Manga: Shokugeki no Soma

[Archangel]

Alternative Title: 食戟のソーマ

Type: Manga
Volumes: Publishing
Chapters: Publishing
Author: Saeki, Shun (Art), Tsukuda, Yuuto (Story), Morisaki, Yuki (Story)
Serialization: Weekly Shounen Jump
Genres: Ecchi, School, Shounen, Cooking

Synopsis: Yukihira Souma's dream is to become a full-time chef in his father's restaurant and surpass his father's culinary skill. But just as Yukihira graduates from middle schools his father, Yukihira Jouichirou, closes down the restaurant to cook in Europe. Although downtrodden, Souma's fighting spirit is rekindled by a challenge from Jouichirou which is to survive in an elite culinary school where only 10% of the students graduate. Can Souma survive?

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Feel free to skip the one shot, it paints a poor portrait of the actual series. This is the best battle shounen currently running, if you enjoy the genre you should be reading it.

[Kraco]

Quite a traditional fighting manga with martial arts very successfully replaced by cooking. I kept wondering why Archie rants about foodgasms, but the art from a hentai artist really does justice to this story.




Don't read further if you just started:


With soon 8(?) volumes worth of chapters out, I think this series is being remarkably patient with the relationship between the main character dude and the girl. Assuming Erina is the main girl, like classic analysis would dictate. They have only met a handful of times, and rarely for more than an exchange of a few words. Sure, Erina is very tsun-tsun, but that's only if you assume she's drawn to the main character. Objectively speaking she genuinely wants to get rid of him, and if that happened, she wouldn't miss his presence for a second. Another matter is their sheer lack of contact. But it's been revealed she probably admires his old man, so her attitude toward him would likely make quite a turn if she learned his identity.

[NeoCybercoin]

Been following this from the first chapter when it came out. And it's still amazing. It's a battle cooking manga. And one that's done excellently. Especially the art.

[Archangel]

Quite a traditional fighting manga with martial arts very successfully replaced by cooking. I kept wondering why Archie rants about foodgasms, but the art from a hentai artist really does justice to this story.




Don't read further if you just started:


With soon 8(?) volumes worth of chapters out, I think this series is being remarkably patient with the relationship between the main character dude and the girl. Assuming Erina is the main girl, like classic analysis would dictate. They have only met a handful of times, and rarely for more than an exchange of a few words. Sure, Erina is very tsun-tsun, but that's only if you assume she's drawn to the main character. Objectively speaking she genuinely wants to get rid of him, and if that happened, she wouldn't miss his presence for a second. Another matter is their sheer lack of contact. But it's been revealed she probably admires his old man, so her attitude toward him would likely make quite a turn if she learned his identity.

I wouldn't necessarily look at their relationship as a romantic one, she is just one of Soma's goals and possibly his final one. If anything i see more of an open/harem ending here.

[NeoCybercoin]

I think his final goal is beating his dad. It's not that far-fetched to see Erina falling in love with Souma when she finds out who his father is and starts seeing him in Souma.

[Kraco]

He has two goals: An immediate one of rising to the first seat of the elite 10 (which his old man didn't achieve), and then later beat the man in a more direct cooking contest as well. The school as such meant little to him, although I think that's changing bit by bit when he's realising he's never going to beat Jouichirou if he doesn't broaden his horizons. Just a little while ago he thought he has no use for the school but to waste some time before going back to the restaurant. Now he knows he would never learn enough in the limited setting of a single restaurant, thus never being able to win against his dad who has travelled all over the world.

[Archangel]

PS: Megumi best girl

[NeoCybercoin]

She is adorable.

[shinta|hikari]

I don't really like the needy weak types much. Still, she is a million times better than the "main" heroine Erina.

[Ryllharu]

I would disagree that she's needy or weak. She's clearly one of the best cooks in the school, she just had confidence issues early on.

She's not flashy, she's not worldly, and the food she cooks is not very elaborate or groundbreaking.

She's humble, which is the opposite of pretty much every other student the school draws to it.

[Archangel]

I would disagree that she's needy or weak. She's clearly one of the best cooks in the school, she just had confidence issues early on.

She's not flashy, she's not worldly, and the food she cooks is not very elaborate or groundbreaking.

She's humble, which is the opposite of pretty much every other student the school draws to it.

I don't even feel the need to go into that much detail ( though i agree with every single line ) into her character, it's as simple as me liking her for being a nice and hardworking girl. I mean yeah confidence and a dynamite body are good for a ride but at the end of the day Megumi's the one you want waiting for you at home, 100% waifu material.

I'm open to discussion on who has the best design though since there's plenty to choose from in that department but overall Megumi's best girl status is undisputed.

[Kraco]

Being humble probably doesn't do one much good in that place. Humble people might have tougher time defending themselves and taking care not to let anybody get in their way. She would have dropped out without Souma, after all, because she couldn't properly take care of herself. She's adorable, alright, and clearly a great cook, but that particular school might not be the best place for her. Although if she manages to get through it, she might be able to develop a stronger personality as a result.

[shinta|hikari]

She would have dropped out without Souma, after all, because she couldn't properly take care of herself.

Yeah, she is needy and weak. I wasn't talking about her cooking skills.

[NeoCybercoin]

She just needs to develop some more into a stronger woman that doesn't cling to Souma. Something that is is kind of doing already because she knows she can't depend on him the whole time.

Anyway, new chap has been out for a few days. And I am beginning to like Alice more and more. Party due dem eyes.

[Xelbair]

I just caught up with it - it is indeed awesome. I bet that Souma will win this match, he might fail later - he is not typical shounen guy who does not know defeat and needs a cold bucket of water dumped on his head.

PS: Megumi best girl

Please, she is no Alice.

[Archangel]

Alice for best design, Megumi for best waifu, Erina for best a shit.

For this chapter:

[20:50] <Arkangel> Plus now i can tell how they're gonna spin this
[20:50] <Arkangel> Like i thought, Soma is going to win
[20:50] <Arkangel> And not because of plot armor
[20:51] <Arkangel> There would be value in him losing now as well but too many missed oppurtunities
[20:51] <Arkangel> I'm not saying he'll take the number one spot but there are clearly more battles for him to fight in this tournament

[NeoCybercoin]

Well as we expected, he won. We good a good Alice foodgasm aswell. Time to introduce her to the harem. hue hue hue

[Kraco]

It was said very literally a couple of times during this fight that Alice is lacking (regarding this particular theme) some crucial experience Souma has due to his setting and circumstances while growing up. Alice apparently didn't really know what a bento is, aside from having seen pictures and read about it. So, she only got the superficial aspects of it, preparing an excellent meal but not an excellent bento. She clearly deserved to lose this time, and not because of Souma's plot armor, just like Archie expressed it.

Man, as much as I enjoy seeing the bishoujo's foodgasm faces, and whole bodies, these old men were also damn funny.

I hope Souma actually goes and asks for some of her food later. It might give him more ideas, considering his old man's restaurant certainly wouldn't have such refined molecular gastronomy. I'm sure she would enjoy serving him any food.

[Ryllharu]

As a character Alice is very well written. She grew up permanently eclipsed by Erina, so she left Japan and tried to make a name for herself elsewhere. Combining never really experiencing warmth even in her own home ("Oh, is Erina-chan around? Oh, is Erina-sama and her god tongue nearby?") to being a foreigner where she fled to try and make a name for herself, she just never understood the same thing that Souma got from his surrogate Grandmother.

Alice's lack of home stability gave her a flighty, flamboyant attitude, even though it also drove her to learn extreme, cutting-edge cooking techniques that stand out a lot.

That same childhood also made her forge her own little family. Not so much that she wanted to copy Erina with her subordinates.

[Archangel]

I'd also point out that apparently Soma also tried his hand on some molecular gastronomy... when he was fucking 10.

Soma for president 2016