One of the biggest barriers to entry for reading the Excel Saga manga is that many of the volumes are out of print and thus expensive or hard to find. The cheapest copy of Volume 26 on Amazon right now is $800! Though much cheaper now, Volume 8 was also ridiculously overpriced for many years. Worse still, the very first volume is out of print, and while definitely on the lower end in terms of secondhand pricing, it means few if any will be willing to make the investment necessary for getting into the series. This problem was solved for a few years, when Viz first launched their digital distribution platform (then called VizManga), until the entire series was subsequently yanked from the site with no warning a week or two after Volume 27 came out. My theory is that they held onto the license just long enough to get the final book out (for which they have my eternal gratitude) and then immediately dropped it. Regardless, my hypothesizing doesn't actually help anyone get a hold of the damn things, so below I will detail several methods for obtaining these books.
Option 1: Buying Physical Copies
This is a list of the ones that are still in print, using merchant links taken directly from Viz's website. These are all around $10 for new copies, and buying them will support the official release in the most convenient way possible at this point in time.
Volume 2 - Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1569319898/)
Volume 3 - Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1569319901/)
Volume 11 - Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591167221/)
Volume 12 - Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591167752/)
Volume 13 - Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1421501430/)
Volume 16 - Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1421513471/)
Option 2: Buying Digital Copies
"But wait," I hear you say, "I thought you couldn't buy the digital copies from Viz's distribution service anymore!" Turns out, even though they've been removed from the public storefront, you can still purchase them by "tricking" the website using Inspect Element on the page of a book that is still officially available for sale, provided you know the product code. Luckily, I was able to purchase all 27 volumes for myself before they were delisted, so I have a list of all their product codes available. I have tested this personally and can confirm that it works. Below, I will show you how to do it with a brief tutorial including screenshots. Each one will run you around $7.
Step 1 - Sign Up for or Log In to a Viz.com (https://www.viz.com/) account. I don't believe doing this is illegal or that they'd ban you for it, as you're still paying Viz for one of their products and receiving it in return, but you might want to create a separate account specifically for Excel Saga just in case.
Step 2 - Find a manga that's available for digital sale. Here's Naruto Volume 1 as an example. (https://www.viz.com/read/manga/naruto-volume-1/product/91)
Step 3 - Make sure you're on the Digital tab, not the Paperback tab. It should look like this: https://excelsagaforum.com/Step3.png
Step 4 - Open Inspect Element in your web browser. You can do this by pressing F12 in Firefox, Chrome, or Edge. I haven't tested opening it with any other browser and have only tested an actual purchase with Firefox, so if it doesn't work, either respond to this post or PM me and I'll try to help you out. Once open, you should see something like this: https://excelsagaforum.com/Step4.png
Step 5 - In the Search HTML bar, type ".cart_add_manga", select the first option from the drop down menu, and go to the first result. It should lead to something like this: https://excelsagaforum.com/Step5.png
Step 6 - Change all instances of the original manga's purchase code to the one for the Excel Saga volume you wish to buy. In the case of Naruto Volume 1, the code is 16, and in the case of Excel Saga Volume 1, the code is 820. See the following picture for assistance: https://excelsagaforum.com/Step6_1.png
Notice how there are 3 "16"s in the HTML. You will need to double-click to open the text strings, then replace them with "820"s. Press Enter/Return when you have finished. Once done, it should look like this: https://excelsagaforum.com/Step6_2.png
Step 7 - Click "Buy from Viz" as if you're adding Naruto Volume 1 to your cart. Do not close Inspect Element yet.
Step 8 - Go to your Shopping Cart. You can now close Inspect Element. You should see Excel Saga in your cart, like so: https://excelsagaforum.com/Step8.png
Step 9 - Click "Check out" to buy your book(s)!
Step 10 - You should now be able to read Excel Saga from "My Library." Proof it works: https://excelsagaforum.com/Step10_1.png | https://excelsagaforum.com/Step10_2.png
Product Codes:
Volume 1 - 820
Volume 2 - 824
Volume 3 - 842
Volume 4 - 1354
Volume 5 - 1355
Volume 6 - 1367
Volume 7 - 1368
Volume 8 - 1380
Volume 9 - 1381
Volume 10 - 1404
Volume 11 - 1405
Volume 12 - 1445
Volume 13 - 1446
Volume 14 - 1470
Volume 15 - 1471
Volume 16 - 1480
Volume 17 - 1481
Volume 18 - 1496
Volume 19 - 1497
Volume 20 - 1509
Volume 21 - 1510
Volume 22 - 1532
Volume 23 - 1552
Volume 24 - 1573
Volume 25 - 1580
Volume 26 - 2005
Volume 27 - 2530
While the above no doubt sounds like some ridiculous hackerman nonsense, it's actually rather easy. That said, I understand any trepidation one might have about using this method. Also, I realize that the above links probably only apply to people in the US. If you would like to add information on buying the manga in other territories (or in other languages), please reply to this post or PM me!
Filling In The Gaps
If you're looking for a certain volume of the manga (or something else, like one of Rikdo's doujins), feel free to post in this thread requesting help locating it, and we'll do our best to assist you. Though probably not feasible until after this coronavirus business has subsided, I would like to eventually start prowling the local used book stores/thrift shops looking for Excel Saga volumes to give away on here. Until then, there's really only one way to be able to read some of these books, and I'm not about to deprive you of it.
I have no intention of distributing copyrighted material illegally, but Rikdo, Viz, and Shonen Gahosha will never see a dime from used book sales either, so I see no harm in providing off-site links to download them. All credit for these copies goes to the original uploader, Wisperer:
English Volumes (Complete) (https://mega.nz/folder/dJh2AIJK#YMXVRgBaYuiKCf6v624k4w)
There is also an alternate version of the English releases available at the link below. The reason I wanted to include this one too is because, while the filesizes/images are smaller, in certain instances I think the quality is better for some reason (less compression artifacts, etc). Also, the 2-page spreads are glued together in this version:
English Volumes (Incomplete But Different Quality) (https://mega.nz/folder/dc5QmaxZ#QIUExbvnHGn_FNIy8whcMg)
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Non-English Translations
There have been various scanlations of Excel Saga into other languages, as well as a few incomplete official attempts. I will do my best to compile them here, with the help of our esteemed forum/discord members!
Spanish
Created by the Excel Saga Forum's very own SWamP and originally distributed at his website (https://foroexcelsaga.wordpress.com/), this herculean project translated all 27 volumes into Spanish! While the download links no longer work, the entire thing was miraculously archived by kelzt, and now it can once again see distribution:
Spanish Volumes (Complete) (https://mega.nz/folder/NUIxzR7D#dcreVw6JncrdSfc7BkAS_A)
French
The first 7 volumes of Excel Saga were released officially in France by Editions Kabuto, while volumes 8 and 9 were fan translations made by J-Garden. Sadly, I don't think any more was ever completed. Their website doesn't seem to exist anymore, so hopefully this upload will help any French people who happen to find them read the first third of the manga:
French Volumes (1-9 Only) (https://mega.nz/folder/JVQGxK6Q#Xi9zth7rpgDv2QBbQR0pgg)
Russian
Pal Palych Translation Project translated the first 54 chapters into Russian a few years back. I saved these from MangaDex, and I'm not sure if there are any more because I have no idea how to parse their VK page. Let me know if there's more I can add:
Russian Volumes (Chapters 1-54 Only) (https://mega.nz/folder/4NxVSRyQ#j45JrtPVjfUSj5EKnzycnA)
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Holy Brownie
All 6 volumes of Holy Brownie and the Missing Link one-shot have been valiantly translated into English by Imanity Scans! This is another original manga by Rikdo published in the same magazine as Excel Saga, and it's more or less a spin-off. It's canon, features Iwata and friends in one chapter, and contains ~lore~ imperative to understanding Excel Saga's suitably odd ending. If this is your first time reading through Excel Saga, I highly recommend checking this out before reading the last few volumes:
Holy Brownie (MangaDex) (https://mangadex.org/title/33b12eb3-5a4a-4812-a18d-a69da32f62c6/holy-brownie)
Holy Brownie (Archive) (https://mega.nz/folder/kFgQwKib#Le2S8jAy53Sm7IbyWTAAoA)
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Extras
Municipal Force Daitenzin (18+)
A few days ago, Daitenzin finally received a real English translation (IYKYK) from ExcalSagaFan on e-hentai! This is the prototype for Excel Saga they made fun of in the anime. Do be warned that it does contain actual hentai in it. I'm assuming everyone here is old enough to legally view such material. It's not especially hardcore or graphic, and is mostly just goofy fun, but it does characterize proto-Iwata as a rapist who sexually assaults proto-Excel, which I personally do not like to look at or think about:
Municipal Force Daitenzin (e-hentai) (https://e-hentai.org/g/3534361/2e996ac3db/)
Municipal Force Daitenzin (Archive) (https://mega.nz/file/YEg2SZiA#Ct126d8cTSeTx9UvKaj_7fTXOjY8V4NZ_SkkapMwCvA)
FOURTH Chapter 1
FOURTH is one of Rikdo's doujin releases that included a special short Excel Saga chapter. It has a mysterious English translation, which has somehow been sitting on my hard drive for over a decade. I have no idea where it came from or who made it. I can't find anything about it online. Please let me know if you have any idea so I can credit them accordingly:
Fourth Chapter 1 (https://mega.nz/file/9cYnBZ7I#684V_jLEOJpbRCSB-UfnEroefLwjr--5aobxCswdvj4)
Commemorative Book (Untranslated)
Commemorative Book is a doujin published to celebrate the ending of Excel Saga and contains some new short gag chapters by Rikdo (Excel Saga SP, previously featured in Young King OURs), among a variety of anthology content from other artists. This was originally uploaded by Excel-Lover and has been mirrored here:
Excel Saga Commemorative Book (https://mega.nz/file/NNRXiCzb#8tmPiAv7eyMOM6XFhHUBRBgZ1VxxE1zl6rhawzjZpNI)
Excel Saga EX (Untranslated)
Excel Saga EX is a half-volume's worth of new Excel Saga chapters Rikdo published a few years ago. This was originally uploaded by Excel-Lover and has been mirrored here:
Excel Saga EX (https://mega.nz/file/YRAlTDYI#c-Cs0Jgc5Hf3Riz53agZEGXiKMRIgeswF0EvOtzOmzA)
Original Chapters 179-180 from Young King OURs (Untranslated)
The original ending of Excel Saga was very different (or at least handled very differently) from the one found in Volume 27:
Excel Saga Young King OURs Ending Chapters (https://mega.nz/file/cAphzRKQ#CTF4_Yfr8MNqalIturJsxtGovPxRVcWyRzbi98LJIo4)
Color Pages, Inserts, Covers from the Japanese Manga Releases
Quite a few drawings were cut or turned into grayscale for the English release of Excel Saga. These can be found archived here:
Excel Saga Extra Pages (https://mega.nz/file/dYgmlBwQ#LTtHkAakJaGKLnprUl1nNG8YbwODpLIM6g0Vrl0Msxk)
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If you were involved in the creation of any scanlations and would like me to remove the download links, please do not hesitate to contact me. It is not my intention to step on anyone's toes here.
And if I've gone too far, I will, of course, remove the downloads upon request from any of the IP's legal owners. :hdead:
I'd like to add, the website abebooks.com has a variety of bookstores listed, with a couple of the volumes also available!
Vol 26 ofc is the hard one to get a hold of.. but almost every book there is listed, as well with a reasonable price, ranging between $2,50 to $5, some go a bit above, but majority, especially earlier volumes can possibly be found there for a good price.
Little worried with the availability sometimes, since i get nervous when a store says they one a single stock item left. but it's worth checking out.
Back in the day, i used to order every single volume from the site Bookdepository, but these days only a couple earlier volumes are still available there.
Alternatively,
If all else fails, and desperate measures seem like a tactic, you can potentially do research of existing smaller comic book stores in USA and the UK, and contact them, in case they potentially have them physically lying about the place, and have been unnoticed buy other buyers due to their lack of online listings and possibly scarce visitor rate.
I've been lucky personally, to sometimes find some obscure and even rare books in thrift stores and smaller book/comic shacks who had all sorts of stuff lying around just for the taking! and they ofc don't really have an organized inventory listed online, so contacting several shops personally might be a last ditch effort to really get in there and find that last book you need!
Far fetched, i know.. But we're listing all options here, even for those who will go great lengths to get there!
Anyway, for earlier volumes in particular, every book save for 15 and 26 are listed on abebooks so far:
https://www.abebooks.com/
Updated this thread with new links for 2021, and removed the dead ones to Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million. Sadly, it seems all but 6 volumes are out of print now, so downloads for many more are now provided. The Spanish translation is now available as well!
This is great, thank you very much for sharing.
I've managed to bu them all physical for between 10$ and 80$ but can't find 22, 25 and 26 for reasonable prices, if any of you step across some affordable copies please let me know :(
Just heavily updated this post with new links and content! I hope this will help as many people as possible read Excel Saga in 2025 and beyond!