Sabikui Bisco returned this Monday with episode 2, and we got some explanations on the events from the first episode, along with the MC Akaboshi’s perspective on the events. Right at the start, we see him back at the Gunma watch, after the guard asked him about his bow. He’s asked to chant a sutra, something that every priest should know, which leads to him finally getting revealed and making force his only way to get past the wall.
Besides the post-apocalyptic setting and the cool power of creating different gigantic mushrooms, Sabikui Bisco also shows a world filled with some unusual creatures. We properly met Actagawa in this episode, the giant crab we only got a glimpse of last week. It’s Bisco’s mount of sorts, and we learned that crab riding might be normal for Mushroom Keepers. Then there were weaponized hippos used by the watch, as well as a military aircraft called Escargot which seems to be a flying snail. The watch also had iguana mounts, and we saw an electric snake bite Bisco. These make the world seem even more interesting and makes me curious to see what else exists within it.
In addition to Actagawa, we met Jabi. The elderly man got injured saving Bisco, and we can see that the two care for each other. In the first place, Bisco seems to have embarked on the journey to try and find a cure for his mentor due to Rust almost reaching his lungs. Their history goes back into Bisco’s childhood, and he says he taught him everything he knows (bow, crab-riding, mushroom control). While the old man is prepared to die, his student doesn’t seem ready to accept it. The reason he found Milo was that he heard that he’s a good doctor from 3 people he ‘threatened’ and wanted to get Jabi treated. Bisco is determined not to let his mentor die, even refusing to hear his words for what he hopes will happen after his death. We also see that Jabi regrets making Bisco a mad fighter, saying he was once a kind child. When Milo seems to get somewhat closer to Bisco after treating him, we also see Jabi peeking and probably thinking that Bisco finally made a friend his age.
This episode also cleared up some of the possible confusion from the first episode. Governor Kurokawa and the rabbit masks work independently from The Watch, and they seem to be the actual villains here. On the other hand, Pawoo leads The Watch in what seems to be the official military in the city, and they seem to be the genuine side of justice. They believe Akaboshi is a terrorist, so they want to apprehend him. Kurokawa, however, seems to know that mushrooms aren’t really dangerous and wants to have Akaboshi killed before Pawoo can get to him. It was confirmed that the pink-haired girl was the one flying the helicopter that injured Jabi, though she seems to be a contractor for Kurogawa and might not be particularly loyal.
Despite Kurogawa realizing Bisco might be misleading them and sending 30% of his men downtown, Pawoo managed to find and confront him first. The episode ended there, and we’ll have to wait for next week to see what happens in their fight. She probably thinks something bad happened to Milo, who might be the one to sort out the misunderstanding and give The Watch some reason to doubt the false ‘man-eater’ title and Bisco’s bounty. He will also probably join Akaboshi on his journey to find a cure for Rust, as we already saw that he’s trying to come up with something himself.
You can watch episode 2 of Sabikui Bisco on both Funimation and Crunchyroll. The synopsis:
Japan has become a wasteland devastated by the Rusty Wind which causes all things to rust away. A suspicious looking priest visits a checkpoint all alone, yet on his back rests a bow priests wouldn’t use.
Meanwhile, Milo, a doctor running a clinic in the town of Imihama, is researching new medicines in secret in order to save his older sister, Pawoo, who’s being corroded by the Rust. But that day a stranger appears before him… (Crunchyroll)
If you also enjoy the second episode, you can vote for it as the best of Winter 2022 Week 2! It ranked 6th in week 1 overall and 3rd best non-sequel. Episode 3 of Sabikui Bisco is titled “Tag Team” and will release next Monday on January 24, 2022.
Images via Crunchyroll
Sabikui Bisco Website: sabikuibisco.jp
Sabikui Bisco Twitter: @SABIKUI_BISCO
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