Review of Food Wars! The Fourth Plate

I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't wild about this season, but I've given it a nine because I know, somewhere in the past, this series had me hype. As always, the art in Food Wars! is killing it. The colors are used so well, the food looks shockingly realistic yet fantastical, and the character designs are crisp and pleasing to look at. As far as the sound design, it's not something I used to notice about Food Wars! but I do think the score for this anime does a really good job of putting the viewer in the atmosphere of the moment, so it's somethingto mention.

The story wasn't exactly as amazing as I was thinking it would be, but I honestly think it's because it's been a year since I've seen the previous seasons. The spark wasn't there for me anymore. To me, the whole season being a Shokugeki was a bit... I don't know, boring? A lot of the battles were done very well, don't get me wrong. This anime knows where to cut the episodes and how to build up tension in a way that gets you excited for the next moment. However, this whole season was a constant, high-stakes story, and I couldn't get that into it after not having been a part of this world for a while.

The characters still slap, though. I love the zaniness of Food Wars! so much. Each character feels so unique and out of place, and it really works in this story. Sometimes a cast like that can feel busy, but Food Wars! is able to make each of them shine in a really lovely way. The humor is still awesome, the craziness is still there, and the gushy stuff was only over-the-top sometimes. All in all, I didn't get pumped to watch this season, but I'm glad I did because it seems like something pretty dang cool is on the horizon, and I can't wait.