It’s hard to believe that Trigun came out in 1998. I mean, 13 years ago? It feels like it was much longer than that! Then again, that’s what happens when you get old. In the anime world, however, thirteen is a lucky number apparently. Despite the fact that the series has been off the map for a while (sure it’s been around and popular with the fans, but still) the franchise actually got a movie release in 2010.

If you were ever a fan of the series, Trigun: Badlands Rumble really takes you back. Vash is still the same goofball, Milly and Meryl are fun sidekicks, and Wolfwood still kicks all kinds of ass. The familiar trappings are plentiful from the concept to characters, world, brand of humor, and storytelling. The formula wasn’t broken, so what was the point of fixing it? I guess that was Madhouse’s approach to the subject anyway.

Since FUNimation now has the license of Trigun under its belt, it should really be no surprise that they are the ones handling this release. A two-disc DVD release has hit the market and it’s definitely deserving of your attention. With the first disc containing the feature, and the second housing a plethora of bonus content, there are plenty of reasons to drop your double dollars on this one.

Badlands Rumble starts out twenty years in the past with a bank robbery. The perpetrator is a gang of thugs operated by a guy named Gasback. Things are going swimmingly until his underlings decide to take over and kick Gasback to the curb, keeping the money for themselves. That’s where Vash steps in. He was still a pacifist even back then and he does whatever is necessary to keep someone from dying that night. It’s an action one would think he would learn to regret, but it set things up for the main storyline in the film.

In the present timeline Vash is still wandering the world and still has a massive bounty of double dollars on his head. Gasback is racking up quite the notoriety as well and a call has been put out for bounty hunters from all over the world to come to collect. One in particular is a young woman with a tragic past, and Vash inserts himself in the line of fire in his naturally goofy kind of way. He manages to get involved and keep people from dying while at the same time looking like a complete moron. It’s entertaining and quite the throwback to the show, I might add. At any rate, the girl was Gasback dead, Vash wants to keep everyone alive, and the insurance girls attempt to stand in everyone’s way.

I don’t want to give much of the plot of Badlands Rumble away, because quite frankly it’s one hell of an entertaining film. There are so many touches that reminisce of the show, and yet at the same point it’s somehow better than. It’s more refined, the story is acutely focused on what it wants to achieve, and the action is damn impressive. Take the base Trigun episodes, add in a sharper plot and a bigger budget, and you have Badlands Rumble which is something any fan of the series absolutely has to have in their collection.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble is presented on DVD with its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio and has been enhanced for anamorphic playback. The film looks great with clean lines, vibrant colors, and crystal clear images for the most part. There is some grain, but again the world is dusty and it’s largely intended. Some of the visuals here are truly stunning. The audio package isn’t bad either with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround mixes for both English and Japanese. The dubs for each are noteworthy and the quality of the experience is a cut above most anime on the market. Brilliant use of the rear channels in several of the gunfights here!

Trigun: Badlands Rumble is available at Amazon.com

For bonus features that are included on the second disc there are some clips from anime conventions with some interviews. There are also some trailers, promotional videos, and a featurette with some of the Japanese voice actors talking about their experiences working on the show. Some of the bits here are a little…interesting, but otherwise entertaining to watch.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble is totally worth grabbing, especially if you’ve enjoyed the adventures of Vash the Stampede throughout the years. It’s a wonderful continuation of the storyline and the content here is razor sharp. High action, great production values, and a tight story help make this one of the better anime films I’ve seen in quite a while!

Highly Recommended

Tags: Action, Anime, Comedy, DVD, FUNimation, Review