The Shonen is arguably the most popular genre of anime/manga out there, and while it's primarily meant for boys, it has appeal all across the board. Mega-titles such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, and Yu Yu Hakusho are staples of shonen, and they all involve fighting. But the genre isn't just about fists and swords; it's about the spirit of competition and victory, and that includes competitive cooking.
Enter Food Wars!, a humorous but intense cooking anime that stars Soma Yukihira, a diner chef who enrolls at the Totsuki cooking school. He makes all kinds of friends and rivals, and one of his best allies is the meek but talented Megumi Tadokoro. She has an affinity for hospitality-based cooking and seafood, and she has learned to become more confident and brave in her cooking. Counting her cooking duels, exams, and related activities, which are her ten finest triumphs in the world of cooking? Here they are, ranked in no particular order.
10 She Completed The Breakfast Challenge
Early in Food Wars!, all of the first-year students spent a few days at the Totsuki resort, but not to relax and have fun in that opulent hotel. Instead, they were tested to their limits, and many students were weeded out in the rigorous tests that took place there.
One such test was to make and serve 200 breakfast plates to a crowd of guests, and Megumi scored an easy victory here. Her dish was creative and popular with the crowd, and it even won over some grouchy old men who tried it!
9 She Improvised A Rainbow Terrine
Otherwise, though, Megumi faced some serious hardship in the Totsuki training camp at that hotel. While she cruised to victory in that breakfast challenge, she struggled with Shino's vegetable-based exam. She and the other students had to make a rainbow terrine.
This is a tricky dish to make, and Megumi was the last to get her hands on some ingredients. All the leftover cauliflower was faulty, so she had to add ingredients and improvise somewhat to make a good dish. This was a smart and creative move, though Shino had other ideas.
8 She Scored A Draw Against Shino
Ordinarily, neither Megumi nor Soma would stand a chance against a pro chef like Shino. Not even the Council of Ten members would have much of a shot at winning. But when Megumi's terrine dish was rejected, Soma issues a shokugeki to challenge that outcome on Megumi's behalf.
Though this was Soma's idea, Megumi took center stage as the primary chef in the duel, with Soma acting as her backup chef. The duo didn't beat Shino through conventional means, but the judges and Shino were impressed by Megumi's burning desire to improve, and she was allowed to pass the exam despite losing the shokugeki.
7 She Defeated Shigemichi Kumai
This was a pretty minor shokugeki, and it wasn't shown in full detail, but it certainly happened. When Azami Nakiri took over Totsuki and formed Central, the Central-aligned chefs all challenged RS (research society) members to try and shut down their groups.
Megumi was among the few defending chefs to successfully protect an RS, and she won a shokugeki against Shigemichi Kumai. As a result, the "local cuisine" RS was allowed to remain operational.
6 She Qualified For The Autumn Elections
More than once, Megumi took part in a huge competition that is designed to narrow down the field to just a few chefs. The first such event was the qualifier for the Autumn Elections, and the standards were high. Some chefs failed to score any points at all from the chefs.
But then the main characters started submitting dishes, and Megumi presented a charming monkfish dish that scored her an impressive 88 points. With a score like hat, she cracked the top eight, and was allowed to continue to the single-elimination tournament to follow.
5 She Nearly Defeated Ryo
Some of Megumi's cooking scenes are remarkable not because of winning (she loses several contests, actually), but because she shows remarkable grit and personal growth during the process. She used to crumble before competition but now, she stands tall.
Her first opponent was the fiery and vicious Ryo Kurokiba, and they faced off with a theme of seafood. Megumi uses her home-style cooking to contrast with Ryo's aggressive culinary style, and given the odds, it's incredible that she lost only by a narrow margin.
4 She Challenged Momo Akanegakubo
This is the third and final case where Megumi lost against an opponent, but she proved her worth all the same. During the final 8-vs-8 battle against Central in season 4, Megumi took her turn to fight, and she clashed with Momo Akanegakubo (the 3rd seat of the Council).
The theme was "apples," and Momo made an incredible and eye-catching dessert. Megumi responded with her own apple dessert, and she had received a great deal of training from none other than Shino. She was like a boxer who learned the ropes, and it was inspiring to see her fighting so hard.
3 She Won Over An American With Gumbo
This scene was more thoroughly explored in the manga, though it did in fact appear briefly in the anime. Here, a marauding American chef was bullying local diners and ryokan inns, and he was a seemingly unbeatable chef.
Megumi was tiny compared to him, but her culinary skills knocked him flat. She deduced that he was from the American South, and so, she expertly crafted a gumbo dish that he simply loved. An effortless victory for Megumi!
2 She Helped Out With The Beach Exam
Food Wars! Season 5 began with a final exam for all students in Soma's grade, and one-third of the class had to prepare and serve food at the sunny beach. It's a classic anime Beach Episode, but it's not all fun and games. in the sun here - especially not for the new Council of Ten!
Megumi is now the 10th seat, and she did a fantastic job being the waitress for the countless guests at the Council's own food stall. After everything was said and done, Alice graciously complimented Megumi on her incredible input.
1 She Took First Place In The BLUE Preliminary
This is another massive competition where Megumi scored a major victory in a contest of hundreds. The worldwide BLUE tournament was coming up, and Totsuki could only send three students to compete.
Megumi's soup dish was a creative one, using miso soup flavors from all over Japan. It deeply impressed the judges, who gave her a whopping 959 points. She placed first, beating even Soma and Takumi Aldini.