Asian A.V. Club newsletter #5
French-Vietnamese writer and showrunner Quoc Dang Tran talks to us about adapting the mega popular manga 'Drops of God' into a compelling tv series. Plus your May viewing checklist!
Fans of Japanese manga have been talking about the 44 volume mega hit “Drops of God” for quite some time. A meticulously studied breakdown of the world of wine set against a competition between two rivals, the task of bringing it to screen has been years in the making.
But when French-Vietnamese writer/showrunner Quoc Dang Tran (Marianne, Parallels, Call My Agent!) was tasked to adapt the popular title into a series, he came up with a smart spin that immediately gave the story an international appeal, and managed to keep the spirit of the original for the fans.
A few weeks back, Tran gave us an exclusive interview where he covered a wide range of topics that includes his approach to writing this dynamic series, personal lowdown on being an Asian creative in France and what his parents really think about his career.
Asian A.V. Club: We are big fans of origin stories; can you tell us how you first got into being a screenwriter?
Quoc Dang Tran: Midlife crisis made me do it. (laughs) I was working in marketing as a consultant for a few years. And I didn't love it to be exactly honest. So, after 10 years of working in different high-tech companies, I thought, okay, what else could I do? And for two months, I just didn't know. Then I remembered a script that I had read a few years back, and I thought, you love watching tv series, so why don't you try to do it. So, I told my Vietnamese parents that I quit everything and just jumped into a whole new life. But I started from scratch at that time,
Asian A.V. Club: I’ll ask about your parents later (laughs), but first I want to know at which point did you experience interest in your new venture? Did it take awhile or did it happen pretty quickly?
Quoc Dang Tran: Ah, I know for good inspirational story, you have to have some setbacks. But I didn't get that many, to be very honest. I started writing, and I loved it very, very quickly. And one of the professors of the school I was training at, had a show at that time and he asked if I wanted to try writing for him. And very quickly, I was a part of his team. I started working on shows which were okay, but I had to learn my craft. So, it was a very formative experience.
I guess the most difficult part was that I wanted to work in genre, like sci fi or horror. But in France, the playground is much smaller than in the US, so for budget reasons, it was very difficult for me to find a path to go into genre. But I was very persistent, because I knew that I didn't want to write comedy or cop shows my whole life. So that's why every time a window of opportunity opened, I tried to run to it.
Asian A.V. Club: A lot of your work references the 80s, can you talk about how that decade in particular influenced your writing?
Quoc Dang Tran: I was a teenager at that time. And it was a fantastic time because it looked like, from my perspective, that the entire entertainment industry was geared towards teenagers and young adults. You had George Lucas, you had Steven Spielberg, you had Joe Dante and Robert Zemeckis. From the early 80s until the 90s, you had so many different movies made for teenagers.
I was also reading Tolkien and the X-Men, stuff like that. And so that period of time was a blessing because it entertained and stimulated people like me all the time. I was a geek, let's face it, I still am a geek (laughs).
To me the 80’s was an era of innocence. It gave me a lot of joy and a lot of freedom for my imagination. But then afterwards, the world shifted to other things and we grew up and became adults. And I discovered the world is not that rosy.
Asian A.V. Club: When I first heard about the manga ‘Drops of God’ and how it was a series that meticulously talks about wine, I thought this is the geekiest topic ever. So, in a way, this is the perfect project for you!
Quoc Dang Tran: (Almost spits out water and laughs) You should know that I didn't know anything about wine at that time. It just seemed to me that I could try to explore a new territory of fiction because nothing had been done about wines in a TV show before. Maybe because people are going to think that it's boring, or it's too light or aristocratic, I thought, how can I make it interesting and exciting.
I was curious about the image of someone looking at a glass of wine and trying to guess what's in it. How they are honing their craft all the time and trying to learn new things. It was uncharted territory for me, but I wanted to try and learn some new things along the way, and I did.
Asian A.V. Club: Because the original manga was a contest between two Japanese characters, Shizuku and Issei, at which point in your adaptation did you have that ‘aha’ moment and decided to make Shizuku into the French character Camille?
Quoc Dang Tran: When they asked me to adapt the manga, I think the expectation was for me to adapt it completely into a French TV show. It would make sense because France is the land of fine wines. But I thought this wouldn't be respectful of the manga if I did that. So, I came up with the idea to have a French character versus a Japanese character. And when I made the decision, it shifted the whole story into an international show. And that made it much more exciting, I think.
Asian A.V. Club: How much did you refer to the manga series? Or did you read it once and put it aside to create your own version?
Quoc Dang Tran: That's exactly what I did. I read the 44 volumes of the manga, and I thought, wow, this is a crazy manga. It's very dense, it's very didactic, and its exactly what the show couldn't be (laughs). So, I did exactly what you said, I read the whole series, and then I put it aside. It was a memory jogger, because I have very bad memory, but I tried to keep the spirit of the manga. The characters are great, the themes are great, now let me tell my own story, while hopefully being respectful to the essence of the manga.
Asian A.V. Club: In the US there is a whole Asian creative community that tries to support each other on all different levels. Did you have any mentors as you were coming up as a writer in France?
Quoc Dang Tran: That's a good question. But you know, the Asian community in France is probably less than 1% of the population. I think in the US, it's probably 6%, which is 20 million people, which is a lot. In France, it's maybe 1 million Asians, so it's not that many.
I didn't have an Asian mentor. I think between business agents and screenwriters, maybe there are two or three, maximum? So, I don't have any people around me that I could exchange with about being Asian. I was born in France and my culture is very French, but at the same time, I speak Vietnamese with my parents. And I think my values are a mix of French and Vietnamese values, which makes me probably odd. I don't know what I am. (laughs)
Asian A.V. Club: Does that cross cultural background ever seep into your writing?
Quoc Dang Tran: You know, that is interesting. Maybe it’s completely unconscious?
I do know that I think about taking care of my parents when they get older, and I'm the only one who can do it. I want to make them happy and definitely will not put my parents in a retirement home, because they did so much for me. To me that is very Asian, So I know that influences some of my thought process. But in my writing, I have no idea. I'm really curious to see how my work is perceived by the world. If you can sense the Asian-ness in it or not. I don't know.
Asian A.V. Club: Between the horror series “Marianne” (Netflix), the “Parallels” teen sci-fi universe (Disney+) and now “Drops of God”, you're so prolific in your writing, is there anything you want to tackle next?
Quoc Dang Tran: I love to explore new territories of fiction. As I told you, the playground can be so small that when you get to play on full court, it's so exciting. I want to try new things all the time. I may fail sometimes, but that's okay. Because writing is incredible. I can't believe that I'm making a living out of telling stories.
Asian A.V. Club: I said I’d get back to your parents earlier on, I’m curious what did they say when you told them you wanted to be a writer?
Quoc Dang Tran: (laughs) Especially for Asian people, when you tell your parents and say, “I'm going to be a storyteller”, you will most likely get a, “No, you're not.” But my parents didn't do that. When I called my parents, I was 35, so a grown-up adult. They had paid for my business school; they had paid for everything. And I told them, “I have news for you. I'm quitting my job and I want to become a screenwriter.” I hear them talking in the background in Vietnamese and then my mum comes back, and she said, “we're very happy for you, and we're sure that you're going to succeed.” That's not the words of a tiger mom. (smiles) When you feel that your parents are behind you, you can do everything.
Asian A.V. Club: THAT is the best Asian parent story! But what is this about you retiring in five years? We are just getting to know you!
Quoc Dang Tran: I like to put a time lock on everything that I do, because then it makes me enjoy things more. I don't know if I'm going to do it because I want to write novels one day, and I know I'm going to do that. I’m not going to take notes forever from this industry, people who say, oh no, I don’t like it. I want to be fully independent and write my own things. But that might be in seven, eight years, but I like I like the time though. (laughs)
Asian A.V. Club: I think you're a person that can do everything so please don’t cut one thing off to pursue another. Thank you so much, it was so lovely chatting with you.
Quoc Dang Tran: Yeah, it was really good. Thank you very much.
Movies:
Fast X (In Theatres) - Taking over this massive franchise from director Justin Lin (who continues to produce and co-write this series), Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter”, “Now You See Me”) is at the helm, reigning in this mammoth cast which now adds Jason Momoa, John Cena, Alan Ritchson, Brie Larson AND Rita Moreno to the explosive festivities. Oh you want plot? Um… Explosions + Cars + Family = Fast X!
The Little Mermaid (In Theatres) - The live action version of the Disney classic is gearing up to rule the summer with Halle Bailey taking on the iconic role of Ariel. Featuring all your favorite songs, original composer Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda have also collaborated on three new tunes ready to be lifelong earworms for a whole new generation.
You Hurt My Feelings (In Theatres) - Writer/Director Nicole Holofcener reunites with her “Enough Said” leading lady Julia Louis-Dreyfus on this uncomfortable biting comedy about ‘white lies’ and how people (in this case, a couple) deal with each other when they find out the truth. Tobias Menzies (“The Crown”) surprises as an equal comedic sparring partner to the genius that is Louis-Dreyfus.
Shin Kamen Rider (In Theatres ONE NIGHT ONLY May 31st) - “Evangelion” creator Hideaki Anno turns his iconic talents to the 50th anniversary of Kamen Rider (aka the cyborg grasshopper) and directs a live action version of this cult Japanese superhero. Already opened to positive box office and reviews back in Japan, “Shin Kamen Rider” is showing for one night only to satisfy the fans of this classic campy character.
TV:
Black Knight (Netflix) - Based on the webtoon “Delivery Knight”, writer/director Cho Ui Seok (“Master”, “Cold Eyes”) brings us into a dystopian Mad Max-esque world in which air pollution has killed off most of the population. But our delivery man, played by Kim Woo-bin, has to navigate the transport of precious cargo, thieving pirates, a sprightly mentee and some bad bad corporate behavior. And that’s just on a Monday!
American Born Chinese (Disney+) - Just the cast of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Daniel Wu, Stephanie Hsu and more should bring enough excitement to watch this action packed fantasy series based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang.
XO, Kitty (Netflix) - This series spinoff of the highly successful “To All The Boys” films, focuses on younger sister Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) who travels all the way to Seoul for love. I mean, nothing bad ever happens when people do that… right?
The Muppets Mayhem (Disney+) - Enough reason for us.
The Other Two (HBO Max) - The two most despicable selfish siblings in entertainment (Drew Tarver & Helene Yorke) continue their journey of doing despicable selfish things in entertainment and we are totally here for it!