Excel Saga
Excel Saga is the anime definition of schizoid, an unashamedly lewd and infantile foray into the warped minds of Shinichi Watanabe and the creative team at JC Staff that pushes the boundaries of decency and sanity, those of a nervous disposition should look away now!!
Based on Koshi Rikudo’s manga of the same name Excel Saga is a riotous parody of manga, anime, Japan and just about everything else, each episode opens with an animated Rikudo giving a stamp of approval that permits JC Staff to squeeze Excel Saga into whichever format they choose. Nothing is sacred with episodes ranging from horror and sports anime to straight-faced spoofs of Fist of the North Star and Power Rangers.
Shinichi Watanabe wrings a lot of variety from this deceptively simple concept and despite the stand-alone nature of each episode ES remains a pleasure to watch right up until the final instalment. Some of the humour is obstinately geared towards Japanese audiences and can fall a little flat however ES offers more gags per minute than any series available and for the most part are incredibly hilarious. ADV have also included vid-notes, these pop up on screen at the appropriate time to explain cultural/Japan specific references, it’s a cleverly implemented feature that is essential to understand some of the zanier gags it also offers insights into the many references and in-jokes used throughout the series.
Of course all these crazy concepts would be nothing without some equally crazy characters, the hero of this twisted tale being Excel Excel, a screechy, hyper freak of nature that you can’t help but fall in love with, her partner in crime is the adorable Hyatt, a frail Martian princess who coughs up blood and threatens to slip her mortal coil at any moment. Together they make quite a pair, their vividly contrasting personalities make for a great dynamic seeing Excel bounce around the screen as Hyatt swoons in the grip of mortality.
A vibrant clutch of supporting characters help flesh out the cast, my favourite of which are Nabeshin (Shinichi Watanabe in animated form) a super-fly warrior of justice complete with an Afro who crops up in every episode and Watanabe, Iwata and Sumiyoshi a trio of skirt-chasing down on their luck civil servants who play an increasingly complex role in the series as it goes on. There are more wonderfully obscure characters to be found in Excel Saga than I can list here, suffice to say it’s a bizarre but memorable roster that fits the nature of the show perfectly.
The story is sparse at best but the precedent for craziness is firmly established in episode one, if you were expecting a narrative of epic proportions you’ll be sourly disappointed this is a nonsensical, scattershot series that’s crazy just for the sake of it, therein also lies its biggest problem ES is so incessantly manic that watching a large numbers of episodes in one sitting can be exhausting, not a problem when viewing one volume at a time but I sat through the entire series in one afternoon and my brain felt a little battered by the end of it. Something of a story arc crops up for the last few episodes which ties in nicely with the rest of the series, it was a little unexpected but finishes the story in style a word of warning though if you’re easily offended steer clear of the last episode.
Audio
Excel Saga offers both Japanese and English DD2.0, it’s a competent mix making good use of the centre speakers with many instances of directionality across the front soundstage but the rear speakers are hardly used. Dialogue is crystal clear and the eclectic mix of musical arrangements comes through nicely. It’s a not a bad effort but lacks some of the bite found in of ADV’s newer mixes.
Video
Originally airing in 1999 Excel Saga is a workmanlike but good-looking series, the DVD transfer is rich and detailed, some grain is evident in the darker scenes however it’s minimal and doesn’t detract from an otherwise impeccable presentation.
In Summary
A ludicrously irreverent and unequivocally mental show, Excel Saga can sometimes be too relentless for it’s own good but still remains one of the finest anime comedies currently available. If you suffer from a twisted sense of humour Excel Saga is the perfect remedy.
