Trigun: Badlands Rumble

When you hear the name "Vash the Stampede" mentioned in an anime conversation, what is the first thing you think of? If it happens to be Trigun in the first 5 seconds, I can safely guarantee without you even reading this review that you will like this movie....

...and if I asked if you heard the name "Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III", and you answered with a smile that it's from the same anime, I can personally guarantee that this movie may even become a personal favorite.

So your probably wondering where I'm getting at ... by asking you these questions. Simple. If you haven't heard of Trigun in this day and age and you call yourself an anime fan, I suggest you stop what you're doing and go buy this anime classic quicksmart as the movie is tribute to this once great series.

Trigun, like many other classics I can mention, was pretty much entry level for anyone new to anime back in the day. When people use to ask why I watch "cartoons", I just had to sit them in front of a TV with this series playing and they were pretty much hooked line and sinker.(unless they were girls. period.)

Now before I start I'm going to be honest and admit that this review is going to be biased. Yes I'm a big fan of Trigun and yes Vash & Wolfwood happens to be 2 of my favorite anime characters of all time, but that's not what I'm going to be biased about. Let's just say that my favoritism stems from nostalgia.

When I had first watched the TV series, I was in my first year of college and the anime club of 6 people I belonged to were still watching anime via VHS.

"Ah yes....those were the days when hitting rewind actually meant you wait a few minutes"

So when I heard that Trigun had its movie premiere in early 2010, I was pretty much waiting in anticipation for it to hit our shores, and was also disappointed that the wait was going to be a while due to the producers not coming to my backwater country.

But as the saying goes: "all good things come to those who wait", and boy was it good!

Trigun: Badlands Rumble was created for fans of the TV series. There was never a dull moment while watching the film and if anything, it had made me fall in love with the series all over again.

Without giving too much of a spoiler, Badlands Rumble is about Vash's encounter with a bank robber named Gasback prior to the TV series. Due to Vash's "love and peace" nature, he lets Gasback go after foiling his botched robbery knowing full well that the man may become a threat to society later on.

Fast-forward 20 years later and the location is Makka City which most of the events take place for the movie. We are shown Gasback, now as a legendary bank robber with a very high bounty to his name(still paling in comparison to Vash's) and a horde of bounty hunters after his head in that city.

Now I'm not 100% sure if the film is in the same timeline as the TV series or an alternate(since Wolfwood makes an appearance) and if it is, where in the series it would have most likely taken place, but one thing I can say is that the movie had retained that 'certain feel' which most fans had come to love about Trigun.

The original cast of Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl and Milly was a welcome sight after 10 long years, and seeing their antics and personalities in a cinematic film was a treat for any fan of the series.

We are also provided with 2 new characters who play pivotal roles in the film. The first being Gasback(a cheap knock-off of Brilliant Dynamite Neon from episode 7 of the TV series) and the other named Amelia: a female bounty hunter with a dark past which slowly unveils through the course of the movie(and whose character design is equivalent to a female version of Ruth the bounty hunter in episode 1)

Now after rattling on about the glory days that is Trigun, you'll probably be thinking that animation is old school as well, but let me stop you there. If there's one thing age has helped with this movie, it would have to be its art and animation. Whilst Badlands Rumble had captured the essence of the original series, you'll find that Madhouse Studio had really put a lot of effort to this movie giving you eye-candy that is both rich in texture and detail, and at best could even give series made in 2010 a run for their money.

From story to character design, art and animation, soundtrack and even original voice actors, I found Badlands Rumble to be very well balanced and even accommodating for those new to the franchise. The pacing never felt "off", and everything had been executed so well that you could have even viewed this as a standalone.

In conclusion I found Trigun:Badlands Rumble to have the right elements to which the original series was well known for - a space western comedy packed with action and stunning gunplay that pays homage to the fans who loved the TV series whilst also a great introduction for those new to it.

The day was 4/2/2010, the location was Seattle WA at the World premiere of the Trigun movie, shown to a lucky audience at Sakura Con. The movie was Presented in person by Takahiro Yoshimatsu, and Saoshi Nishimura (the director). It was presented in Japanese only with no subtitles and I do not speaky the Japanesey. So I wasnt able to grasp the depth of the story.... :( but it was good!!!!!

I strongly believe that everyone could enjoy watching this movie. The reasons that make the Trigun series good is also what makes this movie good. If you like Trigun, you ... will like this movie. IF you havent seen the original story, it probably wont spoil anything (but then again maybe it will...) , but it will probably leave you asking a few questions... So just go watch the awesomeness that the series is first, if you have time. You will be able to appreciate this movie the most after having watched the series. I am very likely to watch it many more times, as soon as i can :D.


What you should expect from this movies is all of the same awesomeness that the original story provided. The artwork was virtually identical to the original series, and the humor was excellent (basing this fact only on what i could see was funny, I'm 100% sure there was a lot of vocal humor i missed as well). I do not think that it added anything to the original story.


EXTRA INFORMATION:

This story takes place somewhere after Wolfwood appears and as the director indicated : "It is an event that Could have taken place somewhere within the story of the series". It didn't seem to add anything to the original story, so it could be considered similar to a filler episode, but were talking about Vash the Stampede here, could there really be such a thing as a filler episode when Vash is involved? :3 Plus it was wicked awesome to watch.

It is worthy to note, that when the director was telling us some background about the movie (though a translator), he told us that the reason that this movie even exists is because of the American fan-base, which was so extremely vocal about wanting more Tri-gun. (FEEL VERY PROUD TODAY ALL YOU TRIGUN FANS!!!) This was also the reason we were able to watch this movie even before it was shown in Japanese theaters.

I was one of the lucky ones to catch the UK premiere of Badlands in Scotland's film festival cinema, among other animations, in Japanese with subtitles, but missed the first screening in Glascow where the producer himself introduced the movie to the audience.

heres the rundown.

- Awesome and refreshing to see polished Trigun art 12 years after the series.High quality animation deeply rich in detail, movement, and beautifully packed environments. The sound effects were flawless and the music, although not heard frequently, is great.

-The story sits comfortably as a filler in the series which to me was initially a downside since the ... plot did not involve the main characters' own backstories from the episodes, but solely their humour and personalities. (several times we were howling laughter, especially in a long bar fight scene)

Its a crazy action packed futuristic western robbery with a crushingly sweet emotional side plot, to which the producer pointed out that "this is a movie for beer and laughter, and having a blast!" and hell yeah, I felt the audience were gonna run a hole in the screen from how much they laughed, cheered ,and clapped, and I was no stranger.

Personally, I think anyone can watch this and leave satisfied, but the Trigun fans will know why the characters, especially Vash, act as how they do and will be more merciful to the very few cheesy plot turns towards the end of the film.

Because im sick of drowning in this modern cinema shitstorm, Watching this or any anime in theater was on my bucket list, and Id hate myself if i didnt give it a 10/10.I highly recommend watching it.

Trigun Badlands Rumble is a very good movie, with some nice nostalgia for Trigun fans.

It's in the style of the first half of the series, Vash wandering around getting into trouble and helping people out. He runs into our cool heroine of the movie, Amelia, and she's quite likable. Of course, Meryl, Millie, and Wolfwood are in the house as well.

The story here is not black and white with good guys and bad guys, it's interesting in that the villains of this movie aren't all that evil, and overall the movie has a more laid-back feel than you might expect.

One cool aspect is how ... they incorporate Vash's past and how old he is, by tying in a flashback from 20 years prior into the current events. We have some nice fun dialogue, great slapstick humor, a crazy bar brawl, lots of action, and a bit of drama to give it some weight. The animation is the most flawless aspect of the movie, the art is detailed and it's lushly done. There's a lot of great detail, and all the wacky background characters have a lot of care put into them.

Overall, though the plot takes a couple clever turns, overall the movie is just a nicely done, very straightforward light action romp, done well. I enjoyed the ending especially, which had a nice way of commenting on Vash's ideals. And of course, this movie is even better for letting us hang out with those classic Trigun characters for another hour and a half. Check it out!

After almost 12 years, Yasuhiro Nightow's western sci-fi series Trigun blazes back onto the scene with a new adventure about bankrobbers, consequences and another dose of the Humanoid Typhoon. However, is this blast from the past able to keep up with the times? Let's see...

Story:
The underlining premise of Badlands Rumble is that is right in line with the first episodes of the original series: Wanderer Vash the Stampede brings chaos where ever he goes and even if he isn't the one leveling towns, he tends to cause his share of "peaceful destruction". The series' signature goofy comedy and hectic gunfights are back in full force, ... capturing the wild west feeling while seamlessly blending the sci-fi elements. The overall world of Nightow's series remains intact, with bounty hunters causing trouble, insurance companies working over time and the line between good and bad bleeding through.

What viewers need to address, however, isn't only what they want from the movie, but what the movie wants for itself (if that makes any sense). If you come to this movie expecting a sequel to the manga franchise or a re-imagining of the dated parent animated saga, you may be disappointed. What you will get, however, is Trigun's essence: one man's struggle to uphold his ideas as he works to create the peaceful world he wants. The plot is predictable, yes. The "twists" are to be expected, indeed. The path of the story is one that has been tread before, of course. The film doesn't want to rely on its predictable story, though. It's more of a device to introduce you to the characters and the world of Trigun.

Art:
It's easy to say that Badlands Rumble looks better than its parent story. After all, its been over a decade since the original was animated. However, the quality of animation of B.R is able to also keep up with the best of the current generation. Bullet effects, bar fights, blood pews from foreheads, finger flicks on the noggins, and Vash's needle hair are all rendered with a clean clarity punctuated by vivid colors. The background ambiance of the dusty town on planet Gunsmoke is littered with the crazy designs of all the bounty hunters, having every hair color imaginable and costumes designs that combine technology with grittiness expected from a space western like Trigun.

Character designs keep within the spirit of Trigun, with Vash, Wolfwood and the Bernadelli Insurance girls donning their trademark garbs. Amelia and Gasbag, along with the other more prominent side characters, fit right in with the environment as well. There may have been a few little hiccups of seemingly skipped frames (how did that guy all the way over there end up wrapped up in the tarp over here?), but on a visual basis, B.R is the modern improvement Trigun desperately needed to fight on even ground with most of the other modern animation masterpieces.

Sound:
One department that the original did not lack in was sound and B.R keeps pace with its predecessor for the most part. Johnny Young Bosch returns to his role as Vash, his cheery voice completing the image of the character for many of the series' fans. The other voices of Wolfwood, Meryl and Milly aren't around for the ride, but their replacements are still great and in some cases actually better than their originals. The OST of B.R is expertly used to back-up scenes, giving emphasis on words and actions with the right mix of western and other influences. Even the reworked version of H.T, Trigun's old OP, was a welcome addition.

Characters:
The movie does what a lot of movie side stories do: they put pre-made characters in unique situations and don't change them too much. After all, if you have movie that doesn't quite fit in with the canon of the original work, changing the characters too much could step on some toes. That being said, the character relationships are well built as Wolfwood and Vash bicker like an old married couple while Milly and Meryl just try to survive the madness and keep it from getting any worse, only to have comedy ensue.

Okay, so you know the original cast is fine, but what about everyone else? Well, the side characters, like Gasbag's three stooges, as well as the other bounty hunters, are more comic relief than anything, but the main baddie, Gasbag, can pull his weight. His character is, at its core, one of a violent hedonist. He pulls heists in Michael Bay- ways, always keeping his victims afraid of what he'll do next. Like many modern day villains, he's just an excuse to see the hero shine, but his fights and interactions with Vash are at least entertaining. Amelia is a standard character with a predictable attachment to the antagonist, a love-hate relationship with Vash and a brief but humorous contract with Wolfwood. She sees the fault in her ways near the end and reacts accordingly. Perhaps her one truly unique characteristic is her early allergic reaction to men, which is sad. However, she is not a waste of space. Her past fills out her role in the story so even though she doesn't make the movie one of a kind, she, along with the rest of the characters, don't drag the movie down either.

Enjoyment:
As a pretty good fan of Trigun, I had read about this show before watching it, so I knew that this wasn't going to be a movie that would significantly change how I see the series. It did, however, reinforce my idea that Trigun can accomplish both humor, action and sentiment all at once. The show's story, while predictable and heavily reliant on the characters, is one that matches with the tones of the series. The art and sound can easily keep with the best of this generation, while the world and character designs bring back Trigun's unqiue flavor to the anime battleground. The original cast stays true to form, combining the comedy and the action in ways only they can do, while the new gang does their jobs as plot devices and additional comic relief pretty well.

On its own, Trigun: Badlands Rumble is a nice popcorn flick with a humane touch. Taken with the series, it turns into a nice excuse to bring the gang back together and maybe even gauge interest in a "Brotherhood-esque" re-imagining of the series. Since its been about 4 years since the movie came out, its probably not going to happen, but its still a good bit of fanservice none the less.

The grade for this movie is a "meaty 7", as it's a good show in its own right. Fans of the show should at least give it a try, while newcomers can get a modern taste of the franchise before deciding if they want to give it a shot. You won't lose anything if you don't watch the show, but you have a chance to gain something if you do.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble トライガン Review


Story (9/10) Great

The story in Trigun Badlands is yes predictable but sometimes you don't need some super deep story in every single story especially in an anime movie which is why I liked this movie a bit more than the Cowboy Bebop Movie. Like said the plot is simple and I which the actual anime had interesting story instead of what it decided to focus on. I think with Vash's personality it fits well in a simple stories like these even though in majority of the episodic episodes in the actual anime I found them uninteresting the movie is different and ... I'll talk more about that later. The story for movie is great.


Art and Animation (10/10) Outstanding

Never had an issue with Trigun's artstyle or animation when I watched the original, so to see it back in this movie which was created basically 10 years after the anime ended and me watching it 5 years after this movie aired, both artsyle and animation i feel are better than your average anime that gets released these days. Granted this is usually how all anime movies are and it is what it is, Madhouse did an outstanding job on it and that's all there is to it.


Sound (9/10) Great
More Specifically (9.75/10) Great+

The sound for the movie is great, better than the anime which is required. I didn't think the sound was bad for the anime but I just didn't think anything sounded unique but for this movie that's a different story. Firstly Wolfwood's cross weapon actually does have a unique sound to it when it comes to sound effects. All the voice actors are back and they sound a bit different but in a good way, still quite authentic to how they sounded 10 years ago. Johnny Yong Bosch is back as Vash and even though he sound just like he did 10 years ago it does sound like he's alot more comfortable from an acting perspective I mean he did play alot of roles since he first debuted into dubbing anime with Vash so to come back to his first character I personally can tell he's learn a few things without changing too much to Vash's voice, I'm also glad he didn't keep that annoying laugh he did back in the original. The voice for Milly has changed and even though the new girl voice acting her she does a good job making Milly sound quite similar although Milly did have an accent on her that the new girl didn't seem to quite catch but it doesn't break the character what so ever since if we are going to argue originality then we would have to talk about the JP VA. And lastly the OST chosen throughout the movie I found to be a good choice at it had a wild wild west theme OST going on through the entire anime which I don't remember the anime doing and then it had a remix/updated version of the theme song of the anime play during the return of Vash at the end of the movie that I found quite nostalgic since that's the only thing from the sound category I liked from the original. The sound category for this movie is great.


Characters (8/10) Very Good

The characters like Meryl and Milly still found uninteresting and annoying but for Vash it finally clicks with me what people find so entertaining about this guy from a comedic standpoint. His childish and wacky attitude in the anime I didn't find funny or entertaining but in this movie he did make me laugh about two times so that counts for something. Like the part where he meets the new female character Amelia and rubs his face against her foot and she freaks out, I found scenes like this quite entertaining and funny. Speaking of Amelia I found her to be a very good new character, I personally wish she was in the anime there wasn't anyone like her in there, just a bitch and a bimbo. Anyway her story is very good, I also thought the main agonist Gasback was a good villain also as he had a bigger bounty on his head than Vash's which both the anime and the movie kept shoving in the viewers face, he also showcases some great gunplaying scenes when he's rampaging through the city to get his revenge halfway thru the movie, his little story the movie introduces I also found simple but interesting nonetheless.


Enjoyment (10/10) Masterpiece

My enjoyment was at an all time high for this movie, if you've read this far I've already stated that basically every category I found enjoyment if anything in. Other anime movies it usually takes me two sessions to finish it because I usually get bored halfway through movies, the Cowboy Bebop movie to give a recent example even though I thought that movie was great also at the end of the day I stopped watching it halfway through came back to it later to finish it off, but not for this movie. It kept my full attention through the entire time which it was I have to get this a 10 because at the end of the day that's why we watch anime right? for enjoyment.


Overall (9/10) Great
More Specifically (9.15/10)

I'm so glad I took the time to watch this movie as it's probably one of the best gunslinger anime movies I've ever seen. I wish the anime left such an impression on me because I was quite disappointed the route the anime decided to take. But when I think about it, it's probably not best to marathon such a series as I personally think Vash's personality can't be taken all at one time you'll probably start to feel like Meryl. Anyway I feel Trigun is better as a movie than an anime and I'm glad I can leave this series with a good taste in my mouth.

Back in 1998, I was only 2 years old, and it wouldn't be another 3 years until I was introduced to anime. So I never got to watch the Trigun series, and to this day I have yet to watch it. Its been on my to do list, but I just haven't gotten around to it. However, now that I have Netflix, I watched one episode of the series, and then went straight to the 2010 movie. I know, a really strange decision, but I did it anyway. And honestly, I don't regret that. Not in the slightest.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble is one of those ... rare anime films that harkens back to the pre-moe days, and a time when a lot of anime were quite original. This is of course due to the fact that the original series came out in 1998. The art style was also reminiscent of a late 90's/early 2000's anime film. It reminded me of Cowboy Bebop and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, just to name two. It was a refreshing feeling honestly. And it made me feel like a kid again.

Speaking of feeling like a kid again, I just couldn't help laughing at Vash throughout the movie. He's a hopeless womanizer, and quite comedic. The comedy is further reinforced by the fact that he is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch, who captures every aspect of the character perfectly. All of the other characters were also portrayed accurately, and the dub of the film is leagues better than the original series. What really intrigued me though, was learning that Johnny Yong Bosch also voiced Vash in the original dub of Trigun. It was shocking to see how much he's improved since then. It isn't often that a role is reprised more than 10 years later by the same actor.

Next to the characters and art of the film, the soundtrack also captures the originality of the series. It isn't your standard anime soundtrack, and sounds like it belongs in a Wild West film. And that isn't a bad thing. It was refreshing change of pace from what I was used to hearing, and it fit the film like a glove.

To be honest, there isn't much to say about the story. It was great, and it had quite a bit of comedy which gave me quite a few good laughs. I found myself drawn to the characters and wanting to know more about them. What makes them do the things they do? And that question is mostly answered by the end of the film, even if it wasn't really intentional.

Despite having jumped into the film before I could really get into the TV series, Badlands Rumble has sparked an interest in me. So, following the submission of this review and good nights sleep, I'm going to continue watching the series, even if I have to put up with a hokey sounding English dub. At least Vash's antics should keep me thoroughly entertained.

I didn't like the anime at all. I only made myself watch it because everyone (i.e. american anime fans) wouldn't stop talking about. Suffice to say I would have to agree with Japan on this one: Trigun was nothing special. I will say that I liked this movie. The art was better and I enjoyed the plot, it was far better than the anime. Of course the people who liked the anime are giving this a 3 but whatever. If you didn't like the anime than give this movie a shot! You might be surprised, I know I was!

Note: While i have watched the parent anime series, this review does not assume viewers have previous familiarity with the Trigun anime series, and will base scores as if the movie is fully standalone. However, I will make note when familiarity does affects scores.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble (BLR henceforth) is an excellent space western that distills the best of the Trigun anime series into 120 minutes of exhilarating action and quirky comedy. Despite being intended for fans, even newcomers unfamiliar with Trigun will find the movie immensely entertaining, while fans will find the movie nearly perfect.

Story: 7 (for newcomers, 8 for fans)
+classic "Western" storyline
+lighthearted, fun tone
+tightly ... written story with funny dialogue and no filler
+captures the best parts of Trigun yet requires no familiarity with the series
-some parts of the storyline and characters may leave questions if unfamiliar with Trigun
-unnecessary deus ex machina
-serious tone of a moourning scene is out of place

Trigun: BLR takes a classic storyline of the Western genre- betrayal by a posse and getting revenge- and stirs in some of that lawlessness filled with bounty hunters, robberies, and hardscrabble life on a desert frontier, and sets it in a quasi-space western world where colt .45s sit alongside massive hovering sand ships and aging futuristic technology. There are no plot twists in BLR-nothing unpredictable at least- but that's not an issue, because a well-written classic doesn't need extra frills.

The overall tone of BLR is playful and lighthearted, which complements the uncomplicated storyline. However, there is one mourning scene in the movie which seems a little out of place as an attempt to be serious in an otherwise unserious story.

The story is tightly written- essentially an extended standalone episode of the series-and benefits by eschewing any overarching plot elements from the series mythology, opting instead to just make the best no-nonsense action-comedy it can. The writing, especially the repartee, is far and above that of the series', and elicited more chuckles from me in the first half-hour than in the first half of the anime series.

However, a deus ex machina that happens in the final minutes of the climax seem needless, and more of a ridiculous way to reveal the true history between two characters. Fortunately, it can be brushed aside as an afterthought without changing any of the main plot points.

While the movie does not need familiarity with the series to be fun, those who are versed in the series' characters' stories and backgrounds will be able to make the best out of it, as certain plot points-such as why exactly protagonist Vash doesn't appear to have aged in 20 years, or why he refuses to kill- simply aren't explained and assume the viewer already knows.

Art: 9
+clean fluid animation conveys the action well
+excellent backgrounds
+color palette for weather and landscapes done excellently
+distinctive characters
+over-the-top character designs perfectly convey a lighthearted, somewhat zany feel

The increased budget and advances in animation, compared with the anime series, are clear in the quality of the backgrounds and excellent, fluid animation, as well as the incredible character designs of the main and supporting characters. As befitting the lighthearted "romp" tone of the movie, characters are charmingly exaggerated with huge guns and ridiculous accessories-the movie doesn't take things too seriously, and neither should the viewer. All the major characters are extremely distinctive and instantly recognizable, including two minor characters who make recurring appearances as comedic relief.
Fans of the animated series will especially notice how much improved, albeit subtly, the insurance girls' designs are.

Sound:10
+incredible soundtrack perfectly captures the feel of a Western
+soundtrack sets the tone of scenes perfectly
+great voice-acting for the English Dub
- fans may dislike English voice actor changes
Note: this is a review of the English Dub

Unexpectedly enough, what makes BLR one of the best space westerns out there is its incredible soundtrack, which features excellent guitar music in the flamenco, folk, and country traditions. The soundtrack perfectly sets the tone for scenes, setting the stage for a heart-pounding and tense classic western showdown or a swagger-filled and uber-cool reveal of a character. Fans of the anime will especially appreciate the incredible difference that a quality non-repetitive soundtrack makes.

The voice acting for BLR is very good, with special commendation given to the voice actor for the character of Amelia, who does a great job of alternating between cold and serious and exasperated and peeved. A potential quibble for fans of the series is that the voice actors for certain characters, most notably Nicholas Wormwood, are different from that of the series. In the case of Wormwood, I felt the change was detrimental to his overall grizzled tough image, whereas i preferred the new voice actor of Meryl Stryfe.

Character: 8 (10 for fans)
+exceptionally cool, likable characters
+the characters are perfect representations of their anime counterparts
-newcomers to Trigun may find the protagonist too unconventional
-main character motivations are not explained to those unfamiliar with the series.

Given that this is simply a movie and not a series, there is almost zero character development or depth in BLR, but that's fine, because part of the fun of the movie is seeing one-dimensional "badass" archetypes duke it out. The unrepentant thief bent on revenge Gasback is appropriately intimidating, while the enigmatic red-headed bounty hunter Amelia is the epitome of sexy mysterious, and deadly, fortunately without being sexed-up.
The movie even actually manages to make cross-bearing gunman priest Nicholas D Wormwood even cooler, a feat I thought impossible.

The main protagonist, Vash the Stampede, is the exact same as his anime counterpart, which is fine for fans but possibly off setting for newcomers. His goofy peace loving persona and his confident, skilled gunfighting persona are individually very appealing, but are also somewhat unconventional in combination, making for an unconventional hero that newcomers may need getting used to.

Viewers have no need to know about the tragic backstories of the protagonists for this film, and BLR does well without that. Characters are well-defined enough to be reliably predictable even for those viewers unfamiliar with the series. However, those viewers will also scratch their heads when trying to understand why Vash knows the two insurance girls, why Nicholas Wormwood is such good friend with Vash, and probably more significantly, why exactly Vash the Stampede is such a feared and troublesome name.

Fortunately, these points are important only for understanding the mythology of the parent series, and aren't necessary for enjoying something as uncomplicated as this movie.

Enjoyment: 9 (10 for fans)
I did not expect to enjoy BLR as much as i did, given my disappointment with the anime from which it grew out of. But when i watched the movie, I found that it took the parts i liked best from the series, improved upon the writing, and added an amazing soundtrack to create a near-perfect Space Western.

Magically enough, this is also a film that can stand confidently on its own and still appeal to newcomers independent from the main storyline and mythology of the anime.

Trigun: Badlands rumble is a good, extremely re-watchable movie that any fan of space westerns and unpretentious action would enjoy, and a must-see for any fan of Trigun.

By giving this movie 9, I do not necessarily mean it's equally as good as the original TV series, which I gave the same score. No, I just think that this project, as a movie, has less flaws than the original Trigun.

This movie intented to be just a pure entertainment and it succeeded in it. It is in no way plot intriguing, it really doesn't have anything to do with plants nor you hear a word about Knives. Animation is technologically improved which for some old school lovers doesn't mean it is preferable. Some of us just want to stick with the ... wonderful art of the 90's.

Badlands Rumble has bombastic action sequences and great coreography, better than the TV series. It's mostly a relaxing comedy with little to no drama at all.

The final battle lacked climax, if it was a bit longer and better executed I'd give it a 10. Which still doesn't mean I would prefer it over the original series.

If you want to just relax and watch something that doesn't require much thinking and psychological exertion, I recommend this move for ya.

If you wanted a mindblowing backstory about Vash and Knives, well you should go back to Trigun Maximum or try it if you haven't yet. Eventually hope something like that comes out soon. Otherwise, this movie would be a big dissapointment for you.

It’s been over 12 years since the series had first aired and it is also a series reboot of the franchise (well, that or a stand-alone movie) and usually when that happens, a good anime series could end up doing a fantastic movie (Cowboy Bebop: The Movie) or it could end up being the most idiotic attempt of making their characters we know and love into complete insane unlikable and irritating thankless morons (Eureka Seven: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers). But, hey, I could be wrong about this one seeing how I did like the series, I wonder if the movie would do the ... same.

20 years after meddling into the bank heist of a notorious robber named Gasback, Vash the Stampede is heading towards Macca City. The rumors say that the legendary thief might appear there causing an enormous influx of bounty hunters in the area who want to collect the $$300,000,000 prize (which is chump change compared to the bounty on you-know-who) for his head. There is also a female bounty hunter named Amelia, who seems to know of the past life of Vash and Gasback. That and apparently, she have an allergic reaction to males and from what I know, can fight while drunk.

As you may noticed or not, all of your favorite characters from the series are back from Vash the Stampede to Meryl Strife to Milly Thompson to Nicholas D. Wolfwood………wait a minute? Didn’t Wolfwood die in the series run? Does the series take place between episodes like what Cowboy Bebop kind of did? Or is it just a bit of nit-picking? It could be as far as I know and of course if you watch the English dub of this, there is a few voice actor changes from the series (with the exception of Johnny Yong Bosch returning to his role as Vash), mostly due to the fact FUNimation took over distribution of the movie as well as the series after Pioneer/Geneon went under.

As for the animation, it is very fresh and crisp compared to the series, not that the series’ animation wasn’t bad, it was decent but then again this is animation for a 90-minute feature-length movie, not a 26-episode anime series. The music on the other hand is very score-based and I do kind of miss the theme song a little bit and they did play some resemblance of that and mostly, I didn’t pay much attention to the score at all.

FINAL VERDICT: Despite what very little and I mean, little nit-picks I gotten in the movie, I really enjoyed this movie, possibly a bit more than the series since the movie didn’t do a rough mood shift like it was in the series. There were some dramatic moments in there but not in the enormous amount of tear-jerking and depressing elements, just only a few. It is still a fun movie for many fans of the series to enjoy.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble takes place in either an alternate timeline or in some gap in trigun's story-line that we didn't see previously. Meaning everything that happpend at the end of Trigun hasn't happened yet, except Vash has met our neighborhood friendly traveling priest Wolfwood and our two lovely ladies from the Bernardelli Insurance Society Milly and Meryl. Along the way Vash meets a new "Female friend" named Amelia.Trigun: Badlands Rumble follows our cast of hero and heroins as they encounter the legendary Gasback; who suprisingly has an even higher price on his head than Vash.


characters

With only the addition of two new characters, with witch the ... movie did an awesome job of defining and explaining in the allotted time. The characters are true to their original selfs. Meaning Vash is still the Doughnut indulging playboy he always was, and Milly is the sweet, optimistic air-head we all remember.


Story

Trigun: Badlands Rumble had absolutely no problem fitting what it needed to in the time allotted without feeling the least bit rush. Witch is usually the only problems I have with movie of this caliber.

comedy

Do I even to comment on this?? The movie retain the same type and feel of humor that is in the originalTrigun.

sound/music

Okay so the BGM this time was ALOT better. It kept the original feel and added another level to the movie with out being that noticeable.

- When I first heard that Dorothy Elias-Fahn was no longer was voicing Meryl in the movie I was furious. The only reason this really didn't bother me though is because Luci Christian was her replacement and I thought she did great job with the role.


animation/Art

They kept the same 90's pre-computer animation look-style as the orginal Trigun but touched it up to make it look really nice. Even though it was computer assisted in animating it still retain its western era feel as the original.
Overall/closing thoughts
I loved the movie....It was sick....What else is there to say?

closing ratings

plot/story: 10
characters: 10
animation: 10
sound: 9
X-factor: 10
overall:10

Authors note: I usually don't give anime such high ratings, but I do praise when its deserved. Also, plz take a few seconds to wright a reply on anything I could improve in my reviews. Criticism is always welcome, negative or positive. Also Everyone has different experiences in life, therefore I don't expect everyone to have the same opinion. Other than that I would love to hear what all you guys have to say and any anime suggestions for future reviews. thanks for reading!

Trigun: Badlands Rumble is what happens when you put together everything that made Trigun so damn good and throw away everything that made Trigun so damn bad. I am a fan of Trigun, specifically the first act of the series. The episodic adventures of Vash the Stampede were brilliantly executed, exciting, funny, and action packed. Along the way we meet one of my personal favorite anime characters of all time, Wolfwood, and it’s all great up until the terrible ending concerning Vash’s brother and biblical stuff. It was out of place, convoluted, and ruined the series for me. I couldn’t stand the ending.

But ... anyway, Trigun: Badlands Rumble doesn’t deal with Vash’s brother or any of that crap, it instead focuses on his getting thrown into a fight with Gasback, a dastardly robber after the guys who set him up twenty years previously. Along the way Vash meets Amelia, a badass femme fatale who stole the first half of the film. She has some problems with males touching her which leads to some funny moments (I know I have complained that agrophobia isn’t funny in previous reviews, but the way Vash exploits it is superb). Also during this little adventure Wolfwood makes an appearance in all his glory.

The plot is not really all that complex or intricate, but it does serve its purpose and entertains throughout. The comedy is great, the kind you very rarely can get from an anime. On top of that, the action is intense and fun to watch. The main characters dodge bullets like it’s nothing and that really adds to the fun.

The animation isn’t really updated from the 1998 television version. But nonetheless, it looks good and fits the setting perfectly. Everything looks run down and hopeless and the characters remain in all their late 90’s anime glory. It’s a fantastic homage and will not disappoint fans of the series.

The sound is also excellent. There are quite a few instrumental moments that all fit the mood well and enhance the experience. Sound effects and voice acting are great.

Do I really have to explain the characters? Vash is…Vash. You can’t do anything to make him bad. From the “I abhor violence and love eating” Vash to the “I can kill you just by staring at you” Vash, he’s not changed and remains all the better for it.

Wolfwood, the most kick ass priest in anime, is still the same as well. Chain smoking, lots of drinking, and lots of shooting.

Amelia is a great addition to the cast and is fun to watch interact with Vash. While watching the movie I kind of wished she had been a member of the original cast. She steals the first half of the show with the bar scene and interactions with Vash, but her later scenes and the final revelation are a bit cliche.

Gasback, our villain, is pretty flat. He fits the bill of being a bad guy, but he doesn’t really enthrall or take on a life of his own while doing bad things.

Overall, this is an amazing addition to a series that had been twelve years old when this came out in theaters. The animation, story, characters, comedy, action; everything is what you want from Trigun. There is nothing in this package that is bad. If you are a fan of Trigun and haven’t seen this: SEE IT!

The plot was a bit mediocre, but with a movie budget they did the color of the world wonderfully, and I really enjoyed the bar scenes. It was good to see Vash one last time, even if now his childish Japanese has started to grate on me a little.

Trigun is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow (Gungrave, Kekkai Sensen). The manga was serialized in ‘Tokuma Shoten's Shounen Captain’ in 1995, with three collected volumes when the magazine was discontinued in 1997. The series continued in ‘Shounen Gahosha's Young King Ours’ magazine, under the title ‘Trigun Maximum’, where it remained until finishing in 2008. Both manga were adapted into an anime television series in 1998. Madhouse animated the TV series, which aired on TV Tokyo between April 1, 1998 and September 30, 1998, totaling 26 episodes. An animated film called ‘Trigun: Badlands Rumble’ was released in April 2010.

Vash the ... Stampede, a gunfighter with a giant bounty on his head, always wearing his favorite red-colored trench coat, is back. Scary as it may sound, he is actually a very nice guy that values the life a lot. Twenty years ago, Vash saves Gasback, who is the world’s №1 wanted criminal. Almost. However, twenty years later he finds himself in a town, where, for reason, many bounty hunters are gathered. Among them, there is also a young lady, who wants to kill Gasback really badly. Why does Vash try to save Gasback’s life?

Visually speaking, this is the best that Vash and his friends have ever looked onscreen. The animation is, of course, new, but what is interesting is that it is still similar to what it was back in 1998. The animator team paid attention to every detail starting with Vash’s coat and ending with bar brawls. What is more, the action scenes are just marvelous. Sound wise, both English and Japanese dubs are equally good; you are free to watch this movie in whatever language you wish. There are also many not only guitar tunes, but also some gentle tunes, when the dramatic side of the movie is shown.

Character wise, the movie has some awesome characters. There are three main characters and three supporting characters (who are manly Vash’s old friends). Gasback is the main antagonist of the movie. He has a 300 million bounty on his head for robberies, but he also follows his own code of conduct for a perfect robbery. Vash is the second protagonist of the movie. For those who still have not seen the original TV series, I am just going to say that he is a very nice guy that values the life of people a lot. The last main character of the movie is Amelia Ann McFly. She is an extremely beautiful young lady that can fight for her own hand. Not much is known about her, but she, for some reason, wants to kill Gasback. There are also three supporting characters, including: Stryfe Meryl, Thompson Milly and Wolfwood Nicholas D, whom you should know already.

All in all, Trigun, just like Gintama, knows how to balance different genres. It knows how to make the viewer laugh, it knows when to show drama, and it knows when to show action. Of course, it might be difficult for you to understand what this movie is about, so it is highly recommended to watch the original TV series first. However, if you are one of these ‘picky about old animation viewers’, you are free to skip the TV series; you will still understand the main idea of the movie. Enough with that. I give this movie a 9/10 for being extremely entertaining. A great thanks to the author for this wonderful ‘goodbye’ for all the fans of Trigun.

P.S. Also check Gungrave. It is a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

Warning possible Spoilers

What I thought was a continuation of the main series was actually just a big side adventure at some point in the main series dammit first Cowboy Bebop and now this.

The story begins when Vash accidentally gets caught up in a bank heist by Gasback Gallon Getaway who ended up getting betrayed by his partners, skip twenty years later Vash meets a woman named Amelia who has arrived in Macca City where rumour's have arisen that Gasback might appear once more.
Now as a Trigun Movie goes this wasn't as impressive as even most of the filler type episodes, I don't know something was ... lacking here and it just didn't feel right.
Basically this is a good ol' fashioned revenge story well for Gasback who is trying to get payback on his former partners and since Vash is around that isn't gonna happen.
This does turn out like a usual Trigun episode where there's a bad guy terrorising people or trying to steal something then Vash turns up and kicks his ass although this movie does try to introduce something that was really predictable and it was that Amelia was Gasback's daughter and was looking to avenge her mother, this was something I saw from a mile away considering Amelia looked a little like Gasback so i wasn't surprised by this twist and the way this movie turned out wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be.

Now the characters aren't really that much different from the main series.
Vash is still the same guy as always being stupid, trying to pick up any good looking women and failing, not trying to kill anyone in gun fights and always giving his message of Love & Peace yet this movie has the audacity to make me think that he was shot and killed at some point I mean if anyone who had or hadn't watched the main series and fell for this then I would be very surprised.
Meryl and Milly were around, but they didn't really do much even less than they usually do in the filler type episodes which kinda sucked since they are decent characters and the fact that Amelia was pretty much the reason this happened.
Wolfwood is also around yet he seems more like an asshole this time around and seemed more unlikable compared to what he is like in the main series.
Amelia is one of the main characters introduced who is pretty damn good at using her fists and feet to keep guys away from her though mainly that's because she always gets a rash whenever a guy touches her skin which seems like an inconvenience, she usually keeps to herself and had a bad childhood due to being Gasback's daughter.
Gasback himself looks like Gorilla man and funny enough he doesn't punch people instead he just flicks their face which shows how strong he is, the only other thing about him is that he loves to do robberies, hates it when people ruin them and is just an angry guy in general.

Now the artstyle was mostly alright as it recaptured to look from the main series and gave it a smooth look making some scenes look pretty damn good however the use of CGI for the vehicles just didn't fit for me, although there was a nice amount of weapon variety in this movie which is something else I thought was messing in the main series.

The action and comedy were pretty much the standard Trigun fashion although the comedy just didn't feel as strong this time around and sometimes didn't stick for me, the same can be said for the action too as the only part that really interested me was the final fight between Vash, Amelia and Gasback so for something like this it was a little disappointing.

Overall this was a movie that felt like a nice throwback for the fans and nothing else so if you're someone who finished the main series I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for a continuation of the main series, but if you want to see more Vash getting into more bad situations then be my guest.

Great movie. Its action packed with the great humor of the Trigun series. The animation is slightly updated since this came out a lot later than the series, but the characters are exactly how you'd remember them. It made me laugh a bunch of times and kept me entertained throughout the whole thing. I'd definitely recommend it to anime fans.

If you liked the mid-early episodes of Trigun (early Wolfwood apperances), you'll like the movie. Pretty simple. It feels like an extended episode, and pretty much functions as one. It takes place during the show, some time after episode 8 or so and before 22 or so, thus you can watch it before you finish the series without issue.

I actually really disliked the Trigun show. I just found vash to be an incredibly annoying character. All he did was whine and preach about "peace and love" in the most annoying way possible. Admittedly I never watched it all the way through (I've been told it gets better later on) but I didn't enjoy it by episode 8 so don't judge me for moving on.

Any who! My point is, in spite of my disdain for the show, I actually really liked this movie. The animation was much more palatable (though that mostly is because it was made approx 10 yrs after the original ... show), vash was way more likable, the plot was more engaging, and it was just a lot more fun. Id definitely recommend this to anyone with some time to kill. Regardless of if you loved, hated, or haven't even seen the original show, I think you can find something to like here.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble corrects all the issues I had with cowboy bebop: the movie, after all the two movies share a similar relevance in the bigger picture of the series, acting like small side stories the main story. However I believe Badlands Rumble achieves this status much better than Cowboy Bebop the Movie for a multitude of reasons (this review isn't just a comparison to the Bebop movie I just think it's a good contrast to particular positives I have with this movie).

For a start the animation is stylish, giving the art style of the 1998 series the modern update it deserves, Badlands Rumble feels ... more like a love letter to Trigun fans as it came out over a decade after the original ended, and with most of the cast and key staff returning it still manages to keep it's hard as nails vibe that fuels my love for this series. I gotta say I prefer Imahori's remastered version of the classic opening song 'H.T' than the one in the original series (with the original still being a 10/10 song). I suppose a bit of criticism I could give the films style is the colour, this is more of a personal issue but they made the colour palette of Badlands Rumble much blander and desaturated than that of the original, and as result makes everything look a little duller, I wish they went for a wider amount of colours like the original series did instead of typical whites, greys and browns.

Unlike Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Badlands Rumble doesn't feel jarring if watched in it's chronological place in the story, I've worked out Badlands likely fits in between episode 11 and 12 of the original series, because at this point the stakes are not as high as they get from episode 12 onwards as we haven't even met the villain of the series yet, setting the story at an early point in the show was a good choice as it doesn't mess up the continuity of certain story elements, unlike the Bebop movie which is set very late in the series and creates a lot of confusing plot points as a result. Another positive is the runtime and pacing, Badlands feels more like a 3 part special meshed into a movie, and I think its 90 minute runtime is perfect for it, unlike the Bebop movie which tries to do too much in it's story and as a result feels extremely bloated. Badlands Rumble deserves to be a movie however, as it feels like a farewell gift to fans of the series, one last hurrah before the curtain closes on the series, so honestly I think you can watch Badlands Rumble at it's chronological setting or directly after the show. The third act unfortunately feels very rushed which is a shame because the films pacing was pretty smooth up until that point, the new female character Amelia feels very shoehorned in and drags the rest of the characters down as she's extremely cliche and predictable in her character arc, the rest of the new additions however are quite interesting as they have an engaging backstory and chemistry.

All in all Badlands Rumble is a fantastic bit of fun that can be used as a gateway into series and can honestly be enjoyed in a variety of shapes and forms, and as huge fan of the original series it's clear they put a boatload of love and care into making this film.