Trigun Vol. 1 1998 Geneon Entertainment   Buy It Now

Trigun is the story of a man with a sixty billion dollar price on his head. So, you figure if a guy is running around with a sixty billion dollar price on his head, he must be a pretty terrible guy. Must hurt a lot of folks and do a lot of property damage, and be a really dangerous sort.

Vash the Stampede, as this man is know, certainly has a reputation as all of the above. He has a reputation for it- though the truth of the matter is quite different that it appears.

See, Vash might come to a little frontier town. The locals might get spooked and start talking, then either leave town or hide in their basements. Soon after Vash arrives, a group of thugs looking to collect that huge bounty might show up. Shots might be fired, buildings might get destroyed- hell, the entire town will most likely end up in a heap of rubble.

Now, since the townsfolk only saw Vash ride into town, then saw what was left after he departed, but didn’t actually see what happened, well, you can see how his fearsome reputation might get around.

Enter the Insurance adjustors. Meryl and Milly are tasked with seeking out Vash the Stampede and keeping him under close observation, presumably because the insurance company they work for is getting tired of paying out huge sums of money against claims by Vash’s “victims”. What does he look like, they inquire. That's easy- he is a short legged tall guy with a Mohawk and a red coat, and he carries a large weapon.

The ladies trek across the desert until they catch up with their man. A large guy with a red coat and a Mohawk, and he has a huge weapon, and he has some bumbling idiot tied up by the rocks. The guy has gotta be Vash. Only, soon after they arrive, another guy shows up to claim the bounty on Vash. He levels his weapon at the big guy in the red coat and says the jig is up. The big guy in the red coat thinks the newcomer is crazy at first, but then he gets a good look at the guy. He has a big gun, and the inside of his coat is red- this guy must be the real Vash the Stampede, because the idiot tied up over there just can’t be him- he is too stupid.

Suffice to say, Trigun is a series built on slapstick and comedy of errors, and it works. You will get some good laughs out of the events that happen around poor Vash, a rather simple guy who finds himself in extraordinary situations. And while the insurance gals have their man right under their nose the whole time, they simply can’t accept that he is actually the legendary Vash, because he is just too much of a dope.
But as there is a good dose of humor in the show, there is also a deeper level running down there. Vash does indeed seem to be a fifth degree Idiot Master, but is he really? I have only seen the two episodes here on the UMD, so I can't say for sure, but it seems that Vash may indeed be much more capable than he lets on to the world. At times, he displays a superhuman sense of coolness, like some spaghetti western version of Neo from the Matrix- then, suddenly, he is acting like a dolt, screaming and running like a girl. But somehow, he always manages to get through the tough times unscathed.

Once again, Geneon has provided a top notch presentation on UMD. I can forgive the full screen (4:3) presentation, though I prefer to have my PSP screen filled whenever possible. The only niggle in the visuals I noticed are in the subtitles, which appear as though they are “smeared” for lack of a better word, at times, and any text that appears on screen behind the subs makes them almost
 unreadable. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen too often, and doesn’t really detract from the enjoyment of the show. There is a passable English voiceover for those who can't be bothered with reading, but as always, the subbed Japanese version is recommended. There also some previews included on the disk, including one of a very promising looking live action film called The Locker. I’m looking forward to giving that one a rent soon.

I have enjoyed the first two episodes of Trigun, and look forward to seeing more. Some good laughs and over the top action make this series one worth picking up

Episode 1 - The $60,000,000,000 Man

Insurance adjustors Meryl and Millie are looking for the elusive and dangerous Vash the Stampede, and man so terrible he has an impressive sixty billion dollar price on his head- dead or alive. They are not looking to collect the bounty, but to record what happens for their employer. They soon catch up with the man they believe to be Vash, but soon the shooting starts, and the young ladies find themselves tied up and at the wrong end of the bad guy’s bad intentions. Only some fast action by the most unlikely person saves the girls honor and perhaps their lives.

Episode 2 - Truth of Mistake

Meryl and Millie, still searching for Vash, end up in a new town, which seems to have been deserted. The girls are out of water and parched, and end up on the doorstep of the local water baron. Who answers the door but the very young man who saved them from the bounty hunters. The owner of the house explains that he needed a bodyguard to protect his houseguest, a beautiful young lady who is the daughter of a friend. He has spread the word that the guy is the notorious Vash the Stampede, and that is why the town has been deserted. The two soon learn, however, that all is not as it appears, and it may not be the young lady who needs protecting, after all.
 

-Ed-