Shokugeki No Soma (Food Wars): 2015’s Best Hidden Gem TV Show

Shokugeki No Soma (Food Wars): 2015’s Best Hidden Gem TV Show

By Tahlia Merrill Kirk

I’ll admit that I haven’t seen much anime since my preteen Sailor Moon obsession. But I sort of stumbled upon Shokugeki: No Soma (Food Wars) while I was on the hunt for a new 30 minute show to fill my “watch while eating dinner” time slot. And it’s rather brilliant.

The Premise: Teenager joins an elite culinary high school and has to prove himself. Think of it as Harry Potter meets The Food Network.

The Twist: You know how every anime fight scene you’ve ever watched has an elaborate transformation scene, dramatic posing, and lots of intense “heeeeeyah”ing? Shokugeki basically makes fun of all those cliches by putting them in the ridiculous setting of a cooking school.

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Every episode our hero, Yukihira Soma, has to face off with diabolical food villains like the snobby Italian kid who has sworn on his honor to beat Yukihira in a food duel. Every character is so ludicrously intense that you can’t help but burst out laughing.

In Shokugeki, when your food tastes terrible, you get transported to the seventh circle of hell with unspeakable torture. And when your food is good, angelic choirs sing and you’re probably going to lose your clothes (did I mention this show is very PG-13? Yeah, lots of boobs and quite a few foodgasms…which are exactly what they sound like).

Peanut butter and squid = A horrible mistake

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Apple risotto = The Prince Charming of breakfast dishes

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In Brief: This show is probably my favorite discovery of the year. I’m pleased to hear that it has become quite popular amongst anime fans and I’d love to see it go mainstream. Season 1 just came out this year and you can watch it at http://www.crunchyroll.com/food-wars-shokugeki-no-soma. Rumors are saying that Season 2 won’t come out until Summer 2016–let’s hope it’s sooner!