Death Note

29 Okt 2011 Tinggalkan sebuah Komentar

by muhammadjunaedi in Anime

Death Note, di Indonesia juga dikenal dengan judul Dunia Dewa Kematian, adalah judul sebuah serial manga Jepang yang ditulis oleh Tsugumi Ohba dan ilustrasi oleh Takeshi Obata. Manga ini menceritakan tentang Light Yagami, seorang siswa jenius yang secara kebetulan menemukan Death Note milik shinigami (dewa kematian). Direalisasikan di majalah Shonen Jump dari Januari 2004 hingga Mei 2006 dengan total 108 bab. Versi tankoubonnya terbit sebanyak 12 jilid dan 1 jilid spesial yang berjudul How to Read 13 yang berisi tentang penjelasan dan profil tentang Death Note. Di Indonesia anime ini ditayangkan oleh SCTV dan Global TV.

Sinopsis

Manga

Manga dan film layar lebar Death Note memiliki inti yang sama yaitu seorang siswa SMA terbaik sejepang bernama Light Yagami yang menemukan Death Note kepunyaan shinigami (dewa kematian) bernama Ryuk. Light merasa dunia sudah membusuk karena dipenuhi oleh manusia tidak berguna (penjahat), karena itu Light memutuskan untuk mengorbankan dirinya agar dunia menjadi lebih baik. Light membunuh para penjahat dengan menggunakan nama KIRA, sayangnya Light menjadi tidak terkendali dan membunuh semua orang yang menghalanginya. Tidak butuh waktu lama nama KIRA mendunia. KIRA dikenal sebagai penjahat/pahlawan yang membuat para penjahat mati karena serangan jantung (Light hanya menuliskan nama tanpa menuliskan detailnya sehingga orang-orang itu mati karena serangan jantung).

L vs R

Aksi Light ini menarik perhatian ICPO (Interpol / International Criminal Police Organization – Organisasi Kriminal Internasional), dan detektif (fiktif) paling terkenal di dunia, L. L menawarkan bantuan kepada pihak kepolisian Jepang untuk menangkap R. Dengan suatu cara yang sangat cerdas, L berhasil membuktikan bahwa KIRA beroperasi dari Kantou, Jepang, dan melalui broadcast televisi nasional, L menyatakan bahwa ia akan ‘menangkap KIRA dan membawanya ke hukuman eksekusi’, sebagai wujud konsekuensinya terhadap keadilan. raito, yang yakin bahwa dirinya, dan ideologi adalah keadilan yang sesungguhnya, menerima ‘tantangan’ dari L tersebut.

L yang sudah melakukan penyelidikan mulai mencurigai Light. Ia kemudian membentuk sebuah tim investigasi kecil bersama 6 anggota NPA(National Police Agency aka Kepolisian Jepang), yang beranggotakan Souichiro Yagami (ayah Light Yagami), Matsuda Touta, Hideki Ide, Kanzo Mogi, Aizawa, dan Ukita (kemudian tewas oleh KIRA). Untuk memulai langkah awalnya, kamar Light dipasang kamera pengintai dan penyadap. Light dengan suatu cara yang cerdik berhasil mengelabui kamera pengintai tersebut dan tetap ‘mengeksekusi’ kriminal dengan Death Note-nya. L, yang tetap yakin Light adalah KIRA, kemudian memulai langkah berani dan penuh resikonya, bertemu langsung dengan Light untuk mendapatkan bukti yang konkret.
Dalam acara penerimaan mahasiswa baru, Light terpilih sebagai mahasiswa baru terbaik bersama seseorang yang menyebut dirinya Hideki Ryuuga (artis Jepang yang terkenal saat itu, terinspirasi dari artis Jepang sebenarnya, Gackt), sebuah nama yang dipilihnya untuk melindungi dirinya kalau-kalau Light mencoba untuk ‘mengeksekusi’nya dengan Death Note. Hideki Ryuuga kemudian memberitahu Light bahwa ia adalah L. Semenjak itu L dan Light saling menyelidiki identitas masing-masing dengan lebih hati-hati. Karena keduanya memiliki tingkat kecerdasan yang setara, kedua pihak tersebut selalu bisa membaca langkah-langkah lawannya, dan ‘perang dingin’ yang keras berlangsung di antara mereka.
Tak lama setelah Light bertemu dengan L dan bergabung ke dalam tim investigasi, KIRA melakukan siaran broadcast nasional untuk menggerakkan polisi. Dari perilakunya yang berbeda dengan KIRA yang dikejarnya, L segera menyimpulkan bahwa telah muncul KIRA yang kedua. Di sini terjadi perburuan segitiga antara L, Light (KIRA), dan KIRA yang kedua. Ketiganya saling mencari satu sama lain. Tanpa diduga, KIRA kedua adalah Misa Amane, seorang aktris muda yang memuja KIRA yang telah membalaskan dendam orang tuanya, dan jatuh hati kepada Light Yagami. Ketika akhirnya ketiganya bertemu, intrik-intrik yang dilakukan satu sama lain menjadi semakin pekat, dan berakhir pada tewasnya L oleh Shinigami KIRA kedua.
L yang tewas segera digantikan kedudukannya oleh Light, sebagai satu-satunya orang dengan kecerdasan intelektual yang hampir setara dengan L. Light, yang yakin dirinya tak terkalahkan karena memainkan dua peran sekaligus (L dan KIRA), mulai bergerak menguasai dunia.
Di luar dugaan Light, melalui peralatan mekanis otomatis yang dirancang L, berita mengenai kematiannya segera diketahui oleh Roger, kepala sekolah Wammy House, sebuah institusi khusus yang didirikan untuk mendidik anak-anak jenius di seluruh dunia untuk satu tujuan: menciptakan penerus L.
Roger segera bertindak dengan menginformasikan ini kepada dua kandidat penerus L, Mello dan Near. Kedua remaja tersebut memiliki sifat yang sangat bertolak belakang, Mello bertemperamen tinggi, spontan, dan terobsesi menjadi nomor satu. Sementara Near hampir tidak menunjukkan emosi, dan sangat observatif, dan cenderung pasif.
Mello yang mendengar berita ini segera naik darah, sementara Near hanya dengan tenang mengatakan bahwa apabila seseorang tidak bisa memenangkan permainan yang dimainkannya, ia hanya pecundang (dimaksudkan untuk L). Mello kemudian bertanya kepada Roger, siapa yang dipilih L sebagai penerusnya, yang dijawab ‘tak ada’, agar mereka bekerja sama sebagai penerus L. Near setuju, namun Mello, yang selalu terobsesi menjadi nomor satu, yang tak pernah diperolehnya karena keberadaan Near, menolaknya dan berkata bahwa Near lebih pantas menjadi penerus L.
Mello kemudian keluar dari institusi itu untuk mengejar KIRA dengan caranya sendiri, dengan menjadi anggota organisasi kriminal terbesar di dunia, Mafia.

Mello vs Near vs KIRA

Mello terbukti bukan remaja biasa. Dalam waktu satu setengah tahun, dia berhasil menjadi kepala organisasi Mafia. Untuk membuktikan bahwa ia adalah penerus L yang pantas, dan untuk membuktikan bahwa ia lebih baik dari Near, Mello segera mendapatkan Death Note yang disimpan oleh NPA, dengan cara menculik Sayu Yagami, adik perempuan Light Yagami, dan meminta Death Note sebagai pertukarannya. Light yang terkejut bahwa fakta kematian L telah diketahui orang luar, kemudian berkontak dengan SPK (Special Provision for KIRA), sebuah organisasi pimpinan Near yang didirikan Amerika Serikat untuk menangkap KIRA.
Selang beberapa lama sejak Mello mendapatkan dan ‘menguji’ kekuatan Death Note, Light mengatur rencana untuk merebut kembali Death Note tersebut. Pada saat itu datang seorang Shinigami, Shidou, pemilik asli Death Note yang dipegang oleh Mello, untuk mengambilnya kembali. Mello segera mendapatkan informasi darinya bahwa beberapa peraturan yang tertulis di Death Note adalah palsu, dan siapapun yang menuliskan peraturan palsu ini, melakukannya untuk membuat dirinya bebas dari kecurigaan bahwa ia adalah KIRA.
Light, dengan bantuan anggota NPA dan mata-Shinigami Misa, berhasil melakukan serangan mendadak ke markas rahasia Mello, menghabisi semua anak buahnya, mengambil kembali Death Note, dan nyaris menangkap Mello. Mello, di tengah kekacau balauan yang ditimbulkan oleh NPA (di bawah komando L / Light), mendapati bahwa nama aslinya, Mihael Keehl, telah diperoleh Soichiro Yagami, ayah Light Yagami yang juga anggota NPA, yang telah memiliki mata-Shinigami seperti Misa. Sebelum Soichiro sempat menuliskan nama Mello di Death Note, seorang anak buah Mello menembakinya hingga sekarat. Anggota NPA lain yang menerjang untuk menolong Soichiro masuk, dan Mello meledakkan seisi markas Mafia-nya untuk melarikan diri.
Peristiwa ini membuat Mello menderita luka di separuh wajahnya, dan membuat Near menyadari adanya kaitan antara KIRA dengan serangan ini. Soichiro Yagami yang sekarat akhirnya meninggal tanpa sempat menuliskan nama Mello, sesuatu yang membuat Light depresi, yang kemudian mengembalikan Death Note yang diambilnya tersebut kepada Shinigami Shidoh.
Near yang memiliki daya analisis yang sangat tinggi, menganalisis peristiwa ini, dan curiga bahwa KIRA adalah L sendiri. Mello kemudian datang dan memberikan informasi yang diperolehnya dari Shinigami Shidoh tersebut kepada Near. Hal ini segera membuatnya menyadari bahwa KIRA memang adalah L, dan segera melakukan kontak kepada L (Light Yagami).

Light yang mengetahui bahwa Near dan Mello mulai menyadari bahwa ia adalah KIRA, mulai menggerakkan massa dan membuat prajurit ‘pengikut KIRA’ untuk melenyapkan keberadaan kedua penerus L tersebut, yang bisa mengancamnya merealisasikan ‘utopia’ yang sedang dibangunnya.
Tujuan KIRA adalah untuk membawakan ‘keadilan’ kepada dunia yang telah membusuk, dan menjadi ‘Tuhan’ di dunia baru tersebut.

Tujuan Mello adalah membalaskan dendam L dan menjadi orang nomor satu di dunia.

Sedangkan Near adalah untuk meneruskan perjuangan L, menangkap KIRA dan membawanya pada keadilan.
Persaingan antara Near dan Mello untuk menangkap KIRA membawakan pertempuran intelek yang sangat menarik untuk disaksikan para pembacanya. Light menghadapi berbagai serangan tak terduga dari kedua kandidat penerus L tersebut. Dan tanpa disangka, persaingan menjadi yang terbaik antara kedua remaja jenius tersebut berujung pada kerja sama yang akhirnya membawa akhir bagi KIRA dan ‘eksekusi’nya.

Layar Lebar

Dalam versi layar lebarnya, Death Note dibagi menjadi tiga bagian, yaitu Death Note, Death Note: The Last Name, dan Death Note: L Change The World.

Death Note

Cerita Death Note berawal ketika Light Yagami menemukan sebuah buku yang ternyata milik Shinigami (Dewa Kematian) bernama Ryuk (Ryuku). Di dalam Death Note milik Ryuk, terdapat cara menggunakan Death Note yang ditulis olehnya sendiri. Death Note ini kemudian digunakan untuk mewujudkan idealismenya yaitu untuk menciptakan dunia baru yang bersih dari kejahatan, dengan dirinya sebagai Dewa.

Kemudian Death Note ini dia gunakan untuk membunuh para kriminal. Mendapatkan data para kriminal dari televisi maupun mencuri data kepolisian pusat (ayahnya, Shoichiro Yagami adalah seorang polisi). Ternyata tindakannya ini mengundang berbagai reaksi, baik dari masyarakat, para petinggi Jepang, bahkan dari para petinggi internasional. Kebanyakan masyarakat setuju dengan tindakan pembersihan dunia itu, namun para petinggi tidak menyetujuinya karena tindakan tersebut bertentangan dengan Hak Asasi Manusia.

Tidak hanya itu hambatan yang ditemui Raito (yang dijuluki KIRA, sebutan untuk Killer dalam dialek Jepang) untuk mewujudkan dunia yang bersih, dia juga harus berhadapan dengan L yang selanjutnya dikenal dengan nama Ryuzaki (nama asli L adalah L Lawliet). L adalah seorang detektif profesional muda bertaraf internasional yang hanya bergerak di belakang layar. Setelah bertemu L Lawliet, jalan cerita “Death Note” menjadi semakin menarik (ditambah dengan munculnya Kira Kedua dan sebagainya, dalam versi anime dan manganya).

Death Note: The Last Name

Death Note: The Last Name menceritakan tentang Kira Kedua yaitu seorang artis yang baru naik daun bernama Misa Amane, diceritakan juga asal usul mengapa Misa memiliki buku Death Note yang kedua. Misa memiliki buku death Note yang kedua karena dewa kematian yang selalu menjaga Misa (bernama Jealous) mati untuk menyelamatkan Misa yang akan dibunuh oleh seorang penjahat. Jelaous memperpanjang umur Misa, namun dengan begitu maka Jealous hancur menjadi pasir. Jealous kemudian meminta sahabatnya yang juga dewa kematian bernama Rem, Rem kemudian menjaga Misa dan mengajarkan bagaimana cara menggunakan Death Note. Misa yang telah kehilangan seluruh keluarganya karena dibunuh oleh seorang perampok. Misa yang melihat wajah pembunuh itu kemudian melaporkan pembunuh itu, namun karena kesaksian Misa tidak cukup kuat, maka pencuri itu kemudian dibebaskan. Misa yang sedih berlarut-larut dalam kesedihannya kemudian melihat berita bahwa pencuri itu telah mati karena serangan jantung. Misa Amane kemudian sangat memuji KIRA.

Light Yagami kemudian dicurigai oleh L sebagai Kira. Saat sedang diinterogasi dalam Markas Besar L, ternyata Kira Kedua beraksi dengan ‘mata’-nya. Kira Kedua membunuh semua yang menentang KIRA. Kira Kedua memberikan sebuah rekaman suara yang menginginkan agar semua orang menyetujui kira yang dikirimkan ke Sakura TV. Kemudian datanglah Ayah Light (Shoichiro Yagami) ke stasiun TV itu. Di Stasiun TV sakura, Shoichiro kemudian memaksa Produser Sakura TV untuk menghentikan acara itu, karena ditodong pistol, produser itupun kemudian terpaksa menghentikan acara tersebut.

Khawatir akan Kira dan Kira Kedua bertemu, L memerintahkan untuk membuat rekaman suara yang isinya adalah untuk agar Kira Kedua menyerahkan diri sebelum bertemu dengan Kira I. Tanpa disangka-sangka, ternyata Kira Kedua, Misa Amane telah jatuh cinta kepada Light (Kira). Misa kemudian mendatangi rumah Light dan menyerahkan Death Notenya. Misa meminta agar Light menjadi kekasihnya.

L menemui Light di kampusnya sambil menanyakan kedatangan Misa kerumahnya kemarin malam. Ryuzaki yang memakai topeng kemudian bertemu dengan Misa Amane. Misa kemudian membaca nama asli Ryuzaki. Misa kemudian dirubungi oleh para Fansnya di kampus Light dan menyatakan bahwa Light adalah kekasih Misa. Dikerumunan itu, Ryuzaki mengambil Handphone Misa. Ketika Misa dan Ryuzaki pergi, Light menelepon Misa yang kemudian diangkat oleh Ryuzaki. Dilain sisi, Misa sudah diamankan oleh polisi anak buah Ryuzaki.

Misa dipaksa untuk mengatakan apakah dia adalah kira dan siapakah kira I, namun karena cintanya kepada Light Yagami, dia tetap diam. Misa kemudian meminta Rem menghapus memori tentang death note dari pada dia harus mengatakan Light adalah Kira I. Rem kemudian mendatangi Light dan mengancam akan membunuh Light jika sesuatu terjadi kepada Misa. Light kemudian menyembunyikan Death Note yang dimilikinya dan menyuruh Rem untuk mencari pemilik Death Note baru, Rem yang ingin Misa selamat kemudian menyetujui Light dan pergi mencari orang untuk menjadi Kira III.

Rem kemudian menyerahkan Death Note-nya kepada seorang gadis di Sakura TV bernama Yamada. Yamada kemudian membunuhi para penjahat dan menyiarkan di TV untuk Mensuport Kira. Misa yang telah kehilangan ingatannya kemudian mulai berbicara tentang Light, namun hanya mengatakan tentang masa pacaran dan bertemunya di Sakura TV. Lightpun kemudian menghilangkan ingatannya, Light dan Misa kemudian dibebaskan. Light yang kehilangan ingatannya tentang Death Note kemudian membantu Ryuzaki untuk mencari Kira III. Dengan bantuan Light, kemudian Kira III ditemukan dan dijebak dengan ancaman bahwa video pengintai kamarnya akan diberitahukan kepada seluruh dunia. Takut akan ancaman tersebut, Yamada kemudian nekat untuk menuliskan nama orang yang akan menyiarkan videonya di dalam Death Note. Yamada yang mengetahui bahwa dia tak bisa membunuh orang itu kemudian datang ke Sakura TV. Disana semua agen polisi, Ryuzaki dan Light memegang buku itu dan dapat melihat Rem. Light yang menyentuh Death Note itu kemudian mengingat masa lalunya bersama Death Note. Light yang sudah ingat kemudian menuliskan nama Yamada dibalik jam tangannya dimana dia menaruh secarik kertas dari death note. Kematian Yamada kemudian menjadi misteri.

Light yang sudah mengingat kembali masa lalunya bersama Death Note kemudian menyuruh Misa yang telah dibebaskan untuk mengambil Death Note-nya yang dia sembunyikan dahulu. Misa yang menemukan Death Note itu kemudian mengingat lagi masa lalunya dan dapat melihat Ryukk (Dewa Kematian Death Note). Misa kemudian mulai membunuhi orang-orang lagi. Ryuzaki kemudian mengundang Misa ke Markas Besar, saat itu, dia juga menyuruh Soichiro Yagami untuk menyerahkan Death Note yang ada di markas besar ke FBI. Light kemudian menyuruh Rem untuk mengisi nama pengawal yang mengantar Misa di dalam Death Note, dengan begitu Rem akan mati. Rem kemudian hancur berubah menjadi pasir. Ryuzaki yang merencanakan jika dia mati, maka pengawal yang mengantar Misa akan meledak untuk menghancurkan Death Note mengalami kegagalan. Pengawal itu mati dan Ryuzakipun mati. Misa kemudian bertemu dengan Light di Lobi. Disana, Light menuliskan nama ayahnya untuk menyerahkan Death Note, ayahnya kemudian kembali ke markas, ternyata Death Note yang ada di tangan Misa adalah palsu. Light menyangka bahwa Misa mengkhianatinya.

Ryuzaki kemudian turun dari tangga sambil memperlihatkan death note-nya. Disana dia sendiri telah menuliskan namanya. Light yang terdesak kemudian berusaha untuk mengambil potongan kertas Death Note yang diselipkan di jam tangannya, saat hendak mengeluarkannya, kemudian jam itupun ditembak oleh salah seorang personil polisi, bernama Tota Matsuda. Saat Light mencoba untuk mengambilnya, Matsuda kemudian menembak kaki Light. Light yang tersudut kemudian meminta Ryuk untuk menuliskan nama semua orang yang ada ditempat itu untuk dibunuh. Tak disangka-sangka, Ryuk justru menuliskan nama Light Yagami, Light kemudian mati karena serangan jantung. Death Note kemudian dihancurkan. Ryuzaki yang menunggu kematiannya kemudian mati dengan tenang.

Death Note: L Change The World

Kehidupan L sebelum dia meninggal diceritakan di dalam film Death Note: L Change The World. Setelah membuat keputusan yang berat dengan menuliskan namanya sendiri di Death Note bahwa ia akan mati 23 hari ke depan, L mendapatkan sebuah kasus yang sangat serius dan sulit.

Kasus itu bermula ketika salah satu agen Watari yang berinisial K, muak dengan dunia yang sudah membususk ini karena bagi dia banyak sekali manusia – manusia yang tidak berguna memenuhi bumi ini dan membuat bumi jadi sesak. ia ingin memusnahkan mereka semua dengan virus mematikan yang sangat cepat penyebarannya. virus ini pernah menginfeksi di sebuah desa terpencil di Thailand dan satu – satunya orang yang tidak terinfeksi adalah seorang anak yang bernama Boy. anak itu diselamatkan oleh agen watari lainnya yang berinisial F dan menyuruhnya untuk menghubungi watari, tapi sayangnya saat itu Watari sudah meninggal dan L lah yang akan mengurus anak itu. melalui Boy, L mendapatkan data – data tentang virus itu dari kalung Boy yang diberikan oleh F.

Selain Boy, adalagi seorang anak yang diurus oleh L bernama Maki. Maki ini seorang anak dari ilmuwan yang jenius yang diperintahkan untuk membuat vaksin dari virus tersebut. setelah vaksinnya jadi, K datang menemuinya untuk merebut vaksin dan memberitahu ambisinya untuk mengurangi populasi manusia dengan virus tersebut. karena tidak setuju, Ayah Maki menolak dan melenyapkan vaksin. ia pun menyuntikkan virus kedirinya sendiri untuk menularkannya ke K. K berhasil lolos dengan membakar laboratorium itu. Maki yang melihat ayahnya tewas menjadi sedih dan mencari Watari untuk membalaskan dendam ayahnya. karena Watari sudah meninggal, maka L lah yang mengurus Maki.

Di markas L, tiba-tiba K datang bersama gerombolannya. Mereka memang punya janji, tapi janji dilakukan siang hari, tetapi K tidak mau menurutinya. Maki yang marah melihat orang-orang yang telah membuat ayahnya tewas menyuntikkan virus ke dalam tubuhnya. Saat salah satu gerombolan K akan menembak, L menyelamatkan Maki dan membawanya kabur bersama anak kecil. L mendapat bantuan dari salah satu agen FBI. Mereka kabur dengan truk Angel Crepe. L berusaha mencari profesor yang merupakan penulis buku tentang Infeksi Virus bersama ayah Maki. Akhirnya profesor itu sudah mereka temukan. Sayangnya Maki mulai terinfeksi virus tersebut, padahal waktu yang tersisa bagi L untuk hidup tinggal tiga hari lagi.

Profesor mencoba untuk meneliti virus itu dan membuat vaksinnya. Sambil menunggu vaksin, L, Maki, dan anak laki-laki itu makan bersama di atap laboratorium. Saat itulah terjalin kehangatan di antara mereka bertiga setelah sekian lama lelah diburu-buru gerombolan Kujo. Maki meminta L meluruskan punggungnya dan menghentikan kebiasaannya untuk makan makanan manis.

Malamnya, Maki pergi menemui K dan gerombolannya, tapi ia disandera dan akan dibawa ke Amerika. Vaksinpun sudah selesai dibuat. L segera menuju bandara. Di dalam pesawat, virus dari tubuh Maki sudah aktif, semua penumpang terinfeksi. L segera datang menyelamatkan K dan para penumpang. L menyuruh K untuk terus hidup.

Di akhir cerita, L memasukkan anak laki-laki itu ke asrama milik Watari dan menamai anak itu Near, yang berarti bahwa siapa pun yang berada di dekatnya membutuhkan bantuan, pasti akan diselamatkan.

Novel

Death Note juga muncul dalam versi novel. Namun kali ini penulisnya adalah Nisio Isin. Judulnya adalah Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases. Cerita bermula pada tahun 2002. Bercerita tentang seorang anak bernama Beyond Birthday, anak yang di ambil dari Wammy’s House dalam percobaan untuk mencari pengganti L, dan di kenal sebagai BB, pelaku pembunuhan di Los Angeles. Selain BB, juga terdapat seorang anak yang bernama A (nama aslinya tak di ketahui, yang juga terpilih untuk menggantikan L). Tekanan di Wammy’s House terbukti terlalu besar bagi mereka, dan membuat A memutuskan untuk bunuh diri, ketika BB memilih jalan yang lain (jalan dengan membunuh korban yang akan segera mati) dan muncul dengan rencana untuk melampaui L, sebagai “World’s Greatest Criminal”, dan membuat L tidak dapat memecahkan kasus yang di buat BB.

Beyond Birthday terlahir dengan mempunyai mata shinigami, yang mana bisa membuat dia melihat berapa lama lagi orang di sekitarnya dapat hidup, Dan juga mengetahui nama lengkap orang tersebut. Dia menggunakan kemampuan ini untuk memilih korbannya dan membunuh mereka jika telah di ketahui mereka akan segera mati. Tidak di ketahui bagaimana bisa dia terlahir dengan mata shinigami tersebut, Mello pernah berpikir bahwa mata Shinigami tersebut di jatuhkan ke bumi (seperti halnya Death Note). Beberapa orang mengklaim Beyond Birthday adalah seorang kanibal, tapi ini hanyalah gossip. Di Novelnya tidak di sebutkan bahwa dia memakan korbannya.

Dalam penyelidikan Naomi Misora, kasus pembunuhan di Los Angeles yang dilakukan Oleh BB, di jelaskan bahwa BB memiliki sebotol penuh dengan selay strawberry di lemari es milik korbannya. Beberapa orang menyimpulkan dia mirip dengan L dan Mello yang menyukai sesuatu yang manis, Beyond Birthday diduga menyukai selay Strawberry.

Beyond dapat dikatakan sebagai penggemar L. Terlihat dari perilaku dan cara berpakaiannya. Dan hal ini sempat membuat Naomi tertipu. Beyond juga sempat mengganti namanya menjadi Rue Ryuuzaki. Saat Naomi tiba di lokasi pembunuhan yang dilakukan BB selanjutnya, setelah mengumpulkan beberapa petunjuk, dia menemukan fakta bahwa Rue Ryuuzaki adalah Beyond Birthday, dan pada pembunuhannya yang terakhir BB merencanakan untuk bunuh diri, tapi Naomi berhasil menghentikan BB dari percobaan membakar dirinya sendiri dan juga menangkap BB.

Beberapa tahun kemudian, pada tanggal 21 Januari 2004, Beyond Birthday meninggal dengan serangan jantung, di perkirakan dia temasuk dalam catatan penjahat yang di bunuh oleh Kira….

Perbedaan Manga dan Layar Lebar

Perbedaan mendasar antara versi manga dengan versi layar lebarnya adalah dalam versi manga, L kalah dan mati dan kemudian digantikan oleh N (Near) dan M (Mello), namun dalam versi layar lebarnya L dapat mengalahkan Light namun tetap berakhir dengan kematian L. Near hanya muncul dalam Death Note: L Change The World. Sedangkan Mello tidak dimunculkan.

Sumber: Wikipedia

Vash the Stampede

29 Okt 2011 Tinggalkan sebuah Komentar

by muhammadjunaedi in Anime

“LOVE AND PEACE!“
— Vash

Vash the Stampede (ヴァッシュ・ザ・スタンピード|Vasshu za Sutanpīdo) is the main character of the anime and manga series Trigun. Vash is also known as The Humanoid Typhoon due to the destruction & chaos which surrounds him. Wielding a huge silver revolver, he travels from town to town. He is initially discovered by Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees/representatives investigating claims made due to damages caused by the mysterious Humanoid Typhoon. In the anime the pair find Vash while he is being chased by bandits who want to collect the bounty on “The $$60,000,000,000 (sixty billion double dollar) Man”. He escapes while Milly and Meryl eventually learn that Vash is actually the person they are assigned to track. While in the Manga they discover Vash facing off against The Nebraska Father and Son duo after he was avoiding a conflict with the somewhat innocent townsfolk who aimed to use the sixty billon double dollar bounty on his head to correct the finacial problems vexing their town.

Character Outline

Background

Vash is not human, but a human-like “Plant“. Plants are inter-dimensional beings that are tapped as a source of power and energy for the planet Gunsmoke, similar to the “Fast-Friends” from the George R.R. Martin short story of the same name.

As a Plant, his body does not physically age past his mid-twenties. Vash is actually 131 years old in the anime, 150 in the manga by the end of the first series and 152 by the beginning of the second series. Vash requires a special weapon known as the Angel Arm to activate his powers to their full extent. This weapon is one of two that Vash’s Brother Knives created from the technology he salvaged from a crashed SEEDs ship. Shortly after he receives his Angel Arm from his brother, Vash discovers that the two guns where made to aid Knives in his plan of “cleansing” the planet of its human populace. Conflicted both emotinally & morally against his brothers goal Vash remembering the morals his human care taker Rem Saverem taught him shoots Knives in the leg. After witnessing the pain and shock his brother has just experienced Vash in a dismaying panic then takes both guns and flees into the desert as Knives painfully calls out to him to comeback. He spends two years alone wandering Gunsmoke until he finally collapses from exhaustion. He is rescued by a group of humans from the only remaining functioning SEEDS ship on the planet, which didn’t quite crash during “The Great Fall.” While there, he makes human friends and is gifted with his signature red (duster styled) trench coat. After a few months he leaves and ventures out into the world. Vash returns to the ship 80 years later in search of any relatives of Rem in its databanks and finds the last one alive: PASSENGER NO.300-89-9023AS, or “Revenant Buskus”. Buskus had studied Plants and established a new plant-theory in July City. Vash goes to July City in the hopes of meeting him, but instead finds Knives standing over Revenant’s dead body. In the ensuing firefight, Knives shoots Vash’s left arm off. After regaining possesion of the black Angel Arm, he then activates Vash’s White Angel Arm in an attempt to destroy the city and everyone in it but Vash turns the Angel Arm on Knives instead, resulting in the July Incident. Vash’s full name is never revealed however, in the anime, when Vash first meets Wolfwood, he introduces himself as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gumbigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andry Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III. When Milly says Vash the Stampede, Vash tells Milly she should not use his ‘real name’ all the time. In the anime, when Nicholas D. Wolfwood asks for Vash’s real name, but Vash answers ‘Just between you and me, my name is irrelevant’. Later in the story Vash “puts down his gun”, hoping to leave his bounty hunted life and start over. He then goes by the name Kanan or when some call him Eriks. Wolfwood starts to look for Vash, and finds him in a town full of criminal gangs in which their leader calls himself Vash The Stampede.
In the manga, Vash is an “independent” plant, with a mostly similar personality to his anime adaptation. His body is ravaged and scarred, and he refuses to use his abilities as a plant to heal them. He denies himself the company of women because he is certain that “They would only run away” after seeing his scars and artifical arm.

Personality

Vash displays two different personalities. Vash usually exaggerates foolish characteristics to make people feel unthreatened and to hide his identity. He exhibits an almost obsessive love of doughnuts, engages in lecherous behavior, and on at least one occasion claimed his real name was Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gumbigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andres Charton-Haymoss Ivanovicci Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III (although this is most likely false and probably not spelled right here). He frequently voices the catchphrase, “This world is made of love and peace,” which is usually complemented by his flashing of the V sign. Vash’s reputation as “The Humanoid Typhoon” is legendary, as is the damage and destruction associated with his presence. However, when those around him are threatened, Vash shows complete focus and control.

Vash is a multidimensional character who, despite his age, has still not found peace with himself. A point of conflict in the series are the inner differences between Vash and Millions Knives, his twin brother, and their regard for humanity. Though Vash and Knives have gone through the same experience and torment, Vash chooses to remain hopeful and loving toward humanity, where as Knives has fallen into a deep-seated hatred of their race. Their personalities also have other key differences: Vash cannot stand the despair of being alone, whereas Knives revels in his loneliness and has no desire for any company other than Vash.

Because Vash refuses to kill any of his opponents, he often suffers at the hands of a number of very persistent enemies. As a result, his body is a patchwork of large scars, chunks of missing flesh supported by metal mesh, and stitch marks. Although these scars may be from experiments on the SEEDS ship, as heard from Millions Knives.

Also at one point it seems Vash has the ability to break the fourth wall. In both the manga and the anime, at one point, he complains directly to the viewers and perhaps the shows writers over how little screen time he got during the middle of a battle in which he fired a single shot while in hiding.

Abilities

Aside from his Angel Arm, Vash has shown a superhuman level of agility, strength, reflexes, eyesight and complete muscle control. In episodes of the anime, Vash has often shown the ability to dodge bullets at close range and dodge skilled melee attacks (at one point doing so while at the same time pretending to dance with a woman). During a gun duel competition, Vash was able to prevent the deaths of many of the competitors by throwing rocks at key moments to knock bullets off their lethal courses. Vash is possibly stronger than most human beings as seen when he was able to use Wolfwood’s Punisher (although he did comment on its weight). Finally, his intelligence is stated to be superior to that of most (if not all) humans. In the anime it is shown that he is capable of telepathic communication with his brother, though whether or not he possesses Knives’ telekinetic capabilities remains uncertain.

Weapons

Signature weapon

Vash habitually carries a custom made .45 caliber silver- or nickel-plated revolver, a classic six-shot double-action with a top break reloading mechanism that fires .45 Long Colt ammunition. The engraving on the side of the gun describes it is a “.45 Long Colt AGL Arms Factory” with wings around the “AGL” as in angel. Vash’s revolver has the barrel aligned with the 6 o’clock chamber, not the 12 o’clock chamber as is the typical configuration of standard revolvers. Only one actual weapon follows this form factor, the Mateba Autorevolver. In the series, this handgun was created as part of a pair by Knives, of which Vash was given the silver model, and Knives kept the black model. Vash eventually carries both weapons for a time, before losing the black gun to Knives in another fight.

In the manga, Vash uses his unique gun more out of mere novelty and habit. Visually the handgun in the manga is also different from that in the anime, though it still features the unique placement of the barrel in the 6 o’clock position. In Trigun Maximum, the revolver used in the anime appears for Vash for use as a two-panel replacement for his standard gun while it is being repaired.

Angel Arm

In the series, within Vash’s trademark revolver lies the catalyst needed to activate his “Angel Arm”. The Angel Arm is Vash’s ultimate weapon. Upon activation, his right arm transforms into a weapon powerful enough to destroy entire cities with a single blast. Vash fears the Angel Arm’s potential for destruction, and knows little about how to use it.

In the manga, the Angel Arm is a natural feature of a plant’s body, and can be manipulated into various shapes to create a number of effects beyond destruction. His power using the Angel Arm is limited- -like a battery, it contains only a certain amount of energy, and when that energy is gone he will die. Vash’s Angel Arm typically takes the shape of a large cannon weapon, which uses a tremendous amount of power. As a meter of spent energy a plant’s hair color gradually darkens as their internal power is spent until reaching a final color of black when fully depleted. To illustrate the power of the Angel Arm, Vash’s hair began to darken after the second time he fires it, using enough energy to blast a hole in the moon. Throughout the manga, Vash learns to gain better control of his power to form smaller cannons and defensive feathers, though his hair continues to grow darker until almost completely black. By the final volume, he has only a small lock of blond hair left.

Cybernetic arm

Vash lost his left arm when Knives blew it off using a different revolver, after Vash stole Knives’ black Angel Arm pistol years earlier. In the manga, Knives cut it off when they were younger with a blade he formed from his own body. He now has a cybernetic replacement, which also conceals an integrated firearm. In both the series and manga, it is initially a powerful semiautomatic pistol that is later upgraded to a fully automatic submachine gun.

Other weapons and equipment

In the series, Vash can be seen using a knife hidden in his boot in multiple episodes. During his battle with Brilliant Dynamites Neon, he uses an automatic weapon that appears similar to an AK-47 carbine. In the climactic final battle with Knives, he also uses Wolfwood’s Cross Punisher.

In the manga, Vash’s signature coat changes on multiple occasions, usually after being damaged, destroyed, or lost. At least one model is described as being bullet-proof. During a battle with Knives aboard The Ark, tubes on his then-present coat were used to reload his revolver and to feed ammunition into his sub-machine gun. The tubes were used without Vash laying hands on them, but it is not made clear if this is done by mechanical means, or by Vash using his plant abilities.

Pivotal storyline

The Great Fall

Vash and Knives’s background story is explained on episode 17, titled “Rem Saverem”.

Vash and Knives were found by the crew as human-like infants a year before the SEEDS fleet arrived at Gunsmoke. The crew initially wanted to kill them; however, Rem threw herself between the twins and the weapons, begging for their life. In just one year, they aged nearly ten years in appearance and had much higher intellectual capabilities than normal. Steve, one of the crew members, disliked the idea of the living Plants on the control ship and didn’t conceal it (ironically, he’s the exact look-alike of Vash’s friend Brad. Possibly being Brad‘s ancestor or relative). He insisted on the twins being monsters, and often hit or kicked them when the other crew members weren’t around.

One day in the recreation room, Rem cut Vash’s hair into his current spikey hair style. Knives, lost in his own thoughts of what his purpose for being there was, eventually left to cut his own hair. When finished he runs his hand through it but gets angry, shouting “It’s all wrong!” When Vash finds him shortly afterwards and asks what happened, Knives smiles it off, saying “If we stay the same, there’s no individuality.” This is the first time that a change in Knives’s demeanor can be perceived. Later, the crew discusses the twins’ hair styles. Steve gets angry and calls them monsters again, then drapes himself over Mary when she tells him he’s had too many to drink. Knives rebukes him, saying “You are a disgrace. Is that any way for a grown man like you to behave in the presence of innocent children?” Steve laughs himself out of the room, and when the others comment on his crazy behaviour, Knives whispers, “It’s because he’s afraid.” Later on, Knives is seen entering Rolan’s room, and then Mary’s room (both rooms occupied by their owners).

Again at the recreation room, the twins and Rem find a butterfly stuck in a spiderweb. Vash attempts to save it when Knives grabs the spider, killing it. Knives justifies the action by saying it was the easiest way to stop the spider and save the butterfly, but Vash becomes distressed because he wanted to save both. Knives counters that you can’t save both, because the spider would die of starvation unless it ate the butterfly. Rem breaks in, saying that you can’t make that choice lightly because they’re both living creatures, but Knives continues to argue that his way of thinking is right. Vash knocks him to the ground and yells at him how he wanted to save both, completely stunning Knives. After a moment they both sit up. Knives leaves, saying that Vash doesn’t make any sense, and Vash shouts back that it is him that doesn’t make any sense. This very well could have been their first fight.

Sometime later, the crew is gathered in a watching room, where in another rooom Steve is in a straightjacket and awaits sentencing. Joey states that according to interplanetary law, Steve will be relieved of duty and will be frozen until they land where he will stand trial. Steve continually shouts that he didn’t do anything, while Rolan says that he saw him enter Mary’s room, and Mary quietly says that he raped her. Rem argues that it’s not too late to hear Steve’s side of the story while Joey says that to function as a group they need laws to keep them safe. Despite Steve and Rem’s protests, Steve is frozen.

Afterwards, Vash asks Rem why people can’t get along, and she says it’s because we all have different ways of thinking, along with other wonderfully optimistic sayings that leave an impression on Vash. Meanwhile, Rolan proposes to Mary, even handing her a ring. She says he must be teasing, and he reveals that he adjusted the freezer temperature that Steve is in, effectively killing him. Mary is horrifed at this, and Rolan smiles, saying “I guess that now makes us partners.” Rem and the twins hear gunshots shortly after and notify Joey, then race to the room to find Rolan standing over Mary, who had shot her multiple times. Rolan tells Rem that he had no choice, that Mary had betrayed him after all he had done for her. He then points the gun at Knives, saying that it must be his fault that Mary had to die. Rem stands in front of the line of fire and tries to talk Rolan down, saying that no one has the right to take the life of another. Meanwhile Joey tries to get in contact with them, eventually getting a video feed from the room to work. Rem continues to slowly walk toward Rolan while he steps back, clearly disheveled and scared. Rem is about to take the gun from Rolan when Joey opens a hatch behind Rolan, sending him and Mary’s body into space while safety bars close keeping Rem from being sucked out too.

Rem is incredibly upset. Joey tries to explain that he thought Rolan was going to shoot her, and that he was doing what he thought was best. Rem is convinced that Rolan wasn’t going to shoot her, and laments their fallen commrads with Vash by her side while Knives goes to the bridge where Joey is. Knives tells Joey that he agrees with his decision and that it was the right choice, but Joey has doubts, saying that maybe Rem was right. Angered by his turnabout, Knives says that he’s just like all the other humans and shoots Joey, confirming to himself that his is the right choice. He leaves the gun in Joey’s hand and alters the ship’s course program.

Rem and Vash hear a message from the computer system that the fleet had changed its course and was about to crash. The three decide to go to the escape pods, but at the last moment Rem hangs back, saying she has to try help Joey and save the others. She closes the door desipte Vash’s protests, telling him to take care of Knives. The pod was launched and Vash watched as the control ship exploded in re-entry. He collapsed, crying. Knives started to laugh. He reveals that he killed everyone and changed the course to kill the humans that were part of the SEEDS project, while keeping the plant ships so he and Vash could live on the new planet. Then, all of the fleet received a new directive, automatically starting the reverse thrusters so the ships could enter the atmosphere safely. Rem was able to save Project SEEDS. The pod then fell onto the surface of a planet.

When Vash regained consciousness, he saw in the dawn sky dozens of ships raining down as meteors. Knives wanted to help him, but Vash pushed him away, accusing him. Knives then changed his voice saying, “Yeah! Cool, huh?”. They then spent the following years wandering through the deserts, observing crash sites and the few survivors. When some humans started to argue over some water, Knives activated the ship-board Plant’s Angel Arm, but Vash pushed him over and prevented him from firing. After some wandering, Knives had found the ship he was looking for. He spent a whole year rummaging through the wreckage, finally procuring the two revolvers and some battle armor for himself. He threw one of the revolvers to Vash, saying “They are our new siblings. We will use them for wiping out the human scourge.” He then went up to a hill and test-fired, creating a huge blast similar to a nuclear explosion. He then says “Only a 13% output, that’s the best we can do.” This then lead to an argument between the two, resulting in Vash shooting Knives in the leg and running away with both weapons.

July Incident

The infamous July Incident occurred before the start of the manga, when Vash traveled to the city of July in search of a man distantly related to Rem. Upon arriving, he was greeted by Knives, who had slain the man whom Vash had come to speak with. Knives announced that he’d destroyed the last connection Vash had to Rem, and in the exchange that followed, shot off Vash’s left arm. Against Vash’s will, Knives activated Vash’s previously dormant Angel Arm, hoping to annihilate the surrounding town. However, Vash aimed the blast at Knives; the resulting blast reduced July to rubble, though there were no casualties as a direct result of the skirmish (there were, however, indirect fatalities after the homeless citizens of July began to fight among themselves, turning the remnants of the town to “Hell”, in the words of one survivor). In the manga, 200,000 people are killed directly in the explosion.

The $$60,000,000,000 Man

The incident in July brands Vash an outlaw throughout Gunsmoke and he comes to be known as “The Stampede” and “The Humanoid Typhoon” as destruction seemingly follows him wherever he goes. A bounty of $$60,000,000,000 is placed on Vash, dead or alive, the largest bounty ever placed. With Knives unaccounted for, Vash spends the next twenty-three years hiding from civilization in order to stay alive. It is at this time two insurance agents, Meryl and Millie, are assigned to find and watch Vash in order to prevent further damage wherever he goes. After their first meeting the two women accompany Vash throughout his travels, much to Vash’s dismay.

The next pivotal point in the story comes in Inepril City. Upon learning Vash the Stampede is in the city the residents seek to capture him for the bounty as the city has been depraved and sunken in poverty due to the shutdown of one of the city’s main reactors. In a desperate, but foolish, attempt to capture him the city’s mayor enlists the help of the Nebraska Family, a sinister father and his giant half-machine son who have recently escaped from prison. Vash is captured without the Nebraskas’ help in a small saloon, but soon the Nebraskas reveal they have plans of their own for the bounty. The bar is destroyed by the son, but all inside manage to survive. Vash carries the survivors to safety and stands off with the Nebraskas, but the family stoops to lower methods by taking aim at the survivors in order to strike Vash off his guard. However, Vash thwarts this action and defeats the Nebraska family.

The city’s wealth is restored with the bounty for the Nebraskas and repair immediately begins on the damaged reactor. The project is led by a young, beautiful woman named Elizabeth. Elizabeth soon reveals she has an agenda of her own, that being to kill Vash. She lures Vash to the reactor which she has sabotaged to seemingly prevent Vash from escaping. When Elizabeth locks Vash in the reactor she reveals her intentions to kill him are not for the bounty, but for vengeance. Twenty-three years before, a three-year-old Elizabeth was a resident of July City when it was destroyed by Vash. Though none of the residents were killed in the destruction they began to destroy themselves in their pain and suffering. Elizabeth’s parents would be victims to this destruction and she would be all alone. In her flashback she finds comfort in the arms of man, a very familiar man. Elizabeth leaves Vash to die, but miraculously Vash shuts the reactor down himself. He encouters Elizabeth outside and she pulls a pistol on him intent on getting her revenge. Vash then tells her he remembers nothing of July’s destruction, only the ruins of the city when he awoke. Shocked, Elizabeth still begs in her sorrow for revenge, but suddenly recognizes a tearing Vash as the man who comforted her all those years ago. She collapses in realization of the truth and spares Vash.

Nicholas D. Wolfwood

As Vash and the girls journey on they meet a traveling priest carrying a large steel cross named Wolfwood. Although he appears to be just an ordinary priest, in an ensuing struggle with machines powered by lost technology, Wolfwood shows to be more by using his own skills in gunfighting. The two parties part ways afterward but would meet many times down the road.

Legato and the Gung-Ho Guns

The story comes to its main focus when Vash encouters Legato Bluesummers. Legato soon reveals he is in service to Knives, shocking Vash to know his brother still yet lives. Knives has made it Legato’s sole purpose of his life to cause “eternal pain and suffering” in the life of Vash. Legato leads a cutt-throat and mostly superhumanoid gang known as the Gung-Ho-Guns. In order to carry out Legato’s purpose the Guns seek to harm Vash and eliminate all that’s around him of whom he cares for. This even results in the deaths of the entire gang, not by Vash himself, but either due to elimination for their failures by Legato or suicide in order to scar Vash’s conscience. Vash’s struggles with Legato come to a turning point with the death of Wolfwood. In the next city he comes to Vash encounters Midvalley the Hornfreak. When Midvalley fails to defeat Vash he uses his powerful horn to kill himself. Vash is scarred furthermore and pursues Legato, but still refuses to kill him when Legato reveals his intent to allow Vash to kill him in order to bring his “ultimate” suffering by his first conscious kill. When Legato threatens the lives of Meryl and Milley Vash has no other alternative and shoots Legato in the head, killing him.

Reunion and Final Battle

The girls bring Vash to a small town to heal his injuries. Vash spends the next few weeks in torment over what he perceived to be his first murder. Vash refuses to confront Knives knowing he would have to kill again should the moment come. When the locals of the town learn of Vash’s presence they take him to the outskirts of town and drag him behind a speeding vehicle. Meryl comes to Vash’s aid and stands between him and a frustrated gunman. Vash sees Rem in Meryl’s actions and his morale is revived. Saying his goodbyes for what may be the last time, Vash ventures into the desert with Wolfwood’s cross rifle to confront Knives.

Vash finds Knives in a small flourishing oasis in the middle of the desert. After the two exchange greetings they face-off. The fight comes to a stalemate, both men with a gun in the face of the other. Knives knows Vash won’t shoot and shoots Vash, subduing him. He then prepares his Angel Arm and fires, but Vash counters with his own and negates it. However, Knives gains the upper-hand once more and takes Vash’s gun giving him two Angel Arms. Just before Knives can fire the voice of Wolfwood comes to Vash telling him to “use it”. Vash drives his hand into the ground and retrieves Wolfwood’s cross rifle and fires it at Knives. Knives loses control of the Angel Arms and Vash shoots Knives in his shoulders and calves, thus subduing him and ending the fight. Vash emerges victorious with an unconscious Knives over his shoulder as the story ends.

Sumber: Wikipedia

Trigun

29 Okt 2011 Tinggalkan sebuah Komentar

by muhammadjunaedi in Anime

Trigun (トライガン Toraigan^?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1996 to 2008 and spanning 17 (3+14) collected volumes.

The manga was serialized in Tokuma Shoten‘s Shōnen Captain from the series debut in 1996 until the magazine’s demise in 1997. The series continued in Shōnen Gahosha‘s Young King Ours magazine, under the title Trigun Maximum (トライガンマキシマム Toraigan Makishimamu^?), where it remained until finishing in 2008.

Trigun was adapted into an animated television series in 1998. The Madhouse Studios production aired on TV Tokyo from April 1, 1998 to September 30, 1998, totaling 26 episodes. An animated feature film was released in April 2010.

Plot

Known for its Space Western theme, Trigun is about a man named “Vash the Stampede” and the two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees who follow him around in order to minimize the damages inevitably caused by his appearance. Most of the damage attributed to Vash is actually caused by bounty hunters in pursuit of the “60,000,000,000$$” (sixty billion “double dollars”) bounty on Vash’s head for the destruction of the city of July. However, he cannot remember the incident clearly due to his amnesia. Throughout his travels, Vash tries to save lives using non-lethal force. He is occasionally joined by a priest, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, who, like Vash, is a superb gunfighter with a mysterious past.

As the series progresses, we learn more 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 although its tone shifts toward darker and more dramatic situations as the series draws to a conclusion. The story line also involves moral conflict pertaining to the morality of killing other living things.

Characters

Vash the Stampede is a very lighthearted, expert marksman that tries to promote love and peace as he personally said in several episodes. He appears to be a very merry person that dislikes seriousness, but is actually very deep and serious as can be seen in the situations he finds himself in. He usually presents a smiling façade, which Wolfwood is prone to call a “false smile.” Beneath this smile lies a lot of pain and the burdens that Vash has chosen to carry. Also known as The Humanoid Typhoon, he is a wandering gunman with a 60 billion double dollar 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 dismiss the idea that the real Vash is the legendary Humanoid Typhoon (partially due to the lack of an introduction), but the two eventually learn (much to the contradiction to what Meryl wants to think) that this is the person they are assigned to track.

Nicholas D. Wolfwood A superb gunman, almost equal to Vash himself, and arguably the most skilled human being with a pistol in the series, Wolfwood is a priest who wields an enormous cross “to carry his sins”, however, the cross contains a machine gun and a rack of automatic pistols. Wolfwood and Vash get into many conflicts over the morality of murder. According to Wolfwood’s mentor “… we are sometimes driven to become the devil himself.” Wolfwood is a tragic figure in that his redemption comes at a terrible cost.

Millions Knives The main antagonist, and Vash’s brother. Like Vash, he is a sentient plant created by humans but unlike him, he is a cruel mass murderer that intends to wipe out the entire human race, considering them unfit for this world. Most of the situations Vash ends up in are, in one way or another, connected to Knives.

Rem Saverem Vash’s mentor and childhood friend, who taught him the value of life. It is mostly because of Rem that Vash is the hero he is. Vash constantly finds himself asking what Rem would do in his situation. When this happens, Vash enters a peaceful “dream world” when he asks Rem for help

Gung-Ho Guns A group of superhuman assassins with extraordinary abilities and equipment. Their leader is Legato Bluesummers, a fanatical henchman of Knives who shares his nihilistic philosophy and possesses telepathic powers, who sends them out to attack Vash and cause him as much suffering as possible. The group’s lineup differs slightly between the anime and manga versions of Trigun, with some characters appearing in one but not the other.

Media

Manga

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 1996 issue of the Tokuma Shoten magazine Shōnen Captain, and began regular serialization two months later in April.

However, Shōnen Captain was canceled early in 1997, and when Nightow was approached by the magazine Young King Ours, published by Shōnen Gahōsha, they were interested in his beginning a new work. He was however troubled^[2] 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 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 statedthat 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 14th tankōbon was published on February 27, 2008.

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. Trigun Maximum followed quickly, and the entire 14-volume run was released over a five-year period from May 2004 to April 2009. Translations into French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish have also been released.

Anime

In 1998 Trigun was animated by Madhouse, broadcast on TV Tokyo, produced by Victor Company of Japan (JVC) 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 currently licensed for DVD & Blu-rayin the United States by Funimation Entertainment, who re-released it on DVD on October 27, 2010.

The show initially failed to garner a large audience in Japan during its original showing in 1998, but gained a substantial fan base following its premier in America in early 2003. Trigun first appeared on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block and is currently broadcast by Cartoon Network in Latin America.

Nightow has stated that due to the finality of the anime’s ending, it is unlikely any continuation will be made.However, that does not rule out the possibility of a reboot based on Trigun Maximum.

Film

The October 2005 issue of NEO includes an interview with Masao Maruyama, Madhouse’s founder and series planner. In the article he revealed that the studio has been working on a Trigun Movie that would be released in “a couple of years”. The November 2005 issue of Anime Insider also confirmed this news.

In May 2007, Nightow confirmed at the Anime Central Convention that the Trigun movie was in the early stages of pre-production 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 14 of the Trigun Maximum manga, announcing that the movie was scheduled for 2009.In October 2009, however, the movie’s official website announced a new Japanese premiere set for Spring 2010.The story of the movie, as depicted from the cover, was going to be about “Vash vs. Wolfwood”, the two main characters of the manga.

In July 2009, at The Anime Expo convention in Los Angeles, California, Yasuhiro Nightow and Satoshi Nishimura held a panel for the movie. Shigeru Kitayama and Noriyuki Jinguji also appeared to promote the movie. During the convention a trailer was shown depicting characters of the movie.

The film was animated by the same company that animated the television show, Madhouse.

The film is titled Trigun: Badlands Rumble and opened in theaters in Japan on April 24, 2010. The film was shown to an American audience first at the Sakura-Con 2010 in Seattle, Washington on Friday, April 2, 2010 at 5:00 PM, and the director held a 15-minute Q&A session before the movie, explaining the reasons it was not dubbed, subbed, and why it was premiered first at the convention, also explaining the new characters. The movie was shown again on Saturday and Sunday according to the schedule.At Anime Expo 2010, Funimation announced that they have licensed the film as they have with the TV series and will plan to release it into theaters. Funimation later had a showing of a subbed version of the movie later during the same Anime Expo.

Video game

A video game, called Trigun: The Planet Gunsmoke, based on the Trigun manga, was in development for the PlayStation 2 system. It was unveiled in 2002 in Sega’s 2002 GameJam video. The unveiling consisted of a 20 second clip from the game. The clip showed multiple characters from the Trigun series. Since its unveiling, no word on development had come out by its developer Red Entertainment or publisher Sega. Sega has issued a “no comment” on the current status of the game’s development. As of 2011, no new comments from Sega have been made in relation to the video game, and it has likely been cancelled.

Reception

The first manga volume run of 30,000 sold outshortly after release. The second volume concluded the original series early the next year, and went on to be the top earninggraphic novel of 2004.

Sumber: Wikipedia