Shokugeki No Souma: Gou No Sara Episode 9 Access
Critics from The Cinemaholic and community forums noted that the episode felt like a "speedrun" or a summary of several episodes. The reliance on panning and zooming instead of fluid cooking animation became increasingly noticeable.
Reviewers from Anime News Network observed that the series shifted from being about food to being about "Asahi's dumb plot" and "unnecessary fan service". The lack of actual cooking or explanation of dishes was cited as a major downfall. Community Perspectives
A major complaint was the "trash" treatment of Megumi. After seasons of development, her pivotal 1v1 match was almost entirely skipped, and her defeat by Asahi felt like a forced plot device to hype a villain many found "creepy" and unearned. Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara Episode 9
Mana’s backstory highlights the God Tongue as a curse rather than a blessing, leading to her physical collapse and abandonment of her family.
“Mana's deal is an interesting view on the whole god tongue thing - so far it has been treated as a blessing, but super tasting has its drawbacks. Shame it came along Asahi and his dumb plot.” Reddit · r/anime · 5 years ago Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara - Episode 9 discussion Critics from The Cinemaholic and community forums noted
The episode reveals that Erina has been forced to face a relentless gauntlet of "revenge matches" against Noir chefs. This is later revealed to be a scheme by her mother, Mana Nakiri , the WGO Bookmaster, who is searching for a "new taste" to cure the curse of the God Tongue.
In a highly controversial turn, Megumi Tadokoro—after a brief, off-screen victory against the Noir chef Huang Zuiwang—is pitted against Asahi Saiba. Predictably, she is defeated rapidly, which many fans felt did her character growth a massive disservice. The lack of actual cooking or explanation of
“I was on board with this season being a send up of itself, but then this episode came in and did best girl Megumi so dirty... she gets done in by the show's worst character in a "battle" lasting all of 30 seconds.” Reddit · r/anime · 5 years ago