The globally beloved wine manga Drops of God (JP: 神の雫), created by Tadashi Agi with art by Shu Okimoto and boasting more than fifteen million copies in circulation worldwide, will receive its first ever TV anime adaptation in 2026. Kazuya Kamenashi, who portrayed the protagonist Shizuku Kanzaki in the 2009 live action drama, has been cast to voice the same character in the anime, marking his return to the role after sixteen years.

The announcement of the anime adaptation was timed to coincide with the release of Beaujolais Nouveau in France. Serialized in Morning, published by Kodansha, from 2004 to 2014, Drops of God sparked a global wine boom through its dramatic story that revolves around the legendary wine known as the Drops of God and its metaphorical and poetic expressions that resonated even with wine beginners. The manga significantly influenced wine producers and industry professionals around the world.

In 2009, the manga was adapted into a live action drama on Nippon TV with Kamenashi in the lead role. In 2023, an international live action drama titled Drops of God, co produced by Japan, France, and the United States, was released worldwide. Season 2 of the series is scheduled to stream in January 2026.

For Kamenashi, the anime marks the first time he will portray the same character across both live action and animation. Sixteen years after the original drama, he now steps back into the role of Shizuku Kanzaki and faces the character once more from a new creative perspective.

The main cast has also been announced. Takuya Sato will voice Issei Tomine, Maaya Uchida will voice Miyabi Shinohara, and Banjou Ginga will voice Yutaka Kanzaki. A teaser visual and promotional video have also been released, gradually unveiling the world of the upcoming anime adaptation.

PV

Cast & Staff Comments

■Kazuya Kamenashi as Shizuku Kanzaki
It has been sixteen years since I first portrayed Shizuku in the TV drama, and now I have the opportunity to face this role again. When I think back on the time that has passed since then, I truly feel a profound connection to this character.

On this production, I am experiencing many things for the first time, and with every recording session I receive tremendous inspiration from the staff and my fellow cast members. Like Shizuku himself, I hope to learn from this unfamiliar world and move forward step by step, overlapping my own journey with his as I work through the role.

I feel deeply grateful to once again be part of Drops of God, a work loved around the world. As I embark on this new journey, I hope to grow further and open myself up to new depths through the time spent on this production. I sincerely hope everyone looks forward to the anime.

■Tadashi Agi, Original Creator
The information is finally out and I am relieved. Keeping quiet about it was tough.

A manga only truly takes flight worldwide when it becomes an anime. I am delighted that Kazuya Kamenashi, who played Shizuku in the 2009 Japanese TV drama, will also voice Shizuku in the anime.

Beginning January 23 next year, Season 2 of the international drama Drops of God, which received an International Emmy Award, will begin streaming in Japan. There are also more big projects underway that we cannot reveal yet. Please look forward to them.

■Shu Okimoto, Illustrator
Shizuku, who knew nothing about wine twenty years ago, is returning in animated form. He rebelled against his father, experienced the bell of La Paix, heard the imagined echoes of Queen, and performed miraculous decanting on wines he had never tasted before, astonishing Miyabi.

Just that alone is overwhelming for me, and now I get to watch it all unfold as a member of the audience. I would like to once again express my gratitude to all the staff involved in the anime. It is absolutely wonderful.

■Director Kenji Itoso
Drops of God will finally flow out into the world as an anime. Set in the early 2000s, the story weaves together aroma, memory, and destiny, creating a marriage of elements that shape the lives contained within wine.

Along with the atmosphere of that era, we expressed the overwhelming world found within wine through music, performance, and direction in ways that only animation can achieve. I hope everyone will savor the many miracles guided by a single drop.