Critical reception for the plot of "Outlaw Star" has been mixed. Churosh found that though the series features many clichés of 1990's science fiction anime, "Outlaw Star" manages to transcend them as well. "Maybe it doesn't go anywhere that other series haven't already been", the reviewer stated. "But boy, does it have a damn good time getting there." Upatkoon observed that the plot " off with a bang at the beginning" and then begins to drag. Keith Dawe of "Animerica" also noted this about the anime's pacing, stating that even as the first few episodes do well to begin the narrative, the show's writers rely too heavily on inertia to advance it. He went on to remark that the series suffers from "unfocused scripting" and that "one has to endure the occasional cheesy episode to reap the rewards of a show that is clever, pragmatic and amusing". However, Dawe did regard the English script writing and voice acting, and called the over-the-top introductory narration for each episode a reminder that the show should be enjoyed for what it was. Owens commented that the plot will not seem very original, but that it does seem to have direction, despite said direction not being very clear. For their part, the magazine "Just Add Color" criticized the series for perpetrating gay stereotypes manifested in the character, Fred Luo.