Trigun: The Complete Series

Compiling all 26 episodes of one of the most entertaining anime series of the 1990s, Trigun is a Western action-adventure set on the wasteland planet of Gunsmoke. The storyline follows the wild escapades of Vash the Stampede, a gunslinger whose habit of turning towns into rubble makes him particularly unpopular with the Bernardelli Insurance Society, which must cover the costs of his rampages. Strangely enough, Vash (known to bounty hunters as the Humanoid Typhoon) is not a malevolent force; in fact, he claims to be a pacifist in search of the right woman, and he enjoys doughnuts. The contradiction between the goofball Vash and his fearsome reputation throws many people he encounters off-balance—hard to believe this jolly figure is actually the much-feared killer who carries a price on his head of $$60,000,000,000 (that's 60 billion “double dollars”). The mix of Wild West shoot-'em-up plots and anime excess makes for a strikingly original series, while the quirky supporting characters—including insurance investigators Meryl and Millie, and gunman/preacher Nicholas D. Wolfwood, who is Vash's only true friend—add to the fun. Presenting the complete 1998 original run in a four-disc boxed set, rated TV-14, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)