Shokugeki no Souma

Summary of Shokugeki no Souma:

Pros:
+Realistic cooking challenge
+nice cooking sound effects

Cons:
-repetitive cooking
-shallow story development
-characters are not well described
...
I would say Shokugeki no Souma is a cooking show in an anime world,rather than other genre.

Story:(35%)(4/10)
Well,story is lacking of excitement due to the repetitive cooking challenges,feels bored for me.And for the protagonist Soma is a talented cook,the story development is pretty shallow due to repetitive cooking.Also,the reaction that characters had after eating soma's dishes feels annoyed to me and feel wasting time.

Character:(25%)(4/10)
Pretty shallow.All I know is that soma is a talented cook and had few problems when dealing some of the cooking challenges.

For other characters,frankly the anime did a poor job on describing other characters' speciality and individual due to most of the time is mainly describing soma's dishes,which is kind of disappointing.

Animation art:(10%)(7/10)
Pretty decent.when soma is cooking dishes,the animation is kind of stunning.

Sound:(10%)(8/10)
The sound effects is pretty great during the cooking challenges scenes,feel realistic.

Enjoyment:(20%)(4/10)
Overall,the show is pretty boring for people who don't enjoy cooking genre much.More efforts is needed for introducing each of the characters and adding some more plot twists into it.

Overall,I would recommend this anime to people who likes cooking a lot,but if you expect some thrilling storyline,I recommend you stay away from this anime.

Overall:4.7/10(E)(Acceptable)

[3.0/10] - DROPPED

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For anime that I've decided to drop and do have something to say about, I decided to write up some short thoughts on the subject matter. This isn't as structured or well put together as some of my other reviews, however, I figured to try my best and describe what exactly about this series didn't do it for me and determine why exactly it didn't work.

Shokugeki no Souma is a series that follows Yukihira Souma, a kid who just entered a prestigious cooking school that's treated like some kind of Olympics training camp in this world. In this special school, he meets ... all kinds of colorful characters and scenarios in which cooking determines the end result of everything. Want to go into your dorm room? Cook off! Want to decide what to do in class? Cook off! What time to go to bed? Cook off! If you've seen virtually any shounen action anime then chances are you've seen this kind of setting before.

It's No Game No Life, it's Hunter x Hunter, it's FMA, well, maybe not that close to the latter two. The point here is that the setting isn't unique, and the entire idea isn't much of a twist, either. When I rolled this show to watch, because I usually let fate decide the next series I will consume, I was fairly interested since I heard that it has a very unique and satirical take on Shounen action shows. However, to my unfortunate realization, Shokugeki isn't really a twist on anything. It's just a shounen action show but now it has food in it. That's not a twist. That's just an idea. It's a shounen action show but the idea here is they fight with food rather than fists. But is that idea enough to carry the series?

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Short answer : No, not in my opinion.

The biggest issue here is that I've seen this all before, and I haven't even watched that many anime. It goes to show how repetitive this medium has become when I could predict virtually every cliche chucked on screen carelessly. "Oh, is this girl taking a bath? I guess it's time for the protagonist to walk in on here!" The humor here is kind of awful. There's an over-reliance on wacky faces, which isn't necessarily unfunny, but when it's all just chibi reaction-images with a few "foodgasms" thrown in for good measure it all just blends together in this jambalaya of boring nonsense.

It is almost as if the creators are checking off a list of "Shounen must-do's" while creating this series and it all feels inconsequential. All of these characters have been done before. All of these interactions have been done before. And I don't need a massive catalog in anime watching to understand that, which is so disappointing for a pretty huge medium with hundreds of shows coming out every year. How come one shounen action series can speak for them all? Where's the subversion? Where's the "twist" that is talked about?

Another saddening downside is that to my knowledge this show might actually provide some engaging and subversive material but i'm in the camp of people that believes that a series needs to put its best foot forward. I don't have all the time in the world to sit through something I'm genuinely not enjoying just to hopefully get to something good. Don't confuse this mentality with slow series, or series that may start out with a poor example of their abilities.

There are plenty of shows out there with bad first episodes but end up providing some amazing entertainment. The problem here is that I always find something to attach myself to. For example, a live action series by the name of "Black Sails," delivered a pretty awful first season but quickly picked up within its second, third, and eventual fourth season and became a great product. The difference between shokugeki and Black Sails, though, is that there were elements which I enjoyed within the empty and stupid first season of Black Sails. While in Shokugeki I often found myself checking the time and yawning.

I'm sure for anyone who enjoys Shounen action tropes and generic anime fanservice and humor would enjoy this series. But for me, it really doesn't offer enough of anything, especially since I found its over-reliance on said tropes to be banal. There was nothing here other than this collecting of cliches that are accessibly translated into a food-related atmosphere. Of course everything else is textbook.

This leads me to the characters, which are all boring. Our protagonist, Soma, is near-unbearable with his monotonous characterization that speaks to this shows formulaic design. He's just the anime every-man. His flaws are non-existent within the first seven episodes I've seen and that's really not inspiring. His flawless nature and natural talent leave an empty husk. His mannerisms and actions are all the same stale bullshit you see within most other shounen protagonists.

Whether they give him more character or not in the future, the point is that this isn't worth sitting through. Perhaps they develop his flaws more, however, there needs to be a base of it all. There needs to be initial intrigue. Virtually every other character, regardless of their screentime, is the same level of lifelessness. We have Megumi who's the shy one, there's a few other no-name secondaries that serve no purpose other than to fill an anime girl/guy archetype, and then a few villains which are equally mundane and end up jerking off the main character at some point.

That's the point, though, a self-insert protagonist that plays towards a power fantasy. With a newer concept that is less punch-oriented and more food-centric. If you like well-drawn food that's absurdly sparkly then this show could be visually engaging, but to me, again, it just sang tediousness. The food didn't really look good, being a mesh of brown coloring that's significantly over-blown and sparkly with all kinds of juices leaking out. They portray it in a sensual light, but it's the kind of sexual nature that most anime has. By that I mean very childlike and lame.

There are plenty of "foodgasms" to be had here. So guys having decently funny slapstick mixed in with girls just having boring sequences where they are naked. I guess I'm expecting a bit more? Oh man, this guy had this crazy reaction to this food! And then the girl character tried it and she lost her clothes and moaned really loudly. That's... funny? Ha...ha?

I really don't see the creativity here. Every girl has two body types. There is the loli-esq student and the crazy-busty student. They all have unnatural proportions. The girls in this series are just a set of titties with colorful hair and some outfit accessories. Which is the same complaint I had towards the exploitative nature of No Game No Life. It's not as bad here, but that's because this show is just not as fanservice-heavy from what I can tell.

However, the fanservice here is very blatant and still constant enough for me to realize how laughably childish it all is. I know I sound like a grumpy old man here, but can't we actually have some adult sexuality for once? This is not funny. This is not creative. This is not anything. It's just a checklist of anime cliches that permeates throughout this inherently pulpy and childish medium and it is consistently making me more and more jaded.

"Oh man, the camera focused on her titties which make a sloshing sound akin to two wet rags smacking each other!"

"Oh man, another shot of her jugs! How creative!"

"Oh man, they're focusing on her two personality traits!"

You see what i'm getting at here? Sexuality isn't inherently bad. If a character dominates her own sexuality and wears it on her sleeve then I'm much less annoyed than I am when I see this completely unrealistic anime archetype with a "pure yet totally obscene and sexual girl". However, even when a character in this show definitely does own her sexuality, like Mito, it's quickly used to ridicule and dehumanize. Instead of having this be a character trait, she quickly becomes an object of embarrassment and it's just cringe-inducing.

The characters aren't inherently unattractive, either, they are just drawn in such amateur and childish ways that nothing about this successfully proves interesting. The constant lingering on their breasts or legs is repulsive enough, but nothing about these character's appearance is emphasized apart from these more sexually exploitative parts. It creates for walking sacks of meat rather than sexually interesting characters or even interesting characters at all. Whatever this series was going for, I never really felt like it succeeded.

The comedy here is really sub-par, as well. It lacks any flavor, no pun intended. There is nothing to it. Just a bunch of reaction images, wacky faces, chibis, and moaning with a heavy dollop of generic-as-all-hell fanservice.

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[Conclusion]


Unfortunately, Shokugeki failed to captivate me in just about any way. The presentation here isn't too bad. The animation is fine and occasionally lively, the direction is boring, but everything else falls totally flat. The story is just any generic shounen, the characters equally so, with the over-reliance on the creative idea to carry it. That being said, an idea rarely ever carries a series, especially since it requires more than a concept to really create a spectacular, believable world.

The biggest issue here is that it's not ridiculous enough to be considered satire, either. Shounen has a tendency to be over-the-top and extremely pulp-oriented, so what exactly is this show accomplishing? I mean, if you've seen any of the escalation in something like Attack on Titan or FMA then you'd know exactly what i'm referring to. Shounen action as a concept is already absurd, so associating it with food doesn't really point out anything bizarre or over-the-top. What i'm saying, is that this show isn't goofy enough. It isn't creative enough for this concept to really flourish within it's generic pool of archetypal characters.

Apologies for the abridged review, but I felt like I should address my issues with this series. The reason I try with all these kinds of genres in anime, even if they are naturally unappealing as an idea is due to the fact that I believe a genre has more to offer than one kind of story. So I try my best to give every kind of genre its deserved due diligence.

The saddening idea here is that this show doesn't capture that idea, and if it does in it's later episodes then I'm sure the people who pushed through this fairly horrendous initial showing are ecstatic. This show is just generic and that doesn't mean that it is mediocre. Our standards shouldn't be set that low. I found that every sub-par episode made my attitude towards this series consistently negative and that regrettably created for a lousy watching experience plagued with disappointment.

Show reviewed as whole. I think I found out recently why I have shit like Aharen-san over things like Re:Zero. Why I enjoy shit like Kakegurui over things like Rising of the Shield Hero or My Hero Academia, why I can’t stop watching shitty romcoms. When it comes down to it, it all has to do with one thing: identity. Anime romcoms are stupid fucking bullshit. And everyone knows it. That includes the people working on the show. They admit what they are doing is stupid and so they have no qualms with going all out with it. They play into their identity. I prefer ... shows that know what they are about and take it as far as they can, rather than shows that fail to live up to it’s intentional identity. To put into better terms, Kakegurui is absolutely bonkers and is unapologetic. It knows it’s crossing the line and it does it without hesitation and in neon lights. Compare that to Re:Zero which tries to go dark and mature yet fails. It’s cliche cheesiness clashing terribly with its supposedly darker moments. Re:Zero is a show with a wavering identity, with a stupid bland harem plot bleeding its way into a fantasy plot, with both identities clashing and making both nonsensical. Even if the identity is stupid, I prefer shows that know what they are about and go all out. Shows that fail to live up to their own style or their own identity, or shows that hesitate and have no clear identity are both failures. This applies to movies as well. That’s why I prefer shit like Velocipastor over shit like Raya and the Last Dragon. And I think Food Wars is the best example of this philosophy. This show is dumb. Like, really fucking dumb. But it is a blast to watch. And it is iconic because of it. The foodgasms. The insane off the wall allegories when explaining how good the food is. The intense and operatic music which has no right going that hard. The energetic and over-the-top voice acting. The impossible challenges and the twists to overcome them. The sheer fucking energy that goes into everyting. When I heard that this was a manga I thought it was stupid because only this medium could display this material in an entertaining way. This is a show that knows how stupid it is and takes it to the next level, always bringing out new shit to slap you back on your ass. Season 3 and 4 are considered the worst because the identity gets muddled. They bring in new family melodrama and a boring plot that clashes with the rest of the show. It takes itself too seriously and suffers because of it. Season 5 brings it back by making it even crazier than before. Like I didn't even know that was possible but season 5 is fucking insane. Despite that thought, this is a show that I like ironically, but appreciate genuinely. It’s a great show.

Is this anime about food or po*n?

Despite the criticism "ecchi" genre receives, it is really one of the hardest shows to achieve perfection. It is hard to find the right balance between storyline and lust. And Shokugeki no Souma is a perfect example of what not to do in this genre.

Join Yukihira Sora on his journey to become a master chef, in which every single judge is like Gordon Ramsey and doesn't give a god da*n about just eating food. You know... quite a lot of people live on ramen you know... And as long as it's cooked properly, it's edible god damn it. But ... ironically, when it comes to the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, all cooks become like me, just complimenting on any edible food.

TL DR; This show is utter garbage. There is not a compelling story unlike literature and the already barren plot is plagued with scenes that resemble hentai.

Story: 2/10
I totally don't get where the story is going. This is the one show where the fan service just totally destroys the storyline. There are just too many useless fan services and I really can't tell whether I am watching HENTAI or anime. Seriously, the VAs kinda make it sound like it is the former. The results of any food competition just seems BS and the story is just full of holes to make any outcome convenient to explain. This lacks all elements from Aristotle's Seven Golden Rules to storytelling.

The development of the characters are really poor - like Tadokoro for example - she just straight up goes from the worst cook in the school to the best. Zero explanations. Romantic developments are utter trash. And the story itself is just as boring as possible. And they just seem to add more overpowered cooks just to get the show going.

And why are there even fan services in an anime supposed to be about food? Why are there even "food orgasims" in the first place? Nobody does that in real life. This show already didn't have a plot and this just ruined it even more.

After some time, I just skipped all cooking scenes to the results.

The only reason I'm not giving this 1/10 is because it is not a propaganda.

This show is utter trash; I don't get why this is so popular.

Art: 9/10
Well, people like the fan service shots.

Sound: 4/10
I generally don't give any ratings below 7/10 on this, but the VAs makes this sound like po*n

Character: 2/10
Well, there are a bunch of fan service characters, bunch of side characters that are just thrown away and an MC with a boring past.
Well, works alright for pornography.

Enjoyment: 2/10
Seriously, just watch hentai instead or something if you are watching for the fan service shots. This show just sucked.

Overall: 3/10
This show is between 2/10 and 3/10. I reserve scores lower than this for the absolute worst. But this anime already is a disgrace to the storytelling medium. If you are really into food, just watch any Gordon Ramsey.

THIS REVIEW DOES NOT HAVE ANY SPOILERS. Alright so, before writing this review I did watch until the end of the series and this review basically answers this question - Why should you watch Food wars? or Why did I rate Food wars 10? or what's good about it. I divided it into sections.

Story - The story is very unique, about a diner chef at the highest honored cooking school in Japan on his journey in the wastelands to be the best chef. The story is very interesting, takes good turns and is very enjoyable overall. This story is better than any school anime I've ... watched and it is very well paced to make the viewer enjoy every unique aspect of it, from intense action to sad flashbacks, all of them are very well done.

Art - The art is indeed very good with nice animations because it is very hard to make people like a cooking/action anime without including satisfying animations and that's what JCStaff excels at. Very well done animations making every battle unique and rememberable. About the ecchi stuff, I think it's unique and an amazing aspect of this. Even I didn't find it comfortable in the start but later it became a device that increased the overall impact of the food. Imagine if a judge ate a dish, said it was good, and gave a score. That wouldn't be satisfying, yk what I mean?

Sound - This is one of the rare animes where every single soundtrack is amazing. I find every OP and ED very nice to listen to. This is mainly an action anime, so you'll expect rock-type OPs and that's what you mostly get but even the non-rock tracks are very nice. Even the battle OSTs are very good. They are perfectly timed and I have to mention s4 ep 11 and the last episode and I love how they did it so well.

Character - This anime has a ton of characters and most people think if there are a ton of characters, no plot for development but that is false. Every single character provides something to the story and overall development for the other characters. From every single battle, both of the parties learn something and imply it later, getting stronger, leading to a more enjoyable portray of their skills. Best character development i've seen in an anime.

Enjoyment - The enjoyment is out of this world man, this anime is so enjoyable. Before starting this, I asked myself a question, "How good can be a cooking anime?" and I found the answer after watching the first 3 episodes. Very enjoyable, epic battles, intense plot.


1/17/2021 - On this date, Food wars is my fav anime and will probably remain forever. I will not hesitate to share this series with anyone.

Cooking; one of the hardest genres to make out into an anime (just because animating food is a pain) - I thoroughly enjoyed Shokugeki no Soma. I feel like the story is one of a kind and I love the drama they pour in when the food is being critiqued by a certain person - I also follow the manga very closely, thus, explaining why the score for Story is not that great; the characters develop so much more in the manga which cant be captured in 24 episodes. Personally, I find the art amazing, as I said before, I find food one of the ... hard things to draw/animate and the food they had in this is amazing (the manga is even better, I highly recommend reading it if you havent already done so!). This anime soundtrack is probably one of the best Ive ever heard; it contains both fun and extremely serious and dramatic orchestra sounds - which I love. Character development wise; it only had 24 episodes and since it follows the manga, it wasnt too much, but there were some obvious characters who developed.

Overall, I loved this anime, I read the manga before watching this; so this review is based off someone who read the plot before watching it. The visuals and soundtrack really amazed me and really enhanced the way I thought about Shokugeki no Soma. I highly recommend it for anyone who has a passion for cooking (like I do), you'll be taken for one hell of a ride!

Shokugeki no Souma or Food wars! was a very interesting anime.

I had very little expectations of it when a friend forced me to watch it at his place when we were bored. I was quickly surprised by the MC, he was nothing like I would have expected in a cooking Anime he had the flair of a Dragon Ball Z type of character yet still whacky and insane.

I'd say the biggest pros it has are it's art style, descriptions, interesting plot line and the plethora of female characters that you will be gushing over.

The biggest cons have to be the duration of the explanations ... and long and drawn out taste explosions. It's cool after the first time but after the 50th it gets tiring.

All in all I loved this anime watched it in a weekend and would have given it the nine it rightfully deserves had it not been for the final episodes dragging out a little bit too much.

Ok, I found myself in a world of taste and imagination that I never been before!
If you're looking for a anime to pass the time and he didn't need that psycho history, this anime is tje perfect choice!
The delightful plates, rich images, shapes and somehow a wonderfull smell takes you to another level, only to you apreciate the food.
The characters can't be that deeper, but the history behind the plates are! There were need much research and deepening for not disappointing ours bellys and brain.
The openings were good, and the first ending was addictive!
But talking more about the characters, Negumi somehow excelled herself, and found ... new objectives to move on. Things that nowadays are difficult to insecure people to found.
Souma's father is hot! (that's all you have to know!)
And the best part is the appreciation scenes. Somehow they were ridiculous, but make me think that is the real sensation when you eat a delightful food...

Ah yes, Shokugeki no Souma. An anime set in a magical world where apparently the food is SO good that everyone's clothes spontaneously disintegrate and they appear to climax. (No for real, I'm not kidding, this actually happens very frequently during the food judging segments)

All that aside, Shokugeki no Soma (Food Wars!) is an extremely well-executed anime from a genre that I like to call "a bunch of talented people doing talented things."

The setting puts the audience in a world-class, elite culinary high school: Totsuki. An institution which is as famous for its alumni as it is notorius for its insanely difficult curriculum. The competition ... here is cutthroat, and students can be dismissed for the slightest mistake. The students are faced with constant, overwhelming adversity that would break the souls of the faint of heart. It becomes very clear that these guys are here not only to learn, but to prove themselves as the very best in the field of culinary arts. The environment establishes a sense of what is at stake very well, and you feel a genuine thrill/tension as you root for the characters throughout the series.

But here is where we run into potential problems with the "a bunch of talented people doing talented things" genre anime. Because of the nature of the show, talent is literally EVERYWHERE. Everyone is VERY good at what they do. Shokugeki no Souma is no exception. When you have everyone good at what they do it becomes extraordinarily difficult for anyone to really stand out. Thankfully Food Wars does not suffer from this issue. Due to the diverse nature of culinary arts, each character has a separate and distinct style of cooking, and I found almost all of them entertaining to watch.

What really helped this show stand out was the strong emphasis on just how much cooking meant to these kids. Some just want to prove themselves. Some want to make their parents proud. Some are doing it for giggles. Whatever the reason, these kids pour their heart and soul into every single thing they do not because they have to, but because they want to. There is an enormous amount of attention to detail, effort, and applied skill that goes into every dish, and it is an absolute blast to see unfold. It not only helps you emotionally invest in the characters, but also helps broaden your appreciation of the activity these kids love so dearly.

That isn't to say that Food Wars is without fault however. There is elements of harem that get shoehorned into the series. Almost every single female in this show falls for the main character, and as usual, the main character doesn't give a single care. It felt forced, out of place, and ultimately unnecessary in a show that's all about competition between students.

Solid Show with a few flaws. Definitely recommended.

Imagine waking up in the morning, getting a cup of coffee and opening your readers digest to look for some interesting things about food. Now imagine that all of the foods have naked women around them. Welcome to Shokugeki no Souma.
Story: 8
Although not many anime focus on just food and cooking, there are still a few out there. The big question about Shokugeki no Souma is whether it differentiates itself from those other anime.
Yes. Shokugeki no Souma takes a look upon the world of competitive cooking. Unlike many other causal cooking anime, Shokugeki no souma likes to highlight the stress of competition. How ... competition can change a person, how people adjust during time of stress, and what it means to reach a goal in such a do or die situation. The excitement created by this will entice an audience, making them more interested in the outcome of the character's struggles.
Art: 9
The art of Shokugeki no Souma is very good. As it is a newer anime, the quality of art is to be expected. However, Shokugeki no Souma is a show that will always make you want to eat. The food is animated beautifully and really highlights the fact that the anime is about cooking.
Sound: 8
The music is okay. Not bad by any means, but is unable to add the level of excitement that the show likes to create. That being said, it still does its job.
Characters: 6
This is where the anime really drops in quality. The anime is full of stock characters. (In literature stock characters are pretty much characters that are generic, cut and paste, and easily replaceable.) Many side characters in the anime are too bland and plot driven. The only one who really is highlighted is Souma. Despite this, the anime has shown little of what makes a character great. Change. The anime's cast of character has too little change. This really hurts how much you can really get invested into the anime itself.
Enjoyment: 9
I have a confession. I enjoyed the shit out of Shokugeki no Souma. The way that they highlighted competition really can put an audience on the edge. Despite many underwhelming aspects of the anime, it still has a little bit of comedy, that while feels out of place, can really set in a casual tone. This creates a big disparity in terms of excitement and makes the competitions more epic.
Overall: B -
The aspects of Shokugeki no Souma average 8.0. That is indeed a B minus. The show is certainly enjoyable. Putting aside the ecchi that the show includes, it manages to really be exciting. The music and art really add onto this recipe for success as well. Certainly a good watch if you want to be invested into something very exciting and interesting.

Just your average-everyday anime-viewer here, with another review!

With the summer-anime-season finally ending and many, many reviews have hit the board on MAL, I feel like I just slow-lagged myself onto the computer and thought: "Yeah, what will be my chosen review from the menu of this season?". Well, if you are blind in any way, shape or form, either you can't read that this review is about the fan-loved and highly appreciated show "Shokugeki no Souma", or you are LITERALLY BLIND AND CAN'T EVEN READ THIS GODDAMN REVIEW OR EVEN WATCH THE SHOW AT ALL! And...I feel so so so sorry if I offended anyone ... who might actually BE blind and being able to read this...but what I can tell you is that despite being a great if not a fantastical show, in more aspects than one, this show ain't perfect. But it ain't bad either, oh, far from it my friend! Like a real chef (such as an amatuer myself), this show hides it's weaker and more bland parts of the dish and covers it up with an amplified strong-point and often in several layers! And if you are already heading for that "Not Helpful" button, make sure that you smack that one as hard as you can because I don't give a crap!

Before reading on, this review is spoiler-free, so don't worry should you want to watch this show after reading the review. I take it that you've read the synopsis yourself and maybe even watched the show. This review also comes with a TL;DR section as well as a few additional details, right at the bottom before the conclusion. I will only refer to the ANIME and not the MANGA from which this show originates from, although I might throw in a note of things to come or reference to the original source-material (since I'm reading the manga right now). Beware that alot of food-related terms might pop up here and there in this review. You have been warned. Beware also that this review might get long, just sayin'. You have now been warned twice.

The Story: 8/10
Although not the most original plot ever concieved, Shokugeki takes the generic recipe and amplifies it to a degree where it perfectly balances between the flavours "Great Plot" and "Parody". Although its main-focus is pretty straight-forward and actually easy to follow, the "Parody" comes as an aftertaste, adding a tonal flavouring to the mix. I love when shows does this, only as long as shows SELFAWARENESS, the cornerstone of parody. And Shokugeki displays many moments and events showing their selfawareness towards die-hard and superserious action-plots. This is also one of the shows "a-little" weaker parts. Yes, they are fun to watch and are exectued hilariously (DO NOT FORGET ABOUT THAT), but Shokugeki either re-uses them quite often to the point of "Dafuq, again?" or they just shrug it off completely, which parodies does not do. Parodies embrace the quirkiness and makes them to an original and fun punchline. I won't say that Shokugeki failed to do so, but their overall execution and intensity could be more controlled. Other than that, the anime follows the manga faithfully if not perfectly. More than one time, I had to compare stills from the show to pages from the manga and they were pretty much are identical. Another thing I want to point out is that the level of interest and climaxes varies wildy from different parts of the show to another. Not only that, but the way Shokugeki builds up the climax is absolutely insane (in a good way, of course). It's like going on a roller-coaster and when it's time to go down, it goes hella fast. But, the show doesn't have the same power in every story-related climax, and is only reserved to the main-dishes of the show, which I believe was a smart strategy to go. That way, they make the climaxes that matters matter even more. And that doesn't also mean that the other "smaller" climaxes are bad.

The Art: 8/10
Never in my life before have I ever experienced a Foodgasm the way they depict them in the show with that great emphasis on a more "Ecchi" approach. But then again, I have never eaten such food that is so innovative and displayed with genuine and faithful mirroring of real-life-food. Again, this is a part of the parody I mentioned in "The Story", but that is what makes this show not only fun to watch, but it serves as their trademark speciality as well. Outside of these "Ecchi-foodgasms", Shokugeki holds itself to an stronger neutral point between "Original" and "Generic". What I mean is that I feel like it's neither. On one hand, the enviroment looks detailed and the utensils and ingredients look surprisingly natural as Shokugeki holds up to the same formula as many anime do in the industry. On the other hand, just through the art, you'll actually see our characters emotions, stress and work-flow. Talking about work-flow, it kinda disappoints. It is often hidden to keep the dish in a mystical-feel and when we finally get to see the action, it's either a paned still or a mini-gif. But combined with the music and talk-overs of our characters in the kitchen that gradually explains what they are currently doing to thoughts of reasoning and action taking place, it still feels like a flow of water at work. There is one particular episode which is absolutely mind-blowing since you actually get to see and witness the epicness that our chefs do (you'll know which one if you've seen the show). To summarise, it's not the most generic pieces of art you've seen this summer, but it looks far from an original and the way they display the food is gonna make you hungry either way XD

The Sound: 8/10
I'll start off the same way an episode of a usual anime starts, with the OP. Having two OPs, the first one being "Kibou no Uta" performed by Ultra Tower is one that reflects the show's personality right from the start with neutral intensity and along with that competitive egde that of which this show has immensly great amounts of, OP1 embraced that tone and out comes a great signature OP for our ears to listen to while we ourselves get ready for the show. And as they usually do, they replace it halfways. Compared to the first, "Rising Rainbow" performed by Misokkasu is handled a little differently as the epic guitar steals the show and gives us a more intense and powerful opening in contrast to the first. OP2 uses empowerment and inspiration as it's way to play the game and it works not only for us but for the show as well, reflecting Souma's core purpose of this show. Inside the episode, there are many trademark soundtracks befitting different situations that occur in the plot. All are great to listen to and are often on par with masterpieces made by Hiroyuki Sawano (may you live a long life...)(ok, maybe not but close enough), but the problem here is the repetitiveness and re-occurance of which most if not all soundtracks have. There's that same soundtrack for when they cook, present, explain, rebuttle, reason, epic and so on. But they are set on repeat. Don't get me wrong, those soundtracks doesn't elevate the situation, it adds chili to the mix and out comes the most pumped-up and blood-boiling music that absolutely dominates our ears and combined with dat gorgeous gorgeous animation that's like a feast for your eyes, Shokugeki is a great example of how a show should be done as (on a technical level).

The Character(s): 9/10
Now, to the meat of the dish. With many characters representing their own category in many different ways, we've got our "hero" (Souma), our "yandere" (Erina), the "shy" (Tadokoro) and the "rival" (Takumi). Great! And then another "rival"? And another yandere? And even more characters?! Shokugeki, this is a 24-episode dish. You can't have as many characters as you want! So, enough about that comedic add-on. Our characters in Shokugeki are easily rememberable and you can easily tie their personality (and therefore, identity) with how they look, since all characters are easily distinguishable from on another and all play a great role in all of the arcs of this show. The characters might feel generic, but I actually see them with a refreshing originality mixed in with the generic. Then there's the small problem of which I (and hopefully you) will had to add a pinch of salt to since this show had that parody-feel to it. Many characters dreams and reasons are standard "oh, I've got to be the best because [add action-generic reason]!" and that's fine and all, considering that Shokugeki is a semi-parody towards action shows. But these reasons become a part of our characters identity and they (again) shrug those of as if it was nothing. One prime example is the reasoning of Takumi Aldini, Souma's "rival" whom Souma himself probably doesn't even see him as one. This strikes a cord within me, since Shokugeki is a parody but wants to keep the serious elements of an action-plot. That's not how you do it. You go all the way or you go home.

My Enjoyment: 10/10
This ride was more than awesome, more epic than I can describe. It just felt that despite having 24 episodes, it felt way too short and the ending simply begs for a sequel/season 2. Rewatching this show is more than welcome, as it adds a familiar heat to your tastebuds and you might actually learn a thing or two from the show which are REAL TRICKS to making food taste even better!

How it was Overall: 8.6/10
This show is seen on multiple "Top Ten anime of summer-season 2015" and with damn good reason. Despite having a few issues, they just felt like literally insignificant towards the parts that made it's signature and trademark of the show! Have I rewatched it? Stupid question, more like: How many times have you rewatched it (like five times)? Pumped and ready for season 2? You bet!

TL;DR
Story: 8/10
+ Straight-forward
+ Easy to understand
+ A slight Parody to the mix
+ Climaxes of epic proportions
- Disregard of several parodic-core-elements
+ Mirrors the Manga great if not perfectly
+/- Demands a sequel, read the Manga instead

Art: 8/10
+/- Not the most original piece of art but better than a generic one
+ Food, ingredients and utensils look very real and natural
+ Great enviroment and bright, crisp colours
+/- The way they prep the food is very stale and stiff. But with a combination of Talk-overs and epic music, it'll still feel like real work is being done and witnessed
+ Will get you hungry
+/- Ecchi-themed Foodgasms (depends on whether you like ecchi or not. I do)

Sound: 8/10
+ Balanced and great OP1
+ Awesome and downright epic OP2
+ Signature-grade background music
- Background music set on repeat for different situations

Character:
+ Great, interesting and diverse main-characters
+ Refreshing characters
+ Different "roles" to different characters
+/- Copy-paste those "roles" a bit much on new characters
+/- Reason and motivations on characters are reasonable and motivated rather ok (wut?)

Enjoyment: 10/10
+ Worth it
+ Learn yourself a few new food-tricks
+ High Rewatchiblity

Additional Details:
* Romance?: Well, if there were any, it wasn't shown that greatly
* Gore & Blood?: None at all
* Comedic add-ons?: Quite alot of them and used with great effect and hilarity
* Feel-warning?: If you consider a fist in the air as "feels" and hell yeah! The more tear-feels are non-present here. This is a "feel-good" anime
* Fan-service?: Served with two dishes: Food and Boobs (censored)

Oh, and did I warn you that this show WILL get you hungry? Well, you have been warned three times now...

Well, if you've managed to get this far without immediately spat out this dish of a review or just headed straight for the "Not Helpful" button after having read the intro to this review, I would like to thank you for your time spent on reading this review by basically the most pathetic, average, no-life of an anime-viewer that I am! :)

So, smack that "Helpful" button for me (or for Foodgasms, whatever you prefer) and leave a constructive and productive comment on my profile so I can make better reviews that might fit your taste better :)

- Just your average-everyday anime-viewer
//VoidX

I typically do not go into new anime shows with any sort of expectation mainly because it would limit my perspective of the show. A lot of talk about food wars went around and it was time that I watched the show. However, Food wars is not an exception to the expectation rule I use. As with any show that I start with, I am always looking forward to an enjoyable show until it comes down to whether I decide to write a review on it. Food wars happened to be within this criteria and was very enjoyable to watch, yet there were many lacking ... elements to the show.

There were many ways to interpret the story of the show. Ranges from guy who wants to be the best chef for the sake of being the best to guy who is looking to be the best to surpass a role model of his. I decided to interpret it as the latter and it overall lead me to believe that the show had a really vague conclusion. In hindsight, the show didn't seem to follow a linear story line, rather focus on the lot of characters that we are introduced to. However the intended interpretation was of this anime, it was executed nicely with detailed script. It was like watching one of those reality tv food shows where competitors are shown capabilities on the outside while delving into the philosophical elements of them as well. Well done story line even though there wasn't an overlying climax to look forward to.

The biggest fall of this show were the characters. I try not to compare anime within reviews but I felt that there was a big flaw within the show that another show had. After some cooking scenes, we get to see a snippet of a character's backstory as to why and how they learned to cook the way they do. Is this what it means to give meaning to a character and make us give a damn about them? I do not think so, this is what I call the Akame ga Kill! effect. It is cool to learn about the character's through their past, but if its just for a moment and is disregarded towards the end of the show, then its meaningless. Even our main protagonist is not interesting, he sorta gives off the tatsuya vibe from Mahouka. Being the phenomenal star of the academy, lots of competition involving him does not provide the feeling of suspense, because one way or another due to plot convenience, he will come out on top. He does have redeeming qualities though, pretty much defying all the shounen type protagonist we see in shows lately. Arrogant, confident, and funny to boot.
Also the focus of characters seem to shift wildly. The first few episodes gives off a feeling that the chick on the front of the cover photo for the show is our main antagonist, but shes just plot armor'd to no avail. Then we have the shining gem of the show, another effect I like to call the Megumi effect. Seems in some anime I watch, the Megumi girl is always the most developed and the shine of the show. She seemed to have most of the screen time above all other characters besides the protagonist. It was certainly a breath of fresh air watching her because she stands out from the crowd of professional heir's, being borderline failure and timid at that. By the end of the show, she really is something and the best characterized character of the show by far. All the other characters suffer the akame ga kill effect and are really not memorable. There were interesting qualities in some of them, but they dont expand upon them like they did with Megumi.

Animation; oh boy. This a mixed bag for me because while the food looks very appealing and detailed, the ecchi scenes were just out of place and over the top. The biggest problem with these foodgasm scenes is that they take up so much screen time and are really drawn out to the point its just a nuisance and obnoxious. Yes the food is good, all the side characters with different colored hair are going to have good food. We don't need 3 minutes of screen time of them orgasming over it. It really took away from the feeling of achievement you get when you see a character succeed. However, I really love the miniature figures of characters in comedic scenes and the white eyes. I seem to have a guilty pleasure for that type of animation and it fit the script when it was used. But the drawn out scenes of glorifying the food was a no no for me, after the first 5 episodes I was no longer able to stomach it.

Sound is forgettable. Both openings are mediocre and the 2nd ED was as well. However, the first ED is by far one of my favorite ED's out there in anime, and I believe that most people tend to only remember openings rather than endings. This one was able to catch my attention and was unskippable for me. Soundtrack wasn't memorable at all. The supposed suspense filled scenes didn't have any music which was a bonus since that's what makes it suspenseful. Besides the recycled instrumental theme of the ED/OP's, soundtrack was mediocre.

Overall, a very fun watch. I applaud the writer of the show since it was very informative, bar some unrealistic traits to some cooked meals. Character interactions are funny and story is good. Lack of tension limited the story though since the main protagonist was really strong. Many characters were one dimensional, many were disregarded, and u think a 24 episode series would justify having well developed characters but even throughout the show, new characters just kept popping up and making prior ones even more forgetful. Animation is a hit or miss for viewers, miss for me. But despite all of it, I recommend watching it since its addictive. Who doesn't like watching the production of food?!

megumi wifey material :)

You know that Gordon Ramsay guy Food wars is like if his shows were good. No but in all seriousness Food Wars was Great, entertaining and funny. I would also say my favorite part of the show is when they taste something so amazing their clothes immediately come off that part is pretty Sweet that's the main funny and appeal of the show. I would say all of the characters are interesting with good backgrounds which is a plus for the show because no matter who is on screen I am invested. Overall I would say give it a watch it is awesome sauce.

What is with Japan and food orgasms?
Is this just the beginning?

Short Summary:
Yukihira Souma's dream is to takeover his father's restaurant and surpass his culinary skills. But just as Yukihira graduates from middle school his father, Yukira Houichirou, closes down the restaurant to cook in Europe.
Although Souma is conflicted with his father's decision, his fighting spirit is lit by a challenge from Jouichirou which is to survive in an elite culinary school where only 10% of the students graduate.
Can Souma survive?

Well......
I can say one thing for sure; Japan is having a small trend with food orgasms in anime series.
...
I mean apart from the orgasms, the show is decent.
We get to know about cool random tips for cooking certain foods.
And the plot is honestly not that bad. Even though the orgasms are somewhat unnecessary I keep coming back for more and now I can't wait for the second season!

If you enjoy cooking anime series then this is the series for you!
Mind you there are lots of food orgasm scenes which maybe somewhat disturbing but the series in general is fun to watch

From the moment I saw this anime, I knew that I would either love it or just lukewarm like it; That's something in itself because no matter what, before I watched it, I KNEW I would at least like it. Food Wars is spectacular in nearly every aspect, especially coming from someone who wasn't familiar with this anime at all before.
The first episode is always the magnet or the repellent when it comes to the draw of the anime, now obviously it was a magnet for myself but I couldn't help but think it could be an easy repellent for people who did not know ... what they were getting into. To anyone who's seen at least the first episode, you know what scene I'm talking about, as well as to anyone who is going to watch it, you'll know when you see it but if that is a repellent to you, that's the worst it will get as far as that goes but anyway!
From beginning to end, Food Wars! drawn me in from the beautiful animation to the memorable characters. Also, by the way, the characters from main to side, are ALL memorable, Food Wars! gives every character a unique trait or so to make everyone unforgettable.
The culinary environment of the anime was also a big draw because as far as I know, I haven't seen an anime that's used cooking for it's draw and it works, because like the characters in this anime, you CAN and/or WILL get turned on by the food in this anime just by looking at it!
Now, the coloring of Food Wars! is something in itself to talk about. There is soo much color in this anime, from the food, to the environment, to the characters. So much beautiful color in this anime, So much!
Now please do not think that I'm creating this review of Food Wars just to splurge how great it is, but... I honestly did not see anything that disliked in this anime. The environment of culinary art mixed in with various, yet memorable characters with great animation full of vibrant colors and sound makes the overall enjoyment something you won't forget.

Domo ^^

So to begin..
This anime is outstanding..From 1st episode you'll have enjoyment ^^.I won't say it's best because there isn't "The Best" anime..It falls in great anime (to me).

I like story of this anime because everything is goind by order and there aren't too much of flashbacks :)With every passing minute you just want to watch it more (i finished entire season in half of day :) )And after one episode finshes you feel like "Why does it have to end" but then there next episode and you're like "Yaay" but when you come to 24th episode you'll be sad because it finished :'(.
But don't ... worry there'll be 2nd season ^^

Characters are great and they are beeing unraveled just in the right time :)
(But Souma is best character to me :) )
Art and sound are also outstanding.
Art is one of best I've seen ( and trust me I saw a lot from all sorts of art)
Both opening themes are awesome.I downloaded both of them on my cell phone and keep replaying them ^__^

All in all it's great anime,and anyone who likes or dislikes this anime genre will enjoy watching it ^^

when i first had a look at this anime i thought of Nisekoi for its speed and impact but with this anime put that and times it by ten it was that quick with its punches.

the story is usually boy want to be the number one but the way they do it makes it for great fun and you can tell the animators worked there ass off in every scene they have cooking and boy does it show you feel the experience as if you there with the cook and all of the characters at one point or another you will come to love ...

one thing with this anime that i will say i have a bone to pick is one of the girl characters nakari enira when i saw here right off the bat i thought ok top dog who looks down on others and for almost the whole season i hated her but near the end she finally started to show promise and i simmered down and accepted her for her character

overall it was a blast if you haven't jumped on this cooking train what are you waiting for

p.s SEASON 2 PLEASE COME QUICKLY I NEED IT that is all have fun and enjoy

The story of Shokugeki no Souma is simple, Soma (main protagonist) is sent to a top-notch culinary school in Japan to expand his capabilities in the kitchen. The art is the main attraction to this anime (for me), the food looks very detailed and delicious (so don't watch this anime on an empty stomach)! The sound is great, good voice acting and the sounds of the knives cutting food are great. The characters are a spotlight, very fun and hilarious faces (definitely got q Fullmetal Alchemist humor type of vibe). The enjoyment I had from watching this anime can only be described as "I binged ... the entire season in 3 days". That's how much enjoyment I got out of it. Overall I would recommend this anime, it did not disappoint. The comedy plays a big role but it can get serious at a moments notice (while still retaining some humor) to keep things fun.

So here you go
Its my first review so forgive me if I made any mistakes

First off if you dont like ecchi and over the top reactions or really weird stuff its not your anime

Admittingly, I felt like dropping it after the first episode
But later on it evolves really nicely

Story 9/10
Now this is something like HxH, a stereorypical shounen where our MC Souma aims to surpass his father and what not and ends up getting kicked into an elite school. He will have to graduate the elite school to surpass his father. The overview of the story is pretty cliche but the twist and turns of ... it is really surprising. I dont get how people can say its "predictable", he loses some of the major fights, and even if he wins, he would do it in an unexpected and creative way, it really does remind me of Kaiji.

Art 8/10
Its pretty decent, its a cooking anime it isnt OPM so dont expect Madhouse quality animation but its still decent, the detail they put into the art of the food is amazingly detailed though

Sound 8/10
I love the first ending
The sound is nothing amazing but it fits in nicely

Character 8/10
This is where people might get butthurt

Souma
Now unlike many other Shounen MCs, hes not OP, hes skilled but he isnt a GOD. He loses some of the fights, and even has rivals/peers that are on equal strength. He has traits that other mainstream MCs have which include, being totally absent minded, carefree, daring, not giving up even once etc. And because he loses, he evolves and grows in cooking, although in the anime he doesnt really evolve as a character. (For that you will have to read the (manga) or season 2).

Tadokoro
Fairly stereorypical but lovable asf
Shes cute as hell and develops the most in terms of character
She starts off timid but as she gets to know Soma, she starts to gain confidence in herself and in her cooking.

Nakiri Erina
In the anime, shes basically a side charac (screen time problem), even though shes supposed to be a main charac, which I dont mind
(Shell get proper development/show time in the manga or in season 3 (if there is gonna be one)
Shes a tsun with a GOD TONGUE which only makes things worse
She hates Soma because his cooking is too "free" or "for the masses" and not gourmet enough for an elite school like Tootsuki

Enjoyment
10/10
I enjoy it because you can relate and put yourself in the story
When Soma loses, Id feel frustrated. Because he puts alot of effort into his cooking and he would lose at some of the most unexpected moments.
But at the end of the day, he would always find a way to defeat his opponents. And you cant help but admire his tenacity. It truly is a shounen that is worth enjoying.

First, let me just offer you some advice: Do not eat food while you're watching this anime, you will be sorely disappointed in your food.

It seems like you either love this anime or you hate it. There's really no in-between. I've found that those who've read the manga, don't like it, but those who've only watched the anime tend to love it. I'm the latter of the two.

Story: 9

The plot is interesting, it may not start out very well in the beginning, a guy wanting to grow up and own the family business is pretty standard, but the story takes a turn and it ... evolves from there. Introducing different things, new plots and new characters, but still has the same overall idea. There's competition and tension that keeps you rooted to your seat. I would've finished this anime in a day if it weren't for my busy life, but even when I wasn't watching it, I kept going back and thinking "What's going to happen next?" and I'm so disappointed that there isn't more yet.

Art: 8

The art is very good, it fits the anime. It's actually pretty amazing, the range of colors, the variety of faces and hair, but I wouldn't give it a 10. Still, it's pretty high up there.

Sound: 7

I don't pay much attention to the music, I liked the first opening the best, but other than that, I don't really have much to say about it.

Character: 7

There's not too much character development with most of the characters, there's some, but it's subtle, you won't see it unless you're specifically looking for it. Most notables in this area are Todokara Megumi, but it takes awhile to fully see her grow, and another would be the main character: Yukihira Soma, although, sometimes it doesn't seem like it.

Enjoyment: 10

It was fun and hilarious watching this, even if there's competition and seriousness, there's also a vast amount of humor and of course, fan-service. Oh, the fan-service, some of it is almost eye-twitching, but a lot of it's just plain funny.

Overall: 9

This anime is a great mix of fun and serious. I would definitely recommend watching it. I loved watching it and I'm seriously thinking about just re-watching this again. And, it's about food, how could I not love it? Although, after watching this, I'm a little disappointed with eating my own food, I want gourmet food now, too.