Haven't seen this one? It's time to correct this mistake.
Trigun has long been a classic of the shonen genre. The secret of its popularity lies in a complex of factors: excellent animation, interesting characters, out-of-this-world coolness, and bright ideas.
The original story, which gradually reveals the secrets of the world and Vash's not-so-simple past, is also catchy. Of course, it explains how a guy who tried to minimize the number of dead by any means possible managed to destroy one of the largest cities in a strange post-apocalyptic world.
At the same time, the series, like many really good stories, does not try to spread out over hundreds of episodes, but ends with the standard 26.
What Is Trigun About?
The distant and uncertain future doesn't look very bright. The world resembles an endless frontier where gunslingers and bounty hunters roam. The latter, of course, hunt down notorious criminals, the most fearsome of which is Vash the Stampede.
An unprecedented reward has been set for Vash's head. The thing is, monstrous cataclysms follow him: towns are wiped off the face of the earth.
Two girls from the Bernardelli Insurance Society, Meryl and Milly, set out on Vash's trail. The fame of the restless gunman has become a reason to equate him with a natural disaster, so it is the agency that has to pay for the damages.
After meeting the terrible criminal in person, the girls unexpectedly discover not a monster, but a very nice and cheerful young man who tries to avoid violence.
Trigun Has Greatly Influenced Other Iconic Works
Vash's image was bright and memorable: the great shooter's legacy can be seen in Alucard from Hellsing and in Gungrave, also created by Yasuhiro Nightow.
In fact, Gungrave took many characteristics of both Vash and his friend in the person of the fighting preacher Nicholas D. Wolfwood, and among the secondary characters and storylines you can see individual elements that migrated to the saga of the fighting dead.
The endings of both stories are similar in many ways: both ultimately deal with the true forgiveness of someone who was once a friend but became a sworn enemy. There are also some differences, but we will not discuss them out of respect for those who want to find out for themselves.
Where to Watch Trigun?
Trigun is available to stream on Crunchyroll.