"Heppoko jikken animêshon excel saga" (1999) TV series 1999-2000

Director:

Shinichi Watanabe

Writers:

Hideyuki Kurata (writer)
Yôsuke Kuroda (writer)

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

This is one crack team of special agents that might be doing better if they actually were on crack. [Region 1 DVD #2]

Plot:

Ilpalazzo wants one thing: to rule world so he can better it. Excel just wants to help. Too bad she sucks at her job.

Plot Keywords:

World Domination | Fictional City | Fantasy Sequence | Breaking The Fourth Wall | Obscene Finger Gesture

Cast

Rebeca Aponte	...	Excel (26 episodes, 1999-2001)
Ledner Belisario	...	Koshi Rikdo (26 episodes, 1999-2001)
Carmelo Fernández	...	Pedro (26 episodes, 1999-2001)
Maythe Guedes	...	Hyatt (25 episodes, 1999-2001)
Lileana Chacón	...	Menchi (25 episodes, 1999-2000)
Manuel Bastos	...	Il Palazzo (24 episodes, 1999-2001)
Eder La Barrera	...	Additional Voices / ... (24 episodes, 1999-2000)
Takehito Koyasu	...	Il Palazzo (23 episodes, 1999-2000)
Juan Guzmán	...	Nabeshin (23 episodes, 1999-2001)
Jason Douglas	...	Il Palazzo (23 episodes, 1999-2000)
Jhaidy Barboza	...	Cossete Sara / ... (21 episodes, 1999-2001)
Maite Bolívar	...	Great Will of Macrocossm (20 episodes, 1999-2001)
Héctor Indriago	...	Watanabe (19 episodes, 1999-2001)
Rubén León	...	Aquel Hombre (16 episodes, 1999-2001)
Ezequiel Serrano	...	Iwata (16 episodes, 1999-2000)
Guillermo Martínez	...	Kabapu (15 episodes, 1999-2000)
José Manuel Vieira	...	Sumiyoshi (15 episodes, 1999-2000)
Nahir Borges	...	Sexy Wife (12 episodes, 1999-2001)
Melanie Henriquez	...	Misaki Matsuya (12 episodes, 1999-2000)

Also Known As:

Excel Saga (USA)
Excel saga (Japan) (short title)
Quack Experimental Anime Excel Saga (International: English title)

Runtime:

Japan:30 min (26 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | Spain:15 (one episode) | Australia:PG | Spain:13 | UK:12 (some episodes) | UK:15 (some episodes)

Company:

J.C. Staff

Trivia:

According to an interview with Shinichi Watanabe in Newtype USA, the end theme, in which the dog Menchi barks the song into a microphone, was recorded with voice actress Satomi Koorogi kneeling on the floor like a dog, with the microphone lowered to her level.

Quotes:

[Hyatt has died again]
Excel: Hyatt, if you continue to so cavalierly play with the definition of death, they're gonna dissect you for real one of these days!

Movie Connections:

Spin off Puni puni poemi (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ai (Chûseishin)

Now presenting the most insane anime in existence!

I bought the first Excel Saga DVD based on the rather humorous description on the back of the package ("Contents may be hazardous to your sanity"). What I discovered was the first five episodes of the most insane, most hilarious, and most enjoyable anime series of all time! A wonderful parody of all things anime and a good number of Western movies, everybody and everything is a satire of something.

This is the story of Excel, the typical over-exuberant, love-sick teenage girl who is employed by Ilpalazzo, the typical enigmatic, white-haired villain and the object of Excel's affection. Together they are the secret ideological organization ACROSS, bent on taking over the world, but starting in the place where global takeovers always do in anime: urban Japan. They are soon joined by Hyatt, the typical overly-feminine, overly-frail, beautiful anime girl, always falling over from some ailment or another.

Other characters include Excel's neighbors (three jobless, lecherous ronin), Nabeshin (the everpresent action hero with a wicked afro), Pedro (a dead immigrant worker who keeps seeing visions of his family), the puuchuu (dangerously cute aliens intent on taking over the galaxy with futon beaters), and Menchi, Excel's dog/emergency food supply.

Excel Saga has a madcap, anarchic energy that is sure to cause vast amounts of head-scratching and laughter, usually at the same time. Multiple viewing is recommended to catch all the gags, especially since on the Reigon 1 DVDs, you can enable a "pop-up video" type of commentary that explains jokes specific to the Japanese dialogue.

Excel Saga is not for everyone, however. Casual anime viewers (i. e., those who aren't die-hard fanboys) won't get many of the jokes, and many people have expressed dismay over Menchi, who is in a constant state of being THIS CLOSE to being eaten by the ever-hungry Excel. In fact, the closing theme (which is one of the funniest parts of the series), features Menchi singing a mournful ballad in dog speak (translated by a woman in the corner), begging Excel not to eat him even as she sprinkles spices on him.

However, if you don't mind being subjected to what may be the funniest anime series of all time, I STRONGLY recommend that you watch this show!