錆喰いビスコ7 瞬火剣・猫の爪

Sabikui Bisco (Light Novel) #7

by Shinji Cobkubo, K. Akagishi (Illustrator), Mocha (World Concept Art)

忌浜の街では人間が次々と猫化する事件が発生。どうやら、ビスコとミロが黒革へ放った超信弓で、異世界との扉が開いてしまったことが原因らしい。
「猫病」を止めるべく、扉をくぐり抜けた彼らがたどり着いたのは、猫侍たちが治める猫摩國！　
　猫摩の将軍・八ツ橋羊羹とともに、この国を苦しめ、猫病を蔓延させる元凶の邪仙猫・甘草月餅に挑む。しかし、月餅の肉球には輝く超信矢が握られていた！　しかも半猫になってしまったビスコは得意の弓術も封じられ……
　かくなる上は唸れ尻尾、牙と爪！　それから肉球！　最強キノコ守りコンビ、にゃんとも不思議な世界でも大暴れ！

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2021

Reviews

[Tyas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly I have to say that, despite finishing volume 7 rather quickly for my reading speed these days, I think I enjoyed this volume even less than volume 6. It's still a wild, breathless fantasy on high gear, but.. I don't know, it feels like there's less and less substance as the series goes on. There are lots of action and sound effects, but not much of other stuff. Then again the series ends in vol 10; guess it just can't be stretched even further beyond.

There are some funny, entertaining exchanges and quips throughout the book, a Bisco characteristic that this volume maintains. However, despite the crazy fantastical elements of a feline kingdom, humans turned into cats, cats turned into mushrooms, and all that, the basic story itself is still... pretty basic. Moreover, Pawoo's characterisation is still so lacking, and I still can't buy any talk of romance between her and Bisco, to be honest.

I hope the next volumes are better as we're moving towards the end.

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely cat-astic!

[pareidolia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very funny volume, with some excellent wordplay in the English translation, and yet I can't help but think that the plots are running thin. The set-dressing is as inventive as always, but Geppei doesn't read particularly different from fem!Kurokawa, and other plot elements see a repeat too. The one new thing is that Cobkubo finally remembered to develop Bisco and Pawoo's relationship, which this volume is only halfway successful at, mainly because Pawoo is, once again, mostly absent.

On the one hand it's funny to see her constantly get yeeted out of the story so that Milo and Bisco can be gay together (if I were a bit less generous, I could be tempted to call it straightbait), but in the very volume that's meant to address their marriage woes, I would've liked to see a bit more of her. Maybe actually get her POV, too.

Good thing I already knew about volume 8 before I even started reading the series, because I think otherwise I would have been a bit more angry about how the whole Milo-Bisco-Pawoo thing is handled.