Life is hard on the sun scorched world of Gunsmoke. People fight constantly over money and precious resources and just like anywere else in human history the strong rule over the weak. All thats between humanity and total extinction are the mysterious power sources known as the Plants. It isnt all doom and gloom however. Even on a desolate ruined planet like this one humanity always finds a way to live on. Therefore this is not a tale of death and desolation but one of life and hope. A tale of angels comically oversized firearms and gunslingers. And donuts lots and lots of donuts. Please join me on this look into the life and times of the biggest walking disaster area the galaxy has ever seen Vash the Stampede. So on the first evening a pebble.... For a limited adaptation attempting to capture the spirit of the original Trigun is something of a miracle. The manga was cancelled when the magazine went under so the grand story that Yasuhiro Nightow wanted to tell was a bit..... underdeveloped. In that most of it didnt really exist yet. However with Nightows amazing vision and careful planning Trigun manages to encapsulate almost every theme and major plot point that the Maximum sequel would eventually contain. Its shorter and has less time for extensive development but that doesnt hurt the show as it takes the framework left by the original and builds upon it in its own unique way. Its rare that you can find an anime that so deftly compresses everything the original stands for into one neat little 26 episode package without being a direct shotforshot adaptation. Trigun is what I like to call a Trojan Horse show. It baits you in with a carrot on a stick consisting of wacky comedy hijinks then slowly introduces little hints that all is not as it seems until youre eventually left wondering whether you somehow ended up watching the wrong anime. The first half consists of mainly episodic filler with the actual plot kicking in somewhat later. This uneven distribution of filler ends up working in its favor in a weird way. Shows that start out fairly innocuous and evolve into something much more serious require a lot of patience from the viewer but are in general very rewarding. Such is the case with Trigun. It lulls you into a false sense of security making you think that its just a cute little comedy all the while planting the seeds of intrigue. Perhaps theres more to this anime than meets the eye? You think to yourself as you watch Vash stumble into a bar and diffuse a hostage situation seemingly by accident. And once those seeds finally bloom its a sight to behold. As such the second half of the show is undoubtedly the better part but the first halfs importance in establishing the characters and the world is indispensable. One of the few areas where the anime version of Trigun is somewhat inferior to its manga counterpart is the antagonist characterization. One of Triguns main missions is showing that everyone has reasons for the way they are and that even the most vile of villains are capable of redemption. The slight differences in Knives and Vashs backstory and Knivess limited screentime end up making him come off as less sympathetic than he does in the manga which makes the idea that he can be redeemed a bit harder to swallow. Similarly Legatos lack of any backstory or explanation for how he became a disciple of Knives makes the long shadow he casts over the story that much more sinister. However this isnt necessarily a bad thing in Legatos case as his portrayal in the anime is considerably more intimidating than his Maximum counterpart thereby filling the void that was left when Knivess screentime was cut. All in all Triguns villains are not as compelling as Trigun Maximums but only by a smidge. The Insurance Girls Derringer Meryl Stryfe and Stungun Milly Thompson https://pic8.co/sh/T7ZkAx.jpeg Lovable ditz Milly and the ever practical Meryl have a very important job to do. Like many others they are on a mission to find the infamous Humanoid Typhoon. However its not the reward theyre after. For an insurance company like Bernadelli a natural disaster like Vash is a logistical nightmare If they want to keep their job security the intrepid office workers are going to have to prevent the plethora of disasters that always seem to pop up whenever Vash is around. I find Meryl and Milly to be much more memorable in the anime than the manga simply because Nightow actually remembered to give them something important to do this time. They still get somewhat overshadowed but they play an important role in supporting both Vash and Wolfwood. After all even Superman needs a shoulder to cry on every now and then. The Ballad Of Vash The Stampede https://pic8.co/sh/bMUmOk.jpeg For the commandments You shall not commit adultery You shall not murder You shall not steal You shall not covet and any other commandment are summed up in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Romans 13:9 Vash may be the most wanted criminal in all of Gunsmoke but youre more likely to find him waiting eagerly in line at a local donut shop than out committing heinous crimes. Protected only by his inhuman marksmanship and his frightening reputation Vash drifts from settlement to settlement dodging bounty hunters along the way through what hed like you to believe is just an unholy amount of luck. And of course he always leaves a respectable amount of mayhem behind him whether he wants to or not. Despite Vashs vow of pacifism his philosophy does not involve just sitting and taking whatever people throw at him. He doesnt believe in answering violence with violence but that never stops him from protecting himself and others when it comes down to it. Vash may make his job look absolutely effortless but the twisted scars all over his body tell a different story. Hes sacrificed his physical and emotional wellbeing many times over in order to abide by his no killing policy to the point where hes almost literally falling apart. Guilt and doubt over the people hes failed to save dog his heels everyday. Yet even after all of that suffering Vashs story is one of hope. For his great sacrifices end up paying off in the end as Wolfwood Meryl and countless others all over Planet Gunsmoke learn peace and forgiveness through his steadfast example. The Tragedy Of Nicholas D. Wolfwood https://pic8.co/sh/cgBWYd.jpeg Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture eye for eye tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. Leviticus 24: 1921 Charges money for confessions? Crack shot with a pistol? Chainsmoking and drinking habit? A shocking readiness to solve any and all confrontations with lead? Well he aint like any priest Ive ever seen. But when you get past all his vices hes a pretty cool fellow. A parttime gun for hire and self proclaimed man of the cloth Wolfwood travels throughout Gunsmoke looking to make money to support the orphanage he oversees. He encounters Vash on numerous occasions and the two never fail to butt heads over their irreconcilable approaches. Is he Vashs stalwart ally or is he just waiting for his chance to take those sixty billion double dollars for himself? The things you do for love are gonna come back to you one by one Trigun has a very clear message to teach and it does so with a firm hand. However its never satisfied just saying killing is wrong and calling it a day. It makes sure to show it like it is rather than looking at the issue through rosecolored glasses. Pacifism is the right thing to do but that doesnt make it easy or convenient or even sensible and the anime keeps the audience painfully aware of this fact. Triguns examination of pacifism is surprisingly nuanced and balanced in its approach making sure to show its goodness while also revealing its drawbacks. Someone who has attempted murder is always capable of doing so again. When you refuse to kill someone in self defense you put not only yourself but others at risk. Many times over Vash lets someone go free when the world would have been a much safer place without them. Vash combats this issue with two different tactics: scare em straight by showing them that he could kill them at anytime if he wanted to or shoot them in the legs so they cant do anything. These methods are not nearly as secure as just killing them. And if they do go on to hurt others again that brings a whole new problem into the equation. When Vash lets a criminal go that he could have killed and they go on to hurt or kill someone else does he bear some of the responsibility for that criminals actions? Is it really enough for him to just keep his own hands clean? Even Legato points out that Vash has only succeeded in avoiding killing by his own hands and this fact is often used against him by his enemies. The biggest most obvious flaw of the pacifist approach is how much harder it is than just putting a cap in the opponents noggin. Taking a bad guy down nonlethally while bullets are whizzing past your head is not an easy task by any sense of the word. Even an unstoppable force of Nature like Vash has to train vigorously everyday putting his life and health on the line constantly. Theres no doubt that killing is wrong. On a ruthless world like Gunsmoke however it would take a superhuman to avoid it. Trigun acknowledges that sometimes avoiding killing just isnt possible. So even with this in mind why is killing those who do you wrong still considered to be bad by Triguns standards? Well.... The door to the house of God is never locked Life is about freedom of choice. It consists of a series of choices that lead to consequences which lead to even more choices. Every person has an infinite amount of potential to influence the world around them and the people in it both for the better and for the worse. When someone is killed their freedom is taken away from them. Any contribution they could have made to the world is now cut off for good. You might say They were scum the only thing they would have done was cause more pain. And thats certainly possible maybe even likely. But how do we know for sure thats the case? Who are we to decide whether someone is or isnt capable of changing? Human beings cant exactly look into somebodys future and say without a shadow of a doubt that theyre irredeemable. No matter what kind of person it is the possibility for change is always there. Its a small possibility but its the smallest things that can make the biggest difference. After all the ticket to the future is always blank. I will forever be grateful to Yasuhiro Nightow for writing such a sensitive compassionate story. A story about forgiveness and kindness and unending patience. Its about loving totally and unconditionally even people that dont deserve it. Especially people that dont deserve it. Love is not an easy thing. Its messy its painful it causes all sorts of problems and leaves you vunerable to the worst kinds of hurt. But if we cant love if we cant forgive and forget then well forever be stuck chasing our own tails in an endless cycle of pain and revenge. It has to end eventually so why shouldnt it end with us?