Trigun
Trigun (トライガン) is a 26-episode Anime series which originally aired in 1998 in Japan. Based on a manga by Yasuhiro Nightow, it is the story of Vash the Stampede, a.k.a. The Humanoid Typhoon, and the two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, who were ordered to follow him and minimize the damage that seems to follow Vash everywhere he goes.
Much of the damage attributed to "Vash" is caused by the activities of the bounty hunters who are after the $$60,000,000,000 ($$ = double dollar) reward on Vash's head for the destruction of a city called July (which, amazingly, resulted in no direct loss of life to the city's inhabitants). Vash does not clearly remember the destruction of July, and only wants "love and peace," as he puts it; though he is a gunfighter of near god-like skill, he uses his weapons only to save lives wherever he can (even the lives of those who try to kill him).
As the series progresses, more is gradually learned about Vash's mysterious history and the history of human civilization on the alien desert planet the series is set on. The series is often humorous in tone, but at the same time it involves very serious character development and especially in later episodes it becomes quite emotionally intense. Vash is occasionally joined by the preacher Nicholas D. Wolfwood, who is almost as good a gunfighter as Vash himself, and later is targeted by a band of mercenaries known as the Gung-Ho Guns for reasons which are mysterious at first.
Trigun evolves into a very serious discussion of the nature of morality, posing questions such as: What is the nature of morality? Can we judge different moral codes? If a person is forced to betray their moral code, does that betrayal invalidate that moral code, and can the person still try to live up to that moral code? Can the person find redemption from their wrongs, and if so, how?
Trigun was created by the animation studio Studio Madhouse and is licensed in the United States by Pioneer USA. In 2003, Trigun began broadcast as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block.
The original manga and television storylines deviate noticably with the arrival of the Gung Ho guns, and the TV series 'invented' an ending which expectedly some fans consider too 'rushed'.
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Characters
Vash the Stampede (The Humanoid Typhoon)
The main character. He was initially discovered by Meryl and Milly imprisoned by some bandits who wanted to collect on the $$60 billion. He escapes and Milly and Meryl eventually learn that this is the person they are supposed to track. Vash presents an interesting "hero" for this kind of story, a crybaby and a pacifist, ocasionally seemingly a buffoon. He is in fact extremely intelligent, and an unrivalled gunman who seeks to preserve life where ever possible. It is possible he exaggerates his foolish characteristics to make people feel unthreatened and to hide his identity. He lost his left arm in an incident involving Knives, and, as a result, possesses a prosthetic arm that transforms as a gun. Vash is in fact not a human, but a human-like "plant", a source of power and energy on the planet; as a Plant, he can, with his gun, turn his right arm into a highly destructive weapon called an "Angel Arm," originating from technology which Knives created. His supposed age is 131.
Vash the Stampede makes a cameo appearance in Wild ARMs 2nd Ignition.
Meryl Stryfe
She and her junior co-worker Milly were sent by the Bernardelli Insurance Society to evaluate claims regarding Vash the Stampede. Despite her serious attitude and short temper, she is a good person. Initially, she didn't know who he was and found Vash to be a nuisance. As time passes, she recognizes that Vash isn't the villain that he is made out to be. Hides many derringer style "throwaway" pistols under her coat. Gradually, she comes to respect and love Vash.
Milly Thompson
Friend and assistant of Meryl, she also works for the Bernardelli Insurance Society. Despite physically towering over Meryl, Milly looks up to her and always refers to her as "senpai" (a term of respect for a senior). Although physically very strong, she appears rather simple and ditzy, but has an extremely kind heart and also reveals a strength of character and genuine optimism. She does, however, have a tendency to go a bit overboard when drinking. She seemed to pick up on the fact that Vash was the wandering gunman before Meryl, but she didn't realize that she was right. Somehow under her coat she manages to hide a very heavy concussion gun (referred to as a "stun-gun", although it can knock over trucks) that shoots bullets that pop out in a X shaped claw.
Kuroneko-sama
Kuroneko-sama (Japanese for "black cat lord/lady") is, as her name suggests, a black cat.(Yasuhiro Nightow has said that the cat is female, and he would know: Kuroneko-sama was one of the first characters he created for the manga.) Her formal name is Kuroneko Kukan, or Black Cat Space. She appears in every episode of the anime at least once, usually as a running joke of popping her oval-shaped, green-eyed head on screen at some opportune moment and uttering a simple "nyaa." (Some of her appearances are truly laugh-out-loud funny: in the episode "Fifth Moon," when Vash is clearing out the city of Augusta, he fires into the air and is quite surprised when the cat lands on his head with a "nyaa," then jumps off.) Kuroneko-sama may have some connection with Vash, but that, like her appearances, is a mystery.
Kuroneko-sama makes a cameo appearance in Wild ARMs 2nd Ignition.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood
A preacher and an excellent gunman, who in the original Japanese version speaks Osaka dialect. Nicholas and Vash meet in the desert when Vash's bus runs across Nicholas' motorcycle. He proves to be a valuable ally, but sometimes Vash and Wolfwood's philosophies conflict. In the end, he comes over to Vash's way of thinking, even though he was associated with Knives the whole time. Nicholas's purpose was to raise money for children he was taking care of at a church. He lived with his uncle when he was younger and shot his uncle because he was a violent alcoholic. Many other facts about Wolfwood are unknown. The giant cross that he carries holds 10 pistols (right and left arms of cross), is a giant machinegun (long part of the cross) and finally, a rocket launcher. Wolfwood is in love with Millie Thompshon.
Rem Saverem
Mother figure to both Vash and Knives. Her teachings of love and peace, and especially that no one has the right to take a life, combined with her early death have a profound influence on Vash. Knives blames her for his brother's softness. Vash blames Knives for the death of Rem.
Millions Knives
Vash's twin brother, who believes that humanity is a plague that must be exterminated because he felt that by killing man, he would prevent any damage man can cause. He first tried to convince Vash to join his quest, but eventually the two became bitter rivals. Like his brother, Knives also has an Angel Arm; unlike his brother, he uses it to summon up an array of knives.
The Gung-Ho Guns
The Gung-Ho Guns are a group of 11 people assembled by Knives to cause great pain to Vash the Stampede. Each one is human (with the exception of Zazie in the manga), but has sacrificed their humanity in order to gain power, often leaving them mutilated.
Legato Bluesummers
The first of the Gung-Ho Guns. Loves death, wants Vash to kill him at any cost. He is the extremely telepathic leader of the Gung Ho Guns. His strong resonance with Vash as well as his psychic powers actually stem from the fact that Vash's left arm is grafted onto him; its plant properties give him powers not inherently human. In the manga he is crushed by Knives for trying too hard to kill Vash, and for the rest of the Manga has his body restricted to a coffin like container, using his telepathy when he would normally need hands. His coffin is transported by a mysterious character whom little is revealed about. In the anime he appears to have a sweet tooth but is even more of a glutton in the Manga
Monev The Gale
The third of the Gung-Ho Guns. However, the first Gung-Ho Gun to attack Vash; he trained for twenty years before the fight. He carries two high-powered chain guns on his arms.
E.G. Mine
The sixth of the Gung-Ho Guns. Uses his shell to deploy exploding spikes towards an enemy.
Dominique The Cyclops
The fourth of the Gung-Ho Guns. Has a device known as the "Demons Eye". The device is installed in her eye and induces hypnosis and sensory paralysis on her foe(s), therefore making her movements seem to move at lightspeed, when she is really just placing the foe(s) in a trance. The eye in the anime simply has a red pupil, however in the manga it has a reptillian look.
Rai Dei the Blade
The fifth of the Gung-Ho Guns. A samurai who seeks the knowledge learned only when facing death. He carries a sword, and is able to swing it with enough force to throw large furrows of earth before it. Later his sword reveals a concealed shotgun in the sheath.
Caine the Longshot
A talented sniper who can cloak his body. This character was made for the anime and does not appear in the manga.
Leonoff the Puppetmaster
The ninth of the Gung-Ho Guns. Controls mannequin-like puppet creatures from a remote location. In the manga there is a little developed sub-plot that reveals that Leonoffs real name is Emilio, and that Vash knew him when he was a child.
Gray the Ninelives
The eighth of the Gung-Ho Guns. Famous for having nine lives. In actuality, he's an android covered in nearly indestructable armor. His name comes from the fact that there are nine tiny people living inside of him that control him like a tank. In the manga, Wolfwood captures the two surviving midgets after finishing off the body.
Hoppered the Gauntlet
The tenth of the Gung-Ho Guns. Capable of very powerful leaps. He carries an industructable shield. The manga goes into his story more, which reveals that the woman he loved was killed in the destruction of July.
Zazie the Beast
The seventh of the Gung-Ho Guns. The youngest Gung-Ho Gun, he uses his youth as a disguise. He can control sandworms with a high-frequency device he wears on his head. In the manga, his body is made up of group-minded insects inhabiting a manufactured body, and after its first form, a young boy, is destroyed, it reapears in a teen-age female form. He dies because Wolfwood shoots him to protect Vash.
Chapel the Evergreen
Wolfwood's mentor. Chapel carries the parent version of Wolfwood's famous Punisher, and cared for young Nicholas after his guardian's death. Is instrumental in Wolfwood's salvation. Also created just for the anime; Wolfwood is Chapel the Evergeen in the manga.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood
Wolfwood is declared a Gung-Ho Gun after his distinguished service to Knives.
Midvalley the Hornfreak
The second of the Gung-Ho Guns. A musician; plays a saxophone which is a deadly weapon. It can apparently expel high pressure sound waves causing physical damage. Is often shown collaborating with Legato during the anime, indicating that he has a high rank in the Gung-Ho Guns.
Episode List
- The $$60,000,000,000 Dollar Man
- Truth of Mistake
- Peace Maker
- Love and Peace
- Hard Puncher
- Lost July
- B.D.N.
- And Between the Wasteland and Sky
- Murder Machine
- Quick Draw
- Escape from Pain
- Diablo
- Vash the Stampede
- Little Arcadia
- Demon Eye
- Fifth Moon
- Rem Seiburem
- And Now, Goodbye
- Hang Fire
- Flying Ship
- Out of Time
- Alternative
- Paradise
- Sin
- Live Through
- Beneath the Sky so Blue
Manga Volumes (translated by Dark Horse Comics)
- Trigun Vol. 1
- Trigun Vol. 2
- Trigun Maximum Vol. 01: The Hero Returns
- Trigun Maximum Vol. 02: Death Blue
- Trigun Maximum Vol. 03: His Life As A…
- Trigun Maximum Vol. 04: Bottom of the Dark
Music
Trigun features music by Tsuneo Imahori.
Soundtracks
- Trigun Spicey Stewed Donut (US only, from TokyoPop)
- H.T.
- NO-BEAT
- Big Bluff
- Unhappy Song'
- PHILOSOPHY In A Tea Cup
- Cynical Pink
- Nerve Rack
- Zero Hour
- KNIVES
- Permanent Vacation
- BLUE FUNK
- YELLOW ALERT
- Carot & Stick
- Suna-no-hoshi
- Kaze-wa Mirai-ni Fuku (風は未来に吹く / Wind Blows In the Future)
- Trigun: The First Donuts (Japan only)
- Trigun: The Second Donuts (Japan only)
Theme Songs
- Opening
- "H.T." by Tsuneo Imahori
- Ending
- "Kaze-wa Mirai-ni Fuku" (Japanese: 風は未来に吹く) (Official English Translation: Wind Blows In the Future) by Tsuneo Imahori
- Character Development
- "Sound Life" by Tsuneo Imahori - associated with the character of Rem, and by extension Vash's early life.
External Links
theOtaku.com (http://www.theotaku.com/trigun/) fansite detailing episodes and character bios.
fr:Trigun it:Trigun ja:トライガン de:Trigun