Sabegebu! - Survival Game Club!

Episode 10

If you watch just about any war film, there's a good chance you'll see a white-haired officer talk about “acceptable losses” at some point. Just as a leader may need to make tough decisions in pursuit of victory, fans of action comedies must be prepared to watch some underwhelming episodes in pursuit of laughs. This episode of Sabagebu! - Survival Game Club! is a perfect example. While there is some effective humor on display, the show never fully hits its stride.

The first portion of the episode sends the crew on a treasure hunt after Momoka finds a map hidden in one of her desk drawers. Things get off to a promising start with Miou's typically absurd travel arrangements, but too much time ends up being spent on dowsing rod jokes. The routine is initially funny, but goes on too long and wears out its welcome. The eventual end of the search picks things back up a notch, and gives the characters a brief opportunity for banter. Kayo's deadpan reactions to Momoka's brutal lack of empathy are a highlight, and remain so throughout the episode.

In the second segment, the show decides to make a return trip to some very dangerous waters. Using an eating disorder as part of a comedic premise is a questionable decision at best, and it's one that has led to some awkward viewing earlier in the series. This latest attempt, featuring an overeating pop idol, isn't quite as bad. Of course, relative levels of discomfort are likely to vary from viewer to viewer. Issues of good taste aside, this segment suffers from some lazy writing. It seems content to simply point out the characters' well-established personality quirks instead of crafting jokes. We already know that Momoka has a major mean streak and that Miou takes everything to its logical extreme. Telling us about these qualities isn't funny; showing us how they play off one another is. The segment ultimately plays out as boring, if not downright annoying.

The final third shows a lot of potential, with a plot based around the movie Predator. An invisible monster with heat vision hunts the team through the jungle, picking them off one by one. It's a fun little sequence, but many of the film's best moments and cheesy one-liners go unused. With a little more creativity, this segment could've been better than it is. A shoutout to another sci-fi franchise at episode's end helps wrap things up on a positive note.

This is ultimately a decent half hour of anime, but it's not the best that Sabagebu! has to offer. The occasional dud is acceptable in a series like this, and hopefully the show will be back on form next week. In the meantime, there's always that goofy ending sequence to smooth things over.

Rating: B-

Survival Game Club! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Paul Jensen also covers anime and manga at SharkPuppet.com.