Excel Saga volume 4: Doing WHATEVER It Takes!by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 9 Excel Saga is a crazy ride that doesn't let up till the whole things over — and then you just want to watch it again! Just whe you thought things couldn't get more complicated for Excel, Hyatt, and our favorite civil servants, director Shinichi Watanabe and his staffers throw in a robot girl (or is it two?) named Ropponmatsu in an attempt to boost ratings. Add to that, their creator with a serious Lolicom (Lolita Complex), and you get some great laughs. And of course, there's parodies galore, puns, and even a poke at us Americans.Somehow, I never got around to using the ADVNotes until this, the 4th, DVD — and I didn't think about using them until after watching the entire thing. So I went back and scanned through scenes, reading a few of the pop-up notes. I'm glad I watched it without the notes, but at the same time I can definitely see how they can provide a lot of insight ... especially with an anime like Excel Saga which has so many jokes hidden within it (not all of which are ones non-Japanese would readily get). However, if you are watching the dubbed version, some of these notes will not make as much sense as they would for the subbed. One episode on this DVD in particular comes to mind, where they speak English and end up going to America where they get in trouble for not being able to speak the language correctly. Since the dub is in English, it was changed to speaking a mixture of Spanish and slang — and while creative, I was a bit put off by it. It could all have been done in slang without the Spanish (as everyone uses some type of slang, but not everyone uses Spanish!). Yes, I'm being a bit picky, but it irked me that Excel and Hyatt get to America only to speak a mixture of Spanish phases and English slang. And since when does Pedro's son have that accent (when neither Perdro or his wife do)? Overall, the voice acting for the sub and dub were well done. Larissa Wolcott is the new voice of Excel in the dub, and while I could tell it was different, she did an excellent job of making that difference slight and keeping Excel as zany as always. There were not as many extras as the previous DVD, but the episodes themselves are more than enough to keep anyone amused for a couple of hours. Ilpalazzo demands you buy Excel Saga right now ... or you'll miss out on all the crazy fun! Written: April 27, 2003
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