On a train to her new middle school, Momoka Sonokawa is preyed upon by a molester, only to be rescued by a girl wielding dual pistols. The girl turns out to be Miou Ootori, Momoka's upperclassman and president of the Aogiri Academy's Survival Game Club, called Sabage-bu for short. Noticing Momoka's aptitude with a pistol, Miou takes a liking to her and tries to persuade her to join the club. In spite of her steadfast refusal, Momoka inexplicably finds herself a member of Sabage-bu.
Sabage-bu is anything but a typical middle-school club. Its members' socially awkward behaviors scare Momoka. Their personalities range from the fanatical to the completely delusional. They do not hold back from walking around public areas wearing ghillie suits or even bungee jumping from the school building. Thrown together with this collection of survival game maniacs, the zealously ordinary Momoka must somehow adjust to her unexpectedly wild school life.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Flawfinder
I never had any expectations for Sabagebu. It was never given any attention when I made that "season previews are worthless" post sometime before the summer season aired. I just saw that it was one of those "girls using weaponry" anime, remembered how I didn't give C3-bu much of a chance when it aired a year ago, noticed that it was the first thing to air in the season (even though it was due to being a pre-air), and gave it a shot. Was kind of surprised at how fast-paced and violent the premiere was, so I watched the second episode. And then the third.And now I've finished the entire series.
- Watch out Witchcraft Works, because I think you've got competition for the best "hidden gem" of the year. And considering how fucking insane you turned out to be, that's saying more than America's word that West Africa will be ebola-free within the next five years.
What the advertisements for this show failed to get across to me is that Sabagebu is a black comedy, a genre that's kind of rare in anime and even rarer in shoujo. Sure you have plenty of 90s-era John Hughes slapstick knockoffs getting produced every season, but in terms of comedies where the humor deliberately comes from the characters being assholes (on purpose) in the vein of "the only good sitcom airing right now" It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia? With no attempts at being heartfelt, and whenever it does, it pulls the rug from under you? I don't think even Milky Holmes at its peak was this cruel.
And whilst the other characters contribute their fair share to the proceedings, the main reason this show works is because of the main character: Momoka. Why? Because she's just so impossible a character to sympathize with to the point that she becomes extremely interesting. While not exactly on the level of great British assholes like Blackadder or Bernard from Black Books, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that Momoka is quite frankly the biggest asshole you'll ever see in any other anime this year, and quite possibly the last few. Nothing about her is kind. She's not someone you'd ever want to be with in reality. If this was a romantic drama, she'd be that character that single-handedly ruins the series with forced conflict and a deal with the devil.
- Thankfully, Sabagebu is a skit-based comedic series that actually has a "reset button" license. Oh, one of the girls caused a helicopter to crash and killed two pilots in the process, sending them to meet the devil? Eh, nobody cares about those extras, so let's not turn her over to the police and just publicly humiliate her for the fact that she couldn't flush a toilet.
Once Momoka's behavior grounded me into the series, all the writers had to do was create short scenarios that exploited her, as well as the rest of the cast, for comedy and creativity. There's quite a few gags that don't really work (the fat stuff, the stalkers on the mountain, the school president thing that went on twice as long as it should have), but each episode always had one that was really great and it's paced quick enough so that you don't stare at a skit for too long trying to extract a laugh from your dirty ugly mouth.
- The punchlines get a little predictable as time goes on because it's pretty obvious before too long that someone's going to suffer by the time a skit ends. But it's done cleverly enough, again similar to Sunny, that it never really grows stale.
- And even if the jokes don't satisfy you, at least you can't deny that Sabagebu has great action chops. I haven't actually seen Aldnoah Zero's fight choreography despite the praise for it, but I'd be surprised to hear that it was of much higher quality than this show's "old people riding jeeps whilst shooting at youngsters" action.
- This ain't like the shitty "punch one spot multiple times and use stills for dramatic effect" stuff that Akame ga Kill seems to think qualifies for action. It isn't unstylized powerpoint like Tokyo ESP. It's not the utterly incompetent "couldn't hit the broadside of a barn" crap that Jormungand indulged in. No, this is hands-down expert gun stuff that isn't quite as good as Black Lagoon, but is worthy enough to stand in its shadow. And that's better than most gun action we get in Hollywood these days (fuck you shaky cam!).
There's not really much more I can say about Sabagebu considering it's a plotless comedy that never takes itself seriously. I do urge people to give it a shot if what I said appeals to you, because I don't think it deserved the low amount of attention it received whilst airing. Just be aware that the first episode is a little rocky and the second is when it starts to find its footing. If you're not hooked by the third - you monster - then the rest probably won't appeal to you. I definitely don't consider it the best anime of the year (Space Dandy, Tiger and Bunny: The Rising, maybe Terror in Resonance but I need to see how it ends first). Has a few too many "mehs" for me to really rank it too high, let alone consider it my favorite "cute girl" anime.
- That said, barring some explosion of quality next season, it's definitely going into my top ten anime for this year.
SkyNoHoshi
'I know what the title says, but don't go expecting real survival games!' Do you enjoy an anime where girls battle out with guns? Well, there have been a lot of anime that fit that category such as C3 and Strike Witches. I know I've seen a few, and this anime is one. There's nothing much to say about Sabagebu honestly. It revolves a hig-school club called the 'Survival Games Club' and we look into the crazy shenanigans these high-schoolers are put up into. Momoka, the character focus of the group, transferred to this high school and is forced into the club by its president, Miou. Fromthere, she leads her own not-so-ordinary life.
Now, what's good about this anime is the hilarious comedy. It never failed to make me laugh every episode. From the characters to the main story, it just brightens your day. The anime takes in many forms of comedy, whether dramatic or just plain stupid. Sometimes it just became Nichijou, but with a bit more understanding.
'This is all in the girls' imaginations. You can't die in a real survival game, so don't worry!'
I must really give props to the narrator. You probably never seen a lot of narrators in anime, so this kind is not wasted. He is definitely an awesome person whom I will never stop laughing at.
The characters are sweet and have nice personalities which has some similar tropes for a typical comedy anime. Momoka has a two-sided personality, Miou is rich and loved, Maya is a beauty who always die first out of the rest, Urara being a masochist always wanting to be near Momoka, and Kayo is a cosplay fanatic who doesn't talk much.
But I feel that there is some character development in Momoka, as she has a liking into the club and make many memories with it.
There are other supporting characters whom I find are always very funny in their own ways. Some of them reappear in different episodes and they love to create chaos or just fun to the club, or Momoka.
In the end, the characters are a funny bunch in their own aspects.
I'm not quite fond with the art in this anime. The character designs are quite stale, with weird hairstyles and body shapes, despite some of the characters have weird body shapes for the sake of comedy. The scenery is a bit bland and nothing interesting to see. The gun battles can be fun and exciting to look at, but the damage done seems a bit boring.
But still, facial expressions are amusing. I quite like the designs of the guns the characters have. The opening and ending visuals are nice with a taste of action and comedy.
The opening song, sung by Momoka's VA, Ayaka, has a great energy feel along with the beautiful vocals. The ending song, sung by the cast, has taken a more funny approach with the lyrics, along with nice dancing music. Honestly, I can't stop grooving at the ending song.
The background music varies a lot. Sometimes, in special occasions, they may play an interesting theme that matches. Otherwise, it has nice relaxing music that sounds like it come out from a typical slice of life anime. Nothing wrong, really, but it is good to listen. The voice acting is great, with a lot giving emphasis to their thoughts and feelings for comedy sake. There are some recognisable voice actresses in the anime.
No one should take Sabagebu seriously. It is definitely worth the laughs from the viewers like me. I enjoyed this anime very much and it brightens my day a lot.
Certainly, I would never see girls running around a battlefield wielding guns ever again, unless a season two arrives.
Jarrbearr
Welcome to the Survival Game Club! A place where we imagine battles with fake guns and take comedy to the extreme! The anime was something I was unsure to watch, with it's bright palette it didn't seem to suit the military genre and I didn't know what to expect. After watching the entire series I can safely say it's something that I enjoyed from the start to finish. The anime was hidden due to the strong Summer line-up such as SAO 2, Glasslip and Barakamon. It didn't get as much justice as it should have in my opinion. With the anime following the comedy route, yousee a lot of interactions between all the characters to make retorts and scenes as hilarious as possible. The story follows Momoka, a transfer student at a new high school and she gets roped into joining the Survival Game Club. The rest of the series follows Momoka meeting the members and their antics as the year progresses in the club.
They have games where they battle as if it's a real war and use their imagination to show blood and action scenes. With that being said, the battle scenes are something that I find really interesting. They take the normal scene and add special effects, slow motion, and music to make it different from the norm. The stunts and tricks they do amazed me due to the fact that it's something you don't expect from an anime like this one.
A big point that got me interested in this show, was that it wasn't only about survival games. With the show really making it emphasized that the anime would be about the club and their interests for survival, the anime has some episodes that stray away from that and bring out new concepts. You get an episode where Momoka gets a little too fat and has problems dieting, an episode where Maya tries to get over her dislike of natto, and an episode about modeling. The show isn't focused on one main idea and it does a great job showing that.
Characters are a big factor that can be a hit or a miss for almost anyone. The characters in this anime were unique to say. You're given someone who loves cosplay and solely joins the club for that reason, a girl who turns into a masochist, a model, and a senior held back due to misconduct. The cast seems pretty diverse and it adds for some really interesting interactions from them all.
Momoka is a character that really drives this anime from her facade and interesting personality. On the outside shes introduced as a sweet person, but is actually sharp-tongued and easily angered. She loves to get revenge and is the complete opposite of how people view her. She's someone you can't really connect with since her personality is all over the place and it really catches the viewer to see what she'd do next.
The other main characters all have unique personalities to keep some puns and jokes coming along the way, but some are obvious and you'll catch on right away. You get character develop for once in an anime with no story or plot to follow, surprising I know. You see change in the way Momoka views the club at first and towards the end. Her personality changes a little and you can see all the events that she went through did affect her in some way.
Art is something that i'm generally picky about, but this got me right away. With the bright palettes you get a sense that the anime isn't dark and it fit the mood of the anime right away. The scenes where the battles take place and the imagination of the characters make the battles much better and fun to watch. The background for each scene is top quality, the detail in the forests, backdrop and school are really on point. The guns are all really nicely drawn and has details that each one specifically only has and brings a sense of realism to them.
The sound is something that really brings out the anime and supports it greatly. With a wonderful opening to begin each episode, it's catchy and is one of the few that I never skip. Then you get an ending sung by the whole cast that gives a nice closure to each episode. The background music always fit each scene. With the anime having serious scenes and more mellow scenes, you get background music that fit each one and brought out the feelings that the characters are trying to give off. The voice actors in this anime are great. They all gave each character life and made it much more enjoyable to watch. Even the side characters have great voice actors and they all stepped it up to show emotion and comedy.
All in all I feel this is one that was over shadowed by the hype and praise that some anime got. I recommend anyone who just wants to watch a comedy and laugh till their sides hurt to check this out. It has great characters, wonderful art and a nice soundtrack to go along with it. It's not perfect, but it does a great job working with what it has.
Harry_Ord
Plain and simple. That's the name of the game with this show. Sabagebu is a solid comedy that had surprisingly great potential early on, and then somewhat dips a bit below later. It never gets bad nor does it ever become amazing, but it does suffer from a few problems here and there. I was hoping for something akin to a successor to Yuru Yuri (I believe the director of both shows might be the same person, but I am not sure) and it was not quite that. Of course I cannot fault it for it not being something that it was not setting outto be.
What I can fault it for are things like its music. One thing that drove me insane with this show was its extremely small soundtrack. All the songs are fun enough, but it is honest to goodness something akin to only two or three songs that just keep getting played over and over again, multiple times an episode. I'm sure plenty of anime do this (especially comedies), but never has it been so blatantly obvious to me.
The cast and voice acting are top notch however. Even the strange perverted otaku Lemon ends up being a ton of fun and always a pleasure to have around. The protagonist is definitely unique among your typical ones too and her cruel nature becomes the butt of most of the game's gags. Every now and then the show would remember the airsoft theme, but it feels odd how rarely utilized it actually is. From the getgo it tells you not to take it seriously, but even for comedic effect the shootings can be somewhat rare. That being said, what this show does best is shake things up. The circumstances and setting for each episode vary so greatly that you sometimes can question if the writer was changed constantly. It's a lot of fun too since it will refer to things like Predator, Alien, Chuck Norris, Arnold, and Otaku culture. It's a mix of a lot of different things so some episodes will feel familiar while others will be completely out there.
And despite the cast being so strong, I felt that most of them got no real time to shine, especially the cosplay fanatic and the model. I certainly never got tired of the show and always enjoyed every episode, but I wouldn't really say it's something I'm going to miss now that it's over. It's just your solid seasonal comedy. There's generally one every season. Nothing wrong with that either. I recommend everyone follow a show like this over the weeks as it can always bring a smile to your face even during rough times.
bloodgods
I'll keep this review pretty blunt, since there's no point of trying deeply analyze a comedy such as this one. Sabagebu! is a lighthearted story about a group of girls who belong to the Survival Game Club. As you may know, there have been several other shows that have played around with this plot (for example, C3), but I'll tell you why Sabagebu! did it the right way. First of all, this anime is pretty episodic. The pattern I've noticed is that the episodes typically consist of two or three short story arcs that each last for part of the episode. Sometimes the stories aremore geared towards action, and sometimes they're geared more towards school life, or whatever other random events may happen.
The cool thing about this series is that it has at least one thing that most people can enjoy. For me, it's the action and the actual "Survival Game" portion of the show. I love guns, anime girls, but especially anime girls with guns. However, this is where it gets a little different: the guns are actually air soft guns, and all the blood and death that is shown is part of their imaginations. This way, the show can cater to viewers like me who want to see guns and blood, but they also keep it cute, and actually pretty funny, and sometimes features a narrator who occasionally throws in an entertaining commentary.
I'll admit that the character development is nothing to brag about, though. A lot of the characters are just your standard run-of-the-mill anime archetypes, but a few characters such as the main protagonist have a unique personalities that definitely carry the show. Great art, OST and EST, and is a simple show that definitely entertains.
TL;DR
A cute and simple show with some guns and blood (part of their imaginations), and a good sense of humor all for a good, entertaining anime. Sabagebu! definitely delivers.
Guesswhoxx
Short review, because you don't need to read a bible to make an opinion about something and it saves time too! How do you feel about episodical plotless anime? You love it? You hate it? Because your enjoyment depends on it. First 5 episodes are great! We got interesting, funny situations. Sadistic, masochistic characters with little bit of schizophrenia. Who doesn't love that, right? Humor is great in this show, so surprising and unexpected. And it mix up some serious themes in between jokes like bullying, stealing, rejection. You can even learn some stuff from this anime with a help of narrator who involves viewerin the show. And because this anime is self conscious it makes everything even more funny. And i love rule "never judge a book from its cover" when it comes to character (remember schizophrenia? yea the good stuff). Anime got tons of action, because it makes parody's of action movies.
Sounds like an awesome anime right? Well this is when the plotless part kicks in.
After 5 episodes you get used to crazy characters, jokes gets repetitive and expected. All the awesomeness from first episodes disappears. And it becomes just a random parody, of different movies. Still some episodes are funny from time to time, but ecchi and fan service didn't help at all.
So in the end i would say, if you like episodical anime and have no problem with it, then you will have some good time with this anime.
But if you are just like me, who cant stand repetitiveness and lack of development, then 5 episodes are all that you need too watch to have good fun.
Agent_Redacted
Airsoft! Believe it or not! An anime about airsoft! The comedies in this show made me laugh occasionally I nearly broke my table in half. Probably because of how weirdly stupid the show was with its overreactions. The narration also kept breaking the 4th wall. It's fucking hilarious. I was depressed but this show cured my depression entirely. With all of the silly things this show offered to me. I now no longer feel an inch of sadness within my heart. Sabage-bu! is a highly cliche anime where everything is pretty much over the top. The story is not strong at all. The charactersare weird. It's just... A big pile of mess.
But no matter how messy it was. Sabage-bu! was still such a fun anime. I'd say that this show is perfect for anybody who's seriously looking for some entertainment. Just something you can have a good laugh with. Something that'll make you feel content regardless of how many cliches it throws at you. Sabage-bu!
Oh and there's Yuri. It's probably present solely for laughs but I'd say it's quite a satisfactory amount for a show that's not even categorized as Yuri.
Stark700
Here’s a trivia question: what do you get when you take a bunch of cute girls, give them some guns, and put them all in a club? At first glance, you’re probably thinking Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu, a series that aired in Summer 2013. And of course, you’re not wrong either. Both series are about cute girls attending an all-girls school with the new girl transferring in from another school. However, there is an incentive about Sabagebu that invites more attention. No, it’s not just about the girls or ‘cute girls doing cute things’ gag. It’s more of the ‘girls kicking ass while having funwhile doing so.
Animated by Pierrot+, the studio has been focused on a variety of projects in recent years. Their latest work, ‘Baby Steps’ is also about a group of people in a club competing in a sport they enjoy. But for Momoka, it’s a bit different. She isn’t entirely fond of handling a gun, let alone compete in it with others. In fact, she “joins” the Survival Game Club after a little trickery by its founder Miou Ootori. And now as part of the club, there are the daily misadventures that Momoka becomes part of.
For starters, the series follows a standard premise. It’s about the misadventures of the Survival Game Club. The emphasis is perhaps on the prefix as the club often gets into trouble, sometimes among themselves. This is evident in the first episode when Miou gets into trouble with the law at a subway station. The creativity behind the scenes for the series is inevitable though. From start to finish, each episode transits from a fresh start with its “survival” genre and turns it into a cultural pop comedy with its gags and gimmicks. What’s more noticeable is the fake violence that is aimed to be imaginative. The “fake” violence is surprisingly more graphic as “blood” is spilled but played off as imaginary. The shows’ purpose for perhaps adapting this gimmick is the emphasize ‘survival’. Because let’s face it, a show about girls carrying guns invites nothing more mischief. For the Survival Game Club, mischief is part of their daily vocabulary.
The series offers a variety of characters despite most of their mischievous personalities and the energy they bring. As a club about survival, each of them possesses skills in various firearms. But more importantly, it’s the dynamic relationship the characters build with others that highlights the appeal of the show. However, just be aware that the show does not take itself seriously. Characterization isn’t its main goal as back stories are relatively non-existent. Instead, it focuses on more humorous and lighthearted relationships. Some even comes with yuri-undertones such as Urara’s borderline yandere attraction towards Miou (formerly) and Momoka. In one way, the show does this well with wit, energy, and doses of wackiness. It creates a feeling of sensation and makes you want more. However, it can also be repetitive and lacks creativeness. It doesn’t expand beyond its usual clichés and gimmicky concepts. The comedy is also die-hard with senseless commitment to characterization. None of the characters gets developed in any way. And while the show’s gimmicks can be entertaining for laughter, it falls under a line with dull drama rather than allowing it to speak for itself.
Individually, each character stands out in their own way despite all of them having skills in handling firearms. Each of them also wield a different firearm and holds a different position within the club. The most prominent member would be the President, Miou. Not only is she from a prestigious family of fortunes, her position at school also makes her a school idol as even girls have the hots for her. However, she also serves an anti-thesis as an idol with her behavior. In essence, she is not a good role model as a member. Perhaps as a person though, she could be respected since for her incentive to aid her friends in need. The other main character, Momoka would be somewhat of a contrast. She doesn’t stand out at school and often wears a poker face. The similarity between Miou and Momoka would be perhaps their innate nature – to be vicious as they need to be. This is often exaggerated but not for truly malevolent intentions. The show presents it as comedy with fantasy-like fan service. Who draws those the most? Perhaps Miou and Momoka. However, their relationship is dyed as dry. They aren’t very compatible with Miou’s popularity and Momoka social awkwardness. Putting them as two peas in a pod would not work well. Most of the other characters stand out with their personalities but lacks the highlight moments that Miou and Momoka receives. The only other character that perhaps can steal the show on occasions would be Urara, a girl of dangerous nature. Call her the classic bitch-in-sheep skin as she is no pushover when it comes to pursuing her targets. After all, have you always wondered why the club has so few members?
Plot-less with no direction of its story. The show is episodic in nature with no connection between each consecutive episode. In retrospect, don’t expect an angle to develop in the form of a complex story or arc. Instead, take the comedy as an over-the-top antic in order to appeal to the fans. As it displays a lack of realism for the club or its members, it tries to make it up with its meek action. Nonetheless, the action itself feels lifeless despite the energy poured in. It has puns and gimmicks wedged into situations that doesn’t create a spellbound story. The cosmetic touches often mixes in the wrong way with the characters with awkward situations that expands beyond the club such as with Momoka’s parents. However, if you enjoy out of the world comedy, Sabageou could be a ride for intimate laughter.
The effort put into the animation is sloppy and amateurish. It seems like on most occasions, the show gives up with its quality. The action has its cosmetic style with the gimmicks and is fast paced with surprisingly features of “gore”. However, the overall artwork lacks interest with the over-saturation of its energy and bits of fan service. Character designs looks goofy with cardboard quality. Even Miou can’t save the show despite her beauty. The only praise I give for the art would be the creativeness of its OP and ED songs. Shame though. The show’s artwork could have done some justice when it comes to design.
Soundtrack is moderate although gives attention to its already noticeable energy. Indeed, the hyper energetic show needs an enthusiastic soundtrack and surprisingly, it works out quite well. Similarly, characters’ voice mannerisms reflects the nature of the Survival Club well. In essence, they give off the feeling of playfulness. Because let’s face it, in the end, the club wants to have fun. Miou in particular has a noticeable voice with her trollish personality. Uraha’s contrast between her cute and aggressive personalities has a good switch between her voices. And finally, the OP and ED songs that is musically weird and alluring at the same time.
Sabagebu is a show that isn’t meant to be taken seriously. Despite the girls wielding firearms in a survival club, the series deconstructs itself with misadventures and its characters. Here, we have a whiff of silliness fused with mischievous deeds in a directionless plot. And with our peculiar cast of characters, you can expect some real zaniness going on. Just be aware that the comedy can go over the board though with its gimmicks. Development of its characters also suffer with a lack of characterization or focus on them at a more credible level. It trades this for comedy that could be a hit or miss. It’s 2014 and girls are still doing cute things. Only this time, they get firearms, attitude, and a whole lot of ‘what the hell’ moments.
Curtis-Desu
You ever just have that one anime? The one you want to come into your life, the perfect anime. Yeh it may not be the best at everything or infact anything it does but to you its still perfect? Yeh well this is that anime for me! Cute girls doing cute things? No miss me with that shit, Cute "Lesbian" girls shooting things yeh thats it right there someone call chief cause this is it! Art 6/10 The art for this anime was alright nothing groundbreaking and its definitely not aged the best but for the time it was made id say there were much worse attempts.The colourful pastel theme really does this anime well considering how violent it is.
Also guns were drawn very well which i L O V E!
Characters 7/10
Again nothing groundbreaking some of the characters were pretty generic but they all served their roles and i dont feel like there was a bad character in this entire anime honestly, everyone had their own drastically overdone personality and it just made for easy laughs that you cant really fault them for. Old guy still in his Imperial Japanese uniform that aims his rifle at 1cm a minute hands down one of the best characters in any anime.
Sound 5/10
Gotta hit the sound with a 5, the opening wasn't the best but i mean it wasn't terrible, the music always seemed to fit the atmosphere they were tryna provide quite well but in the end the soundtrack just wasn't anything to preach about though it did its job admirably.
Story 3/10
Story? What story? this anime was overall pretty episodic best way i could describe it is Nichijou with guns
Enjoyment 10/10
I loved every single second of this anime and would laugh out loud at some of the dumbest stuff, hell even the narrator started questioning the show half way through it. I loved everything this anime had to over, it has its laughs hell it even had its sad/serious moments and was able to tell these short diverse stories with everything they had that genuinely put a smile on my face.
Overall: 10
Considering how low i rated some of the stuff here for me personally its still a 10 i mean what can i say? I love girl and i love guns you throw that into this weird ass package and slap a comedy label on it and im bound to enjoy myself really. Straight up if you're looking for some stupid random show that shows cute girls shooting guns with a decent amount of fan service give it a shot you got nothing to lose, if you go into this expecting to take it seriously and to find a deep meaning behind it then you're just not gonna have a good time its just a buncha girls with vivid imaginations playing airsoft and its honestly the anime i've been waiting for and im so glad i got to enjoy this.
_Arcadia0
Sabagebu! Wooooooooo! Sabagebu! or Survival Game Club is absolutely fantastic. Pure comedy gold I tell ya. A great cast of characters with a plot about absolutely nothing! Slice of life with super cuties and guns! BB guns that act like real guns because of the power of imagination, how cool is that!!!!!!!!!!! Following the super cuties Momoka Sonokawa, Miou Ootori, Maya Kyoudou, Urara Kasugano and Kayo Goutokuji. All of them are extra cute and pretty, the inclusion of guns works surprisingly well in Sabagebu. Favorite is definitely Momoka with Urara and their reactions to one another, the masochist and sadist angle is so funny! Alot of great little stories per episode, I feel a little guilty not doing this anime in an episode by episode type of review, since there is so much to talk about. Some episodes were really crazy, especially the pantsu episodes later on; it came out of no where but the fan service was amazing, totally not necessary, but most definitely amazing.
The action scenes in Sabagebu! are incredible too. The "imaginations" the girls have is pretty spectacular and the animation with nice colors really lends itself a huge 5/5, 100/100, big thumbs up from me. I loved the little animation scenes of the girls getting into pose before a battle, it was like watching a magical girl henshin, but not a henshin, more like a total bad ass let's fight transformation! A whole lot of good comes from watching the battles and just the general aesthetic that Sabagebu! has, for sure.
Music, OP and ED's! All top notch stuff, especially the audio. Sure the guns don't sound like it's from Battlefield or anything, but it's explosive, strong and sounds soooo gooood~~~. OP and ED's are great fun to listen to and the music, when it's used throughout the anime, is fantastic too, especially the last episode, most definitely the last episode!!!!
Biggest surprise is Momoka's mom, I should have seen it coming, but I didn't, so it was fun seeing her get involved multiple times.
I'm probably going to have to watch this one again, just because there is so much content available to remember, it's really freaking good.
Sabagebu! gets a 10/10 from me! Most definitely recommended if you're looking for a super funny slice of life involving girls and guns!! Also, outrageous scenes too!
CasparKun
This anime just checks all the boxes Yuri? Check RAW Violence? Check Duck? Indeed! (Yes, these are the boxes) An anime with a half-duck-half-platypus that becomes friends with a crab can only be 10/10. The jokes land, the animation, for what it is, is well done and the story never fails to surprise. The characters are relatable and this anime teaches us a lot about making friends and maintaining meaningful and healthy relationships. It really makes you think about what is really import in live... Friendship, ducks, yuri... This was all in all a life changing experience. Almost... religious. Unlike many other Animes, this one did not leave me feelingempty and emotionless. Instead, it motivated me to become a better person!
To put it all in a nutshell:
It smacc
It recc
But most importantly it quacc
overDere
Right off the bat, I'll say it: this anime is hilarious. This is "cute girls doing cute girl stuff" SoL anime done right. Well, not exactly right, but definitely better than most of those generic ones out there. Most of the other anime embodying this trope are definitely decent but can sometimes get boring and cringe-y because of all the generic cliches and friendship skits and all that generic shit. It can get funny at times but most of the time they just fall flat. But then I found Sabagebu. A school SoL of cute girls together in a club, yes. But not just any club, asurvival club where everybody wields guns. What makes it more interesting though is we see people getting shot like they were actually shot (in reality they are just pellet guns and there's no blood).
Most interesting though and what carries this show the most is the protagonist, Momoka. She's a full-fledged asshole. She is willing to get other people inconvenienced for her own desires, she is goddamned blinded by money more than anyone else, she cheats and uses underhanded tricks to win. She is a main character unlike most other main characters. Most mains are good and kind at heart, some outward and some mostly hidden. Momoka is a person who will shoot her conscience and the evil in her heart just to make sure they don't get a part of her own happiness. And she really makes it work because the anime is a school life SoL comedy.
I think the art could have been better, there are a couple of great designed characters but most of the others are just budget cute girl characters. Doesn't really take away from the greatness of the anime because the comedy is awesome and the action scenes are well animated.
The OP and ED are cute enough, not that special but it's fine. The sound effects used in the anime are on point, though. Really accentuates what is happening in a scene. I think they've done really well in this aspect, stuff that are funny are even made funnier usually because of the background music.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. Definitely one of the best comedy animes I ever watched, this anime's main character is a hilariously diabolical character unlike any I've ever seen. If you're looking for a comedy that would really make you laugh then you must try Sabagebu.
Abbeyland
I loved this! It's just pure crazy comedy. Completely irreverent, totally absurd and doesn't give a shit about anything except making you laugh. The gags are funny, the characters are awesome and the humor is the kind that makes fun of itself. It breaks the 4th wall constantly and it continues to be hilarious every time. If you like YuruYuri or Himouto! Umaru-chan, you're almost guaranteed to like Sabagebu. The humor is somewhat similar, though several levels crazier than the above mentioned shows. A quick synopsis: This is yet another story that revolves around a high school club. This one being a survival game club wherethey play with soft guns. But in the show, the soft guns are treated like real guns. As the narrator keeps reminding us, all the characters share the same delusion. And we see the battles through their eyes. So when someone is shot with a soft gun, there's blood and bullet wounds.
There's no reason to say much more about it than that. It's the premise of the show and it's the basis of most of its gags. At the same time you really get to like the cute girls who populate the show and who are all batshit insane in various dark ways.
I could easily watch many more seasons of this. It's one of the best "cute girls doing cute things" shows I have seen. Especially because the "cute things" in Sabagebu involves using others as human shields to save yourself and other messed up stuff like that.
And that's why the humor works for me. The dichotomy between the cute girls and their brutality. At the same time there's also a lot of bizarre side character and a whole lot of poking fun at itself.
I also absolutely love the ending song.
BanjoTheBear
(This has been adapted from my reddit thread) 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 toconvey 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
CafeAnime
Overall Thoughts: B- Sabagebu! is an extremely funny Shoujo comedy that accomplishes it's primary goal: to make you laugh and it doesn't try to do much else. There aren't any "deep" themes or complex messages that the crew of Sabagebu! are trying to make you consider. While it may not be doing anything outstanding enough to be remembered decades in the future, Sabagebu! is still an excellent experience for anyone who simply wants to relax and have a few laughs. It doesn't bombard the viewer with melodrama or degrade its characters through fanservice, but instead focuses on being as funny as possible. And that's good enoughfor me to give it a wholehearted two-thumbs up and recommendation.
Story: B-
The story is centered around transfer student, Momoka, being roped into joining one of the strangest school clubs of all-time, the Survival Game Club! A episodic Shoujo comedy, that follows Momoka’s various escapades with the other members of the survival game club.
So basically, it's your typical slice of life comedy anime, just with a lot more guns involved.
There’s never a dull moment in Sabagebu, and it’s this fast pace and over-the-top comedy that keeps the anime rolling along. The writer’s also do a great job of varying up all the different sketches that each of the 12 episodes are composed of, so the jokes don’t become stale and over-used. They do a good job with references and playing up certain things for comedic effect. There’s a Yakuza movie parody sketch that’s absolutely hilarious and they do a great job of shifting the focus on different characters and character dynamics with each different sketch so that you’re getting something new out of everyone.
It reminded me a lot of the other great anime comedies I’ve seen in the past like Gintama and Beelzebub, so if you enjoyed those shows, then you’ll more than likely enjoy this one as well.
Characters: B
The entire cast plays their roles extremely well, and they all provide a bundle of laughs. I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t watched much Shoujo yet, but all of the characters seemed fun and several them had fairly distinct personalities I hadn’t very many times in anime.
Sonokawa, Momoka might be one of my favorite main characters to come out of 2014. Whereas the trend seems to be going towards protagonist who are built up to be perfect in every way, selfless and the Moral Compass of their respective series, righting every wrong and defeating every villain, Momoka goes in the completely other direction. She has a two-sided personality, She initially kept an appearance of a polite and kind schoolgirl but is actually sharp-tongued, merciless, and easily angered. She is prone to taking revenge, often disproportionately. She’s a vengeful, spiteful, jealous, petty, ruthless, and selfish person who has no problem betraying her fellow club members or allies, and has no qualms about pointing and shooting down anyone that gets her way. Cute little children, elderly people, cute animals, Cat-Aliens, her Mom, or even her own conscious! There’s no one she won’t turn her gun on in order to win or get what she wants, and this sort of ruthlessness is played upon to great comedic effect. It’s absolutely hilarious when someone’s tries to play upon her mercy or how cute and harmless they are, and then she puts a bullet right through their brain. It’s this sort of flawed character that makes her more relatable, and in the case of this comedy, the star of its humor. Her antics provide for tons of laughs.
Of course, she’s not necessarily that vicious, since they’re just paintballs, but she has no problem using others as a human shield, leaving people behind so she can get away, or any other dirty underhanded trick. She does have her tender moments though, that show she’s not so bad, but those usually come around to bite her in the ass at one point or another and at least once an episode she gets what’s coming to her for underhanded schemes and tricks. Seeing her get one upped by the other characters is always very funny to see and it sort of balances everything out for her rude behavior throughout the rest of the series. Well the other members of the cast are solid characters that provide for many, many hilarious moments, Momoka is definitely the high point in the character department and it's from playing off her brilliant characterization that the other characters are able to be so outlandish and funny.
Animation: C
The weakest aspect in the entire anime. There’s nothing animation or character design wise that really wows you at all, and well the fight scenes are well done every now and then, there’s nothing else that stands out at all. The art style is pretty standard, and doesn’t really make the characters pop at all. It’s pretty much average in this department, but that’s alright since this show isn’t about gorgeous animation or character designs and the way shots are presented and the use of quick cuts throughout the show are able to translate the humor from the pages of the script and through the screen well.
Sound: B-
The voice acting in this is absolutely phenomenal. All of the voice actors do a great job of showcasing the character’s spectrum of emotions and can change the tone of their voice at the drop of a hat and showcase they’re range in spectacular fashion. Everyone fits they’re character’s personalities perfectly as well. A special shout-out has to go out to Urara’s VA, who can go from high-pitched cutesy voice to dangerously low and ominous voice extremely quickly.
Both the opening and ending are extremely catchy and fit the mood of the show perfectly. It probably helps that both are performed by the voice actors of the characters in the show, and it really gets you ready and excited for each episode when you hear them.
The only problem in the sound of the anime was the fairly limited and repetitive tracks that played in the show. There didn’t seem to be a large selection to pick from, and while everything fit what was happening in the show, none of it was great and made you want to go listen to it on your own.
Personal Enjoyment: B+ grade.
I had a blast watching this show and every episode kept me in good-spirits and laughing throughout the entire 20 minutes. I never left an episode without a smile on my face, and the show did its primary job of keeping me entertained and giving me a fun half-hour every time I turned it on. By far one of the best comedies I watched in 2014, and it’s made me more interested in the Shoujo genre as a whole.
UnkaFunkie69
Like Plastic Nee-san, Check. Like Punchline, Check. Like Deadpool style fourth wall breaks, Check. Like insanity and stereotypes, Check. This anime is a formulaic school club story on antidepressants. I didn't know what to think when I started this. it flew under the radar and bombed my funny bone. The send ups of Japanese cultural stereotypes is amazing. I'm reminded of an educational show with their factoids about armed sports and outdoorsmanship, but it never takes away from the entertainment value of the show, and often enhance thejokes.
The girls themselves are parodies of stereotypical schoolgirls in any culture, and really stand out on the show.
On the whole it's short sweet and to the point very funny. Enjoy.
Allusks
Its not a very special but its actually a really good anime. The art and the sounds are awesome and so is the story. Its an anime that not everybody likes but i found it quite interesting and fun. The ending was really good and it finished the story. Sabage-bu is basically airsoft but they just use their imagination but that doesnt mean its bad. In the the survival club they have all sorts of troubles that they are trying to fix or just chill and fight in their imagination. its kinda saiki style because its not one big story its 7minute videos put intoa one episode just like saiki
ThePandaSupreme
This anime is about cute girls not doing cute things and it is hilarious! Story- The story of Sabagebu was simplistic and didn't really have any progression past the first couple of episodes. The progression doesn't take away from the show what so ever having girls just do stupid gun battles and what not is the best thing i think i have seen. The best part is that they are just using BB guns for there battles but there imaginations make it look like a actual scene from terminator. The ending did come back to the statement that President said at the start of theshow which was nice but the best would have to be the crab riding the helicopter and the platypus shooting a machine gun. What more do you need.
Characters- With characters we don't really get any backstories or any information about them except there personalities which is fine regarding this show is episodic and doesn't need progression to do what it sets out to do. Sabagebu doesn't just have the typical female tropes and MC stuff like other anime these girls literally give no shits about one another and will throw each other under a bus just to get what they want and it totally works for the comedy it presents. Side characters were also really funny and brought some variety to different characters. Lemon(fat gaming nerd) brings out the worst in Momoka and she gives no fucks. She literally killed good and evil! The student council president even brings out some fun comedy for the president of the survival games club because in my opinion she was lacking the most. The mother is crazy motherfucker and it is nice to see a parent in anime actually have a purpose. Urara was the punching bag for a lot of comedy and was the brought out the best comedy in the show. Maya had funny boob jokes and Kayo was a weird Otaku girl which was funny at times. The narrator was even a character is was funny to see him as a guy from G.I. JOE. Kamo the platypus had a episode just to himself and he owned ass... it was golden!
Animation- The show looked good it wasn't the best and it wasn't really detailed but the colors did set the tone of cute girls not doing cute things. it was fluid in what it was presenting even when you see characters in slow motion flipping in the air it looks nice.
Sound- Sound is probably the weakest of everything the OP was great but just the music in the show wasn't memorable.
Overall i do think the comedy is one of the best i have seen and i couldn't stop laughing at some scenes. it is a must watch if you are looking for comedy. The characters do a good job at not be stereotypical people and you don't know what will come next with them. I cant stress enough how this show has some of the best comedy i have seen.
JJMFREAP
Sabage-bu is another hidden gem in the realms of comedy anime. Thankfully, it seems I've gotten quite good at running into these or influencing people to recommend these to me. If you love anime about a colourful main cast going into all kinds of shenanigans and antics with covering a wide spectrum (several kinds of spectrums) of how nonsensical it can be. If you want a good laugh, this is a definitely must watch. Also, do you like GUNS? Only LOSERS don't like GUNS! And this anime delivers surprisingly well on that front. To get the gun thing out of the way, as somewhat of agun enthusiast (although I can't actually have any, because fucking gooberment) that was one of my favourite aspects of this anime. All the guns looked exactly how they should and they were operated correctly too. The studio didn't even cheap out by making them CGI. There was definitely a very knowledgeable gun enthusiast involved with the making of this, because you really need to know your shit to get things this right. Even more serious action focused series flop more in this regard (I'm looking at you Fable, that pistol of your is still not a Nighthawk, it's an M1911, get it right, ya 'tismo!).
Being that it has all these pew pews in it, another pleasant surprise is how action packed Sabage-bu is. While the comedy is still the main focus, there's plenty of fights, shootouts and scuffles and all of them were executed superbly. I've seen shonen anime that look much worse in this regard. So if you wanna enjoy some amazing action while also laughing like an idiot, this is the series for you!
Beyond that, the series was just really well done all the way through. The jokes landed consistently and it easily nails everything from pop culture references, to surrealist jokes, to slapstick nonsense and more. It also loves fourth wall breaks as well as poking fun at common anime tropes, both of which are also done really well and never overstay their welcome. The animation is clean and fluid, the visuals are nice and vibrant, voice acting is superb and reflects each character perfectly and the sound effects are really comical and add to the slapstick. The artstyle isn't anything to write home about and the opening isn't bad, but it's really generic and forgettable. Really just "one of the anime themes of all time". But these are really minor things and they are still done well, so I don't consider them true downsides.
TL:DR If the premise of "Girls with guns engage in slapstick action" isn't a selling point enough, know that in these 12 episodes, you get awesome humour and amazing action with plenty of cute girls to fawn over and gratuitous fan service to, ummmm, clean your gun barrel and empty your mag to. So just lock and load and give it a watch already!
