The manga that poured French wine into Asia

Yuko and Shin Kibayashi, a fashionable sister-brother duo publishing under the pseudonym Tadashi Agi, created “Kami no Shizuki” (The Drops of God), a phenomenally successful manga series that has brought wine to subway commuters across Asia, and sparked a wine boom.

In the four years since it first appeared, the 21-volume saga, where wines can be compared for excellence to a star rock concert, has sold six million copies in Japan and three million in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea, according to French publisher Editions Glenat.

“The Japanese love the ritual side of wine. In Korea, they have even discovered that wine can be a diplomatic tool,” said Shin Kibayashi. “Wine is universal, it can very well bridge differences between races and countries.”

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