Original Air Date: August 20th, 2016
Soma, Akira, and Ryou are preparing for their final match. Their dishes must feature Pacific saury,(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_saury)
but Soma's eye for fish isn't on par with the others, so he aims to enhance his fish's flavor by ageing it. He tries several methods, with advice from Shun, Ryoko, and Ikumi.
This episode provides examples of:
- Adapted Out: Some small jokes from the manga are omitted in the anime. One is during the visit to the fish market, which has a scene in the manga where Megumi is intimidated by a shopkeeper until he is informed that they are students from Tootsuki. The other is while Soma is staring at his cooler, while Fumio yells at him to close the lid before the ice melts.
- Also, part of Alice's mother challenging Soma:
Leonora: Alice was very sad. So sad she called me on international phone. She cry to me for nine hours straight.
Alice: Motherrrr! I told you never to tell anybody that! Gawd! - Always Someone Better: Soma discovers during the trip to the fish market that both Ryou and Akira are more experienced in picking fresh fish, even remembering that one time his father told him that picking fish is a skill that could take him more than 10 years to master.
- Chick Magnet: One lady at the fish market commented that another student from Tootsuki was there as well, describing him as the "Dark-skinned Good Looking guy". Soma and Megumi immediately knew she was referring to Akira.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Soma has two during the episode.
- After staring at his cooler for a long time, Soma comes up with a plan to cure his fish to enhance the flavor enough so it can compete against the best fresh fish.
- After spending his first try and three days testing the three methods of curing, Soma gets the last idea when he sees Fumio's sake snacks.
- Evolving Credits: In the ending 'Snow Drop', the person lying in the flower field is Ikumi.
- Fan of Underdog: The only ones cheering for Soma are the residents from Polaris and Ikumi.
- Game Face: Leonora, after her funny introduction, turns to Soma and, while having still her thick accent, fluently tells Soma to impress her with a menacing pose.
- The Glomp: After having his "Eureka!" Moment, Soma excitedly hugs Fumio for inspiring his new strategy.
- Gorgeous Gaijin: The first thing that impacts the students about Leonora are her white skin and hair and her presence, wondering if she's Scandinavian.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Leonora Nakiri is introduced with a long flowy purple dress.
- Hopeless Suitor: Ikumi gets disappointed when Soma asks her to go with him... to research about ageing meat. Before leaving Polaris, Ikumi tells Megumi, while blushing, that Soma can call her whenever he needs her.Soma: Please come with me, Nikumi.
Ikumi: [flustered] Huh? With you?
[Back at the dorm, Soma explains that he wants her ... help]
Ikumi: [Blank White Eyes] Not this again. - Male Gaze: A brief shot of Ryoko in her underwear when Soma knocked her door.
- Mood Whiplash:
- First with Leonora's introduction. After making a stunning entrance, she is given the microphone to introduce herself... only to do so in very broken Japanese with a thick foreign accent. And then again, after coming off as a goofy Funny Foreigner, she warns Soma in a dead-serious tone to impress her enough to justify Alice's defeat.
- Both Ryou and Akira get their fresh fish out of the cooler, with the audience comparing this with a sword fight. Then Soma gets his fish, which is covered in what looks like a brown rust, making all the audience look at him in disbelief.
- Ms. Fanservice: Alice's mom, Leonora Nakiri.
- My Friends... and Zoidberg: The three are introduced into the arena as'The Prince of Aroma', Candidate Hayama Akira! [cheers, applause]
'The Dictator of the Kitchen', Candidate Kurokiba Ryou! [loud cheers, applause]
and the third, from the downtown diner, Candidate Yukihira Soma! [scattered laughs] - Power Trio: The three judges for the Finale are Senzaemon Nakiri, the school Principal; Gin Doujima, Executive Chef from Tootsuki Resort; and Leonora Nakiri, Head Director of Tootsuki International, Scandinavian branch. Also there are plenty of ensembles this episode:
- Freudian Trio: Akira is the Superego (cold, logical), Ryou is the ID (emotional and impulsive) and Soma is the Ego (logical and level-headed)
- Nice, Mean, and In-Between: This applies to the three finalists, with Soma as the Nice one, Ryou as the Mean one and Akira in between.
- Two Girls and a Guy: Soma's help group include Ryoko, Ikumi and Shun as the only guy.
- Two Guys and a Girl: Inverting the alignment from the last round, this time the only woman in the panel is Leonora Nakiri.
- True Companions: The members of the Polar Star dorm.Ryoko: We eat at the same table! We're family!
- Honorary True Companion: Ikumi also helps Soma prepare, and sits with the dorm members to root for Soma.
