Summary:

Shizuku Kanzaki is down on his luck, to say the least. He's penniless and just in desperate need of a meal. While most places aren't willing to give him a chance, he finds one kind of family restaurant willing to take his work in exchange for food and a place to sleep.

Little did he know that he'd be walking back into the fray as the family restaurant battles a chain restaurant in food and wine supremacy. Luckily, they have a new ringer, thanks to Shizuku.

Review:

Drops of God: Mariage Vol. 1 is a different manga, at least for me. It's perfect for foodies or (especially) people who love wine. The core concept is interesting, and I loved rooting for the smaller family business to win.

That said, it talks a lot about the intricacies of food and wine. And I do mean A LOT. So, if that isn't your cup of tea, it might be too much. I know it made my brain sleepy on more than one occasion (and I hate saying that, sorry).

I love seeing a manga series trying to do something different, so credit is due here! Drops of God: Mariage Vol. 1 is an interesting and highly informative read if that's what you're looking for.

Highlights:
Manga
Foodie/wine lovers

Will I continue the series? Probably not

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I just loved the original Drops of God and this continuation is surely good too. Perhaps this is still trying to find its form on some level though? As the Twelve Apostles mission was a draw, it seems the competition is still on - aka who inherits everything, Kanzaki or Tomine. It would do good to read the original series first, so that one can get anything out of this. The story starts right away. Kanzaki ends up working for a restaurant that has competition problems and of course his experience on wine saves the place. What I still love about this is the fact that the wines are real and that the mangakas have actually put effort into presenting them and that they work as promised. The series is full of information, it's hectic and moves fast - it's good, but may be hard to grasp for many.

The art looks nice once again and very realistic, which works well. The wine looks like it's alive and all in all the viewangles are interesting. I don't even drink wine and this series is just so interesting that I had to read more about wine. Only good series do this.

3.5

That wine was so good that when a man took a sip of it a swan embraced him. LMAOOOOO I know food manga gets a rep for being dramatic and comedic. This definitely has a ton of those elements. Apparently, this is a spin-off series, but I didn't feel like I needed to go back to know what was going on and I thought it was entertaining. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series because I wasn't gripped, but it was a lot of fun.

Shizuku Kanzaki has been wandering the world for the past year learning about wine, food,and everything he can think will help him win control of the"Drops of God" left in his father's will to the one who can answer the proper questions. On his return to Japan, he stumbles into a western style mom-and-pop restaurant across the street from a chain restaurant. Not caring fro the attitude of the chain's manager or the food, Kanzki helps by showing how to pair wine with food in a blissful marriage that brings out the best of both. Despite all the changes the chain makes, they just can't compete with good food and the right wine combinations. but then Kanzaki get the call he has been dreading. Off he goes to face the The Order of the Drops of God in a cliffhanger ending. Looking forward to volume 2!

If you enjoy Otherworldy Izakay Nobu, do try Drops of God!

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the ARC!

3 out of 5⭐

I began reading Drops of Gold: Mariage 1 without reading the original series, so this was my first introduction to the manga's overarching plot. I found the slice-of-life feel to the manga for be charming if a little anticlimactic. The connoisseurship on the wine was enlightening as I am rather ignorant on how to properly enjoy wine as someone who is sensitive to tannins, and the mental journey that each of the characters envisioned made me very envious of their wine tasting experiences--what an enthralling way to experience food.

The plot was charming but not very engaging even when the stakes were high and established, and the art is rather standard for the industry--nothing that makes it unique or stands out about it.

I would continue to read the series if I came across it at the library but would not seek it out otherwise.

3/5

This is definitely something different in the manga industry and was interesting as well to read.
The author definitely loves food and wine and it totally appears while reading this volume.

The topic tho is so heavily used that I got bored at some point following the whole food and wine combos, but I can definitely see many people loving it instead.
For my personal taste there was too much of it inside the plot that I lost interest towards the end.

Luckily the cliffhanger kept the finale alive.
Definitely something new to try out.

Weird, kind of funny at times, with some solid art. I can't say this one was made for me. The idea of Shizuku having to become a wine master does seem like it could be a good idea, but I'm not much of a wine person so my interest kind of diminished semi-quick after that. Still worth checking out for others who like food/drink type mangas.

To be completely honest, I was a little bit confused with this manga. I do not actually enjoy it. I think it was quite fun and cool. I did like the art style but I just couldn’t get into it enough to understand what was really going on and why we were following them and white was really important so I personally rated this three stars as I think of the really good. The Ark was good. The characters were really good and I love the setting I just couldn’t immerse myself in the book and that’s what I was looking for.

Title: Drops of God: Mariage, Vol. 1
Author: Tadashi Agi
Rating: ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ✩ ✩
Release: October 10, 2023
Genre: Fiction, Manga
Format: Ebook 📱
Length: 197 pages
Start: October 1, 2023
Finish: October 1, 2023
Series: Drops of God
Favorite character: Shizuku
Would I read again: Yes

Thoughts:

For over a two decades I have worked in the Food and Beverage industry. For over the last 12, I have worked a lot with wine and had to retain knowledge of champagne, orange wines, difference between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. I had to learn why Chablis is Chablis compared to other whites like Chardonnay. I have watched a Sommelier make her beverage program and pair them with food menus. It’s amazing to see! So I was super excited to check out this manga.

I believe this has a prior series and this is a new ac, but I really enjoyed this introduction to Shizuku and his amazing God-Tongue (iykyk!). Having faith in a restaurant slowly going out of business due to competition, we watch Shizuku build the confidence of the team around him and teach them about the “Mariage” between food and wine and when done right can create an experience that can not be copied.

It was a cute and wholesome quick read! I enjoyed the constant wine knowledge portrayed in each page. It really had me googling wine and vineyards! It was also fun to see the wines being poured and remembering when I last tried it and the notes I remembered. This will be a fun series to continue.

If you like Food mangas/animes like Food Wars, Isekai Izakaya, Campfire Cooking In Another World, or Restaurant To Another World, you will definitely enjoy the essence and story of this manga. I’ll probably pick up this series and start from the true beginning next year!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the chance to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This volume completely blew my expectations. Going into it, I was confused and kept thinking the title was about actual marriage, but boy was I wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this volume and although I am not a big wine drinker, I felt myself being immersed into the storyline and cheering for the crew when they one upped the neighboring restaurant. I'm curious to see where the series goes and what else our mysterious wine enthusiast gets up to.

I vastly preferred this sequel volume to the original series. That's mostly a me thing – I don't care at all about wine or other alcohol, but I do enjoy food. This new series, while purportedly about Shizuku and Issei competing to name the eponymous Drops of God, finally seems to focus on how wine and food go together to create a harmonious whole. This particular volume has Shizuku returning from his year's travels around the world to save a small Japanese restaurant having issues with the franchise that moved in across the street. Although both restaurants are trying to make a go of providing both food and wine, neither of them knows how to do it properly, and Shizuku is ready to take on the challenge – especially since someone stole his bag and wallet. It's a wonderful way to remind readers of his basic personality and the fact that he has a nose like a beagle because if there's one thing you can say about Shizuku, he wholeheartedly throws himself into things that interest him.

Shizuku is, for the most part, the only returning character here; until the final chapter when Issei and Robert pop up, this may as well be a standalone series. I'm not sure that I'd recommend diving in here without reading the original's first forty-four (!) volumes. Still, I will say that this feels better written – the foodgasms are far less elaborate and ridiculous, and the characters feel more like real people than their over-the-top counterparts in the original. The art remains solid, which is excellent; the food looks tasty, and Shizuku's evolution from a scruffy traveler to his more well-groomed self is handled well and takes place throughout the book. There's also an effort to point out that specialized knowledge is more helpful than general “wisdom,” thus creating a need for the sort of skill Shizuku spent volumes acquiring. If nothing else, this will bring his story to a close eventually, so that's one major deterrent to picking up both series taken care of.

I loved the tv show version of this manga so I had to pick this up. I think it's a very unique and compelling story that I do recommend to those who are interested in something that is very character-driven.

Drops of God: Mariage Volume 1
By Tadashi Agi, Shu Okimoto
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC Copy for an honest review.
Drop of God: Mariage' is a sequel to Drops of God as it pick up where the original manga left off.
I enjoyed the original and was happy to see the sequel was up on netgalley, it is really interesting and detailed story about the mariages of food and wine. The art was really nice too.
Rating: 5 Stars

It's a manga about wine and pairing it with food.
I really liked the story, we know the characters, but it leaves enough mystery around them that we want to pick up in the next volume.
The main character is very focused and skilled, but it also shows his vulnerable side.

I think the graphic style of the drawing relates perfectly to the story. And I really appreciated the whole atmosphere created around the theme of wine and food.

This manga was certainly different to what I was expecting but it was still a fun read nonetheless.

In this manga you explore "marriages" between different foods and wines whilst two restaurants are in rivalry with one another. This was a pretty cozy read, I wouldn't mind reading on in the future! Thanks NetGalley & the author for an ARC.

I'll admit, when it comes to wine I usually just grab an affordable bottle and no nothing about wine at all. So I wasn't expecting to fall in love with a wine manga.
Shizuku takes our hand and leads us into this beautiful world of taste with the wine he pairs with the struggling restaurants food and what unfolds is a beautiful combination.
The worlds described by the mariages of food and wine were beautifully detailed and the story was a very interesting read. Not only is it explained why they work together but what works with what. I really enjoyed that because it felt like I was starting to understand how wine can pair with food.
If you're a fan of food related anime and manga this is going to be a good read for you.
Watching Shizuku work his magic in this small mom and pop restaurant was enjoyable from start to finish and before I knew it I was at the end of it.
Honest the family vibes swept me up into this beautiful story and it has quickly joined my forever growing "I need more of this" list.

Thank you Tadashi Agi, Shu Okimoto and Net galley for allowing me to read this arc. I really enjoyed it.

Drops of God: Marriage vol 1 was a surprising delight to read and I cannot recommend the start of this series enough. I'll admit it I thought it was going to be romance even if it wasn't the main focus, but it truly is food and I think will have a good amount of Drama in later volumes. I highly recommend it for anime/manga foodie lovers, but I have a feeling that more mystery and dynamic in future vol. will bring in more readers.


This truly gives a wholesome/mature story to the life of a Young man with a true gift of wine to a small restaurant's doorstep. When that restaurant gives that beaten-up a chance, he changes their world. I feel like we will get more competitive /drama in future volumes, and it gave me some Chihayafuru vibes from the ML.

The artwork also, I believe, targets an older audience and is truly beautiful when you encounter the wine-pairing scenes. And the translations felt smooth and easy to read.

Maybe it's a bit bad with the score but the truth is that it didn't interest me nor did it catch my attention nor did I really like it BUT BEWARE, I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE IT.

If you are one of the people looking for a manga that perfectly combines stories with wine and food (and in the process one learns a little about them), it would be great for you. But it's clearly not something I enjoy reading.

That's why, although I gave it two stars, I think there are people who would like it and would be very interested in reading it. I don't want my review to put you off because it's really not a bad manga, just that I base my rating on whether I liked it or not.

Thanks Kodansha Comics for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rate: 3.5/3.75
So for me this one is a bit hard for me to decide if I liked it or not, I think if I liked wine and knew more about it then I would have enjoyed it more possibly. It is a unique idea since I don’t think I have read a series that is focused on wine and at the end of volume one it did leave me wanting to know what they were walking into.

The art is good and there are many points where they go into detail about the different wines and it pairing with the food. At one point it did remind me of food wars, when they eat & drink something then it gives them the feeling of being somewhere else or having a memory.

3.5 ⭐️

This manga was certainly different to what I was expecting but it was still a fun read nonetheless.

In this manga you explore “marriages” between different foods and wines whilst two restaurants are in rivalry with one another. This was a pretty cozy read, I wouldn’t mind reading on in the future!

Thanks NetGalley & the author for an ARC.