Forget One Punch Man — JC Staff’s True Masterpiece Is a Decade-Old Visual Feast

One Punch Man put J.C. Staff on the global map with pure adrenaline, but is it truly the studio’s peak—or is an even sharper masterwork hiding in plain sight in its catalog?

J.C. Staff is the studio a lot of people immediately link to One Punch Man. Fair. It is the flashy, meme-ready action show that grabbed the internet by the throat. But if we are talking about the studio flexing, start-to-finish, there is a strong case that their real high-water mark is not OPM at all. It is Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma.

Why Food Wars! might be J.C. Staff's true animation peak

Food Wars! is a cooking/competition comedy that launched almost a decade ago, and it still looks absurdly current. The show is stacked with crisp CG accents, clean compositing, and the kind of consistency you do not often see in shows that lean on big, gif-ready money shots. Even the quiet moments hold up frame to frame. That is a big part of why budding animators still point to it as a reference.

There is a funny little timeline wrinkle here: the talking point you will see floating around says Food Wars! dates back to 2012. The anime actually premiered April 4, 2015. Either way, point stands — it is old enough to surprise new viewers who assume it is a recent production based on how polished it looks.

Put it next to modern-day hits, even One Punch Man, and Food Wars! makes a strong argument on pure animation quality. The series sells texture, steam, sheen, and motion like it is a Michelin ad, and it does it every episode, not just in sporadic set pieces.

'A prime example of fan service that actually contributes to the story.'

That line gets thrown at Food Wars! a lot, and it is not wrong. The show leans into exaggerated reaction shots and, yes, the infamous foodgasms — but it is all in service of storytelling beats: conveying flavor, impact, and stakes in a way that words alone cannot. It is heightened, sure, but there is substance under the sparkle.

Animation aside, the story tilt favors Food Wars!

Comparing a superhero satire to a culinary showdown is apples to oranges, so grain of salt. Still, in terms of narrative payoff, Food Wars! has a structural edge. It is a straight-up competitive arc with a protagonist who has to grind, adapt, and lose sometimes. Soma Yukihira is not a kitchen deity out of the gate; he has to earn it. That relatability matters.

One Punch Man, by design, centers on an already-unstoppable lead. Fun? Absolutely. But it sidesteps the usual growth and human-error loops that make wins feel hard-fought. Food Wars! lives in that space. And the food itself — presented with almost indecent care — makes the victories taste better. You can practically smell the broth and hear the knife work. Then someone takes a bite and the show visually tells you exactly how good it is without a single tasting note. Mission accomplished.

Quick snapshot

• Title: Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma
• Studio: J.C. Staff
• Genres: Cooking, slice-of-life, comedy
• Premiere: April 4, 2015
• Ratings: IMDb 8/10, MyAnimeList 8.12/10
• Where to watch: All seasons are on Netflix; Seasons 3 and up are also on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video

The bottom line

If you are judging J.C. Staff on the total package — consistency, clarity, and how the animation supports the story — Food Wars! makes a legit case as the studio's peak. Do you think it out-animates One Punch Man? Hit the comments and tell me where you land.