So, yeah, not exactly necro since actual new content!
Been binge-watching Shokugeki no Souma lately, aka "Food Wars". This is the tale of young Yukihira Souma, a teenage chef at a little diner somewhere in Tokyo. After successfully defending the place from an ambitious developer and her thugs, Souma expects life to go back to normal. ... No such luck. His dad is closing down the diner and taking off for a year or two to help a friend get a restaurant going in, like, New York City, or somewhere like that. He's arranged for Souma to be transferred to a top-ranked culinary school while he's away.
And when he says "top ranked", he means "TOP ranked". Toutsuki Academy is apparently the premiere culinary institute in the entire world, with graduates capable of feats of gourmet that would leave the most refined palate staggered. Competition is ruthless and the class is frequently winnowed out: Out of 1000 students entering 10th grade, it is expected that the final graduating class might be in double digits. Maybe. And any dispute can be settled with a cook-off. Needless to say, the student body does not take well to Souma's announcement that he's going to 'use you all as stepping-stones to the top'. Rivalries follow, naturally, and Shenanigans Ensue.
What actually got me into it was a series of Youtube videos that I came across while noodling over cooking stuff, 'Chef Reacts' (channel: CHEFPK). This is an actual professional chef who goes through episode by episode, showing his reactions as he watches it, and his commentary on the food and on the corporate/professional environment.
Despite its violence-free nature, this is not a show I'd recommend for younger viewers. Since the media cannot depict the taste of the food directly, we are treated to overwhelmingly exaggerated depictions of taste-testers' reactions to it, frequently involving literal foodgasms, people bursting out of their clothes, being assaulted by the food, etc. Chefs engaged in a cook-off are often depicted as duelling rivals from one or another homage source, as well, which makes for an occasional bit of humor.
All in all it's a fun show, worth taking a look especially if you're a foodie.
Of last season's anime:
Danmachi season 2: Felt a bit rushed, but more fun adventures for Bell Cranel, Hestia, and their friends. Fun.
Arifureta: An entire class gets isekai'd. During a dungeon delve one of them (who ended up with an apparent sucktastic character class) gets dropped off a bridge and left for dead. The story mostly follows him as he minmaxes his class (mostly offscreen, unfortunately). builds effective weaponry, rescues a cute vampire girl, delves to the very bottom of the dungeon to discover its secrets, and emerges to have even more adventures as Edgy McEdgelord. To borrow a meme, this guy is "Spacebattler Competance" embodied.
Lord El-Melloi Case Files: Fate/Stay Night fans who want to delve more into the series lore, or Fate/Zero fans who want the further adventures of Waver Velvet, will like this a lot, it delves into the adventures of a grown-up Waver as he teaches at the Clock Tower and investigates murder mysteries. Highly recommended.
Been binge-watching Shokugeki no Souma lately, aka "Food Wars". This is the tale of young Yukihira Souma, a teenage chef at a little diner somewhere in Tokyo. After successfully defending the place from an ambitious developer and her thugs, Souma expects life to go back to normal. ... No such luck. His dad is closing down the diner and taking off for a year or two to help a friend get a restaurant going in, like, New York City, or somewhere like that. He's arranged for Souma to be transferred to a top-ranked culinary school while he's away.
And when he says "top ranked", he means "TOP ranked". Toutsuki Academy is apparently the premiere culinary institute in the entire world, with graduates capable of feats of gourmet that would leave the most refined palate staggered. Competition is ruthless and the class is frequently winnowed out: Out of 1000 students entering 10th grade, it is expected that the final graduating class might be in double digits. Maybe. And any dispute can be settled with a cook-off. Needless to say, the student body does not take well to Souma's announcement that he's going to 'use you all as stepping-stones to the top'. Rivalries follow, naturally, and Shenanigans Ensue.
What actually got me into it was a series of Youtube videos that I came across while noodling over cooking stuff, 'Chef Reacts' (channel: CHEFPK). This is an actual professional chef who goes through episode by episode, showing his reactions as he watches it, and his commentary on the food and on the corporate/professional environment.
Despite its violence-free nature, this is not a show I'd recommend for younger viewers. Since the media cannot depict the taste of the food directly, we are treated to overwhelmingly exaggerated depictions of taste-testers' reactions to it, frequently involving literal foodgasms, people bursting out of their clothes, being assaulted by the food, etc. Chefs engaged in a cook-off are often depicted as duelling rivals from one or another homage source, as well, which makes for an occasional bit of humor.
All in all it's a fun show, worth taking a look especially if you're a foodie.
Of last season's anime:
Danmachi season 2: Felt a bit rushed, but more fun adventures for Bell Cranel, Hestia, and their friends. Fun.
Arifureta: An entire class gets isekai'd. During a dungeon delve one of them (who ended up with an apparent sucktastic character class) gets dropped off a bridge and left for dead. The story mostly follows him as he minmaxes his class (mostly offscreen, unfortunately). builds effective weaponry, rescues a cute vampire girl, delves to the very bottom of the dungeon to discover its secrets, and emerges to have even more adventures as Edgy McEdgelord. To borrow a meme, this guy is "Spacebattler Competance" embodied.
Lord El-Melloi Case Files: Fate/Stay Night fans who want to delve more into the series lore, or Fate/Zero fans who want the further adventures of Waver Velvet, will like this a lot, it delves into the adventures of a grown-up Waver as he teaches at the Clock Tower and investigates murder mysteries. Highly recommended.