Line #17 YMMV/OutlawStar


1	* AdaptationDisplacement: The anime is a lot more famous than the original manga, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff especially in the United States]]. A lot of people who watch the show aren't even aware there ''was'' a manga.
2	* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The anime has very fluid hand drawn animation, as well as a beautifully vibrant color scheme. The visuals in space are especially well drawn as well.
3	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
4	** The OP is pretty catchy, especially:
5	-->''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LucBfR1w6Y Semenai de! Kesanai de! Makenai de! Dare datte motteru hazu yuzurenai mono!!'']]
6	** Even moreso, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz1508RBx2w first ending theme]] is ''beautiful''. Melfina actually sings it in a couple of the later episodes.
7	** While the second ED, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYh-dCFb4Sg "Tsuki no Ie"]]'' is upbeat and set to [[ScienceFantasy sci-fantasy imagery.]]
8	* BrokenBase: Harry's fangirls love to claim that his feelings for Melfina are not only genuine but was what ultimately diminished his tendency to go totally [[AxCrazy ax-crazy]]. Others argue that his obsession with her just led him to become even more detached from reality until [[DeathEqualsRedemption death staring him in the face finally gave him a much-needed reality check.]]
9	* CatharsisFactor: After spending the entire series as untouchable and insufferably smug about his superiority while flauting it- on top of causing the deaths of Gene's dad and Hilda, Gene finds Ron in an agitated state and clashes with him one more time, taking him out with a Caster Shell he's unaware of and sends him flying into the distance and heavily injured as an afterthought.
10	* CompleteMonster (1998 anime):
11	** [[AmbitionIsEvil Lord Hazanko]] is the backstabbing, power-hungry leader of the [[SpacePirates Kei Pirates Guild]]'s 108 Stars. A crime lord and [[EvilSorcerer master sorcerer]] who [[ColdBloodedTorture tortures to death]] any who cross him, Hazanko callously sends dozens of his men to their deaths to recover the stolen ''Outlaw Star''. Scoffing at the insignificance of his loyal followers before trying to claim the coveted [[LeyLine Galactic Leyline]], Hazanko also horribly murders an interfering man. [[TheStarscream Plotting a war against his superiors]] that will threaten the whole universe, Hazanko uses the Leyline to empower himself, fusing [[BadBoss his own screaming soldiers]] and ship to his body and prepares for his grand conquest.
12	** "Gravity Jailbreak": [[WardensAreEvil The warden of Gehenna prison]] delights in confining countless inmates in his jail where planet Hecatoncheires's [[CruelAndUnusualDeath crushing gravity slowly kills them]]. Punishing any who defy him by locking them in an even higher gravity section for torture, the warden also brutally beats any who try to escape to death with his guard robots.
13	* CultClassic: To about five people in Japan. In America, however... well, see below.
14	* DieForOurShip: If you ship Mel/Gene, then Harry's an irredeemable villain. If you ship Mel/Harry, then Gene is an unrepentant and sexist womanizer who doesn't deserve her.
15	* DracoInLeatherPants: Harry is seen by his fans as a genuine and kind-hearted lover who if Melfina accepted his affections, would've been happy together as fellow bio-androids. This ignores the fact that his very first indirect interaction with her was physically invasive by accident- leading to what is depicted as an unhealthy obsession. His first physical interaction has him alternate between unintentionally [[MindRape psychologically torturing her by reinforcing her doubts about her humanity]] and if his sudden spouts of violence were any indication, that it would be a physically abusive and toxic relationship had it been allowed to flourish given how unpredictable Harry is. This is on top of being an AxCrazy mercenary who normally takes on jobs from any client and backstabs their employers if tasked alongside his brother. He does significantly mellow out by the end [[spoiler: when he realizes that he's not meant for Melfina]].
16	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
17	** Shimi is pretty popular for being in only one episode. A powerful yet worldly man who fights with only martial arts and a variety of weaponry, which is mundane compared to his allies' powers [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg except for Tobigera]], yet manages to nearly kill Gene and his crew with ease and only doesn't go through due to not liking his way of life and throwing the fight and faking his death to escape the guild. Even his protege manages to push Gene into fearing he might die in a match.
18	** [[spoiler: Even though she [[KillTheCutie tragically dies]] at the end of "Cats and Girls and Spaceships",]] Hanmyo has a large group of fans who had not only loved her [[TheCutie cute]] [[TokenMiniMoe appearance]] but also enjoyed the ShipTease between her and Jim, personally wanting her to pull a HeelFaceTurn (due to her being a member of the Anten Seven) and become a part of the Outlaw Star crew alongside with him.
19	* EvilIsCool:
20	** Ron [=MacDougal=] puts the swag in villainy, whether wearing [[BadassLongcoat his longcoat]], or a snazzy [[SharpDressedMan three-piece suit]] and shades. And he's got [[ConsummateProfessional the demeanor]] to sell the image, by being the calm collected one, with good business sense to boot.
21	** Hazanko, in spite of having one physical appearance during the Anten Seven mini-arc and three more dedicated to the finale, spending most of it offscreen leaves a lasting impression in those last three episodes due to the sheer brutality of his relentless ambition, nigh-reality warping powers that allow him to come back from non-existence in one instance, and monstrous personality. He also provides the show's final battle with an epic final Grappler fight between two [[RealityWarper existence-altering ships]] as a part of its most iconic moments.
22	** The Anten Seven, [[CreepyAwesome the majority possessing unique and creepy designs]] in combination with their powers and all except [[ButtMonkey Tobigera]] manage to push the crew to a corner each time with their powers. Shimi and Hanmyo manage to be very popular due to their uniquely AffablyEvil personalities compared to their allies, especially Shimi.
23	** The Kei Pirates in general. The group have intimidating foot soldiers, uniquely creepy designs and each has a powerful set of skills that make them each unique.
24	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
25	** Barely anyone in Japan recognizes ''Outlaw Star'' because it '''tanked''' in its homeland [[https://www.animenation.net/blog/ask-john-how-popular-is-outlaw-star-in-japan/ (ratings and merchandise sales were pathetically low).]] However, it was an absolute, previously-unprecedented '''''smash hit''''' in America and is still viewed extremely fondly to this day. American anime fans of a certain age, in fact, consider it to be one of the greatest series of the early 2000's, often mentioning it in the same breath as ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' and ''Manga/{{Trigun}}''. The show is credited, along with ''[[Manga/DragonBall DBZ]]'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', as one of ''the'' shows that defined the Creator/{{Toonami}} block on Creator/CartoonNetwork. When Creator/AdultSwim re-aired the Toonami edit (much to the disappointment to those who were expecting it to be uncensored and include the banned episode "Hot Springs Planet Tenrei"), it actually outperformed ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory''.
26	** To put this in perspective, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/bandai_downsizing_ken_iyadomi_interview the man in charge of Bandai Entertainment stated]] that, prior to the company's shutdown, ''Outlaw Star'' ranked up there with ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' and ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' as one of the most successful series they ever released in North America. To put this in further perspective, when Creator/{{Funimation}} announced in early 2014 that they'd rescued this show from its years-long limbo, North American anime fans considered it a Very Big Deal.
27	** In 2015, Toonami [[http://www.threecentsapp.com/questions/288908292718675943/results?answer-id=288908295730185284&invitation= held a poll]] to see which previously aired anime fans would like to see on the block again. ''Outlaw Star'' came in a close second to ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', and beat out such anime heavyweights as ''Samurai Champloo'' and the aforementioned ''Trigun.''
28	** The cult-status love American fans have for the anime cannot be overstated. While it usually is overlooked in favor of ''Bebop'' or ''Trigun,'' the creators of Toonami have said in their Toonami Preflight show how particularly deeply fans of ''Outlaw Star'' connect to it compared to the others.
29	* HilariousInHindsight:
30	** Hilda being a blue-haired cyborg action girl gets to be this considering Creator/MaryElizabethMcGlynn's [[Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex later major voice acting gig]].
31	** The [=MacDougall=] Brothers being named [[Franchise/HarryPotter Harry and Ron]].
32	* IronWoobie: OneShotCharacter Reiko Ando, who is shown to be sincerely and passionately in love with Fred Luo, even though they are under an ArrangedMarriage, but totally unaware of Fred Luo's sexuality meaning [[IncompatibleOrientation he finds her inherently unappealing]]. To prove herself worthy of his love, she willingly undertakes his challenge to win five consecutive women's fighting tournament championships, in the process of which she bulks herself up and drastically alters her figure which, combined with her reputation, [[NoManWantsAnAmazon means she will probably struggle to ever find another man who's attracted to her]]. When she comes close to finally winning, Fred pulls some strings to have the Outlaw Star crew cheat and ensure Reiko loses. And at the episode's end, all she does is give Fred a heartfelt apology for "failing him" and sincerely promise she'll win another five tournaments for him. It really makes you feel sorry for her, knowing she's never going to win Fred's love in return.
33	* JerkassWoobie: Harry [=MacDougal=]. He fails utterly to make Melfina fall for him due to Melfina being frightened of his instable and violent personality, let alone his role in aiding Hilda's demise and it becoming apparent that she loves Gene even more than Harry can ever hope to gain. When he does try to defend her from Hazanko near the end of the series, he's killed in an excessively violent fashion and is forced to allow Gene, his rival to save her instead.
34	* LesYay: Aisha often acts very affectionate towards Suzuka, often teasing her in a friendly way by calling her "Suze". This has led to many fans of the show shipping the two.
35	* MagnificentBastard (1998 anime):
36	** "[[RedBaron Hot Ice]]" [[NominalHero Hilda]] is a notorious {{outlaw}} hunted by the Kei Pirates for [[GrandTheftPrototype stealing their prototype XGP ship]]. Hiding on Sentinel III, Hilda tricks Gene Starwind and Jim Hawkins into guarding her as she accesses the XGP and its bio android guide Melfina. Seemingly killing Gene after he leads her to Melfina, when he survives to hold her at gunpoint, Hilda calmly cuts a deal with him and Jim and escapes the Kei Pirates. Later hunted to an outlaw colony, Hilda outplays and kills nearly all her foes, even [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing herself]] to kill the Kei Pirate's leader and save the others.
37	** "The Seven Emerge": The Anten Seven assassin "[[ProfessionalKiller Shimi]]", real name [[AffablyEvil Leilong]], challenges Gene to a duel, dressing his pupil as himself to draw Gene's fire [[CombatPragmatist before he personally attacks]]. Nearly killing Gene, Shimi then [[BadassNormal knocks out Gene's entire crew]] when they come to face him before seemingly dying with his pistol malfunctioning, [[FakingTheDead actually using the opportunity]] to retire and roam the galaxy.
38	* {{Moe}}:
39	** Melfina is shy, trusting, and vulnerable on several fronts. She knows nothing about her past, or why she was created, which Harry [=MacDougal=] and Hazanko both try to take advantage of. And she's the only member of the crew who doesn't know how to fight, as seen when Harry got her alone in episode 17.
40	** Hanmyo was a straighter example, [[ChildrenAreInnocent due to her age]] [[TokenMiniMoe and appearance]], along with being accompanied by her two pet cats, Kemi and Matta.
41	* MoralEventHorizon:
42	** Ronald crosses it in Gene's mind when he admits [[ButToMeItWasTuesday that he doesn't even remember killing Gene's father due to it being so long ago and the Outlaw had taken so many jobs that he couldn't even remember]]. From the audience's perspective, it was aiding in the death of Gene's dad and setting off the events that led to Hilda's death.
43	** Hazanko crosses it when he kills Harry for [[DisproportionateRetribution breaking his face mask]] by psychically crushing the cybernetically enhanced young man's body to the point it later causes his fatal death in a manner so violent that Toonami had to censor it in its initial airings. Keep in mind, Harry had been [[AxCrazy a crazed, mentally/psychologically abusive stalker to Melfina and been a psychotic killer for hire alongside his brother who backstabbed all sides for profit]], and yet Hazanko's extremely violent and brutal means of killing him comes across as a surprising, far too extreme "now we're even" moment; [[KickTheDog a demonstration that Hazanko is far more irredeemably monstrous that Harry comes across as a saint in comparison]]. He then tops it by [[DevourTheDragon assimilating the Geomancer, melting the crew alive into his horrific final form]].
44	* TooCoolToLive: [[spoiler: "Hot Ice" Hilda. She's one of the most badass characters in the series and on the good guys' side. Had she remained alive, Gene would've continued to defer to her without developing into his own way as an outlaw. So she died 4 episodes in.]]
45	* UnintentionalUncannyValley: The start of the ED is very creepy because of this, with a still drawing of a girl drawn realistically, but with almost BESM proportions. [[https://imgur.com/vzRs2Gu She's staring right at you.]]
46	* ValuesResonance: One of the more retroactively progressive elements of the show is the fact that Aisha and Suzuka, two of the major fighters are women, but unlike other shows at the time and even current ones -- which would have them be [[FauxActionGirl strong but not as competent as the male characters]] or [[SatelliteLoveInterest be defined by their affection towards the male characters]] -- Aisha and Suzuka are treated as Gene's equals without any explicit romantic feelings and the powerhouses of the crew with Gene and Jim being not nearly as strong. Both have unique personalities that are not defined by their femininity, having their own character arcs independent of Gene.
47	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids:
48	** The anime is based on a {{Seinen}} manga, and yet it ended up airing in a kid-friendly timeslot on Creator/CartoonNetwork's old Creator/{{Toonami}} block (the one that aired during the day, not the Saturday late-night line-up that has its anime more-or-less uncut). This is why it was so heavily censored. [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/edit-list/2001-06-26/outlaw-star-ep-1-5 As you can see here,]] notable examples included toning down the violence, the language, [[NoSmoking the smoking]], the sexual references (including banning a plot-important HotSpringsEpisode that was wall-to-wall female fanservice and toning down Fred Luo's homosexual crush on Gene), as well as [[FamilyFriendlyFirearms changing guns into blasters]]. Those who watched the Toonami broadcast must have had something of a shock when they saw the DVD's – which are, as stated before, completely uncut.
49	** In the UK, the British Board of Film Classification saw fit to rate the series a '''12''' on DVD. That's equivalent to a PG-13 despite the uncut depictions of violence, nudity and swearing. It's even more surprising considering that another Creator/{{Sunrise}} series, ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', which has a similar level of violence and swearing, is rated a 15 on DVD.
50	* {{Woolseyism}}: Crossed with {{Bowdlerization}} with Hilda's death. In the uncut version, she activates a micro-explosive hidden in her tooth, [[TakingYouWithMe taking herself out along with Soi Lin.]] In the version aired on Toonami, the bomb is omitted, and Hilda drifting into the star is somehow more poignant -- and more realistic than detonating a tiny nuclear device in her molars.
51	* TheWoobie: Melfina, due to her kind-hearted persona.

Context YMMV / OutlawStar