Even the best journeys come to an end, and so did Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma. The fans favorite anime concluded with its fifth season back in September 2020. However, despite its official conclusion, the audience isn’t ready to accept that the series has ended. Day by day, the demand for Food Wars Season 6 is increasing. Given the number of fans signing petitions to revive the anime, it’s almost certain that Studio J.C. Staff will notice. Will the studio ever serve us the Sixth Plate? What’s in the future of the globally famous franchise? Here are all the details you want to know about it.
For the few people who don’t know, the Food Wars franchise originated from a popular manga series of the same name. Written by Yūto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki, the manga became a sensation when it began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shounen Jump. From November 2012, the series kept its readers entertained for years until its conclusion in June 2019. While it was already famous in Japan, it did good business overseas as well. Being a cooking series, the manga uses the recipes by Chef Yuki Morisaki, who works as a Contributor in the franchise.
In just a few years of its debut, the manga became a favorite amongst otakus of all ages and all around the world. Thereby, the story was soon picked up for an anime adaptation. The popular series premiered on Japanese televisions in April 2015 and continued for a total of 24 episodes until September of that year. To the surprise of its creators, the anime became a hit within a few weeks of its broadcast. Viewers seemed to like the intricate cooking animation alongside its comedy. As a result, J.C. Staff took no time in serving us the second plate of the anime.
Was Food Wars Season 5 The Anime’s Last Installment?
The second season of Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma came out almost a year after the debut installment in July 2016. Like its predecessor, the second season was adored and appreciated by both critics and viewers alike. Both the seasons received impressive ratings on almost all major review platforms. It also helped the anime gain a huge and loyal fanbase. However, the quality of the show decreased with its third season. Even though they were disappointed, fans continued to support the series, which was soon renewed for a fourth serving.
Even though the fourth season was an upgrade from its previous installment, it did not make its mark compared to the first two plates. Hence, the audience was quite hopeful for a fifth season. However, while renewing Food Wars Season 5, J.C. Staff shocked its fans with the anime’s cancelation. The studio confirmed that the fifth installment would also be the series’ last. As expected, die-hard Shokugeki no Soma fans weren’t happy with the announcement. Thus, long before Season 5’s premiere, the protests against the cancelation began.
Why Did The Studio Cancel The Anime?
One of the main questions that fans were asking was why did the studio cancel the anime. Given its popularity and the profits they were earning, J.C. Staff could’ve continued the series for a few more seasons. Yet, despite heavy opposition, they aired the series finale in September 2020. Well, the sole reason why the studio ended the show was due to a lack of source material. The fifth season consumed the last arc of the Food Wars manga and wrapped up the plot. Hence, the creators had to call off the series. The final season was aired between April and September 2020.
On the other hand, the fact that the original manga series is discontinued could also be a reason for the anime’s cancelation. Anime adaptations often act as mediums of advertisements for their source material. Hence, they only survive as long as their source material is in the run. Once their respective LN series or manga ends, studios abandon the project. In lack of any source material in the run, the adaptation wouldn’t earn as much as the producers require. Therefore, given that author Yūto Tsukudathe wrapped up the Shokugeki no Soma manga series, Food Wars Season 6 wouldn’t have any new content to promote.
Will There Be A Food Wars Season 6?
As of its official status, Studio J.C. Staff has already ended the anime series. Initially, when the studio announced its decision, fans assumed that the cancelation could be due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many studios had to discontinue or postpone some of their most popular shows. However, it was later verified that the company wasn’t planning to make Food Wars Season 6 in the first place. The series was always supposed to be a five-installment project. It was also supposed to consume the entire amount of source material available. Therefore, as much as we want it to return, the creators aren’t planning to serve us the Sixth Plate of Shokugeki no Soma. Also find out One Punch Man Season 3 release predictions.
Even though the studio has its cancelation, it’s still hard for fans to digest that there won’t be a sixth serving of the anime. While many fans were satisfied with Season 5’s finale, there’s a section of its fanbase that demands more Food Wars. Ever since the last season ended in September 2020, viewers have signed several online petitions to bring the anime back. Many of them have also started social media campaigns in supports of the series’ revival. While J.C. Staff has not replied to any of these demands, it would be hard for them to not notice the outrage. In recent times, fans have helped in saving many shows. They hold quite a lot of power in a show’s survival than ever before.
Hence, even though the series is canceled, there is a chance that J.C. Staff or any other studio might pick up the story again. However, the creators will now need some original content to create a new season.
Is There Enough Source Material For A New Season?
As mentioned above, the Fifth Plate of Shokugeki no Soma consumed the last arc of its manga. Hence, the five seasons of the anime have covered all available manga volumes. The Food Wars! manga series began serialization back in November 2012 and continued to release for a total of 36 tankobon volumes. The last one, Volume 36, came out in October 2019. The first three seasons used large portions of their source material. In fact, the fourth season used around ten volumes for only 12 episodes. In comparison, Season 5 only had the remaining six volumes to conclude the story.
Hence, J.C. Staff has almost no content to create more season of the show. This was one of the main reasons why they canceled the anime. The studio skipped some chapters between seasons, yet, they won’t be sufficient to create a full season. Hence, if the studio ever renews Food Wars Season 6, it will have to create original content for the plot.
Is There A Chance For OVA Episodes Or Movie Adaptation?
Given that there’s not enough source material for a full season, there is a chance that J.C. Staff might produce some OVA episodes or a movie adaptation. The studio has completed the television series, but that doesn’t end the possibilities of other anime projects of the franchise. Besides, since the franchise is still quite popular and potentially profitable, the studio might try to earn as much as they can. That said, both OVA episodes and anime film adaptations would be equally bankable.
The studio has already released five OVA episodes in the past. While the first two aired right before the second season, the next two came out ahead of the third one. The last OVA episode aired in May 2018, which is during the broadcast of Season 3. Almost all these episodes were quite successful for the producers and were received well by audiences as well. However, the studio has not released any new OVA ever since. Considering that J.C. Staff has little to no source material left for a new season, they can use the remaining chapters for some OVA episodes.
On the other hand, a movie adaptation of the franchise could also be a good deal for the creators and audience alike. Well, almost all film adaptations are bankable for studios. Besides, given the Food Wars’ popularity, a theatrical film would attract many members of its fanbase. While it may pick up some skipped chapters from previous seasons, J.C. Staff can also create original content for its plot. Depending upon the type of content, the movie can be a sequel featuring the events after Food Wars Season 5. Moreover, the story could also be a prequel featuring the event before the 2015 debut season.
How Did Fans React To Food Wars Season 5? Review
The fifth and final season of Food Wars was quite confusing for a lot of fans. While a major chunk of the audience was satisfied with the way it ended, others were disappointed with the production. Unlike other seasons of the anime, which were quite loyal to their source material, Season 5 deviated a lot from its original story. Studio J.C. Staff changed many elements compared to the Shokugeki no Soma manga in order to deliver a more cohesive narrative. However, the series finale episode did include the manga’s original ending. Well, one of the main reasons fans were upset with the fifth installment was also because it would be the end of the anime series, and there won’t be a possibility for Food Wars Season 6.
On the other hand, a lot of fans complained that despite it being the original ending, the finale episode felt quite rushed. Hence, the rating of the fifth season was lower than the anime’s overall rating. While the rating decreased compared to the previous installments, it was still better than other average anime out there. As of the time of publishing this article, the IMDb rating of Food Wars is at a strong 8.2 out of 10. Whereas, its MyAnimeList rating is at an impressive 8.29/10 as well. Overall, even though it was a downfall compared to its predecessors, the last season was an entertaining watch. It also had a sufficiently good conclusion to the globally famous anime series.
When Will Food Wars Season 5 English Dub Release?
Fans have been waiting for a while to watch the English dubbed version of their favorite anime. Food Wars has a pretty large following outside of Japan. However, the official English dub still takes longer to hit the international television screens. The first season was broadcast in Japan back in 2015, and Crunchyroll simulcasted its English subtitled version. Yet, the English dub of Season 1 did come out until four years later in July 2019. Similarly, after Season 2’s Japanese release in July 2016, its English dub was released in January 2020.
As of now, the English dubbed versions of the rest of the Shokugeki no Soma installments are yet to arrive. According to the anime’s official English Twitter page, the Food Wars Season 4 English dub finally arrived on Crunchyroll on February 12, 2021. Looking at that pattern, fans might have to wait until early-2022 for Food Wars Season 5 English language dub. We will update the exact release date of the fifth installment as soon as it is announced.
Is There A Trailer For Food Wars Season 6?
Even though the demand for Food Wars Season 6 is at its peak, J.C. Staff has not officially renewed it. Hence, there won’t be an official teaser or trailer for it until it is confirmed. The link to the trailer will be added here when it comes out. Until then, here’s a glimpse of the fifth and final season of Shokugeki no Soma.
Food Wars Season 6: Release Date
As per the official status, J.C. Staff has already canceled the Shokugeki no Soma anime ahead of its fifth season. They have already completed the story of the show and aren’t currently planning to serve the Sixth Plate. However, given that the demands for Food Wars Season 6 are constantly increasing, the producers might change their mind in the future. Besides, the possibilities for OVA episodes or movie adaptations are still likely. Hence, in case the studio revives the anime, the release date of the project might fall around mid to late 2023. Keep an eye on this section for all relevant information about your favorite anime series.
Did you like the ending of Shokugeki no Soma’s fifth and final season? Do you think J.C. Staff should make Food Wars Season 6? What were your favorite moments from the anime? Please share with us in the comments below.