Excel Saga DVD Box Set

In the bustling City of Fukuoka, the secret ideological organization ACROSS prepares for world domination, starting with the immediate conquest of the city itself. At the center of this ambitious plan is Excel, a hyper-active and intensely loyal young woman whose devotion to the group’s enigmatic leader, Lord Ilpalazzo, knows no bounds. Alongside her perpetually dying partner Hyatt and their "emergency food supply" Menchi the dog, Excel must navigate a series of increasingly absurd missions that frequently devolve into chaotic parodies of every imaginable genre. From space operas and romantic comedies to gritty urban dramas, no trope is safe from Excel’s relentless, high-speed energy.

Excel Saga is a legendary "quack experimental animation" that serves as the ultimate love letter—and wrecking ball—to anime culture. Directed by the eccentric Shinichi "Nabeshin" Watanabe, the series is a frantic, non-linear masterpiece of satire that broke new ground in the late 90s. It is a show that thrives on its own instability, shifting art styles and narrative tones with reckless abandon while maintaining a sharp, self-aware wit. Between the Fourth Wall-breaking cameos of original creator Koshi Rikdo and the infamous "forbidden" final episode, the series explores the absurdity of the human condition and the sheer joy of creative anarchy. It is a landmark of the comedy genre, proving that sometimes the best way to understand the world is to watch it descend into total, hilarious madness.

This "Perfect Collection" from ADV Films gathers all the frantic energy of the original series into a definitive home video experience. It is a collection that invites you to leave logic at the door and embrace the chaos, offering a nostalgic look back at one of the most unique and unhinged productions in the history of the medium.

Notable Staff & Voice Talent Director: Shinichi "Nabeshin" Watanabe (The Wallflower, Puni Puni Poemy)
Series Composition: Hideyuki Kurata (Read or Die, Made in Abyss)
Studio: J.C. Staff
Music: Toshiro Masuda (Naruto, Ai Yori Aoishi)

Cast:
• Jessica Calvello / Larissa Wolcott as Excel
• Monica Rial as Hyatt
• Jason Douglas as Lord Ilpalazzo
• Hilary Haag as Menchi
• Brett Weaver as Nabeshin

DVD Features
• Behind the Scenes with the English Cast
• Cultural & Production Notes (ADV Vid-Notes)
• Clean Opening & Ending
• Original Japanese Promos & Commercials
• "Going Too Far" (The Infamous Final Episode)

Spoken Languages: Japanese & English Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details
Japanese Title: エクセル・サーガ (Ekuseru Sāga)
Runtime: ~650 Minutes
Director: Shinichi Watanabe
DVD Release Year: 2004 (The Imperfect Collection) / 2006 (Complete Collection)
Original Air Date (Japan): 1999
Publisher: ADV Films
Rating: TV-MA (Mature Themes, Slapstick Violence)
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Parody, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Themes: World Domination, Satire, Absurdism, Pop Culture

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.