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This review is for the first (12 episodes) of Shokugeki no Souma (Food Wars).

I'm relatively new to the world of anime. The first thing that struck me about this show was what I've learned is called "fan service." There's a lot of it but it didn't get in my way of enjoyment of the show. If you want fan service, it's here but it's not something I'll consider in my review. Just wanted to give that context about my experience.

Food Wars tells the story of Souma, a young chef, who heads to school to learn the culinary arts and battle other young chefs. Souma's character ... is very chill and laid back which I found charming given the yelling and manic behavior of many other characters in anime. Having such a calm and collected lead character was a refreshing change for this genre.

There are several strong characters that Souma meets at Totsuki Academy, including the usual tropes of meathead jocks, quiet bookworms, beautiful popular people, and some eccentric folks, too. It's a good mix and over the course of the 12 episodes, several of the secondary characters are given strong backstories with touching and funny origins.

Throughout the series, the art is sumptuous. Given that the focus is on cooking, the best art and sound is reserved for the scenes of cooking. There are more and more cooking scenes as the series progresses. The motion, energy, sound, and various styles add a lot of enjoyment to the cooking scenes. The food looks like you could reach into the TV and eat it. This is definitely my favorite part of the anime.

The battles are not as obvious as to how they'll proceed or the outcome as one might expect from a show like this. The writers dare to let minor characters have their moments during these battles. It's refreshing to actually be surprised by the outcome of a battle from time to time. It feels more engaging and emotionally satisfying.

One detail I enjoyed about the show was the sense of the school year passing. As the seasons change, the recipes the students make change their ingredients and some time is given to talk about what food is in season and what isn't. Apparently, the show has a professional chef as a consultant and it takes the topic seriously which kept me engaged on several levels.

Overall, Food Wars is a solid balance of humor, drama, battles, and teenage school slice of life. It shines when the focus is on cooking techniques and food. The sound around the cooking brings that aspect of the story to life. Having a hero that isn't amazing at everything makes the character's growth in later seasons feel earned instead of expected.