Excel Saga - animation expérimentale

I bought the first Excel Saga DVD based on the rather humorous description on the back of the package ("Contents may be hazardous to your sanity"). What I discovered was the first five episodes of the most insane, most hilarious, and most enjoyable anime series of all time! A wonderful parody of all things anime and a good number of Western movies, everybody and everything is a satire of something.

This is the story of Excel, the typical over-exuberant, love-sick teenage girl who is employed by Ilpalazzo, the typical enigmatic, white-haired villain and the object of Excel's affection. Together they are the secret ideological organization ACROSS, bent on taking over the world, but starting in the place where global takeovers always do in anime: urban Japan. They are soon joined by Hyatt, the typical overly-feminine, overly-frail, beautiful anime girl, always falling over from some ailment or another.

Other characters include Excel's neighbors (three jobless, lecherous ronin), Nabeshin (the everpresent action hero with a wicked afro), Pedro (a dead immigrant worker who keeps seeing visions of his family), the puuchuu (dangerously cute aliens intent on taking over the galaxy with futon beaters), and Menchi, Excel's dog/emergency food supply.

Excel Saga has a madcap, anarchic energy that is sure to cause vast amounts of head-scratching and laughter, usually at the same time. Multiple viewing is recommended to catch all the gags, especially since on the Reigon 1 DVDs, you can enable a "pop-up video" type of commentary that explains jokes specific to the Japanese dialogue.

Excel Saga is not for everyone, however. Casual anime viewers (i. e., those who aren't die-hard fanboys) won't get many of the jokes, and many people have expressed dismay over Menchi, who is in a constant state of being THIS CLOSE to being eaten by the ever-hungry Excel. In fact, the closing theme (which is one of the funniest parts of the series), features Menchi singing a mournful ballad in dog speak (translated by a woman in the corner), begging Excel not to eat him even as she sprinkles spices on him.

However, if you don't mind being subjected to what may be the funniest anime series of all time, I STRONGLY recommend that you watch this show!

A friend lent me the first disc to this series...and from the moment I watch the first episode I was hooked. And if you watch it too, so will you.

The series is based on Koshi Rikdo's dark humor satire of the "shadowy world" struggle between government agents and terrorists. Into this mix Shinichi Watanabe threw in anything he could to make the series so over-the-top fall-down-with-sides-hurting-from-laughing-so-hard FUNNY while keeping it from going stale. Struggles with TV Tokyo over broadcasting the series? Throw in gags about those struggles! All those genres of J-Pop TV that are competing with him and his show? Make fun of all of them--a different one for each episode! Add variations on the slapstick routines in it (no scene is ever perfectly repeated) to make the old new again, and you have a funny funny series.

But when it was brought over to America, ADV went the extra light-year (not just mile) to make it even funnier. From the rapid-fire delivery of Jessica Calvello to the moans of Rob Mungle, the voice actors give a new life to the characters that the original voice cast couldn't do.

Also, ADV threw in lots of extras. Vid-Notes help explain the little gags (though some of the explanations only make sense if you watch the subtitles). Six "Menchi" food commercials on Disc 2. The hilarious extended menu dialog of Disc 3. The ridiculous "newspaper" on Disc 5's extras menu--check out the Personals! All in all, this is the funniest anime I've ever seen. --Is that good enough, Lord IlPalazzo? No, please don't pull the---

Excel Saga is one of most funniest anime's I have seen (Thanks to an anime junky called Karl) Although I've only seen 10 episodes and may get more this week this is one of my favourite anime series!

Its just hard to believe that the woman who does the voice for excel hasn't had her head explode yet. Like many anime series there are 26 episodes and is based on the manga series by Koshi Rikdo.

There are so many lovable characters in this show such as Excel, Princess Hiett, Watanabe, Hiwata, Lord El Polatzo, Nabasheen, Space Butler, Key and many many more (Sorry if my spelling is wrong by the way).

Seriously though if your an anime fan and you have yet to have seen this masterpiece in anime, I strongly advice you to pick up the box set on ebay you will not be disappointed.

Adams Rating - 10/10

A word has yet to be invented to describe this superbly made anime. It being one of the first ones I bought a few days back, it serves as a brilliant start to my collection.

There are many reasons why I like it. It is funny, fast-paced, intentionally controversial and has a good mix of characters and personalities, particularly the highly energetic main character Excel and her love and sheer willingness to serve Ilpalazzo. The storyline is sort of all over the place, but it serves as a good element to further improve the overall craziness and parody. The way various gags and stories string alongside each other simultaneously can also be extremely baffling and confusing at times, but comedy values once again rise closer towards perfection. I recommend that anyone who enjoys either anime or comedy (or ideally both) to take the time to find and/or watch this gem.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! I love it!!!!! Satire for the anime freak. And as comedy in a broader aspect, it Rocks! I love the characters, especially Nabeshin(Whats your hobby? The afro...) and Illpalazzo(evil overlord with a good intent!). They all crack me up! And I never get tiered of them. But for safety reasons i only watch 1 episode a day, otherwist I suspect my brain would melt from the Crasy wierdness that is EXCEL SAGA. Puchuuu?..

Have now watched all 26 ep. And I have to say that the only bad thing about this anime is that it ended. The music is chatchy, and the characters realy grew on me, I love them *^_^*. I raised the points for animation as I realised for the style and form it is trying to put thru, its just excelent...(pun) Average 10(10)