Putting this out there right off the bat: Spoilers through Shokugeki chapter 260. I highly recommend finding out what happens organically by reading the actual story.
There's really not much out there that pulls off consistent, dependable quality over a long run. To me, Monogatari, One Piece, and others top that short list. Some may have Hunter x Hunter or Gintama up there, among a few other fan favorites. But despite barely having been serialized for five years, Shokugeki is already making a strong case for inclusion among that select group. The story is flat out good - the premise is basic enough, but the characters and narrative are handled with straightforward sincerity and nuance so as to make them dance off the page. The food is excellently crafted from both a theoretical and culinary perspective, and J.C. Staff delivers up some juicy visuals in the first 4 cours of the anime.
An actual detailed breakdown of the newest addition to my 3x3 is coming - but it will likely take another volume and the completion of Totsuki Ressha-hen before I feel comfortable enough to publish a serious dissection. In the meantime, you'll have to make do with scattershot gushing and everyone's favorite: speculation!
In light of the events of chapter 260: It is a near given at this point that Azami will find his daughter's dish delicious, but how delicious? We have effectively 3 options - a rebel win, a rebel loss, or a draw/no clear result. It's possible for them to lose but pretty doubtful at this point - I would put my money on them winning. The caveat here of course is that while both Erina and Soma made their specialties, neither were dishes that they could even approach on their own. Both of them, as individual chefs, are leagues below Rindo and Eishi, and their victory will likely be written off as a combination of the rebels being boosted up and Rindo being afraid or whatever.
I'm not really mad about that. If Soma and co. are the best chefs at Totsuki, what's the point anymore? They have nothing left to prove at Totsuki, and while I would love to see our first-year brats as they open their own restaurants, I don't think it can (or will) tackle adult life as anything other than an epilogue. With the asterisk hanging over the Régiment de Cuisine, Soma and Erina still have plenty more conquering to do. Plus, the idea of results as something dependent on circumstances and not a universal arbiter of ability is a really interesting one to me and something I'd love to see embraced in a shonen manga of all places. That might clash a little bit with author Tsukuda Yuto's meritocratic worldview, though.
Personally I am intrigued most to see what happens next. Who gets the first seat? Soma? Erina? Do you give it back to Eishi? If he gets his seat back then what about Rindo, or Saito? Where is Hayama Akira in all this? My personal hope is that they win back the Elite Ten and have an all out free-for-all like in the Autumn Selection prelims for the ten seats.
Oh lord jesus I am hyped.
P.S. Did someone say best girls???
S Tier
Nakiri Erina was probably firmly entrenched at the top of the A tier before the last couple chapters. I love her character growth so freaking much. Former #1 Nakiri Alice is still simply the best. She doesn't have Erina's progression (yet) or Rindo's strength of personality, but she's easily the cutest, and come on. It's fucking Alice. Kobayashi Rindo is just so much fun. There are loads of lively, colorful personalities in anime and manga but Tsukuda lends Rindo a refreshingly unique nuance and sentimentality that elevates her to S tier.
Seriously, between those three I have no idea anymore. LONG LIVE CHAOS
A Tier
Arato Hisako, Tadokoro Megumi, Yoshino Yuuki, Sakaki Ryouko
B Tier
Kinokuni Nene, Nikumi, Hinako Inui
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