Food Wars: The Third Plate - Episode 13 (Review)

By: Mithrandiel

Ingredients: Spoilers, spoilers, and a lot more spoilers! Oh, and a NSFW picture.

This weekend has brought a number of familiar shows back onto the air, and one of the most highly anticipated is the continuation of the fun and often times ridiculous Food Wars: The Third Plate. Let's see how this new season kicks off!

Summary

Following Azami Nikiri's forceful takeover of Totsuki, and the reveal that Azami's former idol and friend Joichiro Saiba is Soma's father, the students of the Polar Star Dormitory are alarmed to hear of changes to the upcoming Advancement Exams. A thinly veiled threat is issued regarding opposition to Azami's new direction for the academy.Erina, having taken refuge at the dorm following her father's takeover, goes to Soma's room (bow chicka wow- just kidding) to discuss more of her background with her father.She confesses that she had a troubled relationship with food due to her reputation as The God Tongue. She ate dozens of dishes each day, and the majority of them bored her. That is, until she met a man named Saiba. Offering her grandfather a private meal, the aroma of Saiba's dish drew her out and she was immediately impressed and enamored with his cooking.It wasn't long after that, however, that Azami began to be even more stringent with her training, forcing her to discard and hate food that didn't live up to his expectations of what fine cuisine was.The revelation that Saiba was Soma's father stirs Erina to have this conversation with him, and as they talk, Soma decides that she needs some Yukihira cuisine, right away!Of course, the rest of the polar star students can overhear this whole interaction through a series of tubes (not the internet), and so they all take turns wondering how he pulled off an "Egg Tempura" dish.After some theories, Soma reveals that he freezes the eggs beforehand. The trick is impressive, and also adds a depth of flavor to the egg, which helps to elevate it from a common kitchen item to something much more luxurious.Erina, try as she might, can't resist how delicious it tastes.Lost in its flavor, Erina realizes that Soma and his father have a lot in common, and it helps her understand the importance of having chefs who aren't afraid to take risks. Without giving Soma the satisfaction of telling him how his food was, she tells him to gather the rest of the polar star students first thing in the morning for an important announcement.Gathered out front, Erina addresses them via megaphone. She reflects on her relationship with them in the dorm, and that while their cooking was absurd at times, it was still their own.Finally, she challenges them to follow her to face Azami, her own father!

Review

While some shows, like My Hero Academia, decided to take a little more time to recap the previous arcs and ease viewers back into the show, Food Wars: The Third Plate uses some slower pacing in a different manner. The story is still progressing from the previous finale, but Erina and Soma's heart-to-heart is essentially the entire episode.I enjoyed seeing more of Saiba, the legendary chef that has left his mark on so many throughout the Food Wars universe. We get a glimpse of his personal relationship with Erina's grandfather, the recently deposed head of Totsuki. Despite coming off as a strict curmudgeon in the early episodes, compared to Azami, viewers can see even more reason to like the eccentric old man.If you're familiar with Food Wars you know the formula for the drama surrounding Soma's cooking. As soon as they mentioned that Soma had purchased "bargain eggs" for ~$1/dozen I knew that there were shenanigans inbound. Then again, what's good storytelling without some formula, right?The result is a brief but impactful cooking segment that helps to cement Erina's decision to rebel against her father. Though she has yet to admit it, the dish was also among one of Soma's best to serve her, since she eagerly devours the whole thing.Overall, while feeling a bit sluggish at times, this episode does well to allude to the broader arc, demonstrate even more of Soma's improvements as a chef, Erina's development as a person, and the continued vagueness surrounding their relationship.Here's looking forward to more chef-based shenanigans! You can watch Food Wars: The Third Plate on Crunchyroll every Sunday!