Rell Lauren
Banned
I love Outlaw Star. It’s great on every level that a space adventure should be
There's a lot of exposition about the different space colonies, communities and characters within the show. But instead of giving the viewer a boring ass lecture mid episode, a lot of information is given at the very start of episodes in the form of an intro monologue. If you only watched the intros you can form a solid picture of the OLS universe.
^that is every single intro in OLS, made it years ago
This then allows the episodes to be full of action and adventure without sacrificing any of the nuance. Very smart to put the info dump at the start like that and set the stage for what is to come.
No member of the crew is a deadweight. Everyone has a trademark skill that adds something of value to the ship. Melfina the navigator, Gene the marksman and defacto captain, Jim the strategist, mechanic and voice of reason, Aisha the berserker, Suzuka the assassin (also voice of reason, and probably the person who earns the most money).
But even though they have these skills, none of them are worth much in isolation. Gene cannot fly without his crew. Aisha is too retarded to function on her own. Jim struggles to fend for himself. Melfina doesn't even know who she is and has the mind of a child. Though they make fun of each other a lot, you really get the sense that they need one another to thrive and this makes them feel more like a family than strangers. Probably my favorite collection of people on a ship in terms of raw amusement. Also cool that the female characters not actually contribute to the action, but they're the best close range fighters on the ship period. You ideally want them on the frontlines while Gene acts as support.
The Caster Gun imo is the best designed weapon in anime. It’s very very powerful, but entirely dependent on the shell used and how much ammo is available. So it requires Gene to assess the situation and pick the right shell for the opponent, and he usually can’t afford to be wrong. The bullets are finite (and expensive), it takes time to reload the shell, and he can't spray and pray that one of the shots hits someone. There’s a degree of difficulty with using the weapon that you don’t see with big anime swords and rifles that channel some bullshyt mana inner strength. There are endless possibilities in the type of shells that can be used, and I really wish there were more episodes to show that. But the fights we already have wind up being creative because of that gun.
There are some episodes that can feel pointless as they're unrelated to the hunt for the galactic leyline. But they usually concern the crew performing bounties and other odd jobs to make ends meet, and they give us some insight into how planets and alien species function on a social level. It's important to see Gene and the crew earn money so that it makes sense how their journey is being supported at all. Ships don't run on hopes and dreams. Totally disagree with the criticism of OLS being too episodic - space narratives SHOULD be full of distractions when they're so much to explore and do.
Gene strikes a balance between looking like a badass and still being vulnerable as a human should be. Very similar to Spike in this way (who Gene cosplays in episode 13)
he's basically living that life every guy who watches space fiction would want to do in his position. Surrounded by women alien and human that he actually tries to get with (none of that virgin Luffy naivete). Has a badass weapon. Doesn't follow the code. Looks the part of a hero, but not so perfect that there aren't struggles along the way that make the triumphs feel special. He does fear death (we see that clearly in episode 15) and a duel causes his mood to shift completely, like a human would do if there's a chance they'd die without having lived a fulfilled life. Has a goal he wants to achieve and does everything in his power to do so with the help of his invaluable friends. One of the GOAT characters in space anime in terms of raw entertainment and likability.
Melfina gives Gene access to a world he was afraid to explore before. He cannot fly without her. Gene gives Melfina personality and helps develop her as a person. It's like they exist for one another and they form one of the better space romances I know of. Imo the best romances are defined by partners that make each other better people in the end, and Melfina/Gene do this almost as well as anyone in the genre. Great dynamic.
Most of the villains are deranged psychopaths who don't have any redeeming features whatsoever. Not much variety there, but it does make for some very tense fights when the mood suddenly shifts from light to heavy. Episode 15 really stands out in that way.
Then there’s the OST. When I was a kid my dad would take me to Disney world every year, and the playlist would be full of mostly shytty 70s/80s music except for the occasional anime songs that I never knew the artist of until I was older. Akino Arai was the best. I owe Outlaw Star for introducing me to her voice
the OP is the hypest possible thing to get you motivated to watch an adventure. Has a great balance between hype and sentimental music
Easy 10. Hard to not like. Hard not to immerse yourself into the adventure and identify with/root for Gene. Combines the best of space fiction tropes and doesn't hang itself with monologues that turn off casual viewers. Holds up well to nostalgia. Endless replay value. Extremely fun. Something I'll revisit for a long time.
Well said.