Food Wars! Season 3 Episode 17 recap: Soma Yukihira vs Akira Hayama

Soma Yukihira & Akira Hayama battle over an exotic bear dish with Alice Nakiri’s father Soue Nakiri and sisters Cilla & Berta judging on Food Wars! Season 3 Episode 17.

This recap contains spoilers for the English Dub of “The Umami Tightrope” on Food Wars! The Third Plate. You can watch “The Umami Tightrope” on VRV Premium’s HIDIVE Channel or directly on HIDIVE (both require subscriptions).

It’s revealed that Akira Hayama’s recruitment in Central was no coincidence. Erina’s father and newly crowned Director of Totsuki Culinary Academy, Azami Nakiri, makes it clear all of Jun Shiomi’s research will be taken… Unless Hayama agrees to join the Elite 10 to act as a harbinger of Central’s message of uniformity on-campus. Central has targeted its efforts on crushing the will of Soma Yukihira, the key to vanquishing the Totsuki rebels out of existence.

Despite the odds and prior loss, Soma agrees to step up to the challenge of a grudge match against Akira Hayama. Knowing his skill in spices, his very ‘nose’ for it, pales in talent to Hayama’s. However, a prior trip with Terunori Kuga with a bear hunter encourages Soma to push forward with the matchup. Soma decides to take the exotic game meat of the bear in an entirely new direction knowing he will never be able to mask its ‘gamey’ scent as successfully as Hayama.

Gin Dojima and Bear – Food Wars! The Third Plate – Season 3 Episode 17 – Art Credit: Sentai Filmworks/ J.C.Staff via VRV Premium’s HIDIVE Channel

Gin Dojima presides over the proceeding clash in the kitchen. An unofficial Food War! And any Food War! needs judges of course. Dojima introduces twin sisters Cilla and Berta who openly debate cheering on Hayama for being “a pretty boy” as opposed to Soma’s “scruffy look.”

Cilla and Berta talk – Food Wars! The Third Plate – Season 3 Episode 17 – Art Credit: Sentai Filmworks/ J.C.Staff via VRV Premium’s HIDIVE Channel

At first the shorter haired sister, Cilla, argues that they should cheer for Soma because a “pretty boy will be unfaithful”, however Berta soon changes her sister’s mind. Berta argues that the “scruffier one” won’t appreciate Cilla and give the kind of love and attention she deserves. Cilla pretty much changes her mind on a dime.

Cilla and Berta are judges – Food Wars! The Third Plate – Season 3 Episode 17 – Art Credit: Sentai Filmworks/ J.C.Staff via VRV Premium’s HIDIVE Channel

Soma recognizes the deck has been stacked against him before serving a single helping of his dish. Alice Nakiri’s father, Erina’s uncle Soue Nakiri soon enters as the third judge. Unlike Cilla and Berta, he is unbiased of anything except Alice and his wife Leonora Nakiri being “the cutest” in the world.

Akira Hayama would jump to an early lead with Cilla & Berta through the scent emanating from his dish alone. The key ingredient? Genievre berries.

Food Wars! The Third Plate – Akira Hayama – Season 3 Episode 17 – Art Credit: Sentai Filmworks/ J.C.Staff via VRV Premium’s HIDIVE Channel

The response from Cilla & Berta, swooning over a taste of just the sauce presented from Akira’s dish, would lead him to be confident in total victory. Yet, Soma was nowhere close to bowing out, instead delivering a remake of a prior test dish. Taking the most pungent, gamey parts of the bear meat in contrast to Akira’s elimination of it.

Sōma Yukihira’s bear dish – Food Wars! The Third Plate – Season 3 Episode 17 “The Umami Tightrope” – Art Credit: Sentai Filmworks/ J.C.Staff via VRV Premium’s HIDIVE Channel

The fried result was a true Yukihira Restaurant special, meant to be eaten with hands instead of utensils and a napkin to soak the oil. Cilla & Berta were so wowed by Soma taking such a massive risk with his bear they changed course to finding Soma “dreamy”. Soue Nakiri called what Soma did with the dish walking a ‘tightrope’, showing fearlessness.

Akira Hayama would unveil his dish as pure radiance emanated from it, blissful light like the sun permeated the walls as the episode ended with the two competitors in a stare down over victory.

Without a win, the rebellion stands on thin ice… A matchup with Megumi Tadokoro & Takumi Aldini facing off against Rindō Kobayashi on the horizon. Will Central succeed in demoralizing the rebels of Totsuki Academy? Are the days of Food Wars! deciding the direction of Totsuki academy over with Azami Nakiri leading the charge?

– You can purchase the English dubbed Food Wars! The Third Plate Blu-ray collection over at Amazon, Right Stuf, Best Buy, Walmart or Target right now!

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Regarding Food Wars! Season 3 Art / Show Screenshots: The Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma Anime was originally made by J.C.Staff and licensed by Sentai Filmworks in the U.S. The Food Wars! The Anime is based on the words illustrated in the manga by Shun Saeki and written by Yūto Tsukuda. Published by Shueisha in Japan and VIZ Media stateside.

Be sure to check out:

– Food Wars! Season 3 Episode 7 Dub Review: Central vs State Allegory

– Erina Nakiri – Food Wars! English Dub Database

– Joichiro Yukihira – Food Wars! English Dub Database

– Anime NYC 2019: ‘Food Wars!’ Screening packs house

Looking for your favorite Anime show dubbed? Check out the Dub Availability List to compare between the VRV, Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, HIDIVE, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max anime streaming services.

New to the Food Wars! series? Read an in-depth preview of Food Wars! Season 1 Episode 5 at LiveGameDeals.com! Discover some of the first conversations between Sōma Yukihira and Erina Nakiri.