Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma watch order
Soma Yukihira, who grew up cooking in his dad's diner, is sent to Totsuki, an elite culinary school where only one in ten students graduates and disputes are settled by shokugeki cook-offs. J.C.Staff adapted Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki's manga across five seasons, finishing the story.
First time? Watch the five seasons in order: Food Wars!, The Second Plate, The Third Plate (both halves), The Fourth Plate and The Fifth Plate. There's no filler. The five OVAs are optional side stories; slot them in where they're listed below if you want them.
First-timer order
Just the 86 TV episodes in order. None of the OVAs affect the plot.
- Food Wars! episodes 1–14
Soma arrives at Totsuki, moves into the Polar Star dorm, wins his first shokugeki against Ikumi Mito and survives the training camp, including the 200-omelette breakfast. Chapters 1 to about 38.
- Food Wars! episodes 15–18
Summer break: Soma's father Joichiro visits Polar Star, and Soma goes home to defend the Yukihira diner's karaage from a chain store.
- Food Wars! episodes 19–24
The Autumn Election preliminaries, a curry round judged by Gin Dojima's panel, where Soma, Megumi, Hayama, Kurokiba and Alice fight for the eight tournament spots. The season ends around chapter 61.
- Food Wars! The Second Plate
Episodes 25–37. The Autumn Election main tournament from the quarter-finals to the three-way final (25–34), then the Stagiaire work placements (35–37). Chapters 62 to about 116.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate episodes 1–6
Episodes 38–43. The Moon Festival, where Soma takes on Elite Ten member Kuga, then Azami Nakiri seizes the school and Erina escapes to the Polar Star dorm.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate episodes 7–12
Episodes 44–49. Central's takeover: Soma's shokugeki with Eizan, the survivors' hunt, and his first match against first seat Tsukasa.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate: Totsuki Train Arc
The second half of season three, episodes 50–61 (numbered 13–24 within the season). The promotion exams on the train through Hokkaido, Soma against Hayama, and the start of the Régiment de Cuisine. Ends around chapter 217.
- Food Wars! The Fourth Plate
Episodes 62–73: the rest of the Régiment de Cuisine, the team shokugeki between the rebels and Central's Elite Ten, through to the final two-on-two bout. Ends around chapter 263.
- Food Wars! The Fifth Plate
Episodes 74–86: Soma's second year and the BLUE tournament against Asahi Saiba and the Noir chefs, finishing the manga at chapter 315. It crams about 52 chapters into 13 episodes and drops the Hot Spring arc, so it feels rushed. The broadcast was paused after two episodes in April 2020 and resumed in July.
Story order
The TV seasons with each OVA slotted into the stretch of the story it's set in. The Elite Ten OVA is the one that actually leads somewhere: it sets up The Third Plate.
- Food Wars! episodes 1–14
Soma arrives at Totsuki, moves into the Polar Star dorm, wins his first shokugeki against Ikumi Mito and survives the training camp, including the 200-omelette breakfast. Chapters 1 to about 38.
- OVA: Takumi's Downtown Battle (optional)
An anime-original short first shown at the Jump Special Anime Festa in 2015 and bundled with manga volume 18. Takumi and Isami sightsee in Tokyo after the training camp and get pulled into a cook-off at a downtown restaurant. Optional.
- Food Wars! episodes 15–18
Summer break: Soma's father Joichiro visits Polar Star, and Soma goes home to defend the Yukihira diner's karaage from a chain store.
- OVA: Erina's Summer Vacation (optional)
Bundled with volume 19. Alice drags Erina to a public pool while the Polar Star residents hold a lakeside party, all in the summer before the Autumn Election. Optional.
- Food Wars! episodes 19–24
The Autumn Election preliminaries, a curry round judged by Gin Dojima's panel, where Soma, Megumi, Hayama, Kurokiba and Alice fight for the eight tournament spots. The season ends around chapter 61.
- Food Wars! The Second Plate
Episodes 25–37. The Autumn Election main tournament from the quarter-finals to the three-way final (25–34), then the Stagiaire work placements (35–37). Chapters 62 to about 116.
- Second Plate OVA: Autumn Moon's Chance Encounter (optional)
An anime-original story bundled with volume 24: after the Stagiaire, the gang visits the hot-spring inn where Megumi did her placement and ends up running its kitchen. Optional.
- Second Plate OVA: Totsuki Elite Ten (optional)
Bundled with volume 25, adapting chapter 119: the Autumn Election finalists are invited to a tea party with the Elite Ten, and Soma issues his challenge. It leads directly into The Third Plate, so watch it just before.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate episodes 1–6
Episodes 38–43. The Moon Festival, where Soma takes on Elite Ten member Kuga, then Azami Nakiri seizes the school and Erina escapes to the Polar Star dorm.
- Third Plate OVA: Erina at Polar Star Dormitory (optional)
Bundled with volume 29, this follows Erina's first days living at Polar Star, so it fits right after episode 43. Sentai's release calls it Erina's New Life. Optional.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate episodes 7–12
Episodes 44–49. Central's takeover: Soma's shokugeki with Eizan, the survivors' hunt, and his first match against first seat Tsukasa.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate: Totsuki Train Arc
The second half of season three, episodes 50–61 (numbered 13–24 within the season). The promotion exams on the train through Hokkaido, Soma against Hayama, and the start of the Régiment de Cuisine. Ends around chapter 217.
- Food Wars! The Fourth Plate
Episodes 62–73: the rest of the Régiment de Cuisine, the team shokugeki between the rebels and Central's Elite Ten, through to the final two-on-two bout. Ends around chapter 263.
- Food Wars! The Fifth Plate
Episodes 74–86: Soma's second year and the BLUE tournament against Asahi Saiba and the Noir chefs, finishing the manga at chapter 315. It crams about 52 chapters into 13 episodes and drops the Hot Spring arc, so it feels rushed. The broadcast was paused after two episodes in April 2020 and resumed in July.
Release order
Everything in the order it came out. The OVAs were disc extras bundled with manga volumes, so each arrived after the season it belongs to.
- Food Wars! episodes 1–14
Soma arrives at Totsuki, moves into the Polar Star dorm, wins his first shokugeki against Ikumi Mito and survives the training camp, including the 200-omelette breakfast. Chapters 1 to about 38.
- Food Wars! episodes 15–18
Summer break: Soma's father Joichiro visits Polar Star, and Soma goes home to defend the Yukihira diner's karaage from a chain store.
- Food Wars! episodes 19–24
The Autumn Election preliminaries, a curry round judged by Gin Dojima's panel, where Soma, Megumi, Hayama, Kurokiba and Alice fight for the eight tournament spots. The season ends around chapter 61.
- OVA: Takumi's Downtown Battle (optional)
An anime-original short first shown at the Jump Special Anime Festa in 2015 and bundled with manga volume 18. Takumi and Isami sightsee in Tokyo after the training camp and get pulled into a cook-off at a downtown restaurant. Optional.
- OVA: Erina's Summer Vacation (optional)
Bundled with volume 19. Alice drags Erina to a public pool while the Polar Star residents hold a lakeside party, all in the summer before the Autumn Election. Optional.
- Food Wars! The Second Plate
Episodes 25–37. The Autumn Election main tournament from the quarter-finals to the three-way final (25–34), then the Stagiaire work placements (35–37). Chapters 62 to about 116.
- Second Plate OVA: Autumn Moon's Chance Encounter (optional)
An anime-original story bundled with volume 24: after the Stagiaire, the gang visits the hot-spring inn where Megumi did her placement and ends up running its kitchen. Optional.
- Second Plate OVA: Totsuki Elite Ten (optional)
Bundled with volume 25, adapting chapter 119: the Autumn Election finalists are invited to a tea party with the Elite Ten, and Soma issues his challenge. It leads directly into The Third Plate, so watch it just before.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate episodes 1–6
Episodes 38–43. The Moon Festival, where Soma takes on Elite Ten member Kuga, then Azami Nakiri seizes the school and Erina escapes to the Polar Star dorm.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate episodes 7–12
Episodes 44–49. Central's takeover: Soma's shokugeki with Eizan, the survivors' hunt, and his first match against first seat Tsukasa.
- Food Wars! The Third Plate: Totsuki Train Arc
The second half of season three, episodes 50–61 (numbered 13–24 within the season). The promotion exams on the train through Hokkaido, Soma against Hayama, and the start of the Régiment de Cuisine. Ends around chapter 217.
- Third Plate OVA: Erina at Polar Star Dormitory (optional)
Bundled with volume 29, this follows Erina's first days living at Polar Star, so it fits right after episode 43. Sentai's release calls it Erina's New Life. Optional.
- Food Wars! The Fourth Plate
Episodes 62–73: the rest of the Régiment de Cuisine, the team shokugeki between the rebels and Central's Elite Ten, through to the final two-on-two bout. Ends around chapter 263.
- Food Wars! The Fifth Plate
Episodes 74–86: Soma's second year and the BLUE tournament against Asahi Saiba and the Noir chefs, finishing the manga at chapter 315. It crams about 52 chapters into 13 episodes and drops the Hot Spring arc, so it feels rushed. The broadcast was paused after two episodes in April 2020 and resumed in July.
Explained
Is there any filler?
No. All 86 episodes adapt the manga. The five OVAs are either anime-original side stories (Takumi's Downtown Battle, Autumn Moon's Chance Encounter) or bonus chapters, and none of them change anything.
Why does The Third Plate have two parts?
Season three aired as a split cour: twelve episodes in late 2017, then Totsuki Train Arc in spring 2018, numbered 13–24 within the season (50–61 overall). Streaming services sometimes list the train arc as a separate season, but it's a direct continuation.
Why is The Fifth Plate so rushed?
It adapts chapters 264–315, about 52 chapters, in thirteen episodes. The first episode compresses the start of Soma's second year, skipping the Hot Spring Investigation arc, and the BLUE preliminaries get a few minutes. Seasons one to four are faithful; part of the problem is that the manga's own final arc was already hurried.
Where does it end, and is there more to read?
The anime finishes the main manga at chapter 315, with Erina winning BLUE and Soma leaving on a world tour. The manga then has a three-chapter epilogue, Le Dessert, collected in volume 36, which reveals Asahi's parentage and jumps ahead a few years. Read volume 36 if you want the full ending; there's no more anime.
Where can I watch it, and is there a dub?
Crunchyroll simulcast every season, and Sentai Filmworks produced an English dub for all five, available on HIDIVE and disc. Availability moves around; Crunchyroll dropped the first two seasons in 2022 in some regions, so check where each season currently streams.