Ask John: What Is Excel Saga?

Question:
What exactly is Excel Saga? How many manga are there in the series also? I was watching it recently and despite the obvious parodies of popular anime (Ilpalazo looks almost exactly like Kagato from Tenchi Muyo, a “cameo” by Maetel of Galaxy Express, etc.) it has some really recent references to American movies and such. When did it come out and is it still going on?

Answer:
Excel Saga is one of the most eagerly anticipated of all upcoming American release anime series. Excel Saga is a thoroughly bizarre, off-the-wall comedy that heavily focuses on parodies of virtually everything in existence. The plot ostensibly revolves around a teenage girl named Excel who, along with her perpetually terminally ill partner Hyatt and her pet dog Menchi (who also serves as Excel’s emergency rations back-up) is devoted to Il Palazzo-sama, the leader of the three member secret organization Across, which has hopes of taking over control of the world. The comedy of Excel Saga mainly revolves around Excel & Hyatt’s usually ill-fated attempts to carry out II Palazzo’s plans for world domination. The manga and animation include direct reference to and parodies of everything imaginable, including American movies like Aliens, Star Wars and Apocalypse Now, Japanese dating simulation video games, the anime industry, American and Japanese cultural stereotypes, anime films including Galaxy Express, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, Lupin III and Space Adventure Cobra, the anime industry, the Excel Saga manga and anime itself, and even Koshi Rikudo, the creator of Excel Saga.

The first collected volume of Excel Saga manga was published in Japan in 1997. The most recent eighth volume was just released in Japan last September. The Excel Saga manga story is currently still ongoing, published in Young King Ours magazine. Only 25 episodes of the Excel Saga television series were broadcast between October 7, 1999 and March 30, 2000. Because creator Koshi Rikudo and the JC Staff production studio (Utena, Yamamoto Yohko) wanted to really push the envelope and see just how bizarre, tasteless and weird they could make the series, the final 26th episode (which includes some hilarious and demented nudity, several jokes involving bodily fluids and waste, and a much talked about switched-personalities lesbian love scene) was released straight to video as part of the TV series home video release.

AD Vision is currently in the process of dubbing the series for its American release. Only time will tell if AD Vision’s translation will be able to keep up with the break-neck pace of Mitsuishi (Misato Katsuragi, Usagi Tsukino, Mink of Dragon Half, etc.) Kotono’s performance of Excel’s non-stop dialogue or the show’s non-stop barrage of Japanese cultural jokes, parodies and references. AD Vision also announced last summer that they do posses the English translation rights to the 2 episode Excel Saga spin-off OAV series Puni Puni Poemi, which employs all of the Excel Saga staff and cast and focuses on Poemi, the transforming magical girl and daughter of Excel Saga character Nabeshin.

For more information about Excel Saga, visit the informative fan run Excel-Saga.com, or read EX Magazine’s review of the series.