With every cooking manga I've read, I noticed that they always fall in either two categories. You've got heartwarming cooking manga who brings forth the importance of family, friendship, and community. On the other hand, you've got Shokugeki no Soma, who brings a battle shounen twist in the kitchen.

Shokugeki no Souma had a rather fun story. It was really entertaining to follow Souma's path into becoming a better chef. Like other battle shounen manga, it's an extremely fun read to follow the path of our protagonist, to see him try to become the best that ever was. I was incredibly entertaining to see the craziness of battle shounen brought into the kitchen. As much as it is a crazy and weird concept, it definitely delivered on it. However, that does not mean that the story is without flaw, although these flaws are in the later chapters. I'll avoid discussing the final arc, but I'll just point out that it was a disappointing ending to an amazing story. Although the ending definitely decreased how much I liked this manga, I think that a disappointing ending can be overlooked if the path to reach that ending was fun and entertaining. This manga is a great example of the saying "It's about the journey, not the destination". Even if the destination was sub-par, the journey to get there was a simply thrilling ride, which you are sure to have fun while reading.

This manga has amazing art. From character designs to the food, everything looks really good. The art was very successful in portraying emotions to the reader as well. When there was a moment in the manga that was more serious or tense, the art portrayed perfectly the tension that the characters feel in that moment. Similarly, when there was a comedic moment, the art perfectly encapsulates the lighthearted moments. The art perfectly portrayed the emotions felt within a scene, and it successfully impacts the reader through this.

It's quite rare for manga to put so much focus on supporting characters. However, Shokugeki no Souma does it, and does it well. Every character in this manga has life into them, and they all have an interesting personality, at least most of them do. These characters are all really fun, and they all have their own share of quirkiness. I don't think that there is a single character in this manga that I can outright say they were boring. Overall, the characters in Shokugeki no Souma were all pretty good, and each one of them helps make the story more fun.

As a whole, I really enjoyed Shokugeki no Souma. As much as I can say that the ending left me with a bitter taste, I cannot deny that I had a lot of fun reading this manga. The entirety of this manga is really entertaining, so much so that it overshadows the mediocre ending.

In conclusion, Shokugeki no Souma is a great manga, with many strengths that make the flaws irrelevant. The weird battle shounen twist it brings on the art of cooking makes for a fun read, in which many people are sure to enjoy.