The Ballad of Vash the Stampede - Trigun Review

There are several animes that came out in the late 90's that are considered classics. Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Dragonball Z are credited for making the genre popular overseas in America. Trigun is one of these legendary works possessing a fantastic english dub and a western theme (same reasons why Bebop and Evangelion became popular in the states). So I bought the DVD set over the summer to finally check out what I'd been missing all this time.

Trigun takes place in the the crapsack world of Gunsmoke, which for the most part is a barren wasteland where most humans struggle for their own survival. One of the legends of the world is the one of Vash the Stampede, a legendary gunslinger known for being a sadistic killer that has destroyed entire towns. Because of the amount of damage caused to the world, the Bernadelli Insurance company sends two of their agents, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, to find Vash and rein him in the destruction that he causes. The two find Vash and discover that he's actually a pacifist, goofy, sometimes idiotic guy who loves donuts. Of course, the two quickly realize that theirs much more to Vash than meets the eye. He's the expert gunman that everybody makes him out to be, capable of causing destruction but the damage caused is mostly by the people who chase him down for the 60,000,000,000 double dollar bounty on his head (idk how double dollars translate to actual dollars). This added to the fact that Vash himself has never actually taken a life due to a promise that he made long ago. The plot starts off rather slow, consisting mostly of Milly and Meryl's adventures trying to find Vash (they originally don't believe that Vash is actually Vash when they first meet him). However, Vash's past soon starts to catch up with him and the plot begins to get dark before getting even darker and even darker again. Vash finds himself being hunted by a mysterious group known as the Gung-Ho Guns and a familiar figure from his past. Vash and the gang also team up with a wandering preacher known as Nicholas D. Wolfwood. The plot itself while starting slow gets really good once it gets going. Every episode is beautifully done and the dialog between characters is great. My only gripes with the plot is that the final episode felt a little rushed. Other than that, the show is brilliantly paced, using those first episodes to really establish Vash as a character so we can watch him develop over the show's run. There are a couple filler episodes along the way, but even those are quality. While watching I could not help but notice the similarities to Cowboy Bebop despite the fact that both shows came out at the same time.

Don't be fooled this man is DANGEROUS

The characters were my favorite part about Trigun. You could really tell that the writers and animators really had a blast creating these characters and bringing them to life. Vash the Stampede himself is one of the most legendary characters of his time. Some may argue that he's a whiny protagonist who harps way too much on his "I won't kill philosophy". However, I really liked Vash as a character. He's proof that you can be a badass without killing anyone. It's easy to watch those first couple episodes and say to yourself "man I thought that Vash was some legendary badass" while he's acting like a fool, stuffing doughnuts down his mouth, and shamelessly hitting on women. However, as the episodes go on you start to realize that this is only the persona he puts on. When people are in danger he's quick to leap into the frame and protect the people he cares about. He's the kind of protagonist that should exist in an anime like this, super idealistic despite the extremely cynical world that surrounds him. It's this conflict and Vash's hidden layers that make him such a famous and strong character. The other characters in the ensemble are also well done. Meryl was a particular favorite of mine. To be honest, when I first saw the two insurance girls onscreen I thought that they would end up as damsels in distress that Vash would be saving the whole time. Instead, Meryl and Milly ended up being extremely competent on their own, even at times when they find themselves in over their heads. Meryl was the perfect character to complement Vash and not just a standard love interest. The fact that she can handle herself (loads and loads of Derringer pistols) is just a bonus to that fact. I liked Milly as a character too, even though she was the more ditzy of the two. She was a lot like Mayuri from Steins;Gate, a ditzy character who sometimes has a better grip on situations than the other characters. Rounding out the crew of protagonists was Wolfwood, who was probably my favorite character in the entire show. He served as a foil for Vash, someone who possesses many of Vash's characteristics but lacked Vash's hesitation about taking the lives of another. This was a constant source of conflict between the two and yet the two remain great friends throughout the series. I really liked Wolfwood as a character, not just because he's a total badass (I mean his weapon is a giant cross that possesses a stupid amount of firepower), but because his personality and humor is awesome. (his cross is so heavy because it's full of mercy) The villains of Trigun were fantastic as well, especially the Gung-Ho Guns. Like I said before, it's clear that the team behind the show had a lot of fun designing these characters because each of the Gung-Ho Guns are diverse and unlike many run of the mill anime villains. The only thing I wish is that they had a little more character development behind them.

Like I said before, the main conflict of Trigun comes from the fact that Vash is an incredibly idealistic person in a world that is hardly that. It is this idealism too that hampers Vash later in the show. Despite never taking a life by himself, there have been many lives lost because of him indirectly. The show makes a good point by showing that Vash's philosophy isn't always right, despite being idealistic. In the context of the show there are many points where taking a life would be Vash's best option. This is simply the world that Vash lives in. Many of the people that occupy Gunsmoke are not nearly as idealistic as Vash is, which often puts Vash in danger. This is where Wolfwood comes in who believes more in self-preservation and preserving the lives of his friends. Vash's reputation as a killer can be a danger to everyone in the group as he is frequently hunted down for crimes that people believe him to be responsible for. Trigun provides an interesting view on the idea of compassion and idealism and that many times such beliefs can land one in the same danger as Vash. However, the show does strike a good balance and shows that idealism and compassion will always have a place, even in a world as messed up as Gunsmoke.

Being a 90's anime, I can't say that Trigun especially wowed me in the looks department, considering that this came out at the same time as Bebop which set the standard for the era. However, the character designs in particular are phenomenal, really striking a firm balance between the sci-fi aspect of the show and the western aspects. It's the same feeling I had when I first saw how Bebop adapted a western atmosphere to space. Trigun pulls off it's theme just as well as Bebop did and feels just as unique as Bebop did on first watch. It's hard not to compare the two since they came out in the same era. All of this being said, Trigun certainly looks it's age but still holds up. In fact, the whole look of the show is part of the experience. Soundwise, Trigun is phenomenal as well. It has the westerny feel to it, twangy guitars and what not, while also working in some more sci-fi-ish music as well. The english dub was excellent as well. Considering that this show is known as one of the pioneers of the genre in the U.S. I wasn't surprised. Johnny Yong Bosch is phenomenal as Vash and all the other voice actors are strong as well.

I had heard that Trigun was a classic and it certainly didn't let me down. It has the perfect balance of seriousness and humor that most animes should have. It's characters are phenomenal and the plot dark and well done. Theres a reason why this show is considered a must watch for any anime fan and I'm glad that I finally got around to watching it. If you're looking for a show that will make you laugh and wow you with badass action, Trigun certainly won't let you down.

My Score: 5/5