"Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma" is an anime centered around cooking battles known as "food wars." However, these battles are competitive, and the characters are often depicted as enjoying each other's company, rather than hatred. Among them, Eizan Ezuya is a villain who lacks even a shred of sportsmanship! His methods, appearance, and behavior make him an easy target for criticism. This time, we'll be introducing Eizan Ezuya.
When did Eizan Ezuya first meet Soma?
Let's start by going back a little in time to the story of how Soma and Eizan first met. The two first came into contact when, as the representative of the shopping district, Soma developed a fried chicken menu item to compete with Mozuya, a fried chicken restaurant for which Eizan was consulting. After Soma caused sales to drop at the restaurant he consulted for, Eizan used his subordinates to summon Soma and order him to join him.
Eizan's nickname is "The Alchemist"!
Eizan's cooking skills are top-notch, but his greatest reason for being ranked among the Top Ten is his consulting skills. Rather than competing in Shokugeki as a chef himself, Eizan excels at using chefs to make money. He's the top student at Totsuki Academy when it comes to "generating profits," earning him the nickname "Alchemist."
Eizan engages in a Shokugeki with Soma
Eizan's first Shokugeki with Soma was a contest using "local chicken." However, this contest turned out to be overwhelmingly advantageous for Eizan. This is because the judges had already been bribed by Eizan and refused to even taste Soma's cooking. No matter how delicious his dish is, if it's not properly judged, he has no chance of winning. So Soma begins to provoke Eizan.
Eizan's facial expressions when provoked by Soma (lol)
Eizan is a popular character, not only for his image as an intellectual yakuza, but also for his hilarious facial expressions. Eizan tries to leave the scene, telling Soma to end the Shokugeki without eating his food, but when Soma provokes him by saying, "Aren't you scared?", he loses his temper, his veins bulging.
Eizan's face reveals defeat even without saying it.
Eizan is particularly proud among the Elites. Even when tasting Soma's cooking, he never utters the word "delicious." ...But it's obvious when you look at his face (lol). After eating Soma's chicken wing dumplings, he freezes in place, his face turns red, and he starts trembling.
Eizan Defeated by Soma in a Shokugeki
In the end, even the judges who had refused to judge Soma were won over by the smell of Soma's chicken wing dumplings and tried them. As a result, they were more impressed than Eizan's dish, and Soma was declared the unanimous winner. Despite the dispute at the fried chicken restaurant, this incident became a major catalyst, leading to Eizan's fierce rivalry with Soma.
Takumi Aldini stands in Eizan's way in Season 4
Eizan had hoped for a rematch with Soma, but his opponent in the solidarity Shokugeki was Takumi, with whom he had a rivalry from the Autumn Selection. Eizan was sulking about not being able to face Soma in a Shokugeki, but he ended up facing Takumi in a "beef" food theme.
What dish did Eizan make in his Shokugeki with Takumi?
Eizan's recipe for the "beef" theme was roast beef and poached eggs. The roast beef was brimming with juices, topped with a soft, runny poached egg...just looking at the picture makes it look delicious. But what's more, this dish also contained a trap to ensnare Takumi.
Eizan's surefire strategy for scheming to ensnare Takumi.
After confirming that Takumi will be using beef in his shigureni, Eizan heads off to get something from the food storage. When he returns, he finds an artichoke in his hand. Artichokes contain a compound called "cynarin," which reduces the sensitivity to bitterness and makes food taste sweeter. In other words, Eizan's plan was to make Takumi's shigureni taste overly sweet.
The intense facial expressions of joy, anger, sadness, and happiness shown during the fight against Takumi
First up is Eizan, grinning as he comes up with a wicked plan. Looking back, his grin is so obvious that it's obvious he's thinking, "I'm going to use artichokes to ruin Takumi's cooking."
Eizan shows off a happy expression in top form
Next up is this. This is the facial expression Eizan makes when he's sure of victory after using the artichoke. He looks truly happy that things are going exactly as he planned. Furthermore, when he provokes Soma by saying, "Soma would have gotten through it," his bad personality shines through, making for a very Eizan-like expression (lol).
Eizan in Frustration
Next, we see Eizan in a sudden turn of events, completely frustrated. Takumi had predicted that Eizan would use artichokes to harass him, and had incorporated a twist of artichoke's effects into his cooking. Even though he thought he was the one who set the trap, it was all Takumi's doing... Upon learning this, Eizan's face is so full of frustration that it almost collapses.
Of course, Eizan's voice actor is none other than that person!
Eizan has a strong image as a sleazy, villainous character, but this image is further reinforced by the performance of his voice actor, Tomokazu Sugita. As you all know, he's a renowned voice actor who can handle anything from handsome guys to goofy characters, but he's also the perfect voice actor for this nagging, sarcastic character.
A clever punching bag? Eizan Eizan Summary
I've introduced Eizan so far, but even going back to the past and into the fourth season, it seems he still can't escape his punching bag role (lol). However, he's a thoroughly understandable villain, and a necessary character in Shokugeki no Soma. He also has an outstanding talent for business, and it's no surprise that he managed to maintain his place among the Top Ten even after his defeat in the Solidarity Shokugeki. Be sure to keep an eye out for Eizan's facial expressions in Season 4.
