Remember the Trigun that came before the Trigun Stampede (2023)? If you were a late entrant to the world of Vash the Stampede, having just completed the legendary Western Space anime, and were on the lookout for more, then Trigun Badlands Rumble was a good refresher of the dark but interesting world in which the classic science fiction anime from 1998 took place.
Released in 2010, a good decade after the original, audiences around the world were captivated by the dark, humorous, and at times grim world of No Man’s Land thanks to Trigun Badlands Rumble. It was a welcome return to the post-apocalyptic future setting; while it was never going to compare to the complexity of narrative presented in the 26-episode story, Badlands was a solid entry that qualified as a homage to the original and a welcome addition to the story.
Vash is Back with a Bang
Let’s get the obvious questions out of the way: Is Trigun Badlands a good animated movie? Yes. Is it as good as the original anime? Not really. Does it really matter? No. To start with the positives, Trigun Badlands doesn’t try to do anything new. It builds on the foundations laid by its predecessor; as the story was penned by series creator Yasuhiro Nightow, there is little deviation from the core formula that worked for the original manga and its anime adaptation.
The main story revolves around a group of gangsters, an act of betrayal, and the search for revenge it gives rise to. Of course, the hero character Vash the Stampede is at the center of it all, along with his friends, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, and a sexy bounty hunter named Amelia Ann McFly. Vash is back to his romantic best (or worst), with his romantic advances towards Amelia being a source of humor. But it is not all fun and games. As viewers of the original series and the manga would know, things can get pretty serious in the world of Trigun, and they do so again.
Bad Guys and A Resource Curse – Good Old Trigun
One of the hallmarks of a good show lies in its ability to stick to what it does best and improve where necessary. Since Badlands is coming after a decade since the original ended, things have certainly improved on the visual front: the animation is fluid and the characters are well defined. On the combat front, the stakes are pushed up with overpowered villains, helpless civilians, and desperate resource shortages that add a sense of urgency to the story.
And like the old Trigun, the story is not about a simple good guy who finds a bad guy doing bad stuff and beats him. There is nuance, and character motivations are not always clear. While the story suffers a bit at the end as the writers struggle to pull together all the strands in a 1 hour, 30 minute movie, there is something here for all Trigun fans.
Trigun Badlands – Is it Worth a Watch?
The simple answer is yes. But, as mentioned, it is not as great as the original. Admittedly, it falls short of other animated movie tie-ins like The End of Evangelion (1997) too. But it is definitely worth your time if you are looking for some good action, likeable characters, and impactful sci-fi storytelling that does fall short a bit at the end. And if you are waiting for the next season of Trigun Stampede, named Stargaze, then this animated movie is worth a look.
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