When you think of high school, or college for that matter, what comes to mind is education, parties, and extra curricular activities. But for the girls of the Survival Game Club, it's less about these things and more about just having fun, with a gun or two thrown in for good measure.
STORY
Somewhat generically, the story begins with our new transfer student, Momoka, enrolling in a new high school. Upon entering, she discovers the "Survival Game Club", a group of girls dedicated to fake-gun battles.
Much in the same vein as Nichijou, Sabagebu! takes the approach of smaller mini-episodes to convey what plot it has. Naturally, there is no over-arcing goal to the whole show; its all about what is happening in the moment. And for a show like this, it works great. Since it doesn't have to worry about an actual narrative, it can take its time creating these crazy yet interesting scenarios that the girls are put through.
As an example, one of the best mini-episodes features Urara and her unfortunate time in the bathroom. It showcases many of the shows strong points: cultural references, nostalgic music, running gags, great comedy, and light-hearted fun. Many of the episodes early on are like this. They would always present these hilarious situations that the girls would be faced with, from fighting a master light-gun shoot-'em-up player to Momoka facing in a death-match against her mother.
Personally, I felt that the first half of the show was strong but got pretty weak by the second half. It felt as if they were re-using the same jokes a lot of the time. Again, running gags and similar comedy are always good fun, but it felt as if the writers were running out of ideas. That isn't to say that there weren't strong mini-episodes here and there, just that the quality seemed to trail off.
However, one of the things that never faltered was the show's use of a narrator. He would constantly make "appearances," letting us know what the situation entailed or how the characters were thinking. I always found his interjections to be hilarious, simply because his fourth-wall breaking was always nicely timed.
ANIMATION
Sabagebu's art style is somewhat plain or rather dull looking. Many of the locales are simple backdrops that don't elicit any feelings of wonder. The color palette as well utilizes softer colors (light purple, baby blue, pink, etc.) that coincide with the plainness of the show.
The animation itself isn't anything amazing. I was never taken aback by how the characters moved or what was happening on-screen. There are some nice acrobatic stunts that are pulled off, but nothing too out of the ordinary.
I will say that, as part of the comedy, I loved their excessive use of the fake blood. We all know that the games they are playing are fake, but I would always chuckle when I saw their bodies lying in a pool of red paint.
CHARACTERS
Honestly speaking, even for a show like this, the characters are pretty one-dimensional. There is the proud captain, the pretty girl, the otaku, the masochist, and the sadist. All of the girls stick to their character quirk and don't budge much from it throughout the entirety of the season.
To clarify, this doesn't mean the characters themselves are not enjoyable. In fact, it's part of what makes the show so funny to watch. Maya always getting killed first, Urara taking bullets for Momoka, Kayo's cosplaying, and Miou's optimistic attitude. But the star of the show is Momoka. She is pretty ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to win the game or get by in her daily life. Her antics were always the most fun to watch, because seriously, she does not care about anyone or anything as long as she gets her way.
In this type of show, there isn't going to be much character growth to be had. And that was the case here. Even so, I would have liked to have seen their characters at least diverge a bit from what they normally would do. But part of the appeal is liking the character trope they are portraying. If you don't like tropes, then you won't like the characters.
SOUND
I actually found the OP to be fine. It gives off this happy vibe that pretty much fits the show. There isn't any drama or emotions at play within Sabagebu!, so the OP works. For the ED, I quite liked it. It has a wonderful beat that I would always find myself bobbing my head to. Plus, it sounds kind of crazy, which fits perfectly with the show.
The soundtrack's most memorable moments were definitely its use of famous pieces of music. You would definitely recognize the pieces, since they are used in pretty much every other medium. They were used in just the right situations for good comedic effect and were always a blast to listen to.
The voice acting is nicely done by all the members of the cast. No amazing performances, but Momoka's VA did a nice job in the cast lead.
ENJOYMENT
Sabagebu! is a pure comedy show. It's quite funny early on, and the laughs persist throughout the whole season, even if it isn't as strong in its second half. Part of the enjoyment from the show comes from the absurdity of what they are doing. Being "normal" high school girls who shoot bullets at old men and women in a cross-country derby race is as hilarious as it sounds.
Again, a lot of the fun is generated by the way the characters interact with one another. Whether that be Momoka shooting an innocent Kayo or Miou dragging everyone to a candy-decoration shop, you have to like the way in which these characters "get along" in order to have any fun with the show.
And that's what the show does so well. Everything in it just "works." Even when things are getting as crazy as they do, it's Sabagebu!, so there is nothing to be worried about.
SUMMARY
Story: Fine, funnier first-half with weaker second-half
Animation: Bad, plain and dull with generic art style
Characters: Fine, fun characters if a bit trope-y
Sound: Good, OP and ED are nice with interesting soundtrack
Enjoyment: Good, lots of laughs about a silly premise
Final Score: 5/10
