After completing the first bout in the third season of the anime, Soma and the Rebel Alliance have advanced to the second bout. However, in the second bout, they face even stronger opponents who rank higher among the Elites. So today we'll be introducing the Elites who will appear as rivals in the fourth season, including those who have already been defeated! By the way, although they are introduced as the Elites, please note that in reality, some members have been fired and there are only eight seats under the Azami administration.
Eighth Seat: Shiratsu Kirio
Under the Azami administration, the Ten Elites only have up to the Eighth Seat, making Shiratsu Kirio the lowest-ranking member. After losing to Isshiki, whom he respects and views as a rival, in the first bout, he's been treated like a minor character... But while he looks old, he's still only a second-year student. Despite being a second-year student, he survived a survival competition that included third-year students and made a name for himself among the Ten Elites, so he's by no means weak.
Seventh Seat: Eizan Ezuya
Appearing as the Seventh Seat is Eizan Ezuya, known for his villainous face! As you can see, his personality has become even more twisted in the third bout, further enhancing his villainous appearance (lol). Originally, he was the ninth seat of the Ten Elites, but after Azami took over, some members left, causing him to drop to seventh seat. He also possesses exceptional cooking skills, but Eizan's defining characteristic is his knack for humiliating others with his cooking! In the third bout, she plots to ensnare her opponent, Takumi, using an artichoke... While she remains the 8th seat in the new Ten Seats after the Azami administration, Takumi, who defeated her in the third bout, is now the 7th seat.
Sixth Seat: Nene Kinokuni
The sixth seat is Nene Kinokuni, who fought Soma using soba noodles in the first bout, the final episode of the third season. He is characterized by his glasses and cool personality, and is voiced by the popular voice actress Hanazawa Kana, making him a very popular character. Incidentally, he has known Isshiki of the Rebel Alliance since childhood. His family is famous for Edo soba noodles, and he is a top-notch soba chef, but he was defeated by Soma without noticing that the temperature in the venue and other factors were slightly different from usual. Incidentally, he is also listed as the 9th seat in the new 10 seats after Azami takes over.
Fifth Seat: Shoko Kaburagi
The fifth seat is taken by the mysterious female character Shoko Kaburagi. What makes her so mysterious is that she was instantly killed by Megijima in the final episode of the third season, and we still don't know what kind of dish she cooked or how she was defeated (lol). All we know is that she's 163 cm tall and her measurements are 79cm bust, 56cm waist, and 84cm hips. However, since he's ranked higher than Kinokuni, who was undoubtedly a formidable opponent, he's a somewhat pitiful character who might have played a key role in the third season if his opponent hadn't been so tough...or if he'd had more airtime.
Fourth Ship: Saito Somei
The fourth ship is the genius sushi chef Saito Somei. Originally ranked fifth, he was promoted to fourth ship when third-place Megijima left the Top Ten. He has an unusual hairstyle, but as a sushi chef, he has a purely Japanese style...or rather, for some reason, he speaks in a samurai-like manner. By the way, according to her, her first-person pronoun is "ore" ("I"), but when Mimasaka performed a perfect trace, she used "setsusha" ("I"). Although she denied it, her teammates pointed out that she sometimes uses "setsusha" ("I"). (lol)
Third Seat: Akanegakubo Momo
Appearing as the third seat is Akanegakubo Momo, who was also promoted from fourth seat to third seat due to Megijima's departure. Her voice actress is Rie Kugimiya, the quintessential loli character known for her role as "Kugyuu." She's expected to play a major role in the fourth season, but she's already enjoying immense popularity. Her specialty is sweets. She absolutely loves cute things, and the reason she makes sweets is because they're cute.
Her precious companion is Butchy. Does she even have a nickname for her favorite?
Momo's teddy bear Butchy is always with her. He's such a big fan of Butchy, he always holds him in both arms. Since childhood, she's had a unique sensibility (and foresight), and dolls that Momo found cute later became hit products, making her highly sought-after as a toy manufacturer and designer. He is also known for giving cute nicknames to opponents he perceives as inferior, such as "Yuki-hyun" for Soma and "Megu-yan" for Megumi. However, after fighting Megumi in the second battle, he acknowledges her abilities by calling her by her first name...
Second Seat: Kobayashi Rindo
Kobayashi Rindo, the second seat of the Elites, had been in the position since before the Azami administration. He has a very free-spirited personality, and makes full use of the authority of one of the Ten Elites to travel abroad. Another defining feature of Rindou is that he is friendly to everyone, friend or foe. He has reptilian-like eyes, and his weakness to the cold is also reptilian-like. Incidentally, Rindou is a character that the author is very fond of, and between volumes 26 and 30, which are likely to be the volumes that will be aired in the fourth season, Rindou has appeared twice on the back cover of the manga wearing a crocodile costume.
His specialty is cooking with rare ingredients
Each of the Ten Masters has their own specialty, but Rindo's specialty is cooking with rare ingredients. Among them, the dish that makes the biggest impact in Season 4 is the one using crocodiles! Of course, his cooking skills are top-notch, and he showed them off in the battle against Megijima. In addition to cooking with rare ingredients, Rindo also loves to eat them himself. He often visits the "Insect Cooking Research Society" and enjoys eating insect dishes with satisfaction.
The Intriguing Language of Gentian
According to the original author, there's a secret behind the name gentian, related to its flower language. So, when I looked into the flower language of gentian, I found that there are many. The first is "victory" and "sense of justice," which perfectly fit the character. The second is "compassion in your sadness" and "lonely love." These are likely feelings toward Eiji. Furthermore, in Western flower language, gentian represents "inherent value," purple represents "full confidence," and white represents "chastity," all of which perfectly fit the character.
First Place: Eiji Tsukasa
Reigning proudly atop the Top Ten is Eiji Tsukasa! Nicknamed the "White Knight of the Dining Table," he perfectly masters delicate dishes and possesses a sense of style that surpasses even the other Top Ten. Although he's a genius, he's possessed a unique sensibility since childhood, and will do whatever he wants without regard for others as long as it means completing his creations and dishes. His mind is always on cooking. Because of this, he can be surprisingly timid when it comes to other things.
The Relationship Between Eiji and Rindou
Although Eiji always puts cooking first, it's clear that he has a deep trust in Rindou. The two have been together since middle school, and when Eiji expressed his dream of becoming the top student, Rindou shared his dream and offered to become the second student as well. As a result, the two of them achieved their dream of becoming the top and second students in the Top Ten. They seem like a perfect match, and after their solidarity Shokugeki, they were even shown traveling abroad together.
Former Top Ten, Eighth Seat: Teruki Kuga
Now, let's introduce the members of the Top Ten before the Azami administration. First up is Eighth Seat, Teruki Kuga! In the Solidarity Shokugeki, as a member of the Rebel Alliance, he challenged Eishi Tsukasa, who had previously been ignored. After the Solidarity Shokugeki, he became the third seat of the new Top Ten. His specialty is Sichuan cuisine.
Former Ten Elites, Seventh Seat: Isshiki Satoshi
Before the Azami administration, Isshiki Satoshi held the Seventh Seat. While the title of Seventh Seat might lead you to believe he couldn't boast exceptional skill, his cooking skills are top-notch and genius-level. It's almost surprising that he even held the Seventh Seat. In fact, when he was competing in the Solidarity Shokugeki as a member of the Rebel Alliance, he was even scouted by Tsukasa Eishi. Since the formation of the New Top Ten, he has been ranked as the second seat behind Soma.
Former Top Ten, Third Seat: Tosuke Megijima
Finally, we have Tosuke Megijima, who reigned as the third seat before the Azami administration! As his nickname "Ramen Master" suggests, he is a ramen-making professional. In the Solidarity Shokugeki, he lent his strength to the Rebel Alliance, defeating the fifth seat with a swift victory without even a fight scene.
Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma: Top Ten Summary
So far, we've introduced the members of the Top Ten. The battle between the Rebel Alliance and the Top Ten is sure to heat up, and just like in the original manga, we can't take our eyes off Ryujin-senpai, who will likely play an active role in the fourth season!
