During the first big anime boom of the early '00s, weebs around the world were infatuated with Excel Saga: a hyper, silly, pervy, and scatalogical show that seemed to stand for everything anime could do that American animation couldn't. And while it's mostly forgotten today, this spiritual predecessor to similarly absurdist series like Pop Team Epic still exists as a wholly unique expression of a very enigmatic director. This week, thanks to the generous patronage of Phil Jacobi, What A Cartoon! checks out one of Excel Saga's most popular episodes, one that lampoons both American and Japanese interpretations of the medium: Animation USA.

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