Food Wars’ third season picks up after the Fall Selection, which saw all of Toutsuki Academy’s first-year students compete in an epic tournament culminating in dramatic victory for spice expert Akira Hayama. The first episodes of season three start in more subdued fashion; but Toutsuki is distinguished by its relentless competition, and the pupils soon have the chance to participate in the Lunar festival, a voluntary, week-long contest where participants run public eateries and compete to make as much profit as possible. Predictably, series protagonist Soma Yukihira finds it impossible to resist taking part, and he soon finds himself embroiled in a good-natured feud with Terunori Kuga, a second-year student expert in Szechuan-style cuisine.
Kuga is a member of Toutsuki’s Council of Ten, the prestigious student body endowed with enormous administrative powers over the school. As season three begins, viewers are introduced to the other members of the Ten – a slew of new characters who prove central to the season’s drama. The challenge of introducing a bevy of new faces further slows dowen some already slow episodes; the Lunar Festival is relatively low-key, and Soma’s contest against Kuga lacks the tension or energy of recent battles with Akira, Mimasaka, and others. While a few slice-of-life episodes focusing on Food Wars‘ large and entertaining cast would be quite welcome after the frenetic action of season two, existing fan favourites are initially overshadowed by all the new arrivals. The slower pace, new characters, and general sense of re-orientation means that the first episodes of season three are significantly less engaging than the heady entertainment of seasons one and two.
However, it soon becomes clear that the change of pace sets up a major narrative development which changes the entire scenario at Toutsuki, soon establishing clear new goals for Soma and his friends. Most importantly, it provides a central role for Soma’s rival and love interest, the “God-tongue” Erina Nakari, who becomes secondary protagonist throughout series three and four, receiving significant character development. It’s an impressive feat of long-form storytelling, distinguishing the drama from previous seasons while expanding meaningfully upon the show’s central themes of friendship, competition, and self-expression. Soma and Erina’s campaign leads them to a high-stakes competition in Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido, home to some exotic ingredients, notably bear meat. A visit to the snow-capped northern city of Sapporo is a particular highlight: an exquisitely beautiful interlude in an iridescent paradise which made me yearn for an opportunity to visit.
The relationship between seasons three and four is similar to that between one and two, in that the central storyline of the third season carries into the fourth. This is focussed entirely on a knock-out tournament, in the same way that season two covered the Fall Selection. The overarching story is an eloquent and at times inspiring defense of free expression, which sees Soma and Erina champion the right of Toutsuki’s students to pursue their own brand of cooking, instead of conforming to a tyrannical template mandating everyone do the same thing.
Later episodes also see the return of Soma’s father, master chef and former Toutsuki student Joichiro Yukihira. The segments which delve into Joichiro’s student past are quite poignant, as is the presentation of his relationship with Soma. From his son’s point of view, Joichiro could easily seem aloof and absent; but it’s clear that his son has been a major source of happiness, purpose, and meaning.
After a slow start, season three tells an entertaining, inspiring, and often moving story, which is artfully concluded at the end of season four’s fast-paced contest. The fifth and final season aired last year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the story concludes – though not to saying goodbye to its wonderful characters.
Season three: 9/10
Season four: 9/10
Visions From The Dark Side 