Original Air Date: May 14, 2018
Soma finds out why Akira joined Central before their match.
This episode provides examples of:
- Adaptation Distillation: The part where Erina aces her test as quick as possible to check up on Soma's match, and screams at the teacher is omitted.
- Good Parents: Despite not being his biological mother, Jun tells Akira that her top priority isn't a lab or her investigation, it's Akira's wellbeing and happiness with friends his age, and she is willing to give up everything if that means Akira lives a happy youth.
- Heel Realization: His defeat against Soma makes Akira understand that in the process of joining Central, he lost what made him win in the Autumn Election: someone he wants to cook for. Since he didn't have Jun besides him, he was cooking without heart, and Soma also has to scream at him that his dish was made for Akira, making him also realize that Soma is not only his rival, but also his friend, and he has been ignoring him as well.
- Impossibly Delicious Food:
- Akira's Fried Bear with gravy was inspired by the Southern American take on cajun fried chicken. The fried meat alone is superior to Soma's, but...
- Soma managed to climb back when the judges eat the cutlets with the sauce, which adds another layer of depth to the flavor. The combination is enough to unleash Soe's ability of The Gift, which undresses not only himself, but also the people next to him.
- The Worf Effect: Not only the rest of the rebels lose against Central, the most shocking twist is that Ryou and Alice, the strongest members of the group, were defeated as well. On top of that Akira is also expelled for losing his match against Soma, meaning that he can't help the rebels after changing sides.
- You Have Failed Me: Akira faces the consequences of losing his match against Soma and changing sides: Getting expelled from Tootsuki along with the rebels defeated by the Elite Ten.
