Excel Saga
Cover of Excel Saga tankōbon volume 13
エクセル・サーガ (Ekuseru Sāga)
Genre	Action, Parody, Science Fiction
Manga
Author	Rikudou Koushi
Publisher	Shōnen Gahosha
English publisher	VIZ Media
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Young King OURs
Original run	April 1997 – ongoing
Volumes	19
TV anime
Director	Shinichi Watanabe
Studio	J.C. Staff
Licensor	ADV Films
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	Sci-Fi Channel, Rapture TV Anime Network
Original run	October 7, 1999 – March 30, 2000
Episodes	26

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. is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series though the Manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series Action movies are a Film genre where action sequences such as fights, Shootouts Stunts Car chases or explosions either take precedence A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly is a Japanese manga artist, his most notable work being Excel Saga. is a Japanese Publisher named for "Shonen Gaho" ("Boy's Illustrated News Magazine" one of its first magazines (if not the first the company ever published Viz Media LLC, headquartered in San Francisco California, is an Anime, Manga and Japanese Entertainment company founded in 1986 is a monthly Seinen Manga magazine published in Japan by Shonen Gahosha, aimed primarily at male audiences mostly older teens and young adults is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series though the Manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series This is a list of the chapters and volumes of the Seinen manga series Excel Saga by Rikdo Koshi. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic (anime in Japanese, (born September 6, 1964) is a Japanese Anime director He is most well-known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi 's is a Japanese animation studio founded on January 1986 Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987 AD Vision (commonly referred to as ADV) is an American international Multimedia entertainment company based in Houston Texas, active is a TV station based in Tokyo, Japan. It is also known as, a Portmanteau of "terebi" and "Tokyo See Sci Fi Channel for a list of other Sci Fi channels SCI FI Channel (also SCI FI UK, or simply SCI FI) is a Rapture TV was a previously Free-to-air Satellite television station (although now an exclusively online channel operated from the United Kingdom, The Anime Network, a subsidiary of AD Vision, Inc (parent company of ADV Films and Newtype USA) is a cable channel in North America Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly is a Japanese manga artist, his most notable work being Excel Saga. (anime in Japanese, (born September 6, 1964) is a Japanese Anime director He is most well-known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi 's ^[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. Absurdism is a Philosophy stating that the efforts of humanity to find meaning in the Universe ultimately fail (and hence are absurd because no such is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyūshū in Japan, across Excel, the title character, is a key member of Across and ranks below only the organization's enigmatic leader, Ilpalazzo. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series 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. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series

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. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. are self-published Japanese works usually manga or novels They are often the work of amateurs though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular is an adult-only Sentai dōjinshi by Rikudo Koshi, also the author of Excel Saga. ^[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. Self-reference is a phenomenon in natural or Formal languages consisting of a sentence or Formula referring to itself directly or 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. A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd is a Japanese Science fiction Anime series and the name of its eponymous space craft. also known as Ken the Great Bear Fist, is a Japanese Manga series that was originally serialized from 1983 to 1988 in the Japanese magazine Weekly 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. Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery ( February 26, 1908 &ndash August 26, 1980) was an American Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television ^[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]

The Excel Saga manga began publication in Japan in the mid-1990s, serialized in Shōnen Gahosha's Young King OURs, and as of July 2007 eighteen collected volumes have been published. is a Japanese Publisher named for "Shonen Gaho" ("Boy's Illustrated News Magazine" one of its first magazines (if not the first the company ever published is a monthly Seinen Manga magazine published in Japan by Shonen Gahosha, aimed primarily at male audiences mostly older teens and young adults Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series though the Manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series The TV adaptation was animated by J.C.Staff and produced by Victor Entertainment. is a Japanese animation studio founded on January 1986 Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987 is a Subsidiary of Japan Victor Company (JVC that produces and distributes music movies and other entertainment products such as Anime and television shows TV Tokyo broadcast the series, beginning 1999-10-07, on Thursdays at 1:45 a. is a TV station based in Tokyo, Japan. It is also known as, a Portmanteau of "terebi" and "Tokyo Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) m. Japan Standard Time (16:45 UTC Wednesdays). Japan Standard Time or JST (日本標準時 or 中央標準時 is the standard Timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC 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.

Contents 1 Characters and plot 1.1 Across 1.2 Department of City Security 1.3 Other characters 1.4 Notable differences 1.5 Storylines 2 Manga origins and source material 3 Anime adaptation 3.1 Development 3.2 Music 3.3 "Going Too Far" 4 International versions 5 Reception 6 Notes and references 7 External links

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. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series 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. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyūshū in Japan, across 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. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series is an adult-only Sentai dōjinshi by Rikudo Koshi, also the author of Excel Saga. The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd ^[11] While the manga and anime both principally revolve around this conflict, each medium features unique subplots. The manga is tightly tied to the main plot and explores 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. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series ^[12]

Across

Excel is the hyperactive protagonist and title character, who approaches her work with abundant determination, but little foresight. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series Her mission is to further Across' city conquest, but her personal desire is to win Ilpalazzo's affection and praise. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series 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. An oubliette (from the French oubliettes (noun plural was a form of Dungeon which was accessible only from a hatch in a high ceiling The running gag is an often amusing Joke or reference that appears repeatedly throughout a work or series of works 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. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series Despite this limitation, she soon becomes Ilpalazzo's favorite, but Hyatt seems unaware of his favor and holds her senior in high regard. and are an essential element of Japanese age-based status relationships similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age with even twins being divided 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.

Department of City Security

Paralleling Ilpalazzo's Across is Kabapu's Department of City Security. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series 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. The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd 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. An android is a Robot designed to resemble a human usually both in appearance and behavior Other associates of the Department are Kabapu's assistant Ms. Momochi, and the lolita complex-stricken Gojo Shioji, designer of the Ropponmatsus. also romanized as rorikon, is a Slang Portmanteau of the phrase "Lolita complex" This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series

Other characters

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. (born September 6, 1964) is a Japanese Anime director He is most well-known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi 's These two have the power to alter or "reset" the storyline, and Excel and others often appeal for them to do so. A deus ex machina ( lat. ˈdeːus eks ˈmaːkʰina literally "god from a/the machine" is an improbable 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. This list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series " 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.

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 Ilpalazzo'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 list contains the primary and notable secondary characters of Excel Saga, a Japanese Manga and Anime series 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.

Manga origins and source material

Rikudou notes that Excel Saga, the manga, developed from Municipal Force Daitenzin, a dojinshi he had started during his school days. is an adult-only Sentai dōjinshi by Rikudo Koshi, also the author of Excel Saga. are self-published Japanese works usually manga or novels They are often the work of amateurs though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular 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. The structure of Japan's labour market was experiencing gradual change in the late 1980s and was expected to continue this trend throughout the 1990s 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 as well is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of Flowers "flower" in this case almost always meaning, or.

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. refers to the Downtown area of Fukuoka City, Japan. It is located in Central ward. ^[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])

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. is a Fictional character created by Osamu Tezuka, introduced in Weekly Shōnen Champion on November 19, 1973. ^[19]

Anime adaptation

Development

According to Rikudou, Victor Entertainment solicited Shōnen Gahosha about adapting Excel Saga into an anime, and the two companies approached him. is a Japanese Publisher named for "Shonen Gaho" ("Boy's Illustrated News Magazine" one of its first magazines (if not the first the company ever published ^[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. (born September 6, 1964) is a Japanese Anime director He is most well-known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi 's (born 29 March, 1968, in Mie, Japan) is a Japanese Anime Screenwriter. 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. is a Japanese anime producer. Works 801 TTS Airbats (producer Aquarian Age Sign for Evolution (producer "^[27] Nevertheless, Watanabe made it a mission in doing Excel Saga "to find the borderline when things got too much" for TV Tokyo.

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. The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd also known as Ken the Great Bear Fist, is a Japanese Manga series that was originally serialized from 1983 to 1988 in the Japanese magazine Weekly is a well-known creator of several Anime and Manga series Space opera Matsumoto is famous for his Space operas such as Space Battleship This article is about the film for the video games see Aliens (Square computer game and Aliens (arcade game. is a Metaseries of English Anime, featuring tiny robots or " Kounans " created by Sunrise studios is the title of a Japanese Media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. 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. The Anime OVA a two-part Original video animation spin-off from the Excel Saga comic and TV Animation. abbreviated (and sometimes as OAV) is a term originating from Japanese animation ( Anime) for animated films and series which are made specially to be 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. Metafiction is a literary term for a type of Fiction that systematically and self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction including the relationship between fiction and 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. (born December 8, 1967) is a prolific Japanese Seiyū ( Voice actress) from Tokyo. is a very popular and prolific Seiyū ( Voice actor) Career According to the Anime News Network, as of April 2008 Koyasu is the most prolific better known by her stage name, is a popular Japanese voice actress. 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.

Music

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. is a Subsidiary of Japan Victor Company (JVC that produces and distributes music movies and other entertainment products such as Anime and television shows is a Japanese composer. He has composed and synthesised scores for several Japanese television shows and animated series 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. is a female Seiyū who was born in Yōkaichiba, Chiba Prefecture. is a Seiyū and J-pop singer born May 29, 1980 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. "^[9]

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.

"Going 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. Bolero is a name given to more than one type of Latin-American music and its associated dance and song 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. Graphic violence is the depiction of especially vivid brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as Literature, Film, Television Nudity is the state of wearing no Clothing. The term' "nudity" can also occasionally be used to refer to wearing significantly less clothing than expected A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women The term pedophilia or paedophilia has a range of definitions as found in Psychology, law enforcement and the popular vernacular A is a a type of Brothel in Japan where male clients can engage in sexual activity with female Prostitutes although officially the clubs do business as A is a type of short-stay hotel found in Japan operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy to have Sexual intercourse. 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 Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, usually referred to in the Japanese media as the, was an act of Domestic terrorism perpetrated by members of Aum 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. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Rapture TV was a previously Free-to-air Satellite television station (although now an exclusively online channel operated from the United Kingdom, It was also aired, in the show's regular 10 PM time-slot, by SIC Radical in Portugal. SIC Radical is a Cable television channel in Portugal owned by Sociedade Independente de Comunicação (SIC which also owns SIC Comédia Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. It was also aired on the 13th January in the show's regular 2 PM time slot on AXN's Zona Animax , also in Portugal, without any alterations in the animation. AXN is a pay-TV cable and satellite TV channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on September 21, 1998.

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. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Dynit SRL is one of the main Italian Manga and Anime publishers French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Viz Media LLC, headquartered in San Francisco California, is an Anime, Manga and Japanese Entertainment company founded in 1986 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 among of the 100 top-selling graphic novels on eight occasions. ^[31]

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. AD Vision (commonly referred to as ADV) is an American international Multimedia entertainment company based in Houston Texas, active Anime Network later broadcast the series in the former, and Rapture TV will air it beginning January 3, 2007 in the latter. The Anime Network, a subsidiary of AD Vision, Inc (parent company of ADV Films and Newtype USA) is a cable channel in North America Rapture TV was a previously Free-to-air Satellite television station (although now an exclusively online channel operated from the United Kingdom, Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 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. Jessica Lynn Calvello (born August 8, 1973) is an American voice actress primarily known for her anime voiceover work particularly with Larissa Wolcott is a Voice actress most known for her role as Excel from Excel Saga in episodes 14-26 when she replaced Jessica Calvello after Calvello The ADV release features interview transcripts, games, and "Vid-Notes" as commentary. It is distributed in Australia by Madman Entertainment. Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that specialises in the distribution of Japanese Anime and Manga in Australia and New ^[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. Canal+ ("Canal Plus" "C+" meaning "Channel Plus/More" in French is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984 "Going Too Far," titled "On dépasse les limites," aired on December 30, 2004, but at 1:00 a. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " m. out of content considerations. An Italian version starring Federica De Bortoli was produced by Dynit and shown on MTV Italy. MTV Italia, the Italian branch of MTV, is a national channel in 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. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The Portuguese version was by produced by Álamo and starred Letícia Quinto. Rebeca Aponte led in Estudios Lain's Spanish adaptation.

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. Anime News Network (ANN is an Anime industry News Website that reports on the status of Anime, Manga, Japanese popular Airplane! is a 1980 American Comedy film directed and written by David Zucker Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery ( February 26, 1908 &ndash August 26, 1980) was an American Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television " 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). (born August 24, 1960) is a highly prolific and controversial Japanese Filmmaker. Thornton Niven Wilder ( April 17, 1897 &ndash December 7, 1975) was an American Playwright and Novelist. Luigi Pirandello ( June 28, 1867 — December 10, 1936) was an Italian Dramatist Novelist, and short ^[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]}

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 displeased 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. Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese Caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way typically small and chubby with stubby limbs and ^[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. (born December 8, 1967) is a prolific Japanese Seiyū ( Voice actress) from Tokyo. ^[6][7][36] Pearce, in contrast, found the English cast to be "pretty bad" and its Excel to be "dental drill" shrill. ^[17]

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

External links

• Official Viz Media Excel Saga manga website
• Official Madman Entertainment Excel Saga anime website
• Excel Saga (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Excel Saga (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia

Anime News Network (ANN is an Anime industry News Website that reports on the status of Anime, Manga, Japanese popular Anime News Network (ANN is an Anime industry News Website that reports on the status of Anime, Manga, Japanese popular

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