Sasaki to Pii-chan (佐々木とピーちゃん) is a light novel series written by Buncololi (the same author of Nishino and Tanaka, which I will talk about another day). The series currently has twelve volumes, and I have read the first seven. I plan to catch up over the next few weeks.

The story follows Sasaki, a middle-aged man described in the novel as “on his way to 40”. Exhausted by his monotonous salaryman life, he decides to get a pet to ease the loneliness. Dogs are expensive and require space, so he instead goes for what he believes is the simpler option: a small gray bird.

Unfortunately for him, the bird is actually the reincarnation of the Star Sage, a legendary mage from another world. This revelation drags Sasaki into a chaotic double life as he begins traveling between worlds and gets caught up with espers, magicians, aliens, angels, demons, giant monsters and much much more.

Sasaki is the perfect representation of the average Japanese salaryman. He is serious, conflict-averse and simply wants a bit of stability. He has no interest in becoming a grand hero with the powers Pii-chan grants him. All he really wants is to improve his life slightly and earn some money.

The story is told through two narrators, much like the Tanaka series. One is Sasaki himself. The other is his Neighbor, a junior high school girl whose actual name is never revealed. She develops feelings for Sasaki after he repeatedly feeds her to keep her from starving due to her mother’s severe neglect. Neighbor has subtle yandere tendencies, shaped by the constant emotional and physical abuse she suffers at home, including being left without food for days.

Neighbor becomes deeply entangled in the plot and functions as a sort of deuteragonist. In her desperation to escape her home and stay near Sasaki, she forms a pact with one of the most powerful demons. This thrusts her into a proxy war between angels and demons where humans serve as vessels in a deadly competition for influence.

As the story develops, Sasaki does what he can to help stabilize her life, even though his own remains anything but stable. She is still participating in the death game at the point I have read, and her arc remains tense and engaging.

The story features a wide and memorable cast. Here are some of the most important characters:

Magical Pink
Also known by Sasaki as “Magical Homeless”, because their first encounter was literally her digging through the trash for food. She is a magical girl who hates psychics because her parents were killed by them. She is more than willing to kill any psychic she encounters, but listens to Sasaki because she views him as a “magical middle-aged man”.

Futari Shizuka
An A-rank esper who can drain life force through touch and has near-immortal regenerative ability. Her age is unknown, though it is implied she may be over 300. She begins as an antagonist but becomes an ally after Sasaki defeats her. Shizuka is also the one who provides housing help for Neighbor.

Elsa
Daughter of Viscount Mueller, the regional leader in the fantasy world where Sasaki first arrives. Because of a civil war between two princes and her father’s wish to marry her off to Sasaki, she is sent to Japan instead. She is polite, curious and well-mannered, but completely unfamiliar with Earth’s customs, which result in several dangerous or hilarious misunderstandings.

Hoshizaki-san
A high school student working for the same psychic organization that forcibly recruits Sasaki. She pretends to be older by wearing business attire and heavy makeup. She works desperately to earn money to give her younger sister a better life.

One thing I love about Buncololi’s writing is that no character is disposable. Everyone continues to grow, return and influence the plot, which makes the world feel alive in a way many light novels struggle to achieve. This also means the volumes are thick, usually 400 to 500 pages packed with content.

The developments are wild, unpredictable and enormously fun. It is practically impossible to guess what will happen next. One moment you have a demon war and world-hopping magic, and the next an alien girl shows up wanting Sasaki to play “family”. Of course Sasaki as father, Hoshizaki-san as the mother and the rest of the cast filling supporting roles. It is completely absurd and incredibly entertaining.

I genuinely consider Buncololi to be one of the best light novel writers currently active. I highly recommend giving this series a try. It is a wonderfully entertaining blend of chaos, heart and humor, and if you are anywhere near Sasaki’s age, you will find him painfully relatable.