Postscript comics
Postscript comics, also called omake in Japanese, are short bonus comics sometimes included at the end of manga tankōbon.
Overview
The postscript comics in Trigun follow Yasuhiro Nightow as he talks to the viewer, often in a comical fashion, about various things regarding Trigun, such as the publication status of the manga tankōbon, the production of the anime, and the toylines, and other things he finds interesting. Kuroneko-sama usually accompanies him in these comics, where she is able to speak, usually reprimanding Nightow for being incomprehensible or his over-the-top reactions to things.
All of Nightow's postscript comics for Trigun and Trigun Maximum were included in the TRIGUN ARCHIVES art book.
Trigun postscript comics
Shonen Captain Comics Special
Trigun Volume 1
Trigun Volume 2
Trigun Volume 3
Young King Comics
Trigun Volume 1
Nightow explains that this release is a combination of the three Shonen Captain Comics Special volumes, and that the story at the end of Trigun Volume 2 continues in Trigun Maximum Volume 1. He then reminisces about his life in 1995-1996 when he was 25 years old. Nightow from the present then punches a confused 25-year-old Nightow and reprimands him for being lazy.
Trigun Volume 2
Continuing from the last volume, present-day Nightow confronts 25-year-old Nightow and reprimands him for being lazy and wasting his youth. 25-year-old Nightow asks his older self if he would like some tea. The two Nightows sit down in past Nightow's room to talk. Past Nightow asks what his future has in store, but present-day Nightow says he cannot tell him that, but asks is he enjoys drawing manga. Past Nightow says sometimes he likes it, sometimes he hates it, to which present Nightow says he feels the same way. Pas Nightow gets up to leave, and says he will meet many interesting people. Past Nightow begins playing video games instead of working, and present-day Nightow reappears to reprimand him again.
Trigun Maximum postscript comics
Tankōbon
Trigun Maximum Volume 1: Hero Returns
Kuroneko watches as Nightow excitedly bursts in and shares what things he's thought about and incorporated into the story (depicted as a surreal doodle). He then explains how the anime started when he was still working on the manga and about the Trigun manga story continues as Trigun Maximum in this volume. He apologizes for the delayed publication of Trigun Volume 3, thanks the readers for liking his characters, and hopes they are looking forward to volume 2 of Maximum.
Trigun Maximum Volume 2: Death Blue
Nightow talks about his experiences during the production of the anime. Included in this comic are Akiko Kaneko, Shigeru Kitayama, Yōsuke Kuroda, Satoshi Nishimura, Yoshimitsu Ohashi, and Something Yoshimatsu. He thanks the staff for their work making the anime and support of the fans, and hopes they will continue to support him. Nightow hints at the upcoming production of the Kaiyodo Trigun action figures with a sketch of an action figure Vash.
Trigun Maximum Volume 3: His Life As A...
Nightow talks about his trip to San Diego Comic-Con and meeting comic book artist Mike Mignola, who he is a big fan of.
Trigun Maximum Volume 4: Bottom Of The Dark
Nightow excitedly announces the Trigun The Planet Gunsmoke toyline from Kaiyodo and Toytribe. He explains that the toyline is a different "world" from the Trigun manga and anime worlds. He also shares that the American company McFarlane Toys has made a Vash action figure, to which he was surprised that Trigun has become popular in America. Nightow thanks everyone and says he will continue to do his best.
Trigun Maximum Volume 6: The Gunslinger
Nightow mentions that the previous volume did not have an omake, so this one will be longer while Kuroneko-sama reprimands him for taking too long in his intro. Nightow talks about how much he loves the McFarlane Vash figure, showing himself surrounded by them. On the following page, he shares his concept sketch of Vash for the figure that he'd sent to McFarlane Toys. Nightow recounts on his visit to McFarlane's headquarters in New Jersey, which looked nothing how he expected (imagined as cloaked figures huddled around a cauldron labeled "Source of Figurines," which is spewing out ghosts). Nightow then reminiscies about how he'd made wax "Samurai Wars" models when he was younger. Nightow thanks the Pioneer USA staff before abruptly changing the subject to how there is much more Trigun to come and thanks the readers.
Trigun Maximum Volume 7: Happy Days
Nightow, dressed as a pirate and sailing on an "Otaku boat," travels to various islands, first Manga Island, then Anime Island, then Action Figure Island, and finally, Game Island (where he is now dressed as Link from The Legend of Zelda). Nightow announces his upcoming video game, Gungrave, for the PlayStation 2. Kuroneko asks him what the game is about, and Nightow responds that it is an action game about lively gun battles with destructable environments.
Trigun Maximum Volume 8: Silent Ruin
Nightow is relaxing at an onsen because he had been shut-in at home for a while. He is working on the manga while there, sharing that he struggles with budgeting his time and is easily distracted, so he needs to get away sometimes. Nightow experiences writer's block as he tries to work on the manga so he takes a break in the hot springs repeatedly until he is too tired to work, which Kuroneko-reprimands him for.
Trigun Maximum Volume 9: LR
Characters from the Gungrave anime and Gungrave Overdose appear and stomp on Nightow. Wolfwood, angry and bleeding, crushes a very wounded Nightow with the Punisher as Vash looks on in the backgound. Wolfwood yells at Nightow. Nightow laments being caught in a death spiral of his own complaints before announcing that the Gungrave TV anime had just begun airing. He invited Yōsuke Kuroda, the scriptwriter for the anime, to his studio to celebrate. Kuroda arrived looking very ominous and unnerving, and Nightow learned he had already drunk four cans of beer and had been awake for fifty hours. Despite that, they watched the first episode of Gungrave seven times.
Trigun Maximum Volume 11: Zero Hour
Nightow, depicted as a puppet, introduces himself as "Masuda Jigsaw," accompanied by Japanese singer Kaera Kimura. Nightow is amazed that Trigun is doing well and being published all over the world, and that they even bother to translate his silly postscripts. Nightow address the overseas readers and thanks them. He is suddenly dropkicked by a flying robot and Kaera Kimura is revealed to be Kuroneko holding her head on a stick. Nightow shares what he had been doing the past year, which he realizes was a lot and states that he lives an interesting and strange life. He then passionately roars that he's no good at words, and that's why he draws manga. Nightow states he probably left the readers very confused this time before waving goodbye.
Trigun Maximum Volume 12: The Gunslinger
Nightow talks about how it's been awhile since the last book and that he's been working. He shares the most exciting thing to happen to him in the past year--discovering the Swiss company Freitag's bags made of recycled materials. He explains how they are made from pieces of different recycled materials so no two look the same, which makes it hard to ever have a complete collection. Nightow then says the manga story will soon be coming to an end.
Trigun Maximum Volume 13: Double Duel
Nightow dramatically falls to the sky and crashes to the ground, witnessed by Kuroneko. Nightow, now dressed as Japanese professional wrestler Muscle Sakai, introduces himself, but breaks down crying because he'd been procrastinating. He talks about how he'd used to get along so well with manga, but now found it scary and feels very worn-down from working on it. He then changes the subject to talk about Assemble Borg toyline he'd been developing with Kaiyodo and Toytribe over the past two years. Nightow reflects on how fun it is to make things. He then says it's been fun, but the manga story will end in the next volume. He waves goodbye with Vash standing behind him.
Notes
- The postscript comics from the Shonen Captain Comics Special Trigun volumes were never officially translated in English, as only the Young King Comics Trigun volumes were the versions that were translated and released by Dark Horse.
- Trigun Maximum volumes 5, 10, and 14 are the only tankōbon not to include postscript comics.