Shokugeki no Soma, Not Just a Cooking Anime – MasterChef Indonesia has just entered its seventh season. I, who have been following this cooking show since its first season, remember one of the cooking-themed anime that I watched a few months ago, namely Shokugeki no Soma. Yes, this is an anime that is sometimes used as material for YouTube content for Chef Arnold, one of the judges for MasterChef Indonesia. Even though this anime seems to be “only” about the culinary world, I really enjoyed watching it—it was so exciting!
Shokugeki no Soma tells the story of Yukihira Soma, a 15 year old teenager who is good at cooking and owns a food stall business with his father. One day, his father enrolled Soma in Totsuki Academy, an elite culinary school in Japan. At first Soma was reluctant, but in the end he accepted and entered the school.
Totsuki Academy has a kind of tradition called shokugeki, aka food fights. This tradition is usually held if there is a problem between Totsuki students (such as fighting over positions in certain organizations or even fighting over land for club activities). Apart from that, Totsuki has a supreme body called the Elite Ten. This body is like an OSIS, but they have the right to make certain rules and decisions that the entire school, even the School Council, must obey!
When he had just moved to Totsuki, Soma met one of the Elite Ten members, Nakiri Erina. Erina was really annoyed with Soma from the start because she gave the impression that Soma was too calm , even though at Totsuki the competition between students was really tight. Since the first day of moving in, Soma has made an announcement to his fellow new students that he only sees Totsuki as a stepping stone. Annoying, right?