The Third Dish
Six
Joichiro.
High School Division, 2nd Year Saiba Joichiro
Huh?
Gin?
High School Division, 2nd Year Dojima Gin
It's you.
Why are you here?
Oh, I had a meeting with our corporate partners.
I'm here for work, too.
I'm cooking.
What a coincidence.
The hell it's a coincidence!
You didn't even write!
I've been so worried you might just die in a ditch somewhere!
I met Yukihira Soma.
Oh, yeah?
It's really been a while, Joichiro.
Yeah.
Planned Site of Polar Star Dormitory Annex
These are the Polar Star Dormitory's Grounds
Anyway, we should celebrate our reunion!
Let's go drinking!
Wait, I have to go to a meeting.
Who cares!
Skip it!
That's now how this works, idiot!
It's me.
Is something wrong?
Wait a minute.
Senzaemon-dono is going to retire?
Azami?!
First Seat Dojima Gin High School Division, Third Year Second Seat Saiba Joichiro High School Division, Third Year
That Nakamura Azami?
Second Seat Saiba Joichiro High School Division, Third Year Third Seat Nakamura Azami High School Division, First Year
He's going to be the new director?!
Second Seat Saiba Joichiro High School Division, Third Year
First Seat Dojima Gin High School Division, Third Year
Third Seat Nakamura Azami High School Division, First Year
Food Wars
The Third Plate
The Imprisoned Queen
With this vote, The Totsuki Elite Ten Council
formally supports Director Nakiri Azami.
Our meeting is over.
New Director Assumes Position!!
Isshiki-senpai!
New Director Assumes Position!!
Is it true that we have a new director?!
And the majority of the Elite Ten voted in favor?
Oh, I'm surprised, too.
I didn't expect someone to work behind the scenes with the Elite Ten
so that he could become the new director.
But how can that happen so easily? It makes no sense!
Well, it's legitimate from a procedural standpoint.
The vote was organized following protocol.
Well, I've heard that the Nakiri family always seeks the academy's directorship.
I see.
I was just shocked because it happened so quickly.
Now that I think about it,
it doesn't really have anything to do with us students, right?
But...
What is it, Ibusaki?
Oh...
I was just thinking that Isshiki-san wasn't included in the
Elite Ten's plot to turn against the former director.
Nakiri?
Are you shivering?
Oh, come to think of it...
The new director should be giving his inaugural address just about now.
Thank you all for coming here today.
I am Nakiri Azami,
who has been appointed the new director by the Totsuki Elite Ten Council.
My predecessor, Senzaemon-dono, has accomplished much for the academy.
Whether I can be a worthy successor weighs heavily upon me.
However, I understand that it is a critical role, which is a
driving force behind Japan's food culture.
I humbly accept this important task
and intend to lead Totsuki to even greater heights.
Totsuki
Director, your ride is here.
Oh, sorry.
Have them wait awhile.
I want to walk a bit.
The director should have a clear vision for Totsuki's rightful future.
To do so, I must discern its current state with my own two eyes.
After all, my only advantage over my predecessor is my youth.
My lack of experience must be supplemented by my stamina.
He's not what I expected.
Yeah, I thought he'd be more eccentric,
but he's actually very likable.
What was that all about?
Remember how he showed his true self to us?
Yes. Why this, after having subjected a considerable crowd to verbal abuse?
Erina, your cooking is not for such a subpar lot!
True gourmet dining is similar.
Its value should be shared with only a select few.
That is what deserves to be called food.
Everything else is not food.
It is animal feed.
Maybe he doesn't feel it was verbal abuse.
Hm?
Perhaps he was only being utterly sincere, both that night and today.
You're right.
He may have absolute certainty that no matter what happens, he'll get his way.
Arato Hisako, thank you for all your hard work before now.
What?
I offer you my sincere thanks for supporting Erina during my absence.
Your presence was so helpful to her.
I see.
From this day forth, you are relieved of your duties as her secretary.
Please, wait.
I—
Erina, you have no objections, correct?
Father...
I'd like to continue with Hisako—
There's no need for concern.
I'll be by your side, always.
I will determine who your clients will be,
so that we can make the best use of your talents.
Let us work together on this.
Right, Erina?
Y-Yes, Father.
Is Yukihira here?
Oh, he just went up to his room.
Is something wrong?
Oh, he has a visitor.
At this time of night?
Now that we have a new director,
I wonder what the old director's up to.
Uh, speak of the Devil!
Ah, my apologies for the sudden visit.
It's fine.
Do you need to talk to me?
Come to think of it, this is the first time I've spoken with you face to face.
I guess so, yeah.
I am the one who encouraged Joichiro to have you apply to Totsuki.
During his time here, your father was the Second Seat.
Many things happened when he was a student, but he is a truly spectacular chef.
Sounds like you were pretty close to my dad.
Yes.
Let's go outside.
Sorry to make you accompany me on my daily routine.
No prob.
I must say, it's as though a great weight has been lifted from me,
Training
now that I have been released from my responsibilities as director.
Is that right?
That's good to hear.
Training
So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?
In your opinion, how is Erina as a chef?
Huh?
Well, I mean...
She's really picky about taste.
She's always on edge, I guess.
That's half because of you!
Erina used to be full of laughter as a child.
It's disgusting.
What, what, what?
But I baked it just for you!
But it's not good.
But thank you, Alice.
I don't want the rest, though.
Eat it yourself
What?!
I want to go to Scandinavia!
Please!
Bye, Erina.
By the next time we see each other,
I'll have mastered great cooking techniques.
You'd better not be a sore loser when I come back!
What?
Can't you at least say goodbye to me?
Letters.
You'd better send me letters.
Erina, come with me.
Father.
Where are we going?
Erina, do you want to become a good chef?
Yes.
Good girl.
Then come with me.
I'll now teach you what food is.
So. Which one is seasoned correctly?
The right dish.
The left one has overtones of animal fat that overwhelm the dish,
so it lacks harmony.
Very good.
Now, throw the left dish's contents into the trash.
What?
But we shouldn't waste food.
Do it.
Ow! Father, you're hurting me!
Do it.
Well done.
Do not have any mercy.
You should only speak of a dish's taste.
Never allow an imperfect dish to pass.
Anything other than what I, your father, acknowledge is trash.
Filth.
Garbage.
Anything other than what Father acknowledges...
Trash.
Filth.
Garbage.
Garbage...
Disgusting.
Disgusting!
It's disgusting.
How dare you serve such a dish to me?
You should repent.
Nakamura Azami!
You are exiled from Totsuki!
How shocking, Father.
My education will soon perfect the God Tongue.
This is no education.
It's brainwashing!
You are too dangerous!
I forbid you from ever again making claim to the Nakiri name!
And that is how he was exiled from Totsuki.
I'd heard that he set up base somewhere overseas
and was active in some selective community consisting only of the very wealthy.
I did not expect him to curry favor with the Elite Ten and stage a coup.
That was my undoing.
Erina had been gradually returning to her normal self after the brainwashing.
Starting with Arato Hisako, many had been helping her.
But Azami knows that Erina's heart is still a caged bird.
His methods will not have changed from ten years ago.
He will restrict Erina's contact with the outside world
and ensure that he is the only one she can turn to.
Back then, he disposed of all the letters Alice sent Erina from Scandinavia.
Erina will once again be imprisoned where none may reach her.
Yukihira Soma, I have only one thing to ask of you.
Please save Erina.
I beg this of you!
Come.
Trust only your father.
Cast aside everything else.
P-Please stop, Father!
I don't want to do this.
I see.
I don't need a daughter like that.
Hisako is gone now.
I have no one, other than Father.
Erina.
Erina!
Alice?!
Ryo-kun, just a bit higher!
'Kay.
Don't you dare look up!
'Kay.
What's the matter, Alice?
Erina, what are you waiting for?
We're getting you out of here!
What?
Erina-sama!
Hisako!
We should be safe from pursuit for now.
Alice, why did you do this?
Miss Secretary was walking around looking like she was ready to give up on life,
Erina-sama...
so I talked to her.
Miss Alice!
Well, so this, that, and this...
So I learned that Uncle Azami was trying to pull the same thing he did to you before.
I know what Uncle Azami did.
Father and Mother told me.
My father told me, too.
I sent you so many letters.
But you never wrote back!
Th-That's...
I know.
So I'm not going to let Uncle Azami get his way this time.
Run away!
In situations like these, normal boys and girls run away from home!
Run away?
And oppose Father?
Don't be a pussy!
Show him you have a backbone, Erina!
Um...
What, Ryo-kun?
It's fine to run away,
but where's she running away to?
I think she needs a place to stay.
Well, wouldn't the Arato Estate work?
What?!
We have people involved with the Nakiri family coming and going all the time.
We can't possibly hide her there!
Miss Alice, your room is within the Nakiri Estate, and so is mine.
What, can no one take her in?
Don't talk about Erina-sama like she's some stray cat!
Please take good care of her
Stray cat...
I... I know, let's reserve a hotel room.
Erina's so sheltered. She'd never manage living in a hotel!
What?!
Th-Then I'll stay with her!
If you disappear with Erina, I think they'll doubt you right away and find where you are.
What should we do?
Can't we do something?
Maybe we could make a body double.
With the 3D printer...
I'll go back.
Erina-sama!
Continuing to help me may get you in trouble.
B-But Erina-sama!
Who is it?!
You're...
Well, it's raining in earnest now.
I should get back.
Yukihira Soma...
The Nakiri family situation and all sounds pretty challenging,
but that's got nothing to do with me.
I've known what I'm gonna do from the very beginning.
It hasn't changed since she told me that my cooking was disgusting.
It's disgusting!
I gotta make her say my cooking's delicious.
Okay, bye!
It's just as you said, Joichiro.
If anyone out there can save Erina,
it's him and others of his generation.
You're...
Tadokoro Megumi-chan!
What are you all doing out here?
You'll catch cold.
Come on in!
Come to Polar Star Dormitory.
Hey, it's Nakiri.
I-I'm stopping by.
Oh, Arato, too? Why?
It's a long story.
Run away!
In situations like these, normal boys and girls run away from home!
Huh, running away?
Nice, nice!
Good job, Nakiri!
Don't make fun of me!
I'm not.
Oh, but where's the other half of the Nakiris and Kurokiba?
They already went home.
We'll leave the rest to you!
They totally bailed.
The bath's ready.
You must be chilled to the bone. Go warm yourself up.
Erina-sama is not in her room.
It seems Miss Alice took her outside.
Should we organize a search party?
Well done, Alice.
Let me think.
Just find out where they've gone.
I'm quite busy with academy affairs.
After all, tomorrow marks the dawn of the revolution.
What?
Hide Nakiri-san here?
And here at Polar Star Dormitory?
She's a rich Nakiri girl!
Yeah.
Won't it cause problems if we let someone that important stay here?
Isn't it better for us to stay out of this?
Are we gonna get treated like kidnappers?!
Why'd she run away from home in the first place?
Maybe something happened at home.
I suppose I must explain.
I ask that none of this leave this room.
I want you to know what happened to Erina-sama in the past.
Um, thank you for the bath.
I'm grateful.
Nakiri-san!
What?!
I hate that Azami guy!
What an asshole!
Parents shouldn't do something like that to their kids, damn it!
You can stay here as long as you want, Erina-cchi!
“Erina-cchi”?!
Nakiri-kun, have you eaten?
Oh, not yet.
Then this is great timing!
Everyone, we have a special guest at Polar Star Dormitory!
Let's throw a big party!
Yeah!
I slowly cooked this white fish in clarified butter.
Have a taste!
I suppose I must.
Well, how is it?
I believe you are taking good advantage of the ingredients' natural flavors.
Right?
However.
The clarified butter is making the flavor too rich.
You need to refine the ratios of Vin Jaune and Macvin du Jura in the sauce.
The accompanying side, crozet pasta,
has a buckwheat flavor that doesn't go with the comté cheese.
That's a deduction.
If I were to make an analogy,
it tastes as though I were hit by rain right as I went out,
and I lost my footing in mud and fell.
Overall, it's not good at all.
Great!
The God Tongue is priceless!
How dare you!
Taste mine, too!
This is our chance to have the God Tongue try our cooking!
This is kind of exciting!
I guess I'll bring out some stuff I cured yesterday, too.
Hey!
I can't eat that much.
Erina-cchi, try some of mine, too!
Are you even listening to me?!
Erina-cchi, Erina-cchi!
Erina-sama's so relaxed.
F-Fine!
Really?
Stand in line!
She looks pretty prickly to me.
Stand in line, I said!
I can tell.
When I first met her,
I could sense a dark shadow lurking beneath her beauty,
but she has been changing, little by little.
Yukihira, you make something, too!
Try to make it something unusual!
Sure, you've got it!
All right!
Huh?
Something wrong, Nakiri?
It's nothing.
Also, I'm not going to eat your cooking.
You haven't changed one bit.
Hmm, what to make?
Okay, Yukihira. Please take care of Erina-sama.
Well, even if I'm not around, the other guys will.
Let's play cards!
Yeah!
Cards?!
I hope her running away will make Nakiri's dad rethink things a little.
I am not sure it'll be that easy.
Erina-sama is key to Azami-dono's plans.
I doubt he'll give up so easily.
This is my new proposed method.
This academy will become a utopia for gourmet food
where anyone with the will and means can become a wonderful chef.
How is this a utopia?
It is more of a dystopia, where a demonic overlord has split the
gourmet food world in two!
Totsuki
Food Wars
The Third Plate
Next Episode: It Begins
I hope you savor the next episode!