It was a huge deal when Toonami announced that they would be rerunning the classic anime series Outlaw Star. Jason DeMarco had previously told fans that if they had a chance to air Outlaw Star again, they would. Toonami is making good on that promise, and older fans will get an opportunity to relive the space odyssey adventure of Gene Starwind, while newer fans will get a chance to see a classic and understand why it amazed anime fans. On Aug. 19, Toonami will run Outlaw Star at 2:30 a.m. which can’t come soon enough. But why would fans be so pumped to see this series considering it’s a rerun? Normally all you hear from fans is that they want more turnaround and newer series, yet Outlaw Star has received nothing but hype. As proof enough, Outlaw Star has a positive legacy, many enjoy watching it, and it can only grow, thanks to this latest broadcast.

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What makes this rebroadcast even more memorable is that Toonami will be playing Outlaw Star in HD, something that hasn’t been available until FUNimation’s recent restoration. Just like with Deadman Wonderland, fans will get the chance to see this series in high definition for the first time (if you haven’t bought the FUNimation release or watched it on FUNimation Now). So for a fan like myself who has seen this series multiple times, this will be the first time that I’ll get to see the race to the Galatic Leyline in high definition which will be a real treat. I’m excited to see how the series looks, all prettied up for the new television run, which could, in turn, create more fans.

Those who might not have seen this series are probably wondering what’s the big deal about Outlaw Star and why are so many fans are happy to hear it is returning? It fits the mold of what you get with Cowboy Bebop. “Space is the place,” and that’s where Outlaw Star occurs. Our lead, bounty hunter extraordinaire Gene Starwind, and his partner in crime Jim Hawking, take a job with a notorious piolet named Hilda. The two are pulled into a property dispute with a state of the art space craft and person (Melfina) who is a key to said space craft. We then follow our heroes through various jobs, massive battles, and watch them make a few friends along the way as they travel space to find the elusive Galatic Leyline (which is said to be full of riches that any space pirate or planet would want to get their hands on). It’s believed that the space craft that Gene ends up on is the best one to find this treasure.

What felt unique about this series were the fights that you get to see. Not only are the characters themselves involved in battles with some pretty impressive guns and swords, but the spaceships themselves do battle, too. Grappler Arms wasn’t something I’ve seen before and having them attached to the ships and fighting other spaceships just blew me away. Distancing themselves from series like Gundam and Cowboy Bebop, these types of space battles allowed Outlaw Star to become its own thing instead of a carbon copy of a series that was more successful. That resonated with many fans, and it’s worked to the point where people still talk about it today.

Outlaw Star is a huge favorite of mine, with it ranking third on my all time favorite Toonami shows. I fell in love with the characters (especially Gene) and enjoyed the entire adventure that Gene had to go through. I enjoyed every battle that Gene and Suzuka found themselves in. There is always an allure in watching a series that captures the imagination as to what it would be like to travel space to find all types of people and treasure. I found Gene to be the prototypical lead character, and how he handles business (work related or otherwise). He was easy for me to cheer on, care about, and watch him grow with his crew (especially Melfina). We get to see Gene take on his fears about traveling to space, which I found incredibly relatable, and I’m sure others will, too (whether you take it literally or metaphorically). I’m also not alone when it comes to loving Outlaw Star. Many fans of Toonami (who watched during its Cartoon Network run) often look back at Outlaw Star as one of their all time favorites to watch as well (one being Erica Mendez, which we found out last year at ConnectiCon).

For its actual run, I’ll be curious to see how things pan out when/if we get to see episode 23 air (a hot spring episode), considering it would be in high definition. There was some nudity, which is obviously something you can’t have on cable, so I’ll be curious as to how Toonami works their way around this. They were able to make some edits with Kill la Kill, so I have faith in what they will do. The reason why I make a big deal about it is that half of the episode is important to the overall story, with Gene looking for ways to win in what will be the last huge battle. Before, fans were just left confused, with some wondering how he picked up an individual caster shell (a special bullet). It will be interesting when we get to that point.

Toonami re-airing Outlaw Star just underscores the kind of legacy it has built through the years. It’s a series that has aged well, and fans still love it to this day. Why not go for more nostalgia by adding a beloved series that many associate with Toonami already? Similarly to Samurai Champloo, just because it has aired before doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile to rebroadcast. It could also lead to Toonami looking into other favorite shows that aired earlier, which I’m sure many wouldn’t be opposed to. Outlaw Star is one of the more rewarding series to watch, and if you haven’t had the chance to check it out (streaming, bought the Blu-ray or DVD’s, missed it on Toonami before), get ready to be amazed.

C.J Maffris is an editorial writer for ToonamiFaithful.com. He is excited that Outlaw Star will return once again to television. Travel to the Galatic Leyline with him on Twitter to talk all things Toonami with him @SeaJayMaffris