Reviewed material: 

Full series; language: Japanese, Portuguese subtitles (fansub).

    Art/Animation:

Although very good in general, it can be very irregular. It is very interesting to see how  they achieved an animation style that mixes both caricature and realism - each one has its effect and is used at the right time. Especially the changes in the mood and feelings of the characters are most skillfully  made, just slightly changing details in the facial expression.

    Humor: 

I think that it was the first time that I really couldn't stop laughing while watching a series, specially in the first chapters. But do not get fooled: although the mood goes on throughout the entire series, there are moments where you will cry, too.

    Action:

It is a great option  for those who can't stand monotony. The rhythm is sufficiently varied, sometimes even frenetic. There is always something happening in the scenes, that flow by in a very quick succession. It has incredible, really breathtaking shoot scenes. Sometimes the  rhythm gets so intense that you do not know well what to look at, but there are also quieter moments, when things get serious and Vash or the other characters reflect upon their lives.

   Bloodshed: 

Well, there is enough of it, but nothing that the usual action anime public is not used to. There are some uncomfortable moments in the death scenes or  when we are confronted with Vash's countless wounds. They are not graphically offensive, but the dramatic tension makes everything seems worse than it really is.

    Romance: 

Actually the central point of the plot is a love history, but it is a lost love in the past. One should not look for romantic  interludes, but there are some very expressive scenes (Japanese-style, of course - lots of expressive looks and silence).

    Psychological content: 

Extremely rich, in my opinion, but I do not know if everybody is going to notice this (^_^), since there is so much humor and action that the "serious" things seem to have little weight. However, I think that it has some extremely sad scenes when our attention is called to the characters' internal conflicts. There are some very deep questionings hidden (sometimes too much hidden, in my opinion) in the anime plot, especially about Vash and Knives' origins and all the conception of the creation of the world and the value of life subtly presented in Rem's song.

Summary:

The anime opens with a gun fight scene in Wild West-style, but in a futurist scenery, and we meet two young ladies from the Bernadelli Insurance agency looking for the dangerous desperado "Vash the Stampede" (or, as it is deliciously pronounced in  Japanese, "bashu za sutampido"). There is a bounty of 60,000,000,000$$ put on his had, dead or alive, since he has destroyed an entire city (although nobody died), and he was nicknamed "the humanoid typhoon" because he works havoc wherever he goes by. Because of that, the insurance company has sent Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson to find him and prevent him from doing more damage. But no one seems to know him and there are several descriptions of the mysterious gunman.

When they finally meet, Meryl can't believe that that goofy-looking guy is the infamous desperado (although Milly sees it right away...), but nevertheless they follow him through many adventures. Vash seems to attract heavy trouble like a magnet, but he also always finds a way out, thanks to his incredible speed and ability with a gun. Vash loves mankind and is always helping the innocent against bad people and after many adventures they meet another strange gunfighter, a preacher called Wolfwood, who shares Vash's dreams of protecting the weak.

However, Vash's past pursuits him in the figure of his evil twin Knives and his henchman Legato, this latter the leader of a gang of killers called the Gung-Ho-Guns. Knives orders Legato and the Gung-Ho-Guns to turn Vash's life into Hell by hurting innocent people and the ones he cares for. Vash is forced to search for Knives and face him, although it may cost him a lot and endanger the entire planet...

There is also a lot more linked to the past of Vash, Knives and Rem, Vash's first love. Besides that, there is the fact that Vash and Knives are not really human, and that Knives despise mankind with a passion, but in the end we see that he, too, is only searching for his place in the universe.

Characters:

Although the characters are sufficiently complex, it seems to me that the desire to keep up a vertiginous rhythm in the action ended by prejudicing the characters' presentation. Little by little we are given very sparing bits from their past and learn about their anguish and dreams, but I would rather have been given a little more time to know them better. It  is interesting to notice how our opinions about each one of the characters keeps changing along the series, and how many of them are really pretty different from what they look like at first. 

Vash is a very intriguing character, than can change quickly from a perfect idiot into a dangerous gunman or a pure person ready to sacrifice himself for others, even if they do not deserve it (and just notice how these changes are accomplished through the artwork, just using his eyeglasses and the facial expression). He is a sweet, sweet guy and rates very high on my list of Best Anime Character Ever.

Knives and Legato are two mysteries for me, I wish they had been better defined (perhaps it is done so in the manga, but I do not know). I am sure they have a lot of good material for a study of the reasons and motivations that take  people to do extreme acts. They are utterly cold and cynic and despise mankind with a fervor only matched by Vash's love of the innocent. There is a strong tie between Knives and Legato, but I couldn't find out where it came from (again, I expect that it is clearer in the manga, but I haven't read it yet). Anyway, both are extremely powerful and determined to turn Vash's life into hell.

Wolfwood is another very complex character. It is not easy to decide if he is "good" or "bad" or just human. He is responsible for many funny scenes together with Vash, but also for one of the most touching scenes when he goes to a church and talks to God about forgiveness to his sins. It just made me cry, and that does not happen easily! 

Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson also have many interesting facets. At first they got on my nerves, but that is their role at the beginning of the series, while they still see Vash as either a dangerous criminal or a complete moron. But in time they learn to know him (and each other) better and we see that they are also deeper and far more sensitive than they seem at first.

General comment:

Trigun is really one of the best series I have ever seen, maybe not the best just because it is so compressed that many threads are left loose. For instance, the whole-important revelation about the true nature of Vash and Knives is told fleetingly in only one sentence in the last episode! However, the action is perfect, the humor is fantastic, the art is OK for the most part, the characters are original, deep and win the public's sympathy from the very start. The story has also many layers of understanding and moves us equally to smiles and to tears. The music is great, it has a strong rock-beat that suits the story rhythm perfectly. The opening animation, with the song "H.T." (humanoid typhoon) is a synthesis of what one may expect from the series: A perfect entertainment for all anime fans.

Pay special attention to:

the first episode, when we can not yet make our mind wheter Vash is a complete moron or a most skillful gunman. His attempts to escape the outlaws that pursue him are just hilarious (not to mention that his original voice is just delicious)!

Vash's radical changes from a good-humored guy into a dangerous criminal just by the glint on his glasses.

the very touching scene of Wolfwood in the church after his fight with his former master.

Vash's desperate crying, alone in his room, after he kills Legato (oops! spoiler!), while Meryl runs away because she is not able to endure his suffering.

the accursed black cat that pops out of nowhere in the most improbable occasions!

This site has no profit purposes.  Trigun and all related products belong to Madhouse, TV Tokyo,  Shonengahosha Tokumashoten, Victor Entertainment and any other licensed enterprises or persons that I may have forgotten to mention. Images from the site Trigun Machine. Graphics by Gograf and Graphics 4Free. Gograf and Graphics 4Free.

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