Antidramatization in Excel Saga

[stdio.h]

Let me start by acknowledging that Excel Saga is not a very serious anime.

Good.

This anime's plot is, in theory, a very serious one. Rebels of the goverment dislike the way the world has progressed, and want to shape the world into a more healthy existance. Current authorities have other plans...

Leave it to Excel Saga to make such a serious concept so silly. But it is not the jokes or references or parodies that make the anime so less dramatic (in my opinion.) I believe it is due to reasons such as the following.

Excel and Hyatt (and Menchi) serve as "servants" of Il Palazzo (however you spell his name :D ). They all represent the rebels of society. The goverment oficial (who I know has some name I can't remember) who hires the three idiots, and one or two others (as far as I've seen in the anime) represent the side of defending the world from sudden change. Why is it that the two parties live next door? There are some obvious reasons...but this doesn't exactly add to the suspense. Also, there is a relationship developing (remember, my timeline is all revolving around the US DVD releases and I haven't even bought #4 yet) between Hyatt and the guy with the, uh, long hair (okay I suck at names.) This has a similar effect to the closeness of the opposing parties' dwellings.

This is where my idea of antidramatization comes in. The only real explanations I can think of why this is happening are either because the creators of Excel Saga don't give a crap about that kind of stuff (hym...I wonder what Nabeshin's opinion would be) or because the antidramatization is serving as a parody in and of itself. The evil party and justice enforcing parties battle by day, and argue over sound pollution by night. I guess this isn't unprecedented, but unique as far as I know to anime.

[stdio.h]

Don't all jump in at once!

[Harbinger]

well i think it adds another strange group dynamic for the character having them live tobgather.

i guess thats what your asking right? cos i have no idea what your talking about, cos it doesnt sound like a question to me.

[stdio.h]

Originally posted by Harbinger
it doesnt sound like a question to me.

hymm.....not all conversations begin with questions (and that is very fortunate mind you! :lol: )

I think all I want is to see if people share the opinions with me or if they have their own view. One explanation for the lack of replies may be that no one has an opinion either contradictory or agreeable on the subject.

[Harbinger]

well i agree with everythign else pretty much.

but i enjoyed how all their work mates and enemies ended up moving into the smae flat pretty much.plus the fact none of them realised that it was their enemy living next door :D

[stdio.h]

Well after the third DVD I am curious as to when Excel and crew will discover their enemy lives next door.

[Harbinger]

just you wait and see how much more strange it gets before the end fo the series :D

[Timon]

I think the antidramatization comes in that we never really get very involved with the characters themselves, that is, none of them are ever explored very deeply.

The characters are just there and you're just watching and whenever something serious happens it's usually just a parody so you realise you can't take it seriously and don't.

You don't really connect with the characters, explore deep down into their motivations and flaws and pains. The characters themselves don't even seem to care about anything pretty much. The 3 guys don't seem exactly passionate about defending the city but are in the job for other reasons. Excel and Hyatt seem more concerned about pleasing Il Palazzo than realising the dreams of their ideal society.

Eventhough the ideas behind the series may be serious, they're presented in such a way that you can't very well care about them.

[stdio.h]

Originally posted by Timon
I think the antidramatization comes in that we never really get very involved with the characters themselves, that is, none of them are ever explored very deeply.


Definitely true. My original explanation for the cause of antidramatization in Excel Saga is obviously just one of many reasons.

Originally posted by Timon

The characters are just there and you're just watching and whenever something serious happens it's usually just a parody so you realise you can't take it seriously and don't.

AND
Originally posted by stdio.h

But it is not the jokes or references or parodies that make the anime so less dramatic (in my opinion.)


Okay I take back what I said before about the parody because it is now classified as one of the many factors leading to antidramatization :lol:

Originally posted by Timon

You don't really connect with the characters, explore deep down into their motivations and flaws and pains. The characters themselves don't even seem to care about anything pretty much. The 3 guys don't seem exactly passionate about defending the city but are in the job for other reasons. Excel and Hyatt seem more concerned about pleasing Il Palazzo than realising the dreams of their ideal society.


A lot of essential information is exceedingly absent, now that you mention it. It didn't occur to me just how much the viewer should know but doesn't because it just isn't necessary.

Originally posted by Timon

Even though the ideas behind the series may be serious, they're presented in such a way that you can't very well care about them.

It would seem that the creators have sent a message to the viewers not to care about the characters or plot. SPOILER: For example, I wasn't all that worried when Menchi got shot. Just about the only time I got attached to a character was in the first episode where the viewers had no reason to feel apathetic yet. I remember worrying that Pedro wouldn't make it. And he didn't, yet it has just turned into more of the humor of Excel Saga.

[stdio.h]

Originally posted by stdio.h
Well after the third DVD I am curious as to when Excel and crew will discover their enemy lives next door.

After thinking about it I decided they probably never will become aware of anything as significant as that. Well if I want to find out I better go buy the next dvd...*pulls lint out of pockets

[stdio.h]

Well I finished the series and nope...they never find out.

Talk about bringing up old threads :D

[Wolfpac]

Well of course Excel is anti-dramatic. The whole show is a massive laugh fest. I don't think it takes anything serious. Even if the ideas are serious, it's just a comedy. Yes Ilpalazzo and ACROSS wanting to take over the current government could be seen as serious, but that's as far as it goes. I’m pretty sure that I read that the reason that Excel was made was to make Japan laugh at itself. You see, the Japan you see in Excel was close to the Japan at the time. With High Unemployment and stuff. So Excel was made to show the Japanese people that life wasn't as bad as it seemed. So if the show even parodies its own country then it's safe to say that it has no drama to it (Well there was that "no jokes" episode but that another issue).

[stdio.h]

And the no-jokes episode wasn't actually completely joke-free.