Pony Canyon just announced that The Drops of God (Kami no Shizuku), the popular wine-focused manga by Tadashi Agi (the Kibayashi siblings) and Sh? Okimoto, is getting a TV anime adaptation in 2026. The series will air on Tokyo MX, Kansai TV, and BS NTV.

The production staff includes Kenji Itoso (Aquarion: Myth of Emotions, Santa Company) as director at Satelight, working with YANCHESTER. Y? Mitsuru is supervising and writing the scripts,

is handling character designs, and Eishi Segawa is in charge of the music. Additional staff members cover art setting, color design, 3D CG, photography, editing, and sound.

The original manga began in 2004 and concluded in 2014 with 44 volumes. It mixes family conflict, wine expertise, and high-stakes tasting challenges, and it gained a strong following both in Japan and internationally. The franchise has already seen multiple adaptations, including:

• A Japanese live-action series in 2009
• An international, multilingual Apple TV series that also received a second season

The story continued past the first manga with Drops of God: Mariage (2015–2020) and Drops of God Second (2023–2024). English digital releases of the series are available through Comixology and Kodansha USA.

With the anime set for 2026, the series is finally making its move into animation after years of success across manga and live-action formats.

Source: Anime News Network

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the list of films eligible for the 2026 Oscars in the Animated Feature, International Feature, and Documentary Feature categories. Out of the 35 films eligible for Best Animated Feature, several anime and Japan-related titles made the cut:

• Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (Dir. Tatsuya Yoshihara, MAPPA)
• ChaO (Dir. Yasuhiro Aoki, Studio 4°C)
• COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing (Dir. Hiroyuki Hata, P.A. Works)
• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle (Dir. Haruo Sotozaki, ufotable)
• Dragon Heart – Adventures Beyond This World (Dir. Isamu Imakake, HS Pictures Studio)
• 100 Meters (Dir. Kenji Iwaisawa, ROCK’N ROLL MOUNTAIN)
• Scarlet (Dir. Mamoru Hosoda, Studio Chizu)

Two Korea-related animated films also appear on the list: Sony Pictures Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters and Netflix’s Lost in Starlight. For the International Feature category, Japan’s official submission is Kokuho.

Some of the eligible films still need a qualifying one-week theatrical run in one of six major U.S. metro areas before December 31. If all 35 films qualify, the category will end up with five official nominations.

Key upcoming dates:

• December 16, 2025: Shortlists for Documentary Feature, International Feature, Live-Action Short, and Animated Short
• January 22, 2026: Official Oscar nominations
• March 15, 2026: 98th Academy Awards ceremony

Recent anime-related wins include The Boy and the Heron, which took home Best Animated Feature at the 96th Oscars in 2024, and Godzilla Minus One, which won Best Visual Effects. Earlier this year, Toei Animation’s short Magic Candies (Amedama) was also nominated for Best Animated Short at the 97th Oscars.

Source: Anime News Network