Original Air Date: September 4th, 2016
Soma presents his completed dish to the judges. They love it ... but the winner of the fifteen-episode Autumn Election is Akira.
This episode provides examples of:
- Adaptation Expansion: Some shots of Takumi and Isami were added to the episode, including one where he tries to talk to Soma but abstains from it. In the manga, he didn't appear at all.
- Adapted Out: Yuuki's reaction to Akira hugging Jun is omitted from the episode.
- Determinator: Soma doesn't accept being inferior as a permanent condition.Jouichirou: Soma lacks something any normal person would have. ... See, everyone wants to believe it's obvious for someone to lose to someone more talented. They want to lower their expectations to protect their pride, self-respect, and similar sorts of things. But Soma doesn't have that defense mechanism. He has the strength to face his inadequacies head-on. That's an incredible strength that even I don't have.
- Evolving Credits: In the ending 'Snow Drop', the person lying in the flower field is Akira.
- Feminine Women Can Cook: The boys joke that Ikumi and the Polaris girls were going to be this when cooking together. Shun quite disagrees, followed by a shot of Ikumi and Yuuki not being all that graceful.
- The Gadfly: Jouichirou calls Soma ... and mocks him. (Though, in fact he's very pleased with Soma's progress.)Soma: He's so upbeat when he's making fun of me. What kind of parent feels happy when their son loses?
- The Glomp: Akira pulls Jun into a hug.
- Happy Flashback: Soma's dish reminds Leonora of the feelings of meeting her husband.
- Hard Work Hardly Works: Called out, and spectacularly denied, by Isshiki.Isshiki: Soma-kun's cooking inspirations aren't from natural genius or anything like that. He just thinks things through. He keeps testing and re-testing his recipes. Everyone can do that, but not everyone actually does.
Why did [the other students] want to think less of Soma-kun? Because if they acknowledged him, it'd mean acknowledging their own lack of effort.
But the tide's about to turn. - I'm Standing Right Here: Akira is not pleased when Jun brought snacks to Soma and Ryou and whispers that if she did, they should get the cheap cookies. Ryou immediately pointed that they could hear him.
- Impossibly Delicious Food: Soma's completed dish — Porridge-Style Pacific Saury Rice. He adds a broth made from soy milk, miso, and "just a touch of Parmesan cheese".
- Manipulative Bastard: Eizan fixed the match pairings, setting up Subaru to take out first Takumi and then Soma. Isshiki calls him on it, while noting that his plan didn't work out. When last seen, Eizan and Subaru are headed in opposite directions, with the latter applauding the finalists.
- The Power of Love: Akira managed to pull off the win due to his desire to help Jun's research change the world.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: Erina watches Soma's group from her limousine while also staring at her reflection in the window. In the manga, Erina was still in the building instead.
- Sore Loser: Both Ryou and Soma couldn't get over their defeats, so they continue to visit Akira's place to understand what they lacked.
- Tall Poppy Syndrome: As explained by Isshiki, the students refused to acknowledge Soma to protect their own pride.
- Troubled Backstory Flashback: Akira was a Street Urchin that Jun found and raised.
