"What kind of father does that to his own children?"
--- Issei Tomine, Drops of God
[ some trigger warnings: child abuse, cheating ]
This will be the first movie slash series that I would be giving my thoughts on. I don't really understand why I chose to and why did I decide that this specific series should be the first one that I should rate, or something like that. Maybe I was just triggered by the characters? Maybe I was just deeply irritated by the reality that was depicted in the story? I don't know.
But either way, here we are. This is the first, but it definitely will not be the last. As the geek that I am, I will be bombarding you with anime, manhwa, manga, and other media very soon! (Dropping that to warn you what you're getting aside from book reviews. And just a slight note, when I say books, I meant all kinds which include Japanese light novels as well.)
So, how about that? Should we get on with it?
Drops of God features a struggle for inheritance between a daughter and her father's best student. The whole wealth of the man, I forgot his name but let's just call him by his surname Ledger, circles around his obvious interest, borderline obsession, with wine. White or red, it doesn't matter as long as it's wine. He stapled his career because of it and it ended him with a vast collection of rare bottles of wine, some of which are out of stock already and can not be found anywhere else in the world. This collection is the largest in the world, not according to number, but again the rarity and the money equivalent to that. So, yes. this whole collection is what their fighting for as an inheritance.
Now the conflict lies with our main character's childhood, Camille Ledger. You see, it's not all unicorns and rainbows. As I said, her father has a borderline obsession with wine. That, unfortunately, was pushed into innocent little Camille at the height of her childhood. Let's just say... she was his first student in this whole guessing the wine through taste, smell, and color. (Elite stuff that I don't want to dig that much into because personally, I am not that interested in wine and I have not drunk alcohol yet in my life, for personal reasons and self-choices.) I say student, but I have always felt like this was more like being the guinea pig.
Here comes our other character, Issei Tomine, a Japanese guy who ended up being Ledger's best student. Basically, he's like Camille 2.0, without the childhood trauma from the said man. (But that doesn't mean he doesn't have any trauma somewhere else. It's all about trauma ladies and gentlemen!) I'm just gonna make you wonder if he's a bad guy or not for wanting a piece of that inheritance for himself. A little background though, he's supposed to be the heir to this big Japanese corporation.
So now, let me tell you why I liked this series.
First off, the number of various languages used in the duration of the whole series. Camille is French, which ticks that box out. Then, Issei is Japanese. another box ticked. But we also got Italian side characters! And to tie that all up the English made all of these different races understand each other given the mixture of cultures, making it a common ground. But the most exciting thing about this is how that relates to me as a person who's learning new languages apart from my own.
French is the first foreign language that I have ever considered wanting to learn as a kid, although I have sort of given up taking it on as time passed because of how complicated I now realize it to be. It just sounded really elegant to the six-year-old Blue. Japanese on the other hand is the language that I started learning at the start of high school and now one that I'm proud to say I can use at a conversational level. Italian then is a new interest that I've got after watching one teen drama set in Italy. To conclude is the English that I'm glad to use to be able to connect with my international friends and well, nice people around the world.
Second, I love Camille's rebelling phase which goes beyond as the literal parent in question is dead. Finding your own way after being led alone by your idolized parent your whole life is a lot of work, emotionally especially. And though the whole focus is on the inheritance, it ultimately boils down to this, Camille not letting her father control her life and breaking free from that childhood trauma. Because even though it's extremely upsetting that a dead person can have this much hold on you, that's not far off reality. That happens in real life. So being able to conquer that and me being in the front seat to see was an experience.
Third, I love Issei's character. I want to dwell on this deeper, but I also don't want to ruin it by dropping a bomb. But ultimately, he's a guy who knows what he wants. Throughout the story, his will never truly wavered. Sure, it swayed a bit but knew what he wanted and what he didn't want, and not having the privilege doesn't change that. Also, he doesn't want it to be given to him the easy way either. He works for it and he wants it to be something he deserved by his own hands, I wish I had the same strength of will as him. Currently working on that. (A little tidbit on why I liked Issei as well is his actor, I knew him from a previous Japanese movie which was a contrast from this one because that was a romance movie. Not gonna jump onto that one though, sorry.)
[ps. I have just found out while writing this update as I search the net for pictures that this is actually an adaptation of a manga??! Guess you know where I'm going next. ]
BLUE'S CORNER:
Now you're here. Thanks for reaching my usual corner.
The whole series overall talks about how parents can be too much controlling of their children's future. I usually see that in Asian culture media, but of course it's not just in that certain population.
While I can say that I'm lucky enough for my parents to support me in my art and my writing and all of that, I just remembered this one time where I kind of felt such as well, however never to the same degree.
I was a science-oriented student in high school. With that, I was geared up in both academics and mindset that I would pursue something science related, ultimately being into the medical field. I looked away from my art-related passions as a mere hobby because it just sounded ridiculous at that time. Yeah wow, insulting the industry that I admire. That was me being blind and the one who is ridiculous because hey past self, look where I am now. I am learning something that might have me in the filmmaking industry!
Okay, so yes, let's back up a bit from that and mention that said science-related career visions may or may not be because my parents told me to. But now, I am being supported by my passions and my current goals. Relating that to my parents in a way that the series portrays makes me see how your parents' own life experiences might affect you as a kid. You see, my dad is both an artist and once a trying poet/writer. His art commissions helped us with our finances when I was a kid and even now. I remember watching him make his pieces and being amazed by the process. I even played with his used-up art materials on the side while he worked. With that, my family knows how art can be beneficial. It's hypocrite to degrade art when it has once fed us and helped us through.
So yes, I can see now how I'm lucky with that aspect. I'm not bragging, I'm just realizing that and seeing the contrast for other people. I wish I could just hug them because no one should be forced to be something that they don't want to be.
Parenting, everyone. That shapes a whole living person. As a parent you're not just building a character, you are raising a person with a whole identity of their own. As a parent, it's not your job to just shape them into this mold you have for yourself, it's letting them find out what they can be out of all these amazing options!
And yes, just because they are parents doesn't mean they're always right. But unfortunately, that's what a child sees, that their parents are always right. I even remember as a kid that everything I wanted to be and has was all reflected in what my mom is and has. So in that perspective, the adults hold responsibility. They should own up to that responsibility.
DROPS OF GOD
Hopefully, I made sense. Sometimes, and I mean all the time, I worry that my words might offend someone just because I worded them poorly with the thoughts pouring like a waterfall out of my head. If you made your way to understand my thoughts, thanks. You're a really nice person ^^
--- art at the start made by me, movie poster credit goes to its creators. have a nice day!
