How to watch food wars in order

The Shonen genre in anime and manga has proven to be one of the most versatile genres in popular fiction. Popular Shonen series range from the pirate capers of One Piece, to the ninja exploits of Naruto.

Who’d have thought that the tried and tested Shonen formula of highly motivated young characters squaring off in head-to-head battle would lend itself so well to a show about cooking?

Food Wars, also known by its Japanese name ‘Shokugeki No Soma’, ran in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump between 2012 and 2019, with an impressive chapter count numbering well over 300!

The series was an immediate hit within the magazine, so it was no surprise that the series was quickly greenlit for a full anime production in 2015. 

The anime version has since concluded, alongside its manga counterpart, so you may be looking to check it all out to see what all of the immense hype was about!

The only problem is, you may not actually know where to start, or even what order to watch the series in. You’ll soon be indulging in the culinary delights of this show, as we give you the best watch order guide you could ask for!

What Order Should You Watch Food Wars In?

Luckily, unlike some other popular anime series, the best order in which you should follow the series is clear and unambiguous. Where other shows may denote separate seasons with odd subtitles, each season of Food Wars is clearly denoted by numbered titles.

The first season is known to fans as ‘The First Plate’, and the second series is known as ‘The Second Plate’. This pattern continues throughout the series.

You can also watch the series in its original release order, as it adapts the manga source material faithfully, without skipping ahead or back in time unevenly. 

When Should You Watch The Food Wars OVAs?

OVA is a term that refers to ‘Original video animation’. These are special animated productions that are intended for home release, such as DVD formats. Food Wars has a few OVA episodes of its own, which provide supplemental material for the rest of the series.

The OVA episodes can be difficult to get access to, due to their limited release. If they show up on streaming services, they may be listed as extra or special episodes.

Luckily, most fans consider these OVA episodes to be inessential to the series, and they do not contain any important information or context.

If you did want to watch these episodes alongside the mainline series, then you should aim to watch them in their release order.

So the first two OVAs, which were released in 2016, should be watched after season 1, and then the next set of OVAs should be watched after season 2, and so on.

Is There Any Filler In Food Wars?

Unlike many Shonen anime adaptations, Food Wars has very little filler content to worry about. Filler episodes are caused by an anime production running out of material to adapt.

This is common with weekly anime series that take no breaks between seasons. Food Wars ran as a seasonal series, meaning that between each season there was a substantial break period where no more new episodes were produced.

This allows the manga time to get ahead and create new material to adapt. This means that Food Wars has minimal filler content, with no episodes that are considered entirely non-canon. 

There is minor filler content within canon episodes, such as small moments between characters that don’t show up in the manga version. However, unlike most filler, this content serves a positive and supplemental function that is at the benefit of the rest of the series. 

Are There Any Other Food Wars Anime Productions?

Currently, there are no additional anime seasons besides the standard five seasons that ran from 2015 to 2020. There are no animated feature films currently, and nor are there any in the works. 

There are also no plans for a reboot or remake of the series in the same vein as Hunter X Hunter which received a total reboot more than ten years after its original anime series finished production.

Maybe in twenty years, Food Wars may see a revival or even a sequel series, but as of yet this remains uncertain.

Are There Any Food Wars Live-Action Films?

It is very common for popular shonen anime series to receive live-action adaptations that release theatrically, or are serialized on television. Unfortunately, unlike these competing series, Food Wars has yet to receive any kind of live action adaptation.

It is currently uncertain whether there are any plans to adapt the series, or if there ever have been plans previously that might have been canceled. 

How Long Is The Food Wars Anime Series?

The Food Wars anime series ran for an incredible 89 episode run, which includes the various OVA productions that were also produced at that time.

These episodes stand at an average of 24 minutes per episode, so you can easily watch a good chunk of episodes in the amount of time that it would take you to watch an average feature film, making it incredibly easy to watch.

The manga version of the series ran for around 315 chapters, completing its 7 year run of 36 collected manga volumes. This is a very successful length for a Shonen manga series to reach and is worth commending. 

Where Can You Watch Food Wars?

If you want to partake in this delicious series yourself, there are a number of ways that you can get access to it. If you want to find the series on Netflix, then you may need to use a VPN service, as it is only available on the platform in certain countries.

The dedicated anime streaming service Crunchyroll also provides access to the series, allowing you to watch all five seasons of the series. Both streaming services require a subscription fee. 

You can also purchase each season of Food Wars on DVD, Blu Ray, and digital platforms so that you can easily access whatever episode you want, whenever you want it. They also look great next to one another on a shelf! 

Final Thoughts

Finding the right order to watch any popular anime series can be very difficult, and opinions can often vary on the best order in which you should watch a series.

Luckily, Food Wars is easy to get to grips with, and can easily be watched in its original release order, which follows a chronological order. This is also agreed by hardcore fans to be the optimal way to experience the series. 

You can also access the show easily, thanks to the wealth of streaming services that make anime easily accessible, or through the various DVD and blu-ray releases that the series has had!

So what are you waiting for? Prepare to work up an appetite and dive into the series today! 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Old Is Soma From Food Wars?

Protagonist Soma Yukihira from the hit series Food Wars is around fifteen years of age.

This is a common age for Shonen protagonists to be, as the viewership of many such series tends to be teenagers, or young children, who would easily look up to a teenage protagonist.

The young age of the protagonist is a good reason that the series has been able to capture audiences across the world.

Why Does Soma Have A Scar?

Soma has a characteristic scar across his left eyebrow. This cool and edgy marking serves as a constant reminder of Soma’s good nature. Soma earned the scar when he quickly reached down to grab an ingredient before it could hit the floor.

In the process, he hit his head on the corner of a table. His quick thinking and sacrifice in grabbing an ingredient is reflective of how he values foods of all kinds, and his willingness to waste no ingredients in his cooking process. 

What Is Soma’s Specialty?

Soma’s specialty is family food. Soma makes very ordinary food that doesn’t necessarily stand out in terms of appearance but packs a lot of heartwarming flavors.

Soma’s specialty makes him somewhat of a black sheep amongst his peers at the Totsuki Culinary Academy, which prizes amazing presentation and high-class dishes.

Soma is most concerned with making tasty food that satisfies every customer, rather than a special few.