Trigun
[Episodes 1-26 Reviewed]
[Reviewed by Bethany]
[Read Kristin's Review]

Trigun is one of those anime series I think it would be pretty hard to dislike. (Uh, unless someone shows you the episodes all out of order and confuses you greatly.) It has humor and drama in equal parts, enough cuties to keep us fangirls happy, and plot that's both interesting and well laid down. It has a wonderful balance of comedy and tragedy — even if it starts at one end and finishes at the other — and has a great sense of style. And of course, sand. Lots and lots of sand.

Story
Everyone wants a piece of Vash the Stampede — or, rather, all of him ... dead or alive. The famous outlaw has a sixty-billion double-dollar bounty on his head, and there's not a person on the Planet Gunsmoke who isn't itching for that kind of money. Of course, no one seems to know who Vash the Stampede is, what he looks like, or where he is: all they know is that, whenever he comes, he leaves the wreckage of cities in his wake. Enter Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, employees for the Bernardelli Insurance Society, sent to track Vash the Stampede and act as damage control. But even after they finally find him, the girls have more than one surprise in store — Vash the Stampede is nothing as expected, and he carries about him a danger beyond the trouble that follows him — a long, dark past that's about to catch up with him.

Your Synopsis Sucks
Yeah, it does, sorry. But seriously, Trigun is one hell of a story. It's a blend of science fiction and western elements, with dark undercurrents that often cut and crack the humorous surface. All of its characters have their own unique — and quirky — personalities, and the way they interact causes all sorts of sparks. Trigun also brings up a rather interesting — and disturbing — moral dilemma, and one that is not easily solved or forgotten. The line between right and wrong is blurred with opposing views that are both correct, with villains who aren't evil in the strictest sense of the word and not wrong in their standpoint. Needless to say, it can be a bit emotionally confusing at points (and thus a bit melodramatic — but, hey, I love that stuff) ... and even painful. It's dark in theme and but light in presentation — at least, for the first half of the series, before it does an Eva on us and becomes a ravaging mind-fuck [pardon the expression] for a couple of its central characters.

Its music is gorgeous — particularly a certain song in episode twenty-three that I want to dress up and marry. The animation lags at points — but since I'm happy with just about everything that isn't DragonballZ (sorry), you'll get no complaints here.... of course, I love the style. I also want to wrap up its characters and tie them with a great big bow and hide them in my closet to peer at and squeal. ...InsaneGirl comments aside, Trigun really is something that shouldn't be missed.

The Bottom Line
Trigun is highly entertaining ... and addicting. It's complex and smart, and way too much fun to watch.