So we are back to the second and final part of the review of the reboot of the famous story of Vash. Trigun Stampede takes a different yet faithful take on the original story: the manga penned and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow. In the first part of the review, we engaged the main elements of this new imagining of the famous anime.
Here we will get into some of the deeper plot points and story arcs that are engaged in this wonderful adaptation. Notably on how it attempts to win new fans whilst remaining faithful to those of the original. Trigun Stampede (2023) whilst clearly having an identity of its own, is still akin to the original show. And that is a good thing for more reasons than one.
An Interesting Take on the ‘Post-Apocalyptic’ Wasteland Narrative
When watching Trigun Stamepede it is hard to not miss the post-apocalyptic feel of the story. Whilst technically the story takes place on a different planet on a different solar system, it is difficult to shake off the vibes that this could be some future-Earth, that has undergone a nuclear catastrophe of some sort. The questions of resource shortage, and finding new modes of survival in harsh environments mixed with the ‘unexpected’ (but predictable) visitor who tries to mess things up for the good guys, are all present here.
Among the more notable episodes in this regard is the story titled: ‘Child of Blessing’ that revolves around an abandoned settlement that the main characters consisting of Wolfwood, Meryl and a character named Roberto De Niro visit. It is worth noting that the other reporter and Meryl’s companion Milly Thompson is missing.
As the characters uncover the history of the town, they discover a dark secret. The town which relies on wind power carries a strong religious sensibility that is exploited by a nefarious organization to adopt child sacrifice. However, the child that was chosen is subjected to horrific experiments to turn into some killing machine. Upon the hero and his friends visit decades later, the cyborg monster comes back to haunt and attack them. Revealing a dark secret involving Vash’s past.
Million Knives and the Story Within the Story
The main driving force of Trigun Stampede is the conflict between Vash and Knives. For those who are not familiar with the backstory: these two individuals are not exactly human. Whilst outwardly and for the most part functionally human, Vash and his twin brother are in fact plants. Without getting too much into the backstory, as we would be here forever; the main revelation is that Million Knives hates humanity. His hatred of humans is driven by deep wounds from the past and is made all the more dangerous owing to his immense power. Vash obviously feels differently towards humans.
He seems to connect with his ‘humanoid’ side better. This is important. For in this new Trigun Stampede, Knives is portrayed as less human, and in many ways more inhuman. His vast powers are showcased with great spectacle. And the viewer is left with no ambiguity with regard to the nature of the foe. This conflict is what drives the plot of the story, as virtually all plot points connect to the main anthologist. And in some ways, this is where Trigun Stampede falls short of its predecessor.
Trigun Stampede’s Cohesive Story Lacks the Novelty of the Original
Trigun Stampede is a good show. Indeed it is very good. However, is it a great anime like Trigun (1998)? Our response is ‘no’. Not because the writers didn’t try hard to develop a good story, and seek to build a cohesive middle and end in a twelve-episode series. But because retelling what was already an amazing story in a new way in a shorter period of time meant that certain corners had to be cut.
Notable here was the lack of screen time for one of my favorite characters from the original: Legato Bluesummers. A complex character with twisted motivations and a tragic history. His eerie presence on screen was feared and admired. This is absent in the new Trigun. But does this mean that Trigun Stampede (2023) is not worth a watch? Absolutely not.
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