Shokugeki no Soma – 23
What the Food Network shows after midnight…
Holy guacamole, Shokugeki no Soma is almost over! I’ve been enjoying this crazy show so much that I think I’ll have to pick up the manga after…which is what I always say but never actually do. But maybe this time I will because it can fill the void I have from completely catching up to Prison School.
You know a formula works when you can do the exact same thing two episodes in a row and still keep me engaged. Honestly, this is just episode 22 with different cooks, judges, and dishes. The format is identical. In fact, it’s even simpler because they cut out any inter-chef rivalries (that’s going to be saved for the finale) and just went them competing in a battle royale to get the top 3 spots. What makes it new and fun is that we get to see the talents of these under-appreciated characters shine through.
There were a few surprises for me here. For example, I thought Sakaki’s specialty was making alcohol (namely sake) and using it in food, but it turns out she excels in fermenting stuff in general. Marui wasn’t too much of a shock since I had a feeling he’d make a comeback after lying low, but it was adorable to see his club of glasses-clad History buffs cheering him on. He even has a girl who likes him! What a twist!
As for the rest of ’em, it was kinda neat to see their respective styles and all the hard work they put in all summer. Can you imagine fermenting stuff all summer just to make one dish? ONE DISH? Or deciding what goddamned twigs you use to smoke stuff to impart the slightest amount of apple flavour? It never ceases to amaze me how hard these guys worked to create a solitary dish. If we rewind back even more, we see that Kurokiba and Akira have been struggling almost all their lives in the cooking world.
“Alright guys, just a little more and we’ll get this cheerleading pyramid down pat!”
Kurokiba makes it look like he was brought up by assassins or something so I honestly don’t know what on earth Scandinavian chefs are put through. He makes it sound like he’s been through hell when really all he’s been doing is learning to cook at a young age. Soma is the same and you don’t see him acting a lunatic when he starts cooking. Anyways, whatever ~vague dark past~ Kurokiba has, it’s served to meld him into a masterful chef. Then there’s Akira, who legit had a hard time living the Aladdin life. But this is a goofy cooking show so any sadness you’d usually feel seeing a battered, homeless child is washed away by the humour of the moment. It’s all for the better though, because I don’t think a crazy tournament is the time to give a long, descriptive backstory rife with tragedy. Vague as their stories may be (Kurokiba’s hilariously so), it’s all about the here and now. Not the past.
The finale looks like it will be an excruciatingly drawn-out judging of Soma’s and Akira’s curry. It will likely be followed by a small celebration and a mini teaser of “season 2” as the studio hints at you to buy the blu-rays so they can actually get enough money to make it. I don’t think it’ll be the big bang sort of ending I usually hope for but it will certainly be coherent and conclusive. Sometimes, that’s the best you can hope for. Especially when the other show you’re blogging is Gatchaman Crowds…
Bonus Extra Titles (i.e. I started and now I can’t stop screencapping them):Show ▼
Not all of these dishes are exactly accessible to cook for the regular person. Half of the ingredients I’ve never even heard of before. Since I was on a roll, I decided to keep trying anyways. And with so many options to choose from, I figured at least one of them should be doable. I went with Marui’s dish – not because I care about him at all, but just because it sounded really good. I didn’t make the noodles but I made my own vichyssoise-like broth and poached my first egg ever. I learned a lot! Potato + cheese + noodles is a super decadent and filling combo so now (I literally just finished eating the bowl in the picture below) I feel like hibernating for the rest of the fall…and winter…Mmmm…
It turned a little green because of the leeks and curry powder…
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: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I felt that the reactions went too far this time. I mean, why not just have Nikumi literally slip her the meat, rather than just put it in the bowl.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…it’s getting close to the end…now is the time to over-react!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
This is what I wonder: will anyone watching this even be able to stomach the sight of curry for a while? Dat’s a lot of oddball curry, man!
Yeah, like Highway, I thought the reactions were a bit beyond the pale, especially with the one lady judge. But, what else is the show gonna do now? They can’t just stop doing their signature set pieces….
Out of all of them, I think I enjoyed Sakaki’s the most. I’m fascinated by the art of fermentation. Plus, I do like natto, so that would have been an interesting thing to taste.
ONE MORE TO GO! Will Souma rise to the top?!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Those judges certainly won’t be making curry for a while…
I actually really liked the crazy reactions and would love for the lady judge (I forget her name) to judge…anything. She should branch out and comment on sports matches too if she uses the same method.
Lots of cool techniques for making curry shown here! And now there are just 2 people left. And yes, will Soma win?! The suspense is killing me! After all, there’s no way a main character would prevail in such a situation…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Oh man, that expression was just too epic. Alice’s mad dog surfaces again. So her
contract servantaide is of Scandinavian descent. Wherever she found him, in my mind, was probably meant to be kept secret because there was a militarized feel. I’d take his “on and off” personality switch by headband is the result of whatever harsh training he had to undergo. The guy talked about his beginnings as though he was ready for war.A notch lesser than last but the episode still does well to retain the series’ fun that’s been had since the very start. There were a handful of highlights. One is the brutal Ice Queen judge Natsume being put in her place by the students’ awesome dishes. From “high and mighty” to “at their mercy”. The others are the inventive titles they got labeled with. Not to mention the fantasies that came with. Sakaki and Nikumi’s were the best. “Meat General”, eh? It would be an honor to serve with you, ma’am!! *salutes*
I like the indication how the judges would have to rethink the on the students’ performance if the neck and neck ranking persisted. By comparison, Group A’s ranking is more cutthroat than Group B’s thanks to a handful getting identical points or just above or below. So, the judging will be tougher here.
No brainer Soma and Hayama would be saved for last and like the judges, it surprised me the latter didn’t went ahead with the fish head dish like most assumed. I didn’t think much of what he presented until Soma got caught in that explosion of fragrance. The end result just makes me anxious to see what it is. We all know Soma’s going to impress.
Next episode is the last and I’m already crying a river. With the show being fiercely popular as it is, I hope it sells enough to generate a second season and soon. Shokugeki no Soma has been too much fun over the past six months.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Yeah, his kitchen and Soma’s kitchen seem…very different. He describes cooking like it’s a battlefield. Scary! At least he can turn his intensity on and off to function in regular life.
I loved the shot where Nikumi’s boobs were bouncing on an endless loop in the corner of the screen as Natsume ate her dish. That was some fun imagery right there. Glad that this judge was so different from hr sister, because it really spiced things up.
I’m gonna miss this show. No more cooking inspiration for a while!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
You do that while I catch up on the remaining Garo episodes and watch the movie [K]: Missing Kings to prepare for next season.