Original Air Date: August 29th, 2015
Megumi finally makes an impression on the audience. As the judging of the Block B starts, students start to realize that all the judges are as tough as the feared Sendawara twins.
This episode provides examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Nao Sadatsuka is this to Erina, and to Hisako also by the end of the episode.
- Adapted Out: In this version, Orie Sendawara only watches Megumi with surprise, while in the manga version, she tried to get into the arena and watch closely what she is going to do with the monkfish.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Since the last encounter with Megumi, Miyoko has been dismissive and cold towards Megumi, until she finally saw her real skills with the monkfish.
- Big Brother Instinct: Both Daigo and Shoji got pissed at some guys badmouthing Megumi and shouting insults at her.
- Cliffhanger: Takumi and Isami's turn arrives when the episode ends.
- Combat Commentator: Provided by Daigo, Shoji, Fumio and Isshiki. The judges do this regarding the food.
- Cooking Duel: It's shown in a flashback that three years ago, Hisako defeated Nao in a Shokugeki.
- Cordon Bleugh Chef: Nao made a Jet-Black Curry Laksa using kusaya (fermented pickled dried fish), which makes a stench so strong that the entire arena is able to smell it. To everyone's surprise, it also enhances the flavor of the curry and the bad smell actually stimulates the appetite.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass:
- Many people in the Block A had this impression of Soma when he is seen taking a nap while waiting for his pot to be ready.
- The impression most of the audience get from Megumi when she displays her skills on monkfish carving. Both Isshiki and Fumio smile when Megumi finally manages to shine.
- Cute Clumsy Girl: Before carving the monkfish, Megumi was seen making many mistakes, tripping and bumping into people.
- Defeat Means Friendship/Defeat Means Respect: Subverted. Once Nao has a taste of Hisako's dish and sees the difference in level between the two of them, she turns into Hisako's Abhorrent Admirer instead. Hisako is reasonably creeped out, even with her back turned.
- The Determinator: In a flashback, a very young Megumi asked for a local fisherman to teach her how to carve hanging monkfish, which is a very hard skill to learn even for an adult. He accepted with the condition that she couldn't complain even once. At one point he even told her she should quit, only to be stunned at her simply refusing to give up until she got it right.
- Evil Smells Bad: Invoked. Nao Sadatsuka is portrayed as a Dark Witch who makes dishes with a disgusting stench.
- Evolving Credits: In the Opening Rising Rainbow, Megumi's vegetables are green peppers. For the Ending Sacchan no Sexy Curry, Urara is running with Ikumi. Also Nao's curry is white this time and she's seen as her "white" version.
- Exact Words: Hisako forbid Nao from getting close to Erina within a 50 m radius. That didn't stop Nao from sending 30 letters per day or stalking them with binoculars.
- Fat and Skinny: Aside from Orie, the two other judges with lines are this, with Osaji Kita as the Fat and Shingo Andou as the Skinny.
- The Host: Urara Kawashima is assigned as the MC of the Block B.
- Impossibly Delicious Food:
- After a lot of skepticism, Orie was the only judge who accepted to at least taste Nao Sadatsuka's Jet-Black Curry Laksa in spite of the terrible smell. The contrast between the flavor of the kusaya, the slippery noodles and the stench were so addictive that Nao gets to momentarily bound them to her "curse".
- To counter her, Hisako Arato's Mutton Meat Shimotsu-to Curry was strong enough to break the judges away from Nao's curse and feel the strength of the rich stew composed of many medicinal ingredients like Dongdanggui, Szechuan lovage, dighuang, peony root and many others. The dish is so revitalizing that it even manages to purify Nao... at least for a few seconds.
- The Medic: Hisako's cooking is based on chinese medicines, carried from a long tradition in her family. Her stew managed to "break the curse" of Nao's dish on the judges.
- Hollywood Restraining Order: By Shokugeki stipulations, Nao is forbidden from getting close to Erina in a radius of 50 m.
- Masochist's Meal: In spite of the painfully bad smell, the judges were incapable of avoiding the taste of Nao's curry, even to the point of wanting more with only the word "stink". It's even illustrated with them tied in BDSM attire inside Nao's cauldron.
- Named by the Adaptation: The first student to present his dish to the judges doesn't have a name revealed in the manga. His name in the anime is Takumi Ishiwatari.
- One-Steve Limit: Takumi Aldini has the same given name as the first contestant.
- Picky Eater: As the students find out, Orie Sendawara wasn't the only feared judge, as also Osaji Kita and Shingo Andou are very harsh on their critiques to the students. Nobody gave more than 33 total points to the contestants until Nao's turn arrived.
- Prayer Pose: Before carving the monkfish, Megumi put her hands together and wished Soma to give her some strength by remembering how he calmed her down at the Training Camp.
- Red Shirt: Takumi Ishiwatari and many other contestants were already eliminated by scoring barely 30 points or less, showcasing that only eight of the group are above the rest.
- Slipknot Ponytail: During the Autumn Election Nao had her hair tied. Once she tasted Hisako's curry, her purification showed her with her hair free.
- So Proud of You: Fumio mentally says to Megumi that she is proud of her, as Megumi was accepted by her to the dorms.
- Stalker with a Crush: Nao is obsessed with having Erina eat her cursed cooking.
- Stalker without a Crush: On the other hand, Nao also wants to defeat Hisako, with the hopes that Erina will change her mind and pick Nao instead. The series itself lampshades this by displaying a "Stalker Logic" on that.
- Undying Loyalty: Hisako's cooking style is centered around her devotion towards Erina.
