"Outlaw Star?! But that's a ripoff of Cowboy Bebop!"
"Ha ha ha! Shut your mouth, little Billy! Outlaw Star is among the anime greats, and I pity da fool who doesn't agree!"

Yes, Outlaw Star is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop. I know. I know. However, don't let this one detail force you to write the show off as an inferior clone. Though the basic premise is similar, characters are much more imaginative than in Cowboy Bebop.

Gene Starwind runs a mercenary business with his 11 year old partner, Jim Hawkins. That's not a typo. He's 11 years old! He's a smart kid, and pretty damn good with machines). Both of them owe a hefty amount of money to a "flamboyant" businessman, and are trying to make it big so they can get that monkey off their backs. They finally get their chance when a client gives them the fastest ship in the galaxy in order to hide it from those who would use it for evil. The catch is that the ship can't be used properly without Melfina,

a bio-android who serves as the navigating unit of the ship. No problem, Melfina's given to them too! In a suitcase!

Owning the ship makes Jim and Gene many enemies who are out to take the ship (named the XGP) and Melfina for themselves. Selfish bastards. Because Gene likes his ship and has an affinity for Melfina, he and Jim must protect her from would be kidnappers, all while taking jobs to pay off their debts. When they hear of something called the Galactic Leyline, rumored to be the most valuable treasure in the universe, they rush out to cash in on it..Only problem is they don't know how to find it.

Cowboy Bebop bored me. There, I said it. Outlaw Star did not. Every character epitomizes a certain personality trait. Gene is the street smart, fast talking outlaw, Jim is the brainy kid who wants to be treated like an adult, Melfina is the shy, quiet girl, Aisha (another main character) is the loud and brash one, and Suzuka (another main character) is the bad

ass. Granted, these aren't very original personalities, but they're executed so well in their characters that it's hard to imagine them being any other way. Plus, the mere design of each character is completely different (the gunslinger, the little kid, the android, the catgirl alien, and the samurai-esque warrior). To blend these clashing personalities together creates very entertaining results.

The artwork in this series is commendable, and for a television show, it was surprisingly well drawn. Each character is quite well detailed, and the many planets and environments each have their own color schemes and lighting. No two worlds are exactly alike.

I hate to downplay this series, but I must give a balanced review. On the downside, this series has an ending that doesn't answer all the questions about the fate of Gene and the others when they return to space. Also, Aisha and Suzuka join the crew in rather uninspired ways ("You did something bad to me, so I'm gonna wear you like underwear until I get what I want out of you"). These

are minor flaws, and I'd much rather have the crew come together through cliched methods than to not come together at all.

A note to parents. While the Cartoon Network version is relatively family friendly, the original version is...hoo boy. Sexuality is a staple of the series thanks to Gene's perverted mind, with much innuendo and a good bit of nudity (especially the infamous hot springs episode, removed from the Cartoon Network broadcast). There are frequent gunfights with moderate blood in them, and some mild cursing. The nudity is the main concern for conservative parents, though. Most of it occurs in the "lost episode," but Melfina is required to be nude in order to connect to the ship (which happens almost every episode). It's tasteful nudity, but used often.

Outlaw Star is a series that deserves the highest of accolades, whether or not it was inspired by Cowboy Bebop. Gunfights, racing, comedy, romance between Gene and the gentle android, outer space battles, and a sexy catgirl. What more could you want in a futuristic anime?

9/10