GOODBYE WITH A WHIMPER
(4 of 7 Found this Helpful)
September 13, 2004
Volume 6 of Excel Saga. I wish I could say I was sorry that the series ended. Actually, I'm glad to be done with it. I don't think I've laughed at an episode since the end of Volume 3. The jokes just seemed humorless to me by the end of it. It got old. Or let me put it another way. It got boring. A series of this style should've never been given 26 episodes.
After being caught in the middle of a Puchuu civil war in episode 22, F City is left destroyed in a post-apocalyptic state. Lord Illpalazzo, seizing the moment of the city's weakness and the absence of the always bungling Excel, makes his move. He finally gains his goal, that of ruling the city, but finds that his insatiable appetite to conquer is not satiated. Meanwhile, an amnesiac Excel wanders the wasteland while the Daitenzen squad tries to board the ACROSS battleship for a final battle.
Episode 26 is an extra episode that was never shown on TV. For good reason. We have everything from Menchi excreting waste to Hyatt coughing billows of blood. A lot of nudity and sexual graphicness, some of a child molestation taste. Some people might find it offensive, but I saw it as a weak attempt to shock an audience out of the boredom they had to live through to get to episode 26. It had energy if nothing else.
All in all, I would recommend the first 3 volumes of this series, nothing more. I would more likely favor the manga series which is ongoing to the anime. It has a lot more balance and roughness to it, and doesn't try to parody anime genres every week. It also lacks the intrusive presence of the director of the anime inserting himself as a character. It's actually funnier than the anime. While Excel Saga started off with lots of energy, there was no way you could keep on sustaining that madcap level of humor for so long.
Best of the bunch.
(6 of 6 Found this Helpful)
April 1, 2004
The end is finally here and we have reached the final volume of the classic Excel Saga and the show in true Quack Anime fasion goes out with a totally insane bang.
EP22 (A-): The Puchuu's are back with a vengence and the only thing standing between them and World domination (and Armaggedaboom for F City) is Excel and a band of rebel Puchuu warriors
Great episode with some good parodys and a great ending.
EP23 (A+): F City is totally devastated and has become an apocolyptic warzone where only the strong survive, a wandering excel takes on an evil biker gang while continuing Her search for Lord Ilpalazzo only to make a devastating descovery.
This episode is awesome simply for the amazing ending, who would have ever thought that Excel Saga could be emotional.
EP24 (A+): Left for dead Excel awakens with no memory under the care of Watanabe and co., Kabapu deicides it is time to fight back against the mighty forces of ACROSS and sends the Daitenzin's back into action meanwhile Pedro and Nabeshin begin their final battle with That Man.
Another awesome episode which has much less humor then any other episode in the series (almost none actually) and pulls it off superbly.
EP25 (A): In the epic final battle for F City the Daitenzin's go head to head with ACROSS and its forces and eventually Lord Ilpalazzon Himself in the ultimate battle of good against evil (by Excel Saga standards anyway lol), meanwile the stakes are even higher as Pedro goes head to head with That Man but not only are His Sexy Wife and The Will at stake but also the fate of the Universe all while Excel continues Her journey of self discovery.
The true final episode and a great finale to the series.
EP26 (A-): A special never before seen episode which goes into over drive and will probably offend pretty much everybody.
This episode is deffinatly a must see for "older" fans but not for younger viewers, has to be seen to be believed.
Overall score A+
Oh man...
(3 of 6 Found this Helpful)
January 15, 2004
I personally loved the entire Excel Saga series. Some episodes were better than others on this DVD, but Ep 24 & 25 really stood out on this disc. Great and funny stuff, fantastic spoofs on some of the more popular anime.
HOWEVER!
There are times in some anime series where I wish an edited version existed. The last episode of Excel Saga is definetely one of these. NOT FOR KIDS SHOULD PROBABLY READ NOT FOR ANYBODY. I will not buy this DVD unless I can get it without Episode 26. It really threw this over all great series into the mud.
I Wasn't Going to Review This Voulme...
(6 of 7 Found this Helpful)
July 18, 2003
...as I thought that my review of the first volume pretty much summed up my thoughts on the series.
HOWEVER; as the sixth volume differs from the rest of the series in a few ways I felt compelled to speak up.
First, this volume is definately NOT for kids. I say this because I let my kids watch some of the episodes on the other discs which, while sprinkled with a little light foul language, are no more or less violent than most Toonami shows.
But this is Quack Experimental Anime's swan song (as it were), so they pulled out all the stops for the final episodes. That means there is gratuitious violence and blood, nudity, simulated sexual situations, really foul language and borderline pedophilia. Boy, those Japanese have some real relationship issues. Even I was uncomfortable watching this one, because even though the girl turns out to be a very short woman the scientist doesn't know that until she reveals it - and herself - at which point his interest in a relationship with her wanes.
But the rest is typical Excel: Menchi finally gets to turn the tables on the humans in the end, Mr. Pedro and Afro Guy save the day, and Excel and Ilpallazo look like they finally might let thier feelings towards each other come out.
I can't give it 5 stars because of the one wierd scene, but I found the rest of the disc great as usual.
Going out with a bang.
(15 of 16 Found this Helpful)
April 16, 2003
The last disc of Excel Saga is by far the best in terms of both generic comedy and dead-on parodies. There is no limit to what this show can accomplish.
Episode 22 (A+): Excel and Hyatt go on a mission with a bunch of PuuChuus to finally destroy F-City. Lots of parodies here.
Parodies: Space Battleship Yamato, Harlock Saga, Queen Emerledas, Mobile Suit Gundam The Movie 3, Power Rangers.
Episode 23 (A-): After destroying F-City, the inhabitants of that area are now in a violent post-apocalyptic war zone. And Excel has been seperated from ACROSS.
Parodies: Fist of the North Star, Digi Charrot, Sailor Moon.
Episode 24 (C+): I only hate this episode because there are 96% less gags in this episode. Ultra serious plot was too much for me.
Parodies: Evangelion, DBZ, Power Rangers.
Episode 25 (B): Slightly better than the last episode, but still a pretty serious one. About 50% less gags.
Parodies: King of Fighters, Giant Robo, Power Rangers, DBZ.
Episode 26 (A+++): Without a doubt the most insane episode in both Excel Saga and anime in general. Since this was an episode not shown on Japanese television, it's anything goes. Completely insane. More violence, more adult situations and more hilarious stuff thats too hot for TV.
Parodies: Black Jack, Lupin The Third, Speed Racer, Getter Robo, Victor Animation.
Overall, both the first and last episodes on this disc are worth the price. I never seen anything so bizzare and I probably won't see anything else that can top it. With sci-fi parodies, ultra violence, cute characters, illegal situations, giant mecha and enough content to be offensive to anyone, Excel Saga has it all. Highly recommended.
