Outlaw Star is the space pirate/sci fi series from Bandai starring Gene Starwind and his friend Jim Hawking. Once repairmen, they hire themselves out to a woman named Rachel, who drags them into deep trouble. In the end, they manage to find themselves aboard a high-tech spaceship which they later name the Outlaw Star.

The animation is good and consistent. While some of the stories may not be inspired work, they still make good episodes nonetheless. Outlaw Star is a fun series to watch in that it really doesn't take a lot of brains to get into. The action is swift and strong and the character designs for the main characters and the numerous bad-guys are interesting and diverse.

The female secondary cast is a diverse lot, but seem to bring real life to the solid and sometimes dry Starwind. Starwind himself successfully carries the confident bounty hunter role without being too cocky or subdued. While Hawking is portrayed as the plucky young kid who always wants to come along in the line of danger, his role is not overbearing to that fact. If this had been a live action show, or made in the states, Hawking would have been more annoying and self-including.

As a series, Outlaw Star is just fun to watch. There isn't much in the way or morality plays and overdeveloped science, but that's for the best. Another plus is that Bandai has released the first 9 episodes in a dual DVD set. Even if you don't purchase this, at least catch it on Cartoon Network while it's running.

- - Vane