Vash the Stampede’s a joyful gunslinging pacifist, so why does he have a $6 million bounty on his
head? That’s what’s puzzling rookie reporter Meryl Stryfe and her jaded veteran partner when looking
into the vigilante only to find someone who hates blood. But their investigation turns out to uncover
something heinous—his evil twin brother, Millions Knives.
(Source: Crunchyroll)
One thing that I've heard some people say about *Trigun Stampede* is that it's good if you accept the fact that it's trying something new rather than just being a regular adaptation, but I think that's kind of silly. That's like saying it's only enjoyable if you pretend that it's not supposed to be *Trigun.* It's perfectly reasonable for fans of an old anime to expect the reboot to have the same sort of appeal as the original. Maybe *Stampede* really is a good anime that's separate from the original *Trigun* identity. But if that's the case, then why bother using the *Trigun* name if you're not going to be faithful to what made it so memorable in the first place? But I'm getting ahead of myself. The creators made it very clear from the beginning that this wouldn't be a direct adaptation of the manga, and that's acceptable in theory. After all, the 90's anime and *Trigun Maximum* are vastly different takes on the same premise and themes, yet both are equally amazing in their own ways. *Stampede* will be fine as long as it is faithful to the spirit of *Trigun*, the fundamental elements that make it so special... ___ #~~~__The Animation and Visual Style__~~~ I absolutely adore the way *Stampede* is animated. The high quality animation is undoubtedly the high point of the anime, and it allows the series' signature over the top action to reach its full potential. Unlike the fights in the 90's anime, which were mostly composed of both sides barraging each other with copious quantities of lead until one of them gets hit, there's a higher focus on hand to hand combat(though there's still plenty of bullet barrages). It makes the fights easier to follow, and the fluidity and bounciness of the CGI animation certainly helps a lot as well. However, it's not the action that impresses me the most, but the little details in the characters' mannerisms and facial expressions that make them seem so full of life. The animators put a lot of time and effort into making everything look as perfect as possible, and their hard work payed off big time. The most creative episode in terms of animation is episode 5, which is punctuated with a series of flashbacks of Wolfwood's past. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/lo4bsS1.png)~~~ ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/Fve4Tzd.png)~~~ The first flashback is animated in 2D, consisting of picture book-like frames painted with subdued, warm colors. These peaceful dreams of days long gone deftly illustrate the drastic disparity between that innocent child and the bitter, violent man he becomes. After that comes a sudden assault of psychedelic hallucinations induced by a drug trip from hell, slowly suffocating the audience until... we snap back to cold, 3D reality. A genuinely chilling sequence. None of the other episodes quite come close to being as visually interesting as this one, but the quality of the animation remains high to the very end. OG *Trigun* was a spaghetti western where the gunmen have access to futuristic technology, whereas *Stampede* is a sci-fi that takes place in the desert, if that makes any sense. The new art design has a sleeker, modern look to reflect this heavier focus on the sci fi elements. It has that generic cyberpunk quality to it, but it's consistent at least. As far as the character redesigns go, I'm pretty conflicted on them. I understand that the creators made them more conventionally attractive by modern standards to lure in a younger audience, so I can't blame them. But the fact that the original characters weren't flawlessly pretty was what made them so charming and distinctive to me. I liked how scruffy and old fashioned they looked, because that really conveyed the fact that they've lived their whole lives in a hostile desert full of outlaws. Whereas new Vash, Wolfwood, and Meryl don't look like they belong in the wild west, they look like hipster fashion models. ~~~img700(https://i.imgur.com/LJdHyQj.jpeg)~~~ You big, scary gunslingers let me know when you're ready to start your K-pop boy band. ___ Like many viewers, the moment the reveal trailer for *Stampede* came out, I had one burning question on my mind. "Where's Milly?" And from the moment I learned that Roberto De Niro was her replacement, I was determined to hate his guts. Yet despite my preconceived resentment, Roberto ended being a pretty alright character, if not very memorable. Meryl is a rookie reporter in this continuity, and she takes on Milly's job as the inexperienced assistant while Roberto inherits the role of the responsible veteran. So even with Milly gone the duo's dynamic still works, more or less. I could even say that Roberto is a boon to *Stampede*, as its iterations of the old characters feel strangely immature and inexperienced. He has the world weariness that the new Vash and Wolfwood are lacking. #~~~__The Characters Ain't Right__~~~ *Trigun's* greatest strength is its colorful array of compelling characters. No one is ever as simple as they first appear, and a big part of the joy of experiencing *Trigun* is getting to know them little by little. In this adaptation, these same characters have been reduced to their most basic personality traits and behavioral patterns. Meryl still chases after Vash for her job, Vash still refuses to kill anyone, Wolfwood and Vash still squabble over their differing outlooks on life. The characters mostly act the way you'd expect them to, but it's all so hollow. Those surface interactions are all you really get, and this lack of depth means that much of their behavior comes across differently than intended. Vash's steadfast idealism seems closer to naivete; Wolfwood's pragmatic caution appears to be callousness; Meryl's dedication to her job looks more like childish stubbornness. Let me compare two similar scenes from both anime adaptations to show you what I mean. In episode 9 of the 90's anime, Wolfwood gives a pair of hungry children two of his few remaining energy bars, showing us that despite his cynicism and proclivity for violence, he's a compassionate person at heart. This ties into a core theme of *Trigun*, which is the idea that you can't judge a person as totally irredeemable because everyone has the capacity for good inside them. People are more complicated than just black and white. In episode 4 of *Stampede*, Wolfwood gives a piece of candy to a child, an action that mirrors his establishing character moment from the original show. Yet later on in the same episode, it's revealed that Wolfwood only performed this act of kindness to trick Vash into trusting him, which flips the meaning of the scene on its head. Instead of a display of his hidden depths, it instead further reinforces the idea that this version of Wolfwood really is exactly how he seems: cold and untrustworthy. This is just one of several times in *Stampede* where a scene plays out so differently from the original material that it changes its meaning, and no longer fits into *Trigun's* overarching themes as a result. ___ #~~~__Too Much Story to Tell, Too Little Time__~~~ The most egregious fault of this adaptation is the fact that it's far too short and paced way too quickly. There's no time to contemplate the philosophy of pacifism, spend time with the characters, or do much of anything at all. It seems that the writers tried to follow the manga more closely than the 90's adaptation did, which was a mistake because of how much longer and denser the manga is than the anime. *Stampede* pulls plot points from all throughout the long run of *Trigun Maximum*, then haphazardly rearranges them with no regard as to when it would make sense for them to happen. To put it into perspective, this anime is only 12 episodes long, and it adapts elements from the 8th volume of the 14-volume long *Maximum* series. No matter how much you rewrite it, you cannot cram that much manga plot into 12 episodes without losing almost all of the important context and details. Consequently, many of the most significant moments of the series are out of place, lacking in emotional weight, and unceremoniously abrupt. As stated at the beginning of this review, diverging from the original plot is not always a bad move, and it can work extremely well if done right. But the way it's done in *Stampede* ends up making the story disjointed and less impactful. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what audience this reboot was made for. Many of the potentially divisive changes made, such as the more fashionable character designs, seem to have been made in order to appeal to an entirely new audience. Yet the hurried, jumbled pacing of the plot indicates that it's meant for fans that are already familiar with the source material, which shouldn't be the case if it's intended to be accessible to new viewers. This confusion is pretty much inevitable when you attempt to modernize an old story. Modern anime has evolved to the point where molding an old anime to fit the new standards is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. ___ #~~~__If It Ain't Broke...__~~~ ~~~img(https://files.catbox.moe/1ilnts.png)~~~ Personally, I'm one of the fans that found *Stampede* to be a bit wanting, but there is more to my complaints than just, "It's different, so it sucks." Some of the changes are bad not because they're different, but because they result in flaws that compromise the ability to tell a cohesive story, build an interesting world, and establish believable characters. People are always quick to point out that just because it's different, doesn't mean that it's automatically worse. I agree wholeheartedly and counter with this: Just because something is new and fresh does not make it an upgrade. Sometimes it really ain't broke and you really don't need to fix it. A story is a bit like a puzzle. It has a lot of different pieces that all fit together to form a complete picture. If you remove some of the pieces, or replace the pieces with ones from a different puzzle, or put some of the pieces in places where they don't fit, then the picture won't be complete, and it won't be nearly as pretty to look at. Can it even be considered the same picture when such vital components of the whole are absent? Despite my gripes, I honestly don't think that *Stampede* is a truly bad anime... but I don't think it's a good adaptation of *Trigun* either.
Serious question: do I dislike Trigun Stampede on its own merits, or do I just dislike it for not being Trigun? It’s a question I’ve been struggling with all throughout the past few months, watching studio Orange’s modern revamp of this 90s classic. I only watched Trigun a few years ago, so I’m far from a nostalgia-blinded fanboy griping about a show not living up to his childhood memories. On the other hand, I __am__ a huge fan of Trigun. Its unique blend of Sat AM cartoon goofiness and hard-hitting sci-fi morality play resulted in a wonderful space western extravaganza that still holds a special place in my heart. I’d argue it’s even better then Cowboy Bebop, but that’s a discussion for another day. So its possible my lukewarm feelings on Trigun Stampede are because it’s so deliberately different from the version of the show I fell in love with. And that wouldn’t be fair to it; stories get re-imagined all the time, and Stampede doesn’t deserve to be unfairly criticized just because it’s not my preferred take on the material. But still... man, this show just did not click with me. Maybe I wouldn’t be as grumpy about Stampede if I wasn’t comparing it to OG Trigun every second, but even if I went into it blind, part of me feels I’d still come away thinking it was mediocre. So let’s untangle that big ball of conflicting feelings and see if we can figure out what's going on, and whether or not this show is actually as Not Good as I think it is. The broad strokes, at least, remain the same. It’s space, it’s a western. and Vash the Humanoid Typoon is the most wanted man in the galaxy. But when the intrepid Meryl Strife finally tracks the legendary criminal down, it turns out he’s just a lovable goofball, and the crimes attached to his name are the result of bad dudes leaving carnage in the wake of their attempts to catch _him._ And said bad dudes are being led by Vash’s sinister, mysterious brother Knives, who is determined to prove Vash’s pacifistic, cohabitational philosophy wrong whatever it takes. But inside those broad strokes, Trigun Stampede is steadfastly carving its own course through the series’ mythos. Characters are changed around, plot points are retooled, most of the designs are tweaked in some way, even certain character movitations and foundational lore details are altered. And, of course, instead of the nostalgic crunchiness of pre-digital cel animation, this show is brought to life with the most bombastic, slickly produced CG animation money can buy. The Stampede team wanted to create something entirely new out of this franchise, and whatever else might be said about this show, they clearly succeeded in that goal. But of course, it’s a bad idea to change things around just to change things around. There’s gotta be a point. And unfortunately, my ultimate feeling on Stampede is that basically every change it makes is a change for the worse. To start with the most obvious: yes, Milly Thompson’s absence is sorely felt. The goofy banter between her and Meryl was one of the most endearing parts of Trigun, and losing that chemistry is a serious detriment to the show’s charm. It doesn’t help that the guy they replaced her with, the amusingly named Roberto de Niro, is about as generic a grizzled older authority figure archetype as I’ve ever seen, and while his banter with Meryl isn’t _awful,_ it’s definitely a huge step down. On the bright side, this season does end with confirmation that Milly’s gonna show up in season 2, so better late than never, I suppose. In a strange way, you could almost consider Stampede a re-imagined prequel that shifts around the timeline to have Meryl and Vash meet and have their first adventure before settling into their eventual status quo from the original story. And I may end up feeling kinder toward the show if season 2 is better able to capture that Trigun charm. But for now, we’ll have to wait and see on that front. Circling back to old Roberto, though, his inclusion is actually part of a much more serious issue than simply replacing a beloved character. Part of what made Milly and Meryl’s dynamic so entertaining is how _fresh_ it felt. They were two put-upon insurance agents grinding through low-level grunt work, facing the mundane stupidity of the world as equals. Even as they get embroiled in Vash’s increasingly cosmic affairs, they never lose that sense of down-to-earth naturalism. You don’t see that kind of energy too often, especially with a pair of female characters. Meryl and Milly were women in charge of their own destiny with their own parts to play. But with the addition of Roberto and Meryl’s job changed from insurance agent to Roberto’s junior reporter colleague, that refreshingly forward-thinking dynamic becomes just another example of the tired “experienced, world-weary dude and his naive female subordinate who still has her moral compass intact.” I have seen this dynamic _everywhere;_ it’s in at least two other shows this season! Why mess with one of Trigun’s most entertaining dynamics if you’re just gonna replace it with what everyone else is doing? And sadly, that’s a bit of a theme all throughout Stampede. Almost every change or addition it makes to the story and mythos results in something far less interesting and original than what it took away. Vash’s backstory, the motivation for his pacifism, Knives’ plan... so many of the specific details that make Trigun, Trigun have been watered down and made more generic than they were ever supposed to be. And because of how cramped the pacing is, the delicate tonal balance is lost as well. The original Trigun was so good at balancing the goofy, Bebopian space western antics of Vash and his pals with the heavy, dramatic space opera stuff that eventually took over the story. It gave you enough time to soak in the grit and tactility of the slummy desert planets so it felt significant when Knives and his machinations dragged Vash into darker territory. But in Stampede, Knives shows up in episode _three._ We only get two episodes to appreciate Trigun at its cartoony best before it’s washed away in a tidal wave of bombastic melodrama. As such, Vash, Meryl, Wolfwood and Roberto never get a chance to develop the camaraderie the old versions of them did. They’re pushed into Serious Dramatic mode before you even get a chance to appreciate them at their most human. There’s a moment in the first episode where Vash is cackling like an idiot while hanging upside-down from a scavenger’s trap, and it has more of the original’s heart and soul than anything past episode 2. _That’s_ the Trigun I wanted to see. Not this overly dramatic slog through overblown action setpieces and overthought lore that rushes through plot points too fast for them to sink in. On the bright side, I can at least appreciate how _fantastic_ those setpieces look. Studio Orange has always been pushing the boundaries on what CG anime is capable of, but their work on Stampede really is incredible. The scale and complexity of this action would not be possible without the tools CG makes available, and they take full advantage of that fact. Dizzying camera tricks, dynamic use of environment, countless spectacular spins and flourishes as things grow increasingly superhuman... on a pure spectacle level, I doubt few shows will even come close throughout the year. And even outside the action, the character animation and cinematic visual language ensure that Stampede is never anything less than impressive to look at. It’s also, pretty significantly, the first time that Orange has proven they can animate _human_ characters well. Sentient rocks and furries are one thing, but the way Vash and Meryl and all the rest move and emote never once feels like a cheap approximation of hand-drawn animation. They feel _human,_ even when the writing helping them out. And i love how it isn’t afraid to still experiment with stuff like Wolfwood’s backstory being done entirely in painterly 2D. It’s almost a cliche to say now, but Orange really is proving once again that CG anime can be as artistically brilliant as its 2D counterpart. Honestly, it’s kind of funny. Going into this show, the thing I was most worried about was how well Trigun would work outside the specific visual language of tactile 90s hand-drawn animation. But the translation to slick, high-budget CG is far and away the most successful change Stampede makes. It’s nothing like the original, but it’s doing its own thing superbly and charting its own path inside the franchise. That’s what I wanted from Stampede; not the same thing, but something just as good on its own merits, remixing the familiar into something new and spectacular. And had the rest of the show been as good as the animation at justifying its new take on the material, I would have very little to complain about. Sadly, it feels like every other change was a change for the worst, not for the better. Instead of creating something unique from the tools the original left behind, it stripped away what made the original unique in the first place and left something far less special in its place. I hope the second season manages to course correct and deliver on that promise. But for now, I can only lament that Stampede is a much less interesting take on a story that deserved so much better
# __~~~THE RENEWAL OF TRIGUN IN THE EYES OF A NEWCOMER TO THE SERIES~~~__ ~~~~~~ ~~~I state that I have not seen the original series and I have not read the manga so this will be a review made by a person who approaches the Trigun universe for the first time. On the bright side, here you can read the impression this series has made on someone completely immune to any unnecessary comparisons. Since the show's worldbuilding is one of its strengths, I'll try to avoid heavy spoilers so as not to affect anyone's viewing. ~~~img1000(https://imgur.com/0nqChSG.png)~~~ ______________ __PLOT__ ~~~~~~ The vital center of the narrative of Trigun Stampede is the relationship that alternates fraternity and enmity between the protagonist Vash and his brother Millions Knives. The series is set on No Man's Land, a barren planet where humanity has landed after an expedition from planet Earth. The only way for men to survive in this desolate land is by relying on plants, "tubs of liquid" with an entity inside them that allows the production not only of energy but also of food and water. The story begins in medias res and precisely follows the story of Vash the Stampede after his meeting with 2 journalists who arrived in the area in search of news. The plot is one of the strong points of the show, thanks above all to the incredible worldbuilding that the series demonstrates in just 12 episodes. The species that populate the planet, the functioning and nature of the plants, the information on the Seeds Project (the expedition I mentioned earlier): all these elements contribute to making the discovery of all the aspects that characterize the world very interesting. ~~~img1000(https://imgur.com/Os7Y0EX.png)~~~ The main plot instead deals with the relationship between Vash and Knives, which culminates in the final 2 episodes, the absolute peak of this season. Their bond is explored in their personalities, their past before the narrative begins, and especially their goals. The insights we have available allow us to fully immerse ourselves in their situation and to understand their reasons and their hatred. The pacing of the narrative immediately proves to be very quick and direct, leaving little room for comedy and giving much more weight to the action and dramatic aspects. This has pros and cons. The very direct pace and focused solely on the plot slightly lacks in the characterization of secondary characters such as the 2 journalists, even if it still manages to give excellent space to the main ones. As an advantage, being aware of the presence of many filler episodes in the original series, it has that of having a more entertaining story, which does not get too lost in minor passages or superfluous elements. ~~~img1000(https://imgur.com/I3S8Gv9.png)~~~ ______________ __CHARACTERS__ ~~~~~~ Trigun Stampede has proven to be a very careful series in the characterization of the main characters, even if its fast narration logically prevents us from dwelling on all the members of the cast. ~~~~~~ -[Vash the Stampede](https://anilist.co/character/162/Vash-the-Stampede): He is the protagonist of the series, a kind-hearted boy who has embraced the philosophy of not-killing anyone by virtue of his traumatic past. From the start he proves to be a nice and funny person but who knows when to take the situation seriously. His guilt about the triggering fact of the series will accompany him throughout the narrative and will characterize his choices. ~~~~~~ -[Millions Knives](https://anilist.co/character/1599/Knives-Millions): He is the antagonist of the series and my favorite character. Of a much more malignant nature than his brother Vash, he has the goal of taking over the plants present on No Man's Land for reasons that obviously I will not say to avoid spoilers. His characterization and the way his motivations are presented make him an incredibly defined and well fleshed-out character. The moment in which a spectator manages to see himself in the will of the villain, to the point of even giving him reason for what he does, is the moment in which he realizes that we are in the presence of an excellent villain. One thing that is truly indicative of his and Vash's couple dynamic is that of the two, it is Vash who seems self-righteous in his will and his choices while Knives proves to be the more thoughtful and clear-headed. This reversal of the classic protagonist-antagonist relationship is an element that I particularly loved in Trigun Stampede. ~~~img1000(https://imgur.com/U1gZVlE.png)~~~ ~~~~~~ -[Meryl Stryfe](https://anilist.co/character/713/Meryl-Stryfe): She is one of the 2 journalists Vash meets in the first episode. Meryl is a petite girl and absolutely helpless in the face of the enemies that populate No Man's Land but she is still a strong and very determined person from the anime. Her impotence, unfortunately, prevents her from having a decisive role in the story (except for the ending) so she, due to the characteristics of the pacing mentioned above, gives the impression of being the most out of place in this context. However, you have all the space and time to make up for it in a sequel which, from the season finale, would seem almost more focused on the characters than on a crackling story like this "prologue". ~~~~~~ -[Roberto De Niro](https://anilist.co/character/289467/Roberto-De-Niro): It is the 2nd journalist and Meryl's senpai. A man no longer young who has seen a lot in his years of work and for this reason he always proves to be very aware of his surroundings, making him a character capable of taking care of Meryl. ~~~~~~ -[Nicholas D. Wolfwood](https://anilist.co/character/722/Nicholas-D-Wolfwood): It's a character that Vash meets after leaving Jeneora Rock. He immediately proves to be the very badass character and immediately creates an excellent dynamic with Vash who has their difference in personalities at the center, especially as regards Vash's good-naturedness, which he considers inadequate and dangerous for the protagonist himself. ~~~img1000(https://imgur.com/9vbdcJw.png)~~~ ______________ __ANIMATIONS AND MUSIC__ ~~~~~~ In the unlikely event that anyone does not know, Trigun Stampede is animated entirely using CGI (Computer-generated imagery), which is a method of computer animation in 3D. This animation technique has always been at the center of numerous controversies in many anime released in recent years. Personally, I've never had absolutely anything against its use, obviously in case it's used properly (but this could be said of anything). The quality of Studio Orange's CGI (Houseki no Kuni, Beastars) is absolutely at the top of the entire Japanese animation industry and this anime is yet another, if not the most decisive, confirmation of it. The fluidity of the scenes is incredible and the models are very clean but in this show the directorial creativity is the master which raises the spectacularity of the action scenes to the highest possible level. Every fight, every shot, and every camera play is in fact much easier to achieve in a Full CGI anime and in Trigun Stampede it finds its maximum expression in artistically breathtaking scenes and with a quality that in 2D anime is as difficult to find as a needle in a haystack. A note of merit must also be given to the excellent character acting which is one of the most difficult elements to master in 3D: the expressions and the way the characters express themselves are incredibly effective and greatly elevate the very personality of the speaker. The show is also characterized by some tertiary characters made in 2D but above all by one of the choices I most appreciated: Wolfwood's past drawn in this style in full contrast to everything the series had shown so far. ~~~img1000(https://imgur.com/uED78lK.png)~~~ Also from a musical point of view the show has really good ideas. The inserts used during the fights greatly increase the level of hype and so do those for more dramatic contexts. Here too the peak of this element and of the technical side in general is found in the extraordinary presentation of the last 2 episodes. But the thing that most attracted me to this anime from the first episode is the wonderful western sci-fi atmosphere that it presents thanks to magnificent settings that play on the desert-futuristic contrast and obviously also thanks to the musical sector (I recommend seeing the animated scene below with audio to get an idea of what I'm talking about). ~~~webm(https://imgur.com/CgsW6Ug.mp4)~~~ ______________ __CONCLUSION__ ~~~~~~ In conclusion, Trigun Stampede was certainly one of the most surprising and impactful anime in this winter 2023 season. Its story, its worldbuilding, the relationship between its characters, its technical rendering and much more have contributed to creating a season of great emotional value and of great interest for future developments. I'm sorry that the series was badly received only for the absence of a character from the original series, a changed haircut and an animation method different from the classic 2D. I certainly recommend it to all those who do not have problems with these elements, whether they are new to the world of Trigun and to readers or viewers who are already somewhat familiar with its content. _P.S. I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize for any mistakes_~~~
~~~This is very different interpretation of the series: Trigun… BUT THAT’S NOT A BAD THING…! The __original__ Trigun was a true _“90’s”_ staple of ___Anime Culture___: Radical Attitude, Spikes and Ravaged architecture everywhere, Grunge Music, and a _“Wild West”_ tone and style for the series to follow. The original Trigun was a staple to, of which goes right up in history with some of the greatest Anime of its time like: Cowboy Bebop (Another “90’s” Classic), and Outlaw Star for its deep-rooted symbolism and talks (With Narration.) about “What makes a man mortal”. ….Ok, the series never goes THAT deep, but it DOES have a positive and pacifist Protagonist, who is always willing to do the hardest jobs for others to have a brighter future. Along the way, meeting friends, rivals, and enemies that would test his resolve to HAVE that “Brighter Future”.~~~ ~~~img220(https://pics.filmaffinity.com/cowboy_bebop-548837932-large.jpg) img220(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CtIAAOSwwnNj2KbO/s-l1600.jpg) img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/615QaRZ8ywL._AC_SL1155_.jpg)~~~ ~~~So, what happens when the __Original Creator__ of the series comes back to remake his __own__ story? You get a __COMPLETELY revamped__ and redone story FOCUSING on the rivalry of the Main Protagonist and Antagonist of the series: Vash “The Stampede” and Millions Knives. Debating on whether or not their entire RACE as a species can co-exist with the HUMANS that had ACTUALLY ABANDONED their old planet long ago to search for a new planet to live on! ~~~ # ~~~A MORTAL BATTLE OF EXISTANCE BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS:~~~ #~~~VASH AND KNIVES.~~~ ~~~img220(https://s1.zerochan.net/Vash.the.Stampede.600.3970975.jpg) img220(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fc/41/6e/fc416e3c52648a379863398ab90a9f67.jpg)~~~ ~~~The series ACTUALLY STARTS OUT __IN SPACE__…! Giving-off only HINTS of what the series will ACTUALLY be about. THIS series starts where we only get a FLASHBACK set of episodes in the original as we are introduced to a young Vash, Knives, and Rem. As the two brothers are escaping the Space they were raised on with wise teachings of their Mother-figure: Rem Saverem, only for Knives to assumingly trick Vash into ravaging the remains of their crashed Spaceship. The present of the series actually starts with Meryl Stryfe as the assistant-report to an older veteran reporter: Roberto De Niro. (more on his character later on.) as they travel the dessert in search (ALREADY) for the infamous: Vash “The Stampede”! They find/first meet-up with Vash as he maniacally laughs while hanging upside-down for some previous vandals wanting to turn-in his bounty, as they untie him and he instantly decides to become friends with his saviors; much to Meryl’s enthusiasm and Roberto’s chagrin. his is a little similar from his first appearance in the original series, whereas he tries to stoically save some hostages from some scavengers, BUT forgets to fill his gun with bullets and thus has to make-up a brand new plan to save the hostages On-the-spot. After this first encounter, Vash takes them back to the town he is currently living at (And where the _first 3 episodes_ take place at.) You THINK this is where the __majority__ of the episodes will takes place at, as like the original, which has Vash travel around the dessert planet with his friends to keep him company. BUT...! Unlike the original series, when third episode hits (After the first one is about Vash saving the town with a “1-Bullet Shot” to explode a terrorist’s bombs before they land on the town, and the second episode with Vash defeating/saving a Mad-Scientist and his Mutantly-Mechanical Son from stealing the town’s “Red-Plant” (One of two devices used to power cities in this world.)), a new villain, connected to Knives, comes and completely gives Vash a new fight with Android bombs that threaten the town with a destroying mobile-armor that Vash can’t stop! Then, just at the halfway point, Knives comes back into the story (With a new, stylish, ragged-looking hood-and-robe.) as he shows a brand new power to control his Name-sake Knives with Kinetic Power and DECIMATE the town WHILE stealing the Red-Plant. After the town is destroyed, the townsfolk completely tell Vash to leave them, as he promises to return their Red-Plant as long as he still lives. These three episodes make you THINK that the series is going to be like the original, with Vash and friends traveling around the planet from place to place in search of Knives (Nicknamed: Nai.) But only a FEW episodes actually take place before the last Arc. as admittedly we still have yet to meet Nicholas D. Wolfwood. ~~~ ~~~Speaking of which, HIS introduction episode comes RIGHT AFTER. With him first appearing hunting down his own bounty in a moonlit night, and his bounty (Some Scavengers who made him mad, now FEARING him…!). He first meets the Vash and his friends as they accidentally run him over and panic to help get him some aid. ...Much to Wolfwood’s own Chagrin. He then gives some just found dead bodies a funeral (Very awkward and half-baked one.) And THIS s where you find out that Nicholad D. Wolfood’s character has COMPLETELY changed! From being a good Christian and traveling Priest in the original who sells Mini-churches for traveling Confessionals for kids to play and practice with, to being a “No-Nonsense”, cold, and serious Undertaker with his own mission of avenging to do. You will either like or hate this change. Depending on whether or not you liked him in the original as an: Innocent, Fun, and Trustingly Loyal friend to Vash, his friends, and the Church. Or if you will like this interpretation of him with a Checkered past.~~~ ~~~~!With it being revealed later on that he used to only care about his one friend at the orphanage that they both stayed at before they were both recruited for a program to turn one of them into Psychic Hunters. Now, with a mission to save his one friend from back then, now BRAINWASH into becoming a Bounty-hunting servant for a Higher-Power’s plan…! !~~~ ~~~There is another episode which was made JUST to show Vash’s devotion to save the innocents that looked up to him. As once in the past, a family was in danger of falling apart unless the child was taken away to get special treatment. When he ran away for the first time, Vash finds him and becomes friends with the boy, informing him that his best option is to go home where he belongs, and that if anything ever happens again to him, that Vash will save him again. Unfortunately, the boy was already going to be sent by his mother to the Psychic-Hunting Program to take away his illness, at the cost of transforming him into a Mechanical Monster. Now years later, he has found Vash and is on trhe hunt to kill him (Not sure if it is the boy’s grudge against Vash for the forgotten promise, or if he is just being controlled to kill him, though.), but the second that Vash reaches his hand out to start a new with the lost child, Wolfwood immediately blows the monster up! Thus more, cementing Nicholas’s new Cold-bloodedness in this version of the series...!~~~ ~~~Sometime later, Vash, Nicholas, Meryl, and Roberto all gather onto a traveling City that Knives is located at. To which the rest of the series takes place in. HERE we find out more about Vash’s past, needing to sacrifice so much (Including his Arm.) to keep the new Earth family that had found him and which found out the he came from a destroyed Ship as a “Plant-Being” that could potentially kill them, but once Vash leaves to not be a nuisance to them, his new family realizes what they meant to him and go out to find and bring him back (Along with some birthday gifts of a new Mechanical-Arm for the one he had lost and his current Red Jacket.) And also, what the love and teachings the Rem gave to the two brothers meant to Vash fundamentally. While Knives finds a way to use Vash to take over the planet as a “surperior” Race of “Plant-People”. All the while, another villain explains to Meryl and Roberto about the history of the Human-Race and how they abandoned their original planet years ago. ~~~ ~!To which, in the process of escaping, Roberto gets SHOT AND KILLED, right after he passes his gun to Meryl with the Title: Lead Reporter.!~ ~~~And it all ends with a mutant battle between Vash and Knives on whether or not that Humans can live in co-existence with Plants. And finally, a surprise character is referenced at the very end. ~~~ Side note: - One thing that may put people off is the change in characters. Vash is fine, as well as Meryl. But Wolfwood is far colder in this version then his warm and loyal-to-faith original counterpart. Also Meryl’s partner: Milly Thompson, the more peaceful and Fun-loving girl is now replaced with an older “Getting-to-old-for-this” veteran reporter in Roberto! Some may be ok or even like this change, but I personally like the original in my personal preference. ~!Except for the very ending when Milly Thompson is mentioned as Meryl’s new assistant.!~ Also, the “Gong-ho” Guns are COMPLETELY ABSENT! I personally liked them, but they are NOWHERE in the series. Instead, Knives has the assistance of Scientists and a bug person in a mask. (Who knows Wolfwood, for that matter.) - I really like the new theme song and music. Having “Techno” and low “Hip-Hop” mixture really sets a moody atmosphere for a Hero who wants to redeem himself. And the Sand and Technology fading into each other really make in stand-out. - Finally, the Landscape Portraits at the end of every episode are GORGEOUS to look at! They truly are a great work of art. ~~~img220(https://preview.redd.it/every-stampede-ending-card-episodes-1-12-v0-l2ieajuieypa1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=52738be2a6394a4cf459169e9f063a4701b037b9) img220(https://preview.redd.it/every-stampede-ending-card-episodes-1-12-v0-zpagm02jeypa1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=ef519ed4ccb7d7ac4c1f923e2ed0c1652d5d64a3) img220(https://preview.redd.it/every-stampede-ending-card-episodes-1-12-v0-twn5545jeypa1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=ffa9a8fe4e53e0b662ed93590b9b99f9eb9acb13) img220(https://preview.redd.it/every-stampede-ending-card-episodes-1-12-v0-3wautcnjeypa1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=487d8b36b5e56a56a8949a8d5f8fde176aaf2f7a)~~~
The original 1998 anime adaptation of Trigun is one of those rare beasts that grew big in North America after flopping in Japan. In fact, it became so successful in America that it spawned a side story movie more than a decade later. Even more surprisingly, after another decade, we're getting this reboot, with the source material having sat finished on the shelf for over 15 years already. One quick glance at any of the pictures related to Trigun Stampede is enough to tell you that the makers have struck out in a completely new direction in terms of aesthetic. I can't say I was too keen on the new style, but since the 1998 adaptation was one of the first anime I watched and enjoyed as an adult, I decided to check it out despite my reservations. For old times' sake. The resulting experience was … interesting, to say the least. I'll be honest, my impressions of the 1998 version is etched deeply, and perhaps because of this, I couldn't help but compare this new version against the original at every turn. Unfortunately, Trigun Stampede does not hold up well in these comparisons, at least not for the first half of this season. First, let's get the elephant out of the room and into the open: the CG. I'll preface this by saying that I did not think much of character designs of the original, with their blush lines making them look like children's sketches; nor do I consider myself as someone anti-CG who would shudder at the mere thought of using CG in anime. So it's as much of a surprise to me that I soon found myself yearning for the hand drawn look of the original that I felt lukewarm towards to begin with! The CG has polished away the rough edges of the original design, but it's also over polished away a lot of the visual flair that gave the original personality, as well as the aesthetic that so suited the dusty, grimy wild west feel of its world. Beyond the art style, movements such as how hair sway and how the characters move feels too smooth and so deeply rooted in the uncanny valley that they distracted me from focusing on the story. The CG is especially ill suited to the goofy antics and over-the-top gunslinging action inherent to the franchise. Even Vash's red trenchcoat - so iconic in the 1998 version with its plethora of straps and buttons - becomes just an unremarkable looking red trench coat in Stampede. The only place I can think of where the CG does well is in animating Million Knives' weaponry, as it had the effect of giving them an unsettlingly alien and phobia-inducing creepy quality. It's obvious that Trigun Stampede was deliberately made to distinguish itself from its predecessor, and the visuals was just one of the ways that signalled this intention. One of the producers even said that they wanted to attract new audiences with Trigun Stampede, but to me the show actually does the opposite. The backstory involving Rem was perhaps THE major emotional climax as the 1998 Trigun entered its final straight; here, it's revealed in the opening episode. Moreover, the major players all appear early on with their ulterior motives laid bare as the outline of the plot is sketched out. That takes a lot of the tension out of the story, meaning there's no sense of mystery; no hook in the plot to reel the audience in; the characters haven't even been built up enough to make you care about their backstories yet! The only way I could see it working was if Stampede was intended for people who've seen the original and are just here to see the characters they know and love in a retelling of a story they're already familiar with. And even in this, I think they fall short - I'm pretty fond of the original Trigun, but I spent disappointingly long stretches of the first half of Stampede feeling bored. The characterisations also mostly misses the mark: Wolfwood, who was so effortlessly cool in the original, just comes off as someone trying too hard to be cool here; the newly introduced Roberto de Niro fits so snugly inside the archetypical jaded senpai mould that the only remarkable thing about him is his name - and most disappointingly, he's not even voiced by Robert de Niro in the dub! One of strengths of the 1998 Trigun was how well it juggled the goofy humour with the pathos; in Stampede, the balance feels out of whack as it discarded most of its goofy side and ramped up the angst instead, and the little goofiness that remained feels forced and out of place. It's not even very good angst: there's a lot of shouting but the lacklustre character chemistry and the unremarkable script meant that it felt more annoying than anything else in my emotionally detached state. The strongest emotion I felt while watching the first half of Trigun Stampede was nostalgia, and not in good way for this new instalment. As the series touched upon familiar characters, familiar references and familiar features of this imaginative world, it evoked in me an appreciation of how well conceived the original concept was, and how much better it was done in the 1998 adapation. Almost the only improvement Trigun Stampede makes comes from the writers realising that, as much as "Knives" makes for a badass antagonist name, it's a ridiculous one to give to a child. So here, they made the main antagonist's birth name "Nai" instead. To its credit, Trigun Stampede eventually gets its shit together and finally came into its own for the second half. With the caveat of it being so long since I last saw the original that I've have forgotten a lot of the finer details, I felt that Stampede aimed for and succeeded in fleshing out Vash and Knives' origin story a lot more. Most notably, Knives was simply a coldly logical and blood thirsty killer in the original, and here he becomes a much more sympathetic character, with his contrast against Vash feeling rather like that between Magneto and Profession X. One particularly harrowing scene of plants in their "last run" is one of many that makes Knives' case against humanity quite damning, and they provide especially poignant food for thought in this current era when climate change and living off the planet sustainably are such hot topics. I kinda wished we got to see more of Rem though, especially when the prolific Maaya Sakamoto lent such an experienced, star quality to her voice that she stole almost every scene in which she played a significant part. The final part of Trigun Stampede wasn't without issues, the most glaring one being the technical aspect of the plot descending into incomprehensible, gobbledigook jargon jungle. That said, the ending provides an intriguing twist (one that I might have guessed had I re-familiarised myself with the original adaptation before embarking on this one), but you'd have to have seen the original to appreciate it. Yet again, this was an instance of the series throwing a bone to a familiar crowd that the newbies to the franchise would miss. Before I finish up, I want to give a nod to the music production of Trigun Stampede. While the series abandoned the snarling electric guitar solos and the twanging sound of the blues of the original, what they replaced it with is at least as good. The opening is a modern, stylish chiller of a song with the auto-tune effect serving as a fitting parallel to the CG laden visuals; the ending is a melodic soother, gentle like a summer drizzle. Combined, they represent one of the best OP/ED combinations I can think of in recent anime. The background music is also good, serving up an array of distinctive styles to suit distinctive sceneries. This is one anime for which I want to check out the sound track! So, how do I feel about this new adaptation of Trigun? Try as I might, I can't extricate myself from my impressions of the original to give an independent assessment of Trigun Stampede, different though it may be in both style and substance. My best guess though, is that newcomers to the series will find it underwhelming. But for existing customers, it's not bad, with a strong second half salvaging the mediocrity of the first. The more in depth origin story makes it a worthy supplement to the 1998 adaptation. At the very least, it has sold me on the next season, and I'm feeling just a little a spark of excitement about how they'll continue the story.
__THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!__ ___ I realized when I saw this title card at the end of the last episode. This is just the end of the beginning. But it still finishes a chapter of maybe a bigger story, or a chapter that will just stay alone. img(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/993483326444818472/1089968605824819281/mpv-shot0010.jpg?width=1440&height=810) I think the best way to describe Trigun is that it’s emotional. Emotional in its tone and emotional in its characters, a story of two brothers who even at the very end never were able to come to terms with each other. And I think in this regard it hits just right, especially considering this relationship we have between Vash and Nai. They love each other but are ultimately different. They want to make the world the best place it can be with all their strength but ultimately envision a world different from the other. They are unable to convince the other to abandon his goals, but can’t stray down from the path they set for themselves. It’s ultimately a story of love and desperation, and I think especially in the last episode the anime just nailed it. img(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FsPf4GlXoAI5iqJ?format=jpg&name=medium) Studio Orange also went with a strong dramatic approach, amping up the flood of emotions to the maximum with strong direction and great 3D animation, capturing facial expressions and subtle demeanor well. I don’t think any other studio could’ve adapted this better. Visually I think the models could use improvement, and some more textures could be nice (it often looks so clean, too clean) but this is nitpicking really. It's already great quality for TV anime. There are gripes I have with this anime, for example, I think the storytelling somewhere in the middle could’ve been better, as it sets up great emotional moments without proper stakes as context is given only later on. It also neglected other aspects like worldbuilding to focus on the themes and the characters, which is fine but I expected a bit more after the first episode. img(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fo8VUZzXwAkEL_S?format=jpg&name=medium) In the end, Nai’s and Vash’s conflict is resolved in a way. They never saw eye to eye but Vash chose humanity over Nai. The end is open, and as I said at the beginning of this review, it might just be the end of the beginning. Vash will move forward, certainly. He won’t stop trying to save humans and plants. Overall, Trigun Stampede did a great job at introducing us to the characters and hit some right tones emotionally. It’s certainly flawed, and I must admit my expectations were higher than what it was, but it was still good. And I certainly don’t mind seeing more, maybe a sequel. img(https://i.imgur.com/jiDo1Qn.jpeg)
~~~Prefacing this whole thing with I’m a longtime fan of Trigun Maximum and the original 98 Trigun anime so of course I’m reviewing this from a different lens of someone who is new to the series. I was really excited for Stampede and really wanted to believe that it could be a faithful interpretation of Maximum, which is one of my favorite manga. I defended Vash’s redesign, I was cautiously optimistic even when they revealed that a Robert De Niro expy would be replacing beloved Milly Thompson, I encouraged people to check out the PVs, etc. I was far from resigned to Stampede being a bad adaptation by the time the first episode came out. So with that out of the way, Trigun Stampede is an abject failure of an adaptation resulting from shoddy pacing, minimal characterization, and awkward narrative changes that did not need to be changed and were frankly better explored in the original manga, even when compared to Trigun 1998, which is another version of the Trigun story that barely even scratches the surface of Maximum’s story, and yet manages to succeed. The reason Trigun 98 is a successor worthy of the Trigun name despite the numerous changes it makes to its narrative and world is because it doesn’t try to adapt Trigun Maximum’s tone; if Stampede were more confident in its own identity, it might have also succeeded in a similar way, but every time I tried to separate Stampede from Maximum for the sake of enjoying a new approach to Trigun’s narrative, it would rip quotes and scenes from Maximum but butcher their context entirely, which in turn made me look at my screen wondering: Why didn’t they just keep this the same as it was in the manga? Why bother pretending this is the same story when it clearly _isn’t?_ Trigun 98 doesn’t do that, and that’s why it works and Stampede doesn’t. The pacing in Stampede is weird to compare to both other iterations of Trigun. In the other two versions we are introduced to Gunsmoke/No Man’s Land knowing that Vash destroyed July, and yet Stampede decides to place July’s destruction at the pinnacle of its story. In the original manga run, this event horizon occurs when Knives forms a sort of mind-meld with the other plants and creates a giant ark to destroy the planet with. Which again brings me to: _Why_? When we are introduced to Vash knowing he is single-handedly responsible for destroying a city and we see him being a goofball and promising not to kill anyone and going to insane lengths to ensure that doesn’t happen, it makes us want to know what happened and how we got here when Vash seemingly can’t even hurt a fly. The original manga already has a life-threatening event on the brink in the form of Knives’s ark, so why did Stampede flip this moment to being July’s destruction? By removing this quintessential piece of worldbuilding, Vash just kind of comes across as a random guy with some really bad luck. That aside, this version of Vash is honestly kind of useless. All he seems to do is lecture Wolfwood and evangelize. The only moment he seems capable of standing on his own two feet is in episode 1 when he shoots down the rocks with a single bullet; that aside, all of his inhuman prowess seems nonexistent. Wolfwood, for all his trigger happy measure, doesn’t do much either–he just complains about Vash and follows him around. They hardly seem to be friends, much less equals who can stand on the same footing and trust the other to have their back. Wolfwood seems more like a jaded babysitter rather than a worn out hitman who ultimately decides to put his faith in one singular man who can make the impossible possible. Meryl makes a 180 from being a competent senpai-type into being a bumbling rookie who doesn’t even understand how plants work or what they are, and this makes her come across as a sheltered rich girl rather than a human being who is a little out of her league on account of being surrounded by literal superhumans. # __Moving forward this review will contain comprehensive spoilers for all of Stampede and Maximum, although not really anything beyond what isn’t already covered in Stampede’s 12 episodes.__ __If you have seen Stampede, you will know everything that I’ll discuss at length further, barring a few character changes that mean that things got cut or edited. If you have concerns, please click off the review now–and go read Trigun and Trigun Maximum! They are both pretty accessible now thanks to the wonderful team responsible for the [Trigun Overhaul](https://trigun-manga-overhaul.tumblr.com) on tumblr and this is definitely the best way to experience the manga. If you liked Stampede, I can pretty much assure you that you will like Maximum all the more.__ First off, the changes made to Elendira’s character are straight up transphobic and vile. In the original manga, Elendira is an adult transgender woman. In Stampede, her character is rewritten so she is a sort of “third” species of experimental human with a child’s body. Obviously, this fucking sucks. I won’t say Elendira is the pinnacle of trans representation in manga, unfortunately characters like Vash and Wolfwood still make low-blow comments about her, but she is still also a transgender woman in a powerful position that commands respect and authority. She’s also just a human being who happens to be trans. Rewriting this entire thing to basically explain away her gender identity as a side effect of her being a new genotype of human is cruel and disgusting and Studio Orange should be ashamed. Furthermore, I don’t know what the hell subtitles I was reading, but Elendira is misgendered in those to be referred to as a “he”. This is indefensible. We don’t see much of Livio, and I’m hoping he’ll make more of an appearance in the next season, but I have very little hope for his portrayal. His backstory is already exponentially changed from what we get in Maximum and his autonomy is reduced to be a crux for Wolfwood to fall back on. In Maximum, Livio has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Unfortunately, this also isn’t the best representation of DID in media, but there were ways it could have been interpreted in Stampede without just deleting this aspect of Livio's character. Anyway, in Maximum, the reason for Livio joining the Eye of Michael is because his alter, Razlo, feels that the only way they can be needed and appreciated is if they join the group. Razlo is an interpretation of a guardian alter; he kills a little girl’s dog and later takes over Livio’s body when a group of adults threaten to kill them, meaning Livio dissociates and then comes back to find his hands covered in blood without understanding what happened. Razlo wants to feel needed and wants Livio to feel needed as well, and they feel the Eye of Michael is the only place they’ll be accepted for who they are. For some reason, Stampede makes Livio’s entire personality revolve around Wolfwood, and he simply follows him to be later used as bait to further steep Wolfwood in guilt and obligation to the organization. In the original manga, the last fight between Livio and Wolfwood culminates with Livio promising to live for Wolfwood's sake; here we see Livio shoot himself in the head and fall off the sand steamer. This might be redeemed in S2, but it had me sitting there utterly confused about the path the story was taking. For the record, this is what Livio and Razlo’s introductory panel is in the manga vs his appearance in Stampede. What happened here???? He's unrecognizable. img600(https://i.imgur.com/C44OKFW.jpg) img250(https://i.imgur.com/k3ajwo2.jpg) And of course, Livio, Rem, and Wolfwood are (once again...) whitewashed by the studio. At least Wolfwood isn't as pale as he is in Badlands Rumble, the 2010 movie, but geez. Knives’s motivations are muddied by the changes to the twins’ backstory. In the original manga, Knives is the more outgoing of the twins. He is very naive and idealistic and excited to meet humans whereas Vash is more shy and unsure that they will be accepting of them. Knives insists that human hearts and their hearts aren’t that different, and studies up on human history including watching war videos, then still walks away from that believing that humans will love and accept the two of them. Manga Knives understands that humans aren’t as kind as Rem, and that being accepted will be a gargantuan undertaking of a task, but he is still eager to try. In contrast, Vash isn’t as willing to believe this. Already this is a marked change from their portrayal in Stampede where Knives is the more serious twin who prefers to be independent and on his own. The plot revolving around their power differences as plants is a new addition too. Setting them up with a power imbalance from the get-go and establishing that Knives believes that Vash cannot protect himself because of his lack of special abilities inherently alters the entire dynamic. Manga Knives believes that humans will use them because they are humans and the only thing that human beings have shown that they are capable of is butchering other people and using other beings as tools for their own gain. Stampede Knives believes that humans will use him and Vash because they are–and especially Vash, because he has no special powers–weak. It might seem like a trivial change, but it completely alters their entire relationship. Where Stampede Knives’s motivations revolve around protecting Vash, Maximum Knives’s downfall stems purely from the discovery of Tesla. Tesla is the name of the plant who was born before Vash and Knives. She was experimented upon and subjected to torture in the name of science, then died after a very brief and very unhappy life. This discovery breaks both of them. Knives promptly faints from shock and Vash goes on a hunger strike and declares that he hates humans, then attempts to kill himself. This is where Rem gives her “You have a ticket to the future, Vash,” speech–in Stampede she gives this speech to both Knives and Vash before she shoots them out of the escape pod. In Maximum, this speech is essentially what saves Vash from nihilism. Knives doesn’t get to hear and understand Rem, and he goes on to plot the Big Fall, his worldview and belief in humans entirely shattered. Why change all this? It’s a perfectly adaptable plot point, it wouldn’t have even changed any of the pacing in Stampede, they already adapted Tesla and we see Knives reading what looks like the Bible (????? hello ????) as his equivalent of brushing up on human history. They just didn’t keep anything else. Another Vash and Knives-centric change that seemed bizarre to not adapt is what Rem DOES ask before she launches them out of the escape pod: she requests that Vash stay with Knives. And he does. Vash follows Knives in all his delusion and grandeur for 80 years until Knives severs his arm and they split ways. In Stampede, they split up almost immediately because Vash is disgusted with Knives. Stampede Vash hinges way more of his morality on his personal sense of humanity, and for him to frankly just throw Knives away like that seems pretty out of character for a man who is so staunch in his ideals that he gets scarred to hell and back. It’s much more apparent in Maximum that Vash is quite the nihilist but that he is actively choosing every day to be kind and not succumb to the same hurt that Knives has. There’s no sense of this tumult in Stampede Vash’s psyche. To me, Stampede Vash comes across as a coward who can’t make decisions for himself. img500(https://i.imgur.com/bjgfAFt.png) >The final fight between Legato and Vash in Maximum culminates in Legato realizing that Vash is the same sort of nihilist as him. Where is this tension with Stampede Vash? The changes to plant lore offer a strange further approach to dehumanizing a race that is already dehumanized within Trigun. Stampede posits that plants don’t have souls, so Knives wants to implant them with souls to make them “Independents” like him and Vash. Maximum does not have this. In Maximum, plants have wills of their own, but because of their nature they lose some of their individuality in favor of a higher sense of collectivism that sort of manifests as a hive mind that Knives later takes advantage of for his ark. However, plants all have their own memories and personalities, and this is referenced in later chapters in Maximum. Stampede wants the audience to believe that all plants are in-autonomous save for Knives and Vash and cannot do anything so Knives must free them by being plant-Jesus and implanting them with free will; Maximum suggests that there is something like a language barrier preventing humans and plants from communicating and finding a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship, then goes to show that this relationship is possible by introducing Chronica and Dominica, two plants who hold roles of command on ships sent from Earth. The after-credits of episode 12 name drop Chronica, so I suppose they’ll show up (again making me wonder why they didn’t just give Knives his ark considering this is what triggers Project SEEDS to travel to No Man’s Land in the first place). Again, Maximum’s plot is perfectly translatable into Stampede–they just didn’t for some reason. img500(https://i.imgur.com/s6zNnpQ.jpg) >This panel highlights Maximum’s entire message. Note how it’s built on the backbone of communication and understanding. If plants don’t have souls or free will or any way to communicate, what is there to bridge? Can there even be understanding? Roberto as a character is completely inconsequential to the entire narrative and that’s also without saying that they removed Milly (who is due to show up in S2, but come on) in favor of him. Right off the bat, using him to fill the role as a jaded senpai type is ridiculous as these are roles that are already filled by Wolfwood and Meryl respectively. Wolfwood continues to challenge Vash’s outlook and insist that he can’t keep going on this way while Meryl is the sort who tries to keep everyone in line. Dividing these traits up and giving them to a man in favor of introducing the audience to Milly Thompson, who has none of these traits and is a completely independent character with a very distinctive personality, is ridiculous. Roberto narratively serves zero purpose. You could remove him and split up his dialogue between Meryl and Wolfwood and it’d just make them be more in character than they actually are in Stampede. Finally, hinging Meryl’s character growth on the death of a man removes anything that actually makes her interesting. In Trimax it’s clear she has things to learn, but she certainly doesn’t need any guidance, and she understands enough of the world and how to protect herself. Any interesting interaction with Vash, any fear she has of him, any desire she has to overcome this fear in favor of getting to know the Humanoid Typhoon, gone. Vash doesn’t accidentally traumatize her by psychically transmitting his and Knives’s past into her brain; Meryl doesn’t get to come to terms with the horrors humans are capable of and promise to make things better so that no one has to go through what Vash and Knives did. Instead she waves a gun around and then goes through a portal to mimic Rem in Vash’s mind palace to save him from utter mental collapse. There’s no weight to anything she does, especially when she’s standing next to Roberto who seemingly understands how the world works perfectly. The Gung-Ho Guns are an inconsequential group; hopefully they will actually do something in S2. Legato Bluesummers, the only character who can actually make Vash debate giving up his moral code, does one thing of value and it’s retrieve Livio after he nearly falls off the steamer. He goes from being a terrifying villain with a crazy personality to a guy with blue hair. Gone is his dedication to Knives or his hatred for humanity; this Legato decries emotions where older Legato would probably scream and cry and monologue and break Vash’s arm in 3 different places before going completely apathetic a moment after. One thing I did like is the addition of Knives actually having Millions Knives like his name suggests; the shots in episode 3 are really cool and easily a highlight for me. The animation and fight choreography for Stampede are truly stellar. Facial animations are stunning. The way they animate Vash when he DOES use his gun frankly looks cool as hell. Light and shadow are translated incredibly. I loved how Orange approached his angel arm as well. The voice direction each character has is really great; I felt each seiyuu embodied their character perfectly. I only wish they had been more in character! They did a great job with what they had. I really like Stampede’s opening and I jam to it pretty often! The rest of the soundtrack doesn’t hold a candle to 98 Trigun’s though. Go listen to NO-BEAT, H.T. (98’s opening), Scattered Rain, and Philosophy in a Tea Cup...just to name a few of the stellar tracks on the 98 anime’s OST. Unfortunately, I can’t remember a single song off of Stampede’s soundtrack except for the opening. It pains me to say it because I really wanted to like Stampede, but both Trigun anime fail as adaptations of Maximum. But where Trigun 98 comes short of adapting Maximum, it at least respects the characters, even if it doesn’t tell the same story, and ends up developing a distinct tone of its own that sets it far enough apart from Maximum to make it enjoyable as its own thing. Stampede wants you to believe it has the same tone and weight as Maximum, and then it doesn’t deliver on that, instead opting to make strange story changes that don’t make any sense. You might think that my review is too clouded by my love for Trigun Maximum to appreciate Stampede, and yeah this is probably true--but to that I say, if you liked Stampede, you will love Maximum, and it deserves more love. So if you come away from this review angry at me, consider that there is another version of the story that is even better than the one you just watched, and check out Trigun and Trigun Maximum. You can read Trigun Maximum easily [here at the Trigun Overhaul Project on tumblr](https://trigun-manga-overhaul.tumblr.com).~~~
Oh my goodness, where do I even begin? I absolutely adored this show; it's like a love letter to the early days of anime. First things first, I'm all about that ENG dub life. The voice cast is simply phenomenal, and they all deserve a round of applause. Johnny Yong Bosch is just on another level! And Austin Tindle? His emotional scenes and screams are top-notch. Hats off to everyone involved in the ENG dub! Now let's talk story. I didn't watch the old STAMPEDE, so I had no idea what to expect. At first, I thought it looked pretty good, but then it hit me with Vash having a twin, space colonies, and the realization that we're not even on Earth anymore. Vash and Million Knives remind me of Akira & Ryo from Devilman Crybaby – one wants to save humanity, while the other wants to create a new world. I'm torn between the two sides because Million Knives is on a mission to eliminate humanity and bring his own kind to life, saving them from a life of endless labor and having their lifespans drained away as slaves. On the other hand, we have Vash, who believes that if humans were given a suitable planet to live on, they wouldn't need to exploit the "Plants" anymore. Vash is open-minded and somewhat naive, but his heart is in the right place. But that's what makes the story so gripping! The supporting cast is full of engaging, well-developed characters that keep the plot fresh and exciting. The doctor was a fantastic character. Even if you can't help but despise him for his actions (which, let's be honest, you should), it's still awesome to have characters like him in the mix. After all, a good story needs some complex, love-to-hate-'em characters to keep things interesting, right? Haha! And the animation? Oh. My. Gosh. Like I don't know what to say here. The CGI is mind-blowing! Studio Orange has truly outdone themselves with some of the best action-packed CGI I've ever seen. The art style, the guns, the beams, the jumps, and the 360-degree views are all simply mesmerizing. Every frame is just perfect, and they didn't shy away from showing blood – a bold move that paid off. The OST is the cherry on top, with vibes reminiscent of Interstellar's piano theme (seriously, watch that movie if you haven't). It's so fitting, and the opening and ending themes are the perfect companions to the show. In conclusion, should you watch this "new" adaptation? Absolutely, without a doubt! From the very first episode, you can tell it's going to be a wild ride. Studio Orange went all out on this one, and I can't wait to see if they can top this incredible first season with a possible season two. Trust me, you won't regret watching STAMPEDE! img250(https://media.tenor.com/Q3R43VApnxAAAAAd/trigun-stampede-vash-the-stampede.gif) img250(https://media.tenor.com/xWEiwY2BRaUAAAAd/trigun-stampede-vash-the-stampede.gif) img250(https://64.media.tumblr.com/75823644f72fdf9c978aa1fb8394f67c/aba40570cab0175b-70/s540x810/82cdb5302960ff792f41b449b62efa3b9337b70a.gif) img250(https://64.media.tumblr.com/f837d0aebf0a92060b0d52f8f5a1db37/0012f0a3851a4bf8-e4/s540x810/90d633f3ab0d8e851c60917c7873bff5b52204f5.gifv)
~~~img220(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59973af5f14aa1ab06cba333/1681240597527-0R1VLP8UQGVR18ZN2T4U/Trigun+Stampede+courtesy+cultured+vultures.jpeg?format=2500w)~~~~~~Wow so I’ve finished Trigun Stampede, you know the remake of the original Trigun series and I feel some type of way. Not mad but more of a nostalgia type of feeling, so here I am to make a review of this remake of Trigun. __Story__ So, if you don’t know Trigun, let me help relocate you from the rock you’ve been living under. Originally a series that released in 1998 (yes, this anime is older than some of you that are reading this). Typically, it’s about a set of twin brothers (alien brothers) who arrives in a planet a causes destruction. Now one brother Vash the Stampede is a good guy who looks like he causes trouble no matter where he goes, one is due to the bounty that is on his head 60 billion (that’s a lot of money). The other reason is due to his brother Million Knives who is stealing people plant generators and causing trouble. Trigun Stampede get full points for the story/plot of the anime, simply because it was original at the time, a set of twins one good one evil out to fight for their own beliefs. Also since this is a remake based on how this anime was turned into 12 episodes from a previous 26-episode anime I think they did a good job and even got a bit deeper into the story and reason behind Knives motives. img220(https://i0.wp.com/the-avocado.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Stampede-Hulu.jpeg?w=600&ssl=1) __Animation/Music __ Eh, so I initially was angry with the remake and refused to watch it due to the anime being completely CGI. Yeah, majority of the anime is CGI and this is where Trigun Stampede loses some points. This isn’t a definite reason but due to the anime being in CGI I believe they cut out a lot of fight and gun scenes within the anime. Let’s be honest Trigun and Cowboy Bebop was always the goat anime of gun toting action shows in space, but with the remake there wasn’t much action. Yeah, it was a lot of people attacking Vash but he ran majority of the time and didn’t do much to help the situation, in a way he was a washed up version of his old self. Within the original Vash only needed one shot to change things around and he didn’t have to shoot the person. Musically the OP song of the anime was great, love that but nothing else really stuck out with me. The ending song was also a nice touch. img220(https://cdn.riddle.com/embeds/v2/images/q_80,c_fill,w_960,h_540/b6a/b6a4c250c19949f1ba3274baa973cd06.png) __Characters__ So, with the characters Trigun Stampede receive full marks because of their design. I don’t think they missed with a single character from Vash new look to Zazie the beast, they were all good. Also, we did have a change of characters which left me a bit confused. Within the prior anime there was Meryl, and another lady named Lilly but, in the remake, there was a guy named Roberto and SPOILER ALERT within the end of the anime Lilly name was brought up, so I wasn’t sure what to make with that. However, we have a few characters which are all pretty dope so let’s get into it. First our MC Vash, he’s the guy who refuses to kill people no matter the cause. I personally loved his new look with the side hair shaved off instead of the spikey look from the original. Not much to say regarding Vash he’s as open as a book and we see what kind of person he is from episode 1. Meryl and Roberto, I love their combination. Normally Meryl was the senior always watching over Lilly, but this time Roberto played as her senior at journalist job. This gave Meryl a way to see growth in her character and Roberto playing the levelheaded elder who looked out for her. Roberto is a new character, but Meryl was more of a badass in the original anime. Alright two more characters which both is my favorite, one is Nic Wolfwood, really nothing changed from this character and that is something huge because if it would’ve changed the anime most likely could’ve flunked. He’s the sidekick Vash needs, not to mention he’s technically a bad guy but changes when meeting Vash and the crew. Wolfwood doesn’t believe in Vash belief of not killing a person even when it’s a life and death situation. We see a prime example of this in episode 5 when Nic is forced to do something Vash couldn’t. Finally, I would like to talk about Millions Knives, Vash big brother. I personally believe he’s a misunderstood psychopath (if that makes sense). Don’t get me wrong crashing their ship and killing everyone on board was crazy but when you really think about it, he had a point in the end. He specifically told Vash they (humans) would never accept them, and he pointed out to the fact Vash was being shot at by humans and even said they were hunting him (aka the bounty). I can’t get mad at Knives for trying to make the world a better place for him and his little brother. __Conclusion__ Whew an emotional journey rewatching one of the anime I used to watch a while ago (I’m getting old). However, there is no punch in this anime, it’s like ordering a drink but is watered down. Yes, the drink (anime) looks garnished and nice but where is the alcohol (action) lol. The color within the animation is beautiful along with the character designs but CGI isn’t always a great route but at least it’s not Seven Deadly Sins bad. __I recommend this anime with a - You should watch__. _For those who don’t know scores of 80+ get a “you should watch recommendation"_~~~