[Review] Excel Saga

One of the nicer aspects of anime is its ability to poke fun at itself.
From Otaku No Video to Project A-ko, anime has had those titles that take
the best and the worst of itself and turn them all into something totally
hilarious.

Another title that does this is Excel Saga. Each episode takes a different
aspect, including a plot to assasinate its creator, and totally screws it
up in the name of ACROSS, an "organisation" bent on city-wide (and
eventually world) conquest. The series, based on a manga of the same name
and modus operandii, centres on three specific groups. First of all, there
is ACROSS - this consists of the title chara, Excel, a wastefully
energetic young lady who is hopelessly besotted with the group leader,
Ilpallazzo. A third member of the group joins a couple of episodes in,
that being the mysterious Hyatt, who has a rather disturbing habit of
dying on a regular (and often bloody) basis. Her bloody antics in the
"Pedro the Movie" flashback episode have to be seen to be believed!

Then we have the saga of Pedro, an immigrant worker who dies in the first
episode and then goes through much to get back his son and his sexy wife
from "That Man". Then we have Excel's neighbours who eventually end up
working for the civil service under Kabapu, the man with the detachable
moustache. Added to these are the Will of the Macrocosm - a strange
feminine creature that can reset the storyline but who falls for Pedro,
Ropponmatsu 1 & 2 - two odd androids and Menchi, a dog that just happens
to be Excel's emergency food supply!

Nobody is safe from the lampooning of Excel Saga, be it Sailor Moon, Fist
of the North Star or... dare I say it... Mickey Mouse! A few jokes are
likely to be obscure for anyone that missed out on the classics, but it
has enough to sustain anyone that wants to see anime satire at its best.
If you want serious anime, go somewhere else! Mitsuo, menda, naha naha!

--
//\ // Chika <miyuki><at><crashnet><org><uk>
// \// Mitsuo... Menda... naha naha...

.... If I save the whales, where do I keep them?

Chika wrote:[color=blue]
> One of the nicer aspects of anime is its ability to poke fun at itself.
> From Otaku No Video to Project A-ko, anime has had those titles that take
> the best and the worst of itself and turn them all into something totally
> hilarious.
>
> Another title that does this is Excel Saga. Each episode takes a different
> aspect, including a plot to assasinate its creator, and totally screws it
> up in the name of ACROSS, an "organisation" bent on city-wide (and
> eventually world) conquest. The series, based on a manga of the same name
> and modus operandii, centres on three specific groups. First of all, there
> is ACROSS - this consists of the title chara, Excel, a wastefully
> energetic young lady who is hopelessly besotted with the group leader,
> Ilpallazzo. A third member of the group joins a couple of episodes in,
> that being the mysterious Hyatt, who has a rather disturbing habit of
> dying on a regular (and often bloody) basis. Her bloody antics in the
> "Pedro the Movie" flashback episode have to be seen to be believed!
>
> Then we have the saga of Pedro, an immigrant worker who dies in the first
> episode and then goes through much to get back his son and his sexy wife
> from "That Man". Then we have Excel's neighbours who eventually end up
> working for the civil service under Kabapu, the man with the detachable
> moustache. Added to these are the Will of the Macrocosm - a strange
> feminine creature that can reset the storyline but who falls for Pedro,
> Ropponmatsu 1 & 2 - two odd androids and Menchi, a dog that just happens
> to be Excel's emergency food supply!
>
> Nobody is safe from the lampooning of Excel Saga, be it Sailor Moon, Fist
> of the North Star or... dare I say it... Mickey Mouse! A few jokes are
> likely to be obscure for anyone that missed out on the classics, but it
> has enough to sustain anyone that wants to see anime satire at its best.
> If you want serious anime, go somewhere else! Mitsuo, menda, naha naha!
>[/color]

One of my nieces who is staying with us borrowed my Excel set
to watch. She loved it (as I suspected she would), but MAN
does Excel's English VA use an annoying voice for her (I'm
saying this, having lived through the dreaded voice of
Japanese C-ko Kotobuki! ^_^). Made me wanna pull my ears off!

On Aug 18, 9:14 pm, Relic <relic1...@ameritech.net> wrote:[color=blue]
> Chika wrote:[color=green]
> > One of the nicer aspects of anime is its ability to poke fun at itself.
> > From Otaku No Video to Project A-ko, anime has had those titles that take
> > the best and the worst of itself and turn them all into something totally
> > hilarious.[/color]
>[color=green]
> > Another title that does this is Excel Saga. Each episode takes a different
> > aspect, including a plot to assasinate its creator, and totally screws it
> > up in the name of ACROSS, an "organisation" bent on city-wide (and
> > eventually world) conquest. The series, based on a manga of the same name
> > and modus operandii, centres on three specific groups. First of all, there
> > is ACROSS - this consists of the title chara, Excel, a wastefully
> > energetic young lady who is hopelessly besotted with the group leader,
> > Ilpallazzo. A third member of the group joins a couple of episodes in,
> > that being the mysterious Hyatt, who has a rather disturbing habit of
> > dying on a regular (and often bloody) basis. Her bloody antics in the
> > "Pedro the Movie" flashback episode have to be seen to be believed![/color]
>[color=green]
> > Then we have the saga of Pedro, an immigrant worker who dies in the first
> > episode and then goes through much to get back his son and his sexy wife
> > from "That Man". Then we have Excel's neighbours who eventually end up
> > working for the civil service under Kabapu, the man with the detachable
> > moustache. Added to these are the Will of the Macrocosm - a strange
> > feminine creature that can reset the storyline but who falls for Pedro,
> > Ropponmatsu 1 & 2 - two odd androids and Menchi, a dog that just happens
> > to be Excel's emergency food supply![/color]
>[color=green]
> > Nobody is safe from the lampooning of Excel Saga, be it Sailor Moon, Fist
> > of the North Star or... dare I say it... Mickey Mouse! A few jokes are
> > likely to be obscure for anyone that missed out on the classics, but it
> > has enough to sustain anyone that wants to see anime satire at its best.
> > If you want serious anime, go somewhere else! Mitsuo, menda, naha naha![/color]
>
> One of my nieces who is staying with us borrowed my Excel set
> to watch. She loved it (as I suspected she would), but MAN
> does Excel's English VA use an annoying voice for her (I'm
> saying this, having lived through the dreaded voice of
> Japanese C-ko Kotobuki! ^_^). Made me wanna pull my ears off![/color]

I found I enjoyed the manga more myself, and perhaps because I kinda
wish Excel was more that way, at least give her a slightly deeper
voice.

In article <P0qqk.19662$89.5570@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com>, Relic
<relic1980@ameritech.net> wrote:[color=blue]
> One of my nieces who is staying with us borrowed my Excel set to watch.
> She loved it (as I suspected she would), but MAN does Excel's English VA
> use an annoying voice for her (I'm saying this, having lived through the
> dreaded voice of Japanese C-ko Kotobuki! ^_^). Made me wanna pull my
> ears off![/color]

I think that was one reason why, after sampling the delights of the dub at
one point, I decided to change over to the sub/original language version.
Excel's voice can become grating on occasion, even when listened to that
way, but it does demonstrate how casting can be a prime concern, both when
initially dubbing on the original and when dubbing the foreign language
version.

As for C-ko, I feel your pain! ^_^

--
//\ // Chika <miyuki><at><crashnet><org><uk>
// \// Mitsuo... Menda... naha naha...

.... Claravoiant meeting canceled due to unforseen events.

In article
<f993b3f5-6eb6-4411-b9b6-42ea3a1b7e01@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>,
Chris Sobieniak <Sobieniak@gmail.com> wrote:[color=blue][color=green]
> > One of my nieces who is staying with us borrowed my Excel set
> > to watch. She loved it (as I suspected she would), but MAN
> > does Excel's English VA use an annoying voice for her (I'm
> > saying this, having lived through the dreaded voice of
> > Japanese C-ko Kotobuki! ^_^). Made me wanna pull my ears off![/color][/color]
[color=blue]
> I found I enjoyed the manga more myself, and perhaps because I kinda
> wish Excel was more that way, at least give her a slightly deeper
> voice.[/color]

I never read the manga of this one, though the anime does make a few
references to it through its run, not to mention some of the other stuff
done by the same author. As for making the voice deeper, I think they are
restricted to what would suit the chara more, especially when compared
with Hatchan. I think she is actually *meant* to be annoying!

--
//\ // Chika <miyuki><at><crashnet><org><uk>
// \// Mitsuo... Menda... naha naha...

.... DANGER! DANGER! Computer Store Ahead, Hide Wallet.

On Aug 20, 9:29*am, Chika <miy...@spam-no-way.invalid> wrote:[color=blue]
> In article <P0qqk.19662$89.5...@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com>, Relic
>
> <relic1...@ameritech.net> wrote:[color=green]
> > One of my nieces who is staying with us borrowed my Excel set to watch.
> > She loved it (as I suspected she would), but MAN does Excel's English VA
> > use an annoying voice for her (I'm saying this, having lived through the
> > dreaded voice of Japanese C-ko Kotobuki! ^_^). Made me wanna pull my
> > ears off![/color]
>
> I think that was one reason why, after sampling the delights of the dub at
> one point, I decided to change over to the sub/original language version.
> Excel's voice can become grating on occasion, even when listened to that
> way, but it does demonstrate how casting can be a prime concern, both when
> initially dubbing on the original and when dubbing the foreign language
> version.[/color]

Did you know that the original dub actress for Excel, Jessica
Calvello, actually damaged her vocal cords during the production of
Vol. 4 and had to be replaced by Larissa Walcott? I don't know who
directed her to scream out her dialogue (Kotono Misuishi's original
voice rapid-fired, but rarely raised above a certain level), but man,
were they ever stupid to allow that to happen.
[color=blue]
> As for C-ko, I feel your pain! ^_^[/color]

Her voice was pretty irritating, but didn't cross the threshold of
pain until she started crying.

All a matter of direction. I mean, Maria Yamamoto's voice as Nanako
in Amazing Nurse Nanako was pretty grating, bu when you listened to
her sing the ED theme (or the ED theme of NieA_7), you got to hear
just how beautiful her voice really is.

Watson.