Kain Blueriver, the hero of this sci-fi comedy, is a Trouble Contractor: he handles cases too difficult and/or dangerous for the Universal Guardians. He always wears a blue cape--even with Gundam-type robot armor--and fig... more »hts with a psi blade, a weapon similar to the light-sabres in "Star Wars," powered by psychic energy. His partner in adventure is the energetic, green-haired Canal, the holographic embodiment of the control system of his ship, the Swordbreaker. In their first adventures, Kain and Canal acquire a third companion: Millie, a Jill-of-all-trades, mistress of none, who is determined to be the best in the universe... at something. Although she's a crack shot, Millie is a typical, fussy anime heroine who complains and blames everyone and everything for her repeated failures. The Swordbreaker is a "Lost Ship," a relic of the superior technology of a vanished civilization that can defy the laws of physics, motion, inertia, etc. Kain inherited it from his grandmother, whose wisdom he constantly invokes. This quarrelsome trio retrieves stolen property, rescues runaway ships, and protects sensitive witnesses, squabbling and bickering all the way. The result is not so much a comedy-adventure as a farce-adventure. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up; minor sexual innuendos and some rather tame violence. --Charles Solomon« less
"From the creator of Slayers, Lost Universe has been perhaps unkindly described as "Slayers in Space", the tale of bounty hunters for hire who will trek across the galaxy to earn a dollar. While the similarities are easy to draw, it's fair to say that if you enjoy the humour and action of Slayers, and don't mind massive battles in outer-space, you'll probably enjoy Lost Universe. Oh, and like Slayers, the soundtrack rocks too."
Zany Space Fun!
Rick Reischman | 07/30/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great anime from the creators of the Slayers series, and staring the original voice cast too! This is not slayers though, the characters may seem somewhat similar, but they are not. The humor is very reminiscent of Slayers, but this is its own series. If you aren't interested in this title because you think its a rip-off, don't be! It's a great series that is good on its own. It has its own story, and you'll get over thinking its just Slayers in space after the first couple of episodes. Very original and very funny! This is a must have for Slayers fans, and non-Slayers fans alike. Featuring great intro and ending songs from Megumi Hayashibara, the voice of Lina Inverse and Canal in Lost Universe, and top notch animation!"
Laugh in Space
coopertex | CA United States | 02/18/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Taking place in the far future. Kane was a trouble contractor, similar to a bounty hunter, he took care of problems and criminals. Wielding a laser sword and slick fighting skills, he was accompanied by Canal, a bubbly, witty hologram who also happened to represent the ship's computer system A.I.. She was responsible for piloting and manning the weapons of the Sword Breaker, a very advanced spaceship considered part of the "lost ships" mythology. Milly, an ex-detective joins the crew because she was fired from the agency (and Kane was partly to blame), being intelligent and a sharpshooter, her help became useful. Most of the episodes took place in outer space and planets not like earth, but similar to it, with very advanced technology. Everything is high-tech; space ships that warp, automated defense systems, laser guns and swords, metallic worlds, space stations, hovercrafts. The creators of the show added so many little details to this hi-tech world that sci-fi fans would appreciate. Lost Universe contains all the winning elements of quality anime. The character designs, animation, sound effects camera angles and music are exceptional. All the main characters were very funny, charming, goofy and yet were able to get serious when it came down to business. The series has exciting action sequences that draw you in. Though sometimes the tech talk got a bit heavy, but the episodes were never boring because they made sense and flowed with a good balance of action and comedy. When the group got the job done you felt satisfaction. This is one of those animes that leaves you wanting more. This is a fantastic series! Good for all ages, ends on episode 26. I also recommend the anime series called "Outlaw Star"."
Lost too many hours watching this...!
bcmorton | Bangor, Northern Ireland | 10/08/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Misfit crew on a super-powered ship on a mission to earn as much money as possible - leave the universe in the hands of this lot and it *will* be lost!I *love* this show..! Bought it on the back of the "Slayers in space" label that's been mentioned and yeah, there are some similarities, but that's no bad thing. There's some great humour, the animation's well up to scratch (apart from some of the CGI shots of the ship...) and, while the storylines aren't going to make you think too hard, it's good, light entertainment - just the thing for vegging out in front of the TV with :) Don't expect too much in the way of originality, though - most of the ideas here have been used before. The important thing is that Lost Universe has slotted everything together in a way that makes for one great show.Only given it a 4-star rating, though, 'coz it's not perfect & there's the potential there for it to get even better. Eagerly waiting to see what the next few volumes turn out like...!"
The dub stinks
Yui Hongo | Somewhere in North America | 08/27/2000
(2 out of 5 stars)
"In general Lost Universe is a standard sci-fi anime program. You have a mysterious ship, cute girls, and a guy who wields a sword of light, and attempts a humour which do not smoothly make the transition from stuff that the Japanese may find to be funny verses what most Americans would consider funny. The thing that makes this typical show really stink is the dub. The people that they choose are just horrible. Canal has an annoying voice, Kane is extremely whiny and childless in sound, and Milly sounds like a bubble head. This is clearly not one of A.D. vision's better dubs, so if you must watch this show go for the subtitled version."