Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara

This is a little bit late but I'm going to be reviewing Shokugeki no Souma season 2.

Story - The story was very good. I liked it a lot I enjoyed the 43rd annual Totsuki Autumn Election Arc it was very good and enjoyable. That being said the story wasn't as great as the first season. I didn't like the last couple of episodes. Also, the matches could have been a bit longer.

Art - The art is great as always. If you like anime with great visuals, art and animation then you will love this anime. Every character has a spectacular design and the animation ... is great in every episode.

Sound - The music in this season was disappointing. The opening was quite terrible in my opinion. It could have been much better. After getting spoiled with 2 fantastic openings in season 1 this opening left me very disappointed.

Characters - The characters are excellent as always. One thing I like about this show is the characters. The characters have so much personality. Overall the characters are excellent.

Enjoyment - It was enjoyable but it wasn't as enjoyable as the first season.

Overall - Very good season but can never be as good as the first season.

SCORE - 72% (Recommended)

The first season disgusted me from the start with a completely shameless cheap fanservice policy, which thankfully died down as the series went along.

My reaction was very negative to Shokugeki because no matter where I looked, it felt like the most boring characters ever had been shoved into the most generic nekketsu ever(only with food) and the whole had been coated into some sort of boob wrapping to make it "appealing". And I'm not by any stretch opposed to fanservice. Fanservice is great. Just like salt in your food. And just like salt in your food, if you have none it lacks taste, if you ... have too much, it's disgusting.

Let's say that season 1 started off as water gorged with salt, and while the salt levels decreased slowly till the end, first impressions are important and they left a very bad one on me.

Still, Shokugeki Season 2 has kept on the trend of Season 1: while fanservice is still cheap and mostly unwarranted at this point, it doesn't bombard your eyes like it used to, so it's safe to say that we're out of Magic Orgasmland by now.

The rest of what I said about Season 1 still holds up.

You have a generic nekketsu (with food) and a bunch of characters which are all boring, bad, uninventive and generally are absolutely not worth a second of your time, all of them cooks, all of them exposed through flashbacks, all of them resting on one trope (princess, admirer, prideful child, prideful adult, too nice for own good, silent assassin, pirate, etc, etc).

I guess you could call it a "pick your waifu/husbando" anime, too. Too many characters, each has one trope, none are in any way deep, so just pick your flavor. Mine's Alice Nakiri, by the way.

Apart from the terrible poor characters, I think the story got a bit of a kick compared to season 1. It's essentially the same nekketsu story you're used to, go to a place, meet a villain, beat him, get in a tournament and beat him except the ones you just stock up so you can beat them in the next tournament... but there were some nice touches I think. They brought back characters that were sidelined, they did keep me a tiny bit in suspense over who would win the main contest of this season, and although I honestly care about nobody in this show, it was still better than Season 1.

Art and Sound still deliver every way. Cute girls, huge boobs, and a few nice guitar notes here and there. For a 2016 anime, it does its job very honestly.

A side note I'd like to make is that I always compare Shokugeki to Dagashi Kashi, because they're amazingly polar opposites.
Shokugeki has 0 originality, Dagashi tried tons of strange stuff.
Shokugeki has 100000 characters that suck, Dagashi has 5 that are worked on.
Shokugeki is abysmal to look at outside of its "mcdonalds entertainment" value, Dagashi is immensely interesting.
Shokugeki is fun, Dagashi is boring like a rainy day with the power cut off.

These two represent some sort of amazing polarity, one is generally boring, done cheap and yet managed to squeeze a lot of imagination and ambition out of itself, it aimed for experimentation and made itself a great identity, and the other is so generic it's painful, its characters marry their fanservice in some sort of creepy cult of the Giant Boob Without Brains, it's a waifu market with no real appeal yet you can swallow the entire season in one go and not feel bored or overwhelmed by all the action(although that one does tend to weigh over time, this anime is 80% cooking or cooking educaiton).

A very boring experimentation VS a really entertaining tasteless noise.

So while in my opinion it's far better than season 1, fanservice is less present, characters are a bit more fleshed out thanks to the whole season behind us, and it has some neat touches here and there, the final word's the same: if you want a good anime, look elsewhere, if you want mcdonalds, digest-without-a-brain generic entertainment to keep you busy while you eat dinner, Shokugeki has every waifu and husbando for you.

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

I love Pizza Hut.

My brother and I used to always go down to the one close to us, sitting in the restaurant to talk and simply eat a tasty pie. Gooey cheese, flaky crust, greasy all around. The plastic, red cups filled with Pepsi, and a side order of the regular garlic and cheesy breadsticks, completed this delicious package – and made us feel entirely too full afterwards.

If I could eat just that whole meal for the rest of my life, I would. I would not say something similar for Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no ... Sara, the sequel to Shokugeki no Souma. But I wouldn’t mind having it every now and again.

STORY

This season of Shokugeki starts literally where the first season left off. Souma, Megumi, and the rest of the crazy chefs are competing against one another in the heated Autumn Elections. Doing what they can to prove their culinary worth and take one more step forward towards those coveted seats and, ultimately, the top of Totsuki’s food chain.

While many sequels are arguably “only” for those who liked the originals or the prequels, it goes doubly so for this season of Shokugeki. For the first ten episodes are almost entirely dedicated to the food wars and almost nothing else.

Compare this direction with the first season. The huge number of people met. The daily life at their dormitory. The intense training they received at the resort. The shake-up in the who, what, where, when, and why of the food wars themselves.

This tournament arc creates a format that pushes Shokugeki down a path where its slow-roasting pot is filled with all manner of dishes. Sushi bento boxes. Turtle burgers. Mish-mashed meat stew. But it also creates an inherent problem for Shokugeki.

All right, maybe not a problem, but it certainly affects what the anime wants to do or even can do. Due to the large focus on the tournament and the food, only a small portion is set aside for anything different. The same battles are almost always had, boiling down to everyone wanting to win the whole thing. The same characters almost always take part, cutting out or reducing the side cast to a hefty degree. The same reactions sprout forth with the director baring his chest or the judges going through yet another spiritual journey.

Even the dialogue takes a hit. The anime does a lot to describe the huge number of foods created, and it gets points for going into meticulous detail. But the anime likes to swing back to umami this and umami that. It may be the case that umami does, indeed, make up nearly every grain, meat, and vegetable on the planet. But, again, this sameness only serves to turn these exciting wars into uninspired plates.

Now, it’s not exactly repetitive. The anime does just enough to mix up the different duels, like when Subaru (the stalker) forces his opponents to a Shokugeki or the finals turn into a three-way bout. And, to be fair, the food wars are the crux of the show, so it makes sense that they would receive the most attention. However, “variety is the spice of life” (as Hayama would most likely say). Sticking to just the food wars over and over and over doesn’t lend itself to a more diverse offering.

Which is why the final arc of the season, the Stagiaire arc, ends everything on a high note.

It deviates away from the tournament, placing the students in a public setting. It reintroduces the rigor of the school (a joke that Souma points out) and just how tough graduating can be. It pairs specific characters together with the intention of camaraderie and mutual understanding. It makes the motivation more about improving themselves rather than simply winning. It gives Shokugeki the chance to blend in more of its slice-of-life, comedic moments given the down-to-earth presentation.

Granted, this arc lasts for only three episodes, and, once these episodes are up, the arc officially concludes. Meaning it will not appear again should a third season eventually pop up. But, for its short stay, this arc performs much better than its Autumn Elections counterpart for being what Shokugeki always did best – using food as a means to an end rather than the end itself.

Throughout both arcs, a theme on losing takes precedence. That losing isn’t the end but rather the beginning. The audience sees it with Subaru and turning a new leaf. With Alice and Ryou in their constant duels since childhood. With Erina’s secretary in how she does not feel worthy of following Erina. With Erina herself and how her position has pushed her away from nearly everyone. And, of course, with Souma and how he views his losses as more experience than he had before.

Nobody wants to lose. That’s the obvious part. What is not so obvious is that losing leads to understanding. Of one’s self and of the field they are in. So, while winning is the most ideal outcome, losing has its own merits, too. Because, although Totsuki may frown on failure, it is only through loss that these students achieve what is beyond their reach. Namely, a brimming, delicious future.

One final note. This season of Shokugeki lessens the total amount of ecchi content. The evil Subaru, the final round with its more serious tone, and the Stagiaire arc do not give the anime the opportunity to present its ridiculous sexual material, moving away from what made the series a standout to begin with. It does appear occasionally, but, when Alice rotates while naked or Megumi juts out her butt, the finesse, the inspiration just isn’t there like it used to be.

ANIMATION

Shokugeki’s art and animation remain at relatively the same quality as its first season. That is to say, it’s pretty good.

Chief among its strengths are the imaginative scenes when the characters eat, the overall designs of the characters themselves, and the mouth-watering food on display.

For the imaginative scenes, they branch out per usual (unlike the ecchi content this time around). The judges have fun at the Souma Land amusement park. Hisako dresses up as a turtle. And Hayama duels Ryou with their own respective swords. Alongside Subaru’s twisted depictions of the devil and villainy, Shokugeki adds its signature flavor to the various scenes once more.

For the character designs, they (obviously) do not change and, indeed, they do not need to since they are already quite attractive. Erina, Alice, Leonora, Megumi, and Hinako have the eyes, hair styles, and figures that are tough to say no to. And Kojirou, Gin, Hayama, Takumi, and Jouichirou are some combination of buff, handsome, and rugged.

A special shout-out goes to Sonoka Kikuchi’s design. Her long, pink hair with a side ponytail and ribbon, her big bust, her soft teal eyes, her white blouse with a contrasting black skirt, and her laced heels. Ultimately simplistic yet extremely eye-catching. She was only around for a little bit, but she always became the focal point whenever her beauty was on screen.

For the food itself, Shokugeki once again delivers a delicious, veritable buffet of goodies. Rice glistens, meat steams, and vegetables shine, creating a myriad of meals that make it almost impossible to watch the show on an empty stomach.

Actual animation remains the same, too. While the anime clearly puts almost all its attention on the artistry behind the imaginative scenes, character designs, and food, fileting, pouring, and cooking support the wars when the show is not trying to sell itself on looks alone. Plus, the reactions from the characters – be it elation at eating something exquisite or another funny face for comedic effect – further give Shokugeki a spoonful of animation.

CHARACTERS

Shokugeki sets its cast up for many chances to experience growth as a person. The format – two chefs battling it out with cooking – provides the give-and-take necessary to let one learn from the other and vice versa. Then, when needed, the anime delves into the backstory during the cooking before getting into the juicy commentary on the food itself.

A strong example of this character exploration is Hisako – who is arguably the best character that this second season plates.

Hisako (as both the academy and the audience know) is Erina’s secretary. Hisako dotes on Erina as much as possible, doing everything in her power to make Erina’s life a bountiful one. To this end, Hisako is content with following in Erina’s huge shadow, wanting nothing more than to tail Erina as she continues onward to greatness.

But her duel with Hayama serves her a cold, spicy dish of reality. That gunning for second place will only ever hold her back. She loses without question to Hayama, and her sudden defeat causes her to step away from her role as Erina’s right-hand girl due both to pride and a feeling of worthlessness.

It’s not until the Stagiaire arc that she appears again. She just so happens to team up with Souma at a popular diner, and it is evident that the loss she took and the separation from Erina she has endured has deeply affected her.

Initially, she looks down on Souma. Be it the fact that he irritates Erina or that she refuses to take orders from someone as “low” as him when she feels she is perfectly capable of handling herself, she does not see Souma as anything other than a nuisance. Simultaneously, she expresses her current state of mind in relation to Erina. That, “If a loser like me stays at her side, I’ll demean her.”

When the customers roll in, though, she starts to realize that she’s out of her element more so than she would like to admit. And, once Souma begins to give her orders once more, she begrudgingly follows them. She is angry – angry at herself for being too weak.

As Hisako spends more time at the restaurant, she is content with the place and its staff. But, listening to Souma’s thoughts and words, she discovers that something about the diner must change. She insists that, “If there is something you really want to pursue, you should cling to it without worrying about appearances!”

At this point, it becomes apparent how wonderful of a parallel the restaurant is to Hisako’s character. For she is exactly the same way. She has the potential to grow, the drive to change herself. To become the ideal that she could always be.

With the restaurant saved, her and Souma finally seem like friends. But Hisako’s final talk with him solidifies their relationship. For Souma explains to her rather simply: become someone that can walk beside Erina instead of just behind her. Using her own words from earlier against her.

After giving her the metaphorical With Heart manga series to deliver to Erina, she runs off with gusto. And, come the end of the season, Hisako takes her place not behind the person she has aided all this time. But rather right next to Erina, striving for her own ideal self as best she can.

Hisako represents the best that Shokugeki delivers. Other characters, however, are worth mentioning.

Certain characters are set up well. In particular, Subaru, the show’s new villain and resident, talking copycat. His style is frowned upon due to its lack of class, but it is fair within the rules of the academy. His later loss to Souma opens his eyes, teaching Subaru that his approach does not represent the chef that he himself has the power to be.

Other characters are given the stepping stones for later development. Namely, Takumi and Erina. Takumi’s loss to Subaru serves not only to introduce Subaru’s evil ways but also give Takumi the opportunity to go through some self-reflection. As for Erina, Shokugeki clearly has something in store for her in the future. For, at several points, like when Hisako leaves her or when she stares out at Souma and his friends all laughing and having fun together, Erina seems lonely at the top. That her abrasive attitude and inability to connect with people “beneath” her has left her without the relationships she most likely craves.

Some are simply given more. Ryou’s tough upbringing and his constant food bouts with Alice give them and their relationship a stronger fork with which to lift. And Kojirou’s time as mentor to Souma during his part of the Stagiaire demonstrates that he has overcome his mental block, maturing both as a chef and, more importantly, as a person.

And one would be remiss to not speak about everyone’s lovable protagonist: Souma. His friendly personality keeps him grounded and continues to gravitate others towards him. He even won the moral victory in the Autumn Elections when the other students finally begin to acknowledge him and his cooking.

But it’s his willingness to put his career on the line for his “rival.” His ability to bounce back with a smile on his face. His perseverance to better himself in the face of hardship and overwhelming pressure. Souma may not be a complex character, but he is certainly someone worth aspiring to be.

Nowhere is this statement more evident than in the new path he chooses to follow. His loss to Hayama in the finals of the Autumn Elections does not deter him. Rather, it reinvigorates his passion for cooking. He sees now that what he needs is not just to make great food – but to have a reason for making it.

Putting it another way, he realizes he must find something that makes his cooking, his way of living, his own. Not his father’s or someone else’s at the academy. Just Souma’s.

This mentality is seen not only in Souma but also in every character. Hisako converts from cooking for Erina to cooking with Erina. Subaru changes from copying his opponents to taking on his own style. And Hayama (despite the heavy-handed, seconds-before-winning backstory) embodies this point, doing it all for Jun (calling back to Souma’s father’s early words on finding someone to cook for; possible foreshadowing for Souma eventually doing the same for Erina given the chemistry between them).

Yes, the anime teases a lot of the what-will-be with its characters. Yes, many of the side cast members are barely present in this season. And yes, most of them are a lot of build-up and backstory without largely noticeable changes. But they are no doubt a diverse group of chefs, friends, and people, crafting a strong set of characters suitable for the Totsuki brand.

SOUND

The first season of Shokugeki had a stellar set of opening tracks and ending tracks that were filled with hype, fun, and catchy tunes. The OP and the ED for this visit are not as strong, but they have their positives.

The OP leans heavily on guitar and drums to rock its audience. The song never seems to stop, coinciding with the anime’s own push and constant “action.” While the piano in the background is drowned out, and the vocalist does not have the best range imaginable, it’s a cool piece that fits Shokugeki’s style.

Like the first season, it’s the ED that comes out on top, though. It does use a similar set of guitar and drums when compared with the OP as the basis for its beat and its tone. But the ED has more going for it. A slightly more methodical approach. The emotion in the final stretch. And nano.RIPE’s instantly recognizable vocals which add their unique sound to the mix.

The original soundtrack and the voice acting performances maintain their same level of high quality (which is to be expected, considering everything and everyone remains the same). The tracks are hyped up when they need to be, personable when they need to be, and grandiose when they need to be. And Nobuhiko Okamoto as Ryou, Chinatsu Akasaki as Alice, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Souma bring the fire, the cuteness, and the affability like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

And a shout-out to the various sound-effects. Sizzles, clanging pots, and chops ring out in the kitchens as each chef rushes to make their dish, adding weight and believability to these scenes.

ENJOYMENT

For me, watching a sequel goes one of three ways: I like it more than the previous season, I like it about the same, or I like it less. Unfortunately for this one, it sits in the latter camp.

A few reasons make this so.

One, Erina is hardly around. She is my favorite character in the show, so seeing this season focus about the bare minimum on her did not make me happy.

Two, the reduction in the comedy and slice-of-life segments. The tournament got extra serious and dramatic, so it never felt as if the anime spent (or even could spend) time on more lighthearted material.

Three, Souma didn’t win. I feel like he has lost a lot: Erina’s first taste of his food, the draw against Takumi, his near expulsion at the resort training area, his pseudo-loss in the makeshift Shokugeki with Kojirou. He has won smaller events, like with the karaage back at his hometown. But he has yet to win something big. So it seemed like it was high time for that to happen after almost forty episodes.

Don’t get me wrong. Despite my gripes with the narrative’s structure and my more personal issues here, I had a fun time with the series again. Souma is a cool guy to root for, the small, cute moments with Megumi and Alice had me laughing and smiling, and the food battles, even if they are no longer fresh, maintained their over-the-top mentality.

Overall, though, this season does not live up to the magic and interest that the first season cooked up.

Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara may be a teaspoon compared to the tablespoon that is its first season. But that does not mean it didn’t bring something to the table. Some strong character introspections, a diverse visual palate, and impressive voice acting curtail some of the imperfections in this seasons’ narrative. It’s like eating Pizza Hut pizza without the breadsticks. Yea, it’s yummy food, but it could have been even yummier.

SUMMARY

Story: Fine, an overabundance of food wars counterintuitively takes away from the variety, intrigue, and ecchi content that made the plot fun to begin with, but a theme on losing and the Stagiaire arc are there to provide a meaty backbone

Animation: Great, imaginative scenes, attractive character designs with emphasis on Sonoka Kikuchi’s gorgeous look, mouth-watering food, and about average actual animation

Characters: Good, Hisako represents the cast at its best, and she, Souma, and the others highlight how individualism and personal goals lead to one’s improvement

Sound: Good, okay OP, good ED, good OST, above average VA performances, and nice sound effects

Enjoyment: Fine, less Erina, less slice-of-life, and still no major wins for Souma, but cute, silly, and hype moments are still had within this wacky series

Final Score: 7/10

- English Review (Translated version)

Anyone who has seen "Shokugeki no Souma" knows perfectly well the qualities that Soma's and company's story possesses: gastronomy as a flag, humour in abundance, charismatic characters, competition and the desire to learn, a varied and quality soundtrack... In short, an anime clearly thematic (because it is) and worth a lot of money. The summary is simple: if you liked the first season, you'll enjoy this sequel, because it's still great and it still holds the keys that made its predecessor great.

"Shokugeki no Souma Ni no Sara" is basically a pure and clear sequel. In fact, it starts immediately after the ... last scene we saw. So all those main features are kept intact, fortunately. I'm not going to expand on his qualities too much, because I already did it in the review of the first season (I encourage you to read it) and I think it would be repeat myself too much. What I will do is comment on the changes/new aspects that I think are worth mentioning, as usual I do in the sequels reviews.

The change that draws attention first of all in "Ni no Sara" is that it is a "short season", specifically 13 chapters, for the 25 that we enjoyed in the previous one. This has a very clear consequence: there is less time for frills and whirlpools. "Ni no Sara" comes straight to the point. I know there are people who like this quite a bit, but "Shokugeki no Souma" is an anime that, because of its characteristics, looks very good with the "slice of life" and those "coexistence" episodes in which we get to know and empathise more and more with the main characters.

Luckily, despite having almost half the episodes, they have managed to develop and maintain their rhythm to perfection. The two different parts of the plot (autumn tournament on one side and practice on the other) work perfectly. The vibrant autumn tournament, full of surprises, sometimes fun and sometimes tense, is a true ode to gastronomy and cuisine in each of its clashes. Next, I found the arc of the practices so interesting that I would have liked to have seen more of them. They had enough material to do it. It has been a great respite after 7-8 episodes full of culinary battles one after the other, but at the same time it is a dose of reality in which they have managed to capture with surprising accuracy what it feels like to enter the kitchen of a restaurant as a novice.

The squad of characters is still as spectacular as ever, even better, as they've slightly reworked the ratio of protagonisms and appearances, to downplay the less interesting characters (like Aoki and Satou or Ibusaki) and begin to give way to others who emerge as key players in the plot, such as Megumi, Hayama and the duo Alice/Ryo.

Another aspect that is still great is the music section. Most of the melodies are really known from the first season, but the level was so high, that obviously the BSO of "Shokugeki no Souma Ni no Sara" is still a wonder: varied and of high quality. I can't say the same thing about opening and ending. In my opinion, they've lowered the level with them. . For this second season they have chosen two songs with stronger and more aggressive tones, metal style. I imagine it's to match the theme of the season (autumn tournament, fights everywhere), but honestly, I've really missed the OP1 and both endings (especially the second one, which is wonderful) of the first season. I think they fit in much better with the atmosphere of the series and the way in which "Shokugeki no Souma" conveys joy and good cheers.


- Spanish Review (Original and faithful version)

Quien haya visto "Shokugeki no Souma" sabe perfectamente las cualidades que atesora la historia de Soma y compañía: la gastronomía como bandera, humor a raudales, personajes carismáticos, competición y ganas de aprender, una banda sonora variada y de calidad... En definitiva, un anime claramente temático (porque lo es) y que merece muchísimo la pena.

"Shokugeki no Souma Ni no Sara" es básicamente una secuela pura y dura. De hecho, empieza inmediatamente después de terminar la última escena de su antecesora. Así que todas esas características principales las mantiene intactas, por suerte. No voy a extenderme demasiado con sus cualidades, porque ya lo hice en la review de la primera temporada (os animo a leerla) y considero que sería repetirme demasiado. Lo que haré será, como de costumbre en los análisis sobre secuelas, comentar los cambios/nuevos aspectos que creo que son dignos de mencionar.

El cambio que llama la atención en primer lugar en "Ni no Sara" es que es una "temporada corta", concretamente 13 capítulos, por los 25 que disfrutamos en la anterior. Esto tiene una consecuencia muy clara: hay menos tiempo para florituras y remoloneos. "Ni no Sara" va al grano, directamente y sin rodeos. Sé que hay gente a la que esto le agrada bastante, pero "Shokugeki no Souma" es un anime al que por sus características le sienta muy bien el "slice of life" y esos capítulos "de convivencia" en los que vamos conociendo y empatizando cada vez más con los protagonistas.

Por suerte, a pesar de tener casi la mitad de capítulos, han sabido desarrollar y mantener el ritmo a la perfección. Las dos partes diferenciadas de la trama (torneo de otoño por un lado y prácticas por el otro) funcionan a la perfección. El torneo de otoño vibrante y repleto de sorpresas, a ratos divertido y a ratos tenso, una auténtica oda a la gastronomía y la cocina en cada uno de sus enfrentamientos. Seguidamente, el arco de las prácticas me ha parecido tan interesante que me habría encantado que se hubieran explayado más con ello. Material tenían de sobra para hacerlo. Ha sido un respiro genial después de 7-8 capítulos repletos de batallas culinarias una detrás de otra, pero a la vez una dosis de realidad en la que han sabido plasmar con sorprendente exactitud lo que se siente al entrar como novato en la cocina de un restaurante.

El plantel de personajes sigue tan espectacular como siempre, incluso algo mejor, ya que han retocado un poco el ratio de protagonismos y apariciones, para así restar importancia a los personajes menos interesantes (como Aoki y Satou o Ibusaki) y empezar a darle cancha a otros que emergen como claves en la trama, como Megumi, Hayama y el dúo Alice/Ryo.

Otro aspecto que sigue siendo genial es el apartado musical. Realmente la mayoría de melodías son conocidas ya de la primera temporada, pero el nivel era tan alto que obviamente la BSO de "Shokugeki no Souma Ni no Sara" continúa siendo una maravilla: variada y de calidad. No puedo decir lo mismo sobre opening y ending. En mi opinión han bajado el nivel con ellos. Supongo que va a gustos, pero para mí es así. Para esta segunda temporada han elegido dos canciones con tonos más fuertes y agresivos, estilo metal. Imagino que es para cuadrarlo con la temática de la temporada (torneo de otoño, combates por doquier), pero sinceramente, he echado muchísimo de menos el OP1 y ambos endings (sobre todo el segundo, que es maravilloso) de la primera temporada. Creo que casan mucho más con el espíritu de la serie y con esa forma de transmitir alegría y buen rollo que "Shokugeki no Souma" tiene.

Moving on from the awesomeness of the first season, I expected the second to deliver similar if not better results, especially with all of the hype for the "Autumn Elections" which promised a series of climactic and high-level battles between all of our favorite chefs. However in my eyes, what we were given was nothing of the sort.

Story: 4
To begin with, the story and its progression were highly sub-optimal; sub-average in fact. Whilst the first season had a strong approach to its direction, making you guess at every turn how things would play out, the second has settled into a series of monotonous battles that ... all have the same feel to them. All of the key events have become increasingly predictable, removing a large sense of excitement and wonder that I felt from the first season. Additionally, each episode consists almost entirely of just the battle between the chefs, leaving little room for any actual character development.

Art: 8
Continuing the theme from the first season, the art style of Shokugeki no Souma is still astonishing, and fits the show very well. Looking at the food does genuinely make you want to eat it. The only downfall to the art is the animation, which can appear stagnant at times.

Sound: 5
A theme song that is by far shadowed by its predecessor, along with an internal track that is mostly reused, left this anime lacking in terms of a unique music direction. I no longer feel the tension I felt after watching the first season, or the sense of badassery in the intro, meaning it has lost a lot of its charm for me.

Character: 3
As stated in the story paragraph, this anime has very little besides the battles themselves. Therefore, the characters are often neglected, and very little has happened thus far to further them. On top of this, many of the already defined traits of the characters from the first season have been ignored to a large extent in the name of advancing the plot, leaving the already defined characters seeming devoid of their previous features.

Enjoyment: 6
Despite the huge drop in quality from the first season to the second season, this anime is still quite enjoyable. Although the battles are predictable, they are still heated contests that are fun to sit through. It is not boring, it just lacks the flare needed to make it stand out like the first season did.

Overall: 7
The average across my scores for the previous parts is a 5, but I believe that the overall score this anime should have is a 7. This is because despite its failings, it is still what I consider to be a "Good" anime, which is a cut above many mediocre productions. To those who enjoyed the first season, this should be watched only if you feel the need to see an end to the story. If you felt satisfied enough by finishing the first season, then it may be better to avoid this one entirely.

This is a continuation of Shokugeki no Soma 3 part review spec-spatula!... Ok... that pun was horrible. Anyway... Let's jump right into part 2! XD

For those who are confused by the above statement, i'm doing a 3 part review for this. The first one is already up if anyone is interested in reading it.

BEWARE OF MINOR SPOILERS

Part 2: The calm waves of the fiery trilogy

In all honesty guys, even though this series is one of my all time favorites, i have to admit that the second season didn't feel as hyped as the first one or the third one did. I know many people are ... going to disagree but i do have my reasons for saying so. As those who have watched the first season may know it ended on a cliffhanger. Naturally, when the first half of the episodes were out, I was ecstatic. Imagine all the built up anticipation waiting for the continuation of the the actual competition for months and months, who wouldn't be excited? (P.S i couldn't wait for the anime and instead rushed for the manga. But that just made me long for the anime that much more) And true enough, the show delivered. All the battles were as awesome, if not more so than the first season. Even though the second arc was a huge step down from the finals hype, it was not to be blamed because of the episode constraint. It being a short anime season does not have that much of a leeway because of the tight constraint that is 12 episodes. The real problem lies in the fact there is no real plot involved throughout this season. Now, before you get mad, just hear me out. In the first season, throughout all 24 episodes, you knew that the show was heading somewhere. That it had a specific goal for every arc. Soma enrolling into Totsuki, saving the Don RS club, passing the examination with his friends, challenging *** to save Tadokoro's expulsion. They were all filled with excitement. What's going to happen next arc!? I found myself asking. Since the 2nd season is mainly about the Autumn Elections Main Competition, it lacks a certain eagerness from the first season. Sure, the hype was still there, but it revolved wholly around the competition unlike the first season which had spread the elements of surprise over different arcs and different stories. In the case of the 2nd season, once the hype ended, the transition into the next arc felt more like a interlude than anything else, or OVA if you will. Even the 2nd arc didn't have as much of an impact when compared to the other arcs from the first season. It just felt like a small training session for Soma and Soma alone. None of the other characters were shown (Only tadokoro and others briefly for about 1 minute) and there weren't any real twist or surprises from the show. Not even any indication it was going anywhere. By the time it ended, i was expressionless. I didn't feel the hype, nor did i feel any excitement. For strict anime watchers, you aren't even convinced there'll be a 3rd season (unless you read the manga beforehand). All in all, it is a great season but it just pales in terms of plot to the other 2 seasons, and by quite a margin. Though some of the battles were better than the 1st and especially 3rd arc, and not to mention points are given for the Mimasaka battle and the unexpected finals winner, so its plot level was still above average. Oh, and i LOVED the first intern arc.

Art: 8/10

No real comparisons from this season and the first. Though some of the metaphors used in the show was disappointing. Such an example would be Tadokoro and Ryo's ahem 'gang battle'. I'd honestly be more shocked if anybody enjoyed that. That metaphor alone ruined Tadokoro's personality. The first season protrayal of tadokoro... now that was a masterpiece! Other than that, no real complaints.

Sound 10/10

As always, the music is astounding. More soundtracks have found its way into the viewers heart. One such soundtrack i can think of is during the first fight. Global Innovator of Taste. The whole soundtrack just screams NAKIRI ALICE! The previous season soundtracks were awesome as usual.

Character 10/10

Remember when i said the characters didn't get much growth development during the first season? Well, this is where they start to shine. For starters, more of their character backstories are revealed so that you may start to relate to them more. Their skills are also explained to a clearer effect to enhance them as a character. Not to mention with the transition from season 1 to 2, you could clearly see that each of their skills have improved (cooking and personality wise), and not just Soma himself. Their ferocity and competitiveness also got fiercer and it is shown with much clarity during the pre finals fight. And that is something that i find really entertaining because it hinted that they will be back as stronger characters in the future. Oh and just 1 little detail that managed to push the initial score of 9 to a 10, and that is secretary Hisako. It's really enticing to see how much her character has developed. Not only did her perspective change, you could see just how much she has to change her views in order to grow and improve, especially after deeming herself incapable of being by her master's side.

Enjoyment: 9/10

There are certain parts of the show that i think are really really outstanding and have rewatched them a few times. Though it felt a little lacking afters its first season, it is still nevertheless a great show. And the main competition deserves more than just the spotlight of the show. So, watch it for that if not for anything else.

STORY - 7
ART - 10
SOUND - 8
CHARACTER - 9
ENJOYMENT - 8

The Second Plate picked up from the first season, coming in strong with all the greatness of foods and characters that we got previously. With that, this season took a slightly different path away from comedic enjoyment towards a much more heated atmosphere in the kitchen.

The main highlight that took the spotlight is the extra competitive nature that enshrouded many of the characters. From here, we have many cooking ideals that faced off against each other, striving to reach the top in their own ways. These battles to cook the best foods introduced character developments ... that we didn't get in detail from the season before, a very nice addition that was needed. However, all these great ideas were moderately ruined by how the story was presented. With only thirteen episodes, there were minimal build up as they went right into the mix when the episode started. It's a problem especially with the faster pacing. Absorbing all the information only to get into the next part can be kind of overwhelming, which is why some importance or significance were lost during several scenes. That aside, the humorous aspect that can be experienced a lot in the first season were toned down quite a bit, along with the fanservice. Like I said, it focused a lot of time on expanding the characters, so whether or not you missed the lightheartedness are up to each person's taste. Personally, I wanted more of it between a couple of parts due to the issues I've mentioned. Nonetheless, you will be treated with awesome new information of foods and characters' history, along with bits of hype or comedy seasonings sprinkled here and there.

Visually, the bright colors does stood out a bit more noticeably compared to Season 1. It definitely felt refined, and the animation is still as fluid as before. Capturing the cuisine of each dish with extreme details caused more drooling to occur. With the fanservice, not only is there less of it, the exaggeration were decreased too so you can focus more on the presentation of the dishes itself rather than their reactions. That did helped during the rushed parts but honestly, sometimes I yearned more for it. The faster pacing also affected the sound aspect. There were times where the words coming out of the mouth felt like gibberish to my ears, mostly because they spoke fast with minimal pauses. With the OSTs, it was for a different reason. They were masked by the huge amount of dialogues going on, drawing my attention to the voice-actors rather than the soundtracks. This can be fixed with more careful pacing to give a balanced audio experience. Still managed to portray the distinct cultural side of this anime but the potential for better experiences is there.

Though The Second Plate was lower than what I was expecting, the story revealed more of what we should expect as the characters journeyed deeper through the professional world of cooking. My main gripe was the pacing issue and unfortunately, it affected a couple of factors. However, that alone didn't stopped Season 2 of Shokugeki no Souma to be an entertaining anime that will bring enjoyment to your table.

Compared to the 1st season, the pace of the plot seems to have slowed down considerably. I was looking forward to learning what the connection was between Erina Nakiri and Yukihira's father. But 13 episodes have come and gone and nothing has developed in that regard.

A lot of the supporting characters have sort of faded into the background. The food still looks great an appetizing, the ecchi has been toned down, but I really want to see more in terms of character development and the deepening of the relationships between the main protagonists, rivals and support.

I hope this doesn't turn into another typical Shounen where ... the main character just evolves in the most unimaginative way possible, just fighting stronger and stronger opponents one after another.

I know this isn't a romance anime and is primarily about cooking, but more character development and change in the dynamics of the relationship between Soma and Nakiri / Tadokoro would have been more than welcome.

WARNING: This review will contain massive spoilers. Do not read this if you haven't finished the last episode!

In sports, there are certain teams that are really good during the regular season, but when the playoffs come around, these teams that may win 75% or more of their regular season games, suddenly fall in the Post-season when it really counts. The feeling that that leaves their fans with is a feeling of disappointment, which probably wouldn't be that deep if they didn't recognize how much talent their team had. You want them to win, not just have good regular ... season runs and when they don't you feel deflated and irritated.

That's what Shoukugeki No Souma has become. Souma is that guy that tears it up in the regular season, but when it really counts, he just keeps falling short. He can go off for 30 points a game in the regular season, but just keeps hitting clunkers when it matters most. Souma will run through all of the lower level cooks, but when it comes time to take home a big prize, he keeps losing. It's frustrating because you want him to win.

I understand that this is being done to grow him as a character, as he learns from his losses. And ultimately, it makes you root for him more. But, it's not a good habit to keep closing seasons with a feeling of disappointment for the viewer. I do like the fact that it really leaves you wondering who is going to win, and doesn't make it obvious. But, animes should at least keep their MC looking top-tier, if not the very best. Souma's repeated major failures are starting to make him look second rate to me. The end result of the Tournament was irritating enough, but was it really necessary to have his chicken egg quail rejected at the end? And sure, once again, it was turned around into a teachable moment, but should've just won it outright to clear the disappointment from the Finals. He's supposed to be the son of the greatest chef and a prodigy in his own right. He shouldn't be losing even rushed, post-finals filler challenges to get his quail on a menu in a restaurant we'll never even see again. Send the viewer home happy without an asterisk.

It's frustrating. But, nevertheless, in spite of this growing flaw, I love the series. I enjoyed this season in spite of the disappointment, because of the lovable cast, the good animation, the over the top reactions and comedy. As I move into season 3, hopefully, there will be some big wins for Souma and not more disappointment.

Story: 8
Art: 8
Sound: 9
Character: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 8

Second plate is a direct continuation of season one, and fits in seamlessly with the end of season 1. It's the same formula for the most part, and the cast barely changes. This can be both good and bad, depending on what you're looking for in a series like this.

Did you enjoy the formula from season 1? If so, you'll continue to enjoy season 2. If not, you won't find anything too different here.

**spoilers

There are a few additions that I really liked about season 2, and since I already wrote a review for season 1 I thought I'd mention them here.

For starters, the ... new three-way rivalry betwee Souma, Ryou Kurokiba, and Akira Hayama introduced towards the end of the season is a great setup going into season 3. While this will mean that other characters may have to be pushed to the side for a while (or forever), the backstories of Ryou and Akima were constructed nicely and their motivations are competitive with the main character's. Basically, there are more people to root for than ever which makes it exciting.

I also enjoyed the creator's expansion of the culinary scope of the show. We started seeing more exotic dishes introduced this season, everything from mesquite BBQ to middle eastern food. More diverse food options, and more diverse cast options.

But the main problem that seems to be occurring now is that cast members are being brushed off to the side. We barely see the dormitory crew doing anything other than cheering or commentating, and we've only seen Erina Nakiri watching the action other than the one incident with the "manga soup" deal. Basically, the pacing and rotation of characters is getting a bit messy and the only way I can imagine them fixing it is to reduce the size of the cast a bit.

I gave the show an 8 rather than the 9 I gave season 1, primarily because I didn't feel it justified to give the show another super-high rating again based on the same formula. The creators are going to have to find new ways to change up the dynamic going into season 3 to keep up the momentum, but even if they play it safe and stick to the same formula it'll definitely be entertaining enough to sit through.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara is the second season of the popular Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma series. It is the continuation of the trials, tribulations, and misadventures willingly taken on by culinary prodigy Souma Yukihira. As in S1, most of the episodes in this season fit together well and did not rush into advancing the plot prematurely. There were no "fillers", with each episode providing a unique step forward in the overall plot.

The art style is neither realistic nor overly basic. It is, however, extremely suggestive. If you're a fan-service enthusiast, you will definitely be pleased. ... While the seductive nature surrounding many of the female characters may have coaxed some comedic elements out from the other characters, I do believe it detracted, slightly, from the plotline. That being said, the animation was fluid and well-made without any significant deviation throughout the season.

I watched the English DUB of this show and can confirm that the voices harmonized with their respective characters well. This was not the case in S1, but seemingly over time, significant improvements were made. The background music fit each scene well, as did the OP/ED. The sound effects relating to the preparation and cooking of dishes was superb. It caught me off-guard in S1 but I was prepared this season. Thankfully, I was not let down.

The characters did not develop appreciably from S1, they were neither basic nor complex. Nobody, including Souma Yukihira, seemed to evolve over time. He and many of the other characters simply became better culinarily but no effort was given to display growth in other aspects - there was a distinct lack of well-roundedness. Using the same formula from S1, the show focused too much on building each character into a master chef rather than expounding upon their personal feelings, thoughts, and desires.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara is a decent sequel to Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma. I feel somewhat disappointed because this season had the chance to fix some of the issues found in S1 and didn't. I won't be re-watching Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara for the time being. It isn't a terrible season but it failed to impress - it's the very definition of average.

I enjoyed the first season of Food wars immensely and i was overjoyed
when he heard that there will be a new season for the series.

As with the first season the story follows Yukihira Soma as he works
to learn all there is about cooking and improve his cooking skills by
taking part in competitions and beating powerful opponents while surviving in the elite cooking school Totsuki academy. This season continues on from the first season and having managed to win in the preliminaries Soma is one of the 8 people that managed to get to the main tournament.

Yukihira Soma is the main ... character of the series.
The son of a former member of the elite ten Yukihira is an earnest, energetic and positive person that is confident with his skills. However he is always willing to learn and improve upon his skills while at the same time deflecting what hostile perceptions he gets from his enemies who most often than not become allies. Yukihira's most prominent trait is perhaps his creativity in that he is able to create many an outstanding dish using ingredients that many thought were too common.

Megumi is a friend, dorm mate and classmate of Soma and co and serves as one of the heroines in the series. Megumi is similar to Soma in that both come from backgrounds different to most students at the academy in that they come from rather humble backgrounds and do not have large restaurants or well known restaurants under their name.

Megumi's personality remains unchanged and she is meek, quiet and prone to panic but she also can be determined and resolute when it counts. Megumi is kind by nature though she can be a bit of an airhead.

Erina is Soma's main rival and one of the heroines of the series.
Erina is one of the Totsuki academy's elite ten and has a rather unique specialty in that of the god tongue in which she can determine what ingredients something has just by tasting it once. Erina's personality is your typical rich girls personality in that she's arrogant,proud and haughty but she has a softer side to her and her inexperience in romance is quite funny.

Erina has a rather interesting relationship with Soma in that she views him as a rival as she sees herself above him in status and skill yet Soma continues to stay and improve his skills much to her chagrin.

Takumi and his brother Isami are friends and fellow students of Soma and co. Both are chefs from Italy and specialize in Italian cuisine. Takumi is an earnest, kind and skilled chef who maintains a one sided rivalry with Soma that i find hilarious.

Despite being a rival Takumi is more like a friendly rival that often provides advice and support for Soma when he's out of fresh ideas for his dishes.

Alice is Erina's cousin and a fellow student of Soma and co. Alice is mischievous, skilled and friendly and is very different to Erina in that regard. However she is just as skilled in cooking as any other character on the series and her specialty is Molecular Gastronomy which is a field that i for one never heard off lol. Alice's prominent trait is her cunning and intelligence.

Alice is one of my favorite characters from the series because she
is more friendly than Erina and the fact that she pouts when she loses makes her really cute. Plus the byplay between her and Ryo are hillarious. Chinatsu Akasaki is one of my fav seiyuu's and her portrayal of Alice was well done.

Akira is a fellow student of Soma and Co and perhaps one of the best cooks
in the current generation of students alongside Soma and Ryo. Calm, Collected and reserved Akira emphases on the word patience. Akira's most prominent trait and his specialty is his sense of smell in that he is able to pick out the individual ingredients that make up a dish by his sense of smell alone.
Though Akira can be arrogant he's not a bad person by nature. Akira has a interesting relationship with his guardian and teacher Jun sensei though.


Subaru aka the Stalker biker is a fellow student of Soma and co and probably
one of the most unusual characters i ever encountered. Arrogant, sadistic and cruel Subaru is a character that looks like a mirror bad version of Soma in that while no doubt skilled reminds me of an intimidating brute that only cares about winning.

His specialty if you can call it that is copying in which he researches his targets thoroughly and determine what dish they would try and create and replicating that dish when the time comes creating the same thing that is better. As punishment for the loser he selects a tool that they prize and take it away from them thus causing misery. Though his backstory about his lack of acceptance by his father changed my impressions of him somewhat Subaru is a character that i didn't like very much.

Hisako is a fellow student of Soma and Co and is Erina's secretary to which she respects highly. Skilled, prideful and stubborn Hisako until this season usually only followed Erina around but in this season she finally got the chance to shine.

Hisako's specialty of medicinal cooking is unusual to say the least but unique enough for her. Her first dish for the main tournament was a turtle hamburger in which she shockingly prepared it by butchering the turtle. This image of butchering an animal is perhaps an image that i generally won't associate with someone like her normally.

Hisako's personality changes as the series goes on as after the tournament came the stag arc in which she was paired with her idols nemesis and rival Soma. Though at first she was still hostile towards him this eventually changed to being a bit more friendly towards him. And it was nice seeing Hisako being able to recover from the tournament by regaining
her confidence and aiming to stand beside Erina rather than behind her.

Saori Onishi really portrayed her character well and Hisako is one of my fav support characters.

Ryo is a fellow student of Soma and Co and is the aide to Alice.
Interestingly Ryo actually has two different personalities with the normal one being rather plain and meek while the other one that only shows up when he's cooking is loud, rude and challenging and aggressive somewhat like a mad dog. Ryo's specialty is seafood as he grew up and worked in a seaside restaurant where he learnt all the skills that he knows today.

Ryo has a rather interesting perception of a kitchen that i find
unusual. Ryo is a great character in his own right and his skills are on par
with the likes of Akira and Soma and probably above Alice as well.

The Totsuki Alumni are the previous generation of students
that were in the academy prior to the current generation. With few exception the majority of the alumni that were featured in the series were members of that generations elite ten. Of the list my favorite members were Hinako who i found to be hillarious and Shinomiya who while cool and detached is actually a nice guy by heart.

Hinako and Shinomiya's interactions are always so funny and Hinako's Seiyuu Mamiko Noto did a fantastic job portraying her.

Art for the series was pretty good as was the character designs which i found to sharp and largely faithful to the manga. The animation itself was pretty clear and the colors were sharp. The animation for the food and the preparation for it was especially good.

Music was good for the whole series especially the opening and ending themes.

Voice acting was superb as always and every seiyuu did a fantastic job portraying their characters.

Character development and story pacing was also good

Overall A fantastic series that was every bit as amazing as the first season.
The series was faithful to its source material and the arcs that were featured in this season was shown amazingly. The story was backed up by a great cast of characters that were played by some of Japan's best up and coming seiyuu's with Risa Taneda who played Erina and Minami Takahashi
who played Megumi, Saori Onishi who played Hisako and Chinatsu Akasaki who played Alice being my favorites.

I really hope that there will be a next season to show off the next story arcs.

Ah Shokugeki, probably my favorite ecchi series of all time. Mainly because the fanservice is done in a comedic way that actually adds to my enjoyment rather than detract. Unfortunately the sequel disappointed me quite a bit. The sound and art are still top notch but the characters and story fell apart for me in this season. Ni no Sara takes place right after season 1, meaning we get kicked right into the tournament arc. Sadly the tournament arc which is the biggest part of the series is so bland. There's none of the cutthroat tension from the previous season. There aren't any students getting ... kicked out or even any cool preperation arcs. These things are what made Shokugeki entertaining for me in the first place. There's only so many times that the eye-opening, orgasmic "This food is excellent!" reaction can stay entertaining before it gets boring. It's also not nearly as funny as season 1. Thankfully the show REALLY picks up in the last 3 episodes. It's because of them that I chose to give this season a 7 instead of a 5 or a 6. The tension comes back, Soma's creativity comes into play and there's a lot of charatcer development to be had as well. It's ironic that the last 3 episodes which could be considered filler were the most entertaining. So should you watch Shokugeki Season 2? If you liked season 1 then yes but don't expect the same kind of quality the first season had. If you didn't like season 1 you will HATE this series. Hope this review helped a little :)

-Prorogon

My score: 7/10
Three words: flamboyant, over-the-top, yet charismatic

Looking at it fully, the second season was even better than the first. It had development, it had twists, it had the beheading of that annoying beast that was ‘character over-powering’. It was fast paced, bright and engaging. Really, it deserves an 8.
So why a 7?

I suppose for me, the first season is always more enjoyable for me. Rarely have I enjoyed a second season MORE than the first. The first season had character relations to build, which is usually my favorite aspect of any show. Season 2 opens with all characters having been set in their ... niche. So what I look for in a season 2 would be flexibility and further development of those characters. Not an easy task for sure, especially in a 12 episode season, but what I’d have liked nonetheless.

Character breakdown:
Here in season 2, every character remained, not only a niche, but in a stereotype as well. Honestly, if the art wasn’t so blinding and distracting, the stereotypes would have been so blatantly obvious, I may have dropped it (Note: no, I definitely would have.)

In fact, one of the only reasons I’m not full out destroying their character roll is because, possibly by sheer dumb luck, the lead character is so charismatic. Souma is charming and interesting, and not an airhead and is actually pretty quiet and intelligent, which is a breath of fresh air when it comes to main male characters. That’s what has carried me through the show feeling like I was getting my time’s worth. Not to say there aren’t other good characters, because they are, but when it comes down to it, you spend most of your time with the lead, and if the lead sucks, the show sinks.

And although I criticized character development, I will say this doesn’t apply to Hayama Akira. He had brilliant moments, and I went from neutral to being an actual fan.

The other bits:
Visuals were top notch again. The food looks incredible, and the presentation of basically the entire show is so … facetious, so anime, you can’t help but roll your eyes, enjoying every darn second of it. The music, the voices, the directing; all extremely flashy. But hey, that’s Shokugeki no Souma, and it’s what separates it from the crowd. That and the mouth-watering food.

Final verdict:
Watched season 1 and liked it? Watch this.
New to the series in general? I dropped this season 1, episode 1. The very next week, I saw the next episode in the latest updates, and decided to give it a go. And its flashiness has had me ever since.

I gave the first season a 10/10 and, while I think the second season is also very good, I think it's a 9/10. Let me explain. The story, art, and musical selections remained a 10/10. But there was a decrease in humorous segments and an introduction to a quite a few new characters (all played minors roles in the overall story). For the most part, these new characters were boring at best. But there was one in particular whom I thought was just downright a bad character. They call him the copycat but his real name is Subaru (yes like the car). I don't know, ... he just didn't seem to fit into the story like the rest of the characters. It was like a weird crossover episode (popular in America) where they bring in characters from completely different shows for shock value. Despite the minor complaints I listed, I would still recommend this season of Food Wars. Soma makes some personal growth that is critical to his character development and it's pretty entertaining to watch.

Shokugeki No Soma is a strange beast. It annoys me, but makes me laugh all the same. It's like one of those annoying friends who keep on bugging you, but you can't help but like them a little.
Story: The story in Shokugeki No Soma is the low point of the series, meaning, there isn't much story. Soma wants to become a better chef than his dad and ends up going to a high class culinary school. The plot is simple, but it works. In the world of Shokugeki No Soma people settle a lot of their disputes through food battles, which have people make extreme ... reactions according to the food. This ends up with mostly being ecchi stuff, like people losing their clothing, but can be fun ("Oops. I turned into a young girl for a second" hint hint). Tragically, I think the writers must have had a hard time writing about food as it mostly boils down to "The umami of this works well with the umami of that. The sourness enhances the umami. Umami this, umami that...". It's like 90% of all taste is suddenly umami. I call that "bullshit" or "horse crap".
Art & Sound: The shows art style is nice and flexible, switching fluently between detailed drawings and a more simplistic style (usually when the character aren't acting seriously or for comedic relief). This is well done and goes well with the show. Also, the food is nicely drawn and kinda makes me hungry sometimes. The sound is also very well done, with nice voice acting and good sound effects.
Characters: The character are a diverse trope filled with most of the stereotypical characters, some mixes and a few, a bit, original. They are enjoyable enough, but usually doesn't get you too invested in their lives.
Overall: Shokugeki no Soma annoys me often, especially with way they describe flavors, but it's a fun watch with enough to keep me watching it all the way. If you're not super against flashing of skin (with awkwardly placed light beams or items placed in front of the more daring areas) or drawn underwear, and want some, over the top, extreme comedy this is a nice watch. Intensive, mostly brainless fun.
Enjoy!

Story 9/10

13 high quality episodes where the action doesn’t stop firstly with the Autumn elections where Souma has to battle against some natural chefs with more talent than he has and has a result he has to work extra hard if he is to succeed. The students then have to go out on work placements which will fully test their abilities in a high pressure environment.

Art 8/10

This season maintains the first season’s art style with the characters in particular being drawn in such a fun and humorous way.

Sound 9/10

... Sound and music is very good but where this shines is in the continued excellent voice acting.

Characters 10/10

The character development in this program is of the highest quality with all the characters fleshed out and their personalities explained perfectly we understand how good these chefs are in terms of natural talent but many don’t have the same work ethic that Souma does this allows Souma to compete despite him not being the most talented this is just brilliant.

Enjoyment 10/10

This was the most fun I’ve had with Food Wars yet with each episode being packed full with great moments and drama mixed with the show’s natural humor this is a great follow up to the first season and gets me pumped to experience more.

Overall 9/10

Overall a good season but the tension from S1 was missing. The pacing seemed weaker and rushed. It'd have been better if they made it into 24 episodes like S1. The entire Stagier arc only focused on Yukihira. I'd have loved to see other characters' progress too.( I've not read the manga so I don't know if it was shown in manga)
Loved Yukihira's character development. He's one of the best MCs I've ever seen. Love his attitude and mindset. Plus the seiyuu is awesome!

I stumbled upon S1 of Shokugeki no Souma out of curiosity and boredom. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. ... The animation and the characters are really good. If it didn't include all the fanservice, it would have been a solid 9 anime for me (Although, calling it food porn, as many people do, is wrong in my opinion). Nonetheless, it's always fun to watch Yukihira cook.

Looking forward to S3. Hope it's as good as S2.

Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara picks up right after the preliminaries of the Autumn Elections have concluded. The 8 people who made it through are brought together and told just how things will work on the main stage.

The matches have their own themes of course and things are carried out as anyone would expect. There is a specific food that must be used in the cook-off and judges to see things through. The winner advancing to the semi-final and then ultimately the final of course.

There was a mix up or two thrown into the Autumn Elections. I won't say much because it ... would spoil things for the people who haven't watched it but Souma while definitely can be a little air-headed at times, respects certain people for sure. When he feels one of them is done wrong he goes berserk in a sense, usually losing all his senses in the process it seems.

The Autumn Elections come to a close and after that there is some laser focus on Souma for the rest of the season and to his surprise he gets re-acquainted with an old "friend" or maybe not so "old" friend he had dealings with in the past.

Through the rest of the season we see Souma in a different light. I might be in the minority on that one but seriously... We all know Souma isn't perfect and he's had his struggles but never have we seen Souma like he was.

I gotta throw some respect toward Souma for what he was able to pull through during his second week of the stagiaire and even his "old friend" while hard on him certainly does respect him as well.

This season feels like it took a little more of a serious tone compared to the initial one. I don't think it was overbearing though. It felt right to be a little more serious as this was ultimately a time where the kids at school had to go from academy level competition to something more into the real world. There was still little bits of lightheartedness and comedy sprinkled around so it maintained a nice flow for me.

Before I start this review this review will be covering seasons 1-3 and I will be updating this review when the 4th season comes out which I think it comes out of spring of 2018 so your looking at April May time frame anyways lets start the review. I am surprisingly pleased with this anime because when I first saw it I put it off because I thought I would hate it but then one day I decided to give it a watch and I do not regret it. the weakness part is the story the story is ok its not bad but not great ... the story follows the Main Character named Souma he has been cooking under his dad his whole life mastering his craft so to speak. and one day his dad took off out of nowhere and send his son to the top cooking school in japan. now the characters I feel that the characters make this anime work if it wasn't for the characters it would fail this anime did a really good job on characters there was no almost no useless characters each character had its own personality and back stories for each character were solid and character development is decent. now lets get into the Ecci and I will admit I hates Ecci anime series 9/10 times but this show is in that 10 percent the ecci scenes only really happen when they eat the food which is great because it is a way to show how good the food is and the ecci seems very subtle and not in your face this is one of the few times I actual enjoy Ecci in an anime or manga series. if you hate the ecci tag I would personally still give it a shot. the art and sound are great no problems here. this anime was really close to a 8/10 but I thought the story was a little weak but Overall good anime I would definitely give it a shot.