Finished this one shot OVA from 2003 today. Here's a synopsis from MyAnimeList:
"Early Reins features six beautiful women on a train en route to Sunshine Hill in the early 1800s. When the train is highjacked by robbers and the soldiers on board are caught unawares, another surprise is in store: these lovely ladies can fight! The heroine emerges as Margarette, a young woman determined to become a sheriff although she is somewhat lacking in experience. She gains plenty on this trip, however, and the ragtag team of Western warriors joins forces with another passenger, Spencer, to fight some nefarious bandits and guide the train to safety. "
I appreciated two things about this OVA. One, it uses a western theme, a rather rare genre for anime. And two, the heroines were never sexualized or portrayed as incapable eye candy. I'd go so far as to say this is feminist western anime even. Being a big fan of westerns, this was a treat for me. I liked that the guns and steam train were meticulously detailed and mechanically used realistically, and the twist ending. I had fun with this one.
. The rest of the time it has pretty dark elements but they are mostly in the background or not directly tied to the main characters.
