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It doesn’t matter what city you travel to. Mentioning the name ‘Vash the Stampede’ always strikes fear into even the most cold-hearted criminal. Vash’s reputation as the Humanoid Typhoon, this dastardly deity of destruction, causes civilians to run away screaming, criminals to impersonate him, and the Bernardelli Insurance Society to investigate him. It is quickly revealed that Vash, the protagonist of Trigun, is actually a donut-chomping, easygoing, womanizing pacifist, a masterful gunman with spiky-blond, Super Saiyan – esque hair who always finds himself in comical situations. In one episode, Vash complains to the audience about his lack of screen time. In another, Vash, while listening to music with his headphones, stumbles into a saloon and becomes a victim in a hostage situation. While following Vash in the show Trigun, it becomes obvious that he’s not your average Joe (and not because of his magnificent marksmanship). Vash, the man who invents lengthy aliases for himself, holds a heartbreaking past and a century’s worth of secrets. Vash the Stampede, the galaxy’s most wanted outlaw (with a 60 billion double-dollar bounty on his head), the man donning that unforgettable red jacket, is among the most interesting and complex characters I’ve ever seen and he’s one of the many great aspects of Trigun.
This anime has three genres; it’s a western, a comedy (among the best of its kind), and an action anime. Trigun is an explosively entertaining show but the basis behind the anime is much deeper, that killing people doesn’t solve anything and that there are different ways to resolve an issue. This is the lesson that Rem Saverem, Vash’s mentor, instilled in him and it is Rem’s mentality that Vash (and the series) attempts to maintain. There was one death early in the series, when the Badland Gang hijacks a train and kills the conductor, but that murder appeared to be a rarity, something that wouldn’t happen again. Trigun appeared to be an anime of light-hearted, bloodless fun… until Legato Bluesummers, one of Trigun’s biggest villains, showed up and began slaughtering people by the dozen. Trigun’s mood instantly shifted to a drastically darker direction and it was all because of Legato, one of the many, many, influential characters in the show.
Every character in Trigun has a distinct personality and presents a unique aspect to the series. Trigun begins with the members of the Bernardelli Insurance Society, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson. Meryl is a demanding and moody woman who (very slowly) softens her unpleasant demeanor (I’m not saying Meryl’s an unlikable character but I’d be surprised to find a fan of hers). Milly is the taller (and much nicer) of the two investigators, a warm-hearted woman with child-like innocence and an enormous gun as well. Throughout the series, a variety of characters are inserted into the plot, like the benevolent Rem Saverem (whose impact on Trigun I already mentioned) and (my favorite character) Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a laid-back preacher with an oversized cross on his back, black sunglasses on his face, and a cigarette in his mouth. There are, of course, the villains. There’s Legato Bluesummers, a psychic psychopath who poetically professes loyalty to his master, and the Gung-Ho Guns, eleven different criminals who work alongside Legato. Finally, there’s the all-powerful Knives, the mastermind responsible for Legato and the Gung-Ho Guns’ killings and Vash’s twin brother (as well as someone who I will further discuss later).
Another excellent aspect of Trigun is the music. I’m obsessed with the main themes of TV shows and Trigun’s opening is among the all-time greatest. The Trigun opening is a guitar fanatic’s dream come true (and I can say the same for practically the entire soundtrack).The anime doesn’t just have guitar; there’s also the occasional piano-playing and even some saxophone pieces, mostly thanks to Midvalley the Horn-Freak (one of the Gung-Ho Guns). What I enjoy most about Trigun’s soundtrack is how the anime employs the music. In one unforgettable scene (Wolfwood’s death), Trigun presents a memorable montage of the preacher’s life as emotional music plays in the background. During the episode “Sin” (my favorite Trigun episode), after Meryl inquires about Knives, Vash begins to tell her and Meryl violently steps back as a gunshot fires in the background. Then, the only sound is this exceptionally emotional guitar piece that complements the tragic scene, as the camera switches between clips of Vash’s past, Vash’s muted talking, and Meryl’s emotionally destroyed face. Whoever constructed this soundtrack is a genius; I’m serious.
As much as I love Trigun, I have to admit there are some flaws. With the exception of Legato, the acting from the characters was decent at best and awful at its worst (The voice of Julius from the episode “Escape from Pain” was painful. Just painful). I feel like there are more things the producers could’ve done to improve the series and chose not to (Like the ending for the episode “Fifth Moon”, after Legato mind-controls Vash to destroy the moon, Wolfwood says this is the path Vash has decided to take, and Milly, while hugging a sobbing Meryl, announces that she will never forgive him. What the producers could’ve done was make Meryl, Milly, and Wolfwood hunt down Vash as the outlaw pursues his villainous brother). I think the ending for Trigun was especially unfulfilling (I loved the symbolism of Vash’s jacket and how he finally discarded it, but I hated the anti-climatic, unnecessarily lengthy, Dragon Ball Z-like showdown between Vash and Knives), and I really don’t understand Knives (Why did he choose to continuously torment Vash into joining him? Why didn’t he accomplish his plan after a century? For a main antagonist, Knives sure is confusing. Honestly, I think Legato was a much better villain). Above all else, why is the series titled Trigun?
Despite its flaws, Trigun is the epitome of entertainment, a 26-episode rollercoaster of gunfights, comedy, drama, and depth (as well as one of my three all-time favorite shows). If you’re looking for something to watch, check out Trigun (or at least the main theme via YouTube). You won’t regret it.
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Reviews with images
Love it
I had to get this. This one is a classic, I remember watching Trigun at night on cartoon network on the original adult swim. Love the storyline, very very funny character play by Johnny Young Bosch from Power Rangers. I just love this anime, if you haven't watched it. I highly recommend it.
Top reviews from other countries
Martina Pettersson
Broken product. Timely shipping
Reviewed in Sweden on September 7, 2023marlene
Great anime and story, recommended!!
Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2021Joshua
One of Anime's best protagonists
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2018
cebo
EN GENERAL BUENA COMPRA, PERO PARA GUSTOS
Reviewed in Spain on January 15, 2013