Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 17 - The Seductive Karaage - full transcript

BOXED LUNCHES
TOMITA-YA

Hey, you guys gettin' hungry?

Wanna get some ice cream?

Nah, I want something more filling!

Agreed! I really wanna eat!

Yeah, but what, exactly?

MAYUMI KURASE
1ST-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL

Meat!

That sounds great!

Meat!

Would you care to have some?

It's peanut butter-flavored
fried squid tentacles.

Please, eat up.

Every single day...

You look at that whenever we pass by.

N-- Not really...

Don't "not really" me!

You were thinking about Yukihira again.

Like I said, you should've told him
how you felt in middle school.

AKI KOGANEI
1ST-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL

Or when you knew you'd go
to different high schools.

GLOOM

Ah, sorry! I'm sorry, Mayu!

Well, I still don't think it's too late.

Call him or send him a text.

Go after him!

But I...

I'm nothing special.

I couldn't do that.

Huh? Hey, Kurase-chan, how you been?

Yukihira!

Hey, it's been a while.

You should've told us
you were coming back!

You gonna reopen the shop?

Nah, I just came to air it out.

"Yukihira" is open again!

-What?
-You're right!

Soma-chan, please, make me something!

-And me, too!
-And me!

Me too, please.

I've missed this place's food so much!

Okay, I'll start prepping right away.

Japanese Eatery "Yukihira":

reopened for a limited time!

OUT OF ORDER

SENSUAL FRIED CHICKEN

One oyako rice bowl
and a mapo tofu special!

Yahoo!

I've been waiting for this!

Hey, where's your dad?

He's not here?

Well, he was a while ago, but...

I think he went overseas
again or something.

Soma-chan, let me get a side
of fried pea sprouts!

Coming up!

Yukihira-kun...

A cooking battle?

He's gonna go up against his dad,
so he wants us to judge.

You've never been
to Yukihira's place, right?

The food there is super delicious!

If you don't go, you're missing out!

Yukihira-kun and I had shared
classes since kindergarten,

but we hadn't spoken much.

All done!

Thank you very much!

I don't have any skills
or hobbies like this.

I'm really nothing special, so to me...

Yukihira-kun really is amazing!

It's only been about two months
since we graduated middle school,

but he seems a little more grownup.

It's like he's gotten even farther away...

JAPANESE EATERY YUKIHIRA

Thanks for the food!

Thanks for the food!

Thank you all!

That's weird, it's kinda dead out there.

Normally, it'd be pretty busy by now.

What is it, young master
of our shopping area?

Does big business
really have that much power?

Tomi-chan, calm down.

Has something happened, Mr. Chairman?

YUYA TOMITA 2ND-GENERATION OWNER,
TOMITA-YA & SHOPPING DISTRICT PRESIDENT

The truth is, one month ago,

the station's commercial area
reopened after renovations.

Oh, yeah, it looks great, huh?

Well, it's part of
the "station shopping experience."

They've got clothing shops,
book stores, all kinds of shops.

They have a lot of restaurants,

but what's getting the most buzz
is the fried chicken.

Word is it's really delicious!

Have you all eaten it?

Yeah, my parents bought
some the other day.

Me too. It sure was delish!

It even came out on TV, huh?

It's crispy, but the inside is so juicy!

WE WANNA KNOW HOW WOULD YOU RATE IT?

One, two... A perfect 10 out of 10!

We've lost so many customers

because they're going there
for that fried chicken!

People coming from work, from school...

They just pass us by.

Sales at my boxed lunch shop
have plummeted!

At this rate, who knows
how long I can stay in business?

For real?

This ain't the time to sit and eat.

-More, please.
-Hey!

Well, I guess it's a sign of the times.

This shopping area might be done for.

Okay, I'm gonna try something.

"Something"?

Their main draw is fried chicken, right?

We're gonna come up with a new kind
of fried chicken that will beat it.

What? That's crazy, Soma-chan!

We're totally outclassed,
in funds and in customer appeal!

Those guys are villains!

It's better than doing nothing, ain't it?

Customers tend to get greedy.

"Yukihira" is open again!

Soma-chan, please, make me something!

If something's really good,
they're sure to take notice.

I'm part of this shopping area, too.

I can't let it go downhill.

I'm gonna win customers back
with a new kind of fried chicken

and get us back on our feet!

You're so inspiring, Soma-chan!

That's Yukihira's son, all right!

He's the greatest!

All right, I'm gonna use all my time off

and make the ultimate dish!

There's a lot of prep work to do!

First off, let's see...

Well, I guess I'll get back to work.

It's not like we're busy, though.

We're counting on you, Soma-chan!

NERVOUS NERVOUS

"I'd like to help Yukihira-kun,

but someone like me
would be no use at all, aagh!"

...is what that face says.

You are so obvious.

Hey, Yukihira!

Shouldn't you have a taste tester?

This girl here doesn't
have any club activities,

and she's got a great sense of taste.

For sure.

Huh...

Wh-- Wh-- Why?

I don't know a thing about cooking!

Well, an amateur's opinion
could actually be pretty useful.

But I'm just a--

"I'll do my best!"

Oh, well, thanks for the help, Kurase.

First, we've gotta check out
their fried chicken.

That will clue us in on how
to prepare our new menu item.

"Sure!"

Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning.

Can I do this?

I'm not a good judge of taste.

Mayu, you judged
at one of his cooking battles!

That's totally different.

I mean, this is a new menu item!

Just listen!

This is your chance, Mayu!

A man and woman with the same goal,
working behind closed doors...

Aaah!

They're sure to get close!

G-- Get close?

Give this your all, Mayu!

Aki-chan, you're scaring me!

YUKIHIRA

Fried chicken, huh?

I've made it here plenty of times, but...

like that buffet challenge
at the training camp,

there might be more to it,
something to do with takeout.

Who out of my friends
would know something about that?

Fried chicken...

Chicken meat...

Meat...

BOWL-SOC

Jeez, who the heck is that?

I'm tryin' to enjoy my vacation time...

The heck? I don't know this number.

Hello?

Ah, Nikumi? It's Yukihira.

H-- How do you know my number?

Ah, sorry, I asked Konishi-san for it.

S-- S-- So, what do you want?

I have to hurry and come up
with a new fried chicken dish.

I'm in my hometown right now,

but I was wondering
if you'd come here and help me.

Huh? To your house?

You busy during our time off?

I-- I swear! I'm very busy,
but sure, I'll come.

Still, I'm so busy.

I swear, goodness!
I guess it can't be helped.

If you're that busy,
I can ask someone else.

I just said I'll go!

SUMIRE-DORI SHOPPING DISTRICT

The heck?
Is this shopping area all deserted?

Let's see... "Japanese Eatery 'Yukihira.'"

Maybe I should've worn
more normal clothing.

No, sure enough, I've gotta dress like me!

Sorry, Kurase!

Just a bit longer, okay?

S-- Sure! I'm fine!

I'm so nervous!

I wonder if I'll be any help?

Get close!

Get close, Mayu!

Don't pressure me, Aki-chan!

'Sup?

This is Soma Yukihira's place, right?

Y-- Yes!

Oh, Nikumi!

Thanks for coming.

Oh, this is Kurase. We were
in the same class in middle school.

I asked her to taste-test.

This is my fellow high school student.

She's a meat expert.

Just call her "Nikumi."

Nikumi?

Q-- Quit spreading that nickname!

I'll friggin' slug you!

Well, in any case, the gang's all here.

Let's go check out the enemy!

Hello, hello! Welcome!

This is the fried chicken
that's making the news recently, folks.

Fried chicken Mozuya!

What should I wear?

Maybe I should be more daring?

Can I just go in there being myself?

No?

Aagh, dammit!

It's gotten so big!

It's kinda stylish, too.

Our shopping area doesn't stand a chance
against somethin' like this, huh?

Th-- That's nothing to laugh about,
Yukihira-kun.

It's not like I imagined being alone
with Yukihira at his house.

I only came to think up a new menu item!

It was "Mito-san," wasn't it?

She looks like a model.

I've never seen someone so sexy.

High school students are incredible!

KURASE HAS FORGOTTEN THAT
SHE, TOO, IS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.

I'm nowhere in that league.

That's right!

There's nothing strange
about someone else being here.

And yet, why am I so ticked off?

Yukihira said
she's his childhood friend or something.

This is his type?

Is that it?

Don't tell me, Mito-san
is Yukihira-kun's girlfriend?

What the hell are you looking at?

I-- I'm sorry!

Hey, don't pick on Kurase, Nikumi.

Quit callin' me "Nikumi"!

Did I bother you on your day off?

Not really.

Sorry, Kurase.

This is their first time to meet.

I need to try and help them get along.

HASN'T NOTICED A THING.

Isn't that it? The famous fried chicken?

Please line up over here.

Sorry for the wait.

Our special right now
is the 12-piece set, folks.

Welcome to "Mozuya,"
the fried chicken shop!

We're "Mozuya," folks!

FRIED CHICKEN SPECIALTY SHOP
MOZUYA

So this fried chicken place is a Mozuya?

You know it?

It's really popular in the Kansai area.

KINU NAKAMOZU PRESIDENT OF
FRIED CHICKEN SPECIALTY SHOP MOZUYA

That's Kinu Nakamozu.

She's at the top of the Mozuya chain,

headquartered in Kyoto,
but with chains throughout Kansai.

GOLD MEDAL IN THE ALL-JAPAN FRIED CHICKEN
CHAMPIONSHIP THREE YEARS IN A ROW.

They built up their brand
after winning the gold medal

in the All-Japan Fried Chicken
Championship three years in a row.

They're said to be a shoo-in
for this year, too.

I get it...

A lot of customers are housewives, huh?

Yeah, it gets even busier at night.

The packaging is stylish,
so it's especially popular with women.

They say a lot of people will
take the train here from other stations.

They've got a great storefront
and lots of staff.

They sure are busy...

Mr. Chairman!

Soma-chan!

What are you doing?

Uh, well, I thought maybe
I could help out...

What's with the disguise?

This is, after all, enemy territory.

It would be dangerous for them
to know who I am.

How so?

Be careful, Soma-chan.

You don't gotta stand there
and whisper like that.

Why not stand proudly
in line, Mr. Chairman?

Oh my, are these your friends
from the shopping area?

Well? Care for a sample?

Is that okay?

Well then...

Don't mind if I do.

The batter is lightly fried,

and the chicken inside is plump
and bursting with flavor.

It runs wild on the tongue!

It's like a flurry of arrows hitting you
with waves of deliciousness!

Incredible! How is this so tasty?

Well, about that...

We use locally produced Omi chicken, which
are top-quality and fed only on herbs.

But the clincher is our marinade,

which uses Mozuya's unique,
signature soy sauce as a base.

To that we add grated apple
and ten separate spices,

give the chicken a thorough marinade,

then use an open fryer
to get it golden and crispy!

"It's the best fried chicken anywhere!"

At least, some of
our customers say as much.

Is it all right for you to blab like this?

I mean, this is an enemy recon mission.

No worries, no worries!

It's not like you could ever make this.

My, such a sad little man.

To rely on girls and children...

You just sat and watched
as customers stopped coming to your shop.

Don't you have any pride?

If a shady man like you
were outside a shop,

I'm sure it would drive away customers!

MOZUYA
STAB

This incompetence reminds me of someone...

Soon, the head of Bowl-Soc will be you!

You seem pretty confident.

So then,

if our shopping area can make a fried
chicken more delicious than yours...

Mozuya would be totally disgraced, huh?

You talk a big game, boy.

But you're just some fool puttin' on airs.

What can a snot-nosed brat like you do?

Well, dammit?

Still,

you're some pissant shopping area with
no sense of identity or competitiveness.

It's only natural that you fall to ruin!

Please, continue to patronize Mozuya,
here at your local station.

SPICY

Fried chicken, fried chicken Mo-zu-ya!

JAPANESE EATERY YUKIHIRA

Many thanks!

Th-- That was so scary!

Like some transaction in a yakuza movie!

Anyway, you wanna try making
the enemy's version of fried chicken?

Yeah, guess so.

Neither of them are phased at all.

They're so focused!

All right, let's start making something
to take down Mozuya!

Breast meat cut in uneven chunks...

Let it rest in some marinade...

We'll add grated apple and onion,

the same kinds of things as Mozuya.

I tried mixing it up
by adding ginger, too.

That will form the base of our flavors.

Then, we coat the meat thoroughly
and let it marinade.

This is just a trial run
so I'll fry it up soon,

but I'd say Mozuya lets their meat
marinade for about ten hours.

Ten hours? That long?

Okay, now we coat all the meat
with potato starch.

Slapping off excess starch
is the key to getting it nice and crispy.

POTATO STARCH

Oh, really?

I thought the more you had on,
the tastier it would be.

All right, the temperature's perfect.

Here goes!

Trial dish No. 1 is done!

Kurase, give it a taste.

Okay!

It's delicious!

It's so delicious, Yukihira-kun!

Still, it doesn't have
the impact of Mozuya's.

It's that top-shelf marinade.

It has soy sauce, garlic,
and a bunch of different seasonings.

Combining all that umami
gives it levels of flavor.

FRIED CHICKEN SPECIALTY SHOP
MOZUYA

I'm sure they spent years
getting it just right.

How do we go up against
a marinade like that?

That's it!

We don't have to fight them
with fried chicken, right?

We could use beef or pork...

We've got tons of options!

Yeah, that's true...

For example, what about
some A5-grade beef?

That's sure to trounce 'em in quality
and word of mouth!

But that's expensive, right?

I'll give you a special price,
as a member of the Mito Group.

Call it a favor for a classmate.

You'll get it wholesale
so you can have the best ingredients!

Hold on, let me crunch some numbers...

Thank you, Nikumi, you're a big help.

If you could come up with 100 grams
for about 1,000 yen...

A hundred grams for 3,500 yen!

Yeah, no thanks.

Huh? This is super cheap,
so don't hold back!

It's not a matter of holding back...

Kurase, you got any good ideas?

Well...

S-- Something that's unique
to this shopping area.

But I don't have any specific ideas!

I'm really sorry.

Customers coming
from the station by train and bus...

Customers using
the station's facilities...

This location lets us get both,
giving us the ultimate advantage.

Sure enough, planting roots here
was the right idea.

Still, given that you advised us
on expanding into Kanto,

I'd say it's only natural.

Don't let your guard down.

The Mozuya brand isn't established
in the Kanto area yet.

If you get wind of something bad,
let me know at once.

You sure worry a lot for a youngster!

Everything's goin' perfect.

Assess market trends
and continue taking optimal measures.

That's the golden rule
of business, is it not?

Well, if I had to say something,

it's that some kid from the shopping area
came 'round talking smack.

"Kid"?

It's nothing to worry about.

In any case, the shop
is flooded with customers!

It's just a matter of time before Mozuya
spreads throughout the area!

Just to be safe,
I want you to keep an eye on him.

And continue to report in.

Got it?

Yes, yes.

There sure are a lot of uppity brats...

JAPANESE EATERY YUKIHIRA

None of them are bad,

but they're just kinda normal.

We've tried different seasonings
and changing up the batter, but...

Nothing says "This is it!" huh?

What should we do?

What kind of fried chicken
would win back our customers?

At this rate, things are looking bad
for the Sumire-dori shopping area.

Hey, what do you wanna eat?

Students pass by even on vacation, huh?

Lots of them, too.

They're coming back
from their club activities.

There are a lot of schools around here.

We've got high schools
and a couple universities...

S-- Something that's unique
to this shopping area.

That's it!

Yu... Yukihira-kun?

Oh, man, I've been such a bonehead!

We shouldn't fight the enemy
on their own terms!

So then, we're going with the A5 beef?

Nah, it's still fried chicken.

But you just said you wouldn't
fight on their terms...

We won't.

We'll use the same item,
but do something they can't.

We should think of something we can do
because we're in a shopping area.

A way to make eating fried chicken
even more delicious...

What we make will be
the deciding factor in this battle!

You will follow my orders
without question.

I'll consult for you
only on that condition.

All right, I'll do it.

It's not just Mozuya.

CONSULTANT

All these guys are after my magic touch...

It's almost time.

Oh, shut up, I know.

What's on today's agenda?

Didn't you look at the notice?

It's the Fall Selection.

We have to go through the first-years
and whittle down candidates.

What a pain.

Why do we have to do this
on our vacation time?

ERINA NAKIRI
NO. 10 SEAT ON TOHTSUKI'S COUNCIL OF TEN

Well, it can't be helped.

This is an important responsibility...

SATOSHI ISSHIKI
NO. 7 SEAT

for Tohtsuki's Council of Ten.

TO BE CONTINUED

Subtitle translation by:
Javier Lopez