There are so many anime series every season that it can be easy to miss out on a great show. Let’s take a look at some reasons why you should definitely watch the ‘business isekai comedy’ Sasaki to Pii-chan, aka Sasaki and Peeps!
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Sasaki and Peeps Is Not Just Another Isekai Story
I was hesitant to start watching this anime because I knew nothing about it. Then, one of my followers told me that it was based on a light novel illustrated by the great Kantoku. Naturally, I put it at the top of my must-watch list!
The story follows Sasaki, a good-hearted salaryman working in a dead-end trading company. Feeling lonely, he visits a pet shop to check out the cats for sale. He hears a voice saying, “Pick me!” and ends up taking home a cute Java sparrow that he names Pii-chan. Imagine his surprise when the bird starts talking and explains that he’s actually a powerful starsage from another world who died and was reincarnated as a bird!
Pii-chan brings Sasaki to the other world and starts teaching him magic spells. With his unique knowledge, Sasaki does what any businessman would do and starts a trading company, bringing over rare items from our world to sell at a profit. Sasaki wants to build a “slow life” in the isekai world and buy Kobe beef for his new avian sidekick to eat. He even uses his trading profits to open a restaurant.
But when Sakaki’s magical powers are discovered by a government organization in our world, he’s forced to join the Bureau of Paranormal Affairs. He learns about psychic esper abilities that exist separately from the magic Pii-chan has been teaching him, and even about a secret organization of magical girls!
Not Just Another Isekai Story
There’s certainly a lot of “isekai fatigue” in the anime world, with multiple offerings every anime season. You might not want yet another story about a Japanese boy who becomes a hero in another world and wins a harem of girls in the process. But how about a fresh and innovative anime about a businessman who uses his skills to grow his trading company in the isekai world, bringing peace to the land there? I’m in!
The story is definitely unique, not just the same overused anime tropes over and over again. I especially like the way the story incorporates themes from other genres, including business manga, magical girls, and espers doing battle with government agents. And the execution is excellent, starting off with the first episode, which is double-length.
The Voice Work is Great
The cast of Sasaki and Peeps is top-notch. We have Tomokazu Sugita (aka “the Kyon guy”) as Sasaki, Aoi Yuuki voicing Pii-chan, and Rie Takahashi as Hoshizaki-san, Sasaki’s co-worker. I could listen to Sugita’s deadpan delivery of lines all day long and never get tired of it. This is a show you should definitely watch in Japanese with subtitles.
Sasaki and Peeps Has Art and Character Design by Kantoku
I’ve been a fan of illustrator Kantoku ever since I discovered his art on Pixiv. The various characters he creates for light novels and anime are always a joy to look at.
Thanks for reading this blog post about the Sasaki to Pii-chan anime. Remember, do not feed meat to Java sparrows that aren’t reincarnations of starsages!
Happy New Year from your Friend in Japan, J-List! We hope 2026 is a year of happiness and peace for you. To get things off right, we’re having a huge site-wide New Year’s Sale through Jan. 6, giving you $15 off all in-stock products. Start browsing now!
