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Sasaki and Peeps Light Novel #1
ซาซากิกับพีจัง เล่ม 1
ซาซากิซื้อนกกระจอกชวาน่ารักมาจากร้านขายสัตว์เลี้ยง ก่อนพบว่าจริงๆแล้วเจ้านกเป็นท่านปราชญ์เลื่องชื่อจากต่างโลกที่กลับชาติมาเกิดใหม่ หลังได้รับมอบพลังเวทมนตร์ทรงอานุภาพกับโอกาสข้ามโลก เขาก็เริ่มทำธุรกิจด้วยการขนสินค้าจากโลกปัจจุบันไปขายยังอีกโลก เทียวไปเทียวมา—เก็บเงิน ฝึกฝนเวทมนตร์ และกินของอร่อย—ตั้งใจจะใช้ชีวิตสโลว์ไลฟ์ชิวๆ
แต่แล้ววันหนึ่งเผอิญปะเข้ากับผู้มีพลังพิเศษเข้าระหว่างทาง พอใช้เวทมนตร์ฟันฝ่าไปได้ ก็ดันไปเตะตากรมควบคุมปรากฏการณ์เหนือธรรมชาติสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรีแทน จนโดนอีกฝ่ายชักชวนเข้าทำงาน และแล้วเขาก็มีอันได้เปลี่ยนงานไปเป็นเจ้าหน้าที่รัฐอย่างเต็มภาคภูมิ?
แต่แล้ววันหนึ่งเผอิญปะเข้ากับผู้มีพลังพิเศษเข้าระหว่างทาง พอใช้เวทมนตร์ฟันฝ่าไปได้ ก็ดันไปเตะตากรมควบคุมปรากฏการณ์เหนือธรรมชาติสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรีแทน จนโดนอีกฝ่ายชักชวนเข้าทำงาน และแล้วเขาก็มีอันได้เปลี่ยนงานไปเป็นเจ้าหน้าที่รัฐอย่างเต็มภาคภูมิ?
403 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2021
25 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Associated Names:
* Bun Korori (English)
* Buncololi (English, oficial)
* ぶんころり (Japanese)
* บุงโคโลลิ (Thai)
* Bun Korori (English)
* Buncololi (English, oficial)
* ぶんころり (Japanese)
* บุงโคโลลิ (Thai)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 13, 2023
It is so rare in a light novel or fantasy book to see an older character be the main character. Usually when you see a character over 30 they're the mentor, the father, etc. They're never the focal point. It seems like they always have to move aside for the "younger" 13 - 22 year old demographic. It gets irritating after a while watching the main character always being a teenager in a genre you love.
Then i came upon this book in a Barnes and noble. i saw the cover and was immediately intrigued. A 40 year old main character who gets to learn magic and travel between worlds? Um, yes please. I was a little worried by the middle school girl on the cover thinking "oh great. she's going to be his daughter." nope. his neighbor. he really is a lonely 40 year old office worker and i was all here for that.
The book is about a guy named Sasaki who buys a bird who turns out to be the reincarnation of a powerful sorcerer. He is able to teleport him between worlds and Sasaki uses this to his advantage to buy cheap stuff like chocolate and pens and trade them to the fantasy world for exorbitant prices essentially making him rich in the other world. He also trains with the bird to get magical powers.
In our world they find out he has those powers when he saves a woman who works for, essentially the super power Men in Black. He then joins them. So he's got two jobs now.
The recurring characters consist of him, the bird, the guy in the other world who is his selling contact, the viscount, the girl he works with in our dimension, a homeless magical girl, and an abused next door neighbor girl (the aforementioned middle school girl who is actually quite crazy).
I'm going to be honest. i LOVED this light novel. I love the idea of an older protagonist, i love the concept, and i love the fact that they just made him a single lonely 40 year old office worker. They never shy away from his age but play into it at times, and he's honestly a pretty decent guy. He's not some super altruistic 14 year old Naruto, but an actual character with flaws and a different way of doing things.
I wanted to just read the first few pages to see how it was, but by the time i looked up, i was already 90 pages in. Yes, you definitely get a bit of Spice and Wolf vibes at times, as the bird (peeps) and Sasaki talk about trade policies, but it's not to the extend or frequency that S&W does it. There's also enough action to break that up, unlike the former.
Speaking of which, probably the only negative point i have was the overt violence. There was a part in the book, where a very violent battle popped out of literally nowhere. The entire book had zero violence then all of a sudden BAM Elfen Lied. Then it went back to normal. I'm not saying that a story CAN'T have violence like that, i was just very much caught off guard as it was very tonally different than the entire book up to that point.
All the characters (for the most part) are fun, interesting, and i actually DO want to know more about them. Will the people at his Men in Black organization realize he can use multiple spells? Will the villains show up again and when? Will Sasaki find a romantic interest? There's so many plot threads that need to be explored and i'm on board for all of them.
I don't like to give 5/5's very often, because i feel like if you give too many, it degrades what they actually mean. But i have no qualms giving this one.
4.5 out of 5 rounded up to a 5.
Amazing job, and i'm VERY excited for the next one.
Then i came upon this book in a Barnes and noble. i saw the cover and was immediately intrigued. A 40 year old main character who gets to learn magic and travel between worlds? Um, yes please. I was a little worried by the middle school girl on the cover thinking "oh great. she's going to be his daughter." nope. his neighbor. he really is a lonely 40 year old office worker and i was all here for that.
The book is about a guy named Sasaki who buys a bird who turns out to be the reincarnation of a powerful sorcerer. He is able to teleport him between worlds and Sasaki uses this to his advantage to buy cheap stuff like chocolate and pens and trade them to the fantasy world for exorbitant prices essentially making him rich in the other world. He also trains with the bird to get magical powers.
In our world they find out he has those powers when he saves a woman who works for, essentially the super power Men in Black. He then joins them. So he's got two jobs now.
The recurring characters consist of him, the bird, the guy in the other world who is his selling contact, the viscount, the girl he works with in our dimension, a homeless magical girl, and an abused next door neighbor girl (the aforementioned middle school girl who is actually quite crazy).
I'm going to be honest. i LOVED this light novel. I love the idea of an older protagonist, i love the concept, and i love the fact that they just made him a single lonely 40 year old office worker. They never shy away from his age but play into it at times, and he's honestly a pretty decent guy. He's not some super altruistic 14 year old Naruto, but an actual character with flaws and a different way of doing things.
I wanted to just read the first few pages to see how it was, but by the time i looked up, i was already 90 pages in. Yes, you definitely get a bit of Spice and Wolf vibes at times, as the bird (peeps) and Sasaki talk about trade policies, but it's not to the extend or frequency that S&W does it. There's also enough action to break that up, unlike the former.
Speaking of which, probably the only negative point i have was the overt violence. There was a part in the book, where a very violent battle popped out of literally nowhere. The entire book had zero violence then all of a sudden BAM Elfen Lied. Then it went back to normal. I'm not saying that a story CAN'T have violence like that, i was just very much caught off guard as it was very tonally different than the entire book up to that point.
All the characters (for the most part) are fun, interesting, and i actually DO want to know more about them. Will the people at his Men in Black organization realize he can use multiple spells? Will the villains show up again and when? Will Sasaki find a romantic interest? There's so many plot threads that need to be explored and i'm on board for all of them.
I don't like to give 5/5's very often, because i feel like if you give too many, it degrades what they actually mean. But i have no qualms giving this one.
4.5 out of 5 rounded up to a 5.
Amazing job, and i'm VERY excited for the next one.
November 15, 2022
In Summary
An isekaied wizard. A wronged chef given the opportunity to create the restaurant of his dreams. A paranormal war in the shadows of the modern world. A valiant prince and nobleman brandishing swords to save their kingdom from an advancing army. There’s a ton going on in Sasaki and Peeps, whose protagonist is a 30-something bachelor working a dead-end office job. Yet this chaotic mess of genres and storylines works thanks to the charming owner-pet relationship of Sasaki and Peeps and the simplicity of their shared dream: a peaceful existence with delicious food. If you don’t mind a genre scramble and an older protagonist, this title’s worth checking out.
The Review
Sasaki and Peeps falls into the category of light novel, but like the installments of Tanya the Evil, it’s not very light at all. Volume 1 weighs in at 304 pages. And unlike most light novels with insanely long subtitles, this subtitle of this one confused me rather than clarifying what the story was about.
The reason for the convoluted-sounding subtitle is because Sasaki and Peeps incorporates multiple genres. It sounds like a hodgepodge because it is a hodgepodge. However, the story manages to work because of the interactions between the two leads.
The story (which originally began as a web novel) is primarily told from the perspective of Sasaki, a self-described office drone in his late 30s. The lonely bachelor decides to buy a Java sparrow from the local pet shop for a little companionship and gets way more than he bargained for when the sparrow introduces himself as “Piercarlo Starsage, inhabitant of another world.” The name is a mouthful so Sasaki nicknames him “Peeps.”
So it’s a version of an isekai where the reincarnated individual plays costar to a modern-day normie. Buncololi-sensei eases us into the world-building with Peeps requesting Kobe beef of his new owner. Although Sasaki’s enamored of his unexpectedly intelligent and intelligible companion, the item is far beyond his price range. Undeterred, Peeps, who has retained all the magical powers of his previous life, proposes sharing them with Sasaki so that they might earn the money for the beef by exporting Japanese household goods into his old world.
Thus, the first fifth of the book is a quest for delicious food. Peeps teleports Sasaki to his old world, “a fantasy world of swords and magic,” and teaches him about the place as well as instructing Sasaki on the use of magic (for which Sasaki demonstrates proficiency). Meanwhile, Sasaki provides Peeps access to the Internet so he can learn about modern Japan, warns Peeps about transactions that might arouse the suspicion of the Japanese authorities, and provides the funding for the printer paper, ballpoint pens, and sugar they trade in the fantasy world as luxury items. Their interchange is engaging as well as informative, and their discussions on what to purchase at the superstore and how to pitch items to their buyers are surprisingly entertaining.
Then things take an abrupt turn when, on the way home from his office job, Sasaki stumbles on a fight between two individuals with supernatural powers. Up till that point, Sasaki and Peeps have been keeping their abilities on the lowdown, in Japan and the fantasy world. After all, they want to enjoy life; they don’t need the extra stress of the attention their magic abilities would attract. But seeing one individual about to kill the other, Sasaki feels compelled to intervene with his powers. In doing so, he saves a life but effectively blows his normie office worker cover.
Thus, the story takes sharp turn into sci-fi. Sasaki gets sucked into the secret world of psychics, which in this novel are individuals who manifest a supernatural ability. These psychics are roughly divided into two camps: “regulars,” who use their abilities in service of the government, and “irregulars,” who oppose government control. Having unwittingly used his magic to rescue a regular psychic from an irregular one, Sasaki is presumed a psychic and forcibly recruited into a new, more lucrative, and way more hazardous job as a psychic civil servant in the Paranormal Phenomena Countermeasure Bureau.
As result, readers are introduced to an entirely different system of powers, another set of characters, and a hitherto unknown conflict. Most of this action takes place apart from Peeps because he must stay in Sasaki’s apartment to maintain his guise as an ordinary pet. However, Peeps does serve as a sounding board as Sasaki strives to keep his new work life from invading their precious leisurely time in the fantasy world. Peeps’ bird form also proves valuable in informing Sasaki on the happenings in his home while he is at his new job.
With all this happening in Japan, their leisure time in the fantasy world becomes that much more valuable. Unfortunately, war breaks out in that world. As result, their usual trading partner makes a desperate request for war supplies. One thing leads to another, and Sasaki and Peeps wind up in the thick of the battlefield.
The initial fantasy world scenes are limited to the town of Baytrium, its inhabitants, and local affairs. With the outbreak of war, the reader is introduced to the broader scope of the kingdom of Herz, the political powers and various creatures within it, and of course, additional characters. The story also reveals Peeps’ former standing within that world, which is not insignificant.
That is why this novel is 304 pages. No, there is no tidy conclusion at the end, only a prompt from the author in the afterword to check out Volume 2. And because I am invested in Sasaki and Peeps, I’m willing to do that.
In terms of audience, I’d say this novel targets older males who enjoy a range of speculative fiction. Main character Sasaki is not out to relive his youth, nor does Peeps want to take over the world. They just want to enjoy a peaceful life with good food.
By the way, the genres incorporated in this story do NOT include romance. While Sasaki certainly notices women, he’s given up on marriage due to his age, occupation, and looks. And he’s sworn off casual encounters because he got chlamydia from a sex worker. While I appreciate Buncololi-sensei not glamorizing sexual encounters, the fact that Sasaki picked up an STD after a superior at his workplace took him to a brothel tarnished my impression of an otherwise very likable character.
Actually, in terms of female characters, they get sexualized in a way I find unpleasant. A glance at the profiles at the back of the book shows male characters ranging from a teenager up to men in their 30s and 40s. All the female characters, however, are underage. The one exception is a psychic woman who, thanks to her powers, maintains the form of a pretty elementary school girl, so she might as well be underage. Thus, even though Sasaki is not involving himself with anyone, he’s surrounded by jailbait. The most troubling of these female characters is the neglected 14-year-old who lives in the next door apartment. Sasaki, who himself had a poor childhood, occasionally gives food to the malnourished girl like she’s a stray cat. As a result, she fantasizes about repaying him with sexual favors. Ugh.
Like many light novels, the narrative is short on dialogue tags, so it’s sometimes difficult to tell who said what. The book also contains a couple of text errors.
The first eight pages, which contain illustrations and a thread from Sasaki’s social media just before buying Peeps, are printed in full color. Extras also include ten black-and-white insert illustrations, character profiles, and original cover material. I should note that two of the profiles contain quotes that are not actually in Volume 1.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
An isekaied wizard. A wronged chef given the opportunity to create the restaurant of his dreams. A paranormal war in the shadows of the modern world. A valiant prince and nobleman brandishing swords to save their kingdom from an advancing army. There’s a ton going on in Sasaki and Peeps, whose protagonist is a 30-something bachelor working a dead-end office job. Yet this chaotic mess of genres and storylines works thanks to the charming owner-pet relationship of Sasaki and Peeps and the simplicity of their shared dream: a peaceful existence with delicious food. If you don’t mind a genre scramble and an older protagonist, this title’s worth checking out.
The Review
Sasaki and Peeps falls into the category of light novel, but like the installments of Tanya the Evil, it’s not very light at all. Volume 1 weighs in at 304 pages. And unlike most light novels with insanely long subtitles, this subtitle of this one confused me rather than clarifying what the story was about.
The reason for the convoluted-sounding subtitle is because Sasaki and Peeps incorporates multiple genres. It sounds like a hodgepodge because it is a hodgepodge. However, the story manages to work because of the interactions between the two leads.
The story (which originally began as a web novel) is primarily told from the perspective of Sasaki, a self-described office drone in his late 30s. The lonely bachelor decides to buy a Java sparrow from the local pet shop for a little companionship and gets way more than he bargained for when the sparrow introduces himself as “Piercarlo Starsage, inhabitant of another world.” The name is a mouthful so Sasaki nicknames him “Peeps.”
So it’s a version of an isekai where the reincarnated individual plays costar to a modern-day normie. Buncololi-sensei eases us into the world-building with Peeps requesting Kobe beef of his new owner. Although Sasaki’s enamored of his unexpectedly intelligent and intelligible companion, the item is far beyond his price range. Undeterred, Peeps, who has retained all the magical powers of his previous life, proposes sharing them with Sasaki so that they might earn the money for the beef by exporting Japanese household goods into his old world.
Thus, the first fifth of the book is a quest for delicious food. Peeps teleports Sasaki to his old world, “a fantasy world of swords and magic,” and teaches him about the place as well as instructing Sasaki on the use of magic (for which Sasaki demonstrates proficiency). Meanwhile, Sasaki provides Peeps access to the Internet so he can learn about modern Japan, warns Peeps about transactions that might arouse the suspicion of the Japanese authorities, and provides the funding for the printer paper, ballpoint pens, and sugar they trade in the fantasy world as luxury items. Their interchange is engaging as well as informative, and their discussions on what to purchase at the superstore and how to pitch items to their buyers are surprisingly entertaining.
Then things take an abrupt turn when, on the way home from his office job, Sasaki stumbles on a fight between two individuals with supernatural powers. Up till that point, Sasaki and Peeps have been keeping their abilities on the lowdown, in Japan and the fantasy world. After all, they want to enjoy life; they don’t need the extra stress of the attention their magic abilities would attract. But seeing one individual about to kill the other, Sasaki feels compelled to intervene with his powers. In doing so, he saves a life but effectively blows his normie office worker cover.
Thus, the story takes sharp turn into sci-fi. Sasaki gets sucked into the secret world of psychics, which in this novel are individuals who manifest a supernatural ability. These psychics are roughly divided into two camps: “regulars,” who use their abilities in service of the government, and “irregulars,” who oppose government control. Having unwittingly used his magic to rescue a regular psychic from an irregular one, Sasaki is presumed a psychic and forcibly recruited into a new, more lucrative, and way more hazardous job as a psychic civil servant in the Paranormal Phenomena Countermeasure Bureau.
As result, readers are introduced to an entirely different system of powers, another set of characters, and a hitherto unknown conflict. Most of this action takes place apart from Peeps because he must stay in Sasaki’s apartment to maintain his guise as an ordinary pet. However, Peeps does serve as a sounding board as Sasaki strives to keep his new work life from invading their precious leisurely time in the fantasy world. Peeps’ bird form also proves valuable in informing Sasaki on the happenings in his home while he is at his new job.
With all this happening in Japan, their leisure time in the fantasy world becomes that much more valuable. Unfortunately, war breaks out in that world. As result, their usual trading partner makes a desperate request for war supplies. One thing leads to another, and Sasaki and Peeps wind up in the thick of the battlefield.
The initial fantasy world scenes are limited to the town of Baytrium, its inhabitants, and local affairs. With the outbreak of war, the reader is introduced to the broader scope of the kingdom of Herz, the political powers and various creatures within it, and of course, additional characters. The story also reveals Peeps’ former standing within that world, which is not insignificant.
That is why this novel is 304 pages. No, there is no tidy conclusion at the end, only a prompt from the author in the afterword to check out Volume 2. And because I am invested in Sasaki and Peeps, I’m willing to do that.
In terms of audience, I’d say this novel targets older males who enjoy a range of speculative fiction. Main character Sasaki is not out to relive his youth, nor does Peeps want to take over the world. They just want to enjoy a peaceful life with good food.
By the way, the genres incorporated in this story do NOT include romance. While Sasaki certainly notices women, he’s given up on marriage due to his age, occupation, and looks. And he’s sworn off casual encounters because he got chlamydia from a sex worker. While I appreciate Buncololi-sensei not glamorizing sexual encounters, the fact that Sasaki picked up an STD after a superior at his workplace took him to a brothel tarnished my impression of an otherwise very likable character.
Actually, in terms of female characters, they get sexualized in a way I find unpleasant. A glance at the profiles at the back of the book shows male characters ranging from a teenager up to men in their 30s and 40s. All the female characters, however, are underage. The one exception is a psychic woman who, thanks to her powers, maintains the form of a pretty elementary school girl, so she might as well be underage. Thus, even though Sasaki is not involving himself with anyone, he’s surrounded by jailbait. The most troubling of these female characters is the neglected 14-year-old who lives in the next door apartment. Sasaki, who himself had a poor childhood, occasionally gives food to the malnourished girl like she’s a stray cat. As a result, she fantasizes about repaying him with sexual favors. Ugh.
Like many light novels, the narrative is short on dialogue tags, so it’s sometimes difficult to tell who said what. The book also contains a couple of text errors.
The first eight pages, which contain illustrations and a thread from Sasaki’s social media just before buying Peeps, are printed in full color. Extras also include ten black-and-white insert illustrations, character profiles, and original cover material. I should note that two of the profiles contain quotes that are not actually in Volume 1.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2023
This is an ambitious series as it already established several plot lines right in the beginning. But also because of that, massive info dump for world building is quite an issue in the first half of this volume. It seems to me the author has given up using any more creative or enjoyable ways for it consider how much info he wanted to establish before real action kicks off.
Having said that, if you can survive the first half of this volume, it's quite a fun and enjoyable journey. It's a both-way isekai with political conflicts and wars going on in the isekai, and a Bungou Stray Dogs-ish superhuman secret society plot going on in our world. Characters are very well designed and likable. As mentioned above, it established a lot of potentials right in the beginning. Looking forward to volume 2 and hope this series will turn out fine.
Having said that, if you can survive the first half of this volume, it's quite a fun and enjoyable journey. It's a both-way isekai with political conflicts and wars going on in the isekai, and a Bungou Stray Dogs-ish superhuman secret society plot going on in our world. Characters are very well designed and likable. As mentioned above, it established a lot of potentials right in the beginning. Looking forward to volume 2 and hope this series will turn out fine.
February 13, 2023
Not bad, but not that gripping either.
April 28, 2025
I first got interested in Sasaki and Peeps thanks to the anime, and I found the story refreshing and a lot of fun. It’s about Sasaki, a 40-year-old office worker questioning his life choices, who ends up forming a bond with Peeps, a cute bird that’s actually a reincarnated wizard.
What makes this light novel stand out is its blend of humor, slice-of-life moments, and fantasy adventure. It’s a journey between two worlds, but more importantly, it’s about Sasaki rediscovering himself and realizing there’s more to life than just his daily grind. The mix of lighthearted animal antics, magical battles, and personal growth creates a story that’s both heartwarming and engaging.
If you enjoy isekai with a slightly older protagonist and a good balance of comedy and deeper themes, this is definitely worth picking up.
What makes this light novel stand out is its blend of humor, slice-of-life moments, and fantasy adventure. It’s a journey between two worlds, but more importantly, it’s about Sasaki rediscovering himself and realizing there’s more to life than just his daily grind. The mix of lighthearted animal antics, magical battles, and personal growth creates a story that’s both heartwarming and engaging.
If you enjoy isekai with a slightly older protagonist and a good balance of comedy and deeper themes, this is definitely worth picking up.
January 21, 2024
อ่านแบบสองวันจบ อ่านลื่นมาก แปลไทยดีเลยล่ะ เนื้อเรื่องนี่แบบ ไม่เบื่ออ่ะ ร้อง ห้ะ? ทั้งเรื่อง พีจังน่ารัก เนื้อเรื่องมีเกี่ยวก���บการทำการค้า เศรษฐกิจและการเมืองด้วย แล้วก็ ต่างโลก พลังวิเศษ เวทมนตร์และสาวน้อยเวทมนตร์อีก คือเหมือนมั่วเป็นแกงโฮะ แต่อ่านเถิดสนุกมาก สนุกจนอยากไปหาผลงานอื่นๆ อ่าน แต่พอเจอเรื่องย่อเรื่องอื่นแล้วแบบ.... ถอยดีกว่า😅
August 1, 2023
The MC is a bit OP but at he is not free to do everything without consequence. I would have rated this higher if not for the creepy last chapter. Why are all the important female characters underage anyway? All of them are sexualized in varying degrees.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2023
It was a slow read for me, but overall a good read.
January 16, 2024
quite a good start
January 22, 2024
Great Novel
Very interesting novel can’t wait to see what’s next in the volume 2 hopefully the story gets more and more interesting
Very interesting novel can’t wait to see what’s next in the volume 2 hopefully the story gets more and more interesting
February 2, 2024
Very nice read for a book in this format. Its longer than usual as well.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews