#(<- watched one episode of stampede and og)

[hyolks]

You wasteland au is giving me huge Trigun vibes!

I love the way you draw everyone it’s so good! The designs are so cool!

did u know that vash is a whole foot taller than ed

THANK YOU SO MUCH i thought of the au and was like. jesus. isnt this just like trigun. whatever. blonde boys with mech arms UNITE

[reapervows]

I like him a lot.

[radiosummons]

My sister has been showing me episodes of OG Trigun--mostly in preparation for Trigun Stampede--but also because it's one of her favorite manga of all time.

And holy SHIT I cannot even begin to explain how fucking batshit this show is. Just hearing Johnny Yong Bosch's voice alone immediately sent me back at least fifteen years.

I have watched all episodes of OG Trigun while drunk, high and sober. And regardless of my state of inebreiation, I was always left with the exact, inescapable feeling of wanting to fucking die from the sheer nostalgic cringe and insanity of it all. I hate this show. I love this show. I'm fucking obsessed.

So, to all those who are curious (or would just like a mini idea of how to compare OG Trigun with Trigun Stampede)--here is my comprehensive list of things that ACTUALLY happened in Trigun that make me go absolutely batshit just thinking about them:

The sheer insanity of the--balls to the walls, barely held together with ducktape, spit and shoestring--of a plot, all with apparently little to no accuracy to the manga whatsoever. This both amuses and horrifies my sister.

The absolute refusal on the part of the anime to actually explain literally anything. Like the fact that the show takes place in space. Or why humanity is on a desert planet. Or what Plants are, why they're important, why they're there, literally ANYTHING.

Seriously, if you've only ever watched the anime you would have no fucking clue what the Plants are or what they even do. And THEY'RE LITERALLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BITS OF LORE/A HUGE PART OF THE PLOT OF THE ENTIRE FUCKING MANGA.

A major bit of Trigun's lore/setting is just straight up the events of Wall-E.

Johnny Yong fucking Bosch as Vash's English VA. Enough said.

Vash--by simply existing and (mostly) through no direct fault of his own--is capable of wrecking such sheer and complete utter devastation that there's an actual insurance policy people can file after their town is destroyed in the aftermath of him visiting. Iconic.

Monev is just Spiderman's Venom but with a purple and orange reskin. This was intentional on part of the creator as he is obsessed with Venom. Good on him.

This is only specific to the English Dub (we switched to the original sub for the more "serious" episodes, calm down), but HOLY FUCK the absolutely atrocious line deliveries somehow make the show even worse and yet ultimately so much funnier all at the same time!

Millions Knives is the name of Vash's twin brother.

Vash is bisexual. There are multiple occassions where he will call a random male character "Cute" or "Cutie." Somehow, I am not the least bit surprised.

Christianity exists. And the Church trains orphans to be assassins. This makes perfect sense.

"LUUV AND PEEEEAAACCCCCEEE!!!!"

In the second episode of the series (English Dub), there's an actual scene where an old man and his grandson LOUDLY lament the absolute devastation of their home in the most inappropriately cheerful and candid way possible. And then the fucking kid follows that up by just singing out of fucking nowhere "~Bad times are here LALALALALA!!!!!~"

Vash is part gun.

According to "company regulations," as insurance workers Milly and Meryl are not allowed to take part time jobs. They later take part time jobs. My broke ass resonated too fucking hard with this bit.

"Oh, maaaan! Why can't I just get a break?! Death and poverty like me so much, they've brought friends!" Fucking. Mood.

At one point, Vash does the crab walk to dodge a barrage of bullets. This is, surprisingly, quite effective.

"I'll whack you, mister!"

Legato's introduction is him sitting down on a bench and then PULLING A HOT DOG OUT OF A PAPER BAG WITH A HUMAN HEAD IN IT!!!!

Legato has his own personal saxophone player that just follows him everywhere???????

"Oh my. I'm about to go down in ~fllaaaaaammeesssss!~"

Wolfwood.

In EP 16, someone just starts randomly scatting in the background for no reason. No explanation is ever offered.

"My name is .... VASH DA STAMPEDE-DUUUH!!!!!"

Also in EP 16, one of the villains for that episode sounds, deadass, exactly like Jar Jar Binks. I am not joking.

Legato can blood bend.

There's a mini episode dedicated to Milly and Meryl. Vash shows up for five seconds hiding in a trash can. The joke writes itself.

"The DEADLY DODGEBALL HEAD!!! A simple technique to hold the ball in place with INTENSE SUUUCTION!! Try this at home! ;)"

Knives eats an apple, cuts his own hair and enters his impromptu emo arc.

Legato gets horny over the idea of Vash crying. Idk what to tell you, man.

Wolfwood shoots a child. Granted, said child was gonna try to kill Vash and a bunch of orphans. But still.

Vash makes up a dark song about murdering and killing people. The villains of that episode proceed to roast him for his shit lyrics.

Wolfwood doesn't understand why everyone is mad at him for KILLING A CHILD.

"I meditate diligently every morning. The subjects are life and love ... I quit after three seconds."

The actually downright amazing OST, that has no right to be as good as it is. No joke, one of the best anime OSTs I have ever heard in my life.

"And if you're still having doubts, check out my 100% accurate gunmanship!" *proceeds to shoot directly at the sky only then for a black cat to fall directly on his head. The cat's fine btw*

At a certain point, Vash fakes his identity, gets a disguise and goes under a false name. Said false name being "Eriks." He looks like if someone ran Hohenheim through the washer and then hung him on a clothesline for a week. I have ... no fucking words.

"What is this strange phenomena? Is it some sort of strange and twisted Christian science!?"

For as menacing as they make Legato out to be, he sure does shit all in the grand scheme of things. Also he looks like he raids Seto Kaiba's closet on the DL and duels monsters on weekends.

Vash will randomly have Bishie eyes. Arguably, his most Bishie moment is right after Wolfwood punches him in the face. I'll let you infer what you want from this.

Rem randomly appears out of nowhere to taunt Vash with nonsense riddles and haikus. No explanation is ever given until EP 17 for who Rem is, why she keeps reappearing in Vash's mind, if she's even a real person or just someone Vash made up, etc. Because of this, it just looks like Vash keeps receiving American Beauty-style rose shower psychic attacks while a random woman just spouts absolute nonsense at him. There is no way this explanation will prepare you for the actual experience of watching it.

 "I am known as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz-" *prolonged pause* "-Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser the Third. Don't hestitate to call."

Vash gets adopted by an old woman and her granddaughter. It's actually kind of sweet.

A minor villain in EP 18 demands that Vash strip and then act like a dog. He proceeds to do both without a single objection. Wolfwood pulls down his sunglasses and leers at Vash's naked ass. My sister has informed me that this is actually canonical.

Rem is a hyper Christian.

Wolfwood takes personal offense to a burlesque dancer being absolute shit at dancing. Honestly ... I can't even argue with him.

"Hey, 'Thou Shalt Not Kill,' REMEMBER!? WHAT KIND OF CHURCH MAN ARE YOU!!!?"

Vash saves a town's Plant through the power of Bishie.

While trying to save a child, Vash and Wolfwood both get sucked into quicksand. Said child just watches them go into the ground. I would have done the same.

Milly, Vash and Wolfwood decide to share drinks and before any of them even take a single shot, Milly decides to strip naked. Vash and Wolfwood are very pleased by this. Meryl is not.

"WHOSE idea was it to USE THE GRENADE!!!?? He can't be identified for the reward if he's a pile of pulp, YOU DUMBASS!!!!"

Wolfwood calls Vash pathetic. This kickstarts yet another existential crisis within Vash.

"Thank GOD you asked! It's a long story, although it's kind of a short one."

For literally no reason at all, child Knives decides to embrace his Anti-Christ symbolism and goes full Joker mode. This is not at all accurate to the manga.

Vash and Knives are aliens/Plants. Rem thinks they're actual Christian angels. Deadass.

Milly forces Wolfwood to pretend to be her baby daddy for a whole episode. For pudding. Yup.

Vash enters a dom/sub relationship with a Pokemon gym leader looking lady and they engage in extremely explicit pet play.

Anyway, watch OG Trigun. If you've ever watched any sort of anime abridged series, it will definitely make things a little easier for you. There are definitely too many points at which this show feels like a YouTube Poop and I mean in that best and worst possible way.

Also Meryl is Best Girl. I will not budge on this.

[curlybinghe]

so i watched trigun stampede first, which everyone says not to do, but i didn't know that till after i did it. and now, watching '98 trigun, i am laughing my ass off about two things in this order.

1) the sheer amount of pwp in the vashwood tag. when i first finished tristamp i was like oh yeah. these fuckers are gay and their dynamic has religious overtones. to those blessed archives i go. i'm here thinking i'm gonna find life-changing, toe curlingly profound works of literature with some peppers sprinkled among the roses-- nope. heaps upon heaps of plant/priest porn. i'm not even a little mad about it

2) yeah no fucking wonder it's that way, '98 vash is the horniest motherfucker out there. granted i'm only a few episodes into the OG, but so far this man seems interested in donuts and gettin jiggy, with the whole "self-sacrificing atonement pacifism" thing being more of an afterthought, LMAO. three episodes in this man has expressed interest in like four people, one of them being a dude who tried to Bomb Him. where's that post about the cat that's like "let him in he just wants to 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀" because that's literally him. he is that cat. god i love him

[mixedup-sideblog]

So Trigun Stampede episode 12…

I say this with complete honesty - I think this is one of the BEST episodes of anime I have EVER had the pleasure of watching.

My non-exhaustive list of reasons:

The desperate back and forth between brothers who love each other so much but are so fundamentally different.

The FIGHT SCENES OMFG - INSANE!

The soundtrack - incredible.

The each brother having an Angel wing so that when they are together they’re a set of ANGEL WINGS one black one white!! STUNNING!

The hand bite in the fight - peak sibling energy as many have said.

Knives being absolutely UNHINGED

The VOICE ACTING - Vash screaming Nai TORE through my heart!

Wolfwood getting his shit together to go help!

Meryl looks BADASS af now!

Milly officially in season 2 - please the og onlys can stfu about there being no milly now.

Meryl practicing saying newbie in a GRUFF voice LIKE ROBERTO DID TO HER 😭.

Vash playing that single piano note over and over - heart torn and in pieces!!

Finally the FREAKING family photo - make me cry more studio orange I dare you!!!

Honestly everything about this episode was just FUCKING AMAZING AND I CANNOT wait for season 2!!! (Please god let there be one!).

[vixen525]

So, as a huge fan of the original Trigun my bestie @jewishdragon suggested we watch some Trigun Stampede together since I got them to watch OG Trigun.

We watched two episodes together.

Firstly, the most important thing:

If you like Trigun Stampede you will absolutely LOVE OG Trigun. I promise you this. It’s not as compressed and really draws you in.

My bestie compared it to Legend of Korra vs the original Avatar the Last Airbender where the original had much longer seasons so could stretch out the story and make it more in depth.

Here’s my impressions:

Overall:

Its kinda between okay and good, not as amazing as the original but I like it well enough. I can see how folks who didn’t see the original got hooked. I do miss the whole insurance ladies thing, reporters is super common and that gave a unique aspect that was very fun. Also the new variety of creatures introduced is fantastic as is the redesign of the plants.

More detailed:

So the start surprised me because it removes a lot of the mystery and suspense in the original. One fun thing about the original is that you have to accept Vash as he is and just guess why he has this terrible reputation even though he is such a wholesome fella. I also miss how the prosthetic arm was a surprise in the original, and it’s reveal was used to make you wonder what else he is hiding.

I do like that his peace loving ways remained the same, as well as his insane skill he plays off as luck, but I think it’s made a little too obvious early on that this is definitely skill, where as again in the original while he is definitely skilled with a gun you don’t realize how good until he pulls off more shocking feats later on. I feel like they tried to compress too much story into a short time.

I do miss that Meryl no longer seems confident and competent, but instead is now a recent grad. I think I prefer her being a skilled badass in her own right. Not to say this version is bad, just that I prefer it the other way. Her personality still seems fairly similar… But where is Millie?

The fight at the town felt a bit rushed and didn’t have the same depth as the original, but was still really fun. They gave a new twist on the conflict that wasn’t bad. At least Vash mentioned a love of donuts, even if the original did more of a show, not tell regarding that.

Fun to watch. Will finish, then probably watch the original again.

[artofalassa]

Which one is your favorite, Trigun or Trigun Stampede?

Oh.

Good question.

I like the first half of Trigun. Right until after Eriks arc? I love the characterizations, I love the humour, I love how funky and groovy the thing is. But. Uh. Right after Eriks, the second half... the animation goes... Places. You can pinpoint into which shots the budget for whole episode went and during the last four episodes I was yelling for the martyrdom to just. Stop. Especially after WW's infamous... Let's call it "Exit".

Stampede on the other hand-- I love how well it works all together, I love the new designs (except for WW, tug your shirt, man, seriously), I love the colour schemes, music, how much attention is paid to the details, all the homages, how well it works with the manga. But. (There's always a but with me lol) It's too fast for me. There's little to no time for the character moments. My favourite moment in the show is when WW is teasing Meryl around the campfire and Vash shows up, sits down, and finally. EATS. And I would love to see more of such moments.

My fave episodes are deffo 5-7. Child of Blessing still gives me shivers. The ending. With the windmills. HECK YEAH. And... Steamer... well. WELL.

I loved the Stampede's climax? I was nearly hysterical waiting for the last episode. But we all yelled here (my best friend from Canada was here with us in person when we watched it for the first time, and I wll never forget us being full ass football fans screaming at the tv, when Vash showed up with the new/og hair).

I'm not too fond of the MMO design of his wings, I'm too much of a conservative and gimme those feathers. But I understand the struggle of animating. Actual. Wings.

So. Yeah. It's hard to say.

Trigun OG and Trimax is what I see when somebody says Trigun.

Stampede is what I see when somebody asks me about a real good tv show.

And boy, what I probably enjoy the most is Badlands Rumble (tv-wise, Trimax is my fave otherwise). It combines all of the things I like about both shows (and manga). Good visuals, OG like humour, Onosaka Masaya Vash, an okay story (for my taste), HECK YEAH MOST TRIMAX WOOWOO and. Well. Yeah. WW's whole. Thing. With the glasses. I'm easy to please.

However, believe me you, when I say I spend a lot of time each week speculating what's gonna happen in season 2 of Tristamp. I can't wait.

[stageplaymlp]

Hi I wanna start Trigun and you're the person in my feed who mentions it most, should I start with the manga, the old anime or Stampede?

Honestly? You can start wherever. The main three versions of Trigun (1998 anime, the manga, Stampede) are all incredibly varied and you'll get different things out of them. It's a "pick your poison" type deal. I'll give you a quick run down of the different versions so you can choose which is best for you, anon

It's also worth noting that my personal journey with Trigun went: '98 -> Stampede -> TriMax -> BLR

(Oh yeah, there's also a movie called Badlands Rumble. We'll get to it)

'Trigun' / 'Trigun: Maximum' manga: I think it'd be best to start this discussion with the source material. If you're looking for the most complete and rounded story of Trigun, this is it, mainly because it ran the for the longest out of all versions, and is a finished work (Stampede is ongoing). It's also worth noting that this is the darkest version of Trigun so far and goes into some very heavy subject matter (gore, (mostly offscreen) SA, suicidal ideation, etc.) There's a tumblr post listing the various trigger warnings that I'll link at the end of this section. That said, it is definitely my favourite version of Trigun narratively and BOY is it an emotional roller coaster. It's what gave me the brain worms. It's got a good mix of the silly and the sad, while also going BUCKWILD near the end. It's great. Highly reccomend

Oh, yeah, the manga is also split into Trigun and TriMax because the magazine it was published in got canned. Trigun was then picked up again by a new publisher with an added subtitle. Trigun is 2 volumes while TriMax is 14. The manga as a whole ran from 1995-2008. It's all one continous story so don't worry, with the events of TriMax picking up two years after the events of Trigun in-universe

Here's the post btw: https://www.tumblr.com/blackblockconsortia/719247451003977728/and-now-for-trimax-general-warnings-for-trimax

'Trigun' 1998 anime: Ah, the OG, for me at least. Watched this back in 2018 and started me on this ride. It should be worth noting that at the time of 98's creation, only the two volumes of Trigun and the first two volumes of TriMax were out at the time. Due to this, the 98 anime is about 60% filler (as in, anime original content) and it has its own ending, too. I consider it its own story compared to the manga, despite directly adapting a number of its storylines. 98 is only 26 episodes and leans very heavily into the comedic, episodic element in the first half of the story. The manga has this too, but 98 commits to the bit more. Then the second half rolls around and punches you square in the gut. It's great. Not nearly as dark as the manga or Stampede, but 14 y/o me was DEVASTATED by the end of it. Absolutely iconic. Also, while the ending is different to the manga with how things shake out, it's satisfying in its own way

'Trigun: Stampede' 2023 anime: This here is what reignited my love for this series. Now, Stampede is a VERY DIFFERENT BEAST to the 98 anime, which I think is part of why people were hesitant about it on reveal (including me). Stampede is a lot more serious in tone and less episodic, keeping to a consistent plot episode-to-episode (for the most part). It's also only 12 episodes in length as of season 1. The anime is also 3D, but the animation is BEAUTIFUL. Studio Orange know what the fuck they're doing. I also need to mention that Stampede is a reimagining of the manga, not a direct adaptation. It takes the same concepts, lore, characters and themes and moulds them into something new (kind of like the different versions of TMNT). If you watch 98 or read the manga before this one, you will have to go in with an open mind and heart. It's good, though, I promise. What's fun about Stampede is that it came out after the manga was finished, so characters and backstory elements that never got adapted into 98 (because they didn’t exist at the time) finally get animated. I'd say it's more faithful to the story and tone of the manga than 98, but with its own flavour mixed in. It was clearly made with a lot of love for the franchise, too

'Badlands Rumble' movie: BLR came out in 2010 and treats itself like an extra episode of the 98 anime for the most part. It's its own self-contained story, and plays off of the dynamics and characterisation of 98 than other versions, with a number of nods to the anime mixed in. Hell, a new version of the 98 anime opening 'H.T.' even shows up in the soundtrack. It doesn't tie into the wider story of any version of Trigun, but if you want another silly adventure with some killer action scenes, then I'd reccomend it. I'd suggest watching 98 before this, though, but it won't ruin the movie if you don't. You can know fuck all about Trigun and enjoy this. Although, warning for Vash being a bit of a weirdo to the leading lady. He needs to calm down

There was also a tie-in manga for the release of the movie called 'Trigun: Multiple Bullets'. The first two chapters directly follow the events of BLR, while the rest of the chapters are an anthology made by guest artists. Warning, though, most of the other chapters take place after the events of TriMax and can contain spoilers. In terms of quality, the chapters are... Okay. I like some more than others. Boichi (mangaka of Dr. Stone) drew a Very Manly Vash and he scares me. Also, I should mention the storyline about the side-character, Rei-Dei the Blade, has offscreen SA and CSA. It took me off guard because I didn't know it was in there, and it's pretty messed up. I'd still recommend MB if you want some extra Trigun, and some of the chapters are genuinely funny and heart warming, but I wanted to give the heads up

Now, with all this considered, there are two places I'd reccomend starting Trigun: the 98 anime or Stampede

The 98 anime is more lighthearted and keeps a lot of answers to the lore close to its chest. I found discovering more about the world through other versions to be narratively satisfying, like one big unravelling mystery. TriMax and Stampede also greatly expand and improve upon concepts in 98 as well. It's a good way to ease you in to the world of Trigun while making you want more. You fall in love with the characters, and THEN the plot whacks you upside the head with a frying pan. I like the slow burn

Stampede is the opposite. You get right into the action out the gate. It offers answers to questions far quicker than 98 ever did. The ball is rolling and it rolls FAST. You want the meat and potatoes of Trigun shoved in your face? Stampede is for you. It's also better if you prefer serious, story-driven media. Although, Stampede isn't complete yet, so you will have to wait for 'Trigun: Stargaze' to come out for the full narrative to resolve

AND THAT'S WHERE THE MANGA COMES IN BABYYYYYYY!!!!! It has the humour and slow build of 98 AND the complex story and tone of Stampede. It's the best of both worlds. You get all the answers, you get that satisfying resolution, and you get to cry on the side of your bed from the amazing writing (like I did). You won't even get that spoiled for what will come after Stampede, because who knows how much of it Studio Orange will take from and how. All roads lead to the manga. That is my advice

Also all the OSTs for Trigun (98, BLR and Stampede) are AMAZING. Go listen to them. They're all on Spotify, if that helps

I wrote this at 3am. I hope this is coherent

[mad-aims]

I love Trigun Stampede, but I wish they’d put the OG Trigun from 98 on a streaming platform (like Crunchyroll) or release it on Blu Ray. I’ve got it on DVD in a box set, but it’s annoying having to get up each time to play a disc that has like 3 episodes on it. Also, it looks gorgeous anyway, but I’d like it in HD. I’m a lazy sod, who wants to sit in bed and watch anime. Can I please have high definition and loads of episodes on one disc? Surely it’s not too big an ask.

TL;DR: Basically Aims wants blu ray Trigun 98 because reasons.

[beaulesbian]

ok i don’t know anything about trigun except the gifs you’ve made/reblogged. should i watch it? what is the premise even?

short version: if you like characters that can fit so much trauma in them and who are trying to cover it up with acting goofy, yet still remain kind despite all their suffering - then go right ahead and watch it!

longer version:

(idk how much i can try to put into words without spoilers, and because i dont want to get something wrong, as im still trying to watch the og anime, and understand the plot there.)

it's a space western type of story. there's this guy who has a price on his head and wherever he goes some disaster happens, usually not exactly his fault, but it always seems that way to the other people?

and it all seems silly (at least for me in the first episodes for me) but it gets more angsty the more you watch.

and more silly too

(the duality of a man.)

for the new anime - trigun stampede (i got into that and understood it okay without the previous anime, but its always nice to have more content to watch, so now i'm cathing up with the og anime)

we meet him again like a goofy guy,

and honestly since that beginning it was fun and interesting to watch. plus right from the start of ep 1 you get more insight about the whole backstory there.

and theres a lot of cool relationship dynamics... (like all that gay subtext, which you probably saw from my blog bc im all about that)

but even beside them, the animation and action look rlly nice, i havent watched any anime in few years at least, and this one was just cool to watch.

and yeah, also the trauma

[miss--river]

at first i wasnt going to watch the new trigun because i just didnt feel the need or the want to watch it. personally i dont like how vash looks like a kid (at least to me.) im not a fan of the animation style. im also really disappointed that milly isnt in the show.

after i got done rewatching the OG anime and the movie after... idk how many years its been since i last watch it tbh. i just started googling random things i had questions about in the trigun universe that really doesnt matter. one of the search results was a reddit link to r/trigun and the title of the post is "TRIGUN STAMPEDE is TERRIBLE"

the reddit user goes on to explain why they think the show is terrible but... everything they listed as reasons for the show being terrible were things that actually happened in the OG anime. and i cant talk about this post without mentioning that this person was unironically calling OG vash 'alpha' and the new vash 'beta' and 'imposter'. their reasons were he's a cry baby, there's no way he had no bullets in his gun, he's a try hard, he's too much a spazz, ect. they said all of this AFTER stating they went back and rewatched the first episode of the original anime but its like, did they REALLY watch the first epsiode? because vash is all of those things right from the start. he screams, he freaks out, he cries, he has no bullets in his gun, he's just a complete and total dork.

honestly i could just feel the anger from this person seeping through the post as they stated that no one should watch the show and if you want to get into trigun, the reboot is not the place to start. they talk about the show as if the original was this perfect gem and to be honest, while yeah, the original show kicked ass and we all loved vash for who he is, the show wasnt perfect at all. there are even things said in the original that just wouldnt fly today, things that vash himself has said and done that would get him possibly cancelled.

after reading that post i decided that maybe i will give the reboot a watch, try it for myself. i had only seen gifs of it so far at the time of reading the post and to me the show honestly didnt seem that bad. i may not like the animation style but its perfect for such an animated person like vash. milly may not be in the show but i shouldnt let that spoil the experience. vash may look more like a child compared to how he looked in the original anime but that doesnt mean the design is bad.

so i gave the reboot a watch (8 episodes are out at the time of writing this, only 6 of them dubbed so i havent seen 7 or 8. i dont have hulu or anything so im watching on an anime website.) and im not really good at giving in depth reviews but for what the show is, i really like it. it's a different spin on things and if thats what people are upset about then thats on them. i still prefer the original anime and the things i dont like the reboot are still things i dont like but the show is still great on its own. if you're against the reboot but still want give it a try, watch it with an open mind. it's still the same vash that we know and love, he just looks different.

[s-ound-wave]

watching trigun stampede and the og trigun at the same time (every few episodes of trigun i watch one episode of stampede) since i've never seen the og before and figure this would give me as unbiased a view as possible, because i have a feeling (from the clips i've seen of stampede) that a lot of the bad reviews are just people who are blinded by nostalgia.

[digitalsatyr23]

Stampede vs Original Trigun

So I know a lot of people on here really liked Trigun Stampede, and I went in watching it with a pretty open mind because, believe it or not, I hadn’t actually watched the original Trigun up until that point. No specific reason, just never got around to it. When I heard that Stampede was going to be a fresh new take on it, I thought “Cool, since I’m not attached to the original series then this should work out just fine for me.” Well... I can see why some people like it, but it really isn’t for me. My understanding was always that Vash was a big pacifist, but Stampede’s Vash is such a non-main character. He gets a few cool moments here and there (and even I was hyped during that finale) but he does SO LITTLE in that entire season, other characters actively berate him for not doing stuff. Stampede did motivate me to try the original though. I thought the original would be merely “okay” since it’s an older show and I just wasn’t sure if it would hold up but got daym, its reputation is well-earned. The characters are all so fun and likable right out the gate and they’re both consistent and have lots of nice subtle layers to them. Vash in particular is a really great main character to see on-screen. He has his low moments but it all feels more authentic, in a way. Stampede’s Vash had his moments and I could totally understand WHY he felt the way he did, but he was basically a sadsack the entire time after like... I don’t know, the first episode? OG Vash is a sadsack sometimes and it’s clear that he’s really carrying around a lot of guilt and depression, so his goofy exterior seems to be a coping mechanism for those feelings. At the same time, he still stands up for others when he needs to and he also has genuine moments of anger, happiness, and peace. What I’m saying is original Vash just feels like a more fleshed out character to me. I’ve also really enjoyed the original’s rendition of Wolfwood so far. He’s quite a bit goofier than I expected him to be, but he bounces off the other characters rather nicely and he feels like a true buddy for Vash. The shooting contest episode was great because it helps highlight the similarities (and differences) between Vash and Wolfwood. I did enjoy Stampede’s Wolfwood but again, just like Stampede Vash, he felt like he really had one main character mode, and that was grumpy. Grumpy is fine (especially given the situations he ends up in) but a little variety never hurts, you know? And Milly? Milly??? I can see why people were sad she wasn’t in Stampede’s first season, because she’s such a treat. She’s funny, adorable, and always fun to see. Never a dull moment with her. She’s usually in the background most of the time but I notice she’s really observant for how airheaded they play her off as. Makes me wonder how they’ll handle her in Stampede S2. Also also, I do want to say I don’t 100% hate Trigun Stampede or anything. I really loved its art style and animation. It really pulls off the cartoony vibes original Trigun had sometimes, but in 3D so it’s even more lively, and the few traditionally animated sequences (such as Wolfwood’s backstory) were real highlights in that season. I just feel like the writing and characters in Stampede lack the depth and fun the original has. The old show has me hooked! I haven’t finished it yet so my opinion may change, but at least from what I’ve seen, I adore it.

[chibivesicle]

I must say I enjoy your long trigun critiques and episode breakdowns, but I gotta interject that the statement about Stampede "-since we really don’t get that feeling that Vash sees all life as sacred." is objectively wrong. I watch frequent reaction videos from a variety of anime fans who've never seen the OG show. They immediately pick up on the abnormal amount of mercy Vash displays towards literally EVERYONE, no matter what they do. Saving Jeneora Rock despite their betrayal, immediately trying to save the nebraska's the second their life is in danger, then physically getting in between father nebraska trying to kill E.G. the Mine. How he says to Meryl's face that being known as a coward and his own personal pride aren't worth anyone dying. First time trigun fans are picking up on these facts, and already starting to theorize why he acts this way, how does it tie in to the small slice of his backstory we've been shown so far, which I'm sure will get elaborated eventually. You can like the campy 90's hero staring at the camera proclaiming "LOVE & PEACE!" because I do too! But it's also abundently clear he doesn't have to do that in Stampede, that aspect of his timeless persona is still making itself known even to people who are totally unfamiliar with Vash the Stampede as a character.

Hello there,

Sorry for the slow reply, I had hoped to get to it during the week but work was very busy and I had to kick this to the weekend. Having time to mull over your comments, I agree that the very over the top Vash in the '98 anime and early on in the manga really set the tone for how he behaves. And with that being our only version of Vash until Stampede - it does take a lot of effort to go past a reactive point that Vash seems overly passive. I see this version of Vash and immediately react that he's too passive b/c he isn't being very forward. Previous Vash, well he in part made it a big deal in part by being distracting to de-escalate situations. I feel there was real logic to that approach, but it required him to be incredibly assertive.

It may not be the reply that you are looking for, but I think I would have a better feel for Stampede Vash if the story had more time to breathe and more time for character development. Honestly, my biggest sticking point with this series is the pacing and the rapid storyline. We don't need filler but this does not allow for the characters to have any room to breathe nor is it set up for a character arc or growth.

You are correct that Stampede Vash does demonstrate his philosophy through his actions and that he does not want to cause harm, but compared to many other elements of the storytelling - and this is where I'm going to highlight this is how I feel about it, just me - I think they are being too subtle with Vash. That's totally my own opinion, but since I'm seeing him as too subtle in his actions it makes it harder for him to stand out above the chaos. Knives was brutal in episode three and the contrast with everyone else being quite brutal makes it hard to be subtle. It also does dive into the epic levels of Vash guilt from the get go, but I feel something is missing. I think it in part, it goes back to the lack of character internal thoughts/dialogue in this show. If Vash had a thought of "Okay, this man is dangerous, I need to move to x location." Or even if we got other characters thoughts about his behaviors. It really wouldn't hurt the overall story. I don't want 100% epic internal dialogue, but sometimes, good internal thoughts go a long way for the viewers. Especially, if the character is trying to play it cool or keep it professional. We only saw chatty diversion Vash in episode one and that was it.

I think the other aspect is the choice for Vash to be set up as a more subtle character for his actions, while most other characters are what I'd call overly aggressive or assertive. And that does create a contrast of Vash being different from them it, again, to me feels out of sync with the rest of the storytelling. Perhaps, my critiques will change if I give the series more time to slosh around in my brain. I've known the original Trigun for over twenty years and I've watched it at different points in my life so I can say I see it in very different lights. The most recent watch had me liking Meryl even more as an older professional and understanding why her character was pretty darn awesome in the original anime. In a way it is unfair to compare a form of media that I've know for over two decades with something new . . . but it is also the nature of the beast.

My biggest fear with this version and the brutally fast pace is when we finally get the flashback to Vash and Rem and whatever equivalent to her, "My ticket had a blank/empty/unknown destination." speech, it won't give us enough information for us to understand where Vash is coming from. Hopefully, they don't do that, but I'm not holding my breath here.

I think one of the other things is that even when a form of media gets really dark, humor injected into it helps step things back. I've briefly referred back to the live action series Black Sails, mainly as I used it to compare with the meh ending of the manga Golden Kamuy. But it in a way has a dark undertone throughout all four seasons and lots of things are very bad, but it still has small amounts of humor which are timed just right that you never feel like it has pulled you into the abyss or also how the characters know they are likely fucked, but a self-aware snarky remark goes to show that yeah, they know their situation is ironic or will invite trouble. This is something that I wish Stampede would do - I get the vibe that Studio Orange wants it to be 'serious' but even in real world serious situations, someone is gonna crack a dumb joke and people are gonna laugh - 'cause what else are you gonna do? Even the Trigun Maximum manga had hella dark and depressing scenes but Wolfwood is there being a ham - 'cause what else are you gonna do when you got shit options?

This sort of veered off course, but yeah. The struggle to see Trigun Stampede without a lot of baggage is difficult.

[mixedup-sideblog]

To (a very vocal minority of) ‘Original Trigun Fans.’

I’m going to preface this with - obviously you are allowed to not like the show. Obviously there are valid criticisms of it especially if you’re viewing it through the lens of it being a reimagining of something you’ve already loved. I acknowledge and respect that.

BUT what I can’t respect is the clear blind hate pushed onto Stampede by some. Some who haven’t even watched half an episode of it, who decry it as a terrible show without even watching it. Those are the ones that are pissing me off.

Just because you ‘got there first’ doesn’t mean you’re better than anyone. Just because either by chance you came across it first or the person you’re talking to wasn’t old enough to read or watch it the first time you did doesn’t give you some special superiority over the plot or the characters.

If you don’t like Stampede fair, but why spam hate reviews? Why sit and talk constantly about how much you hate it when you have all the original stuff right there in-front of you! Stampede is helping others discover it! Be happy so many people have started Stampede then immediately consumed all other forms of Trigun because of it!

There are some criticisms I’ve seen like people refusing to watch because there is no Milly but I would argue we don’t know if she’s in it yet she could appear we literally know nothing. I have also seen criticism re pacing - unfortunately they don’t know if they’re getting a season two I assume that is why it’s got to be quick.

I’m desperate for season 2 which is why I get so mad seeing people putting others off or trying to get people not to watch simply because it’s not the original…it’s so so simple if you don’t like it maybe comment once and move on and don’t watch it. Don’t go on some long-ass tirade acting like it’s the worst thing to ever exist, like it’s your mission to prevent others from watching and enjoying it!

Studio Orange have put a hell of a lot of effort into this it’s so so clear that they care about the show they’re creating, hell it’s even approved by the original creator and if you want to talk having the right to gatekeep then if it’s anyone’s right (which it isn’t) then it’s him that has it!

I’ve seen so many original fans vocalising their happiness, their joy that Stampede is bringing new fans to the franchise, that new content is being made, that they can scream and shout about the characters again! I try to focus on them, but the ones spam hating are really grinding at me at the moment, please OGs if you like/are happy about Stampede tell us!

Sorry for this long rant I needed to get it out. For those who hate it simply for existing please re-evaluate yourselves. For those who love the original AND stampede please be vocal about it please be the vocal majority and drown out the other hate!

As the meme goes we’ve got two hands…

(Also as a side note I cannot fathom people hating on the visuals/CGI because it’s STUNNING)

[itsdetachable]

"i watched one episode of Trigun Stampede and it RUINED EVERYTHING"

you know the OG is still available to watch, right? You can just...go watch that...

i mean everyone is entitled to an opinion but it's not like this show is replacing the OG... and it's not like the OG replaced, or even accurately adapted the OG manga... and from what I understand Stampede is taking influence from Trigun Maximum which has some harder-hitting themes....and-

and just, it's an adaptation. It's NEVER going to be what you want it to be, which is your rose-tinted-nostalgia-memories of the OG Trigun. It's gonna be it's own thing and that's ok. and it's ok if you don't like it! it's fine! I thought I wasn't going to like it! I legit thought I was going to decide it wasn't worth my time but I ended up liking it!

It's not the OG Trigun, which is great because I have fond memories of the '98 Trigun and this isn't going to replace them. It's also not a strict manga retelling, or whatever, it's it's own thing and that's awesome.

whatever i'm screaming into the void