Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Outlaw Star: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Time to board the Outlaw Star...

Outlaw Star is a classic action-adventure anime with plenty to offer audiences. The series features animation produced by Sunrise (Cowboy Bebop). Produced by Naotake Furusato (The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, My-HiME) and Shinjiro Yokoyama, Outlaw Star is a must-see.

Gene Starwind (Robert Wicks) is a tough-as-nails bounty hunter. Setting out to outer space alongside his fellow bounty hunter, James 'Jim' Hawking (Ian Hawk), the duo set their ambitions high as they board the legendary spaceship known as the “Outlaw Star” and take flight. The team faces the dangerous Kei Pirates and make it their mission to stop them.

Melfina (Emily Brown) is an android girl who ends up alongside Gene and Jim on their ship. Gene aims to help Melfina find out about her past and the two slowly start to have feelings for one another. Twilight Suzuka (Wendee Lee) is a ninja assassin who wields power with a mystical wooden sword (capable of cutting through metal).

Suzuka eventually joins the Outlaw Star as an ally who is determined to bring an end to the reign of the Kei Pirates. Aisha Clanclan (Zan) is a feline Ctarl-Ctarl warrior, who also ends up involved in the adventures of the Outlaw Star team. Thus the Outlaw Star team is formed. Adventures in space await.

A first-rate premium edition.

The characters are central to the success of Outlaw Star as a series. Gene Starwind is one of the best anime heroes and the character makes the series a breeze to watch. The suave cool of the laidback bounty hunter is entertaining. There is also something more complex beneath the surface of Gene that keeps audiences intrigued. Jim is a strong supporting player (and the interactions with Gene do cause some entertaining comedic moments). Melfina is an especially interesting character: providing the series with a sense of mystery.

The animation on Outlaw Star is top-notch: beautiful on so many levels. The animators involved in the production of Outlaw Star brought their best to the development of the series. The background art work is superb and highly detailed. One of the most prominent elements of the animation is the Outlaw Star ship itself – and it's a thing of beauty. The character designs by Takuya Saito (Macross Zero, Monster Hunter Stories Ride On) are similarly fantastic and help provide the central leads with a strong and distinctive persona. Under the art direction of Toshihisa Koyama (Martian Successor Nadesico, Macross 7), Outlaw Star is peak hand-drawn anime: the cell-based animation looks gorgeous.

The original music score composed by Kou Otani (Haibane Renmei, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing) is brimming with energy. The music helps create the perfect backdrop to the production. The saga is enhanced greatly by the sonic landscape: the score tracks enhancing the mood of the storytelling. Action sequences are given more energy to excite while dramatic moments reach viewers in an enticingly direct way.

The production features an original story by Hajime Yatate (Cowboy Bebop, The Big O) and Takehiko Ito (Angel Links, K.O. Beast). With the story handled by these master storytelling, series screenwriter Katsuhiko Chiba (InuYasha, Turn A Gundam) handles screenwriting duties in an equally important manner: the scripts provide the saga with plenty of surprising twists and turns. The story is fun to experience and the character-development makes it all-the-more memorable.

Mitsuro Hongo (Pilot Candidate, Deltora Quest) directs. Outlaw Star is Hongo's masterpiece. The unique combination of heartfelt storytelling and fast-paced action sequences (alongside a briskly entertaining screenplay) makes it a must-see classic. Hongo brings out the best of the team of animators, voice-actors, and production members. Outlaw Star is an eclectic gem that anime enthusiasts should consider essential.

Outlaw Star: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation, Outlaw Star is presented in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation is generally solid on the high-definition release. The picture-quality is a considerable upgrade over the previous DVD releases. Colors have considerably more "pop" and make a big impression on the experience. The encode is generally solid and there are no significant compression issues. The release is generally fine and enthusiasts will appreciate the upgrade. The one significant drawback is some use of DNR (digital noise reduction) – which scrubs some fine detail from the image.

For fans equipped with Region B/Region Free players, the United Kingdom release of Outlaw Star is considered superior to the Funimation release. While not a "night-and-day" difference, the import has a bit-for-bit transfer identical to the original Japanese Blu-ray release (which presents the series without the implementation of DNR). The import edition also includes a higher bit-rate encode. If one can't play the Region B locked version, the Funimation release is certainly still adequate.

Outlaw Star: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The audio quality on the release is generally superb and entertaining. The music score is well reproduced by the lossless audio. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The lossless audio has a somewhat average sounding LFE output but the tracks are crisp and engaging. A worthwhile presentation by Funimation.

Outlaw Star: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The collectors edition of Outlaw Star includes some extra bonuses not included in the standard edition release: the set comes packaged with a deluxe 97 page art book with a focus on pre-production art, image storyboards, and mecha/prop line art. The release is housed in a beautiful chip-board art box including two amaray cases (one of the Blu-ray discs and another for the DVD discs). The set has a unique packaging design which is sure to make an impression on any collector's shelf.

Pilot Video (HD, 1:56)

Trailer (HD, 00:32)

Commercial Collection (HD, 3:12)

Textless Opening Song "Through the Night" Ver. 1 (HD, 1:32)

Textless Opening Song "Through the Night" Ver. 2 (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Hiru No Tsuki" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Tsuki no le" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 6:24)

Outlaw Star: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Outlaw Star is one of the best anime series of the 90's (joining the ranks of the "greatest" alongside Cowboy Bebop). The series has breathtaking animation, incredible storytelling, and a fantastic cast of characters. The original music score composed by Kou Otani (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing) is another highlight. The Blu-ray release includes a worthwhile high-definition presentation and a selection of extras. Fans hoping for an "ultimate edition" will be pleased with the collectors edition: it contains a deluxe art-book with 97 pages of pre-production art, storyboards, and mecha/prop line artwork. Highly recommended.