Mouretsu, in Japanese means violent or vengeful, so of course when it was being translated, the word “Bodacious” immediately comes to mind.

That was sarcasm. It’s a terrible choice for translation. Insulting, even. I know I’m not the only one who hates the translation, official or not.

Despite the egregious service of the title, Bodacious Space Pirates is a great story. As a combination moe bildungsroman and a classic space opera, it really works.

Marika, our protagonist is, for once, not an average girl by any means. Cheerful and competent, she has friends and a job and is instantly likable. We’re not too surprised when we learn that she’s the daughter of a famous pirate and a potential heir to her father’s captaincy.

When a Nadesico beauty with a dour personality transfers into her school, we know instantly that the two of them belong together. When Chiaki makes her big reveal in Episode 5, we get to add in “beloved rival” to the set-up for chemistry between them.

What really sold me on the series was the whole of Episode 5. High school girls in space may not sound like the most riveting story ever, but Mouretsu Space Pirates beats the hell out of Stratos 4, even without the lesbian space virus. The cast is likable, their jokes believable and there is relatively little service. The strategies and tactics employed by the crew of the Odette were clever, and quite sophisticated for an anime series.

There may not be wopping loads of Yuri, yet, or even at all, but if you like a series with a good set-up and some out-of-the-box thinking and a dollop of space adventure, give Bodacious Space Pirates a try – avaiable legally and for free on Crunchyroll, for those countries that are allowed access.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Very reminiscent of Mai Otome
Story – 9 So far…great
Characters – 8 They aren’t quite checklist-types, and a few are extraordinary, even in the first handful of episodes.
Yuri – 1 but only in our imaginations as of yet
Service – 4 because we can’t *possibly* have a series about girls without seeing them in the bath or in their underwear

Overall – 8

I’m hoping for a good story. But some rival/friend Yuri would be nice too. ^_^