Trigun 515k

Trigun is another one of my "must see in your anime career" shows. The easiest way to explain why I believe this can be summed up by one name: Vash. Vash the Stampede is arguably one of the coolest, toughest, and funniest characters ever created. He's everyone's favorite superhero (even though he demolishes everything he gets close to). Vash brings forth something that I think everyone has a little in themselves, comion. If Vash had a middle name, it would be Comion.

As if Vash wasn't enough for this show, they thought it might be a good idea to throw in a fantastic music score too. ... Tsuneo Imahori really hit the nail on the head with his work here. Great opening, great ending, and great background music throughout the show. I like some tracks so much that I often listen to them while exercising.

Wolfwood, Meril, and Milly are great ing characters. The constant bickering between them will trigger plenty of laughter. Not a ton of detail goes into their pasts, but enough is presented to satisfy the viewer.

Animation is from the late 90's, so it's nothing crazy. It's great for the time period though.

Overall, one of my favorite anime shows. Worth a watch no matter what type of series interests you.

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site)

[Synopsis]: Vash the Stampede (Onosaka, Masaya) is a legendary gunslinger with a $60,000,000,000 bounty on his head who has attained the additional title of the ‘humanoid typhoon’ due to the way he leaves a path of destruction in his wake wherever he travels. Because of this rampant devastation, the Bernardelli Insurance Society tasks Meryl Stryfe (Tsuru, Hiromi) and Milly Thompson (Yukino, Satsuki) to find Vash in order to evaluate insurance claims and attempt to minimize the damage. The story follows these characters across a desert wasteland as it quickly becomes apparent that Vash is more than ... a simple outlaw.

[Characters]:

Vash the Stampede, while an absolute ace in every category when concerning marksmanship, is also quite a carefree and kindhearted character. From the get-go it is revealed that the destruction that is attributed to him is actually the fault of the countless bounty hunters chasing after the reward for his head. With this in mind, he is perfectly capable of dealing out major damage with his signature revolver however perhaps his biggest character trait is that he always avoids killing his enemies – opting to disarm or at worst cripple them instead. This mindset, while at first a character quirk, becomes very central to the shows primary story after a turn in what could be described as the conflict of naivety. Vash occupies an odd dichotomy of personalities where he can be both silly and comical but gravely serious the next second. Vash’s past and the reasons for his preservation of life are explored fairly extensively and as the story progresses.

ing Vash on his journeys in the anime are the two insurance girls Meryl and Milly. While Meryl at first doesn’t believe Vash to be the legitimate ‘Vash the Stampede’ she eventually is convinced wheres Milly is much more certain after their first meeting. The two girls serve primarily as comedic characters throughout the show and their exaggerated reactions (mostly Meryl) are the source of a good deal of the shows comedy along with Vash’s antics. They are fairly flat characters and while they have emotions and serious scenes they feel fairly stunted on the development front. As the show grows more serious in the later episodes and the silliness of things is slightly phased out, they continue to tag along but seem to lack purpose.

Lastly, Vash and company encounter a priest by the name of Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Hayami, Show) on their travels who at first fades in and out of the story intermittently but later becomes a more primary character. I would say that Wolfwood’s appearance is a marked improvement to the show as he is more complex and action-oriented than Meryl or Milly. He shares some qualities with Vash, comedic and otherwise, but is overall of the more serious characters in the cast.

[Art/Animation]:

As Trigun hails from the late 90’s period of anime it’s art and animation leave a decent amount to be desired in comparison to more modern shows. This aside, the character designs, primarily of Vash and his enemies, are very exaggerated however they don’t feel out of place in the world. The animation itself varies from episode to episode and naturally the more important action scenes are shown a little more love than others but overall Trigun is par for the course. The setting for almost all of the story is a desert wasteland and so there isn't too much exciting to work with in that regard.

One of my major issues with the show actually concerns its art and animation as I have a problem with how it presents both guns and bullets in the show. Because dancing around bullets is both a good source of comedy and also a clear way to show somebody’s speed of movement in an action scene – a good deal of bullets end up missing… a lot of them. This is highly apparent in that Vash goes more or less unscathed for a good portion of the early episodes – both a sign of his skill but hardly an episode goes by in Trigun where Vash doesn't dart around screaming comically as a whole troop of enemies looses fire at him. So the problem arises in the over-prevalence of guns and the countless number of scenes where bullets seemingly accomplish nothing. When the show relies greatly on the threat of a gun in someones face (which happens multiple times episodically) it somewhat damages the tension and gravity of things when we are conditioned to think that the guns and bullets ultimately don’t mean much.

[Story]:

The show starts out feeling fairly episodic in nature – Vash travels to a city, he is pursued by bounty hunters or encounters a problem already in the city, action and comedy ensue and he moves on. This formula is used for the first 10 or so episodes and so Trigun can feel a bit slow to get into at first. The show picks up pace more than you would initially think it would and it also gets reasonably dark in comparison to its early far more comedic episodes.

At the end of the day, Trigun is less concerned with with actual progression of a plot and more with the moral dilemmas associated with Vash’s lifestyle. Why does Vash cherish life so – and to what lengths will he go to uphold his near-pacifist ideals? The show attempts to drum up a discussion of morals by presenting us with a heroic figure who will stop at nothing to protect and help those in need but who will not take the life of his enemy. This very quickly becomes problematic for Vash and only becomes more so as the show continues – eventually becoming the main focus of the show within the ‘primary plot’. Trigun claims to harbor a moral message but in my opinion its a bit lost and unfounded amongst the action and comedy of the show – it pays close attention to Vash’s own morality but fails to bring up points for one cause or another with any real conviction; it is a little flaky in this regard.

[Music]:

The music of the show fits the setting well enough but isn't anything I would go listen to again after the show ended. As the setting of the show features primarily sand and frontier towns the music is evocative of a wild west environment but there is some sci-fi influence as well.

[Final Thoughts and Rating]:

I think that ones enjoyment of the show will rely heavily on whether or not one thinks that the show explored Vash’s moral dilemma adequately or not. The show has decent comedy in the beginning and reasonably interesting plot developments later in the show however because the show’s main focus becomes a moral one I think it should be held to that standard first and foremost. I would say without that moral intrigue, the show’s comedy and action would rarely outstrip anything else in those respective genres and so additionally so, Trigun relies importantly on its messages.

Rating: 5

I will preface that my rating of this show is bias in that I am no great lover of the Sci-Fi western setting and that a more avid fan of that genre would be quick to give it a 6 or even as high as an 8 if they could overlook some of my more nit-picky qualms listed. The show falls short for me because as I have stated above, because it does not do anything exceptionally well and because its animation (by nature of its time period) is not actively beneficial to it, it appears overly reliant on what I would consider an ill-conceived or half-baked moral question.


[Recommendations]:

I think that anyone that jumps at the premise of a Sci-Fi western should certainly investigate this show as its setting and characters the genre well. I would also recommend this show to anyone wanting to explore the more ‘classic’ anime as Trigun is very much one of the more storied shows in medium and is the point of many a conversation. To action fans looking for good gun-slinging fight scenes I would recommend this however it that other shows probably hold greater potential in this aspect. Lastly, to those interested in the shows comedy – it has decent gag comedy at the beginning but because the show eventually discards many of these gags in favor of a more serious tone I would recommend a different show unless your willing to stick around after the tonal shift.

26 episodes of a revolutionary anime that mixed comedy and drama flawlessly. This anime found great popularity in the U.S. and for good reason. Like Wings of Honneamise, it very thoughtfully combined religious themes and pacifism in a morality tale.

The first half of the series introduces the characters, and may turn some people off by its silliness, but it makes sense throughout the second half. If the entire thing was completely serious, Vash's character development wouldn't have the same effect.

The music is very subtle and gets the job done. It's not overly noticeable, and compliments the scenes quite well. I heard one of the ... of the band Black Mages composed the music. The music is very recognizable and memorable for how simple it is.

The characters are extremely well developed and human. Vash the stampede is one of the most multi-dimensional characters created in anime. You may be constantly asking yourself questions about him. So is he a womanizer or a gentleman? Is he a killer or a pacifist? A goofball or a serious, stern person? All of it is very well developed and lets you know that Vash doesn't have just one side to him. His friend Wolfwood is also very multi-dimensional and developed.

The animation and drawings in Trigun are not so great. They are in fact very mediocre, which is a shame. Many of the lines are drawn poorly, unevenly and the movement is often very choppy and of a low frame-rate (some of the episodes don't suffer from this, however). The lower quality animation is probably a budget issue, so it's a little easier to forgive. It must be extremely difficult to craft such a great series under so much pressure.

However, it's definitely one of the greatest moral dramatic comedies I've ever seen. The last few episodes left an impression on me; the show has a very clear and valuable message that has staying power. If you are up for a nice 26 episode series to laugh and cry with, give Trigun a whirl.

Trigun is a classic Sci-fi, Action, Adventure, Comedy series with an amazing Western concept. This action-packed show is full of adrenaline fuelled gun battles and an awesome character to back.

The story follows our protagonist Vash, who is known as a terrifying Gunman with a $60,000,000,000 bounty on his head. The story is laid out as an episodic adventure, where each 1 or 2 episodes brings about a different story, involving certain trials and hardships the characters experience. The good thing about this series is that each adventure is nicely linked to the next, so there is a form of progression and development. But this all ... changes later on in the series, where there’s a major plot-twist and it becomes clear that this is an adventure with a purpose.

By this being a sort of episodic adventure series, there are a bunch of characters but very few recurring ones. At least the main character (Vash) makes up for all that. Vash is a very complicated protagonist and even in the very first episode you’ll know that there’s more than meets the eye. What’s more is that both voice actors do an excellent job on him, bringing out plenty of comedy and intensity from his dialogue. The other characters do a fine job too but most of them don’t do much to stick out.

The quality of the animation in this series is amazing. Taking into consideration the year it was produced (1998); this is certainly one of the best looking, old, action anime of its time. Even though the character designs lack a bit of detail, the well-drawn destructible environments and fluid gun battles make up for it.

The music goes for the whole Country theme which suits this Western anime perfectly. However the soundtrack overall is nothing spectacular, with only a few notably great tunes and the OP and ED themes are pretty tiresome to listen to after a while.

Overall Trigun on the surface may seem like your typical bang! bang! shoot ‘em up, but this actually has a very deep story that will make you feel differently about life. Even though there are a lot of characters throughout the series, there are quite a few memorable ones and plenty of memorable moments in the series. This anime did so well in both the comedy and drama areas, which makes this highly entertaining to watch.

^_^

I personally like this anime, however due to some pacing issues & tone, this series is not for everyone. Trigun anime should be considered to the original Fullmetal Alchemist as it doesn't follow it manga storyline & is more original content, however there are some strengths to this adaptation. Also, it's main principle isn't gunslinger fights but its true writing is based on morality.

Taking place on Planet Gunsmoke where desert is found everywhere forcing people to live in this harsh climate. To make matters worse, people have developed this culture of the wild west leaving many outlaws running about. One of these men is Vash ... The Stampede whose head is worth $$60 Billion. The anime revolves around his quest to find his brother Knives, stop his villainy & bring peace to his homeland.

Much of the anime is bit rough, to start off people should be aware of its comedic tone as Vash & various characters are very goofy which often clashes with the more serious subject matter of the show being pacifism & Christianity. The early episodes can be slow at times as the real story doesn't kick until episode 12 but even then the story doesn't go full throttle until ep 15 when The Gung Ho Guns finally move as a group; challenging Vash's ideology.

The theme of this story is its study in pacifism on a dangerous planet, where villains with various skills & super powers won't budge easily to words of peace. This is one of the few western based animes that has an interesting tale but I can certainly people not being into the series due to several circumstances. Main problem with the anime is its pacing & enjoyment will heavily depend on the leading character Vash as he be found annoying to some.

When the anime isn't firing bullets it instead speaks of philosophy, however it isn't till ep 17 we understand why Vash is pacifistic in the first place & comprehend his motivations to follow those principles which are heavily affected with his brother Knives,who again, has minimal appearances in the anime. Because of this lack of knowledge, can lead to some viewers not willing to sit through the entire series.

Benefits in the anime include many as when compared to its manga, honestly has better writing & possibly even better conclusions to certain story arcs specifically death scenes. One example of the anime's strengths is the character Wolfwood who shares more screentime with Vash while in its manga, their interactions or moral conflicts aren't as strong compared to its anime. Much of the dialogue & writing placed into the anime is more "to the point" (in episodes 15-26) as the manga Trigun & Trigun Maximum tend to get a bit distracted at times.

Overall, Trigun appeals to certain people but if it does suit your tastes then you may enjoy it either for its setting or its search for the morally correct answer. The anime tends to give subtle messages to the conflict of the series. Most of the strengths of those messages is the opposing beliefs of Vash & Wolfwood as not many other pacifistic themed animes feature
a duo such as this one. Multiple villains also challenge Vash's beliefs in a more drastic level with casualties being build up with every encounter.It also holds two of the most interesting anime villains to date being Legato Bluesummers & Knives Millions.

Trigun's main focus isn't action, but instead dives into a theme heavily resembling beliefs found in Christianity. Other similar series would be Get Backers, Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Rurouni Kenshin & both series of Fullmetal Alchemist. The main difference that separates Trigun from these shows include the following; Vash's decisions & villains affect the planet's society, its western world with its own blend of sci-fi, & its references with religious elements mainly the siblings Vash & Knives & might have a better conclusion although it may come off as either subtle or ambiguous.

On the technical side of things, Trigun is as dichotomous as Vash himself when it comes to animation. The rough and tumble design is the result of an attempt to imitate American superhero comics within the framework of standard anime style. Interesting, but maybe not so great in execution. Trigun has moments of visceral brilliance in its unique style but can also look like dust-covered Tomas vomit when the budget drops out and those exaggerated character models can stand up no better than Barbie in heels, making it a visual hit-and-miss.

The soundtrack is one of the more underappreciated out there, consisting of a lot ... of guitar mixed with arbitrary banging and scraping on neither drums or washboards, but mysterious junk. This noise-music really brings the bleak world of Trigun to life, accenting every heartbeat and gunshot with a balance of intensity and silence.

As for the voicing, veteran Satsuki Yukino does play a really awesome Milly, and for the most part the rest of the acting is good in Japanese, but oh gosh, Trigun is so rewarding in English! Where Vash’s seiyuu unfortunately overacts anytime things get too serious, Johnny Yong Bosch seems to understand the part better and can play up both the cartoony moments and the tragic ones while sounding very natural. Actually, natural’s a pretty good word for the entire dub. The cast may rant into goofsville frequently, but they always sound warmly human, and the western archetype snarls and slurs are entirely too much fun. I especially liked the voicing of Wolfwood, who has a thick Kansai accent in Japanese, traditionally dubbed as a thick Southern accent, but played by Jeff Nimoy as more like what it actually sounds like: gently lilting but with a lot of bark in the back of the throat. I’ll it there are some awful extras floating around here and there, but overall the English Trigun seems to breathe much easier than the Japanese.

I might as well state the obvious up front. Trigun has awesome gunfights. It is also enormously funny and wildly original. But the characters of Trigun are the heart and root of the series. Vash is hands-down one of the most memorable heroes ever created from his bizarre appearance to his enigmatic personality, equal parts deadly grizzly and teddy bear. But even he can’t carry the story alone. Wolfwood is arguably more popular even than Vash, and just as fascinating in both his reflection of Vash’s nature and his fervent opposition of his way of life. Not to mention the insurance girls whose profound effect on the boys is far too spoileriffic to go into here.

These four, along with the many striking side characters and bookoodles of fearsome villains, carry the bulk of the insanity around them with incredible ease. What do I mean by insanity? I mean that this series is a deceptive little bugger, that’s what.

It starts off with a deafening slingshot into wild comedy and over-the-top violence in a series of formulaic standalones that are so good, they probably could have carried 26 episodes all by themselves. There is a lot of heart in these comedy vignettes, but it’s still all brains-off popcorn viewing…or so we think. Viewers can’t rely on Trigun as a pick-me-up for very long, because halfway through the ride we find out that the peaceful outlaw’s past hasn’t made peace with him, and the systematic vengeance Legato and his hired guns exacts on Vash begins a long plunge into wickedly effective pathos, twisting into darker and crueler places until it climaxes in a scene so nerve-shattering you’ll find it difficult not to yell at your screen a little. And surprise, surprise, THAT’S not even the end.

So, is this bolt from the blue rollercoaster a bad thing? It could have been. The spiral from comedy to drama has killed many series before and after it, but to come full circle here, Trigun is saved through the depth and humanity of its cast. Vash’s philosophy of nonviolence is charming at first and easy to rally behind, but once put in a harsher context, Vash has to wonder if it’s killing more people than it saves and struggles far more against himself than Legato, making this not only an emotional surprise, but a profoundly deep one as well, all thanks to the believability of the not-so-cartoony characters.

That’s not to say the plot isn’t a force to be reckoned with, but tied to Vash as it is, it’s bound to be a juggernaut that’s just a little hard to follow. You will not hear a single line of blatant exposition in the whole story. In fact, while it’s widely known that Trigun is a space western, it’s never even made clear that we’re on a distant planet until episode 6, or how the earthlings ever got there until episode 17.

This slow cultivation of the plot makes for greater realism, but it’s what I like to call manga-contingent. You don’t have to read the manga to understand the main story or all the important things. But Trigun is extremely subdued and tight-lip when it comes to the all the little unanswered questions like why Legato hates slave-traders most of all, what Gunsmoke’s Plants really are, and why Wolfwood is vaguely hinted to be…how old?! (See if you catch that little detail...) There are answers, but they’re buried in the manga.

On top of that, Trigun is a PG anime adaptation of an R-rated manga, so while the manga makes it explicitly clear how Legato kills some individuals and how a mysterious figure named Knives can make entire populations disappear overnight, the anime will leave all the darkest details to your imagination. Some people love this, some people don’t, but you’ll be hard pressed not to find something to love about Trigun. It’s one of the great classics, it’s a lot of fun, it’s thought-provoking, and it’s the only gunsling-fest you’ll ever see where the man on the wanted poster shouts “LOVE AND PEACE!”

All in all, Trigun has its fair share of scarring in scraggly animation and overly secretive storytelling, but few other series have such brazen hearts of gold. The story is powerful, the characters are incredibly complex, and when the darkness lifts, it’s always a rip-snortin’ good time.

*THIS IS A PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF MY VIDEO REVIEW WHICH CAN BE SEEN HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C16kNsDCjG8

Thanks for reading!

Overview

Trigun is a 26 episode anime from 1998 and is one of the definitive examples of the "Space Western" sub-genre that gained popularity in Japan in the late 1990s and in the United States in the early 2000s with Joss Whedon's Firefly. It takes place on a mostly desert planet called "Gunsmoke" where a colony ship crashed a little over a century before the story begins. The technology on this planet could only be described as Steam Punk to the extreme. If you haven't heard of this slightly older series, why not give this review a read? I promise I won't ramble THAT much!

Trigun not ... only tells a fun and at times moving story, but brilliantly pays homage to the great Westerns of old. For example, in one of the first episodes there is a quite lengthy shot of an old creaking windmill. This is a direct reference to a famous scene from Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West. In another episode the characters walk down the dusty street into a ghost town with scared civilians slamming their shudders to hide. This is yet another Sergio Leone reference. I could go on, but there are too many of these to list.

Story 9/10

Trigun starts out with 2 girls working for an insurance company attempting to find the world's most dangerous and destructive man and kindly asking him to stop wrecking things. The man is called Vash the Stampede and has a 60-billion-dollar bounty on his head!!! Considering the fact that Osama Bin Laden only had a 25-million-dollar bounty, this tells you that Vash is a VERY wanted man. Trigun starts out with zany action of the shonen variety and later gets significantly darker and more serious, becoming more seinen if anything. The manga also made the transition from being published in a shonen magazine to a seinen demographic magazine, but the manga actually ran from 1996 to 2008. The anime did this heavy transition in just 26 episodes. After meeting the insurance girls and going on a few largely episodic adventures, Vash reveals his dark past and must confront his maniacal brother Knives and his frightening, nihilistic minion Legato Bluesummers. I won't spoil anything but know that this series will take you on quite a ride.

Characters 10/10

Trigun has very well fleshed out characters that truly make the viewers care about them and desire to know them better. The main character is Vash (French for cow) who despite being the world's most wanted man has never actually killed anyone and is a devout pacifist. However, destruction and massive property damage seem to follow him wherever he goes. Vash prefers to run rather than fight and rarely ever uses his gun, unless he absolutely needs to. He also will at times spontaneously start babbling in French. Vash is easily the greatest French super hero in the history of comics. Vash's humanistic ideology is the product of his being raised by an idealistic dreamer named Rem. Yes, that is the name of the brain waves that occur during dreaming, Trigun has many name puns. Vash's brother Knives was also raised by Rem, but rejected her teachings and believes that humans are worthless vermin that destroy the environment of every planet they inhabit. Knives wishes to wipe out all humans in order to save the various animal and plant life of the desert planet Gunsmoke. We are also introduced to the badass Catholic priest Wolfwood and his giant gun shaped like a cross. Did I mention Trigun gets very silly at times? Wolfwood doesn't follow any of the clergy rules and smokes, drinks, womanizes, and has little aversion to killing whenever threatened. However, he has his own strong sense of justice and is a loyal ally. There are plenty of other great characters, but this paragraph is getting lengthy already, so just watch the show if you want to learn more.

Soundtrack 9/10

Trigun has an excellent jazz soundtrack with plenty to offer for lovers of the Sax. Hell, there is even a villain that used a fucking saxophone as his primary weapon in a later episode. Trigun also has tracks that are heavily influenced by the Spaghetti Westerns that it so obviously loves and often emulates. The soundtrack will get your adrenaline flowing and make you in the mood to see a ridiculous gunfight.

Art 8/10

Trigun is very well drawn for a 1990s anime and has aged quite nicely. The stereotype for 1990s and especially 80s anime is that is terrible with its use of key frames, recycled animation, barely animated lip flaps, suffers from a very low frame per second rate, and is in general both lazily and cheaply animated. This was the time before Japan followed the Americans and exported all the animation to the Koreans, who work very hard for very cheap. Trigun is a shining example of 1990s anime art that shows that not all anime from that period was absurdly lethargic and shitty like Dragonball Z and Sailor Moon.

Enjoyment 10/10

Trigun is an absolute blast from the past and will leave you wanting 26 episodes more. The well written story, fun characters, fluid animation and epic gun fights, all come together to make this my favorite space western of all time. Yes, I actually like Trigun over Firefly. You can post your hate comments on my wall if you absolutely have to. I loved this series when I was 15, I love it at 26, and will love it until I am dead and rotting in the ground.

Overall: 10/10

Trigun is one of my favorite anime of all time! There are a couple series that barely edge out Trigun, but really not many out there are better than this. If you haven't seen Trigun yet, I would highly recommend it. All episodes are free on youtube on Funimation's page, so it won't cost you anything. If you see a few episode and just absolutely hate it, you don't have to watch the whole thing. However, it is a series that absolutely everyone should at least try.

mildly annoying and cliche philosophical aspects, has a series identity crisis which makes the show bipolar in thematic focus (eg shifts between silliness and seriousness that are arbitrary and seem to be what you would call "filler"). someone making kawaii gestures is not character development, and i think the silliness is probably a good idea but should have been paced differently. this sounds really stupid but i think if the humor would have been paced more like cowboy bebop then this show would've been a more cohesive experience. great art and interesting universe. personally i think the series would've been much better ... had this been the primary focus initially (not vash's internal conflicts) because it ends up hurting the series early on due to slow character development.

"I'm just killing the spiders to save the butterflies."

1998 saw three popular shows going down the unusual route of combining futuristic sci-fi and cowboy-filled westerns as the backdrop to their story. "Cowboy Bebop" stands out as the biggest name amongst the trio, while "Outlaw Star" has all but faded into distant memory. Sandwiched between them is "Trigun", which made a big splash, but never quite achieved the evergreen status of "Cowboy Bebop".

I'd heard about "Trigun" being similar to "Cowboy Bebop", but personally I don't think the similarities stretch much beyond the marriage of sci-fi and westerns settings. If anything, it's "Rurouni Kenshin" that "Trigun" share ... a strong connection with, and I'm surprised that this connection doesn't get spotlighted nearly as often as the Trigun-Bebop one. Like Kenshin, Vash, the protagonist of "Trigun" , wanders from place to place, hiding his power levels under a goofy exterior; like Kenshin, Vash is also a stubborn pacifist, refusing to kill even those who try to kill him. Despite all of this, the ginormously misunderstood Vash has a $$60,000,000,000 bounty over his head, along with unwanted nicknames such as "Vash the Stampede" and "The Humanoid Typhoon". Luckily for him, his reputation might be fearsome, but no one actually knows what "The Humanoid Typhoon" looks like, and this allows him to move around more or less freely.

Until trouble inevitably catches up with him, that is.

The earlier portions of "Trigun" are episodic, and mostly starts off with two insurance companies employees Meryl and Millie going to a town looking for this "Vash the Stampede" fellow, intending to keep an eye on him and hopefully prevent him from doing massive damage to buildings and costing their company money. Of course, they would end up running into Vash without realising his identity, Vash would accidentally find himself in the middle of a big ruckus, and the town would go up in smoke.

There are reasons aplenty why I shouldn't have liked "Trigun". For starters, I don't dig the art style - there are some impessive character design concepts, but mostly it just looked ugly to me. Also, a lot of episodes are formulaic, particularly the early ones. Then there's the comedy - I first watched "Trigun" in my budding days of being an anime fan, and back then the silliness of anime humour often got on my nerves. But in spite of all these barriers, I took an instant liking to "Trigun". Its writing is solid, and the show mixes comedy and serious business so effectively that I didn't mind its silliness; and in fact, the sharp contrast between goofball Vash and serious Vash really adds to the show. Still, there are times when the comedy goes overboard, like when Vash does his "love and peace" routine, which I find unbearable.

"Trigun" undergoes a drastic change in the second half. The series shifts into a darker tone, and the episodic format changes into an overarching story about Vash's struggles against Knives, a figure re-emerging from his shadowy past. The bad guys up until this point had been weaklings, but now far stronger ones had started to appear, and the battles began to take on qualities not too dis-similar from those in the super power fighting genre. Though the elements are well executed, some viewers will prefer the lighter action/goofier mix earlier in the series. Personally though, I enjoyed the more continuous story and the more interesting battles.

The second half of "Trigun" encomes both the best and the worst of the series. On one hand, there's a lot more plot to be found, as well as some of the coolest characters in anime like Wolfwood and Legato. On the other hand, a lot of stuff were never fully explained; questions marks looming over things like the nature of plants (not those plants!) and the motivations and backgrounds of the Gun-Ho Guns are never resolved.

Perhaps the aspect I liked the most was finding out more about Vash's past. His relationship with Rem was especially memorable, allowing insights into the major influence on his character, which is in turn reinforced as we see more of his actions and choices later on. At the same time though, this also relates closely to the aspect of the show I have the most problems with: the philosophy with which Vash - and to a lesser extent, Rem - approaches life, and in particular its contrast with that of the antagonist, Knives'. Knives isn't your average power hungry villain who wants to take over the world, or goes around killing everyone just because he's crazy. In fact, he's so rational that he makes Vash look incredibly juvenile. While Vash wants to save everyone, Knives reasons that to save the butterfly, you have to kill the spider. It's all well and good having a villain who speaks sense, but when the villain speaks so much more sense than the hero, when the hero has no comeback to the villain's words, then there is something fundamentally wrong with what the series is trying to say. What's also mightily frustrating is the inconclusive ending. True to his self-conflicting philosophies to the end, Vash takes a course of action that doesn't really solve anything in the long term. After all that, nothing really changed. It surely ranks up there as one the worst endings in anime.

"Trigun" could have been a mediocre anime, for its formulaic format and stale story elements. "Trigun" could have been a great anime, for hurdling its potential stumbling blocks with awesome characters and superb execution of the aforementioned stale story elements. In the end though, it's held back by flaws in its story and philosophical ideals, and has to settle for being very good.

This is a good no brainer anime that doesn't require much thought while watching, yet is so silly that it entertains on a primal level.

Story: What story? The story consist of pretty much a guy going around kickin the bad guys asses.

Art: Not amazingly detail or smooth, but the art matches the silliness of the show with the exagerrated face animations. Classic 90's anime with bright colors and stiff motion, but character designs were great and the environment was well done.

Sound: Voice acting was good and characters were distinct, the girls had pretty sexy voices. No real annoying ones either (jap version)

Character: Likeable characters, the ... most interesting character happens to be a ing character who happens to be a priest who carries around this huge cross that's actually a machine gun. Great guilty pleasure viewing there, however; the main character is your typical hero who loses his memory bla bla bla, but he does provide good comic relief and is quite clumsy at times for someone with such a bad ass reputation.

Enjoyment: I enjoyed the show's simplicity, but toward the middle into the end i couldn't help but crave a little more depth to the characters and story development.

Overall: While no doubt the show oozes with style and charisma, the show lacked enough depth for me to call it a true classic. Good, but not masterpiece worthy, Show felt a bit pointless and silly(silly in a good way) yet still very enjoyable...nothing more...nothing less.

“It's so big...Of course, that's because it's full of mercy!”
“A man who takes a stand, though it scars him from head to toe, and that man is here”
I first watched this anime on tv back when I was a kid that couldn't comprehend much of Trigun's philosophy, but still got the essentials of its message : "It's all about LOVE & PEACE!" I recommend this anime for the newer anime fans, that only watched recent animes, I believe that watching this anime will make you appreciate the anime industry more, and their development across the history.
*It will be a rather long review, so beware*
The ... story centers around the character of Vash the Stampede, nicknamed "The Humanoid Typhoon", a man with a $60,000,000,000 bounty on his head. The rumors are varied and never the same, some say he has a mohawk, others say he's blonde and wears red clothes, but most stories agree that wherever he goes, disaster follows, leaving whole cities in ruin, but as if it were an act from God, there are no human casualities.

We are introduced to the characters of Meryl Stryfe and her partener Milly Thompson, who are sent by an insurance company to investigate the cause of the destructions, Vash. They encounter in rather strange circumstances a young man who matches the physical description of Vash the Stampede, but they soon dismiss that idea, since the young man was too air-headed and gulliable to be the notorious infractor.

However, when they are in a pinch, the man goes to their rescue, showing determination and fearlessness in the face of danger. Since their first encounter, the two insurance employees meet the mysterious young man on various occasions, and on many of these, the young man protects or tries to protect the defenseless, without killing anyone, but taking the violence on himself. Because of his pacifistic ways, Meryl tries to convince herself he is not Vash, despite all the proof that indicate otherwise, like his expert gunsmanship and his otherworldly ability to deflect attacks that are not humanly possible to deflect. However, when asked what is his name, he tries to avoid to answer, in the end the girls discover that he is indeed the real Vash the Stampede.

From then on, Vash is under the insurance girls surveillance, travelling along with them. Being able to know the real nature of Vash, a pacifist at heart, the girls gradually forget the rumors that portray him as a heartless villain.
The first part of the anime is episodic, and focuses on the pacifistic nature of Vash, showing how far he can go saving other people without killing the agressors. The latter half centers on the 100 years old conflict between Vash and his twin, Knives. Knives sends a criminal group called "Gung-Ho-Guns" in order to assasinate Vash (or to make him stronger). Knives' right hand is Legato, he serves the purpose of being the master-mind of many schemes to make Vash suffer. In comparison to the first part that is light-hearted and has a lot of comedy scenes, this part has far more darker themes, touching important philosophical aspects such the flaws of humans, their greed and instinctive need of perpetuating their species, even if that means to make colonies on other planets as well as questions on morality, such as the fear and guilt of killing someone.

The anime's primary inspirations are the westerns and science-fiction themes. The science-fiction themes are more subtle, and beautifully depicted, especially the existence of "the plants" (which I will not spoil what they are).
To be able to save others, to shoulder their pain, in spite of his own sacrifice, that is what this anime's about, what is Vash's character and his journey is about.
Story: 9

I will begin saying that the mangaka of Trigun Yasuhiro Nightow's character design is very appealing for a 90's anime, especially the designs of Vash and Wolfwood, which I can observe the mangaka put a lot of care into. The scenery is interesting, especially the existence of the two or more suns. For a late 90's animation it looks rather well-made, even if it couldn't be compared with the recent animation, which wouldn't be fair.
Art: 8

The soundtrack of Trigun is addictiveg, varying from the up-beat, action-packed background music, to the heart-felt western music and to the sorrowful,soothing atmopsheric music, such as Rem's song "Sound Life". You may find one of your favorite soundtracks in this anime. Both the opening ("H.T." by Tsuneo Imahori) and ending (Kaze Wa Mirai Ni Fuku byAKIMA & NEOS ) are engaging and enjoyable.
Sound: 10

The characters are the anime's strongest point in my opinion. Let's start with the character of Vash. First introduced as a goof-ball, it is later revealed he has a heavy burden to carry. Vash is a complex character, full of contradictions, he is afraid if he himself is in danger, but when others are in danger he becomes fearless. He sometimes acts foolish and reckless, but other times he is serious and analytic. In my opinion, he is also one of the coolest anime characters, on one occasion he wears a trash lid on his head for protection, transforming a comedy scene into an epic one. Vash is unlike any other anime character. What he does no other can do. He lives by the motto : "love & peace" , the degree of his self-sacrifce is unmatched. The total opposite of his brother that wants to destroy the human world, Vash chooses to get hurt or worse in order to protect it, because "they are alive and no one has the right to take the life of another".

The character of Meryl didn't appealed to me but she was neccesary. The character of Milly, the giant girly girl, however was intriguing. At first look she appears scatterbrained and clumsy, but at times shows unexpected wisdom and gives advices and moral when the characters need it the most. As Vash once stated : "The big one [Milly] is exceptionally scary. My only salvation is she doesn't know how sharp she is."

In episode 9, we are introduced to the character of Nicholas D. Wolfwood, an unusual priest, who can use guns expertly and talks in a kansai-ben dialect (in the japanese version). We see him carrying a huge cross around him everywhere, saying that it's so big because it's full of mercy (the quote I used above). His character portrays the best the human flaws, the perpetual conflict between choosing to do good or doing bad in order to save the good. He is often jealous of Vash's determination of not wanting to kill and always looking for a peaceful alternative.

The relationship between Vash and Knives is beautifully depicted in an episode that shows their origins and how they are different from humans. Even though they are twins and grew up together, they choose different paths in life, Vash choosing to follow the human path and to protect them, Knives choosing the path of destruction.
The character of Rem rarely shows but has a big impact on the viewer. She is the one that influenced Vash's pacifistic view on life. Even after so many decades, Rem still lives in Vash's memory, guiding him along the way.
Characters: 10

I highly enjoyed this anime, as a result, I re-watched it, enjoying it even more.
Enjoyment: 10

Overall: 9

I'm aware that there are better reviews on MAL for Trigun, I wrote it only to share my opinion on the anime with you.

“Imma bout to shit all over this dumpster fire. May my asshole not be singed too badly.” — Krunchyman

Any anime worth its weight in salt, understands that well-written, believable characters are the key to crafting a good/great show. If the characters come off as being cliched, redundant or unrealistic, it prevents the viewer from creating a meaningful connection with said character(s); thus, inhibiting the overall potency of the various themes it may be attempting to push forward. Vash, for the majority of the series, comes off as prepubescent imbecile, who only concerns himself with outlandish flirting and stuffing his face with doughnuts ... (none of which are particularly funny, even though the show would have you think otherwise). Through the repetitive nature of the episodic plot, Vash follows a conventional pattern of acting silly for the sake of “laughter,” followed by saving the day with his impressive gun skills and preaching a philosophy of “love and peace.” Aside from the weird juxtaposition of charismatic dolt and the solemn pacifist — a mixture that does not work well together — Vash’s moral com is ill-explored and his insistence to remain steadfast in his personal creed (i.e. not to kill), severely obstructs his potential as an objective thinker who questions his own belief structure. The manner in which the subject is broached is not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, because it utilizes a plot device to construct a binary situation in which there is no room for rationalization.

Knives, while being dogmatic in his beliefs like Vash, represents the antithesis of “peace and love,” via his goal to exterminate the human race and create a peaceful environment for him and his brother to live in. This black and white dichotomy harkens to the philosophy of Yin and Yang, but it feels too romanticized, as most people seldom adhere to being strictly “good” or “evil.” Amalgamations of both traits exist in every person (sometimes one trait becomes more pronounced) but rarely does one exhibit unconditional wickedness or benevolence for the mere sake of it, without an ulterior motive to benefit from that disposition.

Needless to say, Vash’s antics waned on my nerves from beginning to end, as did Milly (a five year-old trapped in an adult’s body) and Meryl (classic Tsundere). The various villains presented throughout the series were nothing to write home about, because they merely served as cannon fodder to exemplify Vash’s proficiency with a gun. Wolfwood, on the other hand, was the only character that was mildly interesting, as his cryptic past served a useful purpose later in the series, and his overall demeanor seemed the most authentic among a cast of shallow, trite characters.

The lone bright spots were the OST — the OP, in particular, is quite exhilarating — and the above average animation (for its time). The animation, however, is nothing groundbreaking, as numerous scenes feature desert backdrops that are rather plain, barren, and uninteresting. Static shots occur more frequently than the viewer would like to it, but when the action does commence, it's quite good (albeit brief).

Overall, Trigun is a silly western rife with schlocky characters, stale jokes and simple themes that are never thoroughly fleshed out. Coming from the mid-to-late nineties — a period of considerable experimentation (NGE, Lain, Utena, Berserk, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, etc.) — it seems rather bizarre that Trigun gets lumped in with truly great works as a “classic.” Perhaps because Trigun aired in the midst of these other innovative shows, the positive nostalgic effect has shaved away its rugged edges, giving the appearance of “excellence;” when, in fact, it’s a rather cheap imitation of a great show in an otherwise revolutionary epoch in the history anime.

Try to imagine a western sci-fi version of Rurouni Kenshin but more light hearted and you practically got Trigun. Despite how I described it in a nutshell, this series is pretty distinctive in its own rights. A good portion of the series will feel a little episodic like Cowboy Bebop in which this series tends to be compared to, but it does have a big picture to the story. The first half will have that episodic feel where its establishing the characters, while the second half is more focused on Vash’s past and the Gung-Ho Gun Men. But in general, the characters whether main on ... minor will all contribute to the overall impact the story has in relation to both its development, and its somewhat generic themes such as the value of life and that people shouldn’t kill, but I think this series does an excellent job of presenting it more effectively than Rurouni Kenshin.

Kenshin on one hand has a weapon capable of not killing people, but is still powerful enough to cause some permanent damage. But because he still can’t kill people and can still cause damage to his opponent, he doesn’t have to really hesitate too much in confrontations. While with Vash, he’s not really confrontational, and he’s willing to take an ass kicking and his principles are so strong that he doesn’t want to break them even in self-defense. But moving on, the character development is really tremendous and comes out at a pace that is appropriate in relation to the length of the series. So there’s really not too much to complain about with character usage and development. However, I do think the pacing of the story is a bit jumpy. It can be fast, and it can be slow, and sometimes certain aspects can be a bit forced. I think the proper use of suspense in relation to this flaw is what really defines it in both pros and cons I do wish to explore more, but I would have to reveal spoilers. But for the ending, this anime came out during the prime of the manga, and the manga ended not too long ago in Japan. The ending was appropriate for the tone of the anime, but felt more general and out of convenience, and didn’t really feel grand to the extent Cowboy Bebop’s was. Then again, there’s the movie to look forward to.

I felt the designs of the planet and the clothing were very appropriate to the context of the story, so I think its style in this approach isn’t much to really complain about. I think the western setting is very universal despite being of course a Japanese product. Living in what used to be called the wild west, the setting is very much appealing to me. And I think appropriately, the lack of technology except for guns and transportation is still appropriate to that it’s both desolate, but yet futuristic and sci-fi. I would point out the flaws, but I can’t really be too hard on it because it is relatively an older series, but Cowboy Bebop came out around the same time which is amazing, so what the hell. I felt at times, the eyes looked a little too sketchy, and not really deep with the eye color. The contrast is kind of plain and grainy, but what the hell. Who cares, huh? I felt I needed to say that to bring up a con.

Vash’s design is pretty cool itself. Granted his hair is generic in the world of anime and manga, but at least you can see him with different hairstyles. Though you will mostly see his hair up, it will be down at times and it kind of makes you think of Benimaru from King of Fighters who has a similar hairstyle. And his red trench coat of course will stand out since most of the colors you will see will tend to be on the lines of black, white, or blue with some of the other clothing and really brings a unique presence to him, and compliments his build.

But moving on, the action is pretty much fast paced. It’s appropriately stiff and with the smaller and insignificant fights, they will add comedy elements to it with Vash’s non-confrontational antics. But with the more serious fights, they are more intense, have a unique novelty and gimmick, which makes them more distinctive, though at less often times there will be comedic moments, but you will see Vash get to shine in these moments.

I’ll have to say that I really like the dub of this anime. Granted, it’s no where near the league of Cowboy Bebop’s dub, but it is top notch and tolerable. Every other episode I alternated between Japanese and English. Johnny Yong Bosch as Vash as his breakthrough I thought was excellent in bringing out Vash’s serious and childish characteristics in my native language. And the dub actor I had the worst expectations of was Jeff Nimoy as Wolfwood, who is also popular amongst the fan base. I thought he sucked hard as Miyata in Hajime no Ippo, but he was great as Wolfwood, but doesn’t make him that distinctive like in the Japanese version with his mannerisms. In the Japanese version, they really made him interesting by speaking in an Osaka dialect.

And I felt it was an awkward, but yet fresh role for his seiyuu, Hayami Sho who tends to play more serious and formal characters. I’m not used to him in comedy, but he did great. But because the character spoke in an Osaka dialect, so I think that Masaya, the voice of Vash himself, I think would have been better for Wolfwood since he’s natively from Osaka, and brought out the badassness of Sendo in Hajime no Ippo, in which that respective character from that anime is an Osaka native. But there’s really no official explanation why Wolfwood speaks in Osaka dialect, but I think in that sense, it makes his character more unique rather than being a gun slinging and smoking priest.

The music itself is very appropriate to the context and tone of the anime. Lots of guitars whether acoustic or electric are well used to set the atmosphere of the moment. The guitars can be intense in context to either futuristic action, or its laid back frontier setting. So I got nothing much to complain about except it’s nothing really as well emphasized on like in Cowboy Bebop with the jazz and the eurobeat in Initial D, but still pretty fun. The opening and ending themes are also top notch and somewhat distinctively inticing. For Hajime no Ippo fans watching this review who have yet to watch Trigun, the opening theme is pretty much a lot like the 3rd opening theme of that respective series with its techno-rock approach. I guess it is appropriate to bring up the similarities both animes share the same composer for the music.

What can I say? I believe Trigun deserves every bit of praise it has received over the years, and I can’t say that about 75-80% of super popular animes out there. I first watched this anime fansubbed way back in 1999, and enjoyed it. Now 10 years later with the manga finally ended, a game by SEGA that fell into obscurity and with the movie sometime in 2009, I figure I take a trip back memory lane and watch this series again and also give the dub a try. The series still impresses me and I think it will please all anime fans, especially the fans who prefer dubs. I think the anime has a well-rounded and somewhat family friendly atmosphere that is true to its themes, and characters that stand out and all have their use and contributions, which really means a lot to me when I watch anime. And like many others, maybe their scores are in my range in which I give Trigun an overall score of a 9/10.

Trigun was originally a manga by Yasuhiro Nightow that began publication in 1995, and ended, if you count Trigun Maximum as the same series, in 2007. The animated adaptation was made in 1998 by Madhouse Studios, nearly a decade before the manga ended. Despite that, the anime was a success, and I'm gonna let you in on a little secret; Trigun is one of the few animes I've seen wherein I prefer the anime version over the manga original. However, is it really the end all, be all comedy/action everyone makes it out to be? Let's find out.

Story:

In the future on the planet Gunsmoke, a ... man is wanted for the destruction of property. So notorious is he that he has the highest bounty on record on his head. People say he is not even human, but rather, a natural disaster in human format. We meet this man, this "Vash the Stampede", and learn that he is . . . a complete and utter dork. And a pacifist. And yet, he is a crack shot with his revolver. How can that be? Vash is a wanderer who helps people on his travels without killing anyone at the same time, (which is extremely difficult to do in this series.) He is aided by two women from an insurance agency, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson. At times, a man named Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a priest armed to the teeth, also travels with him. These other characters are eccentric in their own ways.

The first half of the anime series is largely comedic, and while sequential, does not have an over-arcing storyline tied to it. The second half of the series is more serious, and does have an over-arcing storyline. I like both halves of the series. When it's funny, it's usually funny, and when it's serious, it's usually serious. Many of the action scenes are great. However, not all episodes are great; some are much more enjoyable than other, but overall, Trigun does not disappoint here. 8/10.

Artwork:

Despite common criticisms, this series actually looks pretty good for a retro 90s anime series. The action scenes are well animated. The backdrops give a good impression of how dusty the world of Gunsmoke is. The character designs are not some of the best I've seen, but it, as well as everything else, is LEAGUES beyond the manga's artwork, which looks piss-poor in my honest opinion, especially compared to the anime. I like the coloring too, especially for a pre-digital anime. Trigun might not look as sharp as some newer anime, but the animation during the action scenes more than makes up for it. 8/10.

Sound:

The music is great. It's very, uh, well, it's very American sounding. But it's really good. It feels like an old western movie in this regard, but done with country and rock instruments instead of an orchestra. Both the intro and endings songs are fantastic. No complaints here.

I saw the series in English, and . . . I'm surprised. A lot of dub watchers champion Trigun as one of the best English dubs ever. I honestly can't say it's that good. Granted, many of the major characters, such as Vash, Milly, Wolfwood, Rem, and recurring villain Legato do sound good. However, I cannot stand Meryl's voice and delivery. Also, many of the minor characters sound irritating as Hell. I think the only reason this dub is so beloved is, well, I guess it was either this in English, or . . . Pokemon. Compared to THAT, yeah, it would sound good in English. I will say this, though; I compared Vash's voice in Japanese. He sounds better in English. And you wonder why people (myself included) worship Johnny Yong Bosch. 9/10.

Characterization:

Vash is a hardcore pacifist in spite of his asskicking abilities in combat. At times, he behaves like a character from a Hanna and Barbera cartoon, yet other times, he's dead serious. I like him. Wolfwood is someone who shoots first and asks questions never, and is not afraid to kill, despite Vash's constant protests. I like him, too. But the only character I really liked was Legato. He was the most menacing villain in the series, as well as the most evil, in my opinion. Oddly enough, he wasn't the final bad guy. The other characters, I couldn't really get into. I didn't care for Meryl and Milly, most of the minor characters didn't leave an impression on me, and most of the villains felt like stereotypical one-note villains instead of being really memorable. Even the final villain, Knives, pales compared to Legato. However, this isn't to say the characterization was bad overall. I liked seeing Vash and Wolfwood team up to take on all the different opponents they faced, and if you've seen the entire series, you should understand why I consider Legato to be one of the best villains in anime history. 7/10.

Enjoyment:

When Vash and/or Wolfwood were doing something awesome, I really liked this. And even when they weren't, I still overall liked this series. The narration sequences at the end of every episode were very insightful and philosophical. There were a few scenes that made me laugh, and a few scenes that were hard-hitting. The ending was not a brilliant ending by any means, but there is one thing about it I like; Vash stays true to his ideals until the very end. 8/10.

But I still don't understand the hype for this series. It's good, but not that good. The English dub is overall above average, but it's not god-like. There's three cool characters, but that's it. What is with the hype? The one person I know in real life who's seen Trigun was like, "ZOMG! ZOMG! ZOMG! I LOVE TRIGUN! ZOMG! ZOMG! ZOMG! WHY CAN'T MORE ANIME BE LIKE THIS!? ZOMG! ZOMG! ZOMG!" (Not his exact words, but a pretty close approximation.) I think my problem is I saw this about three years ago, instead of when it first came out. If I first saw Trigun back when all the anime you could watch in America were that, Pokemon, Dragonball Z, and Yu-Gi-Oh, yeah, I probably would be a lot more fanboy-ish right now. However, if you've never seen Trigun, go ahead and watch it. You might like it more than me, and you'd be watching something that's better than the large majority of schlockfests coming out right now. And lastly, this is one of the few "Classic" anime I've seen that didn't immediately piss me off, and actually is something of a classic in my mind.

LOVE AND PEACE!

Trigun トライガン Review


Story (5/10) Average

Alright I'm not going to talk about the countless uninteresting and irrelevant sidestories that the anime had to other through out it's 26 episode run but the main plot which I also found uninteresting and generic anyway. Now I was going to give this anime the benefit of the doubt because of the time it came out when using the word generic but i can't I would be lying to myself if i said "If I say this back when it aired I would have probably enjoyed it more" I HIGHLY fucking doubt that. The story of Vash the Stampede ... i found uninteresting because not only have I seen it done before that's not the issue, it's the fact that I couldn't find anything unique or interesting about his whole story which MadHouse I felt it a quite mediocre job explaining the events of what happened through flashbacks that where so far spaced out through out this entire anime that even if cared it amount of fluff and retarded shenanigans in between the actual important things just makes me forget certain important points there where shown off as important in the first place. The pacing I felt was also felt short, as like I stated before this suffers the same thing I felt Cowboy Bebop suffered from which is uninteresting fluff in a 26 episode anime that could have been wrapped up in probably 13 episodes but this does it far worse than Cowboy Bebop.

Art and Animation (7/10) Good
More Specifically (7.5/10)

Now yes the art style and animation in this isn't anything amazing but it's far from bad. This is the late 90s so MadHouse back then aren't the Madhouse they are today. And with that being said for a late 90s anime it's just a little bit better looking than the majority of other things that came out during it's time, nothing expect for the character design and weapon designs really stood out to me, so those are the only two things that saved this category to an extent.

Sound (5/10) Mediocre

Now other than the Opening OST (Dub not sure if it's the same for the JP nor do i care) the sound for this anime is average. Gun shots sound average (yes I was expecting something above average from a anime called TriGUN when it came to gun sounds obviously Vash had a unique gun "which they didn't even really go into detail with which also pissed me off" that sounded no different and your average gun. This is coming from a Gundam fan and if you know anything about Gundam they have unique and distinct sound effect for the more important guns in their series so yes I was expecting something and got nothing). The voice acting was average (Dub) also even though this was Johnny Yong Bosch's first anime big anime character to voice act I personally think this is by far the worst character I've heard him voice act and I've heard a few. I don't care if this was the 90s bad voice acting is bad voice acting he obviously becomes better in future roles in my opinion like Ichigo, Lelouch or Yukimura Sananda and like i said this is just his worst out of all of the voices I've heard him voice act, that doesn't mean it horrendous but just the worst. And as far as the BGM chosen at given times I felt didn't fit most of the time. Example in the last episode with the show down against his brother the OST playing is just no, I have no clue who was in charge of OST but I hope they got fired. And let's not even talk about the Outro music.. probably the worst Outro music I've heard in anime history.

Characters (5/10) Average

The only characters I even found remotely interesting and not annoying was Wolfwood and the cat (yes the cat..) Everything other character was just straight annoying to no end with uninteresting or no backstory at all. Yes I've probably used the word uninteresting quite a lot in this review and interesting I guess can be subjective so take it how it is. Nonetheless I felt all the characters were average

Enjoyment (4/10) Bad

Honestly the only enjoyment I got out of this was the opening theme song. After that the enjoyment vanishes. If you've read this far then you already know what I'm word I'm about to spam you with uninteresting uninteresting UNINTERESTING, sorry if you've enjoyed this series than good for you I did not, sure there are worse things out there which is why this is at a 4 and not a 3,2 or 1 but it is what it is.

Overall (5/10) Mediocre
More Specifically (5.30/10)

I've actually started this series year ago, watched one episode and didn't look back. And all this time I kept hearing about Trigun this and Trigun that (oh yeah they as far as I the word Trigun never gets explained, idk it's its the name of his actual gun orrr idk anyway) I always told myself if I actually sat down and watched the anime I probably would like it, well I was sadly mistaken. I've had my far share of anime that I still have not seen that people consider some of the best/classic anime of all time and the reason I haven't seen them is mostly because this shit right here happens. Another Example is Akira (Nope didn't like that so called Masterpiece either thought it was a hot mess and mediocre at best also). I'm just going to chalk this one up to "I was never a fan of the Gunslinger anime genre and after watch the top 3 most popular/critically acclaimed Gunslinger anime (Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw being the other two) I would definitely consider this one the weakest of the three. But like I said before I'm not a fan of this genre so take everything I said with that in mind.

Introduction:
I don’t know how to bring up a discussion on violence which is the main theme of “Trigun”. An anime series that goes into depth on the topic of violence and telling a compelling story with a great leading character. Despite the serious theme Trigun is also enjoyable dashing out humor through the course of 24 episodes. It’s as much of an enjoyable show as it is dramatically powerfully. If you’re a fan of Westerns, Madhouse Studio, or like a great leading character Trigun is the show for you.

Basic Information:

Episodes: 26

Available English Dub: Yes

Animation Studio: Madhouse
...
Good: Vash The Stampede

Trigun is only as it good as it protagonist and you couldn’t have asked for a better leading character than Vash the Stampede. He is deliberately introduced as this badass gunmen in the series intro that shows him dodging dozen of bullets from gunmen and wind constantly blowing his way in the lonesome desert getting across an uncanny, seemingly violent figure. Once the first episode starts you only get to know about Vash from secondary s that make him out to be this dangerous man. However, when actually seeing Vash for the first time you’ll find it difficult to imagine such a goofball would be worth so much money.

That’s one of the main reasons Trigun works. Vash has many characteristics allowing the series to go in different directions once establishing Vash and none is more evident than in his sense of humor. It doesn’t matter how dire the current situation or standoff might be. Vash can come out of it with his goofball side intact. Always seeking to find the best solution in a very limited amount of time when placed on the spot. Vash is a misunderstood hero you probably wouldn't give a second thought towards. When advancing further in the series details slowly revealing Vash background are given. Suddenly there is new meaning behind Vash good nature in the desolate and violent world he lives in becoming more sophisticated. Analyzing the depth of Vash can be an engaging experience all on its own right.

Define by his ideology and the constant challenge to stick to it in difficult situations, there is never a moment Vash is not challenged. Because of his pacifist nature, it leads him into trouble in the west from dangerous gunmen. By no means is Vash an incompetent shooter as proven in several episodes he has obtain pitch perfect accuracy. Understandably that would ordinarily make for a boring lead, but because of Vash ethics to not kill anyone it makes every approach to conflict unique. With his beliefs preventing him from simply killing those after him results in creative solutions. Whenever simply shooting a gun off your gunman just doesn’t work, it branches out how the setup will play out. Since Vash ideology prevents him from killing in confrontations will have you wondering what the breaking point will be. Living in a world and people that influence him to think like common folks over achieving peace. What Vash does isn’t simply for survival, but spreading an ideal that he must represent by any means.

Good: A Riveting World

Trigun takes place on a desert like planet named “Gunsmoke” that is cover by sand, decaying cities and towns, and steampunk technology. The world of Trigun is common to overlook in a film, but in the form of a TV series you get a better opportunity to understand and see it developed. It’s not an ideal world to live in. As made evident with the extensive world building that is put into crafting this world. We benefit from seeing Vash travel to different destinations and experience a bit of chaos in that city or town. Each visit gives you insight on how differently people lives are affected by the world they live in. In episode 5, an entire city is attempting to capture or kill Vash in order to save the city from bankruptcy. Immediately you understand that the city is in desperate need of money in order to survive. Hinting that even in a world that’s barren like “Gunsmoke” money still present power over instinctively helping the common man. Within the same episode you get to hear voices lashing directly at Vash to give up his life while Vash on other hand opposes their opposition with reasoning. Needless to say, good nature people doesn’t equal positive decision making. Neither does it mean that a doomsday aftermath will eliminate the rules we currently live by.

Trigun takes place on a desert like planet named “Gunsmoke” that is cover by sand, decaying cities and towns, and steampunk technology. The world of Trigun is common to overlook in a film, but in the form of a TV series you get a better opportunity to understand and see it developed. It’s not an ideal world to live in. As made evident with the extensive world building that is put into crafting this world. We benefit from seeing Vash travel to different destinations and experience a bit of chaos in that city or town. Each visit gives you insight on how differently peoples' lives are affected by the world they live in. In episode 5, an entire city is attempting to capture or kill Vash in order to save the city from bankruptcy. Immediately you understand that the city is in desperate need of money in order to survive. Hinting that even in a world that’s barren like “Gunsmoke” money still present power over instinctively helping the common man. Within the same episode you get to hear voices lashing directly at Vash to give up his life while Vash on the other hand opposes their opposition with reasoning. Needless to say, good nature people doesn’t equal positive decision making. Neither does it mean that a doomsday aftermath will eliminate the rules we currently live by.

Good: Exploration On Violence

The element of violence I keep mentioning is what the series tackles thoroughly. Our protagonist is a pacifist, and those he encounters generally are not in the same mindset. Simply holding all life sacred isn’t as simple as withholding one self from pulling a gun trigger. It’s a perspective that is elaborated upon, even if the answer you received might not be entirely acceptable. Characters in the world will question them with the hero or villain quick to refute their criticism with their own reasons. The philosophy is obvious, but understanding why anyone would stick to their beliefs is difficult to fully grasp or get behind. Sometime it can be as simple as a person who inspired a character or in another case a life that influences choices.

As a blunt contrast to Vash we're given the traveling priest and smooth operator Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Despite being a follower of the holy lord, Wolfwood is far more pragmatic in his treatment of human life, and the arguments between him and Vash, as well as Wolfwood's eventual confrontations with redemption, make him a particularly interesting character. He a highlight of the examination of Christians principles. Sure many religions value love of life, forgiveness, and redemption, but clearly Nicholas D. is geared toward the Christian side given Wolfwood background. Am I reading too much into the character? Maybe, although Yasuhiro Nightow (the creator of Trigun) is a known Christian. Much like Vash, we wonder what Wolfwood breaking point would be when it comes to his religion. Can a man who follows the word of the lord really be able to abide by them? The answer to that it provides might come across as clear cut, but much like Vash, there is various shades to each answer given.

Another contrast to Vash are Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, who are agents of the Bernardelli Insurance Society sent to evaluate claims regarding Vash the Stampede. In the series they serve the purpose of comedic reliefs as well as being the bridge to natural characterization. The insurance girls are a good pair on the entertainment and story. For me, the relationship between Meryl and Milly evolves from the two simply doing their job to doing what they feel is right. As I see it, this is an evolution to being realistic and adds a subtle take on a working person in the world of “Gunsmoke”. Finding the meaning behind what you do beyond a simple paycheck. What drives a person to keep their job, no matter how dangerous and why. It’s never truly brought to the forefront in the series, which makes it a small nice touch in the background. ing no judgement on whatever your motivation as it demonstrates sometime the reason can go beyond your judgement as demonstrated with Meryl and Milly following Vash despite the harm they are put into.

Good: All Shades of Villainy

The series advances with a villain of the week formula. In nearly every episode has Vash and sometime his company defending themselves from a new super power villain or ordinary thugs. In the very first episode Vash goes up against a large cyborg named Descartes. He possesses a giant cybernetic arm with an attached boomerang. Despite appearances Descartes doesn’t last more than a single episode as Vash easily gets rid of him.

Villains personalities are varied offering some that are sympathetic with reasonable motivation while others are solely evil. It’s refreshing to see a series that doesn’t attempt to make every villain come across as a tragic story. Because of this we’re able to see the lowest depths thugs in this desolate planet can sink too. The most memorable confrontations are those that expose a different side of Vash psyche. These intellectual battles require Vash to be a quick thinker to find a peaceful resolution, even though simply shooting the villain is an easy way to survive. Sometime Vash doesn’t even need to use his gun to win making preventing standoffs from becoming stale.

One noteworthy villain is Legato Bluesummers. Legato best fits the part of a villain with long blue hair covering one eye and wearing an open trench coat showing off his imposing figure. Smiling when torturing others with his sadistic personality. Ultimately going as far as choosing his purpose in life is to help his master wipe out all of humanity and making Vash as long as possible. When it comes to villains not many within the series can sur Legato in dedication to his single cruel purpose.

Good: A Distinctive Vision

The animation is spectacular while the art and the background art isn't wildly creative with the barren, dusty world nearly eliminating scenery variety. On the plus side character designs are classic-yet-memorable, and the quality of the production is always high to carry the story. Vash's spiked blond hair, signature sunglasses, and long, red trench coat, give him a distinctive look as the hero of a Western. Nicholas D. Wolfwood looks suitably cool with his massive, cross-shaped gun makes him among coolest priests in animation. There are impressive over-the-top fights displaying various degrees of bullets piercing and the dynamic gun choreography is always fun to see with superpowers gunmen requiring characters to change tactics. In particular the final standoff, which easily ranks among one of the best choreographed finale to have ever graced animation.

Trigun soundtrack is noteworthy from aggressive electric guitar to a few very mellow Western-themed tunes and a pretty song that factors into the story. ing a scene instead of telling the audience how they should feel in a particular scene. Like Legato's chaotic industrial-sounding theme that fittingly goes along with Legato even more chaotic nature in mentally torturing Vash.

The Japanese and English voice acting is another of Trigun's strong points. Vash goofball side and antics mesh well with the dramatic parts of his persona. Never is one aspect of Vash personality ever become overshadowed by the other. Wolfwood is also smooth, fun, and generally likable sharing many similarities to Vash. Hiromi Tsuru does a great, lively Meryl, although there's not much depth to the role. She's balanced by Milly an equally likable and generally believable when she gets serious. The English dub has none other than Johnny Yong Bosch in the lead role who does an excellent job. Playing up Vash comedic chops during the comedy scenes while always sounding human whenever discussing the value of life. All the actors in the English dub sound natural balancing the vastly different tone that it starts out with to what it eventually becomes. Much of the same praise that can be given to the Japanese cast can also apply to the English voice cast. Either way you can’t go wrong with reading subtitles or watching the English dub.

Final Thoughts:
Trigun has high brow writing and thoroughly explore themes on violence without shy away from dishing out a sense humor along the way. Coming across as a prime example of how to do gritty story and delivering a meaningful message without having to be serious all the time.

Protagonist: 2/2

Story: 2/2

Themes: 2/2

Villains: 2/2

Production: 2/2

Possible Complaints (no points value):
Vash numerous pacifism speeches
Sand, Sand, and more Sand
Depending on your taste the soundtrack isn’t as memorable without the series

Rating: 10/10 - Trigun is the best kind of anime that takes the establish western genre and reinvents it with a unique world which has yet to be match in the industry. A must see for any fan of great anime, for those looking for intellectual departure, or anyone who likes western.

A goofy, sci-fi western dramedy that suckers you into thinking it's just that before pulling the rug out from underneath you in the final third and hammering you relentlessly with some truly bleak entertainment that rivals Neon Genesis Evangelion and Puella Magi Madoka Magica for unpleasantness. And you know what? It's a good thing that it does. Allow me to explain.

Trigun concerns itself with one Vash the Stampede, a legendary trouble-maker with a massive bounty on his head. Destruction follows in his wake, with entire cities turning to ruin after he shows up. It's not long before the viewers catch onto the fact that this ... is not entirely his fault, however. Instead, it all really comes down to him having been at the wrong place in the wrong time at one point in his past, followed ever thereafter by a zealous horde of bounty hunters (sometimes the entire population of towns) who wind up causing more calamity than he does in their attempt to catch him and claim the reward. Vash himself is very much a pacfist. While he does resort to violence if necessary, he never shoots to kill, and will go to incredible lengths to insure the well-being of his opponents and to prevent fatal conflict between other parties, often at the cost of extreme physical harm to himself. On his journeys he develops relationships with several others who become recurring companions, foremost among them the traveling preacher/fellow gunslinger Nicholas Wolfwood, and Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two insurance agents who are assigned to watch over Vash and prevent him from getting into destructive situations that their employer will ultimately have to pay for.

Goofy antics ensue, and continue largely unabated until one of the best anime villains in existence shows up, Legato Bluesummers. Bluesummers (and his employer) have dark intentions for Vash that go far beyond claiming the bounty on his head, and I would not dream of spoiling them. What I will say is that Vash's pacifism is shaken to its core, particularly as he comes to the realization that it may cost more lives than it actually saves. In one stunning and disturbing scene, we also see the high price that years of putting himself into harm's way to prevent people from killing one another has done to his body: it puts Kenshin's attractive facial scar to shame, to say the least.

This is the good thing that I mentioned above in first paragraph: while the mood whiplash this series undergoes is extreme, to say the least, it also does not shy away from exploring the darker side of pacifism, which is rarely touched on to this same level in anime. It makes for powerful, if dark viewing. On top of which the series is not afraid to kill major characters, or to let the bad guys win.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with this series: the early episodes tend to be pretty weak, the cheap animation budget ensures that there are loads of continuity errors to pick up on, and the explosive ending, while viscerally satisfying, does little to tie up the thematic concerns of the series. On top of which Vash is a hero that not everyone will appreciate. While it is revealed that his easy-going, thick-headed goofball nature is largely something of a front, he's still a very emotional, very one-track minded character, which can lead to him sometimes being a joy to watch, while other times you'll just feel like slugging him good.

Still, this is a 90's classic for a reason (did I mention the fantastic voice-acting and score?), and while it hasn't aged as well as others, it's still very much worth watching for modern audiences.

Hello everyone this is Shawn aka TheKazeTrigger and welcome to my final review of the month MVM entertainment
For this one we are taking a look one of the classic 90s animes Trigun.
Now before I start this review am going to say I wasn't a fan of Trigun during my childhood days in fact I kinda hated it to be honest. While I like some things of Trigun I didn't like like the tone shifts and I didn't some of characters. Now I recently finished re-watching Trigun on DVD and well.
Do I now think Trigun is a great classic show that I underestimated back then or ... do I still think Trigun is a an another 90s shows that only got its love because of nostalgia reasons instead of being a good show? Well let's find out
Story.
The story of Trigun follows Vash the Steampede who is a wanted criminal with a sixty billion double dollar bounty on his head. The reason is that he’s a deadly villain who lays wastes to that those that appose him and destroying cites just for fun that earns him the title the humanoid typhoon. He leaves a trail of death and despair wherever he goes.
Due to Vash's destruction the Bernardelli Insurance Society tasks Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson to find the Vash the Steampede in order to evaluate insurance claims and attempt to minimise the damage of that set city.


Now the story of Trigun is complex at times. While the story was very silly, goofy and cheesy in the first half of the show but once you the show transactions to the second left by introducing certain elements in the show. The show becomes rather dark and it can go into really dark territory at times. Also, this show has some tone changes. However, unlike other animes such as Shigatsu and Akame ga Kill where they have problems at tone changing. I think this one fits because you can tell they could juggle both ones and they work both ways in both series. So, I think Trigun doesn't fall in the same traps of other anime of its kind. Also, yes I know this show has a few unanswered questions and there is one or two plotholes but overall in the long running schemes of things. Unless you want to read the source material of this you don't need those answers. The show is trying to portray the story that it wants to and it does it almost flawlessly.110
9.5/10


Characters.
The characters of Trigun are really good in my opinion.
Am just going to say this right now Vash The Steampede is one of my favorite anime protagonist in any anime. He can be really funny at times with his humour but the same time he can be a utter badass. Not to mention his characterization is just wonderful seeing him transform from a friendly joker to a very deadly killer who has a bunch of emotional problems.
Overall Vash The Steampede is a great and lovable character.
Next up we have the insurance girls Miley and Meryl.
I really like these two because I feel they are very genuine with the emotions and also they honestly a great duo and great comic relief characters.
Lastly we a character that not interlude until episode 8 Wolfwood who is a priest with a very good of fire arms and very much a boil to Vash.
While Vash is one of my favourite anime protagonists Wolfwood is one of my favourite anime characters’ period and to be honest he made Trigun a much better experience especially on my re-watch of the series. Not to mention I really adore his personally and motivations in general.
Overall I really adore Wolfwood
The rest of the beyond those four are really good and they made the world harsh but understandably harsh to some degree. You can believe some of the stuff that people do despicable or kinda as they are and you will defiantly feel for them and in the current mindset.
Overall the characters in Trigun are really great.
9.5/10
Art/Animation.

Unfortunately, the visuals of Trigun are not that great at all.
If you compare shows like Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Slayers, Nadesico and Fushigi Yuugi Trigun didn't aged as well.
There are some spotty scenes that you can tell the budget was probably running out. Not to mention Trigun re-used animation at times. It's not as bad as something as Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing but still kinda of an issue even for its time.
It didn't bother me too much but I know it can bother some viewers especially the younger ones so I just thought I would mention it and it was one big flaw that I have with Trigun in general
Overall the visuals were kinda lacking
6.5/10

Sound.
Am going to be real honest I wasn't a fan of Trigun soundtrack. While the soundtrack of Trigun was good on its own and it fits the western theme of the show I just don't find the soundtrack of Trigun to be impactful compare to other anime from the 90s.
Don't get me wrong the soundtrack for Trigun is good but for me I won't be listening all the time.
The opening theme is a good listen as it hypes up the episode and while the ending theme of Trigun is mediocre and kinda forgettable and not to mentions its really out of place.
Now for Dub or Sub.
The dub for the show is top notch for the most part. While voice actors for the main characters were great some of the side characters were kinda stiff in my opinion.
Also, the dub can be a bit cheesy at times especially the first half.
Overall Trigun has a good dub but it's not as impactful as the dubs for Cowboy Bebop and Slayers in my opinion.
7/10
Final Thoughts.
Trigun is a great show. While I may prefer Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star Trigun this series is over the top fun and emotional gripping.
It has a great revenge story that is well told, great and loveable characters, decent visuals along with a soundtrack that I was not a fan off but still was pretty good for what it is.
I use to hate this show when I was younger but now I can say is I adored this show and now it become a favourite of mine. Like they say all re-watches are powerful.
I give Trigun a 8/10
Anime recommdations
Cowboy Bebop
Outlaw Star
Gun x Sword
Gungrave
Rurouni Kenshin
Black Cat
Gun x Sword
Anyway, this was Shawn aka TheKazeTrigger and I will see you guys next time.

When thinking of Trigun, the first thing that comes to mind is "overrated". It isn't bad, but it's not nearly as good as the hype would suggest.

Story: 7/10
The story of Trigun is actually fairly original for anime. The concept of the Space Western is severely underutilized in nearly all mediums, so I was glad to see this. The episodes are generally well paced for an action show, and the old western cliches are used in a way that makes them feel fresh. Nothing terribly wrong with it, but nothing great either.

Art: 9/10
Unquestionably Trigun's strongest point, the action feels unique and visceral.The thrilling sequences didn't ... really get old for the most part, and that is the mark of good choreography.

Sound:6/10
The voice acting for the most part seemed fairly generic(with the notable exception of Vash's VA, who turns in a stunning performance that greatly aids the comedy of the show). The sound effects also seemed fairly forgettable.

Character:6/10
Here was my biggest problem with the series. With the exception of Vash and Wolfwood, everyone was really generic. Milly is a tsundere with a gun, Meryl is a bossy girl, etc.,etc. The fans seem to hold Vash up as a stunningly original character when he's obviously not. Kenshin was around a year before him. I don't mind similarities in characters, but it felt like fans of One Piece holding up Luffy as the most original character in the universe.

Enjoyment:6/10
The series felt as if it could be better done as a comedy, as it's comedic moments were excellent, and a comedy doesn't place nearly as much focus on characterization. Honestly, the series just never clicked for me.

Overall:7/10
This series is a good watch for fans of frantic action and/or the space western style setting. It's a solid action piece and really nothing more.

I’d recommend Trigun to fans of Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action and Comedy everywhere, as it simply distils the best of all of these genres, and makes it accessible to everyone. So far, it's one of the best series I've seen, simply because it's just such fun to watch.

There are several reasons for this: the main reason is the sound and the style. Cowboy Bebop was among the first series I watched, and Trigun shares many of the characteristics that made Cowboy Bebop so great. Here, various stereotypical Western themes are used and the music keeps the series going, adding the necessary emotion to every scene. ...

Moreover, let me just say, Trigun has the best openings I have ever seen. The gargantuan guitar riff driving the OP would leave you to believe the series is just filled with action-packed gunfights, with an incredibly cool protagonist.

In this respect, Trigun is deceptive. Vash the Stampede is a cool character, yet for nearly every awesome action he performs, there's an equally ridiculous and idiotic gesticulation to counter it. While it certainly creates a memorable protagonist, it can lead to some frustration as it means his personality can never be pinned down and defined, due to this constant subversion.

I do not mind this one bit. The first half of the series is mainly a series of comedic adventures, which suddenly turns into an altogether different beast halfway through the series. The darker theme that explains the series’ main story arc still contains comedic moments, but these are dropped in favour of narrative, and the ability that Trigun has, to juggle comedy with bleakness, is outstanding. However, the main draw of the series is undeniably Vash, and if you do not find yourself entertained by such an incredible character as his, it is doubtful you will enjoy the series. Fortunately, it is nigh on impossible not to appreciate such a likeable character as his, which makes such an amusing and entertaining series.