Outlaw Star (1998) [Anime Review]

Outlaw Star: or, Run Through the Night

     A boy has the right to dream. There are endless possibilities stretched out before him. What awaits him down the path, he will then have to choose. The boy doesn't always know. At some point, the boy then becomes an adult and learns what he was able to become. Joy and sadness forever will accompany this. He is confronted with the choice. When this happens, does he bid his past farewell in his heart? Once a boy becomes an adult, he can no longer go back to being a boy. The boy is now a man. Only one thing can be said: A boy has the right to dream, for those endless possibilities are stretched out before him. We must remember… All men were once boys.

This is the first time when I try to review an anime series. "Why?" you might ask. Evidently, I don’t want to flow this blog with numerous reviews of animations, but simply, I decided to write something different this time. For this occasion, I would like to discuss my favourite anime of all time: Outlaw Star.

Release Info

Directed by: Mitsuru Hongo Voice actors: Shigeru Shibuya, Ayako Kawasumi, Rica Matsumoto,
Sayuri, Yuko Miyamura, Takayaka Hashi

Language: Japanese Original title: 星方武侠アウトロースター No. of eps: 26

 

Synopsis

Universe in the distant future. Gene Starwind is a young bounty hunter who lives on a planet called Sentinel III and runs a business together with an 11-year-old computer expert, Jim Hawking. One day, a mysterious woman asks them for protection. It turns out that she is Hilda, an outlaw who is on the run from the Kei pirates. Due to an unexpected chain of events, Gene and Jim suddenly leave their home planet and end up in the possession of a top-of-the-line Grappler-class ship which Gene calls Outlaw Star. With the help of Melfina, the ship’s navigator; Twilight Suzuka, the assassin-for-hire; Aisha Clan-Clan, the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire emissary; and Gilliam, the ship’s computer, the newly-formed crew sets out on a quest full of adventures in order to find the mythical Galactic Leyline.

 

You Better Get Ready!

I decided to review Outlaw Star, because I recently got my hands on the beautiful Blu-ray/DVD release from Funmation. Having revisited the series, I am astonished how entertaining it is after all these years when I saw it for the first time. All the more reason I can’t stand modern criticism of Outlaw Star which aims at picturing the series as an inferior cousin of Cowboy Bebop…

 

Okay, where should I start? First of all, it should be noted that Outlaw Star began, in fact, as a manga series created by Takehiko Ito in 1996 and was turned into anime two years later by the famous Sunrise production company. The series consists of 26 episodes which originally ran from January 8 to June 25, 1998. To date, the series has not received any sequel, apart from a spin-off known as Angel Links.

 

As with every other science-fiction piece, the viewers are transported into a completely unfamiliar world. We get to discover the wondrous universe together with the main protagonist, Gene Starwind, a hot-headed, but well-meaning, adventurer who learns in the first episodes about the three major powers in the cosmos: the Space Forces, the Pirates, and the Outlaws. Naturally, Gene chooses to become an outlaw, a drifter (not a criminal) unaffiliated with any group or authority (either good or bad).

 

The series begins on a dynamic note and does not slow down, not even for one moment throughout all the episodes. There is always something happening and our heroes are faced with overcoming increasingly difficult challenges. The universe itself is incredibly rich, because apart from the aforementioned three forces, there is also a mixture of a whole slew of various races, robots, and baddies, as if Star Trek, Blade Runner, and Indiana Jones collided together only to create the wild west in space. Oh, did I mention that there is also room for magic in this show? Yes, we have crazy Kei Pirates fighting their way through with spells and Gene shooting at the bad guys from the ancient Caster gun.

 

This leads me to another aspect which is the characters and their progress through the story. Believe it or not, but each member of the crew has a clear story-arc and undergoes a personal change towards the end. Even though maybe some of the heroes are touched upon rather than fleshed out, each and every one of them has their own 5 minutes. Gene has to overcome his fears and doubts, Jim learns the hard way about love, Melfina seeks the true meaning of her identity, Suzuka desires to avenge her past, and Aisha wants to prove her worth. Although these heroes are out of this world, they are so relatable because of their realistic attitudes which can be found in each of us.

One more thing which I should mention is the animation. Some critics claim that the show is literally too dark, without any scenes happening in daylight. Nothing could be further from the truth. Outlaw Star is full of colours and the picture is crystal clear with balanced contrast. In addition, the crew does not fly all the time against the background of black space, but the universe itself is actually lively and colourful with nebulae, orbital waves, and stars. With regard to the animation itself, the characters and ships are drawn just beautifully. Their details are especially visible during the thrilling fight sequences. I can’t take my eyes off them. This is classic cell animation for you.

 

Oh! The music score by Kow Otani is a whole another thing. Not only does it provide the series with appropriate upbeat, sci-fi mood, but it also has a life of its own. Even today, I can recall my high school days when I was listening to this awesome music and reminiscing all of the climatic scenes from the anime. In other words, the auditory part of Outlaw Star is amazing. Just head over youtube if you need any proof. Additionally, there were three songs made for the show. The glorious opening theme “Through the Night” written and performed by Masahiko Arimachi (that intro!) and two ending compositions: “Hiru no Tsuki” and “Tsuki no le”, written and performed by Akino Arai.

 

Having said all this, I believe that the following conclusion should finally be stated: Outlaw Star does not suffer from any shortcomings. Some anime connoisseurs would like to think otherwise, but their claims about unevenly paced story, weak animation, and underdeveloped characters are bogus. In the same way, it’s easy for me to say that Cowboy Bebop is not paced well, animation could have been better, and some characters could have been more elaborated upon. Here’s a newsflash: I re-watched Cowboy Bebop and this show aged greatly in my eyes, but I am not attacking it just because it is a competing space-western for Outlaw Star. Both of these are classic anime stories in their own unique ways.

 

Recommendations

All things considered, Outlaw Star is an underrated masterpiece. It has everything which a good and escapist story needs plus more. Wonderful universe, unforgettable characters, excellent voice acting, and the story full of classic motifs and archetypes that would make Jordan Peterson envious. Even if you’re not an anime fan, but you like space westerns, such as (indistinct hiss) Firefly or Guardians of the Galaxy, this is a must see. To me, Outlaw Star’s crew will always be number one in my heart. All systems green!

Overall score: 10/10!