Trigun Stampede plays with expectations
With Anime NYC in the books, I can comfortably say that the highlight of my day on the floor was the panel on Trigun Stampede.
As a special treat for attendees who snagged a spot in the audience, producers Kiyotaka Waki, Katsuhiro Takei, and Yoshihiro Watanabe provided insight into how the show came about as well as the first full episode in all its glory. It won’t surprise anyone who has read many of my articles on Rice Digital that I am a huge fan of the original anime, so I was beyond excited to get an early glimpse of the first episode of this reimagining of Vash’s adventures.
How does this first episode hold up to this fan’s lofty expectations? To my genuine surprise, pretty well.
Trigun Stampede’s First Episode Breakdown
At first glance, it can be jarring for fans going into this new show who are familiar with the original anime. Most of the details are still tightly under wraps until the show finally premieres in January 2023, but one clear thing was that it was going to stray from the original in a big way. The trailers featured new characters and returning favourites like Meryl Strife in new roles as well as a new, younger-looking Vash the Stampede.
The producers from Orange and Toho at the panel explained that this was taking a very Western comic approach to adaptations. Specifically citing the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they mused that there are countless interpretations of a comic book character, with some of the best ones straying far from the source material while still keeping their core intact. That seems to be the intention here, as they change key parts of the story in Trigun Stampede to differentiate it from what has come before.
The first few episodes of the original Trigun anime left viewers in the dark as to the true identity of this strange man in a red coat. Is he truly Vash the Stampede or just another pretender? Is he as helpless as he seems or is he capable of the inhuman feats of gunslinging the outlaw is known for? This question is answered within a few moments of Trigun Stampede. Vash’s identity is confirmed quickly and he even uses his iconic Angel Arms pistol within the closing moments of the first episode, something he didn’t do for several episodes of the original anime.
Most of who Vash is was explained in this first episode, including his backstory with Project SEEDS. This, along with changing Meryl’s profession from insurance adjuster to rookie reporter and thus removing the anti-capitalist messaging of the original, was the biggest disappointment for me. Not because it isn’t handled well but because I am, by my own admission, too attached to the original. Trigun Stampede sets out in its opening episode to establish that it is something entirely new and that is a good thing, even if my old brain has trouble wrapping itself around it.
There are other things that, because this anime is being produced more than a decade after the manga ended rather than alongside it, are handled better than the original. A quick throwaway line in Trigun Stampede’s first episode does more to explain the nature of the Plants than anything in the often-contradictory original. Plot points are foreshadowed early on, allowing the writers to pace the information drip a bit better.
Most of all, there is a sense of a deeper world at play here. Trigun Stampede has already done more to present a more living, vibrant setting than the first few episodes of the original did, with interesting characters and a sense of constant peril as people’s fates are tied directly to their local Plant.
The biggest thing that works in this first episode, however, is Vash himself. Trigun Stampede, like the stories that came before it, is about this man with a huge bounty on his head as he tries to live a life of peace in an unpeaceful world. He is goofy and silly at times, cowardly and awkward when it suits him. Yet, he is the most capable and heroic person in the world, saving an entire town with a single bullet. The comedy here is on point, but more important is the fact that they get Vash down beautifully. His multiple sides are all on display here, setting him up for a wonderfully chaotic adventure.
The animation and action are all beautifully presented here. While CGI animation might not be everyone’s first choice, no one does facial expressions in the format as well as Orange, who have put the work in to make sure that Vash moves with inhuman speed at just the right moments. Even the first trailer didn’t do their work justice. There are moments of grand action and personal, introspective points balanced perfectly against each other.
Trigun Stampede will feel jarring for older fans like me who have a certain idea of what Trigun’s themes should be, but, if we’re able to push that out of our minds and take it for what it is rather than what we want it to be, there is so much worth seeing here. The crew clearly understands and loves the original but also set out to make something that explores the unseen portions of Nightow’s manga. Based just on this first episode, Trigun Stampede has become one of my most anticipated anime of 2023.
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