Trigun

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Trigun


caption = "Trigun" manga, volume 1 (English version)
ja_name = トライガン
ja_name_trans = Toraigan
genre = Adventure, Weird Western Infobox animanga/Manga
author = Yasuhiro Nightow
publisher = Tokuma Shoten
publisher_en = flagicon|United States Dark Horse Comics
publisher_other = flagicon|Brazil flagicon|Italy Panini Comics
flagicon|Germany Carlsen
flagicon|Spain Glénat
flagicon|Hungary Delta Vision
demographic = Shōnen
magazine = Shōnen Captain
first = February 1995
last = 1997
volumes = 3 (originally), 2 (current)Infobox animanga/Manga
title = Trigun Maximum
author = Yasuhiro Nightow
publisher = Shōnen Gahōsha
publisher_en = flagicon|United States Dark Horse Comics
publisher_other = flagicon|Germany Carlsen
flagicon|Spain Glénat
flagicon|Italy Dynit, J-POP Edizioni
demographic = Seinen
magazine = Young King Ours
first = 1998
last = 2007
volumes = 14Infobox animanga/Anime
director = Satoshi Nishimura
studio = Madhouse
network = TV Tokyo
network_en = flagicon|United States Cartoon Network
flagicon|Canada G4techTV
network_other = flagicon|Philippines GMA 7
flagicon|Brazil Cartoon Network, PlayTV
flagicon|Hungary Animax
flagicon|Italy MTV Italia
flagicon|Portugal SIC Radical
flagicon|Germany Panini Comics
flagicon|Catalonia K3
flagicon|Spain AXN
first = April 4 1998
last = September 30 1998
episodes = 26Infobox animanga/Game
title = Trigun: The Planet Gunsmoke
developer = Red Entertainment
publisher = Sega
genre = MMORPG
ratings =
platforms = PS2
released =
release_other =

nihongo|"Trigun"|トライガン|Toraigan is a manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1995 to 2007 and spanning 14 collected volumes.

The manga was serialized in Tokuma Shoten's "Shōnen Captain" from the series debut in 1995 until the magazine's demise 1997. The series continued in Shonen Gahosha's "Young King Ours" magazine, under the title nihongo|"Trigun Maximum"|トライガンマキシマム|Toraigan Makishimamu, where it remained until finishing in 2007.

"Trigun" was adaptated into an animated television series in 1998. The Madhouse Studios production aired on TV Tokyo from April 4, 1998 to September 30 1998, totaling 26 episodes. An animated feature film is expected in 2009.

Plot

, who, like Vash, is a superb gunfighter.

As the series progresses, more is gradually learned about Vash's mysterious history and the history of human civilization on the planet Gunsmoke. The series often employs comic relief and is mostly light-hearted in tone, although the tone shifts toward darker and more dramatic situations in the latter half. It also involves moral conflict pertaining to the morality of killing other living things, even when justified (i.e. self-defense/defending others).

Characters

Vash the Stampede, also known as "The Humanoid Typhoon", is a wandering gunman with a $$60 billion bounty on his head. Every town he passes through either labels him "an act of God" or "a human disaster".

Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson are two Bernardelli Insurance agents sent to evaluate claims regarding the Humanoid Typhoon. Initially, they dismisses the idea that Vash is the legendary Humanoid Typhoon, but the two eventually learn that this is the person they are assigned to track.

Publication

After leaving college, Yasuhiro Nightow had gone to work selling apartments for the housing corporation Sekisui House, but struggled to keep up with his manga drawing hobby. Reassured by some successes, including a one-shot manga based on the popular video game franchise Samurai Spirits, he quit his job to draw full time. With the help of a publisher friend, he submitted a Trigun story for the February 1995 issue of the Tokuma Shoten magazine Shōnen Captain, and began regular serialisation two months later in April.

However, Shōnen Captain was cancelled early in 1997, and when Nightow was approached by the magazine Young King Ours, published by Shōnen Gahōsha, they were interested in him beginning a new work. He was however troubled"When Young King Ours invited me to do some work for them, they were hoping for a new piece, but I was troubled by leaving Trigun unfinished. I told them I wouldn't feel like I had done my work unless I finished it, plus I was attached to it, and I asked them if they'd let me finish it." interview with Nightow in the September 2000 Manga no Mori newsletter, [http://www.geocities.com/sumirechan/tri-profile.html translated by sumire] .] by the idea of leaving Trigun incomplete, and requested to be allowed to finish the series. The publishers were sympathetic, and the manga resumed in 1998 as nihongo|"Trigun Maximum"|トライガンマキシマム|Toraigan Makishimamu. The story jumps forward two years with the start of Maximum, and takes on a slightly more serious tone, perhaps due to the switch from a shōnen to a seinen magazine. Despite this, Nightow has stated"Nightow stated that there is no difference in the story between the two titles, and the only reason for the change is because of the switch of publishing house." [http://uranime.nekomusume.net/anime-conventions/ax2000/nightow_panel.iphtml summary of discussion panel with Nightow] at Anime Expo 2000, in Anaheim, California.] that the new title was purely down to the change of publishers, and rather than being a sequel it should be seen as a continuation of the same series. The 12th tankōbon was published on July 26, 2006.

Shōnen Gahōsha later bought the rights to the original three volume manga series and reissued it as two enlarged volumes. In October 2003 the US publisher Dark Horse Comics released the expanded first volume translated into English, keeping the original right-to-left format rather than mirroring the pages. With the anime series already well known in the US, the first print run of 30,000 sold out"The first volume of the English language version of Yasuhiro Nightow's Trigun manga sold out an edition of 35,000 copies at wholesale within days of its release... Dark Horse is going back to press for 15,000 additional copies" from [http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/3764.html ICV2 article] posted on October 29, 2003.] shortly after release. The second volume concluded the original series early the next year, and went on to be the top earning"The top earning manga release of 2004 was Dark Horse's Trigun #2, which sold less copies that Fruits Basket or Rurouni Kenshin, but sold at a higher, $14.95 price point." from [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=5953 ANN news article] posted 2005-01-04.] graphic novel of 2004. Trigun Maximum followed quickly, and as of|2008|6|lc=on twelve of the thirteen English-language volumes have been released. Translations into French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish have also been released.

Adaptations

TV series

"Trigun" was animated by Madhouse, broadcasted on TV Tokyo, produced by Victor Company of Japan (JVC) in 1998 and directed by Satoshi Nishimura with scripts by Yosuke Kuroda, character designs by Takahiro Yoshimatsu, mechanical designs by Noriyuki Jinguji and music by Tsuneo Imahori. It is licensed in the United States by Pioneer USA (now Geneon).

Nightow has stated that due to the finality of the anime ending, it is unlikely any continuation will be made."When asked as to whether or not Trigun could spawn a sequel, he said that it would be unlikely given the story brings itself to a natural close." from discussion panel at Anime Expo, as above.]

In 2003, "Trigun" began broadcast as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block.

Feature film

The October 2005 issue of NEO includes an interview with Masao Maruyama, Madhouse's founder and series planner. In the article he reveals the studio is working on a Trigun Movie that will be released in "a couple of years". The November issue of Anime Insider also confirms this news.

In May 2007, Nightow confirmed at the Anime Central Convention that the Trigun movie was in the early stages of preproduction with a near-final script, although he did not divulge any plot information.

In February 2008, more details about the Trigun movie emerged on the cover of volume 13 of the Trigun Maximum manga, announcing that the movie was scheduled for 2009.cite web|url=http://www.animekon.com/news-449-Trigun-Movie-Coming-In-2009.html|title=Trigun Movie Coming In 2009|publisher=Animekon|language=|accessdate=2008-02-27]

Video game

"Trigun: The Planet Gunsmoke", based on the "Trigun" manga, is an online game for the PS2. It is being developed by Red Entertainment and will be published by Sega. Sega has issued a "no comment" on the current status of the game's development.cite web|last= Dunham |first= Jeremy |authorlink= |coauthors= | date=2004-02-10 |url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/491/491347p4.html |title=IGN's Missing in Action: The Lost Games of the PlayStation 2, Part II |format= |work= |pages=4 |publisher=IGN |accessdate=2005-05-26 |accessyear= ]

References

External links

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