It may seem silly to state the obvious but there have been a lot of vampire shows released since anime began. The latest to be found in the genre is Trinity Blood and just trust me when I tell you that it's really not like the others.

Taking place 500 years after an apocalyptic war the Earth has been all but destroyed. Pockets of survivors have reformed communities and gradually whole cities have been rebuilt. Old technology is in place and many of the rebuilt cities are mostly familiar landscapes from modern day. By melding science fiction and horror Trinity Blood is unlike most any show that you've seen.

In this particular world there are three factions that are more or less constantly at war with each other. The Terrans (humans) have fallen under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church and basically live to serve the Vatican. Those that have been infected with a blood-craving virus are called the Methuselah and are essentially the vampires. In addition to long life and all of the benefits that come with being a vampire they also possess the ability to use superpowers and craft weapons out of thin air. The third species that you'll find in this show is the Crusnik who are essentially a vampire's vampire because they feed on their blood.

This 24 episode show is well underway towards hitting its finale. In fact in this fifth volume the pieces are set in motion to bring about the end game. Through the course of its run Trinity Blood has handled itself with various story arcs and it's a show that features a ton of characters to get to know. I haven't seen the show in its entirety but I managed to catch the first two volumes before checking out this fifth so I know a little bit of what's going on but not enough to explain all of the details.

This volume starts out with Esther recovering in bed and Ion watching over her. Like I said, I missed what happened to her in the last volume but now she's under the care of someone named Seth. As she gets better Ion heads out and is confronted by a Methuselah named Radu who cuts him deep and explains how he plans on assassinating the Empress. This is really a bad thing because the peace between Methuselah and Terrans would basically end.

In the next episode Ion and Esther confront Radu prior to the assassination and actually have the tables turned on them. Imprisoned and framed they are tortured by Radu who carries through with his original plans. In between it all there is a big plot twist that I didn't see coming though if you have been following the series up to this point I'm not going to spoil it for you. This volume also sees the end of The Night Lords story arc and the beginning of The Throne of Roses.

Overall Trinity Blood is a very good show with an interesting concept and captivating characters. This volume in particular presented plenty of plot twists and a cool story to sink your teeth into. If you have been following Trinity Blood to this point then you have another "must have" volume to pick up. There's always the chance that you're a newcomer, in which case this is one that you'll want to check out.

Originally airing in 2005 Trinity Blood maintains its fresh appearance and offers a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio. The picture quality is very good and on par with many of FUNimation's recent releases. The video is solid throughout with some mild use of grain and unfortunately a few spots where compression was noticeable. Some shadows seemed a little too stark for their own good but contrast was very impressive overall. This is a great looking show with a wide pallet of colors and some very fluid animation. Easily one of Gonzo's best looking series.

Trinity Blood is presented with the new standard for major anime releases. The original Japanese comes with a 2.0 stereo track while the English receives 2.0 and 5.1 treatment. Both dubs are very good and in all honesty I enjoyed them both the same which is kind of a rare thing for me. The stereo tracks lack the immersion that the 5.1 supplies but they are decent enough for what they are. Overall the quality in all three selections is acceptable though I preferred the 5.1 English track the most.

The Limited Edition of Trinity Blood's fifth volume includes some tarot cards and a booklet featuring artwork, information, and an interview with Masahiro Onai and Hirotaka Nabae. Otherwise the features on the disc are the same as you'd find in the regular edition. Textless animation, trailers, and some notes on historical artifacts are the only things included on the disc.

Trinity Blood is an attractive show. This was one of those Gonzo series that I had been anxious to see for quite some time and though I had seen some episodes earlier in the series checking out this fifth volume was a real treat. This is good stuff and there's no denying the quality of the show as a whole. If you haven't seen it you may want to hold out for the complete collection release at this point but this is definitely one that needs to be on your "must have" list.

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