Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara

*Minimum Spoiler Foodgasmic Review* If you did not watch S1 or S2 then go watch them ASAP before reading this! TL;DR: This show has hype, humour, fan service, stakes getting crazy high and unexpected twists and turns all in 20 minutes. What more do you want? Oagariyo! [Story: 5/10 , Characters: 7/10, Art: 3/10, Sound: 6/10, Enjoyment: 8/10] "I mean a new wave is coming, you know? Riding it is way more exciting" - Rindo Kobayashi If there is one genre that can always hype people up time after time, it's the classic shounen genre in anime. It's like scrambled eggs. The recipe is very simple yet the execution to get it consistently right day after day is difficult. Fortunately, Shokugeki no Soma - Sana no Sara somehow pulls it together to make it work for the fans albeit it's crappy plot arcs and dismal animation laziness. I guess over the top fanservice can save any show after all, provided if executed right. It's also important to note that the anime adaptation does not deviate too far from the source manga. If you enjoyed S1 a lot and felt S2 could've been better then you will surely have a table flip moment while watching S3 thinking for a manga that's widely popular and well funded, why the hell can't they pour money into it to do justice this show deserves. The story is alright, not too complicated but just slightly predictable. It's wise to watch the OVA before watching this so you have a back story on who the Elite 10s are. Although the first arc, Moon Festival, is really well done with it's pacing and plot development; the second arc, Central, is just one unrealistic & ridiculous plot line where nothing makes sense but it's enjoyable to watch since it's a chain of shokugeki after shokugeki tossed in with delicious fanservice to quench viewers' thirst. However, don't worry too much. You will always start watching every episode with a big grin and end the episode with even a bigger grin, because, you know why. It is sad that the season ends midway to the central arc with one huge reveal but maybe next season's plot would be better executed. "Come at me with all your might you pretentious elite bastard. Or do you want to have a convenient excuse for when you lose?" - Kurokiba Ryou The best part about SnS is that even though it has a huge cast, it somehow manages to make everyone useful. You actually care about the cast since you know sooner or later they will have screen time along with some purpose, even if it is moaning in pure orgasmic pleasure. Purpose is purpose. The main cast returns once again since no one really dies in the show. Moreover, finding out who the Elite 10 are quite exciting. They presented them in the best way possible. Plus, as the show goes on, you get to see why they really are the Elite 10 through their cooking methods & knowledge of food, they outclass the regulars at the academy, especially, Eishi Tsukasa, the first seat. Despite being the best student with his immaculate cooking and speed, he still has his own insecurities and deals with anxiety like everyone else. Though it is exaggerated at times, but it makes him more human than most characters. The major villain is of course, Azami. Although, his villainous purpose makes no sense. However he is a villain and that's all that matters. He just wants people to eat gourmet food. Aside from Soma, Erina, Elite 10s and Azami, the side characters get their deserved screen time to showcase how much they have developed over the season. Notably, Alice and Ryou really stands out in this series as their development have the most impact to the plot. "There is a profound difference between the abilities of those who are the Elite Ten and those who are not" - Eishi Tsukasa Aside from the linear driven plot and dynamic characters, this show really fell flat in its animation quality. It feels as the season progresses, the budget invested in the quality of animation drops. Compared to the battle scenes of first season to battle scenes in this season, there is significant evidence of animation laziness. Even the fan service is lacking in that oomph that season 1 had with their gregarious cloth explosions to just mere still images of the characters in barely any garments moaning in the background. This isn't what the viewers want. Give them what they want. Regardless, of the poor animation quality, at least the background music was decent enough with the OP and ED being pretty good like previous seasons. The major saving grace had to be the seiyuus. They did a phenomenal job, especially Erina's new voice actor. She was able to fill the void left from her previous voice actor. "You can never achieve such a world of flavour just by slapping on bacon onto salmon!" - Kurokiba Ryou Overall, SnS S3 is a good enough ecchi shounen anime about food that is worth watching. I think at this point, the people who are watching S3 are the dedicated fans, myself included. So even if they skimp out on the budget and pacing of the plot with subpar character development of a star studded character line, people will still enjoy binging this show. Ultimately, it's not a bad show. If one were to compare the different seasons to get a better idea of how this season is, then S1 is gourmet food, S2 is home-cooked food and S3 is just street food. It's still enjoyable to eat but just a bit unhealthy. Also Season 4 has been confirmed. Anyways, check it out & let me know later how you like it as well as share with me your favourite quote from the anime! Osomatsu!!! P.S. Thank you for reading. I hope you found this short and supaishi review helpful!

The 3rd season of Shokugeki leaves something to be desired in every way. J.C.Staff's adaption of this manga series has never been masterful. For the most part it has been just phoned in. The spottiness of the animation, ugly CGI and off-model characters have always been somewhat present in this series, but the 3rd season marks a turn for the worse even when compared to the previous 2nd season. Using manga panels directly as a storyboard and making sure the female characters' boobs look like they are about to burst from their uniforms worked fine for the first season, because that's when the writing and the plot was immaculate. This isn't so much the case with 3rd season. Even though the first arc has a very nicely structured conflict with a satisfying resolution, the following major arc that covers the rest of the episodes ramps up the action in a worst way possible, and goes almost full shounentard. As I had read the manga before diving into the animation this time around, I was hoping for J.C.Staff to salvage the plot and place emphasis on the elements which worked - which is the opposite of what they did do. What made the first season of Shokugeki good, anyway? The characters, and both their *intrapersonal* and interpersonal struggles. Souma's ability to rise to the challenge and help the people around him do the same made him a superb character. The interactions between him and Megumi were especially crucial, giving the viewers catharsis shockwaves. The people found their inner strength, and the (romantic) tensions between Souma and Erina kept us praying for more development. The slower passages gave the long season a much better flow. (minor spoilers starting now:) The introduction of a "classical" villain and a conflict which is fought between two factions ruins all these intricacies in the 3rd season. Especially the middle section of this season feels like an endless stream of boring shokugeki. There are too many new bad guys and not enough interest in the stakes from my part. The dramatic tension of the whole series is undermined by the illogical motives of both the villain and the supporting faction. It's impossible to come up with reasons for as to why half of the top ten seats voted to place Azami as the director of Tootsuki. The fact they did do so pigeonholes these characters and the rest of the supporting forces, as their motivations have to be justified somehow down the line, even though that's impossible. Basically, the biggest plot twist of the entire series is a spectacular asspull. The problems of the manga's plot are heightened by the fact that all the anime does is ramp up the tension, throwing caution out of the window. The sound design of this season is surprisingly stark. There are a variety of dramatic scores which are played surprisingly loud during shokugeki and otherwise. There are numerous instances where the director has decided to use montages and flashbacks to really try to bring out the feels out of the viewer. I was taken aback by how disconnected I felt from the story, even compared to my reading experience. The anime would have benefitted from downplaying the action and giving the characters more air to breath. So why is this anime even good, then? The third season has still a lot of momentum and strong characters backing it up. Even though the plot is a little contrived, the development between Erina and her father is still very enjoyable. That’s all that matters and all that the conflict should really be about – resolving Erina’s literal daddy issues. Even though Erina’s payoff scenes were handled without much directional finesse, they still made the show worthwile. Additionally, even though Azami leaves something to be desired as the bad guy for the series, the first seat, Tsukasa Eishi, works much better as an opponent for Souma. If there’s something good to be said about the factions and the entire conflict, it would be the emergence of tension between these two characters. The final verdict? Well, the animation is spotty, the sound design is crap, the CGI is fugly, directing is unimaginative, and emphasis has been placed on the wrong things. But it’s still god damn Shokugeki no Souma. It’s impossible to ruin the entire franchise at this point. I had fun times watching this season, and I’m hungry for the 2nd cour.

I just finished the series and i was amazed. In my opinion this is the best season so far and i think that it is my favourite show now. The story in this season was pretty unpredictable yet i would call it amazing. The Shokugekis were extremely intense and i was always excited how it turns out because as i mentioned before it is pretty unpredictable although the outcome is guessable. I love that the elite ten were intrduced and even a bit of their characters has been mentioned. I dont want to spoiler anything so i wont tell much but the ending where erina gets a certain information and everything seems connected now i love the show so much more. It is unavoidable to watch this! Perfect season!

So what's the big premise of this show? ... to just watch the same happen over and over again? Souma has been winning so many matches lately, and yet it's almost like nothing happens. 3 seasons in, and yet they keep introducing all kinds of tournaments, where the winner, gets nothing in exchange. The fanservice keeps being the same, every reaction keeps being the same. To be honest, the food gets more development than the actual characters, it's strange. As far as this goes, this one cour has the be the worst of them all, with no progress in the story, and rather, it's filled with nonsense to sell more. The big idea: Souma wants to enter the Elite Ten. How is he going to do it?: No idea, 3 seasons in and nothing has happened. When is he going to do it?: Again 3 seasons in, but apparently seeing people excited and being almost nude because of food seems more interested than the actual "plot", if you can call that a plot. Story-wise, not much here, in any case, this has been been the worst season of them all. The only big thing is Souma fighting for the place he lives in. After that (And before that) it's a rollercoaster of nonsense, all of these together with no explanation of the actions of some characters, leaving you without 0 clues, so you end up not knowing anything. It's a joke. While this one was 12 episodes it felt like reading the 3 first chapters of a manga. Almost 4 episodes contained what 1 chapter of manga could have, it was slow paced leaving a lot of cliffhangers in the end, so in the next episode they keep doing the same. So, repeat this 2 more times and you are done. At least this part's art was better than the so garbage part 2. Not to sound rude of course, but the lack of quality in animation has always been part of this show, only concentrating on making face expresions look ridiculously weird and making girls excited from eating. Leaving behind any proper proprortions of the body, leaving behind all the work the Manga creator has put into it, just so the fanservice can take over it. (w) Sound: I guess it was decent. There isn't anything remarkable at this point, everything seems in place, from the OP to the ED, to Background sounds and music to voice acting. Like previous season, they knew how to remix their music so they don't overlap over the voices. But they forgot that not everything is music, they are using a weird amount of music in every episode it gets annoying, and not exciting as i'm guessing they want it to be. Character: Again, they keep introducing characters that seem quite interesting, just so they get defeated in some sort of Shokugeki and never appear again. While the main characters have already been developed, it seems they don't care about anyone else. Enjoyment: Not best experience i've had, i could've dropped the series in the middle, but i decided to continue... i ended regreting not dropping it. It seriously feels like a joke, rather than a "cooking" show. Where's the progress? Oh, I see. 3/10.

Another Shokugeki no Souma season has ended, so my review with no more adieu: Mediocre 5, Story: So far nothing has change from its plot it's same old same old master chef or a Hell's Kitchen kind of thing regardless as to whom the protagonist faces, so let's be honest here, this ain't about them Tostsuki competitors, this just all about food porn with lots of exaggerated pizzazz's and nothing else. I'll have a spicy steam bun pls...... Art 7, Good: Ok so there were some changes in the art, but then again, it's good cu'z there some good fanservices that has just been added in this 3rd sequel, and no longer regulated to just one individual, unlike in the 2 previous season where we don't get to see some panty flashes nor underwear fanservice in the 1st season , in the 2nd season it all on Ryoko, now it is with anyone who's feeling the ecstasy of tasting food and in the bathroom scene with Erina changing with her lesbian lackey Arato and also with Alice when she is stepping on Ryou's shoulder. I'll have a Mafu Tufo pls...... Mediocre 5, Sound: It doesn't matter if Taneda Risa isn't doing Erina's voice anymore, as long as it's the same seiyuu who does the voices of the usual character. Mediocre 5, Character: So them Top 10 seats were now the Central, thanks to the new boss in town who also happens to be Erina's dreaded daddy Azami Nakiri, ok so now Erina has to run away and live with them Polar Star people whom she sees them as the lower tribe under the totem pole, but ya know it was kinda funny that she has to work her ass by using her so called "God's Tongue" as a food taster for the tenant living in it, thought she wasn't forced into doing it, but the good thing was it did paid up as them Polar Star people started to win in the shokugeki against them Centrals. Even so, it was still the usual characters and not even the adding of the 10 seats and the Centrals would make any difference at all since it is the same Souma, the same Erina, the same Megumi and so on and so forth. Can I have some desert? Mediocre 5, Enjoyment: As I've watched the first two season of this franchise, my enthusiasm has gone from with gusto for the season one to not bad for season 2 and now it's basically this again, to simply put it, part of me feels like watching this is as a chore but part of me feels like why not 3rd in row kind of thing. I'll have a venison steak pls Mediocre 5, Overall: Well, I have mixed feelings about this 3rd sequel and to end it in a cliffhanger, ain't that bad, but, I still feel like that watching the up coming sequel would be just too boring even if it is still yet to be aired. Then again, depending on how it goes , things might look up....I still don't get why Souma still wears his old middle school uniform instead of donning the Totsuki official uniform. Check pls......... Keep the change.......

"Shokugeki no Souma looks stupid, it's just a story about a guy that likes to cook food" Good god, this anime series.... The anime that made me start cooking good food other than eggs and burgers. Shokugeki no Souma San no Sara showed me so much about what it takes and what is like to cook. It's unbelievable the way they can put out such an intresting and joyful story, and combine it with the so well done music and sounds. The time that we have waited for this season was not too long, but it was kind of painful, at least for me, in a way that I wanted so bad to continue watching and enjoying the way they make food and show it to the viewers. Story-10/10 This season was so good, it's unvelievable how they made such good work with the adaptation, it was so good that made me rewatch some of the episodes in the same day. Its amazing the work Yuuto Tsukuda (the creator of SnS) has put into this season, it's unbelievably remarkable in every episode. Art-10/10 Couldn't ask for better design and art, fits perfectly with the theme of food. Sound-10/10 Undeniably my favourite openings and theme musics of all animes that I've watched until today, every second of the opening is amazing, it spoils much even though you have no idea until the end. The ending music is amazing as well since at the end of every episode makes me smile somehow. Character-9.5/10 Yukihira Souma--->My favoutite character in any anime because of his behaviour and sense of challenge and doesn't stay depressed after losing any match. Every othert character is so well developed, some of the times you think you know a certain character because what you saw in previous episodes, but in SnS is really intresting how they change ideas and opinions from one episode to another. Enjoyment-10/10 Couldn't enjoy more than this, it's on my top 3 for some reason, every episode makes me feel like there is so much to the anime than it looks, its exceptionally amazing how they made every episode enjoyable to this point. Overall-10/10 I can't say much more about it, it's most likely I don't have words to describe how outstanding this show is, I can only say one thing, and that is ---> Shokugeki no Souma *this is an edit from my other review

This was a little bit of a let-down in comparison to the previous two seasons, which have remarkably made it into "wow, these are actually really good!" territory. The biggest issue is with the absolutely exponential increase in the absurdity of the anime's premise. While the first two seasons carefully balanced the lines between parody, ecchi, and a genuinely good gourmet anime, this season decides to ramp up the tension and drama in a way that feels rushed and unnatural. It seems to be taking notes from Kill la Kill without actually taking into consideration why Kill la Kill was so successful with its insane premise of an authoritarian school district - Kill la Kill brings a level of absurdity from the very first moment you lay your eyes on the screen, which allows for the increasing insanity of its plot to just feel as though it's another reveal in the world. Unfortunately, Shokugeki no Souma does not have this permission from its audience to suspend their notions of disbelief. It quickly amps up the tension from an incredibly challenging and toxic - but believable - academic environment into a fascist dictatorship on school grounds. Additionally, the art and animation quality has strangely decreased this season. Perhaps it wasn't as noticeable in the first two, but there seems to be way more use of the chibi forms of the characters than before. It seems like all of the budget was put into the orgasmic food scenes, which is fine, but just greatly contrasts against the rather poor animation in literally every other scene. The first half of the arc, with the Moon Festival, was genuinely rather interesting and had some good character development for main cast. The second half had me slowly slipping into a state of contempt for how I could predict where the show was taking me. I am additionally not a fan of what I believe to be the romance the show is trying to hint at developing between Yukihira and Erina. While I love the character development they've both given one another, I personally believe Megumi and Yukihira just make far more sense as a couple. Additionally, I hope that Shokugeki no Souma doesn't intend to rob us of the greatest sapphic relationship of all time between Erina and Hisako. I could really see that blossoming into something even more special down the line. But since Shokugeki is one step away from a harem anime, I am reluctant to put my full hopes into it. Looking forward to the next season and hoping my critiques here are rectified in both the animation and writing quality.

First of all i would like to say that i´m not a native english speaker o i might have some mistekes. Story: Food wars didn´t really had a plot in the last tw seasons, it was just the clasic shonen formula of becoming the strongest in something, in this case the best cheff. It was not a problem for the show, it could with it´s great art and animation, the epic soundtrack and the funny characters become an interesting anime to watch. Anyway, this "formula" was already a bit repetitive, so t was necessary to include some neew staff, the problem starts when this new story is bad. when Azami first appeared, i was truly interested on him. I mean, Erina had always seemed to have a secret past due to her flashbacks so I wanted to see how it was going to be developed. It was really disapointing when i realized his objective. After the chapter 5, I think it turned into a cliche story in which the main characters have to fight against the bad guys whose objectives are just being bad. I know that we dont yet know why Azami is acting as he is but the felling that i get from what a watched is that noone would do that in real life. The other aspect i would like to talk about is the inclusion of the filler characters that appeared on the last chapters. I just don´t understan how strong they are. they are much better than everyone else but they had never even been mentioned??? with them i will just pretend they don´t exist. However there are some things that i have really liked. The fist one i the first arc os the seaon, which i conider to be teh best part of the whole serie. it is an extension of what we had already een in the other seasons but with a very good rival. Then I am interested in what could happen with yukihira´s father. Art: It continues with the same kind of art from the last two seasons having great character designs and pretty decent backgrounds (thinking they are almost always in a kitchen). Then, the animation is solid, i wouldn say it is bad o good anyway. Finnaly, it makes a very good job a making the meals, which look gorgeous and makes you feel hungry at every moment. Sound: I consider the soundtrack of the fisrt season to be the best one, but this one is also preety good and the voice actors are Ok. I like a lot both the opening and ending songs, being one of my personal favourites of the year. Characters: In this season he only one who recives a bit of character development is Erina, she passed from being pride and powerful girl to become a "princess" who need to be saved. this is something very common on tsunderes so i wouldn´t say it is bad. Then, i have realy liked the personalitiees of the elite ten beingf pretty funny and intereesting to watch. I´ve already talked about Azami in the story part so i won´t repeat it here. Persnal Enjoyment: this i a very entertinig show to watch, principaly if you like Shonens like me. I would just recomend not to expect too much abut the story and just relax and watch the show. i have really enjoyed it and I would give it a strog seven and a light eight.

For those who are familliar with the manga this 3 season of Shokugeki no Souma wasn't disappointing at all and Jc Staff did a great job at adapting the source material. The main focus in this season is presenting The Elite Ten members to its audience and how their power and status influence the lives of students and hierarchy of Totsuki Academy. You will see the real meaning behind the "Food Wars" title in this season, a clash of ambitions, ideals and cooking styles between Totsuki and the Elite Ten members. This season starts off great with our usual fearless Souma who takes anyone's cooking challenge head on with his own style that he polished across years. I like how they connected the stuff he learned during the stagiare and autumn selections arc and used it during his confrontation with one of the Elite ten seat taking a step foward and improving his qualities as a chief at Totsuki. The battles give you a bump of adrenaline and they reduced the number of foodgasm scenes and replaced them with beautiful symbolism who is fitting for the cooking style of each character. The recepies as we are used are very detailed, the food is delicious and this anime knows how to built up the tension before each match and release it at the perfect moment during the food challenge. It also showed a glimpse on how a restaurant works and the reality on the struggle to attract customers and please their needs during the moon festival arc. As for the characters Erina , Alice ,Ryuu and Souma get nice development in this season. They did a good job at portraying Erina's reasons and motivations of becoming a chief and strenghten her bond with Alice . Beside our usual funny interactions between the characters we have some heartwarming moments that are perfect for your heart.They did a great job at showing Azami's clash of ideals and ambitions with the Totsuki director and created a fitting atmosphere for his character in this series. In conclusion this season stands proud and is the Shokugeki no Souma anime that we all love and enjoy watching. So if you liked the previous seasons you will love this one!

STORY - 9 ART - 9 SOUND - 9 CHARACTER - 10 ENJOYMENT - 10 Take the lid off the pot and a steam of emanating enjoyment comes out yet again in the third season of Shokugeki no Souma. The Third Plate is a cooking anime of high-stakes that delivered the same qualities that its predecessors had already achieved, bringing in more entertainment to the plates. What was the key difference compared to the previous seasons that this season cooked for us? It was the heavy hitters of the prodigious culinary school. The very best of the best. The biggest players. After all, the majority of the story had only focused on the enrolled students so this change of pace was a welcome addition. Not only did it bring a realization to the existing characters, it opened up their mind into the world of professional cooking which developed a couple of characteristics. It also gave some of the most suspenseful food battles, knowing the risks and rewards in facing the upperclassmen. Another thing to see here was the skills they have accumulated over the time being together. Their support and trust towards each other goes to show their deep connections. They learned together, being able to progress with their friends and these interactions is one of the most strongest aspect of the show because of that. It served a crucial part in highlighting many of the characters or challenges during the journey. Well, enough with the seriousness and let's soak ourselves in comedy here for a bit. With the advent of new characters comes with it a bunch of different personalities that were amusing. Of course, this show wouldn't be the same without the fanservice or golden chibi comedy. There's a good balance between the transition from the important to funnier parts that just welled you up with a variety of emotions. Pure entertainment indeed. On to the next part, maybe something that took a slight decline was in the art. Though it's only for a little, the use of CGI did felt a bit surprising because it was jarring. There were also scenes that had a noticeable crookedness in the character expressions. Thankfully, the visualization in the dishes were still top-notch so you better bring along a couple of foods while watching (or you'll eat through your screen). In the kitchen, you'll get a sense of how much efforts went into cooking with the smooth movements from the animation. While it's still as fluid as ever with that, for other things such as comedy, there's a lack of exaggerative action so it's not as effective as before. Something that did improved was the things related to the characters. One is the design of the new cookers which had their own charm. The second would be the voice-acting in the change of riskier atmosphere. As this time the consequences seemed a bit more closer to them, the doubt or panic within had a deeper significance. Particularly with a certain girl, I'm surprised by how much the voice can change when her hidden personality is brought out. Anyways, the soundtracks pretty much remained the same good quality, whether that'd be going side-by-side with the cuisine, tenser situations or happier scenes. You can think of The Third Plate as a dish that got closer to completion as the episodes goes by. It started off with a rich base from the culmination of the two previous seasons and added in new things that changed the final flavor. There were a couple of issues with the art and animation, but the introduction of new characters and plot were effective in giving off that extra taste. In the end, the third season became an amazing food that was full of appetizing ingredients.

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Onions taste delectable. I didn’t always believe so, though. For a long time, I avoided their presence, viewing them as a white blight upon the meals they complemented. But now? I try to get them on everything (where it makes sense). Burgers. Pizza. Tacos. Onions no longer go unwelcome but instead have won me over, earning a seat at my table any day of the week. Just as taste buds change, anime can do the same. For Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara, some of its own changes both help and hurt what once was. STORY Three seasons in, Shokugeki already knows itself pretty well at this point. The mixture of character comedy, hyped upsets, and a slathering of ecchi delivers unto the audience its signature brand of food-fueled fun. With Souma himself still aiming for his goal to be the best of the best, this next part in the series decides to put its skillet back on the burner as the plot heats up. Before doing so, though, it goes back a bit further to its roots (and not the farm kind). Where the continued Tournament Arc bogged down the previous season to a large extent, it now channels some of the older magic which had made everything so intriguing to begin with. The story events concern less with structured cook-offs and more about these weird competitions that lead to positives and negatives within the sphere of their school. For instance, Souma’s wholesome attempts during the festival demonstrate the power of a warm, handcrafted meal, and his rigged war against Eizan reflect the plight that the Polar Star Dormitory faces as the evil Central takes over. While multiple exist, these two examples highlight how the show finally remembers the meaning and the stakes behind these culinary clashes. Moreover, Shokugeki also strikes a better balance between these battles and its silly comedic forays. Souma and Nao may bond over their horrific concoctions, yet the off-the-books duel with Tsukasa elevates tension as fate hangs undetermined. This balance overall leads to less repetition (especially an avoidance of umami dialogue) among the events and thus a stronger sense of purpose throughout the season. Unfortunately, the ecchi elements are once again tuned down as the general seriousness wafting in the air prevents much in the way of over-the-top sexuality. Prominent thematic ideas also sour away as these developments commence. However, major reveals right at the conclusion make the audience yell at their waiter for seconds regardless. So, despite whatever smaller shortcomings Shokugeki contains, the beginning of this third season demonstrates a return to proper form for the series, making excitement a possible item on the menu. ART & ANIMATION Like most anime deep into their stories – which in this case means episodes – not a whole lot more can or even needs to be said about the presented visual flavor. Shokugeki is no different. Sort of. As an appetizer, the character designs still wear their personalities, their attractiveness, and their styles front and center. Newcomers Azami and Rindou seat themselves right alongside the familiar looks of Souma, Erina, and the others. The former wraps himself in dreary, washed-out colors for an evil presence, and the latter sports a catlike appearance to capture her carefree yet sinister attitude. Some sweet designs, indeed. Many a detailed shot likewise make their return. The various foodstuffs are as mouthwatering as ever, and the imaginative moments as combatants live up to their respective skills keep the fun going. So, in other words, Shoukugeki has grandma’s recipe and smartly follows the ingredients for a tasty product. Similar thoughts go for the actual animation. The series has never had the best movement possible when given its static shots, crazy reactions, and occasional jokey style. That all remains true still, making for the show some standard, passable levels on this front. The dreaded panning camera, the stiff actions, the speedy backgrounds, and the rough CG segments, though, are now much more noticeable than ever, breaking the artistic flow to the point of concern. It could also be argued that, by now, the series shouldn’t be having these problems anymore to begin with. That it has had enough time to think about correcting or avoiding them (whether they were present or not). If nothing else, even the visuals for the ending track lack appeal as they reuse clips not only from previous seasons but also from this current season. A rather clear indication that the dial has been turned down on the artistic stove. CHARACTERS Within the start to this third season, not too much occurs personally for Souma and the other cast members. However, Shokugeki has writing and moments which back their continued quests among the foodie sphere which they call home. Most notably, Erina finally receives more than a morsel with some much-needed backstory to complement her difficult, arrogant personality. Her sad childhood filled with manipulation and loneliness humanizes the young woman, and her stay with the friendly people at the Polar Star Dormitory provides her with a warm atmosphere that she has never quite experienced before. Other side characters order up a helping of growth, too. Alice is Erina’s rival, but she is also her family, and so her heartfelt letters and her determined protection serve to add another dimension to her character. Kuga, Eizan, and Tsukasa hold spots among the top elites, and their challenges, losses, and nerves (respectively) bring about extra pep. And Subaru turns over that new leaf still when he supports Souma during the festival, putting his best foot (and food) forward. The most impactful character for this season of Shokugeki, though, goes to Azami, Erina’s father and the horrible man spearheading the lamented direction the school now takes. He envisions a world where only the most exquisite delicacies exist, and anything less than perfection may as well be chuff fit only for the trash. As such, he homogenizes the teachings and the courses for the students, throwing away diversity without a second thought. His antagonistic approach not only makes him a character the audience loves to hate but also explores this theme on the importance of individuality both for the characters themselves and the expressive food they create. Otherwise, the remainder of the cast do their thing. Souma stands up for his cherished friends while simultaneously battling those above him directly and immediately. Megumi cheers him on. Satoshi attempts to maintain stability behind-the-scenes amidst the chaos despite the threat to his seat on the upper council. They and the rest round out the show without feeling left out or forced into the proceedings for the sake of screen time. All in all, the characters continue to be one of the show’s strongest aspects. MUSIC & SOUND Much like the visual direction, the audio for this third season of Shokugeki does not change much (if at all) from its previous offerings. The voice-acting performances are as swell as always. The original soundtrack still has its rousing and homely compositions. And the various sounds as meats and as vegetables cook, alongside the usage of utensils and devices, fill the ears with a scrumptious, professional “aroma.” The only major differences from this continuation come from the opening track and the ending track. “BRAVER” leads the audience in. Sweet drum fills and a steady guitar riff get the action going, but the vocal shifts and intensity build the fire behind this piece. Combined with its quick pace, the buildup, and the stuttering finish, it forms into a hyper-charged listen that pumps up the audience just as much as Souma when he steps into the kitchen. “Kyokyojitsujitsu” leads the audience out. The groovy bass tastes best within the instrumentation, but the recognizable female vocalist from nano.RIPE (the band for this song) and the slick guitar …

Four things: I don't want to sound edgy and am not hating on this because it's popular. I'm being honest. I loved the first two seasons. This third season is proof that a studio can really dumb down significantly the plot/thematics and everything else and the fans will still love it to death. This show has become as ugly as sin. At first I didn't mind the change in character design, since it made the characters look a bit older. However, it clearly shows that in basically every single shot except for detailed close-ups, the characters look significantly worse than in prior seasons. Also the animation downgrade makes everything more of an eyesore. The camera is CONSTANTLY SLIIIIIIIDING. I checked back on previous seasons for comparison and yes, the camera slid a lot back then as well. But in this season it's been put on overdrive. I'm 99.9% sure this was done as an attempt to mask the drop in animation quality. You will pretty much NEVER see a stillshot except in comical moments when a chibi style is utilized. Exceptionally irritating and lazy. The overall trope showcasing the underdog/secret overdog reforming the system as well as the theme of pristine, heartless, haute cuisine v.s. personal, self expressive cooking has always been the lifeblood and undercurrent of SnS. It doesn't knock you in the head screaming in your ear that it has these themes. There was at least some subtlety to it and respected the viewer's intelligence. But in the second arc of this season, the show just shoves it front and center making the most basic, black and white scenario. The whole "rebels" of polar star vs Central just was beyond basic. Took away all forms of subtlety to the show's theme. Given, this is probably the manga's fault. Overall, I doubt things will get better at this point. The fact the show is still apparently just as popular as the prior two seasons will give the creators no incentive to bump up the standards. These complaints apply to the second half of the San no Sara season as well.

Disclaimer: This is a spoiler-free review on the anime "Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara". Please excuse me if I make a mistake or you don't understand a part, as English is not my first language. Thank you. Shokugeki no Souma: San No Sara leaves a good taste, despite its flaws I said when I evaluated the second season that Shokugeki no Souma is a franchise of pure fun, that although it is not perfect, achieves its mission: entertain and make you hungry. In Ni no Sara the biggest problem was that a large part of the manga was summarized, giving the sensation of haste. In addition, the art decreased in quality. These technical errors also moved to the third season, as I said in my first impressions. However, as far as the script is concerned, the speed was lowered a little. And still it's a bit hasty. San no Sara is slightly disappointing The adaptation of J.C. Staff of this popular manga has never been perfect. While the first season had a higher level in terms of animation, art and accuracy of adaptation, sinned in certain excesses in the fanservice ... even more than the manga, which is already saying a lot. In addition, it also had rhythm problems introducing long flashbacks. The second sinned in the opposite, venting tomes of the manga with amazing speed for a season of only 12 episodes. That accompanied by the aforementioned decrease in technical quality. In the case of the third season, divided into two parts of 12 episodes, we still see a little fluent animation, a subpar use of the CGI and failures in the models of the characters. However, these first 12 episodes covered more reasonable ground than Ni no Sara, so from the point of view of adaptation, restraint has been resumed. Especially with the first arch, that of the Moon Banquet. There we had a well structured conflict and a satisfactory resolution was reached, but in the second the bets went up too much. The introduction of Nakiri Azami turned Shokugeki no Souma to a very typical shonen, but it is an evil that also suffers the manga. One of the great strengths of this anime and manga is that Yukihira Souma is an exceptional character, both for his attitude of never giving up, and for the way he helps others improve and inspires them. His relationship with Megumi and Erina, although it has all the appearance of a typical love triangle, focuses much more on food. And more than enemies, Souma has rivals in the art of cooking, with the exception of Etsuya Eizan, who has always been a caricatured villain. On the other hand, since the entrance of Azami, history has taken a more typical route. Now if there is a confrontation between good and evil in the kitchen, that although it is embodied in the differences of culinary philosophy, it is underpinned by the pathological fear of Erina to her father. This serves to raise the emotion and risk in the story, but makes Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara, be less unique. The members of the Student Council of the Elite 10 have been replaced, many new villains are introduced, whom we hardly have time to know before they are defeated. The number of shokugeki confrontations soars and suddenly the series ends, choosing as final the "plot twist" of the identity of Souma's father. Something that was only a secret for Azami and Erina. Even so, I can not say that San no Sara is bad, because it is not. The series continues to maintain its momentum and if we evaluate it as a unit, considering what has already been seen and knowing what is to come, the quality remains. Although Azami is such a classic villain, his introduction gives sense to the attitude that Erina used to have. This gives more strength to her personal change throughout history. Similarly, Tsukaha Eishi, the best student of Tootsuki, is by far the best possible rival for Souma and his participation in history, although short, was very well executed. Although slightly disappointing, this third season divided in two, is still Shokugeki no Souma. It retains all the strengths of the series and remains equally entertaining and causes us the same hunger. I'm already waiting for spring, to see the second half or fourth season, depending on how you say it. The question is, will there be another season later or will this resume everything until the end? Considering that the manga is at its peak, Shokugeki no Souma deserves another season to have a decent closing. Meanwhile, it's a solid 7.5 for me. Not for nothing is one of the most popular series, always. SUMMARY Shokugeki no Souma is still not as good as in his first season, but remains at the same level as his second. In addition, it serves the table for the second part of San no Sara, which promises to be better.

I believe no one needs an intro to this anime anymore since this is the 3rd season. And with the sequel for season 3 on air now, i believe everyone is SUPER HYPED WATCHING IT because i know i do! In order to commemorate the airing second course, let's continue reviewing season 3! The Prequel to a Storm For those who have read my previous reviews on the series, you all should know i am a HUGE fan of this show and i have explained why that is in those reviews. For season 3, the hype is no less than the previous season, if not more. Season 3 of Shokugeki no soma lets us dive deeper into the Totsuki Culture and the mysteriously eluded Elite ten as well as introduce the prelude to the BIGGEST arc of the series, and most probably the best one! [HEAVY SPOILERS] Proceed with caution Story : 9 / 10 The story this time around is highly anticipated, especially for those who have not read the manga. This is because the entirety of the story is like a dive into the deep sea of mystery that is the Elite ten, and the beginning of a major arc of course! The story opens up with another traditional Totsuki Culture that is the Totsuki Festival! (Name validation required). Aside from the very interesting way of how the festival is ran and organized (the different levels of district, club stalls and food served), the real highlight of this is the challenge that Some has extended to Kuga. This is one of the more indirect challenges that has happened in Shokugeki no soma. While the previous battles had all been conducted in a Shokugeki. This indirect battle is actually spanned over the course of a few days. I find this very interesting as not only does it offer a fresh new perspective of battle. It also shows in detail of how Soma overcame the difficulty of matching an Elite ten member despite his inexperience in the festival field compared to Kuga who has dominated the field before. The process and determination of Soma to create a winning platform with a simple stall and innovative idea is overwhelmingly incredible. Not to mention, the cooperation of friends and foes alike to help Soma with the success of his stall is also nice to watch. All in all, this is one of the more creative and fun arcs of the story to watch because of how different and fresh it is. The transition of the end of the festival into the latter half of the story is also very smooth considering both arcs are totally opposite from one another. From a lighthearted and fun festival challenge into a deeper and darker plot. The entirety of this arc is nothing less of astounding. There are so many highlights here it's really hard to conclude how fun this arc is so i'll try to describe how fun it is as clear as i can. First up is the of course, the Elite Ten. After getting a better insight of Kuga, you are shown a demonstration of the special First Seat's skills as a chef. Later on in the show, you can also see other elite's performance such as Eizan. That itself is already a treat on top of the already glorious food wars. Next up is the irony of the plot. Shortly after the 2nd arc starts, you can clearly see how much of a twist the show takes. The show revealed the darker side of the story NONE OF US has expected up to this point. Director Azami's dark intentions with the future of Totsuki, Erina's sad, scarring dark past, and the unlikely event that the Elite Ten approved of Nakiri Azami's election and betrayed Totsuki. Everything about the sudden change in plot is filled with interesting plotlines and hints at a very excitable fourth season in the making. Thirdly, is the individual character's reactions during the plot itself. Confused and bewildered, some even angered at the sudden change in Totsuki, many of the students are cornered to dealing with the Purge. Each using their own ways to cope. Soma being soma of course went for the hardest route to overturn fate, Alice and Hisako (Ryo being forced) decided to rescue and protect Erina from her father. During the entirety of the Purge, you can feel and see how each student struggles against the inevitable fate. And yet, even faced with such drastic odds, decide to keep fighting for Totsuki's future. How can anyone not want to be moved by something like this!? It contained everything! Fear, Cooperations, Struggle, Trust, Courage, Determination. Everything was there and it was perfectly executed into a twist of masterpiece. And the final highlight of the second half of the show, and that is Nakiri Erina. I will elaborate more in the character section since this is more character than story related Art 10/10 Honestly, nothing i could say that haven't already been said. Creative graphics, mouth watering plates of food, side serving of ecchi. Sound 10/10 Opening and soundtrack is awesome as usual. Soundtrack becomes something more to an ominous and tension filled song which complements the plot well. One major change for me is the ending animation. Not much on the song but the animation really captured me. Why? Well, the moment the ending song starts. every single plate that has been served is visually collaged and displayed. The rush of feels when seeing this is not easily described. It's like this short animation is telling you how much the show has shown us. And come on! The dishes all look visually stunning so if you aren't the sentimental type at least looking at the dishes gets your mouth watering thinking about the previous matches. Characters: 7/10 I am honestly torn between giving it a 10 or a 5. So i decided to give it a 7 instead. See, anybody who watched this season probably knows what i'm trying to say. You might even get it if you see between the lines of what i was saying above. Basically, apart from soma and ryo, you don't really get any showcase from the returning characters! When i mean showcase, i mean that the returning characters do not get to show their skills in any of the episodes (mainly hayama, alice, takumi, tadokoro). After the intern at different shops, it'd be ecstatic to see how much the characters have grown in terms of skills just like Ryo did during his battle with central and soma during his battle with Eizan. Although you do get nice snippets of them during the festival and see them struggle to survive in the Purge, you don't actually see them cook as they did in the previous series (Season 1 preliminary matches and Season 2 official matches) . However, it is not all bad since this season is wholly focused on two different things. The plot and The new characters!! That's right! With the sour one out of the way, let's talk about why we're here [apart from the story] First up, THE ELITE TEN! In the previous 2 seasons, there were scarce mentions of the Elite Ten but in this season you get to know them more, both in terms of cooking battle skills and personality quips. And both aspects were wholly entertaining. I do not even need to MENTION that we got 3 battles with the Elites this season alone!! What more can a guy ask for? To make things even more exciting, this means that next season, we won't be having any more intermission apart from the best of the best fights and plot! Imagine what the other Elite ten can do and their personalities! The second of course is the woman whom we owe the ferocity of this season to... NAKIRI ERINA! Seriously, this has got to be the biggest change in Shokugeki history. With her character growth this season, i'm actually surprised they managed to fit it in 12 episodes. From her nature as a born princess to be revealed to have such a tragic past and to turn her into a vulnerable and lost person is such a drastic change i never imagined possible in this series. Not only do you get to see her past, you also get to enjoy an innocent and new tsundere side of Erina you have never seen before! Watching her try to crawl away from her father's control and learn to live amongst other polar star students and exposed to their culture is nothing less than entertaining. It's like watching a…

This show brings a whole new meaning to Food Porn. As a chef, it is inspiring and as a former student of Johnson & Wales University, it takes me back to the cutthroat grading of my chef instructors and watching classmates drop out left and right. If you hate Ecchi anime, I can still recommend it. The adult themes are very tame for the genre. If you love cooking or food, I would recommend 100%. I don't know how to pad this out any more. It is a show well worth watching unless you are a super prudish anorexic with an aversion to comedy.

THE REVIEW IS STRICTLY BASED ON THE ANIME AND NOT THE MANGA. I have been putting off watching this anime series for quite sometime because of the supposed eechi content. Now that i have seen it, it is not that bad. i watched 3 seasons including the OVA and i still ended up liking each season the same as its prequel. i have given this anime an overall 9 rating because of the following reasons 1) The MC is a red-head- the reason is rather petty but i think a red head mc has a fresh outlook than the multi colour hair types. 2) The MC is calm, cool and badass. Unlike the shounen heroes who are loud and annoying, souma has the aura that says he is a smart cookie. 3)I love his improv and innovative cooking style that stems from down to earth yet quality ideas. 4) The best part of the story is in totski academy way of running the show. i have come to appreciate how every day is a competition that gives each student a run for his money. the shokugeki also keeps viewers on our toes as we wonder which dish will rip asunder whose clothes. 5) Ishiki's lack of clothes. 6) The supporting characters do not rant too much on the nakama crap. They are pretty self reliant who do support each other without imposing their will. 7) The humour is decent too. the aldini brothers, nikumi, erina's tsundere, they are funny. esp the way souma's face puffs up while he is trying to figure something out is so cute. 8) While Joichiro up and leaves like every good dad (who abandons the kid in an apartment with all amenities and who knows how the parent affords the cost), its nice to see him once in a while. 9) Tsukasa Eishi- As a chef of his caliber, everything about him screams Elite and intimidating. he is selfish, conceited and makes no secret of it. yet his attempts at projecting himself as a lighthearted and oddly wavering person who is nervous, easily succumbing to a non existent pressure and overly unmindful of his acting pegs him as a calculating person. there is definitely more that meets the eye. you cant hate him. That being said, there were a few things peculiar to the shounen genre that puts this anime right back into the average aisle. The clothes rip too many times to miraculously put back together MC's father being a legend who is admired by anti-hero, possible love interest and friends alike. the loud kurokiba ryo. its is like an anime cannot work without the loud guy. The groundwork so far laid now is towards an average story revolving around a small town chef who ventures into the outside world to make a mark for himself. Somehow i feel that season 3 felt like some broken pieces were glued together just to hold up this predictable plot. While the competitions and shokugeki were the main part of the anime, the story line looks forced making joichiro's past either an important turning point or just a quintessential shounen trite that brings out some last minute ass pull. Then again, i have not read the manga and i don not know how much the anime deviated from the source material. so i can safely assume that the manga may be better. What nakiri azami is trying to do roping in the elite ten and some promising yet short lived side characters is a plot development that i saw coming miles away. the yohan leibert look alike swoops in to purge a place he believes is ill run, the next thing the MC will set things right and anti hero gets a change of heart. on chara: todokoro megumi- she is that character we either love or hate. she made no impression on me. The echi content magnifies the already revealing chara like nikumi. You hardly see her wearing more than a bikini. Or nakiri whose breasts looks like she came out of a wet t shirt contest. while erina was just the pompous tsun, i thought Alice had much more to her personality. her dumb comedy is fun. with kurokiba, the duo has the most humour besides tsukasa. Agreed that marui aka shinpachi, don club chief and cauldron witch brought some humorous scenes, all the other chara fell flat. They were necessary to the plot but the mark they made is superficial. something i noticed: perhaps its just me. some chara resemble chara art of other anime a tad bit too much. shinomiya: midorima dojima: hanamichi rindou: ayato sakamaki tsukasa: shun, ichigo hitofuri, yashiro and some others kuga: kise saiba: yomo renji momo: random loli takumi: alibaba(magi) marui:shinpachi azami: yohan leibert eizen: aizen i do recommend anyone who likes fast paced anime to binge watch it.

This, ultimately, feels like half of a complete series. I have long been a fan of the Food Wars series, with it's excellent character sets, great story arcs and fantastically imaginative 'battles'. Food Wars is a wonderfully funny and imaginative action series, but this is definitely the worst season yet - so far. For me, Food Wars S3 falls down in two specific areas: Firstly, S3 doesn't seem to have the same level of competition as the other seasons. Yukihira's enemies in the previous seasons are now his friends, and the new opponents feel very lifeless and one-dimensional. Secondly, this is a really slow series, with some of the most infuriating cliffhangers in anime - the first and last few minutes of each episode, more often than not, are the only moments with any substance, the rest of each episode feeling really flat. Food Wars is a fantastic series. However, Season Three is the weak link. If you haven't seen it yet, it might be worth waiting until the story continues in April 2018 and binging the whole lot for a better experience.

Picking up right where the second season (and its associated OVA) left off, Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara continues the story of Souma, underdog student at a renowned and extremely competitive culinary academy, focusing especially on his latest ambition to challenge Totsuki's Elite Ten, a group made up of some of the school's most reputable chefs-in-training. This most recent entry in the series retains the heated cooking battles and whacky foodgasms that the franchise owes its incredible popularity to. However, unlike the seasons that preceded it, San no Sara throws in a polarizing plot development about halfway through, which shakes up the show's tone considerably. Simply put, the show's most underwhelming aspect, objectively speaking, lies in its visual presentation, notably its animation. There is very little animation to speak of, overall, considering most scenes involve panning and zooming over still images, rather than actual movement. This is a shame, especially considering the high-quality, energetic animation of its previous installments went a long way in bringing the culinary battles to life, and was, in part, what made the series so appealing in the first place. The artstyle retains the same quality as the previous two seasons for the most part. During the few instances when they are depicted, landscapes are detailed and picturesque, though for the majority of the show, background art is of little consequence and barely noticeable. Character designs are still wonderfully done, being both memorable and interesting, and newcomer Rindou Kobayashi is no expection. The CGI used in the first couple of episodes is quite ugly and distracting, but fortunately, plays such a minuscule role that it is relatively easy to forgive. In addition, San no Sara seems to rely on more chibi scenes than its precedessors, which could possibly indicate the same lower effort/budget as the sparse animation. The first story arc in San no Sara feels like an organic continuation of the formula Shokugeki has established since its first few episodes. What this means is that we are provided with more of the fun and intensity that we have come to love and expect from the show. Souma behaves and performs just as we expect him to, his opponent is fleshed out in a way we have come to expect, and hijinks from the supporting cast are served up as well, functioning as a decent way to remind us of who they are and allowing them to interact with each other in new and entertaining ways. This introductory arc works well by playing to its strengths, while consciously refusing to go out of its way in subverting any expectations. And maybe this is necessary, as the latter arc is like nothing the show has ever done before. Smack dab in the middle of this third season, the show throws in a plot twist that shakes the very foundation of Shokugeki. Likely, this unexpected development will prove divisive amongst fans of the series, as it brings with it a wide array of strong changes to the formula. For one, it leads to the emergence of a "main villain" of sorts, something which is quite typical for a shounen anime. Which is why the very idea may leave a bitter taste in some viewers' mouths, especially those who appreciated Shokugeki's refreshing new take on the genre, devoid of any big bads, and black-and-white depictions of morality. It also doesn't help that said main antagonist comes off quite one-dimensional, defined almost entirely by his cruelty and wickedness. While the development serves to weaken the series' innovative approach to redefining shounen anime, forcing it closer and closer to conforming to more and more tired clichés, it isn't all bad. On the bright side, the shift does a great job of igniting Erina's character development, and causes a large portion of the cast to band together, which is incredibly satisfying to watch after getting to know them over the span of so many episodes. Speaking of the cast, it continues to shine through as the show's strongest asset. Souma continues to be a fantastic protagonist, balancing goofiness and badassery incredibly well, and working well as a foil to the snooty, elitist students of Totsuki Academy. After Souma, the majority of San no Sara's focus is on Erina, who receives a lion's share of the character development this season and becomes increasingly more likeable and easy to root for. Amongst the newly-introduced characters, Rindou Kobayashi is a standout, being equal parts mischievous and endearing. Though her role is relatively small, she leaves quite a lasting impression and will hopefully become more prominent in later seasons. Tsukasa also works well as a contrast to Souma, personality-wise, and an antagonistic force, cooking-wise. The most disappointing of the newer characters is, without a doubt, Azami, who functions more as a plot device than a fleshed-out character. For a twelve-episode season, San no Sara also does a decent job of giving its supporting cast small moments here and there. The banding together that occurs in the latter half of the season provides an opportunity for generally-shunned characters to get some lines and interactions in before they completely disappear from the limelight. Given the considerable size of the cast and limited time to work with, the show's ability to fit this in is quite commendable. In its third season, the wildly popular cooking series significantly deviates from its own status quo in a number of ways. Animation is underwhelmingly sparse, the visual variety can be distracting and questionable at times, and a controversial plot development at its midway point leaves a polarizing mark on the franchise as a whole. At its heart, however, it still retains its charm, high-octane culinary showdowns, and incredibly likeable and memorable cast. On top of all that, it goes out with a bang thanks to a well-executed (and long-awaited) reveal in its final moments, which will make the wait until the fourth season even harder to endure. Overall, San no Sara still manages to hold up as a strong entry, thanks mostly to it recognizing its own strengths and keeping them at its core, even in light of its visual presentation and sudden plot twist, which are, at best, mixed bags.

TL;DR This review is split into 3 paragraphs 1st paragraph= opinions for people who have never watched the show 2nd paragraph= opinions as a sequel 3rd paragraph= opinions as an adaptation of the manga As a starting point for newcomers this season left a lot to be desired. A vast amount of characters are introduced to the season's detriment as the number of supporting characters already meant that some were struggling to stay relevant. This coupled with very few lasting effects from the final battle of two of the three story arcs leaves the season very disappointing. Compared to the stakes or tension of the fights from previous seasons, the fights this season felt like they were filler to the much heavier and darker story unfolding in the background. I highly recommend you watch the previous seasons before this one or at the very least watch the ending song fully as I feel like it recaps the story so far decently enough. That being said, why is anyone watching a show starting at its third season? As a sequel, this season felt like a lot of set up for what is to come, feeling more like a interlude rather than an actual continuation, like a calm before the storm. Hopefully the next season will provide the pay off for all the investment put in this season. The music for this season is by far the best the series has had, the OP perfectly captures feeling of the series and the themes of the season, accompanied by visuals that hint at whats to happen in the season without spoiling anything. The ED feels like a tribute to the previous seasons with its farewell sounding lyrics and visuals of every dish ever made in the series and highlight scenes of the previous seasons. As someone who knows what is to come, this season is everything I expected, I was a little disappointed with the 12 episode length but with the next season coming out 3 months from now instead of a year I can wait for the next season. The season adapted the source material faithfully and there is nothing left to say without spoiling upcoming events as my disappointment stems from the season finishing too soon and nothing about the season.

“You’re out of my league, first seat” – Yukihira Souma Shokugek No Souma: San No Sara, simply put is, pure hype. You wait in anticipation every week for that 25 minute time slot where Souma takes on the elite chefs at Tohtsuki Academy with all the crazy foodgasms and each episode leaves you wanting more of this. Shokugeki No Souma, in general, makes great use of the Ecchi scenes by using them effectively and not going over the top. It’s a great combination of Shounen and Ecchi. I did like the first season the most and the second season was satisfying at the least, but I wouldn’t say that the third season is not worth watching, though it disappointed me in a few aspects. First of all, the story picks up right after the “Stagiaire” and dives straight into the Moon Festival at Tohtsuki. It also introduces the Elite Ten as they play a major part for rest of the story. The Moon Festival arc is rather well paced and builds up a lot of anticipation for the rivalry between Souma and Kuga, the 8th seat, during the moon festival. I absolutely loved this arc and the eventual consequences of their “battle”. After this arc, I felt that the plot lost its edge. Enter Nakiri Azami, the main antagonist of the third season. He intends to “revolutionize” the Academy and has most of the Elite Ten backing him up. The previous director, Nakiri Senzaemon is ousted after a coup planned by the Elite Ten and Azami. This still doesn’t register with me as it doesn’t make sense that the director can be over-ruled by a bunch of students. They might be crazy god-level students, but students nonetheless. Well, whatever, as long as the story demands it. The plot is basically unrealistic after the first arc, but that doesn’t mean you will not enjoy it. It is still crazy exciting to watch the chain of shokugeki. As I said, every episode will leave you wanting for more and more of Shokugeki No Souma. The season ends with a great reveal, so I’m really thrilled for Season 4 and I hope it’s better executed. The main cast returns for this season as well, obviously. Something I appreciate about SnS is the character development each character, however minor his/her role might be, gets. The entire cast gets their fair share of screen time and we know that they will be featured in the future episodes. Personally, I love all the characters in SnS and this season, the introduction of the Elite Ten added so many new possibilities to the on-going story. Kobayashi Rindo, the sociable second seat is probably my favorite character in the show right now. I also love Tsukasa Eishi’s character. He has a sense of supremacy over everyone else since he is aware of his vast knowledge of the ingredients and astounding ability to cook and yet he is also portrayed as pessimistic about his work and has his own insecurities. In my opinion, Eishi seems more intimidating that the primary antagonist himself. His unusual character is quite intriguing and I hope to see more of him. I did not understand what was Azami’s purpose for starting his “revolution”, but I’m sure there is a lot more to Azami’s character and it’ll be divulged next season, and that’s something I’m looking forward to. The animation in this season isn’t as impressive as the first season. The shokugeki lack the intensity from the previous seasons. Even the foodgasms aren’t that appealing to the eye, but as I said, it’s Food Wars, and at this point I’ll take anything they throw at me. I’m delighted to say that the music is pleasant. The opening and endings were as good as the previous seasons and it added to the build-up. On the whole, Shokugeki No Souma: San No Sara is worth watching. It won’t disappoint you, trust me. As a critic I saw a few faults but as a loyal fan of the series, I found it really gratifying. I waited patiently every week for every episode of the season, and I was left satisfied and yearning for more at the end. Even at the end of the season, I couldn’t help but think if I could jump to season four right away. It’s simply that good, at least for me it was. I’ll give this season an overall rating of 7 but if you ask me how much I enjoyed it, it’s a 9!