Outlanders (manga)

Outlanders (アウトランダーズ, Autorandāzu^?) is a popular^[1] manga comic written by Johji Manabe, combining aspects of the Space Opera, Science Fantasy, fan service,^[2] Magical girlfriend and Harem genres. It tells the story of alien Princess Kahm and Tokyo News Photographer Wakatsuki Tetsuya as they try to save the earth from the invasion forces led Kahm's father, emperor of the interstellar Santovasku Empire. The Santovasku use giant organic spaceships, or "Biomech," and they utilize both their advanced technology as well as their mastery of sorcery in their assault on Earth.

Outlanders was produced by AIC on behalf of Tatsunoko Production and is not listed on Tatsunoko's web site. There is an Outlanders OVA and the Outlanders manga was distributed by Dark Horse Comics in the United States prior to the expiration of their license on the property. The Dark Horse version was translated by Toren Smith of Studio Proteus.^[3] In 2005 Central Park Media released a remastered version of the Outlanders OVA with new voice actors. A poll was conducted to select the seiyū, and 18,000 voters selected with Sean Schemmel selected to play Tetsuya and Rebecca Soler selected to play Battia.^[2]

Manabe would later revisit the Outlanders universe with the one-shot manga, The Key of Graciale. Although it is not a direct prequel to his earlier Outlanders manga in terms of plot, Princess Kham does return as heroine complete with her band of trusted servants in tow.

Both the original Outlanders manga and OVA, as well as "The Key of Graciale," contain a small amount nudity and graphic violence. The OVA is a heavily abridged adaptation of portions of the manga, condensing roughly the first half of the series into a single self-contained episode less than an hour in length; all but the main story elements, in addition to most of the non-essential characters, are subsequently dispensed with.