The Drops of God, Volume 1
2 journalers for this copy...
I heard about this manga from an entry on the "Food Porn" page of TV Tropes {grin}, and had to check it out. The local Barnes and Noble had it in stock and I liked the look of it, so here it is! It's about fine wines and those who live to taste - and critique - them, and apparently was a hit in France (where they take wine very seriously) as well as at home, so I'm looking forward to reading it. [The good-looking guy on the cover doesn't hurt, either!]
The plot involves a competition to identify wines, which reminds me of the competing menus in Oishinbo as well as a high-stakes (and rather amusing) contest in the Lord Peter Wimsey story "The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste". But here the competition is for a fortune in wine, and is between the only son of a famous wine critic (the boy left home when he couldn't take the pressure to study wines, and works for a beer company!) and the critic's protege - and newly-adopted son.
There's a lot of emphasis on appreciating wine properly, from matching suitable vintages with foods to pouring it correctly - and while this might sound boring, in the strip it tends to make me want to hit the wine store and come back with an assortment to taste. And the two main characters are of interest themselves; both the reluctant Shizuku and the young critic Tomine have plenty of flaws, and both have considerable pride and skill. As the story develops, we learn more about each of them, and I admit I'm not quite sure who I want to win... though as of the end of this volume it's clear that Tomine is capable of being quite a jerk!
Young Shizuku does take up the contest eventually, even though he claimed he had no interest in his father's wine collection. But he settles in to learn, and shows remarkable ability, especially once he finds a mentor.
The passages in which each of the men describe a certain wine wax poetic, with imagery to match - over the top, sometimes, yet it's the drawing power of the series. When Tomine compares a rich, dark wine to Salome in its "demonic decadence" - oh, heck, my mouth's watering again. Wines that bring couples together, wines that recall distant memories - and wines that spark battles, as with the bad critique that threatens to ruin a French restaurant as of the end of this volume. Guess I'll have to read Vol. 2 to find out what happens there!
[The series has its own TV Tropes page now.]
The plot involves a competition to identify wines, which reminds me of the competing menus in Oishinbo as well as a high-stakes (and rather amusing) contest in the Lord Peter Wimsey story "The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste". But here the competition is for a fortune in wine, and is between the only son of a famous wine critic (the boy left home when he couldn't take the pressure to study wines, and works for a beer company!) and the critic's protege - and newly-adopted son.
There's a lot of emphasis on appreciating wine properly, from matching suitable vintages with foods to pouring it correctly - and while this might sound boring, in the strip it tends to make me want to hit the wine store and come back with an assortment to taste. And the two main characters are of interest themselves; both the reluctant Shizuku and the young critic Tomine have plenty of flaws, and both have considerable pride and skill. As the story develops, we learn more about each of them, and I admit I'm not quite sure who I want to win... though as of the end of this volume it's clear that Tomine is capable of being quite a jerk!
Young Shizuku does take up the contest eventually, even though he claimed he had no interest in his father's wine collection. But he settles in to learn, and shows remarkable ability, especially once he finds a mentor.
The passages in which each of the men describe a certain wine wax poetic, with imagery to match - over the top, sometimes, yet it's the drawing power of the series. When Tomine compares a rich, dark wine to Salome in its "demonic decadence" - oh, heck, my mouth's watering again. Wines that bring couples together, wines that recall distant memories - and wines that spark battles, as with the bad critique that threatens to ruin a French restaurant as of the end of this volume. Guess I'll have to read Vol. 2 to find out what happens there!
[The series has its own TV Tropes page now.]
I'm adding this to the Manga/Manhwa bookbox, which will be on its way shortly. Hope someone enjoys it!
*** Released as part of the 2013 Wine + Food + BookCrossing challenge. ***
*** Released as part of the 2013 Wine + Food + BookCrossing challenge. ***
I'll be keeping this one.
