Food Wars! Shokugeki No Soma Vol. 1 - 4 by Yuto Tsukuda

Hey fellow readers and book bloggers I decided to do a mash-up review of the first four volumes of Food Wars since they are so small. If you haven't read the first volume I would definitely suggest just reading my review of the first one as the other three may contain spoilers. Enjoy!

 

Published: 2013

# of Pages: 208

Source: Purchased Copy, Books-A-Million

Goodreads Summary/Blurb:

Soma Yukihira's old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town. Aiming to one day surpass his father's culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school! Can Soma really cut it in a school that prides itself on a 10 percent  graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress of the school that he belongs there at all?

My Thoughts/Review:

This was definitely picked this manga up on a whim. I recently purchased a subscription to Hulu and started watching Sailor Moon. While watching Sailor Moon I decided to do some background research in regards to manga and found several titles to check out. When I finally received the opportunity to go to the bookstore I could not find any of the titles I was looking for and for some reason this just stood out to me and boy was I happy I picked it up.

Food Wars is like Iron Chef for teens. It combines humor, creativity, drama, etc. However, I did have to become adjusted to the somewhat sexual nature of the sense of humor. Every time characters tasted an exceptional dish their body reacted in a physical manner. It was strange at first; however, I ended up finding myself laughing at these jokes and saw how they fit into the overall theme of the manga. If you are interested in cooking and humor I would recommend this manga. Each one even contains miniature recipes for you to try out.

4/5 Stars

Published: 2014

# of Pages: 200

Source: E-book, Kindle

Goodreads Summary/Blurb:

Leaving home for the first time in his young life, Soma moves into the school's Polaris Dormitory--a place run by an old crone and filled with crazy and eccentric students! Barely settled in, Soma quickly finds himself in one of Tohzuki's legendary cooking duels--a shokugeki! Who will his very first opponent be?

My Thoughts/Review:

This volume was just as good as the first volume. Full of interesting dialogue and cooking challenges. What I loved most about this volume was the introduction of the new students/characters. They compliment Soma's personality so well. I think one of my favorite new characters is  Megumi. She's a complete nervous wreck, but it is the friendship that she builds with Soma that gets her on the right track. She and the rest of the Polaris dormitory add a uniqueness to the series. Soma truly receives the opportunity to be around other students who have the same passion and goals as him.

4/5 Stars

Published: 2014

# of Pages: 200

Source: Purchased Copy, Books-A-Million

Goodreads Blurb/Summary: 

The "teamwork and friendship-building" camp from hell begins! While most students are already petrified by the threat of instant expulsion for low marks, the unveiling of the teachers responsible for judging their dishes ratchets their fear to a whole new level! Just which fear-inducing teachers hold the culinary futures of Soma and the rest of the Polaris crew in their hands this time? 

My Thoughts/Review:

Okay the first thing anyone should know is that this cooking camp is definitely not anything that can be close to being identified as friendship and teamwork building. Think of it as a camp full of nothing but challenges and competition. The twists and turns in this volume were absolutely amazing. Every competition had unique elements that fully challenge the students. The reader also gets the opportunity to meet new characters like the Aldini brothers who come from an Italian background in their culinary skills. 

Soma is pushed to new levels with his cooking and I absolutely loved the recipes for the dishes he created. This was one of my favorite volumes of the entire series. 

4.5 Stars/5 Stars 

Published: 2014

# of Pages: 192

Source: Purchased Copy, Books-A-Million 

Goodreads Summary/Blurb: 

Let the shokugeki begin! Soma has challenged Totsuki graduate Chef Shinomiya in order to prevent Megumi's pending explosion. However, thanks to a condition levied by Gin Dojima, the match turns in an unexpected direction! With such a foolhardy challenge, can Soma and Megumi win to survive another day? 

My Thoughts/Review: 

This is the volume where we see Megumi blossom as a chef. She takes on challenges with fear; however, with the help of Soma she learns to trust and believe in her culinary skills. I loved the role that Gin Dojima played in this volume. He sees the potential in Soma that the readers are exposed to in the first book. I can also appreciate that he looks at students for their skills and not their background especially since a lot of students look down on Soma because he comes from a family owned restaurant--one that is not elegant by any means. In this volume Soma truly exhibits what it means to be a friend in the face of struggles and you feel the tightness of the group grow even stronger. 

4/5 Stars

*If you are interested definitely check out the anime related to this series. It's really good and I usually watch it after reading a volume. Here's the intro video for the series: