Synopsis

Vash the Stampede, an extraordinary gunman, has left a trail of death and desolation in his wake, which has given him the moniker the humanoid typhoon. As a result, a 60 billion double dollar bounty has been placed on his head, dead or alive. Despite the legends that surround his name, Vash remains an unassuming, peace-loving wanderer, seemingly oblivious to the danger always follows him. Finally, it seems he can no longer outrun his mysterious past. A group of elite assassins, known as the Gung-ho Guns, have been dispatched to kill him. Vash must confront a powerful opponent from his past in order to save his friends and bring ?love and peace? back to the frontier.

Review

Trigun has one of the least linear storylines in anime, yet it still manages to keep the viewer engaged by gradually revealing more and more of Vash?s past. The individual episodes could almost stand alone as entertaining vignettes or even, in some cases, brief morality plays.

The meandering nature of the show may seem like a detriment initially, but it is truly effective in taking the time to introduce the characters so that the viewer becomes emotionally invested. As the story progresses and follows Vash through his seemingly random journey from one city to another, it very subtly creates a framework for the story and, more importantly, establishes and illustrates the philosophy by which Vash lives his life. By the end of the series, you feel that you have unwittingly gained insight into the characters, which gives the story an epic feel.

Despite the effective, albeit unusual, storytelling, Trigun is more of a comedy than a serious drama. The first few episodes make this quite clear. Much of the humor is quite funny, although some viewers may be disturbed by the rapid transitions between thought-provoking elements and ribald comedy. In fact, the show in general, and Vash in particular, is unable to take itself seriously for more than a few minutes at a time, although the mood does turn decidedly darker towards the end. In addition to providing comic relief, I believe the quirky actions of the hero are meant to represent a diversion or self-defense mechanism he uses to distract himself and others from his troubling past and present difficulties.

The acuity with which the creators manage to flesh out the characters? personalities, and even ideologies, in such a relatively short time is one of the show?s greatest merits. Nicholas D. Wolfwood, for instance, is not introduced until the series is well under way, yet he remains one of the most indelible and profound characters in any series. All of the primary characters are exposed more fully throughout the show, and we are able to see past their external demeanors to the inner turmoil and struggles that they each have been contending with, which humanizes them and makes them much more relatable. Even the antagonists are not all viewed as purely evil, but often have their pasts and psyches explored, if only for a single episode.

Milly and Meryl are really enjoyable ?hero support? and both have very dynamic and funny personalities, but most of the though-provoking rapport comes from Vash and Wolfwood, who are portrayed as almost a dichotomy of the same person.

Wolfwood, a priest ironically, is the one who feels as if he cannot be forgiven, that he has a burden to bear, which is symbolized none too subtly by the large cross that he carries with him. He sees Vash as an idealistic, na?ve version of himself, or what he could have been. As it is, he has made a choice that he does not regret, but he can never undo. He has hardened himself inside and out and is hesitant to become emotionally attached to anyone for fear of hurting them. He is at times disgusted by Vash?s pacifist ideals and faith in humanity, seeing both as self-destructive and ignorant, yet he feels a grudging respect for a man with such strong convictions.

Despite Vash?s lighthearted attitude and immature humor, he realizes that the life he has chosen is a painful and impossible one. He already secretly bears countless scars as a result of his refusal to kill, but he remains steadfast. His past is also full of tremendous pain and remorse, but unlike Wolfwood, he hasn?t allowed it to change him.

The backdrop for this story is a barren desert planet at some point in the distant future. Technology has regressed, but there are relics of a previous era still present in small amounts. The desolate, well-worn atmosphere and the remote locations of the cities gives the series a distinct western flavor that combines with the sci-fi elements surprisingly naturally. All in all, it has one of the most consistent and intriguing environments I?ve seen.

The character designs are also distinctive and well-done, with as much detail paid to the enemies as to the primary characters. A few of the enemies revert to anime stereotypes and some have some over-exaggerated features, but for the most part they are creative and memorable.

Although I would classify Trigun as an action/comedy series, the action isn?t non-stop or ground-breaking. It?s solid, however, and has some rather creative elements. The animation is pretty standard, sometimes a little rough, but more than adequate to tell the story.

The music is an interesting blend of electric guitar with gentler techno elements. It sounded somewhat grating and obnoxious at first, but after a while it became more natural sounding and suited the series rather well. The voiceovers are all above average, in my opinion, and do a decently good job of conveying emotion.

I would also comment briefly that the writing for Trigun is above average. Details such as the names of cities and characters were chosen with obvious care and almost always have a memorable, almost poetic ring to them. At then end of each episode, Vash narrates a preview for the upcoming episode which gives an insight into his philosophy regarding the events. The soliloquies are well-written prose and are definitely worth watching in order to better digest the philosophical side of the series.

Conclusion

Trigun is by far one of the most wide-ranging titles out there. It covers a spectrum of topics and emotions with each episode an individual action/comedy parable or sorts. While some may not enjoy the purposeful wandering the show employs during the first half of the series, the story and the characters become powerful driving forces towards the finale. Although it?s not exceptional in any one regard, Trigun possesses a consistency in plot, music, action, comedy, animation, and character development that is a true rarity. There is certainly more to both the characters and this series than meets the eye.

-Review by Reptile (27 Jun, 2006)

Audio:	Unique and fitting, but not particularly catchy
Video:	Average animation
Plot:	Multi-levelled plot is surprisingly deep
Style:	Great character and environment designs
Characters:	Outstanding character development overall
Violence:	Medium
Language:	Mild
Nudity:	Mild (suggestive themes)
Genre:	Scifi
Episodes:	26
Rating:	4.5 of 5
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