10 Second Anime - Shokugeki no Soma - Episode 18

Souma, with Ikumi and Mayumi's help, designs a karaage item for his shopping district. The Mozuya consultant introduces himself as one of the Elite 10.

Episode 18 - "The Karaage of the Spirit of Youth"

Heh.

As I expected last week, Souma figured out what to make based on the shopping district's personality, the foot traffic and how it differed from a train station location. Best of all, he got the bento shop guy to make the new food because, obviously, Yukihira's diner isn't going to be making it with Souma at Totsuki and his father still traveling.

 

This show is called Food Wars, right? How about a warring states period piece?

I never heard this idea that kids prefer chicken thigh meat to breast because there's more fat in it. At least it keeps with the concept of targeting the youth foot traffic instead of the microwave mom set.

I found it an interesting juxtaposition that Ikumi has to advocate for thighs over breasts. Well, she has nice thighs too, I guess...

The "Meat Master" doesn't need your praise, but she'll still welcome compliments from Souma. And a big thank you to Mayumi for making the Miito Ikumi Nikumi puns all the more obvious.

Nikumi's thighs... Souma keeps collecting the different types for his harem, so it made sense that the childhood friend would start recognizing her competition.

 

One of the best moments of the episode was the bento guy thinking he  had solved everything by putting a piece of karaage in a rice ball. Souma got inspired, the music started swelling and then everything stopped when he had to say, no, karaage onigiri is not the innovation he was thinking of. A rice flour wrap that's pretty portable was an interesting idea.

 

The Mozuya manager got all wrapped up in her foodgasm. Oh well. I was hoping we'd get to see more of her "style."

 

Bringing it all back to the overall plot for the Autumn Elections, Souma met the consultant whose plans he ruined. Instead of a chef, he's a corporate restaurateur, dressed like a nouveaux riche though, or perhaps in yakuza style.

 

I quite liked this introduction to Souma's other skills besides making terrible tasting dishes. He knew who to call for advice, he paid attention to prospective clients and what they might want to eat and he showed that presentation for a handheld wrapper is just as important as a more complicated entrée on a plate. It's a good way of showing for the audience all the different parts of Souma's game he will have to develop if he's going to get to the top of the Elite 10.