#i love you meryl stryfe. so Much

[tarteggs]

misc 3gun doodles from the past few months

[ohitslen]

Millymeryl eheh :)

Just one more.

[spaltedrat]

polygun + vw shenanigans :3

[ruporas]

studies from the finale

[cozylittleartblog]

my ACEN tip gimmick has been fulfilled, aaand i got a little carried away with it. I haven't had time to draw for myself (or at all, really??) in like two weeks, i needed to Doodle and Have Fun. ... also, i did not think he would get so many donuts. people understand the value of giving treats to fictional characters :) its what he deserves

also shoutout to snazzyskeletons who had the same Tip Theme i did. we took pictures with our tip jars together. they are adorable v

i'm glad their vash got some donut money too :) 🍩 please check them out if you want some cute trigun stuff

[joicecubes]

i feel like ever since i began engaging in the lovely world of polyamorous ships, (it started with a crackship between vash, gojo, and sans, dont ask) my eyes have just… opened. you ever have two ships you really love? but you can’t ship both at once? spoiler alert: you can!!!! you love vashwood, but you also love dipping your toes in a bit of vashmeryl? ship all three of them!! and then you get to play around with merylwood dynamics too. you like millymeryl as well? awe, shucks!!! guess you’ll have to ship all four of them!! what a tragedy!

[alexxuun]

I want to eat her character design.

[kitamars]

[avatar au] first meetings :D

[itachanta]

Okay, so, I was in bed looking for Tristamp fanart, and I came across a comment online that said Meryl's voice reaching Vash in chapter 12 was cheap, and it happened only because she is "the girl". My mind went immediately ballistic so hard i almost fell to the floor. Like, did we watch the same show at all? (screaming in a fit of rage)

Here i'm going (rolls up sleeves) beware spoilers. (and sorry for my broken english)

Meryl was the start of the show. She was our eyes, the narrator, the witness, and the rope that first tied the main group together (pun intended).

She started following Vash out of curiosity, then by admiration, her beliefs, and a big determination to help him and learn more about him, through danger, even not knowing how to fight or even lift a pistol.

Vash, despite loving humans, was, at the same time, distant to them and closed off. Almost every time, sooner or later, he ended up bringing some form of misery, hurt or loss to the humans around him, or they ended up betraying him. That's why he was called the "humanoid typhoon". We have Jenora Rock as an example. After the downfall with Knives, even Rosa, who seemed to know him for a long time, blamed him and tossed him out of her life. (I'm not roasting Rosa, i understand it's easy to put the blame on others when you suffer a great loss).

Meryl, witnessed all of this, and still followed him.

Meryl, who learned what Vash really is, and saw his markings, and even though she was surprised, she still smiled to him the next day.

Meryl, who was kidnapped to trap Vash into coming to July, and was told the truth about plants and humanity, but still didn't bail.

Meryl, who lost her mentor because of her decision to follow Vash, and didn't blame him, at all.

Meryl, who ran straight to try to save him, even though it was very dangerous and she could have ended up dead.

In the moment Vash was totally robbed of his bodily autonomy, his will, and basically, he was being violated, a tiny human, who followed him around through danger, challenged his views but never blamed him, smiled to him, wasn't afraid of him and supported him, was there, calling his name, calling for him to come back. A tiny human who believed in him, along with Luida, Brad and Rem.

This was specially noticeable when Vash was running, following Rem's voice. We can hear her say to him,"Thank you for protecting my dreams and my hopes", this, refering to her ideals about plants and humans coming together, wanting to create a bridge between them with their help, as she said to the twins when they were kids. And JUST RIGHT AFTER THIS, when he is looking down with sorrow and closes his eyes, Rem's voice calling his name mixes with Meryl's, and with that final push, he opens his eyes with a changed look, this time hearing only Meryl, and he gets out. THIS DETAIL GUYS. THE EYES. THE VOICES. LOOK AT THE GIFS.

THE CHANGE IN HIS EYES?????

Just imagine, after everything he went through, after being psychologically tortured by Knives, what was for him to hear Meryl CALLING HIS NAME and trying to save him. WAITING FOR HIM in a very dangerous place when she could have just, you know, escaped. His hopes in humanity, Rem's values and love lessons, compressed in this small tiny koala person. How can you even think, her voice reaching him, was FREAKING CHEAP OR DIDN'T DO ANYTHING? ASDJLAJKDASHDASKDLASDBASKD (dramatically sharpening a knife)

[fixhbones]

i think i forgor topost these .peace and love❤️

[lovilena]

I HATE THIS SHOW SO MUCH!,IT HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE!!

anyways, anyone want trigun doodles?

[redhotarsenic]

✨Ready….Camera….Action!!✨

[funshinebf]

insurance girls + trigun but cats. youre welcome btw

[maggotcat]

ummm btw vash and meryl kitties

[ruporas]

post ep 11

[cimeret]

I'm super late for this buuut I'm going to continue writing down some thoughts about Stampede. Haven't watched ep 9 yet, this will only be about 4 - 8.

So, I'm 8 episodes into Trigun Stampede, and my initial opinion of the series hasn't changed much. I'm still very much in love with the gorgeous visuals—there's more than one moment in every episode where I have to pick my jaw up off the floor! It's not just the action scenes with their creative camera movements, but also the pretty landscapes in the few quieter moments, or the way the series manages to portray horror and gore in a way that makes me physically cringe without going overboard. On the other hand, both pacing and characterization, while improving with each episode, are still a bit of a weak point for me in the new series.

The most beautiful thing about Stampede, though, is all the genuine enthusiasm and love I've seen for this series and the characters. I just love how positive the fanbase is. Reading the reactions or seeing people get creative after each new episode is almost the best part of watching! My dash is overflowing with love for these characters and their stories and I'm totally here for it! So I'm going to go along with that and will mostly just gush without restraint about all the things I love so far.

Obvious spoilers for Trigun Stampede (up to ep 8) under the cut (and also for the older series and the manga)

Is it just me or do the visuals get better every week? This series makes me want to run all the beautiful gifs and videos on an endless loop so I can just stare at them forever. I mean ... just look!

I go weak at all these long, long takes with their beautiful camera movements and Trigun Stampede definitely spoils me in that regard. And yet when the show's visuals most surprised me, it was in a totally different way. I wasn't prepared for the calm, contemplative scenes in the flashback with Livio and Wolfwood. Not only is their story itself heartbreaking and tragic—the soft 2D animation style, the silent film vibes, and music give these flashbacks a bittersweet yet eerie feel. They stand out from the rest of the series as if their story is part of a different, older universe. And how well that fits thematically with Wolfwood and Livio, whose entire lives have been revamped by the Eye of Michael. They have literally been forced into a new, more cruel story. Setting the flashbacks to the soft, lonely tones of a flute is ingenious; for me, this music captures the spirit and feel of the old series so well and triggers feelings of wistfulness and nostalgia, which made the flashback that much more emotionally effective. The soundtrack of the old series is iconic and I've tried not to make comparisons so far, because I feel like it sets up an impossible standard for any new adaptation. But again, this is where I'm starting to grow more and more fond of Stampede. I never skip the opening and I'm totally obsessed with the music video by Kvi Baba, which just bombards your brain with effects and colors and quick cuts until you become addicted. Studio Orange knows how to hook you with the visuals and they have proven that they can do not only loud and flashy scenes, but also quiet and soulful ones.

And I still wish we could have more of the latter. In my last review I said that I wanted this series to turn me into an emotional mess, and damn if Stampede didn't manage that more than once. It's the contrast between the quiet, sad and somber moments and the colorful, fast-paced, often gruesome action that draws me in the most. When Stampede finds that balance, the series is brilliant. And I could wax poetic again about Vash and how I think he's really the heart of this series because he embodies that contrast perfectly. I still miss his crazy antics from the old series and his funny and goofy personality, but I think there's also something to be said for this more repressed, softer Vash, for a much more open and direct portrayal of his issues like his depression, his eating disorder, his guilt and suicidal thoughts. Those things existed in the older series as well, but they were much more hidden under Vash's mask, often so well that they could even fool the viewer. And I don't mean to say that one approach is better than the other. Both have a lot to offer, and the more I think about it, the more I like that we now have two Vashs with similar problems and backgrounds, but with different personalities and ways of dealing with their struggles. I love haunted characters who are tortured by the narrative in increasingly cruel ways, beyond what any human should ever have to endure, and I love watching them getting back up and doing their best and smiling and fighting on and refusing to break down despite everything. Heroes are empowering. But there have to be moments when the mask comes off. There have to be moments when they're vulnerable and doubtful, moments when they lose their bravery and hope and either have to accept outside help or slowly pull themselves back together, because that's what ultimately makes them seem real and relatable and inspiring. I think this was done particularly well with ep 8. This is the lowest we've seen of Vash so far, and I hope that the flashback at this point wasn't just inserted to give viewers background on Vash and Knives and clear up some of the mysteries that have been building up over previous episodes. I hope that the issues raised by the flashback are also carried into the present timeline of the story, and that we get some strong character moments where Vash, for example, has to confront his past. A lot of things have been building up—Wolfwood and Livio and all the people trailing Vash, we have the tension between Wolfwood and Vash and their brief talks about ethics and morality, Meryl has the photo and so many questions, hints to Vash's identity as a plant have been revealed, Legato is hot on Vash's heels—at best, all of this should not merely serve as a setup for more brilliant action, but make for tense conversations between characters, drama and difficult decisions. I am more than curious where Stampede will take us! (And I really can't imagine how all this is going to be resolved in four episodes, so let's hope the rumors are true and we do indeed get more than 12 episodes.)

I could say so much more —about how the plants are portrayed in this series, about the atmosphere on the sand steamer, the awesome animation of the heavy machinery, the brief appearance of the Bad Lads Gang, about Brad and Luida.... But I want to talk very quickly about Meryl. I still think Stampede should take more time to develop her personality and her relationship with Roberto. By now I understand a little better the direction the show wants to go with the juxtaposition of the two: Roberto, the jaded superior who is trying to maintain a professional approach and would understandably rather stay out of trouble, and newbie Meryl, who is suddenly developing a personal interest in Vash and the events, and is tired of being a helpless and clueless bystander. So yes, I understand why they put her with Roberto instead of Milly. Roberto also gets a few moments where his character is more than a mere archetype or tool for exposition. And I hope they continue in that direction, because I think these two have a lot of potential.

The scene where Meryl stays in the control room of the sand steamer to trigger the cannon, and her speech to Roberto (and yay for the callback to Jeneora Rock and Tonis' injury!)—that scene had me crying and cheering for her. It was such an important moment. With all these superhuman men who are constantly getting riddled with bullets and losing so much blood that I feel sorry for their poor overworked kidneys and bone marrow that have to replace that amount ... yeah, it's easy to forget that Meryl is just a small human lady who has probably led a pretty sheltered life. (Not that life on Gunsmoke is easy for anyone, but it's different from the horrors that Vash, Wolfwood, Livio and co. have been through.) She doesn't have the physical strength of the other characters, and that makes her courage all the more remarkable and inspiring. The same goes for Roberto. In a way, these two are the characters that viewers can relate to the most, and I would love if Stampede didn't just use this fact to portray them as more or less passive agents who just uncover information and voice aloud all the questions that viewers are also wondering. Instead, I hope the series continues to show us what it does to ordinary human characters to witness these events, how it changes them psychologically, and how they begin to question themselves, their lives, and their values.

Because for me that's what Trigun is all about: what does it mean to be human, and how can we maintain our humanity despite this seemingly cruel and unjust life we're thrust into?

Anyway, I've been writing on this for so long that ep 9 should have dropped by now. So I'll dive right back in. It's actually quite nice to write these little reviews before watching the new episode, so that all the ideas and speculations are still fresh in the back of my mind. Since I'm expecting the new episode to be quite tense and heavy, with young Vash and Knives finally meeting each other, I'll probably be an emotional wreck for the rest of the day.

What a truly wonderful way to spend your Saturday!