Trigun Maximum

It's not a great manga; the artwork is subpar and lacks detail, making it difficult to understand what's happening in many panels. There's no character development to speak of. The action scenes fall flat due to the poor art quality. Personally, I'm more into edgier content where the protagonist eliminates his enemies, so the concept of Trigun just didn't appeal to me. Although, I acknowledge that the series does take a darker turn later on.

The comedy wasn't particularly enjoyable, so the shift towards a more serious tone as it transitioned to seinen was somewhat welcome. However, overall, I simply didn't find it engaging.

Trigun Maximum offers an experience that transcends storytelling. It will make you laugh, cry, and even get angry—it's a rollercoaster of emotions if you're willing to dive into its world.

ART (10/10)
Some panels in this manga are stunningly beautiful. Nightow excels at using high-contrast imagery to create gripping graphic sequences that draw you in. Each character's design is unique and appealing.

CHARACTERS (10/10)
This manga features some of my all-time favorite characters. They are complex beings with strengths and weaknesses. Making moral judgments about them isn't easy, and as their backstories unfold, your understanding of their motivations and personalities deepens. The variety in character designs and their weapons keeps the excitement alive throughout.

STORY (9/10)
At its core, Trigun Maximum is about healing from trauma—a stark contrast to the 1998 anime, which is why I recommend reading over watching. It's a beautifully intricate tale of individuals, communities, and societies grappling with harsh environments and haunting memories. Each character seeks their own salvation, and we follow their journeys to rediscover and re-evaluate what that means. The relationships between characters are deeply emotional and immersive; it's hard not to be invested as a reader. While some parts could have been expanded upon further, especially towards the end, I'm thoroughly satisfied with the manga's conclusion.

WORLD (10/10)
So cool. Imagine Cowboy Bebop meets Mad Max.

READABILITY (3/10)
The downside is that some action sequences are extremely difficult to follow. The paneling and speech bubbles can be confusing. This manga is dense, and missing one detail can lead to more confusion later on.

Overall, if you're looking for something beyond mere entertainment and want to delve into profound considerations of the world and self through a fantastic science fiction manga, then Trigun Maximum is perfect for you!

If you appreciated the anime for its cute and uplifting moments, you might not enjoy the manga as much. However, if you liked the anime for its subtle sci-fi elements and darker twist towards the end, you'll likely adore the manga. These are very different stories, so don't expect too much similarity if you're already a fan of the anime.

Trigun Maximum is somewhat of a post-apocalyptic space western set on a desert planet where humanity crash-landed 150 years before the story's setting. It mainly revolves around the conflict between a pair of mysterious, not quite human twins. One is a mega super pacifist and outlaw, while the other is a reclusive, genocidal man who lives in the shadows. The story primarily focuses on the pacifist character, as he is "the protagonist," but a major theme is its critical lens on morality. Neither the antagonist nor the protagonist holds entirely correct beliefs. This is a very action-oriented story, not suitable for the faint of heart, as it touches on hard topics such as trauma, suicide, self-harm, child abuse, rape, and more. It also features heavy amounts of gore, blood, and body horror.

I really enjoy this series because of its unique approach to criticizing the actions of the protagonist. It's an emotional roller coaster that truly explores the morally gray areas rather than the black and white of a situation.

The biggest flaw with this manga is honestly the poor official translation and the readability of some of the artwork. Some parts of the Dark Horse translation have confusing and sometimes offensive dialogue. The artwork can also get very cluttered during action scenes. Going back to skim through the books after reading often cleared up any confusion I had, though. These flaws didn't detract from the story too much for me personally, but they will definitely make or break the experience for some people.

All in all, I think it's a series definitely worth giving a read, especially if you enjoy eldritch space horror, guns, and sci-fi. It's not too long (16 volumes in total), so it won't take up much of your time, so I say give it a go!~

Trigun is, without a doubt, an anime classic. It boasts charming characters, an engaging storyline, a fascinating world, and a beautiful aesthetic. This show is one I recommend to anyone beginning their journey into the realm of anime fandom. It's a prime example of what anime can achieve, even without today's animation standards. However, Trigun Maximum is one of the rare instances where I found the adaptation more enjoyable than the original.

Trigun Maximum continues the story from the original Trigun manga that was prematurely cut off. It follows the further adventures of Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, and the Bernadelli Insurance girls as they traverse the planet Gunsmoke, attempting to thwart Knives' plan to obliterate humanity, two years after the events of the first Trigun manga's conclusion. While it expands the Trigun universe into intriguing new areas, it also introduces unnecessary levels of absurdity. Although I appreciated the depth added to certain characters’ backstories, I often found the plot devices or twists to be lazy rather than creative.

The disjointed narrative, combined with the artwork, frequently made the book challenging to follow. I found myself questioning what was happening in almost every fight scene and during most chapter transitions (and sometimes mid-chapter when scenes would change almost randomly). The art is often stunning, but I struggled to distinguish between characters and decipher the action amidst the highly detailed fight sequences.

Despite these issues, Trigun Maximum remained an enjoyable series and an interesting expansion of the story. The manga stands apart from the anime, making it a must-read for every Trigun fan. Nevertheless, I feel that an animated adaptation of Maximum would be preferable, as the story clearly demands movement and visual dynamism.

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I was very careful with this critique. Trigun was one of the first manga I read, and also one of the best.

It tells the story of Humanoid Typhoon Vash the Stampede. Vash is the most feared gunslinger in a desert land, carrying a bounty of 60 billion double dollars on his head, and held responsible for the complete destruction of the City of July. However, Vash is a staunch pacifist who avoids violence to the fullest extent and refuses to kill under any circumstances.

Regardless of whether he likes violence or not, it haunts him: the places visited by Vash are always devastated either by his well-meaning interventions or by people seeking the reward. A couple of agents from the Bernadelli insurance company (Meryl Strife and Milly Thompson) follow him, trying to minimize the damage caused by his passage.

The best part of Trigun is undoubtedly Vash. He is iconic and stands as one of the best characters I've ever seen in manga. Even with such a standout main character, the supporting cast doesn't fall short; each has their own style, manner, and way to leave an impression. Especially noteworthy is Wolfwood. How many manga feature a priest wielding a machine gun/lance/Granadier cross-shaped weapon?

The plot flows smoothly, balancing humor, action, and tension effectively. The action sequences are well-crafted and highly creative, sometimes requiring close attention so as not to "lose" track. You're surprised when the story takes a more serious turn, creating a cool sci-fi environment that adds even more flair.

As for the anime, it's done well and boasts some of the best voice acting I've ever encountered. However, it doesn't have even a tenth of the impact the manga does; it feels like "just another show." The best aspect of the anime is probably its ending (you can find it here: http://www.mp3.animaniaclub.com.br/download-mp3/947/).

"But then, Nomuro-sensei?"

Trigun features amazing and memorable characters. The plot is unique, well-designed, and fun to read. I recommend it to western lovers, those looking for action, and anyone who wants to experience a manga with a profound conclusion.

Rating 3/10

For both Trigun and Maximum. Trigun is a disappointment. The manga keeps letting itself down at every turn. Here's why:

Setting:

Trigun's setting is similar to Cowboy Bebop, with mankind having populated another planet far away from the ruined earth. However, Trigun does absolutely *nothing* with this environment. The planet is a sand ridden landscape and gives off a wild west feeling, and is intentionally designed to look uninhabitable for story reasons, but it makes everything look the same, bland and boring. Not only that, but Trigun never stops to explain locations or simply walk around and take in the sights. Every single location has only one purpose, to set the backdrop of whatever fight happens there. There is practically no explanation behind the social structure of the world, the people living and working there and what kind of troubles they encounter on this hazardous planet. I'm pretty sure we don't even know the planet's population size, the planets size itself, how many moons and suns it has, and just where exactly the planet is in the universe. Trigun just doesn't respect its setting, and completely ruins the intrigue by ignoring the basics of environmental storytelling. Unlike media set in our present reality, media set in fictional settings NEED to explain how they work. Because there is no prior knowledge going into this unlike how we know how our present earth functions. There are a few great shots of vistas, but the fact that Trigun ignores them completely alienates me from the world.

Art/structure:

Trigun's art is fine, with some actually great art here and there. However there is a massive problem with how the art is presented. Many, many times when reading the manga, there are panels where I need to stare at the art for a few seconds before actually noticing what has been drawn. Many double takes have happened due to the art's horrible composition, there's just simply too much going on and very poorly laid out on the page, causing confusion and making my eyes hurt. This is a problem with many manga with guns, but Trigun is unique in having this problem with a greater magnitude compared to something like Black Lagoon, which had a simpler art style with bolder lines and cleaner layouts. This is a 90's manga so there's an endearing drawing style and emotes, with similar era humor. The character designs are top notch for the most part, and actually have visual storytelling within them. Another issue with this manga is speech bubbles. Many times you just DON'T know who is supposed to be speaking, leading to even more confusion. One of the biggest issues with this manga is the official English release version I read. The official English version does NOT translate sound effects at ALL, not even a little text box underneath the SFX explaining what it is, they don't even bother putting them below a panel or anything. This is extremely lazy and while I DO know hiragana and katakana, Japanese is NOT my first language and I'd much rather have the sound effects be in English. This issue must be even more apparent to people unlike me who DON'T know Japanese characters. This is inexcusable because the English version releases YEARS after Trigun ended, so there is absolutely no excuse for this lazy official version people pay for. (SPOILERS) There is also an issue with the main villain being the twin brother of the main character, so fights between them compound the previously mentioned issues even more (end of spoilers)

Story:

An absolute mess. It's a revenge story. But the main character is a pacifist. With a large overarching message about the value of human life. Pretty standard, however the manga spends far too much of its time on story, constantly rushing along to the next plot beat or fight with no in-between time to worldbuild or even for exposition. Leading to a very empty narrative. The time skip is practically useless as nothing happens in between, unlike One Piece, everyone remains the same more or less. Take it out of the story and nothing would change. There is no character development, and when characters change, they don't do it because they had been built up, they do it for plot convenience. Leading to some of the biggest ass pulls in the manga. There are a few decent moments here and there, but for a manga that sacrifices everything else just to get the villains and heroes to collide as much as possible, as fast as possible, it's extremely bland, predictable and cliché. There is also a humor issue, like Demon Slayer, where the tension is completely revoked, e.g., being a severely injured character in one panel having their face exaggerated when touched by someone, usually with "owowowowowow!" which takes away from their supposed injuries.

Overall:

This was one of the most boring manga I have ever read. It has some incredible character and gun designs, Vash in particular, however the manga is let down by poor art composition, a cliché bland story, and forgettable characters with no natural development in a boring planet that's only there to provide a backdrop for the mediocre and boring fight scenes devoid of tension.

Warning: If you read the manga, the anime won't be able to satisfy you since it's 90% filler. So watch the anime before diving into the manga.
Now onto the review. Firstly, when I started reading the first few chapters, I struggled a lot with the artwork and even dropped the manga at one point. But I gave it another chance, and from that moment on, it became one of the best manga or stories I've ever read.
Secondly, this is a sequel to the original Trigun manga—do not skip that!
Give this manga a chance, people! It's legendary. The anime has its own cultural significance, but the manga is simply amazing.

Story: It really hooks you from the start, especially the ending of the first volume. It makes you question so much and ultimately is one of the most well-written and conclusive stories in my opinion (9).

Art: The art can get messy at times and might take some getting used to, honestly. I won't say it's for everyone, but once you get the hang of it, it's all guns blazing with mind-blowing action nonstop (8).

Characters: This is where it truly shines. It features one of the best duos I've seen: Vash and Nicholas. Also, Vash has become one of my all-time favorite characters because I can relate to him so much, and he just gives off such a pure vibe. The cast is memorable too.

Overall enjoyment: When I finished reading this manga, I had no doubt about what score it deserved. It was a clear-cut 10/10. I enjoyed it very much.

This is a manga review for both Trigun and Trigun Maximum.

Depicting action in manga form isn't easy. Trigun is one of those works that suffers from a flashy art style that becomes overly convoluted, making it hard for readers to follow along.

Trigun begins as a light-hearted comedy, following Vash the Stampede and how his enormous bounty attracts constant trouble. Beneath his cheerful exterior, we soon discover his dark past and his strong conviction never to take a life.

Gradually, the mood shifts, especially during Trigun Maximum, becoming darker and bloodier. Maximum introduces a myriad of new characters, who are undoubtedly cool but often lack substance.

This doesn't mean there's no characterization in Trigun. Vash himself is well-characterized, with his background and personality clearly detailed throughout the story. Characters like the insurance girls Meryl and Milly, the badass priest Wolfwood, and Livio are all great additions.

Personally, I'm not fond of what they did with Knives in the manga compared to the anime. Here, Knives is merely a power-hungry, single-minded villain, making him rather generic.

As mentioned earlier, the artwork can become very messy and confusing during action scenes. It feels like Yasuhiro prioritized style over substance, showcasing characters' multiple forms just for the sake of looking cool. This reminds me of another mangaka, Oh Great!, who also favors style over substance, but unfortunately, Yasuhiro's art isn't as good.

In terms of enjoyment, I liked the non-action parts (ironically), but during fights, I often had no idea what was happening.

Trigun is decent as an anime, but as a manga, it's disappointing due to its messy art and the story being sidelined for stylish action.

Overall: 4/10. Hopefully, we'll see the latter half of Maximum adapted into an anime, as there are indeed some cool action sequences.