OBSCURE O.V.A.S, *Outlanders

Outlanders was a one-shot OVA that was released in 1986, based on the manga series by Johji Manabe. He also created other manga titles such as Caravan Kidd and Drakuun, plus the anime/manga Capricorn. The entire manga was previously released in America through Dark Horse Comics. The anime was first put on dubbed VHS in the mid-90s through the now defunct Dark Image Entertainment, and is now available on DVD with a totally different dub by U.S. Manga Corps. The roles of the 4 main characters were actually-decided over an online poll by anime fans.

The story is about a bikini-clad alien princess with green hair(who isn’t Lum!)named Kahm who comes to Earth in a single alien battleship to invade it on her own. But while she’s there, she encounters a hapless young photographer called Tetsuya. She immeaiately falls for him and kidnaps him in the hopes of marrying him and uniting her people and humanity. It turns out Kahm’s father, the Emperor, is planning on taking over Earth, so Kahm tries to stop him by announcing her “engagement” to Tetsuya. Unfortunately, her daddy doesn’t like it, and sentences her wouldbe-hubby to death. But, Kahm’s friends, the sexy catgirl Batia and drunk dogman Geobaldi, help free them both them and escape into space. They mostly save the Earth, although they leave room for a possible sequel.

Outlanders was one of America’s first exposure to “sexy sci-fi” anime, even before there was much hentai available out here. There is some gratuitous violence in it as well, especially with Kahm’s killing spree at the beginning where she starts beheading several soldiers. But the ecchi-ness it what really makes this great grindhouse material.