Soma and his friends were searching for allies to join the Azami administration in a solidarity Shokugeki. They've already recruited former Top Ten members Erina, now in the Tenth Seat, as well as Isshiki (seat 7) and Kuga (seat 8). Another member they hoped to add as a major asset to their team was Tosuke Megijima, the former Third Seat. However, Megijima is a chef known for his "hate of Shokugeki." How can Soma and his friends win Megijima over? And what are his abilities? This time, we'll explore the appeal of Tosuke Megijima!
Megijima hates Shokugekis!?
Food wars are a daily occurrence for students at Totsuki Academy. Food wars for the top ten, food wars between rivals. Food wars are fought for all sorts of reasons, and many of the students, including the protagonist Soma, are positive about food wars. However, Mekishima, who sits in third place, is famously known for his dislike of food wars. He never willingly participates in them. His reason is a manly one: he doesn't want to use his beloved ramen as a weapon in battle.
So you haven't had any food wars at all?
Mekishima hates cooking, but does that mean she hasn't had a single Shokugeki since enrolling at Totsuki Academy? The answer is, of course, no. While it's true that she likely never challenged anyone to a Shokugeki, it's also Mekishima's way of accepting challenges. While she never picks a fight, she accepts one when challenged. Also, on rare occasions, she sometimes engages in a Shokugeki with someone she doesn't like as a form of "discipline."
Nickname: Ramen Master
Mekisima's specialty is ramen. In fact, she's dedicated to ramen and makes nothing but it (lol). Of course, the menu for her match against Ryujin in Season 4 was ramen! That's why she was given the nickname "Ramen Master." While Soma typically wears a hand towel and apron on his head when competing in a Shokugeki, Mekisima also wears a hand towel wrapped around her head as formal attire when seriously competing in a Shokugeki.
Why did Megijima become the third seat in the first place?
How did Megijima, who hates Shokugeki, rise to the top? It's also due to her previously mentioned "willingness to accept a challenge" personality. Originally, Megijima had no interest in becoming a member of the Top Ten, and she wasn't particularly aiming to become one. However, she was challenged to Shokugekis by everyone, and as she tore and tossed them away, she found herself promoted to the third seat without even realizing it. Even when he was congratulated for being ranked third in the Top Ten, he didn't seem to understand what was going on (lol).
Mekishima's charisma has earned him the nickname "The Young King of Ramen."
In his pursuit of ramen, Mekishima travels outside of Totsuki Academy, mainly pulling his food cart. During his travels, he has helped out struggling ramen shops and resolved disputes between ramen shops, demonstrating a dignity unimaginable for a high school student. Mekishima's credibility is unmatched in the ramen world! Before he knew it, he had earned the utmost trust from ramen shop owners all over Japan, earning nicknames like "Young Master" and "Boss," and becoming the young king of the ramen world. Incidentally, after graduating, he expanded his horizons even further, traveling to Paris.
His charisma was on full display even as he left Hokkaido!
Mekishima accepted Soma's request and decided to participate in the Solidarity Shokugeki. His charisma was evident even as he left. With a dignity that is hard to believe for a high school student, he tells them, "Support your father," and "I'll do everything I can," but just looking at the picture, it's hard to tell who is the adult and who is the high school student (lol). The shop owners are crying and calling each other "young master" and "Boss Megijima." Their passionate popularity is so intense that Megumi is taken aback.
Why did Megijima, who hates Shokugeki, join the Rengou Shokugeki?
With the Rengou Shokugeki against the Ten Elites approaching, Soma travels all the way to Hokkaido to visit Megijima as an essential helper. However, Azami's influence has already extended to Hokkaido, and restaurant owners express open hostility when they see Soma appear in a Totsuki Academy uniform. Not only does Megijima dislike Shokugeki to begin with, but she also sides with the Hokkaido restaurant owners who are helping each other out, so naturally she rejects Soma's invitation. Still, Soma challenges Mekishima to a Shokugeki in order to join his team. Although Soma is no match for her in the Shokugeki, he conveys his desire to "protect an environment where people can create dishes completely different from his own," and finally wins over Mekishima.
Mekishima joins the Rebel Alliance. What are her strengths?
Mekishima arrives on the stage of the Solidarity Shokugeki, promising to "do everything in her power to win." His first opponent in the first bout was the Fifth Seat of the Elites, who seemed like a formidable opponent from the start. However, the only ones who were highlighted in the first bout were Isshiki and Soma. Isshiki's opponent Julio was an Eighth Seat of the Elites, and Soma's opponent Kinokuni Nene was only a Sixth Seat. In terms of rank, the Fifth Seat was supposed to be higher than those two, but he was instantly defeated by Megijima without us even knowing what dish he used in the match.
By the way, who is the Fifth Seat who was defeated by Megijima?
From her first appearance, she wore her hat pulled down low to hide her face, exuding a sense of authority and leading to the impression that she was a very powerful figure. People were excited to see what kind of battle would unfold, but... even in the anime, the Fifth Seat of the Elites was completely omitted and instantly eliminated (lol). Her name was Shoko Kaburagi, and she was thought to be quite a powerful figure, having won the Fifth Seat of the Elites as a second-year student. However, this is what happened when facing Megijima. What on earth happened to cause this to happen...?
Mekishima's biggest highlight in Season 4 is her fight against Gentai!
Since Season 3 ended with the first bout, Season 4 is likely to begin with the second bout. In that second bout, Mekishima will face Gentai, the second-placed member of the Top Ten! Even though he wasn't interested in his place in the Top Ten (he wasn't aiming for first or second place), he is still a higher-ranking opponent than Mekishima, who is third. The theme ingredient offered to the two is chili peppers. Megijima counters Ryujin, who excels at power plays, with a mysterious ramen called African Ramen.
Was it surprising how close she was to Ryujin?
Megijima and Ryujin are set to face off in a Shokugeki. As you may know, Ryujin is a friendly character, the polar opposite of Megijima. However, Megijima also perfectly knew what kind of dish Ryujin would use in the Shokugeki. Rindou couldn't help but smile and say, "You know me so well!" This was a memorable scene that somehow made you feel like the two of them understood each other.
Megijima was defeated by Rindou. But was their skill evenly matched?
Megijima was sadly defeated in the match against Rindou. However, the difference in their skills was barely noticeable. After the Shokugeki, Rindou's batteries were completely depleted and he went into hibernation, unable to move for about one and a half to two days. It's impressive that Megijima was able to corner Rindou to that extent, but I want you to remember the first bout. In the first bout, Megijima faced the fifth seat of the Elites. While the depiction makes it seem like she killed him instantly, she must have been somewhat exhausted from the consecutive battles. Who knows what would have happened if she had been fully prepared for the Shokugeki with Rindou?
Megijima's voice actor is Daisuke Kusunoki!
As with the previous season, Daisuke Kusunoki will voice Megijima in the fourth season of the anime! However, if you think back to the scenes in the first season where Megijima spoke... his first bout was over in an instant, so many people probably don't remember what his voice was like. However, he is expected to have many more lines in the fourth season! Incidentally, voice actor Kusunoki Daisuke is a voice actor who often plays supporting roles in anime, but he is also a renowned voice actor who has voiced many actors in film dubs. One famous example is his voice acting as Darth Vader in the Star Wars series.
Ramen Master Mekijima Summary
So far, I've introduced Mekijima, but the more I look at him, the more I realize he's way more than just a high school student, and he's got a whole lot of dignity (lol). He's obsessed with ramen, and has risen to third place solely through ramen. He'll likely appear right from the start of Season 4, so keep an eye out!
