Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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53 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Greatest anime ever!, June 24, 2004
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!
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The anime's superb, but..., July 20, 2004
Suffice to say that *Excel Saga* is one of the funniest anime series I've seen. Even though I don't get half of the obscure references, and I don't get any of Excel-kun's puns (I don't speak Japanese), this series is a laugh riot. The fact that you can get such a great spoof anime in an attractive boxed set makes this a steal even for what Amazon is currently asking.
However, it's ADV's presentation that's on trial here: It's okay. The subtitles are a bit stiff. If you like the English dub, the voice for Excel changes halfway through the series: the first voice is awful - like a yipping dog's. The second is better, but neither is quite up to the *real* voice of Excel. And don't get me started on the dubbed Ilpalazzo! If you want to get a deeper understanding of the references made throughout the series, use the ADV notes feature: they're quite good, but so numerous that they often take up the entire screen.
The single most annoying feature of the first three or four disks is the layout of the DVD menus: they're complicated, unorthodox unintuitive and at times damned annoying.
All in all, though, ADV did a decent job with this set. It's definitely worth the money.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Anime--Great Price, July 22, 2004
I am so mad Excel Saga only recently became a box-set!! I had to buy all the DVDS separately, making a HUGE dent in my wallet. The anime Excel Saga is absolutely hilarious and nonsensical! So if you're only into more mature and serious animes, you definately should NOT get this!!
About the anime, when you first watch it, don't worry if you're confused or don't understand what Excel or some of the characters are saying, your ears will get adjusted to the way they talk. Oh, and here's a little note about why Excel says the crazy things she says: The original Japanese version had Excel rhyme whatever she said, but when translated, the rhyming was lost and only the nonsensical part was left. I recommend that, when you finish watching a DVD, you should watch it again with the VID notes on in order to comprehend all the jokes. Also, you may want to watch the anime with subtitles on, you'll catch things you could not hear fast enough before.
This is a great price for a great anime---only $78 for 6 DVDS... I wish I never bought the Excel Saga DVDs and purchased the box set instead!
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