REVIEW: ‘Sabikui Bisco,’ Episode 8 – “Fiendish Trap”

Sabikui Bisco is a fantasy/adventure anime produced by Oz. Having discovered the secret of the Rust Eater, Milo and Bisco prepare to move out. That is until Milo sees a transmission that threatens Pawoo’s life if he doesn’t hand over the secret and Bisco to Kurokawa. But Milo won’t give up his friend or the secret without a fight in Sabikui Bisco Episode 8.

Generally, for a show to build up a character to a noticeable degree, it takes the bulk of the episode’s focus to deliver this substantial change to the audience’s perception of said character. Rarely does a series manage to create a scenario that allows it to build up not one but four characters as much as Sabikui Bisco Episode 8 does. While the revelations around Kurokawa and just how despicable and evil the character truly is easily take center stage, the show also manages to elevate Milo, Jabi, and Pawoo during the same sequence of events.

Even as I type the above sentence, I realize that is also what allows Kurokawa to sink to the depths of villainy that he does. The fact that the cast goes so far as to challenge, deny, and defeat him is the key ingredient to how the show can highlight just how bad he is. It is their light that allows his shadow to be cast so large across this episode’s narrative. It is heroic storytelling at its best.

While all of the core cast has its chance to shine in Sabikui Bisco Episode 8, the brightest star to me is Pawoo. While she has the least screen time in this episode, her time is spent reinforcing that she is an absolute force of nature in this show. The strength the character shows is awesome. If the series continues to build her up as it does here, I can see her entering the ranks of my favorite anime characters of all time.

While the story’s confrontation between our heroes and Kurokawa is the driving force behind this episode’s excellence, it wouldn’t hit nearly as hard without the fantastic visuals that accompany it. The pain inflicted upon our heroes, the way the villain reveals in his vile deeds, and the determination to overcome them are captured with an amazing amount of emotional emphasis.

I also have to take a moment to praise the episode’s voice work. While I don’t often comment on voice work in my reviews of foreign langue content, as much of the nuance is lost on my ears, this episode delivers the emotional struggles of its characters wonderfully, whether you speak Japanese or not.

When all is said and done, Sabikui Bisco Episode 8 delivers a forceful and captivating story. It creates a truly heinous villain in Kurokawa while also elevating its heroes to an equal level of good. I’m dying to know what comes next.

Sabikui Bisco Episode 8 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.