Mana’s backstory highlights the God Tongue as a curse rather than a blessing, leading to her physical collapse and abandonment of her family.
Reviewers from Anime News Network observed that the series shifted from being about food to being about "Asahi's dumb plot" and "unnecessary fan service". The lack of actual cooking or explanation of dishes was cited as a major downfall. Community Perspectives Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara Episode 9
“I was on board with this season being a send up of itself, but then this episode came in and did best girl Megumi so dirty... she gets done in by the show's worst character in a "battle" lasting all of 30 seconds.” Reddit · r/anime · 5 years ago Mana’s backstory highlights the God Tongue as a
A major complaint was the "trash" treatment of Megumi. After seasons of development, her pivotal 1v1 match was almost entirely skipped, and her defeat by Asahi felt like a forced plot device to hype a villain many found "creepy" and unearned. Community Perspectives “I was on board with this
Critics from The Cinemaholic and community forums noted that the episode felt like a "speedrun" or a summary of several episodes. The reliance on panning and zooming instead of fluid cooking animation became increasingly noticeable.