Excel Saga:I'm Perfect Collection

Rating:
Summary: The crown jewel of gag anime
Review: This is one of those shows where multiple viewings comes in handy, because the gags come at such a frenetic pace that it's easy to miss them the first time around, not to mention the vast number of gags which are based on cultural or fandom references. It definitely helps if you've done your homework, that is, if you have bothered yourself to know something about certain classic anime shows, computer games, and Japanese culture in general. In-jokes abound, and readers of the manga will have a definite leg-up on those who are going into it fresh, a fact acknowledged even by the series' title character, the blithely hyperactive Excel. Even if you are thoroughly familiar with the manga, watch the anime anyhow, because the animators stuffed more material and gags into every spare frame they could, until the result threatens to burst your TV screen and spill out all over the room. Now THAT'S entertainment!

Even without such knowledge, Excel Saga is still highly entertaining, although some of the gags are really suited for more mature audiences. If you enjoy gag anime (examples that leap to mind include "Dragon Half", "Otaku no Video", "Super Deformed Double Feature", "The Ultimate Teacher", and "Elf Princess Rane") then you will undoubtedly laugh yourself into a near fit watching "Excel Saga".

Rating:
Summary: Greatest anime ever!
Review: Words cannot express my gratitude to ADV films for bringing us such a great series! This is simply anime at its coolest, funniest, and most insane. Every episode is legendary and you simply must own them all. The story revolves around an insane girl ("First name, Excel, last name, Excel, or just Excel for short") and her constantly-on-the-verge-of-death partner in crime, the impossibly meek Hyatt, as they seek to help the megolomaniacal (and often bored) Lord Illpilazzo take over the city. He sees the world as corrupt and plans to take it all over, but taking over the world is as he says, "for imbeciles who can only grasp the most general of concepts" so he's settling for just one city for now. So he basically just sends his girls on bizarre missions hither and thither to create general mischief. This story line (or lack thereof) is so hilarious it could carry the sereis unaided, but wait there's more! Such as Excel's next-door neighbors who fight loudly amongst each other at all hours over such things as money, food, and porn magazines. They all join a public service job under another insane character who attempts to make them into a crime-fighting group. Then there's Pedro, who is killed in an Excel-related accident in the first episode and now wanders the earth as a ghost and undergoes torture after torture throughout the entire series while we all laugh. And, of course, there's Nabeshin, the director's afro-sporting alter-ego "whose sense of self-promotion seeks to straddle the world" as he bursts unannounced into every storyline for no apparent reason other than the fact that he can because he's the director. In fact, the whole staff is in on the joke and the writers, original manga author, and even the singers of the theme song all get in on the action. This may all sound insane and confusing, but trust me, I've barely scratched the surface. Anime satire, parody, and truly disturbing comedy is the name of the game in this show which I can only describe as Japan's answer to shows like "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy". No genre is left untouched; American and Japanese pop culture alike are targetted for ridicule. Not to mention the too many movies and animes to list that are singled out and parodied including Power Rangers, Jaws,Fist of the North Star,Aliens and whatever your favorite anime or movie is, all are brutalized equally. If any of this perks your interest, you really must buy this set. I can't imagine any anime fan with a sense of humor and a cynical outlook on life not enjoying this series. The episodes can be (nay, MUST BE) watched again and again, in Japanese and English, and you will still catch some new joke every time you watch them. In fact, to get every single joke and reference you'll almost certainly have to go through some scenes frame-by-frame (it's a labor of love). Alright, I'll let you go now so you can buy the damn boxed set already!