Title: Nouvelle
Author: Zancrow
Rating: T
Genre: romance/drama
Status: WIP
Fandom: Shokugeki no Soma
Words: 186,504
Links: fanfiction.net

Summary:

Kudos to Jarik for linking me this.

So, full disclosure, I am not completely up to date on the manga and I have to admit, I'm not all that fond of the source material. Found Soma to be a rather shitty main character and the fanservice to be, well, way too much even if got some kudos for actually giving some fanservice on the boys as well, even if of course not nearly as much as the girls. Still, too much and if it was amusing once it stopped relatively soon.

But yeah, decent enough shonen but didn't exactly grab me so I was skeptical but I gave this a shot more out of boredom than anything else and boy, am I glad that I did.

So, this is an AU. In the words from tv tropes, which the author has on the first chapter:

At first, it kinda sounds like you would know exactly how this story would go. Erina would shit on Soma, start losing, then he would bail her out and she would see his worth and whatever and go from there and surprisingly enough, the story doesn't really do that.

Admittedly, it has a bit of an bit of a slow start and it plays into a lot expectations but the author finds his footing rather soon and from there on develops this into a surprisingly grounded, compelling and most importantly charming story. I was honestly shipping Soma and Erina really hard halfway through the story and I give it major kudos for not dragging that for too long either. It's neither too rushed nor too slow and hits this really great pace on that front. It also never forgets its main plot and is a lot of fun to follow on that level as well.

It also makes a great use of the side cast and portrays them effectively as well. Soma is the standout character in some ways since he is more subdued and less over the top OP than in the manga but still Soma in his essence, which made him a lot more compelling to me.

Honestly, not sure what more to say without really spoiling things. If you are in the mood for a compelling romance fic and/or a solid Shokugeki fic, than this is for you. It's not the best story ever written but I was thoroughly charmed after being one thirds in and it never let me go after that.

If you couldn't tell from the summary, it really is a bit of an old school fic. Hell, that pairing list took me back, so give it a try for the nostalgia alone.

As the negatives, updates seem slow but at least the author has updated the story over three years. Still, next update might take a while. The beginning as mentioned is a bit rough and more typically anime fanfic-y what with the repeated lines on ample bosom and the like but as I said, that gets better once the author hits his stride.

So yeah, really enjoyable romance story about cooking. Sold me on ErinaxSoma, almost makes me want to go back to the manga or give the anime a try, but I just know that will just disappoint me.

4/5

 

I sorta enjoyed Shokugeki no Soma when reading the manga, so I took a shot at this. It's not bad at all. The plot after the fall elections in the source material was pretty awful, so I like this divergence from it, as well as the development of the Erina/Souma relationship.

That said, I wasn't as big a fan of the slight changes to Soma's characterization. His almost blase outlook, and ability to power through was something I liked, and there are times where he feels almost deferential to Erina, whether it's the stutter, or the something else. I think there's a line between respect and deference, and the author didn't walk it that well.

Overall, a very good piece considering how young the fandom is and the standard of quality for fanfiction in general. 4/5 as well.

 

This is solid, and enjoyable as a guilty romance fic. The big issue is Soma himself is a bit OOC for my tastes, being more oblivious and wanting to prove himself to Erina echoes his current arc in the manga, but isn't really how I feel he'd actually go about it. Erina and Soma have an enjoyable dynamic, and everyone around them is well written.

The obsession with setting up the characters in relationships is a bit weird, but it's a romance fic so I get it.

I'd give it a 3.5/5

 

I guess that's a fair complaint for people who like canon Soma. I don't so this more subdued take on him after a particular harsh loss was something I enjoyed, as it lead to, in my opinion, a more nuanced and interesting relationship dynamic to other characters, Erina included.