Shokugeki no Soma – 13
When you tell this girl to get back in the kitchen, it’s a compliment.
Nice to see Shokugeki no Soma powering on without pausing mid-season. I was hoping for a new OP and ED song to be honest, but I guess JC Staff is cutting costs where it can. The current OP and ED are great, but I always love the excitement when a new song comes on at the start of an episode. Ah well.
This may qualify as a turn-off for some, but this week’s episode felt a lot like a competitive cooking show. It’s very much like America’s Top Chef or something where you see the chefs in their group living conditions as well as in the kitchen, so that the camera catches every angle of the story. From lack of sleep to cat fights in the hallways, the camera sees all even in your “personal” time. The challenge itself was very TV-like as well since they opened the doors dramatically and had a slew of hungry, non-gourmet judges pour into the hotel ballroom. Even the egg theme is something you see used a lot on TV shows, with chefs saying that the mark of a good chef is someone who can make an extraordinary dish using the simple egg. All in all, it felt like a reality show more than an anime, which is actually kind of a nice touch for me since I’m a sucker for those kinds of shows. It’s like an unfamiliar twist on the familiar.
Someone tell this guy to stop playing with his balls in public
I really liked the large scale of this challenge – it was a long haul consisting of testing recipes, cooking for an extended period of time, and serving people food to make it to the next hellish camp cook-off. We still have a lot to see of the serving part, but I like how it’s going so far. The highlight of it all was the teaser at the end where Soma is struggling for the second episode in a row.
Soma, what happened? A fluffy souffle omelet sounds like a wonderfully subtle way to elevate a simple breakfast dish. How the heck did he screw up so badly? Does it look too pedestrian to even warrant a glance from kids when he’s surrounded by exciting dishes? Then again, Alice has a raw egg on her plate and isn’t serving any portions so I doubt this trend will continue. Something will happen to change how things are going for Soma and Alice. What that is, I just don’t know.
Only Soma’s Fist of the North Polar Star can prevail!
For now, I was content to take a food porn tour of all the egg dishes (and no, I’m not doing egg puns because those are the lowest form of humour known to man). Lots of neat little snippets of characterization there. Megumi is starting to get her shit together and do the kind of cooking she should have done all along. I like that she made a homey, comforting dish for everyone, even if it doesn’t fit the usual image of a breakfast item in a buffet. Takumi continues to be awesome. Erina is the reigning queen of eggs and everyone wants a piece of dat muffin.
And Nikumi…she’s so adorable. I love how it’s implied that she attends all the Donburi Club’s meetings and is actually dedicated to making delicious donburi. After losing to Soma, I think she wants to work hard so she can one day show him that she knows how to make a donburi that could compete with Soma’s. She’s really changed. Loco Moco is like a Hawaiian version of the donburi and it’s usually made with a hamburger patty or….spam. Can you imagine Nikumi going from AAAAAAAAAA double ultra platinum street fighter turbo grade meat to spam? Of course, I think she still used a high quality meat in her take on it (judging by her flashy butchering skills in the cooking phase) but the fact that she’s making such humble dishes is really nice. Her “meat rose” donburi was just pretentious – this is the way meat on rice is supposed to be!
I’m not too fussed about Soma starting off on the wrong foot because so is Alice. Plus, Soma is the main character so he’s not going to actually lose. It is rather interesting that he’s slipping up again so soon though. Right now I think Alice is a pretty terrible character but that’s been the case with just about everyone up until now so maybe I like her and her friend emo Sasuke next week. All it takes is a little backstory…
I’m slowly getting lazier as the show progresses, but watching the egg challenge just before breakfast made me really hungry. It’s amazing what hunger can do to your motivation given the right conditions. So after the episode ended, I quickly rustled up a frittata from whatever was in my fridge. I’ve never made one before, but it’s so easy that I could make it without a recipe guide now. I didn’t even try to mimic anything else other than the fact it was frittata so unlike Takumi’s. I smothered it with cheese, had my salad on the side inside of mixed together, and I used tonkatsu sauce instead of balsamic vinegar. Don’t even get me started on the fillings. Takumi would call me blasphemous but I couldn’t care less.
…But why doesn’t mine sparkle?
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Isshiki’s dream at the start was awesome. Never have I once considered how Megumi would look if she was a delinquent. It was hilariously farfetched but the way things are going, the part about Marui might become reality. 😛
The more I watch this series, the more I see the school’s cruel conditions for the challenges know no bounds. They’re absolutely merciless. A full day going through the wringer, another evening challenge then a surprise announcement of another test that’s hours away where you have to choose to spend your time to get some rest or experiment with recipes. I really feel for the students who are little lower on the talent ladder.
Since you already know the new girl’s name is Alice, I assume you already know her last name and because of it, she’s closer to Erina than most would think. That confident talking down to Erina is sufficient enough to conclude she’s a fierce rival who knows her field considering not being bothered with her choice of food to serve to the judges. Her appearance makes her look inhuman yet I find it eerily alluring about her. With that pale white skin, I’d say she hardly spends any time under the sun. Her escort may be more than he appear. Like Soma, the guy has a headband wrapped around his wrist.
This is just my theory but every time Soma and Erina meet, it’s like she’s steadily being threatened by him. Maybe because of the difference in talent between her who has been privileged from birth and he, from the working class, making his way up the ladder. It’s possible she’s beginning to acknowledge him and is afraid of him knocking her off her pedestal. Her Eggs Benedict look like a heart attack waiting to happen. It must be packed with cholesterol when taking the ingredients into consideration.
Losing the Shokugeki that involved Megumi may have been more damaging to Soma’s psyche than expected. He’s not even wearing his headband so that’s not a good sign. I also feel he tipped his hand telling Erina what he intended after she correctly deduced he was making a soufflé. I’m sure she applied his texture idea to her Eggs Benedict after the little info.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Delinquent Megumi was awesome!
It sounds like a horrible experience. I can’t function without at least 8 hours of sleep so I would just pass out at that point. Now that you mention it, we really don’t see much of the other students who are failing but man…life’s rough for them. Hardly anyone is left!
I rely on MAL for character names since I have a bad memory, but when I looked it up and it showed her last name…I realized I made a big mistake :/ So now I know who she is lol oops. She certainly looks cool with the whole albino thing but it’ll take some time for me to warm up to her.
Yes, Erina seems more and more threatened by Soma for all the reasons you say. It’s funny because Soma isn’t even trying to intimidate her, she’s just making up this fierce rivalry in her own head.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Bad enough they have to deal with this challenge but it’s even worse with lack of sleep. Remember, this time, each student has to reach 200 servings to the masses to pass. That’s 4 times the amount they had to prepare for those jocks and body builders their first night on the grounds. Show some mercy, people!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
No puns?! I’m gonna have to EGG you on, aren’t I? You’ve turned traitor. A proverbial Benedict, which was the best dish of the bunch in my opinion.
I think I’ll take the artifice of Souma over the “reality” of cookery shows. It was nice to see them do their version of it. Not so campy.
And that is a delicious looking plate you got up there!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I knew someone would step in and keep the egg pun fans happy!
Reality cooking shows are sooo cheesy…but I can’t help but watch them.
Thanks!
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
She looks like the genderbent version of AUO sitting on her Vimana Throne. Her ultimate NP: EA.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
The main issue with souffles is that they deflate when left out in the open for too long, having a lot of air content. If Souma was serving them freshly cooked to each diner, that would be OK. In a buffet, leaving the souffles out for too long ruins them leaving them as a sunken mess in a bowl.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
You also have to take into account the environment the soufflés are in. Regardless of the size of the room the students have their stations (It’s insanely big), add them along the mass number of judges that span across various ages (and possibly different body constitutions) and you can only assume it’s going to get warm in there. So most likely the room is insulated and air conditioned, another factor that can affect the soufflés. I mean, Nikumi is cooking while half naked again. If the place was heated, she’d be sweating heavily and that would surely affect her dishes.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Ah, true, I didn’t even think about souffles deflating over time. And I doubt he’d be able to cook them all to-order in such a short period of time. Guess it’s time for a plan B…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
ANN Article: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka Heads to the Kitchen for a Third Time