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So, Shokugeki no Souma it is. Going into this, I had no expectations except for being hopefully a bit entertained. After all, what can you expect from a simple cooking show? Oh boy, how wrong I was.

The plot is simple, students at an elite cooking school (the best in Japan iirc) striving to be the best cook. It started slowly and at first, it was nothing more than a simple comedy with a shallow storyline and shallow characters, which turned out to be true and false.

The storyline is pretty predictable as we have little to no surprises but who watches this, expecting it to be ... suspenseful? Although, I have to say, it is very "binge-worthy" as people nowadays say. I found myself wanting to know and see more with each episode. Even so, it is admittedly very stretched and slow paced at times.
Like I said, yes it is simple but the simplicity doesn't take away from the enjoyment - instead it highlights the other important aspects. Without a deep/complex storyline, it has to completely rely on its characters and comedic moments and it did it very well imo.

The characters are the focus and deservedly so. When I started watching the show, I thought these characters were nothing but one dimensional. I was quickly proved wrong when, as the storyline continues, they gain a very surprising amount of depth. By which I do not mean that these characters are exceptionally deep and layered, rather I was just surprised they get any depth. Character development, on the other hand, is...small. There are one or two students who get to see develop a bit, but that's about it.
The anime handles bringing in more characters very well and as it goes on, we get to know more and more characters. Slowly, but not too slowly. Fast, but not too fast. The variety of the characters is one of the strengths of Shokugeki no Souma. They're all different yet interesting and each one has their own strength. With so many characters though, of course some will have to take a back seat.

And now onto the most important and best part of this show: The comedy. What can I say? It was hilarious! Each episode made me laugh outloud a few times, which is pretty hard for a show to do. After all, it is a comedy and it does it so well. This is what the characters are for - the comedy. And it works. Very well. This anime uses a lot, A LOT, of (visualized) metaphors and ecchi, both making everything even funnier than it already is. Although, I do have to say, the ecchi is just too much at times.

To sum up, Shokugeki no Souma is a very funny anime with a simple plot and charismatic characters that will make you laugh if you let it.