Just recently finished Shokugeki no Soma. An anime I never thought I'd be interested in as it basicly is a Shonen based on a rather bizarre setting: An academy to forge the worlds elite chefs. Yukihira Soma (15 y/o) who has cooked at the diner of is father from a very young age on and has been cooking for the diner since a very young age, gets to go to Japans #1 Academy for chefs in order to polish his skills. Sounds boring? Well, that's exactly what keept me from watching it for a long time. Finally the recommendations of my friends made me watch the series and I would flat out give the anime a 8/10 if not 9/10 as it really is amazing and unique. In the academy the students are faced with challenges every cook will have to face at some rate and only the best, that is a mere 1% of the students, will graduate. Students are also facing off in a Shokugeki which is a contest of cooking where three judges decide which dish is superior. The winner then gets a reward that was agreed on before whereas the loser sometimes even is expelled from the academy.
Is there fanservice?
Yes, there is! Even in the first episode there is some huuuge fanservice.
Does it drag down the anime?
Imho: No. It somehow fits perfectly in and the fanservice mostly is just to show how superior the food tastes, and some good looking chefs.
I am eagerly waiting for season 2 and meanwhile I can just recommend you all to watch it!
It is just amazing how the cooking processes are animated and later, when the judges are testing the dishes, explained wwhat they are made of and what makes them so special.
Warning: YOU WILL GET HUNGRYwhen watching this anime!
It's one of the few 5 i have ever rated 10/10.
