Excel Saga
Demographic	Seinen
Genre	Action, Comedy, Parody, Science Fiction
Manga
Author	Rikudou Koushi
Publisher	Shonen Gahosha
Other publishers: VIZ Media Kabuto Dynit
Serialized in	Young King OURs
Original run	April 1997 – Present
Volumes	18 (Ongoing)
TV anime
Director	Shinichi Watanabe
Studio	J.C. Staff
Licensor	ADV Films
Network	TV Tokyo
Other networks: Animax Canal+ MTV Italy Sci-Fi Channel Rapture TV Anime Network
Original run	7 October 1999 – 30 March 2000
Episodes	26 (total)

Excel Saga (エクセル・サーガ, Ekuseru Sāga^?) is a comedy manga series by Koushi Rikudou,^[1] and a TV anime series directed by Shinichi Watanabe.^[2] Both the anime and the manga are absurdist comedies following the attempts of Across, a "secret ideological organization", to conquer the city of Fukuoka as a first step towards world domination. Excel, the title character, is a key member of Across and ranks below only the organization's enigmatic leader, Ilpalazzo. In both the manga and anime, the city is defended by a shadowy government agency led by Dr. Kabapu, whose subordinates engage Excel and her junior officer, Hyatt, on several occasions. Image File history File links Excel_Saga_vol_13. ... Seinen not to be confused with adult )) is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at an 18–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be much older with some comics aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. ... Look up Action film in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... Rikudou Koushi , also known as Rikdo Koshi or Koshi Rikdo among other variants), is a Japanese mangaka, his most notable work being Excel Saga. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... This article does not explain the significance of the subject matter clearly and accurately. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Viz Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a major American anime, manga and Japanese entertainment company formed by the merger of Viz, LLC, and ShoPro Entertainment. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Dynit is one of the main Italian manga and anime publishers. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Young King OURs is a monthly manga magazine published in Japan. ... Tankōbon ) is the Japanese term for a compilation volume of a particular series (such as a manga or a novel series, magazine articles, essays, craft patterns, etc. ... TV redirects here. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Shinichi Watanabe should not be confused with the similarly-named Shinichiro Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his Nabeshin character. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... J.C.STAFF is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1986, their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A.D. Vision (commonly referred to as ADV) is a Houston, Texas based international multimedia entertainment company, active in home video production and distribution, broadcast television, theatrical film distribution, merchandising, original productions, magazine and comic book publishing and is the largest anime company in North America. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... The logo of TV Tokyo. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Animax ) is an anime cable television network created and owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and dedicated to showing anime programming [1]. Operating across Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, the entire Indian Subcontinent, Brazil, Latin America and South Korea, it has been acknowledged as the largest 24-hour... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Canal+ (Canal Plus, meaning Channel Plus/More in French) is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... MTV Italia, the Italian branch of MTV, is a national channel in Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Sci-fi is the name of a United Kingdom satellite television channel specialising in science fiction, fantasy, and horror shows and movies. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Rapture TV is/was a dance music satellite television station operated from the United Kingdom, founded by the United Business Media group. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Anime Network, a subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... Rikdo Koshi , sometimes romanised as Rikudo Koshi/Koshi Rikudo) born November 16, 1970, is a Japanese mangaka, his most notable work being Excel Saga. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Shinichi Watanabe should not be confused with the similarly-named Shinichiro Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his Nabeshin character. ... Absurdism is a philosophy, usually translated into different art forms, that holds that any attempt to understand the universe will fail. ... This article is about a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. ... Excel Excel is the codename of the title character of Rikdo Koshis manga and anime series Excel Saga. ... Hyatt is a fictional character in the Excel Saga animated series, and the manga upon which it is based. ...

The manga focuses on the development of its principal characters by means of satirizing life and culture in Japan: Rikudou notes that Excel Saga developed out of his earlier dojinshi comic Municipal Force Daitenzin as a way both to "laugh off" economic problems of the time and to explore Excel's character, which he felt he had neglected in Daitenzin.^[3][4] While the anime maintains much of the satire, it is more gag-based and self-referential, featuring animated representations of Rikudou, Watanabe, and other members of the production staff. It also relies more than the manga on parodies of popular Japanese works, including Dragon Ball, Super Sentai, Space Battleship Yamato, and Fist of the North Star. The English-language reception of the Excel Saga anime was generally positive, likening the humor in nature and quality to the works of Tex Avery and Monty Python.^[5] Nevertheless, many reviewers were dissatisfied with later episodes,^[6][7] and some censured the series for frequent references to obscure aspects of Japanese culture.^[5][8] 1867 edition of Punch, a ground-breaking British magazine of popular humour, including a good deal of satire of the contemporary social and political scene. ... Dōjinshi ) are self-published Japanese works, usually manga or novels. ... The Daitenzin en route to battle. ... A self-reference occurs when an object refers to itself. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The official logo of the Super Sentai Series introduced in 2000 during the run of Mirai Sentai Timeranger The Super Sentai Series ) is the name given to the long running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd. ... Starblazers redirects here. ... This article is about the manga and anime franchise. ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. ... Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ...

The Excel Saga manga began publication in Japan in the mid-1990s, serialized in Shonen Gahosha's Young King OURs, and as of July 2007 eighteen collected volumes have been published. The TV adaptation was animated by J.C.Staff and produced by Victor Entertainment. TV Tokyo broadcast the series, beginning 1999-10-07, on Thursdays at 1:45 a.m. Japan Standard Time (16:45 UTC Wednesdays). Although twenty-six episodes were made, the last one was intentionally made too violent and obscene for public broadcast, and did not air in Japan.^[9] Several international editions of both media have been made, with the manga released in English, French, Spanish and Italian, and the anime in these languages and Portuguese. This article does not explain the significance of the subject matter clearly and accurately. ... Young King OURs is a monthly manga magazine published in Japan. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tankōbon ) is the Japanese term for a compilation volume of a particular series (such as a manga or a novel series, magazine articles, essays, craft patterns, etc. ... J.C.Staff Co. ... Victor Entertainment ) is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company (JVC) that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. ... The logo of TV Tokyo. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... An Imperial Ordinance issued on December 27, Meiji 28 (1895) Japan Standard Time (日本標準時 or 中央標準時) is the standard timezone in Japan that is 9 hours ahead of UTC; i. ... “UTC” redirects here. ...

Characters and plot

Main articles: List of Excel Saga characters and List of Excel Saga media

Both the manga and the anime follow the trials and tribulations of Across, a self-styled “secret ideological organization,” in its quest to conquer the world and rid it of corruption. Its leader, Lord Ilpalazzo,^[10] plans to begin with just one city: Fukuoka, Fukuoka, in the manga and "F City, F Prefecture" in the anime. He justifies this strategy by saying that conquering one city allows leeway for setbacks, and that the people of the world would not be ready for immediate unification. Defending the city are Dr. Kabapu and his Department of City Security, also known as the Municipal Force Daitenzin, a masked fighting force.^[11] While the manga and anime both principally revolve around this conflict, each medium features unique subplots. The manga are tightly tied to the main plot and explore the origins and natures of several main characters, especially Kabapu and Ilpalazzo. In contrast, the anime adds a side story mostly independent of the main plot, focusing on the ghost of Pedro (an immigrant construction worker), Nabeshin (the director's alter ego), and That Man, a villain introduced in later episodes.^[12] This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese manga and anime series. ... Below is the list of Excel Saga media, consisting of sixteen manga volumes released in Japan, fifteen manga released in North America, twenty-six episodes of the anime, and six volumes of the English-language DVD release. ... ACROSS: Il Palazzo (center), Hyatt (left), and Excel (right) Il Palazzo ) is the codename of a fictional character in the Excel Saga anime, and the manga upon which it is based. ... This article is about a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. ... Dr. Kabapu (right) and Il Palazzo (left). ... The Daitenzin en route to battle. ... The official logo of the Super Sentai Series introduced in 2000 during the run of Mirai Sentai Timeranger The Super Sentai Series ) is the name given to the long running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd. ... That Man is a fictional character in the Excel Saga animated series, named - or rather, not named - as such because he was originally only intended to have a brief walk-on part. ...

Across

Across: Ilpalazzo (center), Hyatt (left), and Excel (right). Not pictured: Elgala and Menchi.

Excel is the hyperactive protagonist and title character, who approaches her work with abundant determination, but little foresight. Her mission is to further Across' city conquest, but her personal desire is to win Ilpalazzo's affection and praise. Despite being his most senior officer, she frequently finds herself out of the loop or passed over for promotion. Ilpalazzo, in contrast to Excel, is cold, reserved and calculating, but clearly has severe mental problems: he frequently suffers memory loss, hears voices, and sometimes manifests a different persona. He shows very little patience with Excel, frequently endangering her bodily well-being by dropping her down an oubliette (the principal running gag in Excel Saga) or otherwise punishing her. To accelerate his plans, Ilpalazzo soon hires a second agent, Hyatt, a demure and frail woman with a habit of suddenly dying and reviving in quick succession. Despite this limitation, she soon becomes Ilpalazzo's favorite, but Hyatt seems unaware of his favor and holds her senior in high regard. The two agents of Across keep a dog, named Menchi,^[13] as both a pet and "emergency food supply"—but although Excel and Hyatt often plan to “declare a state of emergency” and have Menchi as a meal, they never do so. In the manga, a third agent called Elgala joins Across. She proves to be a great source of frustration to Excel, mainly due to her insubordinate attitude, expensive tastes, and inability to keep her opinions to herself. Image File history File links ACROSS_(Excel_Saga). ... Image File history File links ACROSS_(Excel_Saga). ... Excel Excel is the codename of the title character of Rikdo Koshis manga and anime series Excel Saga. ... ACROSS: Il Palazzo (center), Hyatt (left), and Excel (right) Il Palazzo ) is the codename of a fictional character in the Excel Saga anime, and the manga upon which it is based. ... An oubliette was a form of dungeon which was accessible only from a hatch in a high ceiling. ... The running gag is a popular hallmark of comic and serious forms of entertainment. ... Hyatt is a fictional character in the Excel Saga animated series, and the manga upon which it is based. ... Senpai ) is a Japanese term (sometimes an honorific) for a person in a club or other organization, including a school or college, who is a senior, in other words a member of a year above. ...

Department of City Security

The Daitenzin ride to battle Across for the fate of the city.

Paralleling Ilpalazzo's Across is Kabapu's Department of City Security. Kabapu himself occupies a position of inscrutable power in the city, and is able to bend its political establishment to his will. Despite his power, he is an object of ridicule among most of his subordinates due to his appearance, mannerisms, and seeming disregard for lives and laws. Unfazed by this, he informs the six members of the Department that they are to assume the role of the Daitenzin, a sentai fighting force. One Daitenzin is Tooru Watanabe, who pins his hopes for a romantic relationship with Hyatt on his position in the civil service but grows despondent as the nature of his employment becomes clear. Another is Daimaru Sumiyoshi, who is a voice of reason in the Department and is represented as communicating through free-floating text.^[14] The third, Norikuni Iwata, is generally disliked for his boorishness but tolerated by his co-workers. Misaki Matsuya, the fourth, is an attractive but ruthless young woman who provides much of the group's leadership. The final Daitenzin are two android bomb-disposal experts called Ropponmatsu Unit 1 and Ropponmatsu Unit 2. Other associates of the Department are Kabapu's assistant Ms. Momochi, and the lolita complex-stricken Gojo Shioji, designer of the Ropponmatsus. Image File history File links Daitenzin. ... Image File history File links Daitenzin. ... Dr. Kabapu (right) and Il Palazzo (left). ... The official logo of the Super Sentai Series introduced in 2000 during the run of Mirai Sentai Timeranger The Super Sentai Series ) is the name given to the long running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd. ... For other uses, see Android (disambiguation). ... Lolicon art often depicts childlike characteristics with likely double meanings. ... Doctor Gojyou Shiouji is a fictional character in the animated series, Excel Saga, and the manga upon which it is based. ...

Other characters

That Man (center) prepares to attack the Afro-warriors (top to bottom: Nabeshin, Pedro, and Sandora), as the Great Will and Pedro's "Sexy Wife" look on in terror.

In addition to the main cast, Excel Saga features a wide array of secondary characters, and among the most important are the anime's Nabeshin and the Great Will of the Macrocosm. These two have the power to alter or "reset" the storyline, and Excel and others often appeal for them to do so. Other cast additions in the anime include Pedro and his son Sandora, who both suffer cruel turns of fate and eventually become Nabeshin's students. Their objective is to defeat That Man, who desires to become a god by seducing the Great Will and Pedro's "Sexy Wife". Another prominent force introduced by the anime are the Puchuus, a race of insidiously cute aliens competing with Across for world conquest. Dr. Sekifumi Iwata (who the manga reveals is a cousin of the Daitenzin Norikuni Iwata) and his associate, Nurse Shiki Fukuya, provide some comedic interludes in the anime but make more substantial appearances in the manga. Finally, Rikudou spends several chapters of the manga introducing and developing other members of the Iwata, Sumiyoshi and Shioji families. Particularly notable is Shioji's mother Miwa Rengaya, whom Kabapu views as key to finding Shioji's mysteriously vanished father, Tenmangu Shioji. Image File history File links Afro_attack. ... Image File history File links Afro_attack. ... Shinichi Watanabe should not be confused with the similarly-named Shinichiro Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his Nabeshin character. ... For other uses, see Deus ex machina (disambiguation). ... That Man is a fictional character in the Excel Saga animated series, named - or rather, not named - as such because he was originally only intended to have a brief walk-on part. ...

Notable differences

Apart from the presence or absence of certain characters, the circumstances of many others differ markedly between the two media. For instance, episode two of the anime presents Hyatt as being a Martian princess with some sort of relationship with the Puchuus and Nabeshin, making her induction into Across seem almost an accident. Volume one of the manga, however, shows her being hired after submitting an application and being interviewed by Ilpalazzo. The two media also differ markedly in the natures of Across and the Ropponmatsus. Ilpalazzo and his followers are all there is of Across as of volume fourteen of the manga, but in the anime they form only one branch of the organization: above them are Headquarters, including That Man and his fellow members of the Across Six.^[15] Finally, the Ropponmatsus are depicted in the anime as distinct entities working together, whereas in the manga only one is active at any given time, since they have to share a unique "Ropponmatsu core".^[16]

Storylines

The manga focuses on the various missions Ilpalazzo's agents undertake as a part of their city conquest, the exploits of the Department and its members, and sometimes a study of an individual character. Beginning with volume nine, Excel and her comrades repeatedly attempt to make appeals directly to the people of Fukuoka, leading to inconclusive confrontations with the Daitenzin. Ilpalazzo, however, personally reveals Across' existence and intentions to the citizens of Fukuoka in volume thirteen. In volume fourteen, the agents' cover is blown, ultimately leading to Hyatt's capture, and, through various twists Excel and Elgala being held in an immigration detention center. In volume fifteen, Ilpalazzo intervenes directly to help his officers, regroups, confronts Kabapu, and spearheads the new, commercial phase of his city-conquest. The manga contains two notable subplots closely related to the main storyline: the first explores the origins of Kabapu and Ilpalazzo as well as Ilplazzo's mental state. The second, which begins in volume twelve, concerns mysteries surrounding Shioji's parents, notably his mother's behavior and his father's disappearance.

Throughout most of the anime, Across and the Daitenzin interact either indirectly or at arms-length. Like early chapters of the manga, many episodes focus on a particular training or preparatory mission assigned by Ilpalazzo or Kabapu to their subordinates. The anime also follows the attempts of Pedro to regain his life and to avenge himself on That Man. This subplot is reviewed and enlarged in episode eighteen, which reveals that the Great Will of the Macrocosm and Pedro's "Sexy Wife" are in fact one being, and that Pedro and Sandora are both destined to become Nabeshin's students and to confront That Man. There is only modest continuity between episodes—each being "a parody of a different genre".^[17] Nevertheless, episodes twenty-two through twenty-five "scrape together all of the disparate story elements into something resembling a plot",^[18] culminating in Pedro's final confrontation with That Man and the battle for F City between Across and the Daitenzin. That Man is a fictional character in the Excel Saga animated series, named - or rather, not named - as such because he was originally only intended to have a brief walk-on part. ...

Manga origins and source material

Cover of Excel Saga manga volume 9.

Rikudou notes that Excel Saga, the manga, developed from Municipal Force Daitenzin, a dojinshi he had started during his school days. A motivation for the change to Excel Saga was a desire to better develop Excel's character, which he felt remained "undigested" in Daitenzin. Also influential was the state of the world economy at the time, which he describes as "depressed, [with] a pessimistic view of life". He thus wrote Excel Saga as a way "to laugh off that view".^[3] The manga draws mainly from common aspects of Japanese life, from major issues such as troubles in the labor market, the state of health-care, political corruption, and gender equality, to more mundane concerns such as office relations, the hanami flower-viewing custom, and neighborhood trash collection days. Image File history File links Excel_Saga_vol_09. ... Image File history File links Excel_Saga_vol_09. ... The Daitenzin en route to battle. ... Dōjinshi (; also romanized as doujinshi) are self-published Japanese works, including but not limited to comic books (manga), novels, fan guides, art collections, and games. ... The structure of Japans labor market was experiencing gradual change in the late 1980s and was expected to continue this trend throughout the 1990s. ... // It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Working women in Japan. ... Many both in and outside of Japan share an image of the Japanese work environment that is based on a lifetime-employment model used by large companies. ... Hanami parties along the Kamo River. ...

Rikudou also heavily references his hometown of Fukuoka by inserting local sayings "here and there",^[19] and by naming many of his characters after landmarks or areas in the city. The Daitenzin as a group are named after Fukuoka's downtown, the Tenjin district, their codenames deriving from department stores and other establishments in the district,^[20] and their surnames from neighborhoods around the city.^[21] (Sources differ on the codenames "Excel", "Ilpalazzo", and "Hyatt": VIZ claims they originate from hotels in Fukuoka,^[19] whereas ADV claims hotels in Tokyo as the source.^[22]) Tenjin (天神) refers to the downtown area of Fukuoka City, Japan. ...

The character Elgala is named after the Fukuoka Elgala Hall,^[23] and Across itself derives its name from the city's ACROS Building.^[24] In contrast, Kabapu is named after not a landmark but the mascot of the 1989 Asia-Pacific Expo, held in Fukuoka to celebrate the centennial of the city's Meiji-era charter.^[25] Despite drawing from many sources, the manga contains only modest amounts of outright parody: Kabapu's organization is a take on the sentai genre, and Sekifumi Iwata, the womanizing and medically incompetent doctor, is a spoof of Osamu Tezuka's Black Jack.^[19] Black Jack ) is a fictional character created by Osamu Tezuka, introduced in Weekly Shonen Champion on November 19, 1973. ...

Anime adaptation

Development

Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his 'Nabeshin' character.

According to Rikudou, Victor Entertainment solicited Shonen Gahosha about adapting Excel Saga into an anime, and the two companies approached him.^[3] He agreed, but asked that the anime have a different storyline from the manga, which was and remains on-going. Rikudou says he is very pleased with the adaptation and that he sees "much appeal in the anime world". Shinichi Watanabe, the director, was for his part surprised to learn that he was specifically requested by Yousuke Kuroda, one of the show's writers. He adds that his first thought on looking at Rikudou's material was, "Wow, there's so much here that can't be broadcast on TV."^[26] To balance the removal of Rikudou's original material, Watanabe added his own alter ego, Nabeshin, and expanded several elements, including Pedro and the Great Will. He says that the Great Will in the manga was "conveyed just as words",^[9] and he himself developed its appearance, eventually settling on the "swirling, talking cosmos". He also increased Pedro's role in the story from a single frame in the manga. Watanabe says he was pleased with that aspect of his work, noting that "Pedro's situation was considered unsuitable for broadcast in Japan." Victor Entertainment's Shigeru Kitayama explains that Pedro's role was "a bit dicey" because it could have been interpreted "that foreign workers are looked down upon".^[27] Nevertheless, Watanabe made it a mission in doing Excel Saga "to find the borderline when things got too much", for TV Tokyo. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article does not explain the significance of the subject matter clearly and accurately. ... Shinichi Watanabe should not be confused with the similarly-named Shinichiro Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his Nabeshin character. ... Yousuke Kuroda ), born in 29 March 1968, in Mie, Japan, is a Japanese anime screenwriter and scriptwriter. ... Shigeru Kitayama ) is a Japanese anime producer. ...

In contrast to the manga, the anime draws from and lampoons many different genres and specific works. For instance, although the sentai genre is more frequently mocked, Fist of the North Star and the works of Leiji Matsumoto each receive an episode's worth of parody, while Aliens, Gundam, Rose of Versailles, Dragon Ball, and Sailor Moon all are lampooned in extended sequences. Although Watanabe feels fans of these works were "really happy" with Excel Saga's parodies, Kitayama notes that the creators of the works "certainly got mad".^[9][28] Puni Puni Poemy, an OVA in which the director reprises his role as Nabeshin, is referenced in several episodes. A running, metafictional gag is the show's pre-title "authorization scenes", in which an animated representation of Rikudou gives or is forced to give permission for the episode's experiments, which are usually declared failures just before the end credits. In later episodes, the author and director come to blows over plot and character development in what one reviewer calls a "knowing satire on the real-life struggles that often arise between writer and director".^[29] The vocal cast includes several prominent voice actors, such as Kotono Mitsuishi as Excel, Takehito Koyasu as Ilpalazzo, and Satsuki Yukino as Ropponmatsu Unit 1. Rikudou recalls that he was "wired up" to see his favorite voice actors and actresses read lines of his work in front of him.^[3] Despite this, he was unprepared for hearing Excel's voice the first time, and found it an uncomfortable experience. Watanabe himself was impressed with Mitsuishi's rapid delivery of her lines, saying that "she really pushed herself to the limit and beyond".^[9] He also says, "at times she was too fast, and there was plenty of time left to [match the lip-synch]" (insertion in the original). In such cases, either he would add new material or have Mitsuishi ad-lib. The official logo of the Super Sentai Series introduced in 2000 during the run of Mirai Sentai Timeranger The Super Sentai Series ) is the name given to the long running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd. ... This article is about the manga and anime franchise. ... Leiji Matsumoto (松本 零士 Matsumoto Reiji) is a well-known creator of several anime and manga series. ... Aliens is a 1986 science fiction movie directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton and Paul Reiser. ... This article is about the anime series. ... The Rose of Versailles (ベルサイユのばら Berusaiyu no bara), by Riyoko Ikeda, is one of the best-known titles in shōjo manga. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the title character, see Sailor Moon (character) and for the first story arc, see Sailor Moon (arc). ... The anime OVA Puni Puni Poemy (ぷにぷに☆ぽえみぃ Puni Puni ☆ Poemii) is a frenetic spin-off from the popular Excel Saga animated series, featuring some of its secondary characters and many of its staff, primarily director Shinichi Watanabe. ... A human ovum An ovum (loosely, egg or egg cell) is a female sex cell or gamete. ... Look up metafiction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Kotono Mitsuishi ) (born December 8, 1967) is a Japanese seiyÅ«, or voice actress born in Toda, Saitama, Japan. ... Takehito Koyasu (子安 武人 Koyasu Takehito, born May 5, 1967) in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan is a seiyÅ« (voice actor). ... Yuki Inoue ), better known by her stage name Satsuki Yukino ), is a popular voice actress (seiyÅ«) in Japan. ...

Music

Menchi, being seasoned for cooking, performs the "Bolero", as the woman translates.

In addition to providing overall production for the series, Victor Entertainment also produced the music of Excel Saga, which was composed and arranged by Toshio Masuda,^[30] and directed by Keiichi Nozaki. Director Shinichi Watanabe wrote the lyrics for the opening and closing themes, which were performed by the "Excel♥Girls" (Yumiko Kobayashi and Mikako Takahashi), and he claims to have written the opening's lyrics "on the train, five minutes before the deadline".^[9] Image File history File links Menchi_(ending). ... Image File history File links Menchi_(ending). ... Victor Entertainment ) is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company (JVC) that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. ... Toshio Masuda , born October 28, 1959) is a Japanese composer. ... Yumiko Kobayashi (小林 由美子 Kobayashi Yumiko, born June 18, 1979) is a female seiyÅ« who was born in Yokaichiba, Chiba. ... Mikako Takahashi ) is a seiyÅ« and J-pop singer born May 29, 1980 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. ...

The opening theme, "Love (Loyalty)" (「愛（忠誠心）」, "Ai (Chūseishin)"^?), consists of the singers speculating on the nature of love, in what one reviewer calls "a dead-on parody of J-pop bubblegum tripe".^[5] The closing theme, "Menchi's Bolero of Sorrow" (「メンチの哀愁のボレロ」, "Menchi no Aishū no Borero"^?), presents Menchi, limelit, singing alone while being prepared for cooking. Her barks are rendered in Japanese by a female translator inset lower in the screen. Watanabe says that he had hoped to have the ending theme consist entirely of barks but felt "the music industry would not accept it".^[9] The standard opening and closing themes, an extended version of the closing theme, and other tracks were released in two soundtracks by Geneon. Geneon Entertainment, Inc. ...

"Going Too Far"

Excel's rage in episode twenty-six, gone too far.

The twenty-sixth episode, "Going Too Far", never aired in Excel Saga's original run on TV Tokyo because it was purposefully too violent and obscene for broadcast in Japan.^[9] The opening sequence is altered to contain pixelated nudity and more blood, and the closing presents the translator on fours, wearing a collar, and singing the "Bolero", as Menchi translates into her own language. The episode itself, in addition to much more violence, blood, and gore, includes situations containing nudity, lesbianism, apparent paedophilia, soaplands, and a love hotel—in several instances involving minors. The episode obliquely refers to the 1995 sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway by including sarin attacks as a method of exterminating enemies. The director himself remarks that it "felt good to go past the limits of a TV series", although he thinks it "is not something that you should do too often."^[26] On Thursday 25 March 2007, "Going Too Far" was aired Uncut on the UK channel Rapture at the original time of the previous episodes, 8:30pm. It was also aired, in the show's regular 10 PM time-slot, by SIC Radical in Portugal. Image File history File links Excel_(Yarisugi). ... Image File history File links Excel_(Yarisugi). ... The bolero is a type of dance and musical form. ... Graphic violence is the depiction of violence in media such as film, television, and video games. ... Nude redirects here. ... This article is about same-sex desire and sexuality among women. ... Pedophilia (American English), pædophilia/paedophilia (Commonwealth English), or pedosexuality is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to prepubescent children. ... Soapland ) is a Japanese word for a type of brothel where men (hereinafter called client) can be bathed with female prostitutes (hereinafter called companion)(there are a few for female clientele). ... A love hotel sign in Ikebukuro Tokyo A love hotel sign in Shinjuku, Tokyo A love hotel (ラブホテル rabu hoteru) is an originally Japanese type of hotel offering privacy for a couple to have sex. ... A wanted poster in Japan. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Rapture TV is/was a dance music satellite television station operated from the United Kingdom, founded by the United Business Media group. ... SIC Radical is a cable TV channel in Portugal owned by SIC, which owns SIC Radical, SIC Comedia, SIC Noticias and SIC Mulher. ...

International versions

As of January 2007, eleven volumes of the manga have been translated into Italian by Dynit, seven into French by Kabuto, and fifteen into English by VIZ Media; the sixteenth is available as of September 2007. Each volume of the English edition includes a section called "Oubliette", which consists of a "sound effects guide" and notes by the editor and translator. Since its August 2003 release in North America, Excel Saga has been one of the 100 top-selling graphic novels on several occasions.^[31] Dynit is one of the main Italian manga and anime publishers. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Viz Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a major American anime, manga and Japanese entertainment company formed by the merger of Viz, LLC, and ShoPro Entertainment. ...

ADV Films produced the English-language version of the anime (including the final episode) and released it on DVD in North America and the United Kingdom. Anime Network later broadcast the series in the former, and Rapture TV will air it beginning January 3, 2007 in the latter. The English adaptation initially starred Jessica Calvello, with Larissa Wolcott taking over the role after episode thirteen after Calvello had damaged her voice during production. The ADV release features interview transcripts, games, and "Vid-Notes" as commentary. It is distributed in Australia by Madman Entertainment.^[32] A French edition of the anime was distributed by Dybex, starring Pascale Duchemin as the voice of Excel. From November 2004 onwards, it was broadcast daily in France by Canal+ in the program La Kaz. "Going Too Far", titled "On dépasse les limites", aired on December 30, 2004, but at 1:00 a.m. out of content considerations. An Italian version starring Federica De Bortoli was produced by Dynit and shown on MTV Italy. Much like elsewhere, the twenty-sixth episode, titled “Strafare,” never aired and was available only on VHS. In Latin America, Animax broadcast Excel Saga dubbed in Portuguese and Spanish. The Portuguese version was by produced by Álamo and starred Letícia Quinto. Rebeca Aponte led in Estudios Lain's Spanish adaptation. ADV Films logo ADV Films is the home video publication arm of A.D. Vision based in Houston, Texas. ... The Anime Network, a subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. ... Rapture TV is/was a dance music satellite television station operated from the United Kingdom, founded by the United Business Media group. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Jessica Calvello is a American voice actress primarily known for her anime voiceover work, particularly with ADV Films. ... Larissa Wolcott is a voice actress most known for her role as Excel from Excel Saga in episodes 14-26. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Madmans Logo Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that specialises in the distribution of Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. ... Canal+ (Canal Plus, meaning Channel Plus/More in French) is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MTV Italia, the Italian branch of MTV, is a national channel in Italy. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Reception

The English-language reviews of the Excel Saga anime were broadly positive and even enthusiastic. Mike Crandol of Anime News Network puts it in the same class as Airplane!, National Lampoon, Tex Avery, and Monty Python,^[5] adding that the "combination of character-based humor, outrageous slapstick farce, and a plot that is engaging if only for how weird it is make for a thoroughly enjoyable comedic experience". Serdar Yegulalp at TheGline says it succeeds both as "a brutally savage parody of every conceivable anime genre and convention, and as the kind of post-modern self-criticism found in the works of Takashi Miike, Thornton Wilder, Pirandello" (emphasis in the original).^[7] A contrary opinion is expressed by Joel Pearce from DVD Verdict, who says the series is "occasionally clever and funny", but that "much of it is gratingly obnoxious".^[17] A concern several reviewers express is that the quantity of obscure jokes and cultural references might limit the show's appeal.^[7][8][33] Many reviewers express displeasure with middle and later episodes, saying they were "more of the same",^[17] that they had "stale" humor,^[34] that they were "tiresome",^[7] or even "painfully unfunny".^[6] Episodes fourteen through sixteen, starring the Ropponmatsus, bear the brunt of this criticism, but several reviewers consider episode seventeen, "Animation USA", to be one of the best.^{[6][35][36][17]} This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Airplane! is an American comedy film, first released on 27 June 1980, produced, directed, and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. ... January 1973 cover of National Lampoon National Lampoon was an American humor magazine that began in 1970 as an offshoot of the Harvard Lampoon. ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. ... Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Takashi Miike ) (born August 24, 1960) is a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker. ... Image:Thorntonwilderteeth. ... Luigi Pirandello (June 28, 1867 – December 10, 1936) was an Italian dramatist and novelist, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934. ...

Reviewers also agree that the series suffers from too much "filler" in its later episodes, with Crandol describing the show as "spinning its wheels".^[37] The production staff's reliance on a second summary episode—recapping the Pedro-Nabeshin subplot—particularly displeases reviewers.^[38][34][17] Crandol alone seems to have enjoyed it, calling the episode "delightfully stupid" and one of the series' "most entertaining installments".^[37] Yegulalp reserves his harshest words for the unaired "Going Too Far", calling it "pure, idiotic, wretched excess".^[7] He goes on to say that the episode has "the feeling of trying to deliberately enrage the audience by resorting to the only tactics left: genuinely offensive subject matter". Joel Cunningham at Digitally Obsessed disagrees, saying that the episode succeeds just in time, "with one of the series' funnier sight gags",^[18] and Anime Boredom's John Huxley considers it "too light hearted to take offense" and "a complete success".^[39]

The series generally receives high marks for technical aspects. Cunningham feels the animation is "flat-out gorgeous",^[40] but Crandol considers it merely above average. In the latter's opinion, its quality wanes as the series progresses and increasingly relies on super-deforming the characters for comedic effect.^[6] ADV's release earned praise for the quality of the video transfer and the DVD extras (particularly the Vid-Notes).^[5][18] Reviewers especially appreciated the English voice acting: Crandol calls it "brilliant",^[5] and several note that Calvello and Wolcott were each able to capture Mitsuishi's Excel.^[6][7][36] Pearce, in contrast, find the English cast to be "pretty bad" and its Excel to be "dental drill" shrill.^[17] Ryu drawn in a super deformed style, from the arcade game Pocket Fighter, known as Super Gem Fighter: Mini Mix in the United States. ... Kotono Mitsuishi ) (born December 8, 1967) is a Japanese seiyū, or voice actress born in Toda, Saitama, Japan. ...

Akadot's reviewer of the manga writes that "some of the strange events go on a little too long and do not have the impact that they do animated", but that Rikudou's Excel Saga is "graced with fantastic visuals and a hilarious story", and that the English edition is "a masterpiece of the translator's skill".^[41] Barb Lien-Cooper from Comic World News concurs that the manga cannot keep pace with the anime, but she finds Excel herself to be wittier in the manga and that the manga's plots "make more sense" than the anime's.^[42] A reviewer of the French edition also praises Rikudou's work, noting that it is an "…easy read without problems of clarity".^[43]

Notes and references

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This example of a title sequence, from long-running serial drama Another World, was seen from 1966 to 1981, making it one of the longest-running continuous title sequences on television. ... ADV Films logo ADV Films is the home video publication arm of A.D. Vision based in Houston, Texas. ... Dōjinshi (; also romanized as doujinshi) are self-published Japanese works, including but not limited to comic books (manga), novels, fan guides, art collections, and games. ... An artbook is a collection of leaves of paper, parchment or other material, bound together along one edge within covers. ... A sketchbook is most often an unlined notebook of quality paper, used by practitioners across the arts. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The three most common speech ballons (top to bottom: speech, thought, scream). ... Shinichi Watanabe should not be confused with the similarly-named Shinichiro Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his Nabeshin character. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Shinichi Watanabe should not be confused with the similarly-named Shinichiro Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his Nabeshin character. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Shinichi Watanabe should not be confused with the similarly-named Shinichiro Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo Shinichi Watanabe dressed in the style of his Nabeshin character. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ... ADV Films logo ADV Films is the home video publication arm of A.D. Vision based in Houston, Texas. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

This article contains Japanese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of kanji or kana.

Official sites Image File history File links 書.svg‎ The Chinese character 書, in regular script. ... The UTF-8-encoded Japanese Wikipedia article for mojibake, as displayed in ISO-8859-1 encoding. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ... Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Manyogana 万葉仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 For other meanings of Kana, see Kana (disambiguation). ...

• ADV Films: Excel Saga's Region 1 and 2 English DVD publisher.
• Madman Entertainment: The anime's Australian DVD publisher.
• Rikudoukan (Japanese): The original author's homepage.
• VIZ Media: The English manga's North American publisher.

Additional reviews

• Review at Monsters and Critics
• Review at Scifi.com

Miscellaneous This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Sci Fi is an American cable television channel, launched in 1992 and currently owned by corporate conglomerate NBC Universal, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. ...

• Excel Saga (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Excel Saga (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia