Food Wars! The Second Plate

Episode 3

I have to admit, I was really hoping for Megumi to win her match. She's such an endearing character, and we've watched her grow so much that it would have been a triumph for her fans if she had beaten out Ryo to take the match. On the other hand, it would also have been the kind of unrealistic that Food Wars! doesn't tend to indulge in – there was enough speculation that she was a fluke contestant anyway, so the purpose of her taking place in the Autumn Elections was more to prove that she does have the ability to be a top contender; she just needs the confidence and skills to develop her talent. Megumi herself is starting to realize this, and when the crowd applauded her anyway as she walked out, it was both a touching and a confirming moment.

On the subject of confirmation, this week's rush job through the Hisako VS Akira match does seem to solidify the show's need to reach a certain point by a set time. While other cook-offs have been fast, this one spent barely any time at all on Akira's preparation, preferring to focus on the more gruesome details of Hisako's. As a warning to animal lovers and turtle owners, she does butcher a live Chinese soft-shell turtle, which some viewers might find disturbing, although it honestly doesn't look as bad as it could have. (The breed of turtle is raised on farms in China for food, although it is listed as vulnerable in the wild.) However, if the thought of cooking with actual blood doesn't do it for you, her scene may not be for you. More importantly, this match doesn't even take up half of the episode, which is the much bigger issue. The judging also feels rushed, although there is time for two brief foodgasms, one funny and one racy. The most interesting part may be when Akira tells Hisako that there was no way she could win when her goal is to always be behind Erina, while his goal is to be the unabashed top. That's a good point that also zeroes in on what has bothered me about Hisako from the start – she doesn't seem to want to be her own person. Unlike Megumi, who doesn't have the confidence to stand out, Hisako seems to deliberately hold herself back. I may not like Erina, but I'm not sure she'd appreciate it if she realized what Hisako was doing.

Also of interest is the upcoming match between Takumi and the newly introduced Subaru Mimasaka. We did meet Subaru last season towards the end, a huge fellow with a few braids on his mostly shaved head. He gives off a jovial enough air (and like any good motorcycle owner, loves his bike to pieces), but there are creepy depths there – he knows everything about his opponents: like down to the kind of underwear they wear and how much sleep a night they get. He's also hiding a grade-A jerk underneath his friendly façade – before the match, he hits Takumi where he knows it will hurt him the most before spitting out his gum on Takumi's mezzaluna knife and smearing it around. Seriously, there are limits and this crosses them, as it has the potential to render the mezzaluna unusable in the competition – it's an act that borders on sabotage. (Not that I expect Totsuki to care.) The revelation that the match has now become a shokugeki isn't all that shocking – Takumi has been pushed to his limit and he's got a hot temper to begin with.

He did get a lovely little moment with Soma before it all began though. After his usual deflating lack of enthusiasm for Takumi's competitive streak, Soma does confirm that he sees Takumi as a worthy rival in the cooking world, making Takumi's face light up like he's just been presented with the best present ever. It's an adorable moment before the storm hits, the sort of thing we usually only see from Megumi, making it more delightful.

Food Wars! The Second Plate is off to a mildly shaky start in terms of giving everyone their due, but it remains a show that can really play with your emotions while making you awfully hungry. It may not be at its finest yet, but I'm hopeful that they won't rush through the Takumi/Subaru match next week, and that if Takumi doesn't win, at least he gives Subaru a run for his money.

Rating: B

Food Wars! The Second Plate is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.