Original Air Date: July 16th, 2016
After Ryou is declared the winner and the first day is finished, the next contenders prepare for their duels. Next up is Hisako vs. Akira.Meanwhile, Soma finally meets the mysterious 8th finalist: Subaru Mimasaka.
This episode provides examples of:
- Adaptation Expansion:
- Megumi is greeted by everyone in the audice. In the anime, Miyoko is also giving her a compliment for her performance, while she didn't appear in the manga again for several chapters.
- In the anime version, Hisako runs away incapable of facing Erina after the defeat, and this time we get to see Erina's sad face when she tries to console her.
- Adapted Out: In the manga, after Megumi loses her match, two bullies were about to make fun of her before the rest of the audience genuinely cheered for her with newfound respect. This doesn't happen in the anime.
- Badass Boast: In their first exchange, Akira tells Hisako to pass the message to Erina that he is going to dethrone her. Hisako refuses, since to get to Erina, he has to go through her first. By the end of the duel, Akira declares once again that he will be at the very top of Tootsuki and her limited goal as Erina's Number Two was her ultimate failure.
- Berserk Button: How did Subaru manage to get Takumi's fury and bait him into a Shokugeki? By insulting Isami and staining his mezzaluna with bubblegum.
- Defeat Means Respect: Inverted. Megumi gets defeated by Ryou Kurokiba, but now the entire school knows that Megumi got that far because of her talent and not by accident. Even Senzaemon recognized that she has dormant power since her dish undid his fundoshi.
- Establishing Character Moment: Subaru's first interaction with Soma. He first looks intimidating and menacing, then he takes a long time to lock his motorbike and explains that his motto is "To the last detail". He even showcases his talent for delicate skills like embroidery.
- Evolving Credits: In the ending Snow Drop, the person in the flower field this time is Megumi.
- Gory Discretion Shot: Unlike the manga, where we can see how Hisako beheads the turtle, in the anime, the camera pans up to Hisako's face the moment she cuts the turtle, only showing how the blood splatters around (and of course Hisako is also clean).
- Impossibly Delicious Food:
- Hisako's Soft-Shelled Turtle Hamburger impressed the judges by creating a dish that was both richly infused with the flavors of the soft-shelled turtle and that strongly emphasized the gelatinous nature of the meat to stimulate the soft palate.
The patty was made with the boiled meat and innards of a freshly slaughtered soft-shelled turtle mixed with the turtle's blood, ground pork, and turtle shell powder and was wrapped in crepine and fried. The patty was also smothered with a sauce made from the thickened turtle dashi.
The patty and sauce were served on a buttered steamed bun topped with Korean lettuce and julienned ginger. - On the other hand, Akira's Kofta Kebab Burger managed to grab everybody's attention and the judges ended up eating it entirely before realizing. The dish consisted of a pita bread stuffed with koftanote , yogurt and his special onion achaar for acidity. The smell alone was able to make them drool like hungry dogs and in Hisako's foodgasm her armour vanished.
- Hisako's Soft-Shelled Turtle Hamburger impressed the judges by creating a dish that was both richly infused with the flavors of the soft-shelled turtle and that strongly emphasized the gelatinous nature of the meat to stimulate the soft palate.
- In Love with Your Carnage: Hisako butchering the turtle shocks many in the audience, except for Nao, who is now referring to her as "Oneesama". Also Yuuki seems amused by this.
- Mood Whiplash: After Subaru projects a menacing and dark aura to Soma, the tension loosens when he starts to prepare and lock his motorcycle, with Soma checking the time every once in a while.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: People momentarly forgets about Akira when Hisako butches a fresh turtle and opens the shell to extract the meat and innards. The attention returns to him when the strong smell of his donner kebab invades the arena.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: Instead of the other two unnamed students in charge of monitoring the duels, Urara and Yua are the ones that get the news of the new Shokugeki first.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Soma gets impressed by Subaru's rough exterior and the contrast with his fine details, especially the delicate embroidery work of his name.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Right after Akira presented his dish, he lectured Hisako on why her dish was inferior to his, how burgers are constructed and the role of the acid element on it and how her lack of ambition will never be enough.
- The Reveal:
- The last episode ended in a cliffhanger before the winner is declared. It's announced that Ryou won.
- The viewers finally learn who robbed Shun and Marui the final spot in the Main Tournament.
- Shout-Out: Hisako's dish made Senzaemon imagine himself as Ultraman, while Hisako was a giant turtle Kaiju.
- Stalker without a Crush: Subaru reveals that he has been stalking both Soma and Takumi in search for useful details. Apparently that included all trivial data like Takumi's checkered underpants.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: After an entire season of Takumi's various attempts to be dramatic fizzling out Soma returns his declaration with one of his own that doubles as an encouragement to win his match so they can decide who the better chef is once and for all. To say that Takumi is overjoyed would be an understatement.
