Sabikui Bisco

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"What the F*CK"

This story was no doubt unique in almost every way and was most definitely an experience I enjoyed. It is nothing "new" per se, however, the collective product of the characters and their development, and this vast eccentric world, proves to make an interesting story, I for one would love to see more of (which I won't have to wait long for ;) lol).

Story -8

The overall story is very... how should I put it, unique. I am flabbergasted how Shinji Cobkubo came up with the idea of making Mushrooms the central key factor in this story. A doctor and "Mushroom Keeper" along with ... a giant crab, traverse the land, looking for a Mushroom that holds the power to cure the country of its rust plague. The plot itself is... outlandish; however, it isn't what really pulled me into this odd world. The setting is what fully grabs my attention. Its fantasy(esc) setting, with multiple "post-apocalyptic(like)" cities, its diverse amount of unique creatures and vegetation (i.e. Mushrooms) can really only help but make this story all the more interesting. I for one dislike when animes/mangas take a basic/common world-building perspective/and or plot, and build around that. Sabikui Bisco no doubt has several shonen tropes but does not come close to that of other popular stories currently. Its story feels fresh, and really makes it feel like the author was taking a chance with a somewhat unique story instead of sticking with the commonly used plot; at times it feels like Shinji Cobkubo threw a bunch of random ideas into a pot, and made a story out of the bi-product. In short, this story is something new, but the world itself is what adds that wow factor in my opinion, and can be seen even more clearly in the anime itself.

Characters -9

Bisco and Milo's chemistry is what really drives this story. Sure the interactions between other characters were no doubt interesting in their own way, but the character growth and the bond you start to see grow between Milo and Bisco is the main factor that makes me feel emotional one way or another. Throughout the 21 chapters of volume 1, we really get to see these 2 characters, who had no similarities or correlation to each other, become "brothers" in a way. Bisco and Milo's love feels borderline romantic, but still barely stays on the "brotherly love" side of things. Later on in the book, when both characters experience near-death experiences you can really feel the bond that has grown between these two characters, and see just how much they care for each other. Taking a look at other characters: Jabi, feels like he was thrown in for a bit of comedic relief along with a figure to look up to/learn from, and in a way became a father-like figure to both characters. I was almost 100% sure he was gonna bite the dust by the end of this volume, but was, happily surprised that he actually made it, although I look forward to seeing what happens in the next volume. Pawoo fits the overprotective big sister trope nicely, and really starts to show more and more emotion further into the book. The romantic interactions between her and Bisco felt a bit forced, and out of left field, although I am fully on board with them becoming a thing further down the line. I look forward to seeing if she plays a role in the next book, as they made it seem like she was running the new government alongside Jabi, while Milo and Bisco went off to find how to return Bisco to his human state. Kurokawa, on the other hand, felt like a very basic antagonist. There wasn't really anything special about him, other than he himself was a Mushroom Keeper. Every time you thought he died or should be dead, he would miraculously appear a mere page later in fighting-ready condition. His goal to spread the plague to make a profit off it felt very basic as well, and didn't really make me care for the main plot one bit; it felt more like he was a nuisance to the story itself and didn't really add anything. Tirol didn't really connect with me as a character, and just felt like the "average" tsundere thrown in for romance/fan service with Milo, which will probably be even more prevalent in the next volume of the LN. In a way she was forgettable. If she was more present throughout the story, and actually provided us with some reason to care for her, instead of being annoying, I may have actually enjoyed her presence. Actagawa...is a crab, what else can I say, they depict him as the perfect companion, and now I wish I had one.

Art -7

I myself have never really been a fan of light novels. Over the past year, I have actually started to delve into manga reading, and until recently, didn't even know what the differences between manga and light novels were. The lack of pictures is what really deferred me from starting Sabikui Bisco (my first LN), as it's much easier to understand a story, and the world it's introducing you to through pictures and words. Art itself is not heavily prevalent throughout the book and is only assigned a few pages, although it still attempts to familiarize oneself to the world and the characters you are being introduced to. The art is what you would expect, and translates the character's features quite nicely. The anime adopts this style and uses the base design Akagishi set in the book.

Enjoyment -10

This story as I said was nothing normal, and was unique in more than one way. This uniqueness is what inevitably made me enjoy the story, along with its world building, character development, and slight hints of romance (yes I enjoyed this).
I have always been a fan of the Adventure/Action genres, and this book definitely hit the mark for me. I love the feeling of wondering what they might encounter next on their journey in this "random" world. Who knows what type of city they will stumble into next. The characters themselves were likeable (except for Kurogawa) and contrasted each other quite nicely throughout the story, providing a serious and comedic storyline to follow.

Overall this story was amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next entry into the series, which better have a more interesting plot than what it sounds like it's about. Once again this is strictly my opinion and I thought this story was a one-of-a-kind enjoyable experience that most should attempt to read/watch; Although it may just be the weird type of sh*t that only me and a few others can enjoy.



(Forgive me if my review is based(lol), or lacks proper grammar, etc. This is one of the first reviews I actually put effort into.)