illinois.