Shokugeki no Souma: food for the eyes
Noirit Mustapha
No matter the premise, anime seems to be a medium that can take an idea and intensify and make it more fun for everyone. There exist crime anime, horror anime, regular life anime, sports anime, and even anime about making or reading anime. One such oddball and not often used setting is cooking. Most fans in this country who had access to Animax would be familiar with a little gem known as Yakitate Ja-pan, the story about bread baking made hilarious and amazing. Now, years after that finished, we have a new top contender in cooking anime, and it goes by the name of Shokugeki no Souma.
Souma Yukihira is a 16-year-old boy who works alongside his father Jouichirou at their family diner in a small shopping district. One day, when Jouichirou has to travel abroad to take care of some errands, he has Souma transfer to Tohtsuki Culinary Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in the nation. Brash and typically oblivious, he makes a hilarious entrance which puts a target on his back for the entire school. Nevertheless, with his clever arsenal of cooking tricks and his never-give-up attitude, Souma brings about a revolution in Tohtsuki the likes of which it had never seen before.
Given that the audience cannot actually eat the food in the show, it must at least look amazing enough to make them hungry. Despite the initial audacious tone set in the show by a couple of characters, the show presents itself greatly, putting the most focus on not just the food, but also in developing the characters. In fact, not only does Soumas skill level seem justified given how much he worked since he was young, but almost all of the known cast are shown to be experienced chefs. Whether or not one a glutton, or if they are just looking for a few good laughs, you cannot go wrong with picking up this fun show.
