What makes for a good Shonen action anime? You need a tough, gritty hero with a dream, some sidekicks, powers and abilities to learn, and bad guys to defeat on the quest to the top. Most Shonen series are based on action, but some are quite clever about how they show conflict. Food Wars!, for example, is all about the competitive culinary world!

This anime shows Soma Yukihira on his quest to become the world's top chef, and he's enrolled at the elite Totsuki academy. He meets plenty of zany friends and enemies alike, and there's all kinds of PG-13 fan service along the way. This is some ripe pickings for memes!

10 A real letdown

Have you ever sat down to a sizzling hot plate of food, said "thank you," dug right in... and nearly choked on the flavor? Maybe the chef threw in a secret ingredient you tongue does not approve of! Soma, meanwhile, is a fantastic chef but he's also known to make gag recipes, too. His worst offender? Squid with peanut butter! That goes straight into the dumpster.

9 Well, I thought it was good...

Soma is a creative and skilled chef, sure, but even he needs some obstacles to overcome, or Food Wars! would be a pretty dull romp. Early on, Erina declared Soma's new recipe disgusting, and Soma couldn't believe his ears! This meme perfectly captures Soma's subdued, confused face whenever the unexpected happens. Maybe that recipe needs some tweaking...

8 A watched pot

They say that a watched pot never boils; that is, if you just sit around watching something, its progress will feel so slow! Better to leave and do something else, then check in later. But poor Megumi Tadokoro isn't so confident in her cooking skills at first, so she watches her pot the whole time to catch an error early. Don't worry, Megumi, you'll become a fine chef one day! Trust that beef to turn out just right, will you?

7 "Tsundere" is my middle name

Who doesn't love a good tsundere? This describes any character who is cold and confrontational on the outside, but caring on the inside. Tsunderes slowly start to show that inner warmth over time, and we get that with the master chef Shino. No, he doesn't hate your guts! He just... well... isn't too enthused about you, either. Cook an impressive dish, though, and he might change his mind. Either that, or beat him in a shokugeki... if you can! He's the Vegetable Magician for a reason.

6 Bad timing

Part of the fun of Food Wars! is its PG-13 fan service, and it's not just the girls; we get a few musclebound guys getting their clothes blasted off, too. Y'know, for variety and all that. But doesn't it figure that just as someone passes by, that's when Food Wars! shows its raunchy side? Thanks a lot, Crunchyroll! It might work a little better to read the manga, where no one can hear the fan service out loud?

5 A Career change

Some characters in anime are pretty beefy, and some are gentle giant while others are real heavy-hitters. The hulking Isami Aldini might remind viewers of a chunky homunculus from Fullmetal Alchemist who also has a passion for food... imagine Gluttony being tame enough to enroll in cooking school? That huge tongue would benefit the world at long last! Just don't get in his way, though, or you'll end up as the entree! With a face like that, we bet Gluttony will get a little creative with his recipe ideas...

4 Learn from the master

Here comes Shino again, and he's packing more tsundere action. This is a remake of one of Gordon Ramsey's most popular skits, where two bread slices plus a chef makes an idiot sandwich! Harsh words, but in a competitive kitchen, there's no room for mistakes. We can just imagine Soma going off-script with a recipe, only to inspire Shino's wrath. Later on, Shino will invent his own recipe... the Soma Idiot Sandwich, hold the mayo. And besides that, the technical proficiency in making this meme is pretty high, and it looks just like a page from the manga.

3 I'm out of the loop

Ever feel like pop culture is moving too fast for you? Join the club. When Soma transferred to Totsuki, he packed two things: an attitude, and serious cooking skills. What he didn't bring along? Knowledge of the school's customs! He really feels like an outsider here, and when the students started the school song, poor Soma was left standing around. He doesn't really wear the school's uniform, either, showing what an outsider he still is. But then again, following the crowd 100% of the time won't get you anywhere fast. Carve your own destiny!

2 No distractions!

Shino is a meme magnet, isn't he? He's a serious and focused guy, but some of his peers are a bit too goofy for his taste. Meanwhile, this image is a fine template for anyone who's getting a little fed up with constant distractions and temptations around them! Lots of anime fans use crunchyroll to watch the hottest animes... but real life comes first, and not even the siren song of a two-week free trial should lure you away! Work now, play later, we say. Watching anime feels better when you've earned it!

1 Are you listening to me?

It's not a meme collection about cooking if we don't include the sharp-tongued chef himself, Gordon Ramsay! This Scottish chef is known for his tough attitude and lofty demands in the kitchen, and not all chefs can take the heat. What would happen if he stepped into Soma's kitchen? Not much! The great thing about Soma is that he doesn't cave to pressure easily, since he's used to the rigors of working in a family restaurant. What makes this meme funny is that Ramsay's trademark shouting bounces right off Soma's back as he finishes up his latest recipe. We bet that when Soma offers Mr. Ramsay a sample, the yelling will soon come to an end!

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