Trigun Volume 3
After the mild disappointment of volume 2 this instalment in the Trigun series has a lot to live up to, will it up the ante and finally see the series kick into high gear or will it be another helping of filler episodes that entertain but ultimately leave you unfulfilled.
Things kick off with the concluding episode in the mini ‘Dynamite Neon’ story arc that finds Vash struggling to save the commuters of a hi-jacked sand steamer. Unable to crack the steamer’s impenetrable safe the garish Bad Lad gang and their leader the rootin’ tootin’ Brilliant Dynamites Neon, decide to split it wide open with the help of a large cliff and a steep drop. Perhaps my least favourite episode on the disc it still has some fantastic moments, Vash’s suicidal tendency to risk his own life in order to protect those in danger is given a little bit of perspective. A mysterious promise he has sworn to uphold soon begins to have some bearing on the story, especially during a very affecting moment when Vash has to resuscitate an enemy he nearly slays. Dead eyed gunslinger, bumbling clown and moral peacekeeper, Vash really is a masterful creation and his emotional conflict at the centre of this episode marks a distinct and welcome change to the pace.
The second episode finds the series going back to the more off beat, oddly humoured flavour of the first volume, but don’t despair just yet as proceedings are given a much-needed boost with the introduction of Nicolas D. Wolfwood.
A jovial and itinerant preacher with a cloth-bound crucifix slung over his shoulder, Wolfwood is the yin to Vash’s yang and the two are soon bickering like old friends. Unfortunately God wasn’t smiling on him the day he decided to hitch a ride with Vash, and he is soon embroiled in a battle with some mysterious automatons that have kidnapped a young girl. This is a pivotal episode that introduces one of the most loved characters in the Trigun universe; his and Vash’s frantic interactions really enliven things and give these standalone episodes a bit of extra mileage. There are also hints of Vash’s connection to the lost technology, no doubt these allude to his enigmatic history and will have a greater bearing on future instalments.
The final episode sees Vash enter a quick draw contest to win prize money for an ailing restaurateur and her son. It’s a pleasant enough episode and contains some very well written dialogue as well as some memorable exchanges between Vash and Wolfwood but ultimately fails to advance the story.
Whilst these standalone shows are a enjoyable distraction you can only swallow so much filler before you begin to hanker after more substantial story arcs, this sort of thing is forgivable in the first few volumes, however this far down the line the absence of any real plot threatens to tire quickly.
In Summary
If you’re already a fan of the Trigun series this volume will no doubt provide all the western tinged excitement you’ve come to expect, but when it comes to an actual storyline the lack of any real plot threatens to de-rail a very enjoyable series. On a more positive note the emergence of Wolfwood as well as the clues to Vash’s history suggests things will soon get a lot more interesting.
