Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma: The Fourth Plate

Episode 1-2-3

Food Wars has been consistently impressive in a variety of ways, perhaps the most striking being that it took the basic “competitive cooking” premise that originated in shows like Cooking Master Boy (and yes I'm using that particular example on purpose) and somehow made it even crazier. Sure, the judicious amounts of fanservice for all genders helps, but it's really in the personalities of the characters that the story succeeds. Everyone loves an underdog story, but part of what makes the Rebels so good is that they alternate between accepting that they're the underdogs and absolutely rejecting the idea. Or rather, they know that they're not the favorites to win, but that doesn't stop them from believing in themselves completely.

Not that that faith always works out. After all, in this Team Shokugeki arc, the members of Central also have unshakable confidence in their own culinary superiority, plus the smugness that comes of aligning themselves with the source of power at their ludicrously hierarchical high school. Being smug is definitely one of Azami Nakiri's defining traits, and even though he hasn't opened his mouth to do anything but smirk in these three episodes, it's clear that he's given that particular gift to all of his lackeys as well. Not that the Elite Ten were ever known for being all that humble, but for most of them, Nakiri's encouragement has lifted them to a whole new level of obnoxious.

The major exception to that rule among current Elite Ten members (which excludes Ishiki, who honestly never suffered from that particular issue) is Tsukasa, the first seat. He's got a more self-effacing manner, and when he goes up against Kuga in episode two and beats him in episode three, he's the first to admit that it was a legitimate challenge that was difficult for him to win. While I (and the Rebels) may not agree with his philosophy or choice to stand by Central, it is hard to accuse him of doing so because he's power-hunger or has an inherent belief in his own flawless superiority. He has confidence because he's actually good, and he's also willing to admit that Kuga was a tough opponent to cook against. Unlike the rest of Central (and some of the Rebels), he doesn't take victory for granted or assume that his opponent won't be difficult, and when this arc is over, that may be what ends up saving him as a character.

It worked for Erina, after all – once she learned to admit fault and to get to the bottom of her issues, she started to grow into the confident (but not snobbish) young woman she is in these episodes. She's channeled her anger into leadership, and while Soma may be the driving force of this revolution, Erina is quickly becoming its head. She does respect some of Soma's weirder ideas, like the fact that he'll have been in most of the individual battles, but that seems to be mostly because she knows he's capable – and can accept that maybe not everything is going to go precisely their way.

And they certainly didn't in episode two. It was a resounding victory for Central, which is either a terrible sign going forward or a classic case of things getting worse before they get better. Kuga losing to the First Seat did feel a bit like a foregone conclusion, if only because he's been presented as a much less versatile chef than his rival, but seeing Perfect Trace fail Mimasaka was an upset. Likewise having Rindo beat her opponent was unfortunate, although at least that alligator didn't get skinned in live combat for nothing. Her choice to use an unusual ingredient and less complicated recipe (for a given value of “complicated”) may have pushed her over the edge; it feels very likely that her opponent was trying too hard to work the theme into his signature food (ramen) while also going head-to-head with her in terms of unusual savor.

While the plot is moving at a good clip here, that does come with some sacrifices. In keeping with the Third Plate, we're seeing much less actual cooking, basically going from “these are the ingredients” to “here's my dish!” with very little in between. More disappointing is that the foodgasms feel a bit toned down, although the nonconsensual snake imagery which makes up the most memorable one I could have lived without. (It makes sense, but feels in poor taste.) The characters also don't look quite as consistent as they have in the past, so that's going to bear keeping an eye on.

As we begin the next phase of the Team Shokugeki next week, there's plenty to be nervous about. I feel confident about Soma and Takumi, but putting Megumi up against Momo, who's definitely veering out of “cutesy” into “creepy” territory, seems like a recipe for disaster, with the older girl having perfected her form of condescension and Megumi already suffering from a lack of self-confidence. Will Soma's adult rival showing up at the end of this week's episode give her the boost she'll need? How the hell do you make butter sushi? We'll have to tune in next week to find out.

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Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma: The Fourth Plate is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.