Dhruv Sharma
When it comes to ‘Food Wars‘, it almost feels like the best of this anime is already behind us. But slowly, I’m just starting to accept it for what it offers. I’m still bothered by the fact that the process of cooking only lasts for a few minutes and the rest of the episode is consumed with judge reactions. Though, it’s finally refreshing to see how this season is making an attempt to further develop some of its characters; especially Momo-san in episode 7.
Other than that, Episode 7 is so overwhelmingly bizarre with its visuals and also its depiction of Momo’s cutesy character, you can’t help but laugh out loud every time she utters a word in her endearing tone and accent.
Food Wars Season 4 Episode 7 Recap:
After Soma’s win against Seito, the Rebels start celebrating their win against the Elites, and since they are now finally back with their lead in the tournament, the Elites will have to pull off something much bigger to retain their stance as the world’s best chefs. The next round of the Shokugeki sets in, and this time, Tsukasa will be facing Satoshi with the theme of wild rabbit; Rindo will compete against Takumi; finally, the bout of the episode will be centering an epic showdown between Momo and Nakiri. Yet again, since the theme of the battle is “brown sugar”, things seem to be in Momo’s favor from the very beginning.
Momo rushes with her grand idea for the day, and instead of cooking up just one single dish, she ends up making an entire castle of sweet things and candy. With a colorful palate of batters, she prepares an ultimate fortress of a dish which is by far one of the most visually appealing dishes of the season. The episode then reflects back on her past where she was always recognized as the prodigy of cuteness and many sellers of toys would often approach her to get her opinion on their products. The only reason why she started cooking was to prove that she is the only one who is capable of creating anything that is cute and sweet. This is probably the reason why she’s so egoistic about her capabilities.
However, Nakiri surprises everyone with her “Souffle Leger De Grace” which completely blows the judges away. Though her dish is visually far more inferior to Momo’s dish, her vibrant flavors are able to destroy Momo’s fortress of love. And after she tastes Nakiri’s dish, even Momo accepts that it is above and beyond what she expected. She initially tries to belittle her by giving her nicknames but eventually realizes that just because she’s so good at cooking anything that’s sweet, she may not always win. Rightfully so, Nakiri lands an unexpected win against Rank 3 of the Elites, and with this, a ray of hope shines on the Rebels.
Food Wars Season 4 Episode 7 Review:
With an uneven pace and a predictable formulaic plot, Episode 7 starts off with yet another Shokugeki where, as a viewer, you already know what you’re in for: a cook-off that ends too soon, followed by some random backstories and then finally ending things with some wacky judge reactions and fan service metaphors. Episode 7 is no different from its predecessors but there’s just something about its food explanations and comic moments that makes it quite enjoyable. Since Momo won her last battle against Megumi, her loss in this one was quite predictable, but what really steals the show is her overly-dramatized adorable appeal.
The entire episode is predominantly focused on Momo’s character and only slightly reflects on Nakiri’s development. Megumi, though she worked really hard in her last battle and still ended up losing, it seems like her hard work is still echoing on the dishes created by Team Rebels. In the last episode, Soma used her apple butter to augment the flavors of his dish, and even in this episode, Nakiri drew some inspiration from her dish and also named her Souffle after her. It’s quite pleasant to see how she’s still getting the appreciation that she longs for. Other than that, Azami’s claims of becoming the judge can be a big threat for Team Rebels, but it would be good to have an actual overarching villain in the story.
Overall, ‘Shokugeki no Soma’ is still, more or less, on a downward spiral compared to all of its previous seasons. But at this point of time, it simply comes down to what you expect from it. If you’re simply inclined towards the tension between all the battles and the depth of its storyline, this season almost has nothing to offer. But if you can toss those ideas and simply sit back and enjoy all the feelings that go behind cooking the dishes, you might be able to get through this season. The outcomes of all the battles are binary, but if you’re able to overlook the outcome itself, you might find something even better that appeals to you.
Read More: Food Wars Season 4 Episode 6 Review
