Review of Trigun: Vol. 3

Introduction

They did it to me again; they cast me adrift in the middle of an anime series to see if I would sink or swim. Receiving the third volume of Trigun meant a quick scoot around the Internet to see what I could find about the series, the characters and more importantly the episodes that had gone before, as this third disc begins with the resolution of a cliff-hanger left over from Volume 2.

Vash the Stampede is perhaps the most infamous outlaw there is, with a $$60 billion bounty on his head. Deadly with a gun, he`s ruthless, fearless and the mere mention of his name can clear towns ahead of his arrival. He`s also a bit of a dork and a committed pacifist. Trigun is set on a distant future world that bakes under the glare of two suns. The human civilisation there has slipped back in technology, and society has taken on the aspect of the Wild West of old. Despite Vash`s reputation, there are plenty of bounty hunters willing to try for that reward. Among them, two hard up insurance agents, Milly Thompson and Meryl Stryfe, who pursue Vash, and find it hard to believe that the goofy, comical character in the red coat is indeed the toughest gunfighter around. But Vash is a mysterious character beneath that attitude, his past is an enigma and he has abilities and knowledge that are lost to the rest of humanity. This disc from MVM contains 3 further episodes in the Trigun series.

8. And Between The Wasteland And Sky

Resolving the cliffhanger from disc 2, the steamer has been hijacked by thief B.D. Neon and is heading for certain doom at the bottom of a cliff. Vash manages to rescue Kaite, and with the help of the boy, after some reluctant bonding, heads forward to stop the train. Unfortunately he heads straight into a trap. But even if he stops the bad guys, it doesn`t mean the same thing as stopping the steamer.

9. Murder Machine

Tired and still healing from the ordeal on the steamer, Vash has teamed up with Meryl and Milly, the insurance agents, and together they are travelling by bus through the desert to the next town. Vash`s eagle eyes spot something sparkling in the sands though, and the bus diverts to pick up Nicholas D Wolfwood, a rather unconventional preacher whose lugging his own cross through the desert. It turns into an eventful journey with the perceptive padre, especially when a little girl goes missing after a robot attack. Wolfwood looks to be as much of a riddle as Vash.

10. Quick Draw

It doesn`t take long for Vash to encounter Nicholas D Wolfwood again, as he`s working as a chef to help a family down on their luck. Their father has left mother and son to run the restaurant and pay off a hefty debt. Nicholas, being the helpful chap he is, has entered Vash into a quick draw tournament. Not exactly a smart move for someone who wants to keep a low profile. Pretty soon there are double dollar signs in the other competitors` eyes.

Video

The picture comes in a nice clear 4:3 regular transfer. The image is sharp and makes use of strong colours. The character designs take a little getting used to, with some exaggerated expressions used for comic effect. I love the design of the anime. Trigun takes place in a fallen civilisation, with vestiges of hi tech still around, but mostly old and falling apart. There`s plenty of old fashioned technology, and the occasional synthesis of the two giving the story a nice steampunk feel. The animation is strong and fluid, and is generally of high quality. Watch out for the creator`s trademark, a black cat that manages to crop up in every episode.

Audio

You get the basic selection of DD 2.0 Japanese and English, with translated English subtitles to accompany. The dialogue is clear throughout and the music suits the story well. I must mention the English dub. While I only spot-checked it, it turns out to be the best dub I have yet heard, with a top-notch cast providing lines that sound natural and suit the story and the characters. If only this kind of talent was used on more anime.

Features

A few extras complement the Trigun disc, but not enough to really get excited about. Animated menus are accompanied by gunshot transitions. You get the Trigun trailer as well as trailers for two stunning looking series to spend your money on, Haibane Renmei and Samurai Champloo. Finally there are 35 line images in a Weapon Design gallery as well as 25 stills in an Image Gallery.

Conclusion

I`ve always had an uneasy feeling about mixing Sci-fi and Westerns. I`ve never really appreciated films like Westworld, and the idea of cowboy hats and ray guns just seems a little tacky to me. I think it all boils down to a brief flirtation with Bravestarr during my childhood, a cartoon that blended the worst of both worlds, "Eyes of the hawk, speed of the wolf, strength of the bear, duckbill of the platypus." So now I approach any animation that claims to blend the two genres with a degree of caution. It made me initially wary of Cowboy Bebop, although in the end that movie had very little to do with cowboys. Finally Trigun lands in my player for review, an animation that unashamedly mixes and matched from both sci-fi and Westerns. As is the way with these things, it turns out to be a thoroughly enjoyable anime series, action packed and with a rich vein of comedy, both in the stories and the characters.

While the three episodes on this disc do lead on from each other, the stories are very much stand-alone. The stories at this point are mainly for character introduction and development, with small hints being dropped once in a while to provide insight into a character, or a titbit of personal history. Each story will end up with Vash in a situation that has to be resolved with some awe-inspiring gunplay. If you remember how fast the Waco Kid was in Blazing Saddles, Vash makes him look positively sluggish. There is a certain irony in a pacifistic gunfighter whose catchphrase is "Love and Peace!" but to his credit, fatalities are rare indeed. The Trigun stories are a nicely balanced mixture of character, drama, action and comedy, with more of the emphasis on comedy. It`s all played mostly for laughs with the characters walking the fine line between the absurd and the absolutely ridiculous. It`s tremendous fun though, and it makes a change to see an anime that doesn`t take itself so seriously.

Trigun proceeds at a leisurely pace, but looking ahead, I see that the hints and groundwork being laid now coalesce into an ongoing storyline, and a little darkness will take the place of the comedy. Volume 3 of Trigun isn`t too bad a place to start, although the first episode resolving a cliffhanger from the previous disc is a bit of a drawback in that respect. The episodes are fun and entertaining and the characters are light and madcap. The only question mark is over the sparse nature of this disc, three episodes means just over an hour of entertainment. But if anime is your thing, then Trigun definitely lives up to the hype.