In past weeks, we took a look at old-school & new-school Progressive Metal, but now it’s time to examine an offering from the world of anime. Yes, even in the realm of anime, there is Prog. There are plenty of series that are downright odd, bizarre, and follow the beat of their own drum. Some have fallen off the face of the earth, but other series have managed to still stay around, and today’s show is one of them. I’ve known about this series for sometime, but it wasn’t until a few years ago on Christmas that I finally acquired it, and my brain still hasn’t fully recovered. So sit back, be sure to call the local asylum & have them on stand-by, and enjoy my look at Excel Saga. Let the review begin.
Story/Setup
Taken from Amazon:
“The only thing the demented and hyper active ACROSS special agent Excel wants to do is please her supreme lord and commander Ilpalazzo. This, of course, means taking over the entire world one small country at a time. Partnered with the chronically ill Hyatt and thwarted by an army of alien Puchus, the madcap adventures these two go on are random to the extreme. Filled to the brim with anime and pop-culture parodies galore, Excel Saga is the original sugar-high anime hit that doesn’t stop hitting you in the face.”
On the surface, Excel Saga is nothing more than pure, unadulterated chaos. In almost every scene in every episode, there is something insane going on. It might be a quick moment of hilarity, a character being hyperactive, or it could be reality buckling in on itself. At first a new viewer will probably be turned off by how zany everything is, and I can certainly understand. However, if one was to dig a little deeper when they’re watching, they would find something more. What is this thing? Pushing the boundaries of censorship.
The creator of the series (As well as the creator of the manga & it’s comic predecessor, Municipal Force Daitenzin), Koshi Rikudo, was always a man that liked pushing buttons. For anyone with even a remote understanding, you’ll know that Japan’s censorship can be ridiculous. Don’t believe me? Just go watch any hentai that’s not released in the US (Or some countries in South America, Asia, & Europe, and maybe Australia). One of the segments that made it’s way into the show was considered unsuitable for broadcast in Japan, but this was eventually reversed. Maybe it was because of this incident, but the studio that was making the series did everything they could to push the censorship laws with each & every episode. In fact, the 26th episode was so over-the-top, it was never aired, as was only available on the DVD release, but it was shown in other countries & territories. While it wasn’t political (As far as I know), anytime that anyone challenges censorship I always gotta admire it.
Animation
And here’s one of Excel Saga’s faults: the animation is not good, and it hasn’t aged well. The show came out in the late 90s/very early 2000s, where traditional animation was combining with new technology at the time, and the results were not always the best. To give Excel Saga credit, it wasn’t a horrendous sight for it’s time: it had some good looking characters, some interesting effects, and a zaniness that just seems to permeate everything. This zaniness has aged quite well, but everything else hasn’t. It looks old, and it looks dated, but the character models somehow have managed to weather the storm.
Voice Acting
Another fault that Excel Saga has is it’s voice acting. ADV Films always has fluctuating voice acting, with some shows having a great dub, and other.....well, we don’t talk about their dubbing. To Excel Saga’s credit, most of the voice acting has managed to hold up well. Much of the main cast still sound nice, as do a majority of the secondary characters. Really only a couple side characters haven’t weathered the ages, especially those that are trying to replicate an accent (There are a lot of secondary characters that have some kind of ethnic voice). While I don’t find them to be offensive, they are corny & cheesy. Then, there’s Excel......
Alright, 2 things about Excel’s voice:
1) Voice actors changed halfway through
2) Voice remains somewhat the same
In defense of the first point, it’s understandable. Halfway through the voice recording process, Jessica Calvello had damaged her voice (How, I don’t know), and her replacement came in the form of Larissa Walcott. Larissa put on an admirable performance, managing to capture & project the manic nature of Excel. My problem is that she doesn’t alter the voice enough. While Jessica & Larissa’s interpretation of the character aren’t 100% the same, but at the same time it can occasionally be confusing as to who is who.
Characters
Much like it’s story, the characters of Excel Saga are as chaotic as a hurricane. On the surface, they’re just pure dementia in some fashion. Underneath, there’s a little more than meets the eye. There’s something within each & every single character that’s related to the show’s goal of pushing the censorship. It might be subtle, or it could be very obvious, but something is definitely there. Excel, the titular character of the anime, is psychotic in almost everything she does, but towards the end of the show actually engages in some personal moments. Il Palazzo, the leader of ACROSS, is stable & controlling on the outside, but on the inside suffers from many psychological disorders (Dissociative Identity Disorder. in particular). These are just two examples of how the characters of Excel Saga are more than they appear. Remember: never judge a book by it’s cover!
The only real problem with the characters is your level of patience with them. A massive chunk of them can be annoying. Very annoying. The kind of annoying that’s like nails of a chalkboard on steroids. The kind of annoying that gets under your skin’s skin, etc. I was able to watch this whole show, and not really have fault with any of them (Apart from Excel, but even then it was minor, and mostly due to the change in voice). Those of you who aren’t fond of hyperactive characters will probably only be able to watch the whole series if they forces themselves to. Otherwise, you’ll most likely stop when you can’t take it anymore.
Availability & Pricing
Once again we find ourselves with a show that was originally a release from ADV Films, and as I’ve stated before on this blog, finding some of their titles is something of a challenge. If you’re looking for a complete collection of the ADV Films edition of Excel Saga, you’ll find it to be a challenge: there are a couple of used copies over on Amazon, but not that much. Pricing for them starts at a reasonable 21 dollars, and goes all the way up to a whopping 70! Your only other option for a used ADV Films collection is finding one at FYE, but even then it’s not a guarantee.
Your best option is to grab the Funimation re-release from 2011. Curiously enough, I didn’t find any on FYE’s website, although that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be able to find one in store. Over on Amazon, the pricing for a copy starts at anywhere from 28 to 29 dollars. A little high, but still relatively reasonable. Best Buy’s website still has it on it’s website, but it’s at a more expensive 35 dollars. That pricing won’t break the bank, but it is a small blow. If I had a guess, a copy found in store that would probably be a little less.
Overall Impression & Rating
Excel Saga is the kind of anime that just rots your brain. It’s the kind of show that’s just utter nonsense & chaos. It’s also the kind of show that somehow manages to make a point amid all the turmoil, and is clever despite the stupidity. To me, Excel Saga is the kind of anime you show someone in an effort to confuse them, make them think, or somehow do both. You might not be able to focus as you watch, but the entertainment factor more than makes up for it.
Excel Saga gets a 8 out of 10.
So that was my look at Excel Saga. One of the progiest anime every made, it’s odd, weird, and follows it’s own path without any disregard. It’s a shame that many modern shows don’t do this. I’ll see you next week, when I’ll suggest some Prog Metal albums that you should buy & listen to, and I’ll see you tomorrow for a bonus Valentine’s Day post that’s a little.....monstrous. See you tomorrow & next week!
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