Synopsis
Zenji Marui is a 92nd-generation Tōtsuki student and Polar Star Dormitory resident, a member of the Miyazato Seminar known for its deep research into culinary literature and classic cooking philosophy, and nicknamed the Walking Flavor Dictionary by his peers. Despite being only a first-year, his encyclopedic book knowledge already makes him the seminar's ace.
Zenji openly admits he lacks outstanding natural cooking talent compared to classmates like Sōma Yukihira, so he compensates by devoting himself entirely to academic study, using his sharp memory to keep pace with the geniuses around him. His physical stamina is comically poor, leaving him easily exhausted, a trait that earns him some good-natured mockery from his more physically capable dorm mates.
Though he grumbles about the other Polar Star residents constantly gathering in his room simply because it's the biggest, Zenji always ends up caving in and joining their antics anyway. He is particularly close with fellow resident Shun Ibusaki, and only Shun and Satoshi Isshiki knew of his true abilities before he was selected for the Autumn Election.
