Outlaw Star: Complete Series (Box Set Review)
By: RogueSymbiote
Chasing dreams and mysteries, Gene Starwind and the crew of the Outlaw Star travel throughout the expansions of space. After stumbling into ownership of the most advanced intergalactic vehicle ever created, Gene finds himself on a quest to locate the fabled Galactic Leyline. This leyline is said to bestow amazing gifts and riches to anyone who can reach it. Boy genius James 'Jim' Hawking serves as the brains of the operation as well as Gene's tether to reality. The duo is quickly joined by Melfina, a bio-android with a special connection with the Outlaw Star. The crew also includes Suzuka, a deadly assassin with a wooden sword, and Aisha Clan Clan, an ambassador for the Ctarl Ctarl Empire. Rounding out the team is Gilliam, the ship's onboard computer. On their journey for riches and redemption, they will encounter fellow bounty hunters, gargantuan monsters, deadly pirates.
Story Arc
After accepting a routine job as a body guard, Gene soon learns that this will anything but a normal gig. The woman he has been hired to protect is none other than the notorious outlaw "Hot Ice" Hilda. She soon reveals that her goal is to recover a special ship that was designed to locate the Galactic Leyline. Hilda his not the only one searching for this spectacular vessel however. Both the Pirate guild and the MacDougall Brothers share an obsession with this ship and Melfina. In a strange twist of fate, Gene, Jim and Melfina escape with their lives and ship intact. Gene recognizes the MacDougall ship from the day his father's vessel was attacked. He realizes that he must pursue life in space in order to obtain the answers he is desperate to hear.Fred Luo serves as the crews' personal money lender after saving him from an assassination attempt from Suzuka. After an epic battle with Gene, she is impressed by his fortitude and honor. She decides to tag along every so often on missions that require her specific set of skills. After an embarrassing encounter with the Outlaw Star, Aisha Clan Clan is stranded by her people on a neighboring planet as to not hinder the desires of the Ctarl Ctarl empire again. She travels throughout space to exact her revenge on Gene Starwind and reclaim her place as ambassador for her people. Once again, Gene bests this misguided "foe" and Aisha quickly becomes an irreplaceable asset to the crew.
This hardy crew of outlaws jump from job to job in order to keep up with expanses and pay old debts. From galactic space races to treasure hunts on water planets, the crew of the Outlaw Star rarely have any down time. The crew is at constant odds with the pirate guild. Matters become worse when the pirate guild leader Hazanko and the Anten 7 decide to directly recover the invaluable ship and Melfina. These are no ordinary pirates. Each one of them wields distinct physical and magical abilities. Gene must use his wit and special caster gun to defeat these deadly combatants. As the Outlaw Star comes closer to locating the Galactic Leyline, the assaults by these powerful pirates become more frequent.A final battle commences between the entire crew of the Outlaw Star and the Geomancer, a massive ship captained by Hazanko and the remaining members of the Anten 7. A battle of skill, technology and magic erupts as these two opposing forces clash. Mysteries are revealed, enemies redeem themselves and true desires are obtained.
Series Review
Outlaw Star is an absolute blast from start to finish. The series is beautifully scored. The intro perfectly matches the fun and action packed tone of the show as a whole. The animation has a classic look and feel to it, while still appearing remarkably advanced for the time it was released. The artistic style of some scenes left me stunned. The episode intros don't serve as the token recaps, but educate the audience on important information for the upcoming episode. By doing so, the story can move quickly without wondering why the story is moving in a particular directions. Where the show truly shines however is with its' multilayered character development. There is not a single-note character in the series. Even Gilliam has proper character development and he's a computer system! The reasoning behind character choices are profound and in proper time. Outlaw star is a shining example of how to introduce a large number of characters and complex ideas at a pace that the audience can absorb and enjoy.
The writing for the show is brilliant. The humor is fantastic, but isn't afraid to go dark and gory. The voice actors do a tremendous job and really make you believe in what their characters stand for. The comedic timing and sarcastic humor are constantly on point. The action scenes are unique and thrilling. The various angles paired with the energetic music results in truly captivating scenes. The mix of advanced weaponry and magic makes Outlaw Star stand out from the pack. Even the weapons have proper development!No show is without it's faults, but Outlaw Star comes pretty close to not having any. There are a few times where certain characters become a bit annoying, but that appears to be their purpose. The only other issue I had with the series was the final battle. It was a bit confusing and hard to follow at times. It was difficult to comprehend the scale of certain ships and transformations.Like I stated earlier, this series is an absolute blast and is a must watch for any fan of anime.
Box Set Review
The box set comes with all 26 episodes on both Blu-ray and DVD. It can be enjoyed in both Japanese and English with English subtitles. The box art is iconic and accurately displays the tone of the show. Extras include: a pilot video, trailers, textless opening and closing songs and commercials. The series was produced by Sunrise and released in conjunction with Funimation. You can buy the box-set on Funimation's website here.[yasr_multiset setid=9]
