At the publisher's request, the anime series follows a different storyline from the manga; Rikdo was pleased with the adaptation.

[1] To balance the removal of Rikudou's original material, Watanabe added his own alter ego, Nabeshin, and expanded several elements, including increasing Pedro's role and expanding on the concept of the Great Will.

[2] The twenty-sixth episode, "Going Too Far", never aired in Excel Saga's original run on TV Tokyo because it was purposefully too violent and obscene for broadcast in Japan.

[2] The series is licensed for an English-language release in North America and the United Kingdom by ADV Films, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment.

In North America, ADV released the series on six DVDs between June 11, 2002 and April 8, 2003.