Have you been watching Food Wars?
Because you need to be. If you already are, good job, you win anime. Season 3 FINALLY started a couple weeks ago. I’m a little late, I know, but hey, sometimes I have stuff to do too. Besides, this season hasn’t quite kicked off yet. We’re getting there though. Anime rule of 4. Honestly, this episode sets us up perfectly for Soma to start kicking butts….at cooking.
Last season, we finished off with the Stagiaire, this season, we are starting off with the Moon Festival. Which is, obviously a Festival, but it isn’t just any festival. It is a chance for Totsuki students to compete by setting up a booth (or restaurant if you’re an Elite 10 member) and selling their food. Guests pay for X amount of tickets and those tickets are used to purchase food from the students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omx1G9c_mXs
Students can set up as an individual booth or it can be their entire club. Of course, as a means to prove himself to Kuga (the 8th Elite 10 seat), Soma gets a booth of his own and claims the spot right in front of Kuga’s huge Chinese restaurant. However, at the time, Soma didn’t realize that if he fails to earn enough tickets, he will be expelled from Totsuki Academy. However, Megumi offers her assistance but the rest of his friends have their hands tied because once the Moon Festival begins, it is against the rules to help another booth…directly, at least.
Which brings us up to speed for this episode, yay! Ok. So, Soma decided to use an authentic stone barrel oven…thing. I forget the name of it…oops. And while the food is delicious and honestly a good counter to Kuga’s Sichuan Cuisine (Kuga even says so). However, Soma doesn’t have the title to compete with Kuga.
Ultimately, people go to Kuga’s restaurant because they see he’s a member of the Elite Ten. As per usual Soma, he doesn’t shake despite Kuga’s insults and his lack of business. But that’s Soma for you. Even though he and Megumi are struggling, he won’t give up, he will prove that he is just as capable as a member of the Elite Ten, if not more.
Those who failed to make any kind of profit get quite the lecture from Erina following the end of the Moon Festival. Super sassy but ultimately not wrong, in usual Erina fashion. Following this, in the evening, Soma is seen giving a key to a large person in the shadows and simply tells the figure, “I’m counting on you,” but he doesn’t tell Megumi what he’s planning and seems to avoid it completely.
Calling it now though, that figure is huge and it’s hands are huge and it’s totally Subaru (the guy who mimics other people’s dishes). The next day, Soma improves by 5 places on the Moon Festival list and has added a new noodle dish to his menu.
They quickly leave as soon as the Festival is ending and head straight to the exit and begin offering the leftover buns and noodles to customers for free. This is also where they attract the attention of Nao. Who bonds with Soma over creating disgusting food (like his peanut butter octopus tentacle). And we find out the mystery noodle dish! Which is literally the black pepper buns ingredient and dough made into noodles and broth. Best part though is watching chibi Nao just kind of floating around, eating a black pepper bun, while Soma and Megumi talk. I know she’s weird but I seriously love her.
Other than seeing that Soma moved up from last place though, not a whole lot happened in this episode. There wasn’t even ridiculous fan service with naked people surrounded by food ingredients. But again, we’re pretty set up for things to start taking off in the next episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij4EPjLqF3s
Food Wars Season 3, Episode 3: Moon Festival OVERALL SCORE: 8 / 10
This was an engaging episode, but it felt like filler. There wasn’t really anything gleaned from this episode except Soma giving away the key and his honestly really funny interaction with Nao. Being able to watch it again next week and immediately following it up with episode 4 will probably make it better though. Some episodes work better when watched in succession.
