Title: Excel Saga Volume 27
Writer: Rikdo Koshi
Publisher: Viz Media
U. S. Release Date: Jan 14th, 2014
Format: Manga / Paperback
Genre: Action, Parody, Sci Fi, Comedy
Age Rating: T+ for older teens
Overall Personal Rating: B
Synopsis:
Excel, who had seemed back to her old self, is now a stranger once more after making contact with something – or someone – beyond the forbidden portal. Will she be the captive in the end of a tragedy that happened so long ago? There is but one power that can prevail over all the mysteries of human knowledge: namely, the power of Excel’s ego. You didn’t think she’d ever forgotten about world conquest, did you?
Commentary:
The Final Volume of Excel Saga gives just what we expected from the strange quirky series that pokes fun at the world it lives in. Now that it has reached the end you would think it would become easier to understand and that the pacing would contain some regularity, but alas Excel Sage proved to all that it is a odd as ever and following along can be a genuine task.
As much fun as it is to see the finally come into full blossom for the superbly odd story I found it a little flat at times and wondered that maybe Rikido Koshi had begun to loose focus. These flat rather lackluster parts didn’t last ;ing but did find their way into the story more often thanI would have liked.
What I did appreciate was the way it was wrapped and the twist that just kept coming as we got there. The move at the end is not completely unexpected, but in many ways didn’t pull of the surprise I was looking for.
Overall Grade: B
As much as I enjoyed watching this bizarre tale come to an end I also felt a little let down by the lack of odd parody that flows through so much of the series. I realize that this plot line was developed from the very beginning, but the way this final volume obsessed on the out come felt a little unnatural for the series. With all of the other slow rather unimportant pacing throughout the rest of the volume I just came away a little disappointed. Don’t be discouraged, there are still plenty of twist and plot devices that seemingly make no sense that are trademark for the series and also keep it fresh enough to drag you kicking through the rest of the story. When there are so few manga that are just strange enough to be funny and funny enough to keep you coming back for more, Excel Saga stands out among them as one of the best. All I can really say is that if this is world conquest bring it on. It is still a crazy story and I know that all the Excel Saga fan out there will be happy with the book, but sad to see it go.
