Excel Saga Volume 1, Mission 6: The Untreatable Unbeknownst Disease by Rikdo Koshi

Originally published 1997 by Shonengahosha Co.. Ltd; this edition July 2003, September 2003 printing

Publisher: Viz

PG

(D, V, L)

Drug References {G}

Cartoon Violence {G} {Excel being dropped down the trap-door again}

Coarse Language {PG} {nothing stronger than 'bastard'}

Representations

Gender:

Excel and Hyatt continue to talk to each other. Male characters balanced out with Sumiyoshi and Watanabe and, of course, Il Palazzo.

Sex:

No role in this piece

Race & Ethnicity:

As per usual, an all-Japanese affair.

Disability, Physical Diversity and Health:

Plot revolves around Hyatt and Watanabe each being sick and bedridden. By this point, Excel is making jokes about Hyatt's close relationship with death.

Notes

Felt like the series is getting its feet here. Maybe because this is the first chapter without any character introductions, so we can focus on the humour: Hyatt, whose existence is as precarious as ever, Il Palazzo's capricious callousness, Excel's insecurity about her favour with Il Palazzo, and suspicion of everything outside ACROSS, plus Watanabe's suffering under Sumiyoshi's folk remedies. Plus, Excel breaking the fourth wall a bit "let's see... I twirled twice about the tobacconist at Second... after having the flashback, I spun thrice more for joy upon the pedestrian bridge..." while trying to remember where she might have dropped some money - said flashback being where we learned she even had the money.