Tag Archives: Food Wars

What I’m (Probably) Watching in Spring 2018 and Why

March 11, 2018 Jack Scheibelein 7 Comments

Having not actually talked about, or even kept up with much from Winter 2018, aside from A Place Further Than the Universe, which is wonderful, I decided that it was totally appropriate to talk about what’s airing next season. Spring 2018 is definitely one of the more packed seasons in a while. Not necessarily because of the number of shows, but because of the number of high profile shows that are airing. It’s a good thing too because there is a lot here that I am excited to see return.

Steins;Gate Zero

This show absolutely came out of left field, at least for me. The last thing that I had heard about Steins;Gate as a series was the sequel movie that apparently messed up the ending of the original series. So, when I heard about this, I was a bit skeptical, to say the least.

However, based on what I’ve read, and what looks to be the focus of the show, that being an alternate timeline where Okabe gives up on trying to save Kirisu, I am convinced that the show has potential. Hopefully, this goes well.

My Hero Academia Season 3

I am not sure I really have to justify this. The show’s second season brought My Hero Academia into its own, showing just how much potential the show has to tell a good superhero story. Also, I know that There were a lot of categories that My Hero Academia one that they did not deserve to win, but Stain absolutely was the best Villain. He brought with his character not just a question of who is evil, but what is evil, and questioned the status quo of Hero society.

Super excited to see how it plays out.

Tokyo Ghoul:re

Fun Fact: Tokyo Ghoul (The Original) is one of the only manga I’ve read, along with a few other obscure ones like MAR and a little bit of Air Gear, as well as my favorite Arakawa Under the Bridge. After watching and for the most part enjoying the ending of Tokyo Ghoul, I was fairly surprised to find out that there was going to be a sequel series to the original.

It looks like, based on the setup, that there is going to be a lot of room for awesome action scenes and for some interesting developments with Sasaki and his forgotten Identity.

Food Wars Season 4

To Be Honest, The last two seasons of Food Wars were not as good as the first. Nowhere near, in fact, but I still have a lot of fun with it. It makes good use of the premise it has set up, and even with the focus away from the actual food, and more on the battles for saving the school, there is certainly a lot of enjoyment to be had.

My only hope is that it does not go full shonen stupid and people do not just magically obtain ingredients they did not have at the beginning of the fight.

Golden Kamuy

The first original series on this list, Golden Kamuy really peaked my interest as I was researching for this post. It’s setting in Post World War 2 Japan already was pulling me in, but the premise of a rush for Gold while fighting others who have the same goal just convinced me, especially since the two main characters look like one of the most awesome teams I have ever seen. I think this is definitely something to get excited about.

HinaMatsuri

I don’t know what to say about Hinamatsuri other than “I am intrigued.” It just looks like a boatload of fun.

It is possible that it becomes just a bunch of repeating jokes that are not funny and a couple of main characters who do not even work that well on their own, let alone together. However, I am willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt, at least for a few episodes.

If I find out something else this season is really good, I might pick it up, but I do not want to overload my schedule with more than I can handle.

How do you guys feel about the upcoming season? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga

The 5 Best Things About Food Wars

January 15, 2018 Jack Scheibelein 2 Comments

I’ll be honest, after just finishing Food Wars, I do not know how much I have to say about it. That being said, instead of doing a review I thought it would be more interesting to point out what I thought were the best points of the anime. So here are the 5 best things about Food Wars

5. The Character Motivations

Cooking in Food Wars is a largely individual experience. It is true, as they explain, that eventually, you will be working with a team, but when it comes to the creation of Unique dishes and exploring the type of cooking that each person is most connected with the individual is at the forefront. The individuality in each character’s cooking largely comes from who they are and what they are trying to accomplish. In the beginning, Soma makes it clear that he wants to surpass his dad and go back to the Yukihira diner. These motivations are reflected in the type of food he makes during different cooking battles. Most of the dishes he makes are made using either cheap ingredients or cooking techniques you wood mind at a diner. In Megumi’s case, her food comes from her growing up in a rural harbor town, and also from her love of her towns freshly grown vegetables. Almost all of the characters in Food Wars have unique backgrounds that are reflected in their cooking.

4. Totsuki Academy

If the show were set in any normal cooking school, then it honestly would not be as fun. The setting of Totsuki Academy and the various organizations that are associated with it make for a wild ride that forces students to compete for the top spot, and in turn brings out the best of their cooking abilities. It would be interesting to see the show explore more of the activities of research societies and their role at the school, but what the show has given so far is pretty damn cool.

3. The Shokugeki

Totsuki’s unique way of having students put their skills to the test is by far one of the most entertaining parts of the show. Even someone who does not understand cooking can appreciate the amount of work that goes into creating a dish that allows them to compete as professionals, not to mention just how good the food looks after it’s all said and done, especially that curry filled Calzone from the first season. This leads to the next spot on the list:

2. The food

If I could ever get my hands on anything made in Food Wars, I think I would honestly die. It seems like a lot of thought went into the writing of the show and the food that each character specialized in, and boy does it pay off. As the seasons go on, the food only looks better and better.

1. Soma

Food Wars would not be nearly as good as it is without the show’s main character. Soma is definitely not the typical Shonen protagonist. He is passionate, driven, always wanting to improve and is willing to be friends with pretty much anyone. Soma takes in all of the knowledge he has from past experiences and uses them to his advantage, no matter what the situation. He also represents much more interesting ideas than the average Shonen protagonist. As I’ve written about before, Soma speaks to the common man, and rejects the idea that only gourmet food is fit for consumption. Truly, he is a man of the people.

Anime/Manga, Opinion

The Best Part of Food Wars: Populism

January 2, 2018 Jack Scheibelein 12 Comments

Since starting Food Wars and admitting to my friend Sean that I had unnecessarily judged the show based on the infamous “Foodgasm” scenes I have come to really love the show for a couple of reasons. One, because basically everything in the show so far, as of episode 10, looks amazing, and because Soma as a character is a lot more likable than your average shonen protagonist.

Sure, if you were to base his character on just the first couple of episodes then you might be able to say that Soma is extremely stereotypical, but what has become apparent as I reach the end of the first cour of Food Wars’ first season is that Soma represents a lot more than just a shonen protagonist who is good at cooking.

The best thing about Food Wars so far isn’t that it’s about cooking, or that the school’s system of competition actually leads to some genuinely interesting ideas for food that I otherwise would not have known about, but rather that Soma is a populist hero rather than a normal one.

Totsuki, the world-renowned cooking academy, in many ways represents the interests and the ideas of the elite and the food establishment. Most of the students who go there are rich, and a lot of the people early on who we see as having a significant advantage over other students are the ones who have money.

Many of the students and faculty who attend the school also have an idea about cooking that only dishes that fit the mold of “fine cuisine” are fit for consumption. The show demonstrates this idea in the first episode when Soma sits down next to someone who is obviously rich and the two start talking. When Soma tells the student who is attempting to transfer to Totsuki that he works in a small diner, the student immediately kicks him off the bench and starts telling him how worthless he is.

Screenshot 2018-01-02 02.23.33 — Yeeeet!

This sort of elitism and snobbery throughout the show so far has made Soma, without even taking into account his own personality, a much more relatable character, but what makes Soma even more enjoyable is a character is the way he embraces his populist ideals.

Being a member of the elite of the food world is never something Soma strives for. All Soma wants is to surpass his dad in skill, and to return to Yukihira, their restaurant, and cook for people. He has taken pride in his cooking style and the unique mix of culture he brings to the table.

Food is food, and no matter what a person chooses to eat they should not be shamed for liking it. Soma’s brand of cooking populism is something I can one-hundred percent get behind. Not only does it make a great underdog story, but it adds a unique dimension to Soma’s character that would not be present otherwise.

How do you feel about Food Wars? Is Soma’s character good? Bad? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, This Week in Anime

This Week in Anime: 12-21-17

December 22, 2017 Jack Scheibelein 3 Comments

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another installment of This Week in Anime. The stories this week are all over the place, with some being warm welcomes and others being sad goodbyes. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Sound! Euphonium Gets Two New Movies

With the release of a trailer last Friday, It was announced that the hit Kyoto Animation franchise Sound! Euphonium will be getting two new movies, with the first coming out on April 21st, 2018. Titled Liz and the Bluebird, The movie’s plot will focus on two of the show’s characters: Nozomi Kasaki and Mizore Yorizuka. Those who have watched the show now that the two characters have a complicated history, to say the least.

Food Wars to Return in April

Fans of Food Wars need not fret because the second half of the third season will be returning in April of 2018. The seasons second half will involve the Totsuki train arc, which is part of the larger current Promotion exam arc. The comeback was announced on Twitter from the show’s official account.

Black Clover: Quartet Knights Gets First English Trailer

After a very sudden and unexpected trailer was dropped for Black Clover game, we now have a one-minute English trailer. The trailer advertises the game as a third-person action game, with long-range fighting focusing on the character’s magical power. The game is slated for a 2018 release.

Little Witch Academia Writer Passes Away

Arguably one of the most influential writers in the anime industry, Michiru Shimada, the writer behind shows like Little Witch Academia, Little Busters! and One Peice is dead. The news came from Shimada’s daughter on Twitter, where she announced the news last Friday. I hope that the family can make it through these troubling times and I wish them the best.

What did you guys think of the stories this week? How do you feel about the Black Clover Game? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!