REVIEW: ‘Sabikui Bisco,’ Episode 5 – “Children’s Fortress”

Sabikui Bisco is a fantasy/adventure anime produced by Oz. With Milo managing to get the handle on Crab riding, he and Bisco head out on their quest. But before they get too far they run afoul of some kids that look to cash in on Bisco’s bounty. Meanwhile, Pawoo’s search for Bisco causes her to stumble across the last remaining people in a recently deserted town in Sabikui Bisco Episode 5.

With both our main duo, as well as Pawoo heading across the wildlands, this week’s episode focuses on fleshing out that world and the various people who inhabit it. What this episode’s world-building succeeds most at is establishing the variety and nuance of its denizens. Good and bad, manipulative and honest, all the range of character that exists in the real world is present here as well. This helps reinforce some level of believability to the far-fetched nature of Sabikui Bisco Episode 5’s larger challenges.

But while the primary focus of this week’s dual stories is fleshing out the world our cast lives in, that doesn’t mean it neglects its primary characters either. The show continues to reveal the true nature of our characters by showing us who they are, rather than telling us. This allows the expansion of the character’s personalities to happen far more organically and without slowing down the plot.

As Sabikui Bisco Episode 5’s credits rolled I found myself continuing to grow fonder of Bisco. While he still annoys me from time to time, I like where they are taking the character. Just how good-natured his personality is and the level of nuance they utilize to deliver it makes Bisco much more than he originally appeared to be.

While Bisco continues to reveal his true nature, Milo and Pawoo’s time in the episode was spent reinforcing what the audience already knew about them. Milo continues to be a kind-hearted person who will always find a way to help those around him, while Pawoo continues to be the intelligent and powerful officer shown to us in earlier episodes. This emphasis on these key features for these characters helps reiterate just how key to them these traits are.

The visuals throughout Sabikui Bisco Episode 5 present the viewer with a world that visually fits together wonderfully. From the designs of the locations and the outfits worn by the characters to the surprising creatures that appear near the episode’s end, the entire look of the episode comes together beautifully.

When all is said and done, Sabikui Bisco Episode 5 continues to impress me. Between its world-building and smooth character growth, this series continues to show that it has a lot more to offer than a fun action-filled adventure.

Sabikui Bisco Episode 5 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.