REVIEW: ‘Sabikui Bisco,’ Episode 7 – “Stolen Rust-Eater”

Sabikui Bisco is a fantasy/adventure anime produced by Oz. Just as Milo and Bisco attempted to slay one of the giant worms that the Rust-Eater mushrooms grow on, Pawoo appeared to challenge Bisco again. Can the duo get Pawoo to let her grudge go so they can acquire the legendary mushroom in Sabikui Bisco Episode 7?

Pawoo’s showdown with Bisco quickly takes a raincheck when she realizes that there is a giant worm rampaging around nearby. How she got so close to them without seeing it already is a mystery, but we are going with it. From this moment forward, I’m fairly confident Sabikui Bisco Episode 7 doesn’t go a full five minutes without hitting a narrative-altering plot point. Our hero’s bringing down the giant worm, as well as the revelations that come with that act, are only some of the major moments this episode brings to viewers.

To be honest, while the episode’s dizzying pace makes it hard to look away from, it really could’ve slowed down a bit. If they’d even cut this episode into two and allowed each beat a little more time, it would’ve been worlds better. Instead of these story-altering moments being delivered with the importance they deserve, they feel more like shock moments to hook the viewer, just to be forgotten as the next one is thrown in front of us.

The single best example of the missed opportunities Sabikui Bisco Episode 7′s blistering pace denies us is the fact that Pawoo and Milo never have a private conversation throughout this episode. She has chased her brother across a country, daring who knows what dangers, and she can’t even take five minutes for a catch-up and take care chat before she’s gone again? This feels contrary to everything the show has told us about her. I love huge plot-filled episodes, but not when they come at the expense of character.

Along with how this episode pushes its story forward, it also further expands upon the world of the show as well. We learn some more interesting tidbits about the Mushroom Keepers as well as the reasons for the misconceptions around the mushroom’s connections to the rust. While some of these reveals are more surprising than others, they all serve to further strengthen the show’s already rich setting.

The show does a great job of delivering on the visuals throughout this jam-packed story. Whether it’s the trio’s confrontation with the giant worm, or Milo’s struggle to keep up with the shifting position he and Bisco find themselves in, the visual presentation never fails to deliver on what is happening at the moment.

When all is said and done, Sabikui Bisco Episode 7 only real flaw is that it tries to do too much for its own good. While every plot beat throughout this entry in the series is a strong one, the cramped way the episode packs them in ultimately robs each of some of the effects they could’ve had if they’d been allowed a bit more time to develop them.

Sabikui Bisco Episode 7 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.