I vaguely recall attempting to watch an episode or two of Trigun on Cartoon Network back in the day (and not continuing any further, as you can infer). Looking back now, I can’t remember which ones I saw exactly, but I realize now that they were definitely two of the later episodes. My worst fears were not exactly abated when I saw this at the beginning:
TRENCHCOATS! GUNS! ROCK MUSIC! BULLETS! GROTESQUE DUDES! Clearly, this anime was straight from Japan and not kid’s stuff. Serious business then ensued, which was totally DARK but unfortunately did not reflect my tortured teenage soul (I did not care about the rest of humanity, you see, because mom and dad did not care about me) since I was well, neither teenaged nor in possession of a tortured soul at the time.
Of course, the whole fact that I’m seeing random chunks of the show out of context didn’t help. Watching things in order from the beginning this time obviously made the show a lot more enjoyable. Most important was not the reordering but rather the much-needed levity in the beginning. Having Vash goof around first before bringing in his DARK past prevents the show from instantly drowning in self-importance.
The other thing that I quite liked about Trigun was the the emphasis in “space western” this time was not on the “space” but the “western”. Emphasizing the “space” part too much always grinds my gears since almost ironically, the location doesn’t really matter that much even though the genre is, after all, called “western”. Along with space westerns, there are colonial westerns, curry westerns, noodle westerns, and easterns. I’m leaving out spagetti westerns and red westerns since those are about the place of production, rather than the setting.
Anyway, most space westerns to me feel like they focus too much on the fact that they’re in space rather than on the actual “western” stuff. Just because a bounty hunter is a teensy bit like a cowboy (honestly, only a teensy bit) is not enough. Drifters, righting the wronged, bringing in “civilization”, and so on are the kinds of things that really make a western a western. Not the fact that you’ve had to do a lotta hard livin’ in your day and have done some things that you regret doin’. Here, the “space” provided just a dash of steampunk to provide a little spice.
Would I watch it even if I weren’t forced? I guess I kinda had to, huh?
One of the first series I watched on DVD back in 2000. Barely had 20 shows under my belt at the time. I really loved the music, and possibly one of the first shows I cried to a character death. I was such a nub. Those were the days.
What did you think of Vash? I totally hate those pacifist characters.
other than that, I loved it, they dont make action shows like that anymore…
So are you going to watch Girl-Fantasy Trigun next?
Ah Trigun, thats a nostalgia kick and a half!
One of the first anime I watched. It was awesome back then. I refuse to now start looking at it critically.
But even when you look at it critically it’s still awesome. Once the story hits its gear it really turns into something absorbing, with some hard-hitting drama long the way. And at the very least, it has one of the most genuinely menacing bad-guys I’ve seen in anime, even after all these years, in Legato Bluesummers.
Even looking critically at it it’s still fun. I mean, you’re not going to think that ZOMG THIS IS TEH AWESOMEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN like you would have when you were 14 and just realizing that this is not kid’s stuff, but if it aried now you’d still watch it and enjoy it.
Oh this takes me back.
I loved this show. Right up there with Cowboy Bebop.
Memories…
this is totally one of those “this was awesome 10 years ago but I don’t know if I’d bother with it now” shows
Hinano just explained the why on Trigun, though justification of watching it because of Vash’s antics would also do (much like watching Cowbow Bebop not just because it’s awesome but because it’s funny at most).
this was the first anime I’d ever watched subbed. It was a blast then and it still is every time I rewatch it.
This all said, out of those three space shows on Cartoon Network, I do have to say that I liked Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop more.
What’s “Girl Fantasy Trigun”? Grenadier?
I’ve had the Trigun Remix DVDs sitting at the bottom of my to-watch pile for at least six months now, along with the obligation-purchase Gankutsuou set. I wonder if there’s much of a difference between the original DVDs and the Remix stuff.
Oh, and Outlaw Star? Yech.
I hadn’t heard anything about the difference between the original and the remix, either.
There were more hot chicks in Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop. The girls in Trigun don’t compare well to Faye or the wooden-sword-wielding samurai chick in Outlaw Star.
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