Review of Trigun: Vol. 4

Introduction

The fourth disc of Trigun marks the halfway point of the series, and the series begins to get serious, with a hint of darkness being added to the mix. Not to worry though, as the madcap characters and mayhem is never far behind.

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. Two hard up insurance agents, Milly Thompson and Meryl Stryfe pursue Vash and try to limit the destruction that he leaves in his wake, 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.

11. Escape From Pain

Vash and friends are enjoying the hospitality of a desert caravan, when Milly and Nicholas D. Wolfwood run into a dancing girl fleeing from her employers. Taking pity on her, they escort her to a reunion with her city boyfriend, Julius. Julius explains how his adoptive father, the mayor of his city has made an exclusive deal with the caravan for some immoral business, business that cannot be conducted without the presence of Julius as a sort of pass. He and the dancing girl wish to escape the life, even if it means destroying the livelihoods of both the city and the caravan. While Milly and Nicholas help them however, the mayor has hired Vash to retrieve his son.

12. Diablo

It`s such a beautiful day, and Vash, Milly and Meryl are enjoying the sunshine. It can`t last of course, and a threatening messenger arrives, one who can communicate with Vash telepathically. The message is simple, `Today is the last day of Vash`s life!` Soon he`s languishing in jail, suspected of a murder he didn`t commit. Which is when Monev the Gale walks into town, sworn to rid the world of the Humanoid Typhoon. Only Monev didn`t count on making Vash mad.

13. Vash The Stampede

In the last episode, the hidden nature of Vash began to appear, but as we`re near the halfway mark, now would be the perfect place for a recap as to how we got to this state of affairs. It`s convenient then that Meryl has to write a report to her superiors recounting all that has happened thus far. Cue the clip show.

Video

The picture comes in a nice clear 4:3 regular transfer. The image is sharp and makes use of strong colours. This is an older anime, and the precision of CGI has yet to replace the freer feel of hand drawn animation. 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 felt that the dub had lost something over the previous volume, or perhaps I spot-checked the wrong bits, but the incidental characters didn`t seem as strongly voiced as the main characters.

Features

The fourth volume of Trigun gets a smattering of extras, but not enough to really get excited about. This volume gets a jacket picture, something that was absent on Volume 3. 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, Texhnolyze and Full Metal Alchemist. Finally there are 25 line images in a Villain Design gallery as well as 25 stills in a gallery that shows the creation of a Vash the Stampede doll from the basic line sketch to the final model.

Conclusion

Having started in the middle of the run with Trigun, I have barely had time to get used to the rather manic standalone nature of the stories before they went and changed the record. Volume 4 still has the lighthearted feel of the earlier disc, but from the first episode on this disc, it becomes apparent that things are going to get serious. It`s a gradual change though, and the comic touch and delightful characters remain a strong attraction in Trigun.

The three stories on this disc vary in tone, but each show the deepening shade in Vash`s character. The first begins much in the vein of the earlier episodes, our heroes confronted with a situation, which they as outsiders can resolve with a fancy amount of gunplay, and move on afterwards with a sense of satisfaction that the innocent underdog has triumphed over adversity with their help. Only this time around, the situation is more complicated than a simple good guy versus bad guy scenario, and our heroes end up on opposite sides. The only way for Vash to resolve the situation is to behave ruthlessly, living down to his reputation, and his companions are shocked to see this unfeeling streak. He may have only been playing a role in Escape From Pain, but this serves as ample warning for what happens in Diablo, when Vash has to face adversaries he cannot defeat simply by clowning around or cracking a few quips. We finally get to see the darker side of his personality that he has been restraining since his promise to his dead girlfriend, and we see the figurative ace that he keeps up his sleeve. The final episode on this disc is a neatly placed recap that takes us from the beginning of the series up the events of the previous episode. Normally, I wouldn`t think highly of a clip show, but this one is neatly framed around Milly and Meryl writing a report of the events to their superiors, and it`s more about their personalities and interpretations of events than a simple retelling. Almost as an afterthought, we learn more about Vash, as he reveals the price he pays for restraining the violence in himself.

The fourth volume of Trigun changes gear somewhat, introducing a darker edge to the stories. While laughs are fewer, what we get in terms of character development certainly makes up for that. I still feel that with only three episodes per disc, a question is raised over value for money, but if you have stuck with Trigun thus far, that will do little to dissuade you. Newcomers might want to try an earlier disc, as while the final episode does serve to help you catch up, this is still a difficult place to join the series.