Food Wars! The Second Plate OVA
Synopsis — from MyAnimeList
Having completed their Stagiaire assignments, the residents of Polar Star Dormitory and their friends visit a hot springs inn. Though they planned on relaxing, these young chefs step up to the plate when the inn's entire kitchen staff suffer accidents. Unbeknownst to them, they will not be cooking for any ordinary patrons. Sometime after this trip, Souma Yukihira's desire for worthy opponents is stoked when he, Megumi Tadokoro, and the other Autumn Election quarter-finalists are invited to the annual Autumn Leaves Viewing event. The eight Tootsuki freshmen have a special opportunity to enjoy tea with the Elite Ten Council—including the Tenth Seat Erina Nakiri, who participates alongside her first-year classmates. Though it is framed as a friendly introduction between nine promising underclassmen and nine prestigious upperclassmen, Director Senzaemon Nakiri sees this meeting for what it is: a first encounter between the current reigning elite and their eventual usurpers.
Audience Consensus
Audience consensus strongly recommends watching these OVAs, particularly the second episode, due to their critical importance in bridging Season 2 and Season 3. While the first OVA is seen as lighter fare, the second is lauded for its role in introducing the Elite Ten and setting up future plot points. Minor criticisms revolve around the placement of essential plot material in an OVA format and the overall significance of the first episode.
Strengths
- Essential watch for understanding the transition to Season 3 and character motivations.
- Provides crucial context for the introduction of the Elite Ten.
- Well-paced introduction of the Elite Ten, offering more depth than the main season.
- Art, animation, and sound are consistent with the quality of the main anime series.
- Characters remain well-rounded and faithful to their established personalities.
- Offers enjoyable comedy and character moments, especially in the first OVA.
- The second episode's plot relevance makes it a must-watch for continuity.
Weaknesses
- The first OVA episode is considered a standard, less impactful hot springs episode.
- The placement of an important plot episode within an OVA is criticized.
- A specific post-credits scene in the first episode had questionable animation quality.
- The first episode's story is not considered amazing, only interesting enough for its genre.