#soma lost the autumn elections

[dans-queer-ass]

im watching food wars and...

im so mad rn

[mono-dot-jpeg]

y. soma as your cousin hcs

a/n: i love doing platonic family hcs so much,,, it’s the lack of family affection for me luv- just gonna call myself out before anyone else can. anyways thank you for requesting! I hope you enjoy!

immediately gonna put this out there, he’s a little shit to you but it’s okay bc you’re also a little shit to him

yall are the same age so you guys often clash 

it’s not any better bc you live with soma and his dad

your dad and his are basically brothers so your dad trusts him with you when your dad is out doing business

a lot of cooking battles

like a lot 

that’s how yall settle fights or you guys play rock paper scissors until either of you accuse the other for cheating if one of you win

the cooking battles never stopped 

joichiro was persistent on making you guys learn how to cook and do well

time to when you guys get to totsuki

wild times all around

you became friends with the polar star gang ofc

soma teases you more because you’re just as eager to do shokugekis like soma

despite how much you bicker with him, you’re the more quiet cousin out of the two

it causes a few problems because you’re often forgotten until you talk

it hurts, you wouldn’t lie

you knew how much you were hiding behind soma’s shadow

he got farther than you and you were admittedly jealous

while both of you could easily compete skill wise, soma was always more innovative and much more bold

sometimes you followed rules too much, you got scared of going off line

when the autumn elections were starting you were in the same block as him

that’s when it went downhill

you didn’t make it past the prelims 

while everyone was celebrating those who made it, you were locked up in your room, struggling about what you did wrong

isshiki tried to check up on you but you didn’t give him an answer but he knew what had happened

then soma comes in after hearing that you locked yourself in your room 

he’s there for you

but you snap at him, fortunately soma knows how to deal with you

he refuses to leave and it doesn’t take long for you to spill out with tears and almost unintelligible cries about how you lost and that he was always the better one out of the both of you

it hurts him to see his cousin like this

after he comforts you about it, he really tries to keep you involved in conversations and stuff

if he sees you being quiet on your own? NOPE not happening

may try to make you hang out with shun more only because both of you are quiet and you both can bond over that :[ 

he’s the best cousin

a dummy but it’s okay, he can be smart, he promised to protecc you and take care of you 

[polar-stars]

Nene Kinokuni & the main theme of “Shokugeki no Soma”

You thought I was done talking about Nene? HA

Okay but I’ve been looking at a specific manga panel again & eventually a train of thought started to roam my head.

What we see here are the reactions of four of the Elites that voted Central into power after having witnessed Rindou’s and Eishi’s loss, therefore Central’s loss as a whole. 

Can we talk about the fact how Nene actually looks the most...hurt about that maybe? 

I mean, Somei honestly looks kind off glad about it, which does make sense since he seemed to visibly regret his decision after his match against Soma. Somei is that guy that acted with good interest in mind, and a sense of justice, but was lured into an extreme solution. Which is something I can’t really say about any of the other Traitor Elites (I mean, being real we have barely gotten much detailing to their individual reasoning for helping out Azami but that’s another problem for another day.)

Momo looks completely unaffected by what just happened, while Eizan looks...kind off bummed ig? 

Out of these four, Nene really does looks the most like what I would call “sad”. She looks truly crushed by this revelation. 

A little mind game for you: Imagine having devoted your entire life to something, imagine already being insecure about people surpassing you in an area you studied so hard for, imagine being beat at the thing that’s most important to you while the person who was always ahead of you succeeds right next to you.

My girl really went through quite some suffering if you really start thinking about it. 

Top student of her class, who always aimed for perfection. And then the RDC comes along and she suffered through what might have been her first major failure in front of over one hundred eyes. 

Now this is the part where I try my best to sound smart and talk about themes. 

I’d say that the closest to a major theme the series of “Shokugeki no Soma” has would be the thematic of failure. 

Our main hero Soma Yukihira talks of “failure” as a sort of inspiration. He recognizes mistakes he made, learns out of them and improves through them. That’s his philosophy & strongly opposes that of our main heroine, Erina Nakiri who starts out as a through & through perfectionist who was never allowed to make the tiniest of mistakes. 

The theme of “failure” constantly reappears in the story, in both the strong parts & weaker parts of it. 

Soma’s dish in the Autumn Election Premlins is basically a fusion of two dishes that “failed” him before (his omelette from the Trainings Camp that had him in danger of getting expelled & the risotto he made in his cook-off against his father, which he lost), the major antagonist of several arcs named Central is all about perfectionism with the 1st seat Eishi Tsukasa being a notorious perfectionist as well, in his final fight against Asahi Soma makes a dish inspired by his mother who was known for being a bad cook, but who had fun being one...

I think what “Shokugeki no Soma” wants to teach us is that it’s natural for us to stumble at times, but that it’s nothing we should beat ourselves up over. No one can walk a straight, perfect line in their life and it’s okay. Mistakes can teach us and we can get up again as well...!

I can’t really say that it was always done very well, but still this message resonates with me on a very personal level. I really like it. 

And now let me spiral back to Nene.

Nene is another character that strived for perfection and is characterized as someone who works incredibly hard to master whatever she picked to study. She also sided with Central, which is also all about perfectionism as I said. 

Remember when I said that there’s still work you could have done with Nene after the RDC arc was over?

Yeah, honestly with that failure Nene ended up suffering I really think there could have been a loot of character work done with her. 

Like how about just showing her cope with what happened? Show her, trying to understand why the philosophy of the rebels beat theirs? Something like that?

I just genuinely believe that Nene is a sort-off person who’d struggle dealing with failing in the way that she did and that it would have an actual impact on her. And her working through that would fall perfectly in line with the main theme the manga has going on.

Post-RDC could have been a perfect chance for her to also understand the people surrounding her a little better as well, I think? Like take Eizan for example! No, this is not for shippy reasons. I promise...hear me out, okay? She belittled him for his loss against Soma & also considered herself superior to him because she has an actual moral-code. But eventually she ends up in the same boat with him: she also looses against Soma, Central (something which they both supported after all) looses as a whole and while their senpais get to run off little later through graduation, they have to stay at Totsuki, dethroned. What a perfect chance to getting to know and understand each other in a way that wasn’t there before, finding a way to get those seats back and maybe giving Eizan an actual redemption arc instead of just inserting him back into the council over night with no real indication wether he’s still a bitch or has become more tame, which surely isn’t something Tsukuda would do, right? Heh. (Okay maybe...this....did get a little bit shippy, pardon ahdhd)

ANYWAY

The point I’m really just trying to make here, through many, many words is that while Soma’s Shokugeki against Nene heavily scratched her character and I’m still very bitter and unhappy over it, I do not think there was any need to shaft her as much as the manga did when the RDC got concluded. 

There was a good chance for actual character work and character development here, that could have also played into the series’ centric theme. 

& She frankly could have come back as more stronger and badass than ever. 

But yeah, instead she was ignored in the manga while the anime adaptation...tried but I feel she was reduced to much of a satellite character in that one, personally. And I just think they could have done better and more, meep. 

In the end all I can do is......write a Nene-centric multi chapter fanfic of course and take 6 years to finish it because I’m very slow and- 

Okay but I think one thing that I want to achieve with these posts is just to get the community think about her a little more, because...ultimately I feel she’s being a little bit overlooked by the fandom as well, and maybe I can inspire some people to work with her in a way that Tsukuda wasn’t able to...Idk, I just want justice for Nene ig. 

Now anyway, you finally made it to the end of this post...Congratulation! Here’s a cookie! 

Hopefully what I said made any sense and any of you could get a little something out of it! Thanks for reading ;v; !

[mac-lilly]

OMG ... I’m completely taken aback. This episode tried to fix the manga. And succeeded. At least partially ... Because they at least tried to fill some plot holes with actual plot. I mean, yeah, sure. The way they fixed it still has a lot of flaws. Like ... the episode is too rushed, there are only so little explanations about the dishes, and half of the episode consists of reused frames from the Autumn Election.

But this filler still made things so much more believable. And I feel so satisfied because of:

Seeing all characters cook for, what I assume, is the last time

Even some minor, minor characters have gotten some screen time like Sadatsuka, Hojo and Jun

Getting to experience the character development for some characters (e.g. Hojo standing with the squad, Nene and Isshiki getting along, Alice cheering up Hisako, Hayama accepting defeat ... though Kurokiba is still yelling ... but that’s fine ... he wouldn’t be Kurokiba if he didn’t yell when losing)

Soma losing to Takumi

Megumi finally winning a competition (after it was always claimed that she’d become a great chef... but still always lost anyway)

The sher happiness of all the characters for just being friends and cooking ... so heartwarming.

So, in conclusion, I’m quite happy about this little filler. As Megumi’s dish it was filled with a lot of nostalgic memories.

[madokasoratsugu]

im new to shokugeki and i dont care about spoilers, why is it bad?

a no joke answer bc u deserve this:

tl;dr Shokugeki sucks because it lost its direction halfway through the story, and when Tsukada (the author) realised that he’d bitten off more than he could chew with such a huge cast of characters.

long answer:

here’s the thing. Shokugeki started out good. 

it mostly played off the usual shounen tropes: a challenger would appear, but then they quickly joined the friendship circle, rinse and repeat. but with such a wide cast of characters with differing goals and personalities plus the high stakes of only the top 10% graduating, it made it easy to bank on the character interactions and friendships, which is what the first half of Shokugeki did, heavily so. and it worked ! 

it was a simple set up (protag aims to beat his dad in a cook off, goes to cooking school, meets friends and foes ! a tournament arc ! fun and shenanigans ! yay!), but Shokugeki did it good. it didn’t subvert any expectations, just did according to what it set out to do. nothing felt exaggerated beyond the typical manga stuff, and everything achieved was earned with hard work. with the occasional fluff and friends thrown in, it became a comfy mix for a good shounen manga.

if anything, id say that half the success came from the character’s relationships themselves - the plot wasn’t anything special, but the genuinity that the characters and their friendships and goals (shared or not) were treated with were wholesome and fun.

which is why it was so fucking jarring when it derailed by throwing aside half of its cast and completely stagnating all character development for the remaining half.

(insert infamous Central Arc expulsion joke here)

if you’ve started/are intending to start, id say its the most obvious after the Moon Banquet Festival Arc/beginning of Central Arc. the writing started getting sloppy, as did the handling of the characters. ive mentioned this before, and ill stress this again: i honestly believe that Central Arc is when Tsukada realised what a big miss steak he did in creating such a huge cast, and in the face of Shokugeki’s then success, made some poor authorial choices to keep the hype going (both plot and character wise).

for characters: half the cast was rid of via expulsion, including very competent chefs (which had no proper in canon explanation on how the fuck that happened) who happened to be fan favourites. i mean, Hayama Akira ? fuck, Nakiri Alice, anyone ? plus any poor remaining characters got shafted in lieu of Souma, hard. this became more prominent as the Arcs slowly go on, the ones of which took the worst brunt of it being Takumi and Megumi.

(what do u think is worse. your fav never getting a cameo or your fav being part of the forefront team but constantly getting fucked over because Souma didn’t get the spotlight of the chapter yet. vote now in the replies.)

for plot: higher and higher stakes were introduced that again, just didn’t make sense !! in Central Arc, Souma was expected to win against Eishi, the best chef in his entire school. when two arcs prior he just lost a cooking contest to two of his peers (placed third), and one arc prior struggled to beat Kuga in ticket sales (even then he didn’t win because his cooking was better, so. wasnt even a win on the cooking front). there was no build up ! NOT EVEN A TRAINING ARC. he just went straight from the bottom rung of the ladder to the fucking ceiling. super different from the first half of the series when everything would be shown in careful detail (best example i can think of off the top of my head being the Shokugeki against Mimasaka in the Autumn Election Arc).

also: in the midst of introducing Erina’s character arc and backstory, Tsukada seemed to completely forget (or maybe just didnt know how to link back?) that he’d already established an overarching plotline: Souma’s quest to best Jouichirou. so when Souma began overthrowing these foes that are his seniors said to be leagues ahead of him, the suspension of disbelief was stretching waaay thin. but hey ! its a shounen manga ! we can forgive this much (sarcasm). 

then Tsukada introduces Asahi. mother fucking Asahi. who is basically introduced by beating Jouichirou without breaking a sweat, but oh boy did he break the suspension of disbelief right then and there and completely toss the plot into the fucking fire. because there’s no end goal anymore ! the one thing that our main character has been working so hard for ? non existent. pointless. this no name (at that time) character has done it, pack your bags boys, let’s go home.

(might i note that at this point, Shokugeki was also uuhh nothing like the slice of life comedy it originally was. it became an action-psychological mix that just…doesnt work. and i mean. of course it wouldn’t. there was no foreshadowing, the villians can’t be taken seriously because 1) theyre also teenagers for fuck’s sake 2) Azami’s just a creep, plain and simple. he has no depth. no one cares about an antagonist who’s bad at just being bad.

the themes it began with was completely set aside for really badly written character backstories and angsty edgey bs that i still don’t understand why Tsukada thought would work in retaining hype. especially when considering how pure the premise was.

i honestly also think that its the Blue Arc + Dark Chefs Arc when Tsukada actually realised that his plot had gone haywire, since volume sales were dropping hard and fans clearly hated the direction the series had gone in. but instead of trying to reign it back in, he decided to just let it run buckwild because he just didn’t know how to fix it.)

to rub salt into the wound: so many promised resolutions are shoved into the background, done offscreen, or worse yet, forgotten ! scenes that fans have literally been waiting for. Souma VS Erina Shokugeki. Souma VS Takumi Shokugeki. Nakiri Alice coming back to the series and actually fucking cooking again.

(im sure that there’s more that lead to its downfall but like. shrugs. this is mainly to me why it sucks: it had A Lot going for it (im not ashamed to admit that at one point i actually genuinely believed it could be one of the next Big 3 on Shounen Jump), and it just didnt live up to any of it for no other reason other than Tsukada mixing elements of a story that didn’t work well together, tried to force them to work, and did nothing to fix it when it didn’t.)

so our plot is gone. so are our lovable characters. so is the slice of life comedy that drew most people in in the first place. the potential that it had is now dust. what does Shokugeki have left that makes it unique, that makes people love it ? here’s the answer !

nothing. 

that fact kicks you in the teeth every fucking time you remember how good the first half of the series was. 

then that fact dropkicks you when you realise that Shokugeki no Soma literally started on a 90degree drop into a dumpster fire when the series was at the apex of its popularity and plot buildup.

that’s why it sucks.

[nachtfaust]

Central Arc has ruined the future of Shokugeki no Soma.

This post was made to partly for me to vent and complain the major disappoint chapter 263 has left most of us. Reading this will have spoilers, you’ve been warned.

There’s too many to cover but let’s start an easy one; The outcome of finale.

Let’s be real here. Erina was the one who beat Tsukasa and Rindou. With only 10 minutes to spare, Erina was capable of putting a dish together from scratch and won 3-0. The author has made Erina way too over-powered at this point. Even if we factor in Souma, he and Erina wasn’t off to a good start.

Again, Erina only needed 10 minutes to create a dish capable to beat both the 1st and 2nd’s dish. Let that sink in.

Eishi and Rindou had impeccable teamwork and the skills to back it up. The ingredients they used for their dishes practically surpassed anything they’ve made yet Erina and Souma managed to win despite the number of flaws they held. Isshiki said they won because they “truly enjoyed cooking” and I find that.......dumb. Even though cooking from the bottom of your heart has been one of the recurring themes used from time to time, it shouldn’t be used here. It didn’t teach Azami anything who’s the main enemy here.

I’d also like to mention Souma's character development is very bad at the moment. He has almost 0 personality prior to his first day of school and pulls stuff like this^ in the middle of an important match; risking everyone’s expulsion and the school on the line. He deserved more than a pinch on the cheek.

Azami Nakiri was.............the biggest mistake in this entire arc. He started off pretty good but as the plot progressed, he became less of a threat. My favourite part about Azami is that despite how much damage he’s done to the manga and the school, this is the ending he gets. Central Arc is the longest arc and being the big bad, this is what he gets

What a lame ending for him....

Erina to her dad "Thanks for everything" like he did anything for her at all? OK. Her grandfather is the one that raised her, not him, it’s like the author forgot that or something

Erina: “Thanks for manipulating the Elite 10 into firing my Grandpa who raised me, mentally traumatized me when I was young, tried to use and exploit me for your own plans, almost expelled my friends, separated me from Alice and Hisako......you've truly done a lot for me...” LOLOLOLOL

My biggest concern for this arc is probably how poor the Elite Ten was treated.

They were basically sacrificed for Souma and Erina’s character development in my opinion and it wasn’t worth it.

For being the most powerful chefs in the entire school who’s experienced the cooking world outside of Tohtsuki, they were easily beaten by 1st years and at some of their specialties which pretty much cheesed me.

One of the perfect examples was Nene. She lost to Souma because she didn’t take the room temperature into account and you’d think she would considering, it’s her specialty. Souma and Erina using peanut butter squid was another one and it was effective??? Alice lost to a seat and she’s the closest there is to a seat in my opinion but Souma won against 3 of them? OOOOOOKKKKKK

Other than the Elite Ten itself, the seats power at this school was degraded in chapter 263. The new Elite Ten are the winners which was the stupidest move next to making Erina the director and Souma the 1st seat. And if we’re going in the order of elimination, Alice, Hayama, and Kurokiba who made is further in the Autumn Election wouldn’t get a seat. The problem with assigning new seats is that the previous Elite Ten can literally challenge each of them the next day and win back the seat so I don’t know what the author was thinking when he was writing this.

The rebels won the seats easily with nothing on the line other than expulsion. It’s like the seats hold no value in Tohtsuki anymore. Seats were being given to winners like Halloween candy

I’d like to remind everyone in chapter 9 that Souma’s expulsion wasn’t enough to challenge him for the SEVENTH seat. If that isn’t enough for the seventh seat, what would the first seat’s value hold?

Apparently nothing considering how Souma easily got it. Which brings me to the point of him being appointed 1st seat. He legit when from no seat to 1st.

There are better students for this role. Souma isn’t the strongest, Erina is. The fact that Erina appointed Souma for this role because he “contributed a lot” is beyond me. That’s like a slap to the face. “I’m better but you should be the 1st seat”. If she’s going to be headmaster of the entire school, she better not make decisions like this again.

Speaking of director, Erina was appointed despite being a high school student that hasn’t graduated yet because her grandpa is retiring.

It’s like the author doesn’t know what to do with Erina at this point for making her too OP. Heck if she’s OP, might as well make her more OP by making her stronger than her grandfather.

Erina’s character development was good at one point but as the plot dragged on, it resulted in creating her to be this perfect, flawless, and ultimately strong chef. A Mary-sue basically.

The author stated that the only reason Erina remained the 10th seat is because it was the only seat available and considering she’s a Nakiri, I don’t see why she didn’t decide to challenge the other seats considering she could floor all of them with her eyes closed. We know she’s capable of betting something equal of value since she’s a Nakiri. If she was capable of all of this but decided to target smaller clubs by shutting them down permanently, I’d say that’s pretty bitchy. And not the good bitch mode.

I don’t know about you guys, but I know being the headmaster of a school requires more than just the God’s Tongue and chef skills. And don’t argue with the “fiction doesn’t equal reality” crap. There’s limits.

Erina used to be so great but the contrast to her now and before is so disappointing. She had her own character, she had her own flaws, but now she’s just a carbon-copy of Souma.

I hope this is the last we see of her considering she’ll be busy with headmaster cause there’s no point on focusing on a perfect character.

This person did a fine job nailing some other points as well:

Before I move on, I want to mention that Senzaemon (her grandpa and ex-director of the school), declared that Souma is the 1st seat and Erina is the new headmaster. You’d think that since he’s holding that much power to appoint positions, he could have used it against the Elite Ten when they voted to fire him? Or that the director holds the highest position in the school so the Elite Ten wouldn’t be able to fire him for Azami? The author forgetting stuff like this exists seems be a running pattern....

People are speculating that since Souma’s reached 1st seat, it might be worldwide, and as much as I’m semi-excited for it, I’m disappointed. Having worldwide challenges means new characters to dump into the trash bin like what they did with the Elite Ten. Challenging other schools or however they might go with it takes the “Shokugeki” out of “no Soma” cause last time I checked, Shokugeki’s was a Tohtsuki thing.

I wanna talk about Megumi a little bit since she’s considered one of the main characters next to Souma and Erina. (She’s also a favourite of mine)

The fact that Megumi gets a seat makes me so sad. Megumi works hard, like from zero even if it’s hinted that she has hidden potential. We constantly see Megumi putting her best effort in the manga so I just wanted to see her earn her seat like everything else she works hard for but it's just handed to her?

I think that’s all I really have to say to ch 263

TL;DR

[invaderhogtwopointohno]

The Rules of Food Wars

Okay, so apparently no one seems to remember the rules of how Food Wars even work- hearing a lot of BS about the ending of the Central Arc so let me remind everyone:

1. You challenge an opponent to a Food War and the other party must agree to participate. Like you can’t just say in the middle of a cooking battle that this is suddenly a Food War (looking at you, Soma). The Autumn Elections weren’t Food Wars, there were a few in there but it was actually a completely different set of circumstances. So the Rebel Alliance challenged Central to a series of Food Wars- meaning that both parties agreed that they were entering a high stakes Food War.

2. Food War participants both put up something of equal and incredible value as collateral. So everyone always seems to make fun of how Soma is always talking about being expelled from the Academy- that is actually the only leverage he actually has. Soma does not own a restaurant or run a club in school, so other than being a student at the academy, Soma does not possess anything equivalent to anything else someone at the Academy might want. Example: the Elite Ten have the right to put their own seats up as collateral in a Food War, but they don’t have to. Takumi actually put his prized Metzaluna up as collateral in his Food War during the Autumn Elections. The prizes in a Food War can be anything of value to the participants that believe it is worth the price of the Food War. So- Central put up their Elite Ten spots, all of them, and the position of Headmaster at the Academy as collateral. The Rebels were actually putting in the only thing they had, their expulsion from the school. Basically if Central had won, everyone would have been expelled.

If you want to get technical, the Rebels actually had way more to gain in the Food War with Central than to lose. The students all were threatened with expulsion but they were actually fighting to get their friends’ expulsions nulled. It was actually Azami and his arrogance that put the Elite Ten’s seats up for grabs. he wanted to put Soma and the other students in their place.

3. All Food Wars are final. There are no do-overs. There can be hung juries, then it means that new judges have to be gotten and the Food War put on hold for a later date, but once a Food War is won or lost, there is no going back. It’s always an All or Nothing kind of battle. So when Central decided to participate, they stood the chance that they could potentially lose everything to the Rebels as per the original agreement.

4. Food Wars are to be judged by 3 separate judges that have no stake in the Food War. In fact, Azami fucked up this one. He was never supposed to judge. That was why the girl with the text book (I forget her name) she was upset when he brought in the two female judges out of nowhere. She plays by the rules and made him keep her on a judge because having his own judges (whether they were in his favor or not) against the students was unfair. So she remained as the third judge to keep the judging as fair as possible. Azami deciding that he wanted to be a judge out of nowhere should never have been allowed actually. It was unfair and prejudice to the Rebel Alliance. But it was allowed because Erina and Soma knew that they could win him over, despite all his tough talk.

5. Once a Food War is completed, that’s it, you take your prize and you go home. Yeah, it’s that fucking quick. Once you lose a Food War, it’s over- there is no hanging around and pleading for mercy, you are done.

So- according to the rules of Food Wars, the ending of the Central Arc actually follow exactly like the rest of the manga and I am happy that you all got to read my long ass rant.

[bagheera82]

Hanami - Ch1: We love each other.

Tootsuki’s Gakuen students were in high spirits. Senzaemon-dono has decided to celebrate hanami’s season by a big picnic (without expulsions). Each students or groups were invited to prepare meals with sakura in order to share it with the others.

At the Polar Star Dormitory, everything went hectic… Sōma, Akira and Ryō decided to celebrate hanami with a shokugeki. Some of theirs closest friends had different opinions on that matter:

Alice: “Don’t lose again Ryō”

Erina and Hisako:”Kami… Not again! Can’t you just sit down and enjoy the view, you dumbs!!!”

Unfortunately to them, lot of people was cheering the contenders. The PSD members, theirs friends and four members of the Elite 10: Kuga, Nene, Rindou and Saitō.  “I have polished my skills since the Regiment, Yukihira. There’s no way you’re above me, now!” shouted a berserk-mode Kurokiba. “Bring it on, we need a match since Autumn elections!!!” replied an amused Yukihira. Hayama tied his hair into a ponytail and added: “I have no problem teaching both of you a lesson but who’ll be the judges?” Soma asked Saitō, Kuga and Rindou to act as judges. “No problem, Yukihira-chin but let Rindou-Senpai time to collect the bets…”

During two hours, Megumi and Isami tried to calm a very upset Takumi, angry because he was left aside... All the people were mesmerized by the display of talents. After a close win for Ryō and a glorious banquet, Satoshi proposed a walk in Tootsuki gardens.

Everybody agreed and started to walk towards the gardens. “Ah it’s cool to be freshmen, love is in the air!” sang Kuga. By a curious hazard, some duos started to take some different paths. The most troublesome was, without a doubt, Sōma and Erina. They argued about Sōma’s lost. Rindou looked at them and said: “I propose a bet, gentlemen. 100000 ¥ for the one who will guess the date when these two will become a couple!” Saitō replied: “A true warrior does not engage in such…” Rindou don’t give him time to develop further. “I said by December! What about you Kuga-kun?” The last took bet for the end of the second semester. Saitō, well, Rindou answered for him.

Nene and Satoshi closed the march for the Elite 10. Rindou, wanting to give them some privacy, accelerated the pace and dragged with her Kuga and Saitō. Thanking his Senpai silently, Satoshi took Nene’s hand and dragged her out the way. « Where are we going? » asked Nene. « In calm place ». Satoshi did not see the smile that illuminated the features of Nene. Together since the end of the Azami era, moments “à deux”were rare. In addition to the courses and their work as a member of the Elite 10, they were very often asked for meetings, parties at the PSD or elsewhere. Satoshi and Nene no longer supported the few kisses and caresses stolen at the bend of a door. It had an impact on their moods, which Rindou had noticed …

Fifteen minutes later, Satoshi and Nene arrived at one of Tootsuki's most beautiful lakes. Bordered with cherry trees, the lake seemed to reflect the color of the flowers. « Whoa, the view is magnificent! » said Nene. She took Isshiki’s hand and took him to the lake. Satoshi took off his shoes and dipped his feet in the water. Nene, cold, just admired the trees. This view gave her inspiration for new dishes. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she did not pay attention to the arrival of Satoshi. « What are you thinking about, my love? » he asked, his arms encircling Nene's waist and resting his head on her shoulder. She slumped against him and replied, "I was thinking of a combination of flowers and Soba. ». « I did not take you here to think about cooking» he mumbled. Nene laughed heartily before her laughter choked in her throat. Satoshi kissed her in the hollow of his neck and made his way along her shoulder.

Nene, arching her neck, "Satoshi, we're outside, mmmh ..."

Satoshi: « Mmmh, nobody besides me knows this place, do not be afraid… »

Nene turned around to kiss Satoshi on the mouth. Satoshi awoke in her a strong desire. The latter, emboldened by the ardor of his beauty, knelt in the grass and dragged her with him. The kisses became more insistent.

In her arms, Nene was not afraid of being judged. Unconsciously, she pressed her body against Satoshi while holding her arms around his neck. The latter let his hands walk on the body of Nene and kissed her passionately. He was fighting against his own desire. If they continued like this, Satoshi would no longer answer for his actions. « Nene, stop… » he felt that she was stiffening in his arms.

Nene: « Did I hurt you? »

Satoshi: « Not at all, but I'm not sure how to resist longer. »

Nene: « Oh, do you feel like that? »

Satoshi: « You have no idea ... I want the best for you. The setting is enchanting but you deserve better. »

Nene was disappointed. She still wanted to kiss him, to cuddle but Satoshi scored a point. She was a Kinokuni; it was out of the question to leave oneself in a public place. "Let's go back, I know a side path to go back to the residence. “ Isshiki said. Reluctantly leaving their paradise, they turned back, entwined, stopping here and there to kiss each other.

Back at her apartment, Nene was sorting her emails. A letter from her father caught her attention:

« Nene,

You will find an invitation for a Ryuuteki concert at the imperial palace in Tokyo from one of our suppliers. The performance will take place on Saturday XX / XX / XXXX in the evening. You will have the privilege of sleeping in a suite of the imperial palace. You are free to bring one more person because the apartment has two rooms.

Get well darling»

Nene could not believe it. From an early age, she practiced this instrument. What an honor to go and listen to professionals. At the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, one could not dream of a more enchanting setting. And then, this weekend, was not it the perfect opportunity to spend time with Satoshi? She called him immediately and the latter agreed.

 On D-Day, Satoshi and Nene took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. Arrived separately at the station, they found themselves in the wagon dedicated to Elite 10. Thanks to a helping hand from Rindou, they had it for themselves. Satoshi laughed inside thinking about the threat of Rindou: “Hooray Isshiki-kun, have a nice week-end. For the record, you better choose me as your best woman for the wedding, otherwise I’ll crush you.” Nene fell asleep once installed in the train. Satoshi looked at her tenderly and took her in his arms. He also settled comfortably and thought of the weekend. In preparation for the concert, Nene had taken him shopping in the best kimono tailor in the city. She had given him the layout of the suite and he hoped to make use of one room only. A point was tapping him. Was Nene ready to go further? She surrendered with delight to their kisses and caresses. But that did not mean she was ready for the rest ... On his thoughts, Satoshi fell asleep too, Nene on his chest.

Arrived at the imperial palace at the end of the day, they prepared for the evening. Seeing Nene leave her room in a cherry-colored kimono, Satoshi's heart missed a beat. She was lovely. Nene had the same reaction when he saw him. “Kami, Nene-chan you knew what you did when you brought me to the tailor” said Satoshi. “Who do you take me for, I’ve got a good taste” replied Nene. Theirs kimonos complemented each other. And Nene wanted so bad to kiss him right now. He was so handsome, Kami…

The concert lasted a good three hours, including intermission. During a break, Nene went to refresh herself. Leaving the women's baths, she rejoined Satoshi while looking around. She caught a man looking in the direction of her beloved. « Who’s that? Why did he look Isshiki like that? »

At midnight, after formalities, Nene and Satoshi joined their suite.

Satoshi: « Did you enjoy the show, Nene-chan? »

Nene: “Yes, of course, have you seen the dancers? They were amazing! I want them to teach me!”

Satoshi: “You took dances lessons when you were a kid right? I’m sure you can dance like them!”

Nene: “You try to cheer me up? Don’t worry; I know how to recognize a pro when I see one”.

“Then dance for me.” With these words, Satoshi took out from his kimono a ryuuteki and started to play. Nene was first shocked “When did he stole that? It cost thousands of yens!!!” Then she looked at him. His eyes were like a lion, hunting for his prey. “We can both be the hunter” she thought. Nene took her fan and started to dance. Each step, she looked at him, not ashamed.

Satoshi was hypnotized by Nene. Her movements were so appealing that he played without paying attention to the music. His desire grown minute after minute. When she stopped, Satoshi jumped like a lion and kissed her fiercely. She returned his kiss with the same ardor. Satoshi pushed her and looked at her intently, her eyes burning with passion.

Satoshi: “Nene, I want you, your body and your soul, all of you tonight. If you don’t want to go further, tell me and we stop here.”

Nene: “I’m scared because you’re my first and only boyfriend. I don’t know what to expect but Rindou-Senpai told me it can be hurtful the first time.”

Satoshi: “Yes, she didn’t lie. I can’t promise you it won’t hurt, but I promise to be gentle.”

Nene: “Will you still love me after?”

Satoshi: “I loved you yesterday, I love you today, I’ll love you tomorrow and the others days. Until death tears us apart”.

Nene replied “Me too” and she kissed him. Satoshi picked her in newlywed style and said “It’s tradition for the groom to bring the bride in his house. So come to my room”. And he kissed her back.

After delicately placing Nene on the futon, Satoshi undressed. Well, he removed the top of his kimono. She saw him several times in naked-apron mode anyways he wanted to be right for her first time.

He leaned toward her and started to kiss her again. Nene felt her desire grow as Satoshi kissed her face, her lips, and her neck. He straightened up and tackled her kimono, trying to lower it. "It would be simpler if you let me undo the obi.” Satoshi helped her stand up and watched her undo the belt of her kimono. Once the action was done, Nene took his hands and put them on her shoulders: "Continue". Satoshi kissed her and said, "You too can touch me."

Naked one against the other, each one was acquainted with the body of the other. Satoshi never tired of kissing Nene's body. More experienced in the art of love, he wanted her to discover the pleasure points of her body. Nene, for her part, could not restrain her moans of pleasure. Satoshi obviously loved her breasts and his hands were preparing her body for the next events.

« Satoshi-kun, please… » were the last words of Nene before an orgasm was crossing her. Her sight was blank for a few seconds. Satoshi was happy. After long years of misunderstanding, they’re finally together. Nene got back to her senses and she looked at him. “Come, you must be at you limit, right?” she said before kissing him. “Let me put a condom first, I want to travel with you for years before having children.” He turned away to protect them and he got back to her mouth. Positioning himself, he introduced himself into her, attentive to his reactions. Being a virgin, Nene was surprised and her body was tense. Satoshi kissed her while continuing his progression. « It’s okay, I’m sorry but it’ll be okay after » he said after breaking his hymen. Nene was hurt but less than she had imagined. She would learn, later, from Satoshi's mouth the role of foreplay. When he was fully inside her, he waited for her to get accustomed to him. After some time, she took his head in her hands and said “What’s next?” Satoshi replied with a sexy smirk: “We’re starting to climb”. And then he moved. He guided Nene with her hips and soon the room was filled by heated noises from both sides…

 Satoshi woke up first. They slept quickly after their first coupling as they were both tired. Letting Nene sleeping, Satoshi went to the main room. Then he saw an envelope near the fusuma. He opened and read the following:

“Master Isshiki Satoshi,

I’ll gladly see you in the imperial garden at 9.00 am.

Your devoted servant”

The clock rang 8.00 am.

[taku-megu]

Isshiki had the same reaction and Souma was the one who confronted her. What does this mean!!!!!

Hello, Anon-san, thank you for reaching out.  I’ve always beenstruggling with writing and interpreting that I ended up wondering whether 

“This” = Isshiki’s reaction?  Soma’s reaction?  My postregarding Takumi’s reaction?  

After many days, a wordy+biased post toward the reactions of the threeboys is the best way I can think of to response, which is under thecut.

Let me warn that continue reading means you may have to put up with me missing thepoint / getting wrong impressions / questioning Takumi’s personality / likingSouma and Megumi’s friendship

_:(´ཀ`」∠):_

“Isshiki had the same reaction”

Isshik and Takumi.  Similar reactions, but different personalities and ways of doing things, and therefore different interpretations. 

Of all rebels, Isshiki knows Megumi the longest time, even longer than Souma, Takumi, and Erina.  He also has faith in her and Souma’s capabilities more than any other Polar Star residents.  As a senpai who has been watching her, caring about her, and having faith on her since junior high, he feels for her loss but at the same time he knows that she can take the loss.  Encouraging her is something can be done later on, after the 3rd bout, or even after the Regiment de Cuisine.  At this moment, at this place, as the vice/co-captain of the Rebel Team, his priority is what comes after the 3rd bout – the rest of the Regiment de Cuisine.  

He can definitely take one or two minutes to exchange a few words, but this is not his way of doing things.  Souma and Takumi are the ones who normally act spontaneously and speak on the spur of the moment, not him.  He tends to confront someone one-on-one without anyone else noticing.  His activities / schemes tend to happen secretly and then revealed afterward.  Instead of doing the same thing Souma did, having thoughtful interactions with just the two of them when the time comes suits his style more, if he indeed wants to that is.

And compared to Takumi’s reaction, he got one morepanel.  That moment when the result ofher match announced, that serious look on his face.  A serious look from someone who normallyremains cool and nonchalant regardless of the circumstance only means thesituation becomes dire enough for him to throw away his mask.  I certainly feel that her matchtriggered something within him and some imaginations sparked in my mind just onthese panels alone.  If there is anythingleft for me to look forward to in this manga, that would be a going-all-outIsshiki delivering substantial damage upon his next opponent.  It will be a bonus if the bond betweenIsshiki and Megumi is revealed to be stronger and more than what was shown, but it’s up to the author to decide.

“Souma was the one whoconfronted her”

Even though Erina and Hisako are the first Tootsuki girls Souma met during the entrance examination, Megumi is the first friend he made at Tootsuki.

Ever since then, Souma and Megumi have been doing many things, going different places, and meeting different people together.  Megumi is one of Souma’s closest friends who know Souma well and vice versa.  

During their unofficial Shokugeki against Shinomiya, an important ordeal that they went through together, he got to see her cryings (which she avoids to do in front of her Polar Star friends) and got to taste the frustration from losing a match that comes with serious consequences, something different from his casual matches against his dad.  Of all SnS chefs, he is actually the one getting the biggest record of on/off-screen defeats (to his dad Jouichirou, Shinomiya, Hayama, Eishi, and Megishima)  So when Megumi lost to Momo, of all people, he knows her fragile side and what it’s like to lose the most that it’s natural for him to check up on her right away and to think about how he understands her bitterness thereafter.  

Therefore regarding Souma being the first one facing Megumi, I’d say he did the right thing at the right time and I am happy to see that whether she wins or loses, he still cares about her as a friend.  Their trusting friendship is one thing that I appreciate about SnS and it is his reaction and monologue that helped me to cope with ch.240 and stopped me from hating the author even further.  

Takumi’s reaction is the one reaction that I want to scream “What does this mean!!!!!” to.

At first I thought he will say something to Megumi later on, but looking back, he is not the kind of guy who would hold back and wait until later.  

When Isami got eliminated in the Autumn Election preliminaries, he immediately put his hand on Isami’s shoulder to show emotional support.  

When Rentarō Kusunoki of Central insulted these couldn’t defeat him, he and Souma immediately stepped out and talked back. 

When Azami Nakumi was super excited about the upcoming Regiment de Cuisine, he immediately interrupted and stated that he shouldn’t act like he already won because the rebels will win for sure.  

Unlike Isshiki, when Takumi has something in his mind, he lets it out right away and without hesitation.  Which is why his lack of response makes me wonder. 

He has nothing to say?  Really?  Seriously?  

Or is there something serious enough for him to keep to himself for now or forever, since one thing that he didn’t show to anyone is the frustration and misery resulted from losing against Subaru and temporary leaving his Mezzaluna at Soma’s hand. 

What pierced through my heart though is that seemingly cold stare from him, which reminds me of Hojo judging Megumi and Nene telling Kuga to die.  Or is it just the way the artists draws that caused misunderstanding.  

Rather than imaginations, his panels raise questions.  One would expect that he knows her and trained with her long enough to care about her as a friend at the very least, to react similarly as the Polar Star members / Erina, especially after their teamwork being showcased.   

But then again, his character changed a lot since the Azami arc.  He seems to becoming more mature not to reveal his emotion as easily as before that maybe he is indeed holding back.  It’s hard to predict whether there will be anything else coming later.

In the end, while Isshiki’s reaction gives me something tolook forward to in future chapters and Souma’s reaction helps me to cope withthis betrayal from the author, Takumi’s reaction brings me insanity.

You are not the only one saying What does it mean, Anon-San.  I want to know What does it mean as well and thank you for the opportunity for me to ramble about it.  

[greatninjadragon]

My Manga Thoughts Shokugeki no Soma 208

“He’s drawn looking silly ergo this is suppose to be silly.”

Shokugeki no Soma 208 Feet Planted on the Ground -The rules are as follows: chefs who win their match can go to the next round and participate in other matches; if one side completely defeats all members on the other in two consecutive matches, they’re declared the winner; and participants can help their allies. -Nene feels confident in her skills due to the theme being soba. We learn that throughout her childhood, Nene not only studied traditional Japanese cuisine but many forms of traditional Japanese customs such as dance, calligraphy, and music. -She spent all her time after school learning these and she would sometimes look at her other classmates having fun and want the same freedom as them. NOT. -Yeah turns out she was actually into all the stuff she was forced to do and would hone her skills as well as have others praise her abilities. -While Nene kneads the dough, Azami gives out a lecture to the students about her technique and how her skills are letting her make the noodles with the bare minimum amount of water. -Nene takes a break to tell Soma that while he got far on creative and wild ideas, he lacks the knowledge and experience with making soba to win this match. This wilds up the crowd who are completely on Nene’s side. We are aware that there are two other matches also going on right now right? -Soma thinks back to his training where his dad asks how he plans to win. Soma just says he’ll use his wits, but Jouchirou points out he lost against Hayama in the Autumn Election with that. -Jouchirou explains Soma lost because he couldn’t match Hayama’s style. All the Elite 10 have master an art of cooking to it’s absolute best so spur of the moment wittiness won’t work. -He does say that Soma has one specialty in his cooking that he has lots of skill and experience in and that’s his experience from working in a diner. -Soma doesn’t budge or hesitates despite Nene’s words and proves by whipping out a noodle-making machine. From the art style, I feel like this is supposed to a preposterous move. -Everyone in the audience thinks that he’s giving up since he’s using a machine to help him (remember these are the brainwashed masses who think there’s only one right way to do something), but Erina, Azami, and Nene notice something. -Erina explains that people fuss about how noodles need to be handmade but even if they are that doesn’t mean they’ll be good. So many restaurants use machines to make noodles in order to avoid poor handwork. -There’s also something in there about ratio of flour to thickening and something about how that affects the taste. I’m not that sure. -Soma’s aim isn’t to make some high-class dish for the socially elite like Nene, but rather in his own style where it’s a dish that can be served to anyone who wants a bowl. -Nene starts to feel that Soma’s skills are close to her but she doesn’t feel shaken.

Rating: 6/10. (good start of the first match)

Thoughts: We are given more insight on Nene and how her character completely contrasts Soma’s character. As shown, Nene grew up in a household where she was forced to upheld many traditional practices. And for once they don’t go the tripe “I want to live like the other kids” route. Instead they subvert by not only saying she liked doing this stuff but she felt pride in it. While the explanation about soba was something I couldn’t follow that well, the gist of it is that Nene and Soma are cooking there’s in ways that match their own personalities. Nene’s style is the kind upper class people demand, while Soma is focusing on something the common man would enjoy. Basically it’s a snobs vs slobs cooking match.

[sparda3g]

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Chapter 198 Review

A lesson for everyone, for better or worse; not to repeat the same mistake.

As I can't be so sure that this is the end of the flashback, especially since it connects to Gin's storytelling, this was a touching chapter to read through. It definitely explains a lot of Jouichirou and even more on some of the other elements. It also led to a gateway that practically formed this arc in the first place.

The beginning starts off with a chase game and the target is of course Jouichirou. I wouldn't blame those guys thinking that he probably committed suicide. In fact, there are plenty of anime that poke the idea that usually ends up being a big misunderstanding. It's a buildup for Gin to realize what he and others made a mistake when hanging with Jouichirou. As for Azami, there's a small hint of different approach of this news, so perhaps he got the "right" idea, maybe.

In fact, there's a mixed feelings among the reactions. Some are more disgusted when they can only think about his title to the world, not him as a person, which got me clenching my teeth. At the very least, there's a genuine concern from Jouichirou's friends, though it doesn't excuse the thought of them not realizing on why this even happened.

The obvious highlight is the sit down (literally) between Gin and Jouichirou. Each panels race towards to the moment of Jouichirou being found, yet in an empty arena, which that one page captured profoundly. At this moment, it is where Jouichirou finally open up and says that he has feeling lost for a long time. He feels that his passion is no longer there and the journey he was going with his friends became solo. Gin finally put the puzzle together and concludes that he and others has killed Jouichirou's love.

If there's anything to learn from this, it's that title isn't a name; title isn't a person. Everyone has a different viewpoint of a person like a prodigy or Asura, but none of them should forget that he's still human. Gin always saw him as a friend yet didn't really help him nor understand what he was going through, which is another lesson to know. Jouichirou was all alone because no one was there to say or act to remind him that he's not alone.

It also makes a lot of sense on why Gin was really concern of Hayama. While it is not exactly the same, he was losing the sense of love for cooking; Gin wasn't having it. That's why he warned him back in Autumn Election, not to lose your thoughts after a huge win. Not to mention, Soma and others were treating him like a friend, which showed promises. That really gelled well.

What made this chapter great is the artwork and I can't fathom enough about it. When it comes to creating the atmosphere of loneliness and the scars, the artist did a impressive job. It's the way on how it was all paneled out that made it sublime. That lonely shot of him in the arena captures the essence of his character. The lost of a foot and continuing forward is the pain he has to go but won't stop because it's not over. Once the light goes out, he can't see the direction; it becomes an endless journey. The art greatly benefit its content.

The ending left a sad note that could just end it there or reveal a little more. Senzaemon, head master, is smart enough to see the problem and rather to push him forward, he tells him to leave the country and separate from cooking and dishes; think as an early retirement. That's how bad it has gotten for him. To think at a young age, you have to leave the thing you loved the most.

Jouichirou manages to laugh before leaving, which resembles to the early days, only it just don't have the same feeling. Once he departs, it was the last time in their school days. The reaction from his friends is mixed. Gin has the sympathetic look of regret; Azami has the look of a turning point: the dark side. To think, he was that shy kid. Off he goes and the story ends. At least, that's what I think.

If this is the end, it was a really nicely done story of a man who had everything for his goal, but nothing in return. When there are friends, they must know him deeply. When there are judges and critics, they must know him as a person. When he feels like there's nothing to gain anymore, he must know that there's always something special lies ahead.

[shokugekinosoumablog]

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma: The Third Plate (San no Sara) Episode 3 (Summary) "Moon Festival" "Gekkyōsai" (月饗祭)

The first day of the Moon Festival commences and Kuga's restaurant immediately gets a long line of customers, while Soma manages to impress the few he is getting. The booths run by Isshiki and the Polar Star Dormitory, the Don RS by Ikumi and the pop-up Trattoria Aldini by the Aldini brothers all seem to be going well. By the end of the day, Kuga's restaurant has clinched first place in terms of sales in the Central area, and the only two booths that lost money were Soma's and Shiomi Seminar's, leaving Erina appalled as they were all competitors who made it to the main tournament of the Autumn Elections. Day 2 passes and Kuga's restaurant takes the first place again, while Soma manages to climb up five rungs from last place with the introduction of a new noodle dish created by slicing up the dough for the Hujiao bing into noodles and pairing them with garlic, shrimp stock, and the ground pork filling, improvising from ta-a noodles. Meanwhile, Alice decides to start over and cooperate with Hayama to make a dish that will satisfy customers.

[polar-stars]

A little (personal) Ranking of the Shokugeki openings

 Now that the final ones are out; I thought I could share my thoughts and opinions on the openings and endings we had throughout the years :0

Keep in mind: Personal. When it comes to music, tastes tend to vary.....drastically at times. Please don’t get offended if your favorite OP is not on place one 

I’ll do the endings in a separate post I think. Because I already spent much more time thanI expected on this one alone. 

-

Openings

1. Opening of Season 3, 1st core (”Braver”) - For a long time I struggled with naming my absolute fave of all the openings, because, until “Chronos”, I liked them all a hella lot and they never failed to get me hyped up for the episode that’s about to ensue. However, now I stand here and I can safely say that “Braver” is my ultimate fave out of all the openings of Shokugeki. It’s just so powerful and full of energy and I don’t think any other opening just filled me with so much anticipation and thrill of what’s about to come. Whatever one might think of it I think we can all agree that Central Arc was a shift of tone for Shokugeki and I think “Braver” also captures said shift pretty well. The openings beforehand just...sound more light-hearted in my opinion? They’re certainly rocky but also just more cheery I would say. “Braver” sounds more serious and tense in comparison. And everything is perfectly complimented....through the visuals. Oh god the visuals. While they’re rather spoiler-y indeed, they’re still....so good? So fitting to the music and the story that’s about to come? Just...Already the title card and how we see the dark clouds over Totsuki with some flashes of lightening instantly tells us: “Okay, this story is going to take a turn.” And it’s just?? Kinda really epic to me? Then there’s those fun character intros, the very dubious and also harsh showcase of the Elite 10, memories of Erina’s past....ahhh. I could gush about the visuals for hours being real. But that’s ultimately also what puts “Braver” on the top spot. Not only is it the opening that I revisit the most when listening to music, it’s also the one I just enjoy watching the most because it’s just such a delight for me. 

Also “Braver” has OTP-Moments.

2. 2nd Opening of Season 1 (”Rising Rainbow”) - Yeah, I really do prefer that one over “Kibou no Uta”...you’re allowed to be insulted. But ah, what can I say? The Autumn Election Premlins are just one of my favorite parts of Shokugeki as a whole. It gave many of the characters I love and cherish some pretty epic spotlight and just....It was great! “Rising Rainbow” also just simply appeals to me more in terms of music and the visuals are super fun as well. I especially like the character intros of “Rising Rainbow”. I tended to skip through “Kibou no Uta” at times, but I never skipped through “Rising Rainbow” I think. It was just fun to me. Nowadays, “Rising Rainbow” also just has really strong nostalgic value given that it’s from Season 1 🤷🏻‍♀️ Lastly, there’s also the fact that I read through the lyrics of “Rising Rainbow” and like...they’re really beautiful to me...

3. Opening of Season 3, 2nd cour (”Symbol”) - I SWEAR “KIBOU NO UTA” WILL BE THE NEXT ONE. But man, what can I say....I just really, really often listen to “Symbol”. It’s really energetic but, like “BRAVER”, it has more of a serious, tense touch to it...fitting for the Central plotline. It even feels....kind off hopeless? Like, idk, we’re about to witness a battle that just seems to go nowhere but they’ll still give it their all? (which it should have been being real). It just, to me, really paints the foes they’re about to take on as strong and fearsome in a sense. The visuals are ultimately not as exciting and thrilling as Braver’s to me, but still a lot of fun regardless (especially the Elite’s part. I live for that stuff). 

4. 1st Opening of Season 1 (”Kibou no Uta”) - My preference for “Symbol” over “Kibou no Uta” is just really paper-thin being real. But well, what “Kibou no Uta” has majorly going for it to me is actually just the heavy nostalgia. It’s the very first opening. The one that started it all. Of course I do have some sort off connection to it. When listening to it it does never fail to make me think of easier days and I relate fond memories to it. But honestly? Back when I actually was 16 and began to watch through Shokugeki? It took me so long to warm up to the opening? It wasn’t my kind off thing at all in the beginning? ahdhd But yes it eventually grew onto me, but meep...There’s just other openings I liked instantly haha. But this one will always have a special place in my heart. 

5. Opening of Season 2 (”Rough Diamonds”) - “Rough Diamonds” is so pumpin’ and energetic and as I was younger and so immensely hyped for Season 2 because I loved Season 1 so much...I honestly loved it and it took my heart by storm? So meep, there’s also some nostalgia attached to this one. But I think what ultimately puts it lower on my list these days is that...I listen to it very rarely these days and it’s also from the Season kind off revisit the least actually? “Ni no Sara” was not terrible, but it rushed through what’s one of Shokugeki’s best arcs of them all and it just...It just cut so much and added so little and that really disappointed me back then. (So many....lost OTP scenes honestly. Season 2 is so DRY of MarYu moments, 16-yo me was SAD okay). So yah....

6. Okay so what is the newest opening called? According to the Wikia its...well: Opening of Season 5 (”Last Chapter”) - I like the song being real? Just doesn’t have as much power as some of the other openings but well, it’s fine. Music-wise I have no issues. Also, the opening does start sweetly. Very sweetly. I love the opening scene of this opening. (okay Lea we get it, shut tf up) But aside from that, meh...It’s just, this is the opening to the season I’m least excited for? Visual-wise it first shows my beloved character (one of them being hidden in the corner, which is also a HUGE minus point to this opening because WTF IS HE DOING THERE) but meh, it comes with the aftertaste that I know in advance that they’ll barely get to do anything this season. And then it goes on to show the stuff that....I couldn’t care less for? Because BLUE Arc.....sucks. It just sucks. And too much reminds me of my beloved anime just being destroyed by the carelessness of an author and //SIGHS//. It’s regardless visually more exciting than the last place so meep. 

(also were Erina and Asahi in wedding clothes REALLY necessary?! It comes across as so sickening now that it’s been revealed to manga readers at least that the two have the same father?)

7. Opening of Season 4 (”Chronos”) - I don’t really dislike the song itself. It’s fine...I listen to it occasionally but even music-wise it just doesn’t have the same strength as the other openings to me. But what truly, truly puts this opening on last place are the visuals. The visuals are....boring. They’re so, so, so boring. Except for Soma and Erina, no one is allowed to move even a hand and it all just comes across as insanely stiff and unexciting? It was honestly just a let down for me? Because unlike the recent season, I was actually excited for that one and just...”Chronos” is such an immense down-grade after we had both “Braver” and “Symbol” within the Central Story to me. Honestly? I skipped it every single time when watching through Season 4. Because it just wasn’t exciting. 

[alexthegamingboy]

Toonami Weekly Recap 02/08/2020

Sword Art Online: Alicization: War of Underworld EP#28 (04) - Dark Territory: During the dive into the Underworld, Gabriel Miller briefly flashes back to his childhood obsession with souls. After logging in with the super-account representing the Dark Emperor Vecta, he quickly gains control of the army of the Dark Territory. General Shasta, being less than pleased with the Emperor's plans, confides in his top soldier and lover, Lipia, that the Emperor must be killed to keep the peace. Vecta communicates with his soldiers in the real world and retires to his bedroom, greeted by Lipia. Disguised as a concubine, Lipia attacks him with a hidden knife, but Vecta quickly subdues her and chokes her to death, watching her glowing soul leave her body. He flashes back to his childhood obsession with souls and hix fixation on his friend named Alicia. Convinced her soul must be hidden deep beneath her brain matter, he jammed a long needle into her ear. As she died, he saw a glittering glow leave her body and ascend into the sky. In the Underworld, Vecta addresses his legion of soldiers and presents Lipia's head frozen in ice as a warning to any who would challenge him. Shocked at the death of his lover, Shasta tries to kill Vecta and unleashes a storm of incarnation, nearly wiping out the leaders of each respective army. As he aims for Vecta, he is sucked into a void in his soul and disappears, leaving Vecta unfazed. Meanwhile, in the human empire, Alice and Kirito arrive in the eastern camp near the Eastern Gate. Alice discovers that the gate is going to fall in a matter of days, removing the barrier between the Dark Territory and the Human Empire.

My Hero Academia Shie Hassaikai Arc Season 4 EP#75 (12) - Unforeseen Hope: After leaving restrained to Rock Lock, Sir Nighteye's group catch up to Mirio after he lost his Quirk protecting Eri from a Quirk-Killer Bullet. But Hari Kurono removes himself and Aizawa from play, revealing Eri to be the previous boss's granddaughter. Overhaul refuses to accept defeat as he uses his Quirk to assimilate Nemoto and turn himself into a monster while revealing that Mirio lost his Quirk, Nighteye ordering Izuku to take Mirio and Eri to safety while he holds the villain off. But Nighteye is wounded, while his Quirk shows him a future where he and Izuku are killed. But despite that and Overhaul using Nemeto's Quirk, Izuku refuses to give up on saving Eri.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind EP#13 - Man in the Mirror and Purple Haze: Abbacchio attempts to retrieve the key, but Illuso uses a nearby piece of a mirror to draw him into the mirror world. Abbacchio attempts to trick Illuso into taking Moody Blues into the mirror, but Illuso counterattacks, leaving half of Abbacchio and Moody Blues in each world, rendering each powerless. In desperation, Abbacchio cuts off his own hand, enabling Moody Blues' hand to grab and deliver the key to Giorno. However, rather than flee with the key, Giorno allows himself to be dragged into the mirror world by Illuso. Giorno reveals he had infected himself with Purple Haze's virus, and has now passed it on to Illuso. To save himself, Illuso escapes back into the real world, leaving his infected arm in the mirror world. However, Giorno had earlier used Gold Experience to turn a brick into a snake which tracks Illuso's position, enabling Fugo to follow and kill him with Purple Haze. As Illuso dies, Fugo, Abbacchio and Giorno return to the real world, where Giorno uses the snake's antibodies to cure his own infection before tasking Fugo with treating Abbacchio's wounds.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Natagumo Mountain Arc EP#15 - Mount Natagumo: Zenitsu has been told Nezuko is Tanjiro's sister and develops a crush on her. A Kasugai crow comes after the doctor says they're healed and tells the three to go to Mt. Natagumo. They come in sight of the mountain, though Zenitsu is too scared to go on. Tanjiro smells something and runs to it, Zenitsu forced to follow so he isn't left alone. They find a wounded Demon Slayer collapsed on the path but he is yanked into the trees by threads attached to him. They find another terrified demon slayer, Murata, who tells them ten higher ranked demon slayers, including him, came to the mountain, but they started killing each other. An exhausted Kasugai crow is shown on the lap of the Demon Slayer's commander, who notes many have been killed and thinks the Twelve Kizuki may be there. He sends two of the Hashiras (the best swordsmen): Tomioka Giyū and Shinobu to the mountain as backup. Meanwhile, Zenitsu still sits on the path, having been left when Tanjiro and Inosuke ran forward. He cajoles himself into going when he realizes Tanjiro took "his Nezuko" into the mountain. At the mountain, the captured Demon Slayers walk out from the trees and start attacking Tanjiro's group. Tanjiro stops Inosuke from attacking as some are still alive. He smells the threads attached to them and realizes that's how they're being manipulated. Inosuke frees them but a demoness, the Mother of the spider family, sends her spiders to reattach the puppet strings to the Demon Slayers. A white-haired demon boy, Rui, suddenly appears above them, standing on threads, and says Mother will kill them before leaving. To himself, Rui says no one will stop the five of them from living as a happy family. While Tanjiro and Murata keep the controlled Slayers busy, Inosuke uses his Spiritual Awareness to find Mother.

Dr. Stone Communications Arc EP#22 - The Treasure: In the search for tungsten, Senku, Chrome, and Magma search a nearby cave. After encountering a mica vein, Magma tries to save Senku from falling into a sinkhole, but both eventually are trapped. Chrome saves them both by filling the sinkhole up with water. The three hurriedly return back to the village after encountering a deposit rich with minerals in order to make it in time to celebrate Senku's birthday. While the three were gone, Gen and the village build an observatory for Senku.

Food Wars!: The Second Plate Totsuki Autumn Election Arc EP#28 - The Pursuer: The Shokugeki between Takumi and Mimasaka commences with Takumi's mezzaluna on the line. For the dessert theme, both sides decide to make a semifreddo. Mimasaka's investigative approach to Shokugekis is revealed: he makes his own twists on his opponent's recipes to improve his own dish. At first, Takumi desperately tries to think of twists he can make within the cooking time, but he remembers his training and calms down. After Mimasaka impresses the judges with his dish, Takumi presents his semifreddo with an added layer of lemon curd made with olive oil. However, Mimasaka reveals he had predicted Takumi's actions and added his own secret ingredient, preserved lemons, claiming both victory and Takumi's mezzaluna. Afterwards, Mimasaka shows up at Soma's dorm to challenge him to a Shokugeki in the semi-finals, putting up Takumi's mezzaluna for Soma's knife. However, Soma raises the stakes, putting his career as a chef on the line for all the tools Mimasaka had won in his past 100 Shokugekis. He also reveals to Mimasaka that he will be making beef stew for their match.

Black Clover: Elf Tribe Reincarnation Arc EP#104 - Lightning of Rage vs. Friends: The elf, Rufel, explains Lucks body is now his and Vanessa realises Luck is possessed. Rufel almost murders Magna but is stopped by Vanessa's cat Rouge, the Red String of Fate. Magna tries to attack Rufel but is also stopped by Rouge as she protects all Black Bulls, including Luck. Magna manages to trick Rufel with his knowledge of Luck's physical abilities and blows him up. Magna demands Rufel return Luck but Rufel summons a lightning storm, increasing his powers, and Magna only survives due to Rouge. Rufel realises that using Rouge costs vast amounts of magic and forces her to save Magna over and over again until Vanessa almost passes out. Rufel claims Luck's soul is dead but Magna spots that he is crying and realises Luck must be able to hear them, so they desperately try to force Luck to wake up. Rufel almost murders Magna but Rouge uses the last of her magic to alter fate, resulting in Asta appearing at the very last moment. Rufel manages to sense Asta's movements and tries to kill him, but Vanessa attaches a string to Asta, holding him back for a split second causing Rufel to mistime his attack and he is tackled to the ground by all three of them. Asta prepares to stab him in the chest and end the possession before Rufel unleashes an electrical explosion.

[polar-stars]

If you could've furthered any plotline intro'd either before or during the BLUE arc, what would they be? I know what you think the BLUE plotline, (I personally give it a C+), but was there anything you think that could've been furthered elaborated on? I thought some ideas were better then others, but the execution was off. I blame Shueisha's poor business model. SnS could've gone 400+ chapters (along with some other titles)

If I could ask for an arc to be redone and overworked, it would be Central Arc tbqh. 

This might be a contentious point to have, as many fans regard Central Arc to be the point where Shokugeki began to crumble, as the sudden usage of actual villains instead of normal rivals was something that many considered not fitting for the tone Shokugeki held before Azami’s introduction. 

I do understand that criticism, but personally I do actually like Central Arc’s premise. Establishing an totalitarian regime and putting the protagonists in a position of struggling revolt is just an interesting conflict for me that also holds a lot of potential for intriguing clashes and compelling drama.

My problem is how it was executed and that the execution of the premise did not live up to the potential that said premise has imo.

Central vs. Rebels ultimately became very generic Good vs. Bad. For the most part we’ve just been told that Central is bad and has to be taken down, instead of being shown that it is. I mean, look at how Central was established: Members of the Elite 10 voted Azami into power. But who exactly were the members that voted for Azami? Eishi, Rindou, Somei, Momo, Nene and Eizan. The members who were against it? Megishima, Isshiki and Kuga. My point here is that, Isshiki is out of all the Elite 10 members the most familiar one to us (save for Erina) as he’s been introduced somewhere in the most earliest chapters. We know him and he is someone trustworthy to us. Then there’s Kuga, who got at least some insight during Moon Banquet Festival and while not overly familiar to us at that point, because he was still relatively fresh, he was still a lot more familiar to us than most of the characters we had on Central’s side. Somei, Momo and Nene had barely any characterization back then. They were pretty much strangers to us. Eishi and Rindou got a bit to do before Central’s establishment, but still had a mysterious aura to them. The truly most familiar to us who voted Central into power is Eizan, as he was also established a lot earlier. Eizan admittedly did not do all too much in the series at that point, but the things he did indeed do were not really the actions of a good guy. He threatened Soma and was also the one to orchestrate the whole Mimasaka-situation in the Autumn Elections, a situation that put one of the fan-favorites, Takumi, through strong suffering. So yeah, Eizan is not what you could call a sympathetic character. And that’s the point; the people against Central were the more familiar one to us who we come to trust, while the people who ultimately got Central into power were a bunch of mysterious strangers to us + the one guy who we’ve already come to know as jerk and antagonist. That all is just a very blatant way to establish Central as the “evil side” and to have the reader root for the rebels instantly, because that’s the characters we know and love, right?

Based on it’s premise, I always thought of Central as an ideology-war. However, that requires to actually explore the ideology and convince the reader that one ideology is better than the other. But what we got instead is that the people who are responsible for this arc happening in the first place (The Traitor Elites) barely ever actually talk about the ideology they supposedly stand behind. The individual reasoning for voting Azami into the position of headmaster was not really explored for most of the Elites, so it all never felt all too convincing to me. The major change we see Azami make on Totsuki is getting rid of clubs in such, but most of his reformation is also not really shown on us. (It’s an overall theme in Shokugeki that Tsukuda dismisses the show, don’t tell rule to be perfectly honest) Meanwhile the Rebels are presented to be 100% in the right, as if the old system of Totsuki truly was absolutely perfect. I would have liked an exploration on good and bad on BOTH sides. How the old system DID have flaws, how there’s possibly some good ideas in Central’s regime but their actions are overall terribly unjust or they take things to the extreme. It requires a lot of writing skills, I’ll admit that and I don’t think I’d be able to write such a thing….But Tsukuda is a guy who makes a living out of writing, if I am not mistaken. 

Maybe he should have actually make an detailed “Survivor’s Hunt”, instead of just showing us one battle and nothing else, to get a lot more substance and character into the Central-Regime than just “baddies, that’s all you need to know”. 

Central gets concluded through the Regiment de cuisine which is therefore still part of the overall Central storyline, despite being counted as its own arc, so that should be redone as well.

RDC is something I view as even more critical. 

I like Central’s premise as I said, but RDC’s premise is something I’ve always seen as rather problematic and here’s why: RDC’s end goal is to have the Elite 10 defeated and that’s kinda were I am already frowning. The thing is that the Elite 10 had more build up than anything else in this series and ever since Shokugeki started they’ve been made out to be the ultimate, competent GODS of their universe. And then just this arc has as end goal that said GODS will be defeated within just one arc by mostly first-years. 

So yeah, that was just a problem for me and as the rebels ultimately won, in the process only Eishi and Rindou got to look like actually competent while the rest felt a lot more like normal rivals which is a shame and disservice to the build-up that the Elite 10 received over the course of the entire series. I mean, not even the Elites on the Rebels side got to do stuff that would be justice for them: Kuga lost his only battle in it, Megishima (*cough* former third seat, that’s a high number) got a win against a character with little to none characterization but lost his next fight and Isshiki also just got one win against a newly-established character who was not even made out as very competent but also lost the follow-up fight. 

For me, there’s two ways to possibly fix RDC:

1. Arena 51 Raid, they can’t stop all of us: Don’t get rid of half of your cast for cheap tension and actually have a much huger mess face the Elites. The number of people participating in a Regiment de cuisine does not have to be equal, so do not make it equal just to add tension. Have more people on the rebels side, because that would have make a victory of the rebels over the Elites possibly a bit more realistic to me. DONT SHOW ME MIYOKO AND NAO IN THE AUDIENCE SMILING ABOUT THE REBELS APPROACHING VICTORY BECAUSE NOW I AM FORCED TO ASK WHY THEY WERENT APPROACHED BY SOMA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RDC. The rebels should have recruited everyone they could get in their boat, it’s the Elite 10 they face off against for heaven’s sake. 

2. Lower the stakes and actually have Central win: Another problem with RDC are the ridiculous stakes for the rebels. Like damn, in case the Elites loose they loose their seats (which they can obtain again anyway, as presented to us by Nene and Eizan in 3rd year) and Central would have to dissolve. Which yeah, I guess, does kinda suck for them? But it’s not really something comparable to Erina and Jouichiro giving up their freedom as people to be in Azami’s clutches forever, plus Jouichiro closing the place that belongs to his wife’s family and all of the kids having to leave Totsuki forever. Given how immense the stakes were for the Rebels, it was pretty much inevitable that they’d win and therefore sucked out a lot of tension. So yeah, make the stakes something that does suck greatly (I mean, expulsion could still remain one I guess) but is not an ultimate destruction of an individual. And then, as I said, have Central actually being victorious in the Regiment de Cuisine, showcasing what actual monsters they are. What would follow up is the Rebels throughout 2nd year trying to win back the school, through other ways that could possibly interesting. Especially if they are possibly thrown off the school, but still don’t give up and seek their ways to make moves even from the outsides. 

MEEP

So yeah, I believe Central as well as RDC could have been done well and be interesting but ultimately were written very clumsily. I’d love to see a good rewrite of Central Arc. I’d to it myself, but I don’t consider myself skilled enough for it. However “Shokugeki no Kimiko” will have two arcs that very  strongly reflect what I would have wished for to be done with Central and RDC.

I hope that this ramble did make sense, although it was probably just insanely uncoordinated as always ; 7 ; And also me, not knowing how to word stuff properly. 

-

Aside from that, if you are to ask me, if there’s any arc Post-RDC I’d like to see redone, I’d say the Beach Arc should be stretched out a little as I think it was much too short but actually a very fun idea. 

[alexthegamingboy]

Toonami Weekly Recap 11/23/2019 (The Forge Edition, Week 3)

My Hero Academia Shie Hassaikai Arc Season 4 EP#65 (02) - Boy Meets...: Izuku battles Sir Nighteye to get his stamp and approval to join his agency. However, midway through battle, Nighteye reveals a secret about All Might that shakes Izuku's confidence greatly.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind EP#05 - Find Polpo's Fortune!: News of Polpo's apparent suicide reaches the organization, along with suspicion that Bucciarati knows the location of Polpo's hidden fortune. Meanwhile, Giorno is introduced to the other members of Passione: Leone Abbacchio, Narancia Ghirga, Guido Mista and Pannacotta Fugo. After learning of Polpo's death, Bucciarati takes his team on a yacht to Capri to retrieve Polpo's fortune and attain the rank of capo. Narancia, Mista and Fugo mysteriously vanish, leading Bucciarati to suspect someone has sneaked onto the yacht and is targeting him for the fortune. Giorno deduces that the others are still alive and acts as bait to lure out the enemy Stand, prompting Abbacchio, who initially distrusted Giorno, to bring out his own Stand.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba EP#07 - Muzan Kibutsuji: Tanjiro enters the demons' swamp to fight two of them, while Nezuko protects Kazumi and the human girl from the other. Although the air is thin and the swamp is dark, his Water Style shows its true power when underwater, allowing him to create a whirlpool that eviscerates the two and return quickly to the surface. The siblings confront the final demon, who has been severely injured, and Tanjiro demands that he tell him anything about Muzan, causing the demon to become completely terrified, shocking Tanjiro. Nezuko falls asleep after her battle and returns to her box as Tanjiro comforts the devastated Kazumi and returns Satoko's hair ribbon he found in the swamp. Kazumi is in grief at first, but after realising that Tanjiro had gone through something similar, apologises. Tanjiro journeys to Asakusa per his Kasugai crow's directions, and to his horror, locates Muzan living in disguise as the father of a human family by following his scent. Muzan, recognising that Tanjiro is from the Demon Slayer Corps, casually slices the neck of a passerby, turning him into a demon.

One-Punch Man 2 EP#07 (19) - The S Class Heroes: Child Emperor (S Class Hero Rank 5) uses his robot Underdog Man No. 22 to analyze a monster named Eyesight's poisons to find a cure for the paralysis. Child Emperor then proceeds to detonate Underdog Man when it's near Eyesight, but that did not successfully kill her as she hardened her skin. Eyesight then manages to find Child Emperor, but is interrupted and eaten by Pig God (S Class Hero Rank 10). Pig God decides to go after the other monsters in Y-City afterwards. Garou tries to go after Watchdog Man (S Class Hero Rank 12), but a monster beats him to it. Drive Knight (S Class Hero Rank 9) interrogates a monster he spared after killing the others. Death Gatling (Class A Hero Rank 8) gathers other heroes to fight Hundred Eyes Octopus, but Flashy Flash (S Class Hero Rank 13) arrives and grievously wounds it with his incredible speed. Right when Flashy Flash is about to unleash his final move, Tatsumaki (S Class Hero Rank 2) arrives and kills Hundred Eyes Octopus with ease, berating Flashy Flash for being too slow before leaving, but not before Flash insults her back. Amai Mask kills monsters in his concert and Mumen Rider and Tank Top Master defeat monsters in the hospital. Atomic Samurai attends a meeting with the Council of Swordsmasters (Nichirin, Amahare, Zanbai, and Haragiri) to discuss the Garou problem. Haragiri reveals that he has sided with the Monster Association, and gives the sword masters 3 monster cells which will amplify their strength, speed and skill at the cost of their humanity and turning them into monsters. Haragiri tries to kill Atomic Samurai (as Atomic Samurai is too much of a threat). but Atomic Samurai slays Haragiri before leaving with his disciples (Bushidrill, Iaian and Okamaitachi) to find the Monster Association base. Meanwhile in the Super Fight Tournament, Saitama defeats Sourface and Choze before facing off against Suiryu in the finals, with Suiryu promising to show Saitama what martial arts are all about. During the fight Suiryu begins to express his disdain about the hero lifestyle, and tries to persuade Saitama not to become a hero since it is pointless and boring to do heroic justice and save the day. Instead, Suiryu remarks that people with great strength such as Saitama should seek thrills, just like him before he kicks Saitama in the head. Angered and annoyed, Saitama lets the kick connect, knocking the wig off his head. Finally exposed, Saitama throws a short range punch while exclaiming that if Suiryu's goal is to seek fun, he shouldn't try to make himself stronger than he is currently. However, Saitama restrains his punch before it hits Suiryu, which creates a powerful shock wave that blows off Suiryu's clothes, exposing his muscular body and leaving him in a state of deep shock. Despite Saitama being disqualified, Suiryu still attacks Saitama in anger, even using his final attack (Void Phoenix Ascension Fist). Saitama is unfazed by the assault. When Saitama says that martial arts are techniques that make you look cool, and starts spinning around, Suiryu tries to attack Saitama yet again but is knocked back by Saitama into a wall while taking Saitama's white belt, resulting in Saitama's pants falling down. Despite Suiryu embarrassing Saitama with that action, he is still in deep shock that he lost. In the post-credit scene, Genos wakes up from the wreckage, and a monster is heading toward the Martial Arts Tournament.

Dr. Stone Village Games Arc EP#14 - Master of Flame: Magma tricks Kinro into consulting the referee so he can attack from behind and win the match for himself. He then has Mantle throw his match against Chrome in order to disqualify Kohaku, who fails to get back in time. Faced in a one-sided semi-final match against Magma, Chrome uses his own tears with Suika's mask to create a magnifying lens that can start a fire. Needing to buy time, Gen returns and uses his "sorcery" to distract Magma long enough for Chrome to set fire to Magma's clothes and win the match.

Fire Force EP#17 - Black and White and Gray: Shinra is freed from his bindings by Hibana and immediately heads back to the workshop, bypassing the fight between Arthur, Flail and Mirage. Inside the workshop, Giovanni continues to destroy Vulcan's equipment until he breaks Vulcan's projector, which reveals the key to Amaterasu. As Giovanni attempts to kill Vulcan, Shinra blasts his way in the workshop and knocks back Giovanni. Lisa uses her magnet-based pyrokinesis to subdue Shinra, but Vulcan has Iris press random buttons to eject magnetized metal equipment which nullifies Lisa's powers. However, as Hibana was aiding Arthur against Flail and Mirage, one of the metal equipment Iris ejected inadvertently hits Hibana and knocks her out. Shinra is able to gain the advantage over Giovanni and knocks him outside the workshop. Once outside, Shinra finally meets Sho and is overjoyed to finally reunite with him. However, Sho uses his incredible speed to subdue Shinra and seriously injure Arthur. Victor arrives in the nick of time and uses a truck to pickup Shinra, Arthur, Iris, Vulcan, Yu and Hibana to escape. Just as Sho is able to catch up with the group, Joker intervenes and matches Sho's speed and power as they fight. As Shinra and the others escape to safety, Joker retreats, but not before damaging Sho's sword. Yu is taken to the hospital for his injuries as Vulcan agrees to go to the 8th for safety. Victor denies Hibana's claims that he led Sho and his followers to Shinra. At the Company 8 firehouse, Vulcan is surprised to see that the 8th is not like how he perceived the Fire Force to be. The next day, Vulcan returns to the workshop with Shinra and Arthur to visit his father and grandfather's grave one more time. Vulcan tells father and grandfather that to save the world, he will have to break his promise and join the Fire Force.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma Totsuki Autumn Election Arc EP#20 - The Dragon Lies Down and Ascends the Skies: With the challenge of creating a curry dish set, many of the contestants set off to visit their families and study up on spices during the remainder of the summer. Soma stays at the dorms to try out various spice combinations. The Autumn Election preliminaries soon arrive, and it is revealed that only the top four from each group will make it through to the tournament phase. As the contestants begin cooking, Soma appears to have fallen asleep.

Lupin the 3rd Part 5 Enzo Bron Arc EP#23 - Just Then, An Old Buddy Said Something: Enzo is triumphant about capturing Lupin III, but coldly disregards the reappearance of his long-lost daughter Ami. Zenigata and Yatagarasu take the wounded Lupin and the remorseful Goemon into custody, while Fujiko remains Enzo's willing prisoner, secure in her faith that Lupin will return for her. Although hunted by the police, Jigen later intercepts the prison transport carrying Lupin and Goemon and frees them using a sub-armory of weapons stashed in his car. However, despite the technological odds against him, Lupin refuses to reject his lifestyle as a master thief, and instead seeks refuge in the Grand Duchy of Cagliostro. Hidden below the ruined castle, Lupin turns the tables against Enzo by using PeopleLog to air the dirty laundry of the world's governments. As Shake Handz begins to suffer from the first wave of repercussions, Lupin and his friends initiate the first phase of their final strike.

Black Clover: Elf Tribe Reincarnation Arc EP#96 - The Black Bulls Captain vs. the Crimson Wild Rose: The Midnight Sun members all begin to disintegrate as they too are sacrificed to fuel the resurrection. All over the Clover Kingdom humans begin to transform as the souls of the elves are reincarnated into their bodies, including most of the Royal Knights. Patry declares that the extinction of humans has begun as the reincarnated elves begin their attack. Yami is confronted by two elves in the bodies of Owen and Marx but he manages to knock both elves unconscious. He is suddenly attacked by the elf possessed Charlotte whose blue roses have turned red. As they fight the elf still acts and moves like Charlotte and Yami realises the resurrection had removed all the lingering effects of her childhood curse and the elf is now using Charlottes full magical power as it was meant to be. Sol arrives to save Charlotte but is eventually convinced by Yami to leave with the Wizard King's body. Yami angrily confronts Charlotte for allowing an elf to control her. The elf responds with one of Charlotte's most powerful spells. Yami, knowing the spell could completely destroy the city, uses his Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash to try and stop it. Back in the Midnight Sun's base Noelle and Kirsch prepare to fight two possessed Royal Knights, one of whom is Luck.