Escapist Magazine columnist H.D. Russell reviewed the anime adaptation of the series in early 2016, as part of the "Good Old Anime Review" section focusing on popular anime of the 1990s to early 2000s. Though, noting the series hasn't aged well in terms of animation and English voice acting quality, Russell states the depth of the characters and moral themes of the series more than compensate for its faults. Russell concluded his review giving "Trigun" a rank of four out of a five stars stating, ""Trigun" is very often overshadowed by its close cousin "Cowboy Bebop", which is sad, because it truly is a delight to watch. Despite having only decent voice acting (with a few exceptions), average music, and relatively static visuals, "Trigun" is an absolute blast that had me laughing and thinking the whole way. While it's not perfect, it is fun and it does ask the questions that will make viewers ponder for years to come without ever offering them an answer. "Trigun" is one that went straight from my backlog to my heart and is truly greater than the sum of its parts." Despite its relative popularity in the West, "Trigun" never gained widespread appeal to Japanese audiences. Suggested factors include the "old west" setting, European style character names and a lack of Japanese cultural elements. This would make "Trigun" one of the rare examples of an anime that is far more successful in the West than it was within its country of origin.