Copyright © 1998 Nightow Yasuhiro / SHONEN GAHO-SHA, TOKUMA SHOTEN, JVC

Followup to the previous review in EX 5.2:

Ready for another trip into the action/humor/stylish sci-fi western world of TRIGUN? I sure was after enjoying the first volume, and overall, the second volume did not disappoint. This is a look specifically at the DVD release.
To begin with, I really cannot say much more than what has been said already about the setting of TRIGUN. If you are looking for extensive details, be sure to check out our EX 5.2 Special on TRIGUN or our review of the first volume.
This volume performs a switch away from TRIGUN's previous episodic style, as all three episodes follow a continuous plotline. Vash The Stampede enters a dying town and the huge bounty on his head brings mayhem of epic proportions. We learn a bit more about what those huge light bulb shaped "plants" are for. Vash then proves to be more stylish than ever (between periods of extremely fluky, Vash-style "luck") and we see more into his past and his current purpose. Many elements are still left unanswered, and the final direction for the story has yet to be revealed.
The animation quality is starting to settle somewhat in that middle-of-its-run TV style; which is my way of saying it has downgraded a little from the first episodes, but this is to be expected. Most anime TV series fall prey to this, yet the character drawing consistency and animation are still very decent.
Technically, this is one more high quality Pioneer DVD release. There have been some reports of minor rainbow-like effects on the video playback, although honestly, as I was not looking for them, I really did not notice any on my setups (a Panasonic A110 and a Japanese PlayStation 2). The DVD menus are really slick and top notch, providing a good example for other DVDs to follow. There is also a standard character design gallery to flip through. The episode count has dropped by one to three, where it will remain for the majority of the series.
Among the titles available this year, TRIGUN is among my "impatient titles": the ones where I eye my mailbox ruthlessly, waiting for the next volume. And that is perhaps my only real complaint, as one volume every two months or so seems too slow in comparison to Bandai's mad rush of releases. I find TRIGUN to be a surprisingly enjoyable series so far, and after this volume its combination of humorous characters and flashy style shows no sign of slowing down.

Released in North America by Pioneer Entertainment (U.S.A.) L.P.
DVD / VHS, 75 minutes
Subtitled VHS, PIMT-002S, $24.98
Dubbed VHS, PIMT-002D, $29.98
DVD, PIMT-0002V, $29.98
Available now in the USA
Where to buy