Although not a lot of merchandise from Japan is imported, a few soundtrack CDs (featuring the 'Excel©Girls') have now been released in the US, anime/manga publisher ADV Films has released some merchandise there as part of its 'ADV Toys' line.  Menchi plushes, figures and various other odd bits and bobs are on their way, but unfortunately are not planned for UK release at the moment.
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Artbooks:  Excel Saga creator Koshi Rikdo has release several artbooks, which contain pornographic parody images, promotional art & production reports for his manga series.  The cover shown on the left is for the fifth volume, which features plenty of Excel Saga art.  Also of note is volume 4, which has an exclusive short manga story in it. _______________________________

Plushes:  Excel Saga has been a big hit for ADV Films, so big in fact that they have decided to release merchandise for it in the US!  Various stuffed toys have been released, mainly of the cutesy Puchuu aliens and unfortunate pet/emergency food supply Menchi.  Various sizes and designs are available, including a Menchi hearth rug! _______________________________

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T-Shirts:  Another item of official western merchandise from ADV Films' American merchandising arm.  These t-shirts have a large Menchi 'skull and crossbones' design (see picture, left) as a back print, and the Excel Saga logo on the front.  The t-shirts are available in four sizes, but if you got stuck in the wilderness you could probably use any of them as a tent - the smallest size is 'Large' and the biggest an unbelievable 'XXXL'!!  We've never even heard of a size that big before, how big are American fans?
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Doujinshi:  It is possible through some sites to get hold of some of Koshi Rikdo's many doujinshi comics, but not all feature work from Excel Saga and many are pornographic.  More worryingly, some also feature underage characters in erotic situations, this is disturbingly common in doujinshi, which seem to be able to get away with it because the characters aren't real people.  UK laws differ greatly from those of Japan in this regard, and such material such material could be seized under the Obscene Publications Act.  We advise steering clear of doujinshi unless you are certain the content is legal.
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Obligatory Odd Merchandise!

Excel Saga Cosplay Caps:  Why?  When are you possibly going to wear these?  You could hardly go out in public wearing one, and if you were a cosplayer you would surely make your own full costume rather than buy a cap like this.  Then again Webmaster Tom is a proud owner and points out that it could be used as a night cap and that it rocks because it is so random.  Who can argue with that?
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Availability & Prices:
Soundtracks:  Two Excel Saga soundtracks have been released in the US by Geneon, and are easily available on the internet.  US CDs are far cheaper than Japanese imports, and you should be able to pick up the soundtrack for around a £12 from online retailers such as Amazon and Animé On Line.

Artbooks & Doujinshi:  Buying doujinshi can be expensive and as mentioned above, you can never be 100% sure of the content without viewing it.  Koshi Rikdo has done several doujinshi featuring Excel Saga characters, occasionally in pornographic situations, but these are sometimes in compilations which feature 'Lolicon' imagery.  Lolicon is a Japanese term derived from the term 'Lolita Complex' and is used to describe images which feature underage characters in erotic situations, or people who like them.  Sadly such imagery and sexual violence such as rape are disturbingly common themes in many pornographic doujinshi, which seem to get away with it as the characters are not real people.  We in no way condone buying such material and offer this information as a warning, we strongly advise that you try and find out the content of a doujinshi before buying it.  The Koshi Rikdo artbooks were also self-published 'doujinshi' releases so only crop up in some online shops or on Auction sites such as eBay*.

Plushes & Apparel:  The plushes and cosplay caps from ADV Toys are pretty easy to get hold of from online retailers.  Prices vary but strictly speaking they should cost between £10 and £16, TokyoToys and Anime-on-Line are good places to look.  T-Shirts are currently only available in the US, but some online or specialist high street retailers such as Forbidden Planet may stock them, or you could try to import directly from America.  Prices vary, but should be around the £15 mark.

Figures & Statues:  A series of Excel Saga mini-figures has made its way to the US on the back of the series' popularity.  Featuring the female characters from the manga, the full set will cost around £35, with each 4" figure probably costing around £6 each if bought separately.  The figures are available from TokyoToys and probably from specialist retailers such as Forbidden Planet and Travelling Man.  A 7" statue of robot girl Ropponmatsu is also available for around £26.

*Auction sites can be rife with unscrupulous individuals who will knowingly sell you pirated goods.  Although the risk is mainly with DVD and CD purchasing, there is a notable amount of pirated toys and apparel cropping up too.  To minimise the risk of being ripped off make sure you check Digital Animé's excellent Piracy FAQ.
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