OUTLAW STAR
The Millennium Falcon can kiss my ass!
Review by: Craig "Application Rejected by NASA" Norris
Length: 26 episodes
Genre: Action, sci-fi
Watched: 1-26, dubbed
Before Toonami went completely downhill (it seems like an eternity ago now), it offered up a small handful of respectable anime titles. Easily one of their most successful was Outlaw Star, and I distinctly remember anticipating each episode more eagerly than any other anime on TV at the time. So what if they ran through it about fifty times? It had style, it had flare, it had a naked chick in a tube, and it had me hooked.
Plot synopsis: In the future, three major powers exist in space: the military, the pirates, and the outlaws. Outlaws hold allegiance to no one, and Gene Starwind is no exception. Hiring his services to the highest bidder, he and his makeshift crew travel the galaxy in the Outlaw Star, a highly advanced ship designed by both the pirates and the military. But the ship, along with its navigator, Melfina, is full of unanswered questions that lead Gene and company on a quest for the ultimate secret of the universe: the Galactic Layline.
Artwork: This series is probably one of the last set in space that does not use copious amounts of CG. As a result, it may appear older than it actually is at first glance, but the quality of the cel animation is still above average. Character designs are very unique and detailed, as are the designs for the ships and vehicles, of which there are many. The action sequences are all smooth and stylish, and contribute to the overall quality in a positive way. The artwork renders the universe perfectly, allowing the viewer to become completely immersed in it.
Music: It's decent, for the most part. The theme song is high-energy j-rock, and contrasts sharply with the mellow, mournful closing songs. A few of the other tracks are pretty good on their own, but I'd say that most aren't that memorable, despite how well they compliment the series. The music stands out only in certain moments, while at others it is relegated to background noise. It shows flashes of great appeal, but quickly fades away most of the time.
Characters: Like any band of anime bounty hunters, the crew of the Outlaw Star is a motley bunch. And Gene is the perfect leading man to hold them all together. He is brash, egotistical, overconfident, a braggart, and never backs down from a fight, even when he should. Despite his free-wheeling personality, his intensity and determination often mean the difference between victory and defeat. His ace in the hole is his caster gun, a large pistol that fires cartridges that contain magic spells. Gene's sidekick is Jim Hawking, a young boy with an excellent sense of machines and computers. Though much younger than Gene, he is clearly the more responsible one of the duo, and often plays the straight man to Gene's carefree attitude. Melfina is a construct; a human composed of both mechanical and biological components. She is the navigator of the Outlaw Star, and integrates herself into the ship's system through some sort of stasis tube. Her past and purpose are a mystery to her, and she follows Gene because he promised to help her learn more about herself. Aisha is a military officer of the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire who was humiliated and stripped of her command as a result of her first encounter with Gene. Seeking revenge, and information on the Galactic Layline she believes is her ticket to reinstatement, she sets out to interrogate and kill Gene, but decides to team up with him, believing that he is her best chance to get to the Layline. She has a forceful and over-serious personality that Gene, as her polar opposite, picks on frequently. Suzuka is a high-priced assassin with an impeccable record, her only blemish being the inability to kill Gene's weapons dealer, Fred Luo, due to interference by Gene. Claiming reasons of personal interest, she joins up with him, but most of the time runs off to pursue her own agendas. The sixth crewmember of the ship is the ship itself. The main computer, Gilliam, has its own personality, and vocally expresses his concerns and opinions regarding Gene's command. Gilliam gets around the ship using small soda can-shaped robots that travel along cables. These sorts of characters are beginning to become a convention in certain genres, so there's nothing revolutionary going on with these characters. They're just plain likeable.
Plot: The plot is decently organized, but seems to get sidetracked on a few occasions. Most of the episodes do tie in directly with the search for the Galactic Layline, but some really struggle to do so. Most of this filler is pretty entertaining, though, presenting a few unique and/or bizarre situations. The plot is very easy to follow, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It gets wrapped up nicely at the end, while still leaving just enough room to squeeze in a sequel if the creators see fit. I certainly wouldn't mind another 26 episodes starring Gene and his crew.
CHICKS!: Fanservice is not at the forefront of this series, but there's still a high enough chick factor to keep my head turning. Melfina is the main attraction, if only because of her being seen naked in a tube a large percentage of the time. In fact, she's naked the first time she ever shows up. Why can't more blind dates start off that way? Because she essentially has no idea who she is, she is very submissive and soft-spoken. She's easily pleased, is a competent cook, and has a petit yet curvy figure. In short, a sold addition to anyone's chick wish list. For those who like tough girls, like our resident floor-mat Stan, Suzuka and Aisha are right up your alley. When not on the job, Suzuka is calm and agreeable. But when she busts out the whoopin' stick, you might as well accept death. She dresses in traditional Japanese garb, complete with bound breasts, which I discovered were quite large in the infamous hot springs episode banned by Toonami. At this point, I'd like to give a shout out to all the media pirates that make seeing banned or unedited episodes possible. God bless you all. Aisha is of my favorite variety of chicks: those with cat ears and tails. She'd be extremely cute, if she weren't so LOUD! Sometimes she's even downright obnoxious and painful to listen to. But she can throw one hell of a beat-down, and won't think twice before doing so. If her normal strength isn't enough, she can transform into a vicious white tiger that is nearly unbeatable in combat. Sometimes her cat-ness shows through, but it's normally supplanted by a forceful and demanding personality. For those whose only exposure to her is through the dub, her original Japanese voice is much less grating on the eardrums, so keep that in mind if her glass-cracking screeching is a turn-off for you. All things considered, the chicks are of a fairly high caliber, and should spark lustful thoughts in all but the most jaded fanservice aficionado.
Overall: The characters, situations, and to some extent the plot, have all been used before in anime before and since. However, for straight fun factor, Outlaw Star is tough to beat. Mixing adrenaline-pumping action with an adequate storyline and just a smattering of romance, I believe that this series is as fundamentally successful at presenting the genre as any series can be. If you count guns, spaceships, racing, cyborgs, explosions, or naked chicks in tubes among the things that entertain you, passing up on Outlaw Star would be a big mistake.
IN A NUTSHELL:
+ Good animation, even without CG
+ Nice blend of action and substance
+ Very likeable characters
- It has been done before
- Some irrelevant filler
Rating: 9/10
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