Outlaw Star is set in the far future, where Old Magic and New Technology mix in the ostensible panorama of space drama. The story begins when a pair of young mercenaries, Gene Starwind and Jim Hawking, are hired for a job gone wrong. Their client is an Outlaw, the target a "key" to a treasure sought by one of the most dangerous Pirate Clans. With a clash between the Taoist magic of the Kei Pirates and the Old Magic sealed in the shells of Gene’s gun, Outlaw Star begins with a resounding bang.

However, as is often the case with TV series, the plot wanders for much of the first half of the series (all that has been released in the US to date). In stark contrast to the momentum of the first few episodes, most episodes deal with complications arising from the maintenance of the Outlaw Star, and not with the underlying questions about the Galactic Ley Line or Melfina and the XGP’s true purpose. At the same time, there is always enough circumstantial action and intriguing story seeds present to keep you interested; episodes often end on a cliffhanger note (one of the original reasons I ran out and bought volume 2); and the teaser for volume 8 promises to begin the ultimate plot denouement that has been loosely hinted at for the past 7 volumes.

The cast of characters from Outlaw Star is very enjoyable--you’ll want to keep watching just to see how they will react to new situations. Almost every character is given a background encapsulation at the beginning of their introductory episode, so that you get a more complete context for understanding their motivations and quirks. For instance, from these introductory clips we see the source of Aisha Clanclan’s focus on pride, and why she reacts so strongly to failure; or why the beautiful assassin "Twilight" Suzuka is so sensitive to Gene’s victorious stratagem in their confrontation. There is plenty of humor and creativity in the character interactions, so that you come not only to like but to respect characters for their cleverness in novel solutions. Gene Starwind certainly does not rely solely on brute force--it is his cleverness in using his available resources which avails him and the other members of the Outlaw Star cast to triumph over adversity. Furthermore, while the protagonist, Gene, shows great interest in women, this is not an anime about side characters falling head-over-heels for a dashing gunslinger--the female leads stand on their own and are hardly motivated by sexual attraction. Additionally, most of the ubiquitous humor comes from the irony or skewed perspective of the situations, not sexual innuendo.

The Outlaw Star, whose maintenance is oft the subject of early filler episodes...	...and it's colorful crew, who make even such filler episodes a treat to watch.

The animation quality is excellent for a TV series. The requisite use of stills and "cell-monkeying" is always done to good effect, such as in the introductory plot encapsulations where the stills affect illustrations in an encyclopedia entry. There is plenty of animation overall, and satisfactory treatment of the action scenes--Outlaw Star may not be on the level of the Kenshin OAVs, but it shines in comparison with most other TV series (excepting Escaflowne).

The music for Outlaw Star adds to the atmosphere of the series. A wide variety of musical styles, from heavy metal to the blues, heralds the places and people of the show. Outlaw Star mixes the genres of Westerns, space odessey, and action, and the music appropriately underscores each theme. The closing song, Hiro no Tsuki, is hauntingly beautiful and nostalgic, capturing the innocence and beauty of youth and make-believe, sung by Arai Akino of Macross Plus fame.

Overall, Outlaw Star is an enjoyable experience and a cut above most action anime TV series. It may not be too deep, but clever twists on stereotypes and story seeds, coupled with a humorous perspective, make for a fun series to follow.

Distributor: Bandai
Creator: Morning Star
Released: 1998

Plot: B+
Character Design: A
Animation Quality: B+
Music: A-
Overall: A-