Trigun is a series which doesn't quite fit into any specific category. It's set in a desert wasteland with a western look, but has many elements of modern technology. Even weirder, it's presented as a comedy early on. Together with the serious tone of later episodes, the elements come together to produce the one of the most clever anime series ever produced. Based on the manga by Yazuhiro Nightow, the TV series was directed by Satoshi Nishimura and spans 26 episodes. The series aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block in 2003 and is available on DVD from Geneon. In 2005, Masao Maruyama, the founder of Madhouse, said that he is currently working on a new Trigun movie, but no additional information is available.