OKAWARI-BOY Starzan S

OKAWARI-BOY Starzan S was produced by Tatsunoko Production and premiered in 1984 as a parody-heavy science fiction anime series. Created during a period when the studio was experimenting with more comedic, self-referential narratives, the show centers on the whimsical Starzan, a Tarzan-inspired hero living in outer space. The series serves as a playful homage and satire of various genre tropes popular at the time, particularly the 'space opera' aesthetic that dominated the early 1980s.

The character designs and visual direction were crafted to emphasize a bright, irreverent energy that contrasted with the more serious mecha shows Tatsunoko was known for producing. While the series did not achieve the international ubiquity of some of the studio's other works, it remains a notable example of the creative freedom within 1980s Japanese animation. It was received as a lighthearted cult curiosity that leaned heavily into absurdity to capture the imagination of its contemporary television audience.