Food Wars Shokugeki No Soma Season 5 Episode 1

Alright, Let's Talk Food Wars! Season 5, Episode 1

Okay, deep breaths, everyone. We need to address the elephant in the room. Or, maybe the incredibly weird, almost alien-looking ingredient in the kitchen.

Season 5, Episode 1. Remember that? I do. Maybe a little too well.

Remember the Noir?

So, these guys showed up. The Noir. Sounds like a fancy coffee blend, right? But no. They're… chefs? Apparently.

Chefs who look like they raided a villain convention. I'm just saying.

And they're cooking with… stuff. Stuff from space? Mutated radishes? Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure.

Soma, My Dude, Where's the Fun?

Our boy Soma seems a little... subdued. Is it the new haircuts? Is it the existential dread of cooking with questionable produce?

We're used to seeing him with that goofy grin! I miss the confident Soma. The Soma who makes octopus tentacles somehow look appetizing.

This Soma looks like he needs a nap. And maybe a really strong coffee, no Noir-related ingredients involved.

That Opening Dish… Yikes.

Let's be honest: that first dish the Noir whipped up? My face contorted into a shape it's never been before.

It looked like something you'd find growing in the back of the fridge, after a power outage. I'm not even kidding. The texture! The colors!

I respect the creative freedom, but my stomach did not.

Unpopular Opinion Incoming!

Here it comes. Ready? I wasn’t completely sold on this episode.

Look, I love Food Wars!. I really do. The over-the-top reactions! The questionable ingredient combinations! The constant threat of exploding clothing!

But this episode felt... different. Almost like a completely different anime hijacked my favorite cooking show.

Is It Too Sci-Fi?

Is it just me, or is the whole "cooking with alien ingredients" thing a bit much? I understand that the show is known for its exaggeration.

But before, at least it was grounded in some kind of reality. Even a really, really stretched one. Now? I felt I watched more sci-fi rather than cooking.

This felt like a leap. A leap into a galaxy far, far away, where chefs are actually intergalactic food warriors.

Still Rooting for Soma, Though

Despite my reservations, I'm still rooting for Soma. He's got this. He always does.

He'll probably take whatever weird space radish they throw at him and turn it into a culinary masterpiece. I just hope he does it with a smile.

And maybe without having to fight off any actual aliens in the process. Just a thought.

Final Thoughts (For Now)

So, Season 5, Episode 1. A bit of a bumpy start, in my opinion. I need a few episodes to see.

But hey, maybe the show will pull itself together. Stranger things have happened in the world of anime.

Besides, even a slightly off episode of Food Wars! is better than no Food Wars! at all. Right? ...Right?