▁Entertainment . ▁A ▁few ▁Japanese - ex clus ive ▁audio ▁CD s ▁and ▁light ▁nov els ▁have ▁been ▁spawn ed ▁since ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁m anga ' s ▁publication . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁for ▁Out law ▁Star ▁has ▁been ▁mostly ▁positive . ▁Many ▁review ers ▁pra ised ▁the ▁an ime ▁series , ▁particularly ▁its ▁animation ▁style ▁and ▁its ▁balance ▁of ▁dram atic ▁and ▁com edic ▁elements . ▁However , ▁some ▁found ▁fault ▁with ▁the ▁show ' s ▁p acing , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁the ▁story line ▁quality ▁begins ▁to ▁w ane ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁episodes . ▁Sun r ise ▁produced ▁a ▁spin - off ▁television ▁series ▁titled ▁, ▁which ▁a ired ▁in ▁Japan ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁Pre lim inary ▁plans ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁direct ▁sequ el ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁single - ep is ode ▁( O VA ) ▁called ▁S word ▁of ▁Wind , ▁but ▁production ▁never ▁began . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Out law ▁Star ▁is ▁a ▁space ▁opera / Space ▁Western ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁fict ional ▁ ▁universe . ▁During ▁its ▁past , ▁an ▁astero id ▁containing ▁a ▁material ▁known ▁as ▁" drag on ite " ▁crash ed ▁in ▁the ▁fict ional ▁Ar ash on ▁desert ▁of ▁northern ▁China . ▁Scient ists ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁drag on ite ▁contained ▁properties ▁related ▁to ▁" ether ", ▁an ▁energy ▁source ▁that ▁would ▁allow ▁space craft ▁to ▁travel ▁faster ▁than ▁the ▁speed ▁of ▁light , ▁and ▁thus ▁traverse ▁large ▁distances ▁of ▁the ▁universe ▁in