Far in the future, where interstellar travel is considered commonplace, high school student Marika Katou balances her duties in the space yacht club and her job as a restaurant waitress. Following a chance encounter with a peculiar pair of customers, Marika meets them again and learns that her absent father has passed away.
During his life, he was known as the legendary pirate "Gonzaemon." He has left behind his infamous ship Bentenmaru and its crew exclusively for Marika to inherit. With one of the few remaining Letters of Marque that permit legal piracy, Marika must choose whether to stay as a regular student or take up a second life as a high-octane space pirate.
As Marika ponders her decision, the delicate situation attracts the eyes of various government agencies and the mysterious transfer student Chiaki Kurihara, all eager to see if the upcoming captain lives up to her father's reputation. If the crew of the Bentenmaru want to maintain their status, they will need to set sail into the vast expanse of space and once again become a name to be feared.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
StopDropAndBowl
It is hard to explain the fascination we have with pirates in literature and film. In reality, they were not really romantic people, and their "adventures" more often ended in disease and death than anything else. No sane person would ever truly wish to consort with real pirates. They were undeniably brutal people who lived undeniably brutal lives. To say the least, they were not exactly what you would expect from the inspiration of so much romantic attention. Despite the inconsistencies between historic truth and fiction, the fascination with pirates still exists. We see in their exploits a kind of freedom and nonchalance thatrepresents the fulfillment of an inner urge to see what lies over the next hill. The fact that they were also criminals, welcome in no port and embraced by no country, infuses them with an even greater share of this mystique. They were the outlaws of the ocean, battling waves and wind; making their fortune under the bright sun and salt-scented air. The deep blue of the sea and the glittering greens of tropical islands were their natural habitat, just as the deserts and plains of North America belong almost exclusively to the cowboys and vaqueros.
It would seem that space is our new sea. It is the next horizon to conquer. And as such, it is filled with the same kind of mystique and romantic draw that the ocean once held. It is no accident that "space pirates" is a theme that has seen plenty of use in science fiction. Mixing the debonair flair of the romanticized pirate with the natural mystery of the empty blackness of space speaks to an innate sense of adventure and wonder that resides in even the most timid of souls. Mourestu Pirates (Bodacious Space Pirates being it's English title) takes on this theme with the daring and high-spirited romping that it requires; and the result is an unexpectedly clean-cut gem of the science-fiction genre.
(((In the interest of historic accuracy, we should first clear up a misconception. There were "legal" pirates. Privateers, they were called, and they were basically sailors who were employed by one specific government to plunder the ships of another hostile government. Letters of Marque were issued by many European nations before and during what has become known as the Golden Age of Piracy. With these letters in possession, pirates did have some official backing. The show deals extensively with this specific aspect of piracy, as all the pirates in Mouretsu Pirates are basically privateers.)))
As to the show itself, is hard to pin down exactly why it works so well. The idea of a high-school girl becoming a pirate captain may seem silly, and it is a bit, but it makes sense in the context of the actual story. I usually shy away from summaries in my reviews, so I won't try to explain the exact situation, but suffice it to say that it is not so simple as: high-school girl by day, pirate by night. They do a fine job at melding the aspects of the main character's life so that school and piracy are, to her, intrinsically connected. One great pleasure I did have was in the opening arc, how they displayed the relevance of her involvement with her school's yacht club, a plot-line that continues throughout the show. Her skill at managing and captaining a ship is well founded, and unlike many other shows in the "suddenly thrust into a position of power" genre, she goes through a process of learning and becoming better throughout the story. It is always with some annoyance for me when the main character, with no experience whatsoever, leaps into a mastery of some new craft. Mouretsu Pirates avoids this pitfall deftly by both giving her ample experience with space-ships and by slowing down her development and limiting the scope of her earlier successes.
One thing I always look for in science-fiction is how much science we are given. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call it pseudo-science. Whatever we call it, there is a strange habit in most people of throwing any story involving space or technology into one wide genre. Many famous works of "science-fiction", such as the well-known Star Wars saga, are more fantasy than classic science-fiction. By this, I mean that the technology utilized by the protagonists and antagonists is just a setting in which these more fantastical works take place. Little attention is paid to giving some establishing basis for the way things work. Mouretsu Pirates doesn't go out of it's way to define every technological existence or breakthrough, but it does give ample focus to them. This adds to the flavor of the world and gives it a more realistic feeling. Some might be turned off by this, and expect things to just work without explanation, but I appreciate it when a piece of art in the science-fiction genre actually gives some focus to the scientific aspect rather than ignoring it.
One scene in particular, where the protagonist is on a cruise with her yacht club, stands out as a fine example of using exposition correctly and efficiently. Details are given in a realistic, conversational manner. Rarely do we have characters simply explaining things, more often we are expected to pick up on context clues and use prior revelations to make conclusions as to what is possible and what is going on. This kind of trust in one's audience is refreshing. I don't want ten minute speeches from one character to another explaining how the ship's guidance system works, I would rather figure it out on my own by listening to two characters who are already familiar with it speak on the subject. There are few: "As you well know..." moments in the show and the lack is definitely something to be noted with pleasure.
Another point of praise is that in this story with a female main character and a pretty wide female cast, none of the women feel objectified. They stand on their own, and the kind of mindless "fan-service" that one would expect is conspicuously absent. The result is that I respect the characters for their cunning, skill, and grace; not for their physical assets. This is not to say that there is not a kind of cuteness or that the show is entirely void of presenting attractive characters, but it is tastefully done. We don't get zero-g bosom bounces in this anime, and not once was there a hint of accidental nudity. In the place of such tropes was solid characterization and fresh situations. The females are independent, intelligent, and can stand on their own in the world of piracy; and most importantly: they are females, not bundles of masculinity and bravado who's only claims to femininity are giant boobs and sultry attitudes.
The pacing of the story is another high-point. Some might be turned off by the slow pace in the beginning, but I for one found it to be quite charming. The time is used wisely in setting up both the world and the characters, and is a nice contrast to other stories which jump right into the action without giving you a compass or map with which to guide yourself through the maelstrom. (shameless puns intended)
I don't know if I would go so far as to call it a flaw, but one minor issue with the show is that it never really coalesces into a specific story-line. It's not exactly slice-of-life, but it definitely hasn't formed a core, overall plot beyond that of becoming a pirate captain. The show feels like an introduction to a wider, more expansive tale. One that I am very interested in seeing. With the attention given to the set-up and introduction, I can only assume that the story itself will be handled with the same technical mastery. The direction and writing are solid, the story coherent, and the final execution shows a deep competence in all aspects. Rare indeed is the show that hits all cylinders, and Mouretsu Pirates is definitely a shining example of what a competent staff can do with the right resources.
As for the other, non-story aspects: all of it is very well done. The VA's fit the characters and give good performances. The music is an appropriate mixture of boisterous exultations and grandiose orchestrations; and the art-work is both clean and colorful. The general designs of the space-ships are beautiful in a utilitarian way, adding further to the realism of the overall story. The character design was original and attractive, with a wide variety of looks and outfits creating an assorted cast of easily recognizable characters.
At it's heart, Mouretsu Pirates aims to be a teenage girl's swashbuckling romp through space, and it succeeds at hitting the mark every time. I am surprised that I had never really heard much about it before this, and in fact kind of just stumbled upon it while looking for something else. I am very, very glad that I didn't pass it over. It is not a diamond in the rough, but rather an already cut, glittering jewel just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. I would recommend this show to everyone who has even the slightest interest in science fiction, and to general audiences as well.
"It's time for some piracy!"
Story: 9/10 -The premise may seem silly, but the execution pays close attention to establishing a very realistic scenario. The setting is incredibly interesting and the development of the plot-lines is well-paced.
Art: 10/10 -Beautiful in both it's simplicity and it's originality.
Sound: 10/10 -Everything you would expect from an anime about space pirates. Great soundtrack, great VA's, interesting sound effects.
Character: 9/10 -The cast is broad and likable, the development of the main character is visible and logical, and the characters are original. Minor characters don't go through as much development or deepening, but it does not detract much from the overall story-line.
Enjoyment: 9/10 -It works and it works well. If you absolutely HAVE to have action every single episode, than you might be disappointed. Otherwise, the show is surprisingly accessible and thoroughly enjoyable.
Overall: 9/10 -One of the better decisions I've made in a long time was taking the chance on this anime. Give it a shot, and I almost guarantee that you won't be disappointed.
Nonyflah
Story: Mouretsu Pirates is effectively a slice of life show jammed into a space opera. Because of this, it feels in many places that the series is not entire sure in which direction it wants to go. This is amplified by the fact that the series takes the plots from several of the light novels without trying to tie them together. The result is a series of unrelated story arcs that begin out of nowhere. Mind you, the story arcs themselves range from incomprehensible to interesting. In some cases, the conflict is resolved without fully explaining how the conclusion actually ties up the loose ends. In othercases, though, everything is brought to a close while still making sense. The good stories keep my score in this category up, but the disjointedness of the series as a whole winds up removing quite a few points.
Art:
What can I say about the art? There are plenty of very pretty visuals, from the shots of Marika's Elaborate University High to all the little things like the omnipresent computer displays that float in the air wherever they might be summoned. I am not a fan of conspicuous CGI in anime, with the contrast between traditional cell shading and 3D action always feeling jarring to me. I recognize that it is sometimes necessary in this day and age, but I don't have to like it, forcing me to take a point off.
Sound:
Not being an audiophile, I can't give an informed opinion about this aspect. However I do want to point out one thing that bugged me throughout the show: Why does the captain's quarters creak like an old-timey wooden ship?
Characters:
The bridge crew of the Bentenmaru are all unique, each with their own quirks and all with very nice character designs that set them apart from each other. The mystery of whether Luca really has mystical precognitive powers or if she's just making things up as she goes along was fun the whole way through. And the reveal of why Kane's character often seems bipolar was quite delicious. But, for the most part, you hardly get to know anything about them. Why is Schnitzer a cyborg? How and why did they originally join the crew? And who the heck are all the guys you see sitting in the halls every now and then who supposedly run the ship?
As for the Yacht Club, the best one can say about them is that... well... they exist. There are a couple that come to the forefront eventually, such as Jenny, Lynn, and Ai. But, for the most part, they're just a gaggle of high school girls in the background who are there to go "Squeeeee!" when something interesting happens. They all supposedly have backstories and a number of useful skills (or so we're told by Misa) but we rarely get to see that in action.
Also, as a nitpick (and hopefully avoiding spoilers), I'd like to mention the end of Ai's character arc. Basically, at the end of it, she finally loses her protective puppydog hat, signifying major growth, on her part. However, in the next scene, she has her hat again, making it feel like all of the development was completely undone since then. It's almost like they preferred to ignore who she became, all for the sake of maintaining the original character design.
Enjoyment:
Mouretsu Pirates is an okay show. You do get pumped up when the opening starts playing and it's possible to ride that high for a little while. But, eventually, you either enjoy the events that are unfolding or you don't. The important thing is that you want to stick around long enough to find out whether you'll like it or not. Sometimes, you get bored out of your skull. Other times, you're hooked from beginning to end. That inconsistency can easily threaten your enjoyment of the show.
Overall:
As mentioned above, it's an okay show. It is most definitely not some piece of generic schlock that you usually see littering the anime world. It instead has a great space opera setting with a fun story concept. Unfortunately, Mouretsu Pirates is lacking in execution. Marika, the central character, is not quite enough to link the whole series together. There needs to be a lot more to make it feel like a single story. And much of the world is either thrown in at the last moment or kind of glossed over with the hope that nobody will notice.
Having never read the original light novels, I can't say whether the problems with the individual plots were due to the adaptation or whether they existed from the very beginning. There are so many things that either didn't make sense or weren't given a sufficient explanation. The bits that worked did so very well, being interesting or at the least amusing. But the bits that didn't work... really didn't work.
So, in conclusion, Mouretsu Pirates is a nice little series that is great to watch once. Though I would not recommend going out and actually buying it.
Infinite
Even though Mouretsu Pirates doesn't deliver on the potential of its first few episodes, it still ends up being an enjoyable and light hearted show, even if it suffers from incredibly slow pacing and the loss of its seriousness and realism. Despite the silly premise of a high school girl becoming a space pirate, the show was originally very grounded, the technology was not too farfetched and along with the bureaucracy of getting the Letter of Marque and the electronic warfare, it impressed me with just how realistic it was. Everything seemed to have procedure which compared to most futuristic sci-fi shows was impressive and awelcome change. However, we come here to our first problem; part of the director's job is to edit out the unimportant sections from the original light novel to make the series concise, but in Mouretsu Pirates nothing was removed. Therefore there is a large amount of dialogue consisting of unnecessary technical talk which soaks up a massive amount of time, leading to episodes where very little is achieved. If you are impatient, watching this will be painful at times, particularly towards the end you start hoping that they'll speed everything up.
This pace also means that there is very little characterization and no character development, which is a pity because you'll want to find out more about the crew of the Bentenmaru who are instantly likable and are often a joy to watch. You'll wonder about the backgrounds of some of the side characters, but will never find out anything about them, at the end you may even wonder what they even contributed to the show. Of the two main protagonists, Marika was a pleasant surprise as I was expecting some moe character trope, and instead got a level headed protagonist that thinks things through, is responsible and has a flare worthy of a pirate, although things go her way far too much. Chiaki is a lovable tsundere who's love of parfaits will usually get a smile on your face, usually acting as the straight girl in the various frivolous situations at school and at the cafe.
As you get further into the series, the series becomes much harder to take seriously, not so much with the plot or the enemies, but conveniences like a major corporation not having good security on their data and recorded phone conversations, or a machine gun being fired at a bunch of high school girls but conveniently missing everyone, or even the fact that Marika has better pirating skills than those with many more years of experience. Nothing that the plot throws at the Bentenmaru feels threatening because you know Marika will come up with some plan and the situation will all resolve itself without much difficulty. This is problematic for the last arc where there's supposed to be danger and tension and you can't feel it at all, let alone take it seriously. This makes it all incredibly underwhelming, and without the music it would have been even worse.
In regards to the music, it really grabbed my attention in the first few episodes, having some really notable tracks in a selection that really suited the setting of both space and the school well. I doubt I'll forget the lead track used in the preview and recap for some time. The animation is very good, with one of the best uses of CGI I've seen to date, as for the consistency occasionally the faces are slightly off model but other than that it's very stable, with no episodes that aren't pleasing to the eye. The art is very good, particularly that of Marika's home town, making me wish that more scenes had taken place there, as I feel it's a pity that it was mostly limited to the Bentenmaru's interior. The OP is energetic to say the least and you'll either love it or hate it, I liked the ED "LOST CHILD" by Momoiro Clover Z, being glad that it stayed for both cours.
Whilst it suffers from very slow episodes, on the whole the series is very enjoyable, and there is plenty to keep you amused, from high school girls pirating whilst cosplaying to surprise yuri, and dynamic battles to flashy outfits. There's plenty of funny moments, and many times where you can't wait to see how the arc will end, so overall, whilst Mouretsu Pirates is a very flawed anime, it's a lively and boisterous show that you'll appreciate so long as you have the patience to get through the slower episodes.
Nasty001
SAAAAAA, ORE NO MOURETSU PIRATE REVIEW JIKAN DA!!!!!!!! Now that this 26 episode has ended, time to make my review, so what we have here is an anime with a adventure, comedy, sci-fi, space opera, school and shoujo genre, but it is some like of a "Pirates of the Caribbean" thing where the space opera is the main theme, however this is one wholesome anime with a pirate thing that kinda stand out. One thing about it is that it does have some historical factual element in it like the " Letter of Marque" and yes such thing does exist during the hey daysof piracy during the 1700's. So for the "Story", I'm gonna give it a "Fair" 6 since combining sci-fi with a wholesome pirate thing is kinda cheesy but still amusing.
Art: Mediocre 5.
All look the same to be, since I'm not much of an art guy.
Sound: Fair 6.
Let's just say that I like the ending theme.
Character: Fair 6.
I'd probably say the even thought I admire the main cast Marika Kato and I kinda find her cute, I really don't like the idea that she's a Captain of the space pirate ship "Bentenmaru," as for the rest of the cast, I think that the ones who should be having the role of the ship's crew should have been the Marika's fellow club member, let's not forget that this anime's title is "Mouretsu Pirates" which means Bodacious Pirates and it is a plural, however in this case it is a singular since it only Marika who is the bodacious one here, Chaki on the other hand should have been wearing the standard Hakuoh Academy uniform which I would never understand as to why the illustrator kept her from being in one. Though the cast did made quiet a performance, still the author Yuichi Sasamoto should have made the ship's crew to be compose of bodacious females than a mix bunch.
Enjoyment and overall: Good 7.
Ok, I would have gave it an 8 but unfortunately for this anime to be 26 episode long is simply too much, since there are episode that were merely fillers which were unnecessary to begin with, also the title itself is misleading in fact "Marika's Pirate Adventure " would have been enough, but then again the wholesome environment it provided prove to be worthwhile. Definitely this isn't for somebody who are expecting this to have some fanservice in it.
Rionada_Jackie
“Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku”, which literally translates to “Miniskirt Space Pirates” is one big trap. Just look at the title. What does it imply to you? “Miniskirt-wearing rich high school girls in a futuristic setting where space navigation is the basic mean of transportation and there are evil pirates threatening the peace of the universe so these high school girls will be the heroes saving the galaxy and bringing peace forever. This show is too lame! I’m not watching this nonsense!” There, sir/madam is the trap. You see, names can be quite deceiving and might lead you to speculate something entirely different to what reality is. If I could sumup the entirety of Mouretsu in one word, the only word I can think of is: Awesome.
So here’s what really happens:
“Kato Marika, a high school student, discovers that her father (that she didn’t quite know) had passed away. The surprise is, her father was a “space pirate” whose ship is now docked somewhere in space waiting for the heir to be its captain. Baffled Marika now has to juggle her duties as a space pirate, a high school freshman, and a café maid. As the story progresses, Marika learns to be a better space pirate and to bravely take on the challenges a pirate life brings”.
Another trap worth pointing out is the dialog in Mouretsu. In the first few episodes, the dialog is chunked with technical and naval terms, which I considered a downside of Mouretsu (I had to replay the scene a couple of times to understand these terms in context). Another way to look at it, is that all of this vocabulary will be used in the later episodes, so there’s really no problem in not understanding them at first.
Mouretsu was able to combine the irrelevant genres of Mecha and Slice of Life then spice it up with some Action and Comedy and finally threw in a substantial amount of Adventure then *POOF!* you got a 27 episode Anime with a fantastic plot and characters.
The art in Mouretsu reminds me of the vintage Anime series. It’s not like the current Anime art but rather a unique one. That’s what’s beautiful about Mouretsu, vintage looking art with a modern concept. Of course, that doesn’t apply to the spaceship designs which are rather futuristic ones.
The soundtrack was very well arranged. I especially love the pirate-like music in the beginning of each episode and the episode review parts at the end. I probably overused the word “futuristic” in this review but honestly that’s the right word to describe the ending theme. The opening song doesn’t change throughout the series and you can pretty much get into that chaotic world of piracy just by playing it once!
Overall, Mouretsu isn’t the golden egg in the basket but it certainly is an entertaining Anime with a promising end. Will there ever be a sequel to Mouretsu? I can only hope for that to happen!
robert788
Mouretsu Pirates (2012) First off although many many girls make up this show there is one that stands out and you may not realise until the end, that girl is Coorie best girl of the show. The show is ultimately funny and adventurous whilst silly at many times. Somethings are odd like the fact of how high school girls can command and operate ships that people spend years of training for all whilst operating dingies whilst in high school. Marika the main girl at least got extensive training. Sometimes they say natural ability comes into play but some of the tactics are extensive beyond a highschool girl.
We also have many episodes of very chilled out and fun pirating moments that stray from what the common thought is about pirates. Although it is silly in this aspect it is still fun. Like the girls pirating in a fun fashion as you will see. At first, the pirates seem to be just for show and hire but they do more pirate-like things as the show goes on so stick with it.
Also, I'd love to have been behind Marika when she rides a bike downhill with how short hers and everyone's skirts are.
Whilst some of that seems to be a moan which is slightly the show is really great. It paces very nicely and covers various arcs of the storyline.
The art of the show considering its age is great. It does have some goofy CGI but ultimately plays out nicely.
The sound comes with great voices and sound. Generally, some of the space sounds could have been better but they did use some SFX. More would have been better for the surround sound. The OP and ED are great and wonderful.
Characters would take too long to explain and just need to be witnessed since there are many twists and turns with many expected and unexpected situations. All of the characters generally are great and are very nicely set out. I cannot think of many that I genuinely disliked.
I would say it is a great show overall and is very enjoyable. I mean it has 26 episodes and a film so it must be good since they didn't waste efforts on picture shows or anything. I mean the show's source is called Miniskirt Pirates so it was always expected to be silly.
So I would say if you want wholesome fun with action, adventure, a bit of yuri and some interesting storytelling then give it a watch.
waly913
Just a quick review, I'm not going to pretend to be the worlds best critic. I picked up this anime to begin with purely because I enjoy series where the girls kick ass, and everything I had read said it was exactly that, and...it was. When I was nearly finished with the series I ran into a 14/15 year old who told me he found this series crap, that it was no action and no story, and you might think that if you don't enjoy the realities of space. I feel this series is really true to what space travel would actually be like in the future, andthe character development is AMAZING! Everyone who appears played a part, there was unneeded fill in, and you really got to watch the characters grow throughout the series.
I struggle to rate this anime 10/10, purely because I do enjoy a bit more action and bit more fan service, but this show is truly a beautiful ride to take. The act and story are great, the characters grow before your eyes, and it provides both a conclusive finish, and an opening.
Like I said, I'm not going to pretend to be the worlds best reviewer, but if you are after a good story that isn't gonna make you cry for hours, this anime is worth a go!
9/10
ggultra2764
Mouretsu Pirates is far from being the perfect title, but it did make for quite the addicting watch for me. The series is pretty much divided into a number of arcs focused around the various adventures that Marika and the members of the Bentenmaru crew get entangled in, especially as the former juggles her life as a high school student with her duties as captain of Bentenmaru. Marika's classmates in her school's yacht club also occasionally get involved in the action to humorous effect. Mouretsu Pirates is mostly a light-hearted and fun romp featuring Marika juggling her duties as pirate captain and high school student,featuring a likeable cast of characters who are along on the ride and engaging adventures that serve to either feature more fleshing out on prominent elements of the world of the series such as the pirate world and influential figures or having fun at exploring the unusual circumstances of Marika's unique situation. The visuals to the series are great on the eyes featuring bright color tones and plenty of detail with scenery and character designs. It also sports nice-looking CG renderings of the various pirate ships seen throughout the series. Battle scenes are well-animated featuring a great amount of fluid movement and rendering from characters and spaceships as they engage one another.
While the premise to Mouretsu Pirates is a fun one and sports great visuals to boot, I do have to admit that the series isn't the best in terms of delivering depth. The series only delivers enough detail on its characters and major elements that are necessary in creating its plot, but not enough to get one to know more about the various characters and pirate crews encountered throughout the series. Not to mention that Mouretsu Pirates clearly has some loose ends with its plot and characters for its finale, particularly with a major villain that Marika and the Bentenmaru come at odds with in the title's final arc which was noticeably more serious compared to the earlier arcs in the series.
Despite its depth issues though, Mouretsu Pirates was a fun and addicting title offering a light-hearted and quite funny focus on Marika's juggling of being a space pirate captain and high school student.
ThatAnimeSnobRE
Once upon a time there was this cool anime called Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and was about this serious manly rebel who gets fed up with the way Earth turned into a fruitless life of working and consuming (being overrun by hostile aliens every year had something to do with). So he decides to board this super cool scull-themed spaceship and roam the universe, free to go anywhere he pleases, a place without joyless capitalists, merciless bureaucrats, and military jerks. Occasionally, he returns to save his homeland from all sorts of cosmic threats that want to take over his old joint. He was such acool guy.
Fast-forward three decades and everything is different. Serious manly protagonists no longer sell and apparently the majority of the (actual) buyers prefer spineless boys and dumb cute girls. As a result we get Bodacious Space Pirates, (BSP) a show about your average cute schoolgirl, who one day learns that she inherited by her father a pirate crew. Hm, doesn’t the premise remind you of something? Ah but yes, it is the same as Hitman Reborn but instead of mafia and dumb boys this is about pirates and dumb girls. And they are both equally silly since they both have absolutely nothing to do with actual mafia or piracy; it is just a random shallow excuse to get the show going.
Although the atmosphere and plot of Harlock were slow, grim and depressing, you could still appreciate the social criticism of the modern way of life and Harlock himself was never fooling around. It was naive and was oozing idealism but at least it had an identity and was trying to have a message. In a similar manner, One Piece is also about this funny pirate crew roaming around the world, looking for adventure while occasionally fighting all sorts of tyrants. It also had an identity and a message. BSP on the other hand doesn’t try to do anything more than making a parody of the whole piracy thing; the “bodacious” word in the title is just a troll. To put it bluntly NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS SHOW. It is storyless space moe and the only reason I mentioned the other anime is only because there is nothing to fill this review with regarding the Moecious Space Lolis.
I have no problems with the production values, they just look nice for the time they were made and the sci-fi touches offer something interesting to pay attention to. They are otherwise not amazing and the lolis wear miniskirts despite trying to come off as pirates. There isn’t any in-your-face fan service but trying to establish characters through fetishes is still fan service and it’s still trashing characterization and character respect.
There were many who got be mesmerized by the show’s attention to sci-fi details. It tried a lot to portrait a futuristic society where technology of that time is put to use and its presentation appears to be far more technical than in a usual space show. Meaning, they show how they steer a ship with more ways than just pressing a few buttons. Other than that though the whole thing is still far from realistic and this whole fascination to sci-fi portrayal is just useless fluff. You can easily find lots of things that make no sense such as the female spacesuits being skin-tight and have boobs hanging out too much (Boobacious Space Pirates, lol) while male suits are bulky and don’t reveal any body features. Plus you see no method to keep them floating in vacuum or security for not drifting away while outside the spaceship. They also seem to prefer spending a whole minute in pressing buttons and making a holographic arrow to appear on an empty seat for you to sit on, instead of just pointing you to where you can sit. And let’s not disregard how they all wear miniskirts in space; that male trainer of theirs must constantly have a boner with so much pantsu flash. Not that the girls seem to care in the least though; the show is also called Miniskirt Pirates after all. Don’t think it’s weird when the heroine appears dressed as a pirate while still wearing a tiny skirt… In fact, don’t think at all.
Our heroine Marika is a heroine with potential that was unfortunately thrown in a most dull setting. He charm is simply impossible to shine because everything goes too rosy for her. She never chose her role or goal in life; it was FORCED on her. And she is not learning anything on her own either; everything is spoon-fed to her through space school lessons. She also works in a maid café, so she ends up being memorable only as a combo of schoolgirl/maid/pirate fetish.
Besides her there is also a bunch of pirates who … are just there. And then some other cute girls used as background decoration and pervert-bait. And that’s all I have to say about the characters. Seriously, that’s it, what did you expect me to write about? People who don’t do anything? There are so many of them, none of which managed to be anything more than eccentrically dressed actors. The pirates don’t even look a bit vicious; when Marika is in her pirate uniform you almost expect her to yell “trick or treat”.
The only ones besides her I can say a few things about are the two lesbians. They are a bit memorable because… um… they are lesbians; the end. And that gives them ten times more characterization than everybody else, so you get the idea of how dull the cast is. Because this is a show about pirates who aren’t really pirates but a freaking theatre troupe. Seriously, they are called pirates only in name since they are not living a free and lawless life (like normal pirates do). They are working for and paid by governments to do all sorts of illegal activities but this does not make them privateers either. They are not ordered by one government to loot and plunder areas on another government because THERE ARE NO OTHER GOVERNMENTS; everything is just one big happy world order. So how can pirates exist if the government pays them to do robberies? Well, it’s not in order to kill, rape, and destroy enemy installations (it would be a fun show if they were) but instead all they do is take up staged missions, ordered by the VICTIMS, who see the whole show as entertainment and who even get a refund for whatever they lose. Thus it is done just to keep the masses happy with cheap thrills and in practice nobody is actually hurt. For that reason, there is practically no conflict in the whole show besides simple dull missions where nothing of importance ever happens. In one word BOOORING!
So wait a second, what is this show about if not about its main attraction (you know, pirates)? Well, basically, it’s about the same thing all moe slice of life schoolgirls are about for decades now. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! There are a few grains of a plot scattered somewhere in there but the pace is so slow and the missions so dull you wouldn’t care even if they weren’t there at all. Supposed it’s about Marika finding the courage to command her own pirate crew and supposed she first learns how to steer a yacht in space and supposed she takes up important missions and supposed she is looking for her father or something. And all this time you are just wondering WHERE THE HELL IS THE PIRATE ACTION? Nowhere; there isn’t enough suspense to fill an ant’s belly. Just imagine that after each mission we get the girls working as maids and eating cake. Instead of, I don’t know, trying to heal their wounds, split the loot or mourn for their casualties; now that would be somewhat interesting.
Towards the end it gets a bit more action-based, as there is this shit that destroys pirate ships for real, and Marika’s long lost dad appears but nobody recognises him because he wears a mask. Yeah, I guess his voice and behaviour don’t matter at all to the people who knew him for decades. But once again the whole thing plays out as dull as possible and doesn’t miss the chance to show the lolis smiling while eating cake five minutes after they were almost killed.
The lack of excitement and actual piracy is bound to alienate most viewers, but there are still those who will stick around for the possible comedy or dark and violent turnaround later on. Well let me spare you the pain; you won’t get any of that. In its initial episodes the show seemed to be building up towards something amazing and had a huge positive image by most in the fandom. Some loved the miniskirt girls, some were amazed with the sci-fi touches, some expected pirate action, and some expected a mysterious and complicating social commentary regarding the future uses of piracy through cyber terrorism. After 7 episodes though, the interest died out almost entirely since the miniskirts can’t keep you interested for more than a couple of hours, the sci-fi touches became more scarce and weren’t that elaborate anymore, there was no pirate action and there was no social commentary after all. It was just a dull show where nothing happens. Of course you can still watch it for the cute girls if you belong to those who don’t care about story or themes and just watch for the lulz, which is the prime reason moe sells so much in Japan, the country where working is the same as hard labor for life at some penal colony.
That aside, it is nothing but a silly light comedy with dumb cute girls in mini skirts pretending to be vicious pirates and doing silly simplistic adventures with zero action or excitement. Which is not funny at all. It is a desolate wasteland of a toned down in fanservice adventure that doesn’t excel at anything. The girls aren’t particularly hot or interesting; they are defined by generic traits and have zero backdrop stories or personalities. The design work brings nothing eye-catchy to the table. Genericness, ho! The ultimate mainstream show, you could say. Easy going for everyone to watch after a hard day, but eventually no more than background noise that gets forgotten as soon as the next moe show pops up.
MioSakomoto
I love this anime it was very fun to watch. The real pirates were not near cute, they were brutes, vicious... but this is after all set in future and in anime, so everything is possible. Story arcs are good, very good i would say, however end is little weak, i would be nice if Marika in the end meet with her father. But even if its not, it is still good. Art, overall i like it very much, it is nicely done, ships are nicely designed, featuring old with new, grand cross on the other hand, zig-zaging which i hardly believe that would bepossible in real life, but nevertheless.
Sound, i love sound in this anime, it has that pirate flavor mixed with irish music, although i didnt like the opening song much.
Characters, Marika and her gang of pirates were nicely done, and all other side characters, all are good
Enjoyment, i really did enjoy
overall it is good but not good enough to deserve 10, nevertheless 9 is fair score for Mouretsu Pirates, and it is one of animes that definitley deserve second season, and i really hope there will be the season 2,
Geddon616
If there ever was a great rewatchable anime this would deffintely have been one of them. Pirates, space fighting which is made good , and a main character who actually manage to improve visible through the entire anime. All these things are reasons for watching this. First of all you have Kato Marika the girl who has to juggle pirate work , school work and even club work. Through the story you can see how she tries and becomes better while having her small problems from everything to bad grades and overworking. She is a character one just want to see more of becauseof the fun interaction she has with everyone she meets. Then as i said who wouldnt love pirates who does the unexpected always finding the treasures there nobody else would dare to travel. The anime also got both a good ending , opening and soundtrack which feels great as the anime progress.
The story is also very enjoyable but thats one thing that i wished more of since i feel parts of the anime lacking in that regard. Bits and pieces you might feel is important has been left out maybe because its part of the novel and would get too drawn out or they never bother to fill it in. Eventhough its still fun and never gets that confusing that you cant follow whats happening in it.
In truth this is an anime that just makes you want more and more. So with all that said watch this anime but with a risk that it might make you want to watch it again and again.
me-262
Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku is, for me, my favourite anime of 2011/2012. It's got a crazy amount of supporting characters, many of whom have mysterious or extensive backgrounds that are only touched on, leaving that feeling of craving more - like Bleach for example. The storyline itself is entertaining and appealing, set in a universe where space is colonized, but focusses on a single and notorious girl's high school and its 2nd year class. Characters are interesting and sexy, making them appealing to every self-respecting pervert, however maintaining an almost Evangelion-like decency which mostly leaves fanservice to the imagination. This means even young children can appreciate theshow right alongside adults.
The soundtrack is fantastic, I can't remember an anime where I liked the Intro and Ending music/video as much as this one. There's something strangely addictive about the out of tune, almost hysterical singing which just matches the video to a tea. Voice acting is of course superb throughout the show.
The fact that a 2nd year high school girl becomes the Captain of what is clearly the most famous pirate ship in history creates an interesting dynamic in an otherwise exclusively an adult dominated 'profession'. There's plenty of adult and implied humour, especially in later episodes, as well as funny situations that children can also appreciate.
While the show starts out a little slowly, this is just building suspense and introducing character interaction leading up to an explosion of action and story thereafter. For anime of this quality to be produced without being replicated from a proper manga series I think is pretty impressive.
I don't see how there is any possible way it would not go to a second season and beyond, and probably just needs a showing of community support. There is just far too much story and character dev left to tell, as well as it just generally being a great show with so much potential. Definately has what it takes to be a long-running series, so long as the lack of a supporting Manga does not become a hinderance.
If you haven't watched Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku, I recommend making it your next anime!
KD7BWB
Lion Tamers, I have a new review, of a great Anime: Mouretsu Pirates. To begin, I wish to clarify a point other reviewers have made, that speaks to their ignorance of history. That term is 'Letter of Marque' The following link on Wikipedia will make everyone much more cognizant of this term. Read folks, this is the way it really was: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque ----------------------------------------------------- Now that I've cleared that up, let's get into a great anime. I fear that rehashing the basic plot will damage the show, so I'm going to try to stay away from plot spoilers, but folks that have read my reviews know that I just can't helpmyself sometimes.
This show is basically a "girl makes good" adventure. The twists are numerous, but I'd like to list the higher pointed ones, just for openers;
1). Father dies, daughter takes over the family business.
2). Mother leaves to return to her own place in the same profession.
3). Daughter, subject of the entire show, is the outcome of both parents being spacers and pirates, after an enormous line of spacers and pirates in both parental family lines. Girl is born with excellent genes.
4). Girl enters into her profession as a candidate/trainee, only for the crew of the ship she inherited, to discover this girl has the 'right stuff', and proves a very able captain and high-grade strategist and tactician.
5). Girl proves over the course of several multi-episode threads (something I personally like) that she can face almost anything and win.
And now for some interesting show creations, that point to the authors really thinking about presenting something totally new;
1). This show is presented in a future time, so far in the future that the average Man never uses the word 'Earth'. Not even as a slang term, to mean dirt. This is extremely unusual, and nails a creative element so outrageous; that a totally unusual form of galactic life is required. And the authors do not disappoint.
What a wonderful world, where the culture on 'Sea of the Morningstar' is ebullient, charming, quirky; and the people, as a whole, have a positive attitude. This works well, for Marika Kato, because she finds her positive drive a real asset, at those times when creative problem solving is exactly what is needed.
2). The authors present a world where "starTrek' style technology is partially there, and partially missing; in a fashion that explains why ship crews are relatively small, and ships are fairly large and powerful. When you don't have replicators, you need to carry a lot of food cargo (explains why the cargo bay on the Bentenmaru, is quite large); and not just for commercial cargos. And also explains why, when there are no transporters, one is forced to use space-shuttles.
3). While many viewers might have a problem with the anime starting off, like so many others, from a high-school (gee how original), the authors gave us a fresh look at this launching pad, and created a tale where our protagonist (Marika Kato) actually ends up not only forced to use some of her high-school friends in one of the story arcs, but then creates an unusual situation where her original crew become strong believers in these teenagers. After all, no serious damage is done, and some become highly trusted on the bridge of the Bentenmaru.
While many viewers might not catch its significance, the adventure that requires Marika's friends, ends up the the most lucrative commercial enterprise in Bentenmaru history. This occurred because Marika and a friend name Jenny Doolittle create a service contract that brought about not only a multi-billion dollar deposit in the form of a 'Silent Whisper' spacecraft, but also 10% of the gross income in a business making 50-trillion credits per year, for the next 10-years. And would probably mean more, as the business expanded, the show pointing out that this business was in a fast growth mode. This event alone will create the richest, most profitable Pirate Captain and vessel in the whole quadrant at least.
4). While I partially agree the story has spots that could have been improved (a reason for replicators and transporters being absent would be nice), in the main, the adventure presented in Mouretsu Pirates is fresh, peopled, charming, funny, thrilling; and generally exactly what we should be getting in real-life drama on TV in the United States, and is totally absent.
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Is the show fanciful, and lacking reality? Surprisingly no. Lots of teenagers inherit companies and are thrown to the wolves. Sometimes they succeed, overcome problems, defeat true threats; and become successes. While we all tend to believe that will never happen to me; in a less astronautical way, the opposite is true, and happens every day in real life.
But like Marika Kato, luck has little to do with it. All the luck, is in realizing that one has this gifted person in our midst, and all we need to do is get out of the way. Some of these gifted people are us. Look in the mirror, people that can see a bright future and don't rest until they get it; are all around us. And some of us are these people.
I tend to like themes and memes that present a World where the best of us rise to the top, and defeat evil; building a better World, and dragging us all kicking and screaming, along for the ride.
Look at the work expended on producing this Anime.
The soundtrack is done by the excellent Elements Garden. The Opening and Closing Music (most of it) are done by Momoiro Clover Z (while these folks do J-Pop, something I generally despise; in this particular case, the stuff is so high quality that the opening theme actually sounds like pirate music). WOW! While the lyrics are very over the top, the fact is both of these main musicalities are exactly what the doctor ordered.
The artwork is stunning, although a little inconsistent. This is because while the peopled artwork is fairly ordinary, the technical and machine artwork is designed by the great technical artists: Suzuki, Masahisa, Washio, Naohiro, Kawamori, Shoji. Their collective artwork has been seen in shows like: Ariel Visual, Canaan, Chrno, Girls Bravo, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's, Asobi ni Iku yo!, Heroic Age, Mobile Suit Gundam 00; and dozens of others. You may not appreciate the anime listed, as a whole, but no one can doubt the technical artwork quality. While most shows might have one of these artists, this show used all three. And they were needed, because so much of this richly drawn and accurately actioned anime needed some inventive and skilled artists.
While some call the story line weak; I dispute that strenuously. The plot suggested in this anime is nothing less than epic. The epic nature is all developmental, and needs a second season we will probably never see; but epic this show is. All the makings are there. Marika Kato is one of the most pleasant, funny, creative, and optimistic characters in any anime, or any other art form. She is a heroic figure, who never lets upsets get her down, and always tries to find a solution for problems; never surrendering. She is a true positive role model for young people everywhere.
I realize that anime is a form of escape, for most young people today, but the garbage my generation has foisted off on the young people of today; should not be a symbol for your own surrender. You all should see it as a challenge, because there isn't very much farther for us all to descend. We can only go up hill. Because of the optimism and unstoppable sense of enterprise of all of us; that better world we want is epitomized in stories like this, and characterized in people like Marika Kato, and all of her friends.
I am 62 years old, and I never saw that promised "World of Tomorrow". But you have the right to it, and maybe you can win it for yourself; just like Marika Kato. I hope you all succeed.
I give Mouretsu Pirates a very strong 8.
NeverKnowsBest26
Bodacious Space Pirates is among the rare shows which take genre conventions and spins them into something fresh. It takes elements of space adventure sci-fi anime and combines them with elements of moe school life anime. The result is an incredibly fun and surprisingly smart show with a fantastic female lead. That female lead is Marika Kato, a high school girl turned space pirate captain. She became the captain of the legendary pirate ship Bentenmaru, after a few of her mom's old friends (members of the Bentenmaru's crew) come to her house with the news that her father, the Bentenmaru's captain, has died and that shehas inherited the ship. Although at first reluctant, Marika decides to take up the position of pirate captain after avoiding some unwanted attention with the help of transfer student and fellow pirate daughter, Chiaki Kunhara, but still wants to continue her high school education at the same time. The show follows her adventures as a new pirate captain, as she learns about the her role in a world entirely new to her.
There are a lot of things that make Bodacious Space Pirates work so well, not the least of which is the universe it is set in. There is a remarkable amount of thought that is put into the setting, especially considering how silly the show can be. For example, as ridiculous as it sounds that Marika is learning to be a space pirate and attending school at the same time (especially considering that her being a pirate is a well known fact), there is actually a reasonable explanation as to why she can do such. At some point in history, pirates had been recruited by the Sea of Morning Star (Marika's home planet) in their war for independence, and so these pirates became legally sanctioned privateers rather than criminals if they possessed a Letter of Marque, which the Bentenmaru does. So despite being a pirate, Marika is not a criminal, and thus can attempt to balance her life as a pirate with her life as a high school student, as she does. Then there is the surprisingly intricate sci-fi elements, the campy but believable pirate society, and dozens of other details that come together to construct a very well fleshed out universe.
Just as important to the show's success is its likeable cast of characters. The cast is a gigantic cast of colorful personalities. From the eclectic members of the Bentenmaru to the gaggle of strangely talented high school girls in Marika's yacht club, all the characters are very likeable. Admittedly, the show does go for large quantities of characters rather than extensively developed ones, but given the show's loose and silly nature, this is hardly a problem. The cast is developed well as an ensemble, the group dynamic is fantastic at any given time; it is honestly very easy to see both the crew of the Bentenmaru and the yacht club as a surrogate families. It is just plain fun to watch them play off each other. In fact, the fun chemistry between the characters helps some of the sci-fi exposition go down easier, which is great because it prevents the show from feeling overwhelmingly talky. One standout character is Marika's mother Ririka, a strong female character on her own right; watching her gives you an idea of how Marika turned turned out to be the hard working optimist she is. Chiaki is also really cute as the hard-nosed tsundere.
As fun as the rest of the cast is, Marika really is the star of the show. Cheerful, level-headed, and optimistic yet a bit naive; she is an easy character to cheer for. Despite not knowing much of what being a pirate captain entails, she full-heartedly commits to the role once she decides to take it up. She puts a lot of effort into learning about her position as a pirate captain, her ship, and her crew; this coupled with her resourcefulness and positive attitude make her capabilities as a new captain very believable. She isn't perfect and makes some very silly mistakes, yet works to resolve them quickly. These qualities are what make it so gratifying to watch her take on challenge after challenge. Unlike so many other protagonists, Marika succeeds through her own capabilities (namely being a good leader), and the abilities of her crew, rather than succeeding because she is the main character.
It is a good thing that Marika takes things in stride too, because as I've said before Bodacious Space Pirates is a silly show at heart. Sure the show has well developed sci-fi elements and solid story arcs throughout, but the show's defining trait is its light-hearted sense of fun. Much of the fun comes from playing with common genre conventions and tropes in anime. The show is chock-full moe moments, cosplaying, and even some yuri. Characters overact when eating good food, girls fawn over how cute other girls are, and a one point the pirating job is done with the entire crew of the Benenmaru (at the time Marika's Yacht Club) in cosplay. Don't mistake this as mindless pandering, because it isn't. The show is very self aware of what it is doing without openly saying it, and as a result the show seems to be playfully poking fun at the tropes it revels in. It is neither idiotic pandering or biting satire, but rather a teasing homage.
On the technical side of things, Bodacious Space Pirates is spectacular. The character designs are lively and colorful; they're just filled with life. Of special note is Marika in her fabulous captain outfit. Even more impressive are fantastic spaceships, charming European like cities, and grand stretches of space. The settings of the show are absolutely breathtaking. The spaceships in particular are extremely well done CGI, and in the colorful star-filled depths of space, they are a sight to behold. It is also amazing to see them do battle with each other. Just as impressive is the soundtrack by Elements Garden. It is a unique blend of electronic beats with orchestral and wind instruments that perfectly embodies the space sci-fi odyssey and pirate theme of the show, and fit the slice-of-life moments just as well. It easily ranks among the best soundtracks of 2012.
Bodacious Space Pirates is a refreshing take on commonly used anime tropes.The way the show juggles high excitement sci-fi action with laid-back slice-of-life, while it playfully pays homage to both is absolutely inspired. On top of that it has a fantastic female lead in Marika. Yes, it does meander in the middle and isn't the deepest of shows, but such flaws are dwarfed by the amount of fun the show packs. It is weird to think that tech-heavy science fiction juxtaposition with high school girl shenanigans and more tropes than you can count would make for a satisfying show, but Bodacious Space Pirates manages to do it; remarkably well, too.
NV2301
TL;DR version: A compelling and highly innovative series in terms of strategy and characterisation but struggles to make its genre identity known. Unexpected genre changes from space combat, to comedy/slice-of-life is seen which is rather unpalatable in the first half. This is rectified in the second half where everything starts falling into place, and a good, clear balance is found. The series is more for those who like deeper thinking and strategy, instead of the average shounen battles. The story is deep and intriguing, with a wide variety of piracy missions requiring different skills and tactics. What is emphasised greatly is thatpreparation is key before engaging in any kind of mission or battle. The show, for the most part keeps the viewer informed how and why a ship's crew has taken a certain course of action.
Unfortunately, the preparation aspect is over-emphasised in the first 4 episodes which really broke the pacing and turned off a lot of potential viewers. The show does redeem itself in the 5th episode when all the preparations go into action. The highly tactical nature is gripping, and is upheld throughout the rest of the series during engagement with enemies.
The end of the first episode was also awkward, as we are abruptly introduced to the political nature and hazards of being involved with piracy, without any follow-up. The best way to describe it is a shoddy attempt to include action and suspense which was counter-productive in the bigger picture. The later episodes do give us a quick rundown, and the viewer is also able to naturally gain a good idea of the setting as events unfold, which makes the awkward first episode sequence necessary.
The structuring of the arcs also took some time to get used to, as the "Mission"-centric episodes bore the hallmarks of a Space Opera while the "In-between" episodes between the Missions were closer to slice-of-life and comedy. The change of pace is totally unexpected and rather confusing at first. The "in-between" episodes show improvement as the series progresses, and successfully provide a good relief from the serious parts.
What the series excels at is how it handles the characters. We have a large cast, but only the important ones get the focus. The viewer develops understanding of the characters through the way they act, rather than empathy that is seen in most other series. This feels rather impersonal as the viewer is unable to directly connect to anyone, and is left as the third person observer. The total opposite happens in Code Geass where we are always with the main lead, going through his thoughts and the fairly minor characters also have their day in the spotlight. Not so in pirates, as we appreciate the excellent supporting cast through observing what they do, and how they do it. The story gradually reveals the characters, rather than the characters revealing themselves.
Remarkably, this is handled in an excellent fashion as we see a very natural progression and development from our main heroine, Marika. Her piracy skills and confidence show a natural growth from experience and the subtle changes over time is just pleasing to see. At the same time, she is no superhuman and has her insecurities. A reluctant leader who becomes a beast of a leader when the switch goes in. The writer of this review has the same experience, being in a zombie-like state outside work, but task-orientated and focused while at it.
The BGM is very good, and supports the different moods, from mission planning sequences to high-stakes battle action. There is a noticeable lack of variety at times, and repetition through the episodes can get a little tiresome. It is a case of quality over quantity, although a little more of the latter would be welcome! The insert songs and a special ending theme sets a good feel-good and concluding mood, while the regular ED sets a tone of anticipation with the lyrics giving an excellent portrayal of Marika. The OP is a matter of taste, which in itself is an excellent example of Bodaciousness and pirates by their nature are just that.
General sounds are also great, and really reinforce aspects of the story. The various pirate ships are a century old, and have undergone custom modifications throughout the years. While the external designs have similar roots, the differences in customisation is apparent. Such is the attention to detail in that each ship has its own unique warning siren.
The general character art and animation is very average for a televised series. Character detailing is usually good, but there is some inconsistency across different episodes. The animation is decent to good most of the time, but there are the rare exceptions where framelag is highly noticeable. The CGI on the other hand is outstanding. The detailed designs of the pirate ships, and the large amounts of different shading that is used is exceptional. The movement is extremely fluid, with extremely accurate thruster deployment as a ship changes direction. Zero-G environments and physics are excellently represented in both "ordinary" and "CGI" sequences (technically, it's ALL CGI but you get the gist) with floating characters having to kick objects to change direction, as well as going "upside down"
At the end of the day, Mouretsu Pirates is a highly compelling show that dared to do things differently. Tactics instead of pure action. Third-person character development instead of through first-person empathy. It even throws in comic relief in this highly complex execution. Even the producers seemed to struggle, as seen in the first few episodes but they learnt from their mistakes and each successive arc improves upon the previous ones. While the end results were far from perfect, they gradually become close enough. This is certainly a show which a patient viewer with an interest in space would enjoy.
Synchrogayzer
Bodacious Space Pirates is anything but bodacious or piraty. It's about a girl coming of age as she balances work, school, and getting princesses to fall in love with her. Two princesses and the daughter of another pirate captain. This show consists of mini arcs, which means that there are long periods of SOL followed by short bursts of action. Bodacious Space Pirates is a smart show. There is a lot of talking and thinking in it. The main character does not have any special powers except hard work and careful thinking, so don't expect a lot of brainless action. Oh, one other thing - This is not anecchi anime. The fan service is virtually nonexistent. There isn't even a swimsuit episode.
ReJaKted
A LITTLE SPOILER-Y Mouretsu Pirates, which is also know as Bodacious Space Pirates (lol), is an anime that ran in 2012 and was created by the studio Satelight. It is an adaptation of a light novel. If I wasn’t recommended this anime by a friend with a serviceable nudge and an accompanying video excerpt, I would have passed this show off as a hentai that I could look forward to in the future because… Well, uh, because who doesn’t like boobs in zero gravity? I know I do. If you don’t then you’re a commie bastard. For a show with the daunting word ‘bodacious’ in the title youmight as well expect it to be a parody of some sort. Maybe a Sex Jokes: The Anime – IN SPACE! Instead of being hilariously bad drivel, this has to be easily one of the best space travel and exploration anime I’ve ever seen. That’s right! There are no giant breasts nor any panty-shots and, you know what, I’m actually glad there aren’t. For me, it ranks right up there with the likes of Outlaw Star and completely blows Cowboy Bebop out of the water in all departments except for the music. ----Cowboy Bebop is highly over-rated. It is decent at best.----
If I were asked by a man who was about to die of severe pain chronic pain in the balls to describe Mouretsu Pirates, I’d tell him that it’s basically a smarter One Piece without the ridiculous powers and all the boom boom pows. It even has its very own super-serious brunette Sanji!
Marika is your not-so-average highschool ace girl who apparently has a knack for piloting and making sound decisions through decisive thinking thanks to her pirating blood. She doesn’t know her dad. It’s all hush-hush. The dad dies one day of food poisoning. And Marika is, therefore, somewhat forced into becoming the next captain of the spaceship, Bentenmaru.
The story is pretty simple. There are no over-arching plots or clever trickery. It’s a straight-forward coming of age story of a girl who going to become the next space pirate king (well, not king – just a great pirate). For the first 6 or 7 episodes, the pacing is really slow. It takes its sweet time to tell us about the wonderful future of mankind in detail. Colony planets; space travel and the technologies involved, explaining the origin of the space pirates and how they are seemingly not hated by the general public because (uh) piracy is legal. All hail the Letters of Marque.
And then, the pacing really picks up. Marika is practically thrown into space piracy right after return home from her yacht club’s (SPACE yachts!) practice trip. After that, the rest of the Bentenmaru crew is introduced and both major and minor arcs kick off which include hunting for ghost spaceships and banding universal pirates together to defeat the pirate purging ‘Satsuki SS’ (my nickname for it) which is a spaceship that looks like the Eyebrow-Master of Kill la Kill.
Overall, the story is quite linear yet fun to follow. Excellent world-building and pretty good directing ensures that you’re never bored – even if you’re looking at two characters explaining the numerous technical terms and stuff presented in the show. Though, the show really suffers in the final arc, that is, the last 5 episodes. Lots of twists occur that are never shone light upon and the conclusion is sort of an open-ending which I guess probably was done for a second season run. But, since it’s the current year (hue), 4 years have passed now so I think there never will be another season. This really deters an otherwise great show.
Oh and the piracy in this anime is some of the most ridiculous I’ve ever seen. Companies actually HIRE pirates to loot their ships to ‘entertain’ their passengers. Even then, it just somehow manages to click well.
All of the characters are fun to watch and are likeable. There’s no one to hate. Literally. The only character that is an actual bad guy appears in the last episodes and even then she appears to be an ally of season-2 sorts. Even though there isn’t much character development for everyone except for the female lead; Marika – whose transition from a somewhat clumsy girl to a strict pirate captain with style and captivating command is a delight to see, and the fact that half the students of the yacht club get no background introduction along with nothing being revealed about the Bentenmaru crew’s pasts, you still largely enjoy the varied and quirky cast.
The animation is clean and neat to look at. The 2D isn’t really unique and most of the character designs are quite plain. The CGI, though, is just a marvel to look. Highly detailed and perfectly blending with the 2D environment, it is a perfect example of how to use CGI in an anime.
The voice acting is great. I never really mention voice acting in my reviews because, well, the voice acting is good in anime like 90% of the time. So, you know what I mean when I say that the voice acting is great.
Even though I’m kind of disappointed that I didn’t get to hear highschool anime girls sing shanties, the soundtrack is pretty good. Hearing the kind of traditional pirate-y music being applied to spaceship scenes is a weird kind of good feeling. The OP is the gayest metal-ish song I’ve ever heard and I love it. The main ED is my kind of club-ish music so into the phone it goes.
Anyways, Mouretsu Pirates is a fun show but due to obvious flaws in the story and with the characters, it falls short. Despite these factors, it is still a highly entertaining show that you should not miss. 8/10 from me.
B2Reviews
With a title like Bodacious Space Pirates (U.S. title) I really expected way more fanservice. It sounds like it should be a guilty pleasure, not a serious space opera. BSP jumps from schoolgirl slice of life to space faring political drama, looking bright and fresh in the process. More than a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief. I mean c'mon, a yacht club full of teen girls taking on space cruisers? Unarmed no less. I do wish we got to see more of the supporting characters, particularly the pirates, fleshed out or have episodes of their own instead of just arandom scene with a few lines.
The soundtrack has been replaying in my head since I hit play, that's always a sign I'll be rewatching it later on. Even before the bulk of the space combat scenes took place I was getting major Angel Links and Outlaw Star vibes. Overall, I found myself getting nostalgic. All thanks to mechanical designer, Shoji Kawamori.
Could have done with some more action sequences, and like I said more depth to some of the cast. But I liked the art style and loved that ending theme, and they gave the setting a good deal of history. Enough for sequels and spinoffs, but so far there's just a movie (coming soon, maybe). Definitely watch it again.
