Trigun Stampede

The 1998 OG Trigun is a cult following. And 25 years on, the 2023 alternative retelling will also be a cult following, just like its predecessor.

To be frank, I've known mangaka Yasuhiro Nightow's famous OG series that has surfaced from time to time, both the manga and the anime adaptation that was prevalent from the mid to late 1990s. But the truth is that I've never gotten the time to read nor watch it, though its an experience for people who've watched and grown up with Trigun, will definitely say that it's something to behold at the time of its release. That's until 25 years ... later, we get the revival of Trigun, albeit under a new name: Stampede. This is obviously a new take on the old classic, so no matter how much you have a massive bias for the OG, please take everything about Stampede and wash away all the misconceptions about compaaring this with that, and see this from a new lens of perspective.

To understand how Trigun: Stampede came to be, you have to really get in the minds of the production team. Toho Animation producer Katsuhiro Takei commented that for this new Trigun project, they wanted to "start a new Trigun", commenting that there's already the original manga and other anime adaptations, and each of them are really excellent pieces of work that are already completed. Furthermore, Takei stated that with Trigun: Stampede, they wanted to attract new viewers and not make them think that it is hard to get into the series "because it's an already known and existing series." When Takei approached Trigun's mangaka Yasuhiro Nightow to discuss on the project, Nightow mentioned that the 1998 anime adaptation was "really excellent", and that "anything beyond the original anime is more of a bonus time, so you could pretty much do whatever you want to with it." Nevertheless, Nightow stated that he was pretty much involved with the new project from the very start, and that in order to make something entirely new, he would come in and say something to the staff if they did something that really seems off. However, as time went on with the script development, Nightow did not find major issues with it, commenting that "It was an entirely new Trigun, and I felt that they were able to grasp that."

This is pretty much anchored true in Stampede, as everyone knows about the Stampede himself, the Humanoid Typhoon with the 60 billion double dollar bounty on his head, along with reporters Meryl Stryfe and the new "replacement" to the much lovable Milly Thompson, Roberto De Niro. Sure, their interactions are more goofy-looking as compared to the illusive strikingness of the 1998 OG series, where everything was much industrial-looking for an era that focused much on industrialization anime, like director Akitarou Daichi's 1999 original show "Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku a.k.a Now and Then, Here and There". Takei stated that while in the original manga and the previous anime adaptations the story is always centered around Vash, in Trigun Stampede they "really want to focus on the depth of Vash", so they decided to focus on his origin, memories, and the time he spent with Rem and Knives. In a way, I felt that this was what Nightow's depiction of an alternate Trigun would be like if it came to fruition under people like Katsuhiro Takei who understood the magnitude of the original manga, and did something that's an alternate take, but something that could also still stand the test of time amongst the many adaptations of Trigun's unlimited potential, with the closest resemblance being that of the OG manga and Maximum together that makes for a cohesive story.

Believe me, Trigun: Stampede is a more rigorous character-driven story, as opposed to the plot-driven ones that came before it, emphasizing a lot on the tormenting relationship of twin brothers Vash the Stampede, Million "Nai" Knives and their caretaker Rem Saverem. It's essentially the same as what you've read in the OG manga and Maximum, only I think that within the span of 12 episodes, Stampede came out to be its very own thing that albeit drives home the conflict of Vash and Nai that intercedes for much of the story that was shown at first glance, yet like RWBY: Ice Queendom, diverges into its own set and story structure that I feel, is dependent on us the audience, whether does it feel any semblance of the original while being different in its own regard. And that is something that's very difficult to do and balance, for we are seeing especially Vash in a whole new light, being the same cool character that he is, and what he fights for as he resists against the humanity-hating device that is his own brother Nai, together with the cross-wielding Nicholas D. Wolfwood the Punisher. The battle against Plants and Independents has never been this intense, and I'm all for it in this new, refreshed storyline.

The production for Trigun: Stampede isn't anything to scoff at, either. Regarding the primary use of 3DCG for Stampede, Takei commented that the core of Trigun is "something that is very firm" that does not get affected by introducing additional elements, expressing that the strong core could be adapted into various things, and so the thought was that Trigun should go full-on 3DCG. This brings Takei and his team towards studio Orange, which animation producer Kiyotaka Waki, commented that the project started with concept art, followed by the development of a world for the adaptation, which wasn't just drawings but was also filled with ideas of how we could respect that old nostalgia factor and also add in the new designs. Kouji Tajima, who did the concept art and character concept art, he read the Trigun manga to interpret it in his way to capture much of the nostalgia factor, as well as something that's brand new towards the audience. We all know today about studio Orange's magnificent prowess in 3DCG, barring the ONLY studio to execute 3DCG right, but did you know that Trigun: Stampede was the VERY FIRST show in the studio's lineup that was in development took around five years that started in 2017? Yes, that was the EXACT same year where studio Orange would debut with their first non-co-produced series, Houseki no Kuni a.k.a Land of the Lustrous, to high fanfare of the proper, gold standard use of 3DCG in anime production going forward. It's been 5 years since that Trigun: Stampede was the OG starting point for the 3DCG studio, that now we're seeing this in live form, and it's been a project in the making for perfection right out of the gate.

Even better, is the music. For such an acclaimed series, while the OG was done by Tsuneo Imahori of Gungrave and Hajime no Ippo fame, the new series's OST was composed by Tatsuya Kato of Mirai Nikki and Shokugeki so Soma fame among many others. Regarding the music, Takei expressed that while developing the series, he considered the choice to use new music as they were developing the script and concept art, and that Imahori's soundtrack would not suit the world they would be building. That being said, the new music provides an atmosphere that definitely blends well to the new series, that far from discrediting what Tsuneo Imahori had before with the 1998 OG series, Tatsuya Kaho's take is a refresh for a new style. The OP song "Tombi" by Kvi Baba, now that's one hell of a banger of a song that expresses Vash's emotions to an insane degree, putting characterization on the front as opposed to the plot. The ED song by singer Salyu and composer Haruka Nakamura, it felt different of a world as light and sci-fi as it is, more than just another great song, it's telling of the constellations of fate between Vash, Nai, and the rest of the characters, like stars illuminating across the sky for a hope that's not long gone.

Overall, I really don't mind if Trigun: Stampede is meant to be different than the 1998 OG series. Think of this as the equivalence of the comparison between Ashita no Joe and Megalo Box, but in a different sense that if the new series doesn't move you, then I don't know what to say. It's been an experience trying to see what Trigun would be like if Yasuhiro Nightow got a chance to modernize his cult-status of a hit, developed with other people to create something that's just as enjoyable as the series he first created.

What can I say? It's Trigun in a new skin, that is something I wish to look back at over and over again. And this new work...it's not over yet.

Like most of you, I too was skeptical of the CGI treatment for the anime. Having loved the 1998 anime to the fullest, I was not sure if this new style would work. I also wasn't a fan of the altered hairstyle for the protagonist Vash. But...

I gave it a shot with an open mind, and it worked.

First off, if you absolutely HATE CGI and are in no mood to even give it a chance, then forget about this series and stop reading this review. If not, continue reading.

Trigun Stampede manages to overcome the CGI factor with the help of a strongly written storyline, resonant ... character drama and stunningly presented action sequences. In fact, you could go ahead with watching it even without watching the 1998 series and you might still end up enjoying it. I'm not lying when I say the CGI instead turned out to be pretty... impressive. Also, several action sequences were presented in a single shot, which is pretty commendable and spectacular to watch. You don't see that happening everyday in most anime, do you?

And well, the music: I've been dying to write about this aspect ever since I heard to the intro and outro songs for the first time. What a fantastic choice! I NEVER skipped the opening even after listening to it multiple times. That's the impact it had on me. The ending song felt pretty emotional and touching, serving as a perfect way to conclude every episode.

At core, this is a story about brothers. Brotherhood is a recurring theme in the show and it is portrayed sincerely from beginning to end. The emotional quotient is another major positive, as this wasn't something I expected from this adaptation. In fact, there is little to no humor unlike 1998 and Vash isn't seen in a goofy avatar for the most time. This series keeps getting darker, as a result of which there's plenty of blood and gore as well, which you might not have expected beforehand, so proceed with that in mind.

The slow moving CGI at times could be the only actual thing going against it, but most of the animation, artwork and voice acting are done sincerely, and to the extent that I thought this anime was a total surprise package at the end of the day. CGI haters will not really like it unless they too welcome this fresh change to the story with an open mind. That being said, the makers haven't forgotten to do justice to Vash by the end. In fact, they have saved a good surprise for the end, so please don't be too quick to judge the show for what it seems to be on surface. Trigun Stampede, with all its ups and downs, manages to find its palace among the best CGI anime shows ever created.

Three episodes into Trigun Stampede and I can't wait to see the rest. Having never watched the original I didn't know what to expect. But Trigun Stampede easily delivers a mysterious story filled with zany characters and stellar CG animation.

Fights are fluid and fast paced, and the more story driven segments never linger for too long but not quite long enough either. World building could use some expanding apon, but this far into the show it hasn't been an issue. The score works great with the scenes, but nothing has caught my attention quite yet except for the heartfelt opening.

... While there are plenty of episodes left to go, Trigun Stampede is already ranking high in my favorites of this season.

Studio Orange director: “Man, I was watching this piece of trash Boomer anime the other day and all my buddies around me were laughing at it. Then it suddenly struck me. This is an absolute tragedy! This old piece of trash actually has all the elements there to be a masterpiece and it’s simply being handcuffed by all this hackneyed anime bullshit! Imagine if it cut out the stupid comedy, extra characters, pointless romance sub-plot, pointless fanservice, and just really doubled down on the psychological drama and grimdark elements. Those Zoomers who laugh at this shit right now and dismiss it will have their minds ... absolutely blown! They don’t even know! We’re gonna break this series free from its chains that have been holding it back and by God it’s gonna COOK!”

Me: “Say no more! I know exactly what anime you guys are talking about. You don’t even need to say it! God, it’s hard to be an Elfen Lied fan in 2023. People just don’t get it, but you’re clearly seeing what I’m seeing!

Studio Orange: “Elfen what? Bruh, I was talking about Trigun!

Me: “….are y’all serious?!”

Welcome to Studio Orange’s well intentioned albeit often baffling attempt to “fix” Trigun by giving it a darker, grittier reboot that completely does its own thing and often flat out gives the finger to the original manga and anime. We all know Trigun is a Boomer anime with a cult following, but what is Trigun exactly? Trigun is a Space Western that at its core is a love letter to old cowboy movies. It takes place in a bizarre, steampunk setting on this desert covered alien planet that a colony of human pioneers have been stranded on. So, you have a mixture of crazy science fiction stuff and aliens with 1860s technology and old west gun duels. This is admittedly a silly premise. The original series and the manga are fully aware of this. The manga started out as a screwball action comedy that was published in a shonen magazine, but it went on hiatus and returned in a seinen magazine with a much darker and more serious tone. This gradual shift is emulated by the 1998 anime adaptation that starts out very funny and wildly entertaining before taking a more somber turn.


The 2023 anime by contrast is a much more serious affair throughout. The first episode at least tries to capture some of the zaniness of the early manga and the 1998 anime, but if those were cranked up to 10, Trigun Stampede turns it down to maybe a 4 or 5. Then there are children being killed in just the second episode of Stampede and the comedy never returns. Trigun Stampede very clearly feels like the fun element and comedy was an impediment to the franchise’s quality. I feel like this is a deeply misguided take on the franchise. The comedy and fun elements of Trigun actually compliment the ridiculous setting and whole “Space Western” thing, which would be a mistake to simply make dead serious. The gradual shift from lighthearted to serious also works in the series’ favor by making the serious moments really stand out and giving them an added punch. To be fair to Studio Orange, there are series that have comedy that feels completely tacked on and the inclusion of these scenes does nothing but hurt the series. That’s a common problem in old anime. I joked in the opening paragraph about Elfen Lied in particular suffering from this, but Ashita no Joe part 1 suffers from this! Even some really good anime have this problem. It’s just that Trigun is NOT one of those series!

Another massive departure from the source material and original anime is that Trigun Stampede never once feels like a Western. The original anime has over a dozen shots directly ripped from old Western movies. In one of the very first episodes, you have this longshot of a creaky windmill which is taken directly from 1968’s Once Upon a Time in the West. There’s another shot from an early episode taken directly from the 1964 film Fistful of Dollars. The original anime is shot and framed like a Western. The soundtrack feels like a Western. Vash and Knives end up settling their differences in an old-time gun duel that feels straight out of a Western. The 1998 anime is proud to be a Western. Trigun Stampede has Knives hook Vash up to a supercomputer and hack into him using his weird tentacles in order to ascend to the “higher dimension” and make contact with the “Wave Existence”, Capital G God in order to give his fellow artificial life forms souls so that they can have freewill. I’m sorry, but what the FUCK is this?! The team behind Trigun Stampede has clearly played Xenogears before and watched Evangelion but I don’t think anyone on this production team has watched a Sergio Leone film, let alone loves those types of movies. There’s a weird scene in Trigun Stampede where a young Vash draws a parallel between Humanity settling space and the American pioneers of the old west, but this idea of a space western is brought up in Stampede only to be immediately ridiculed and dismissed. This is a thing that reboots do when they’re trying to be more “mature” and “gritty” than the original. It’s that trailer scene in X-Men 2000 when Wolverine snarks “What did you expect? Yellow spandex?” Trigun Stampede is a pure science fiction with weird JRPG pseudo-religious stuff that has zero interest in being a Western.

Yet another massive difference can be found in the main protagonist Vash, who in the manga and original anime acts like a complete and utter goofball. He starts out as this Looney Toons character, but then you find out that it’s simply a persona that he shows to the public to hide his pain and loneliness. The real Vash underneath the goofy mask is a suffering, Messianic figure who doesn’t want others to have to share his burden. He essentially treats Humanity like a parent would treat their small child. This makes perfect sense given that he’s a 120+ year old alien with Godlike powers. Vash in Trigun 2023 is a much weaker and more vulnerable character. He’s not super OP in combat and emotionally he’s kind a mopey emo boy for almost the entirety of the series. Trigun 2023 believed they were making him more human and relatable, but I don’t feel like it worked exactly in the way that they wanted. If anything, it just made him much more forgettable.

Most of the cast got shafted in Trigun 2023, but Meryl Strife easily got it the worst. Meryl in the original is a short tempered, no-nonsense girl boss who can hold her own in a gun fight, has hilarious chemistry with Vash as the straight man to Vash’s shenanigans and is also a romantic interest for Vash. Meryl in the 2023 reboot is basically April O’Neil from Ninja Turtles. She’s this naïve reporter lady who is simply looking for her big scoop but ends up largely being a spectator with no real agency and doesn’t really contribute much. Milly was entirely replaced by a grizzled old reporter named Robert DeNiro who is only 3 weeks away from retirement and is getting too old for this shit. Why is he named DeNiro? He should clearly be Danny Glover! Fucking Stampede can’t even make the right actor jokes. Although it is mentioned in the last episode that Milly exists in this universe and may appear if a sequel ever happens. Wolfwood is given a lot less time to shine here and just feels like a very watered down, shittier version of the original character. His motivations in Stampede are also a lot dumber. Wolfwood in the original series was raised in an abusive household and murdered his own father, thus becoming an orphan. He was then raised by one of Knives’ super soldiers as a possible successor and uses the skills he acquired as a gun for hire to finance an orphanage. Wolfwood is basically a sleeper agent since he’s in contact with someone who works for the main villain, but he doesn’t directly work for the main baddie or know his plans. He ends up refusing to go along with the main villain’s plans and to the end stays loyal to his orphanage and his friends despite his wrongdoings. Wolfwood in 2023 exists solely as a delivery boy to bring Vash to his brother Knives, which honestly makes the rest of the Gungho Guns and Legato completely pointless in the 2023 anime. Knives in 2023 didn’t intend for any of his super soldiers to kill Vash or force Vash to suffer by having to kill one of them, thus preparing him for their final duel. They are literally there for no reason. Wolfwood works directly for Knives and clearly knows that Knives will use Vash’s energy to do something absolutely apocalyptic and almost certainly wipe out Mankind, but he’s delivering Vash to Knives all for the sake of the orphans…whom Knives will kill the second he makes the delivery. Did they even think about this? Insert Biff Tannen and/or Omni Man clip.

Now it’s FINALLY time to say something nice about Trigun 2023. They actually tried to make Knives a more complex character whose love for his brother Vash is just as strong as his hatred for Mankind. Knives’ motivation for hating Humanity is much more fleshed out in 2023 and he’s given a level sympathy that he never got in the original. In the last 20 years of movies and TV media, we’ve come to expect for villains to have more relatable motivations. Everyone wants to write MCU Thanos or Toguro from Yu Yu Hakusho and not the cackling madman who is just an asshole for the Hell of it. Knives in the original anime is an artificial life form who was created to serve Humanity, but from the beginning looked down on Humanity as his inferiors and wants to wipe us out. He’s a very solitary figure with a God complex and not a lot of love in his heart for anyone. OG Knives is basically just Sephiroth from the original FF7. That type of villain works best when you don’t see a lot of them. They’re this shadowy figure with unknowable motivations whom you are never asked to empathize with. All you know is that they’re going to be hard to stop. This is the Lovecraft approach to writing antagonists, and it’s widely considered antiquated. Trigun 2023 had an interesting take on Knives and I appreciate that they made the effort.

The animation is..fine if you like Studio Orange’s approach to CG. This series had a budget. They put effort into it. It has some scenes that are very visually impressive. It also has some scenes I think looked like dog shit, but I digress. The music is fine. It’s definitely not iconic like the original anime’s OST, but it serves its purpose adequately. I also appreciate that while Orange’s vision of Trigun was radically, fundamentally different, they did keep it consistent. It wasn’t grimdark one moment only to be goofy the next. They didn’t go full science fiction one episode only to backtrack. They fully committed to their own interpretation of what Trigun should be. When you consider Trigun 2023 to be its own series that’s loosely inspired by Trigun, it begins to look a lot better. Instead of a replacement or a reboot, we can see this series as a sort of “spiritual successor” that takes some concepts from the original while comfortably being its own thing. That’s the takeaway point at the end of the day. I think it’s a horrible adaptation of Trigun that fundamentally misunderstands what made Trigun so beloved in the first place and why it worked. However, it’s also not a bad anime when you examine it in a vacuum and stop thinking about the original. If it didn’t have the Trigun name, I would say this is an above average anime that I could comfortably recommend to friends. It’s fine. It’s perfectly serviceable as a seasonal anime in 2023. That’s why I’m still giving it a 6 out of 10. It doesn’t deserve to be crucified simply because it’s not the original. The original already exists. It’s not going anywhere or being replaced on every streaming site and store shelf. If you’ve never seen either version of Trigun, I would definitely check out the original first, but you can also give this one a watch. If you hate old school animation and you’re only interested in new stuff, you can watch Trigun 2023 and just not worry about the original.

I WANT to review this show on it's own merits. I DON'T want to endlessly compare the original series with this remix. But I can't. Trigun Stampede won't let me.

On its surface, the idea of a new take on an old story has a lot of legs. It's why we get a new a Batman movie every 9 months. And Trigun as a property had plenty of room to grow beyond what we saw in the original adaptation. Similar to Full Metal Alchemist, the anime came and went when the manga was far from finished. So doing something more with Trigun made a lot of ... sense to me.

But so far, Trigun Stampede isn't making much of a case for its existence. It's taking things you recognize from the original adaptation and not making them radically different, just...worse.

It's early, obviously, but take these two key examples:

Vash - Much like his stripped down look, Vash 2.0 is similar to the old Vash, just a bit more muted. OG Vash is basically a Looney Toons character whose whole body has been run through a wheat thresher. His overly cheerful personality is largely a cover, because my man has been THROUGH some things. This Vash is a bit of a clutz. Can't afford bullets. Hmm...that's about it, so far. There's still time for this Vash to find his own voice, but the pacing so far makes me doubtful that we'll ever slow down and let these characters have real personalities.

Meryl and Roberto - Hey, I miss Milly, too, but that's not the bigger issue. My problem with Meryl and Roberto is what they represent.

In the original series, Meryl and Milly work for an insurance agency. Their actions in the early portion of the story are motivated by their job: they're trying to minimize damage and help their agency avoid potential insurance payouts. They have a logical reason to be where they are and make the choices they make. And when the job requires them to do things that conflict with their personal desires, that helps us understand them all the more.

Meryl and Roberto are journalists. They're chasing a story. But they barely act like journalists, and the fact that they're journalists is basically meaningless after the first five minutes of the story. I don't need Meryl taking notes in every scene, but it just speaks to a larger issue with the series so far, which is that stuff just happens. In a better story, being a journalist would have some impact on what they choose to do (or not do). But it doesn't, and that's true for every character. A military commander arrests Vash, then gets talked into dueling with Vash (?), then decides to launch a carpet bomb over the town (???) in lieu of actually dueling, and it's just like...what?

So, taken on its own merits, Trigun Stampede is a pretty poorly written series whose best features are all ideas, characters, and settings taken from another, much better series. I'll continue watching, and I hold out hope things will improve, but so far this series isn't for me.

It's hard admitting when you're wrong, so boy am I hard right now! Like many others raised on Adult Swim programming, I have been a fan of Vash since I was a wee lad, and was positively giddy to see him return for a new entry in the series. 1998's Trigun is a classic story of the long-suffering do-gooder who's villainized, but nevertheless prevails against all odds. To see that depicted in 2023 was a prospect which had fans excited; we were all coming home again so fast you might even call it a stampede! In fact, it was called that: Trigun Stampede! However, now ... myself and others are all running the complete opposite way. Why?

tl;dr: Nobody knows how to write anything but "dark" action anymore; Trigun Stampede is not FUN!

Admittedly, Trigun Stampede started off doing everything wrong. The old, western aesthetic of the franchise was forsaken for a complete science fiction overhaul, Vash the Stampede seemed to be a Generation Z insert without any style of his own, and other beloved characters were either getting bashed with the ugly stick or axed completely, like Milly Thompson, who was replaced by some guy named...Roberto De Niro. Yet, once the first episode aired and we saw Vash running amok in the city being wrongfully blamed for everything, it was as if none of that actually mattered, except it did; never ignore red flags, even if they remind you of Vash!

True, while the first few episodes do capture some of what made the original Trigun so beloved by presenting a wacky protagonist with lofty ideals, an anachronistic world, and a tone which is all over the place, Trigun Stampede soon loses everything besides the violence and unkindness which previously punctuated only serious moments. The message of hope and sticking to your morals is shoved deeper and deeper into the ground as countless gratuitous blood-sprays, child sacrifices, and cult-like conspiracies take up more screen-time. This tone is completely antithetical to the character of Vash the Stampede and the spirit of Trigun since we, the viewers, do not get time to connect with the good before being bombarded with the bad. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the character of Nicholas D. Wolfwood, which fans will recall as a complex compliment to the rest of the cast, especially Milly Thompson (RIP).

This Wolfwood isn't even the same character on paper, much less on screen, and without Milly around to ground him, he might as well be completely written off along with her. Instead of getting time to discover his backstory as a "priest" who practices absurd amounts of righteous violence, all that remains for us, again, is the violence. By episode FIVE of this show, Wolfwood is already at odds with Vash without having any relationship with him or anybody else. For reference, he was only introduced in episode FOUR! What gave Wolfwood's character meaning was how he related to the rest of the heroes while also having a rough edge. Now, he is all edge and no substance, except for his awesome weapon. As a result, the other characters suffer, too, because Vash has no friends who challenge him, Meryl has nothing to do but drive cars, and Roberto has no skills at all.

Why are they telling this story if these characters have nothing to do with the themes? Why is Vash just bumbling around the desert while innocent people croak? He should be saving others at his own expense! Why is Meryl not doing any reporting if she's a journalist now? She should interact with her business partners, just like in the original. Why does Roberto De Niro exist if we already have a gruff, edgy guy like the new Wolfwood? Someone should be a goofball to make this thing interesting. There doesn't seem to be anything for these characters to do but survive the nihilistic villains, which only show up to kill off no-names. WHERE IS THE FUN HERE, what's the message!? Why should we care this time!? Where's the dang black cat!?

Trigun was not a show about guns any more than Gundam is a show about mecha; it's about the characters and story. This is what writers no longer understand. You are writing for people, who need to see these characters as people, too, before the story and action happens. You can't have the villains just show up and do bad things for no reason. You can't show us the backstory FIRST! You can't tell us that our new friend is a traitor in the same episode we meet him! This is basic drama, and getting rid of the drama is like rebooting Romeo and Juliet and starting it in the tomb with the dagger already in their hands.

I almost loved Trigun Stampede. It starts off all right, but I was wrong. What's ultimately sad is that the action scenes and art are genuinely entertaining. The animation, while subjective, is great, stylistic, and fluid. The action is punchy, bombastic, and engaging. The music, too, is fine and the opening truly gives you some sense that Vash is being haunted by a completely decaying world, but there's nothing to this world, anyway. There's nothing to this version of the story. Perhaps if you enjoy actiony, monster-of-the-week type of dark stories, this will appeal to you, or if you are desperate to see a fan-fiction of Trigun come to life, but does this appeal to many fans at all? Everything else can be perfect, but if you give your characters no love and the plot nowhere to go, nobody will watch. The only thing Trigun Stampede has me running to is back to the original show, created back when writers knew about theming and not just making something "bad ass." Go watch the old one.

"So, it's been a lot of fun, but I guess that's all!"---Vash.

Trigun Stampede is a show that I wanted to love, a show I was absolutely excited for, but have ultimately been let down by. Putting aside the CG animation (which it deserved better than, see Bleach TYBW), this anime bears little resemblance to the original Trigun. In the original series, Vash is a loveable, overly flirtatious goofball, constantly getting into crazy situations. Below the surface, however, he is a tortured soul, running from his past, something thats revealed more and more as the show progresses. However, in this new show Vash is literally just a sad boy, quite literally the entire show. And the same ... goes for the show itself; every episode in this new series is just depressing, every time it looks like the day is saved, something horrible happens. No one is happy, no one is goofy, no one gets a happy ending...I'm literally starting to have intrusive thoughts again just watching this show!
Amongst the many complaints I've seen people make (bad cgi, change in backstory, change in characters, etc) I honestly feel that the worst thing this show has done is dive into the depths of despair the way it has. I can't believe I'm doing it, but I'm dropping this show.

The old Trigun was very terrible... it did not age well. I watched it and loved it as a teen, however as I got older I tried to go back and watch it only to cringe out of my seat. It was unbearable. It also didn't develop a plot until half way through the series. And focused on a serialized story that had plenty of plot holes and a lot of dated sexism. The standard people hold it to is silly. This is Nightow we're talking about. His other series similarly had huge problems. Gungrave's only decent episodes are episodes 2 - 15.

Trigun Stampede ... fixes that. Vash is a true pascifist unlike in the original. He doesn't play into some killer stereotype. We are given some backstory context unlike in the original, and our villain is fully established from episode 2 onward.

Don't get it wrong, this story is much darker than the original. This isn't a funny, silly, goofy anime with a darker storyline tacked onto the end of it like the original.

Instead Stampede establishes its plot early on and gives strong characterizations without holding main character motivations to its chest until far too late into the anime.

Vash is not a fighter in this. He does everything in his power to completely avoid fighting... and it causes him deep duress when he has to. He is still a little on the silly side of things, but his overall characterization is much stronger and relies less on him humiliating opponents while hitting on women and more on his willingness to help people.

The original anime does NOT hold up today, even if old time fans tell you it does. I grew up with it as a millenial and it is very hard to watch. This new one fixes all of that right off the bat. The fact that we have a plot to grip into is a much stronger reason to watch than the originals seralized goofball trollish villain of the week narrative.

I highly recommend and am enjoying this one much more, and considered myself a "true fan' of the original several years back... I will probably never return to that version with thie one existing.

If you're a fan of the original Trigun, stay away. This "re-imagining" of Trigun misses the mark on so many levels, but if you haven't seen the original, well it's still mediocre at best (so far up to ep 5).

The enormous issue I have with this rendition of Trigun is that it doesn't get it. They clearly wanted to stay away from the original as much as possible and in doing so completely miss the mark on the main character, Vash. In the original he's a goofy, womanizing, ace gunsman. Thing is, he uses his humor and goofiness as a coping mechanism for his very ... dark and troubled past. The reboot? Doesn't get this at all and Vash is just a sad, lame duck character who is completely unappealing to the audience. There's no engagement, and because the supporting characters in the reboot are also just as flat and miserable, there's nothing to hold onto. At least in the original if you don't like Vash that much as a character, there's still a ton of unique and interesting side characters varying throughout the show to maintain other avenues of interest.

As a huge fan of the original, seeing them change this into all CG with a complete redesign was disappointing, especially since Trigun: Badlands Rumble came out many years after the original series and was still able to do a more modern, visually awesome side story with the same visual aesthetic. The issue isn't even the quality of the CG, it's that it's so dull and lifeless, and the character animations are rigid and inexpressive. It's a screen of mud. Even in the original, it used muted colors and sandy tones but had elements of being bright and bold, sunny and feeling the heat of the arid deserts and world around them.

Even with all that said, they changed the story to start off with what was a huge reveal 2/3s of the way into the original. They've chosen to make the story dark and miserable from the start. Now it feels hopeless that we'll even see things that made the original so special, like the comical and goofy side of Vash, ever in this series. It feels like they just didn't get what made the original so amazing, and try to be so different that it's just not very good and has nothing going for it. I do hope I'm wrong, as there's plenty more episodes to go and turn this around, but even just watching the first episode of the original gets you hooked. Three episodes of this and I'm searching for scraps of positivity.

Trigun Stampede is a retelling/reboot of the original story (manga) and has nothing to do with the old anime, it's something completely new. A new beginning.

As there are only three episodes out so far, I don't have much to say about this adaptation yet, but I'm enjoying it! I liked the first episode, the second could be better (the battle against the Nebraska's is much cooler in the manga and in the first anime...), but the third one was AWESOME. Knives really needed to be treated as a menance from the beginnig, and not show up only during flashbacks or in the LAST episode.

When the ... first trailer was announced, I didn't liked Vash's redesign... but then I got used to it and now the only thing that still bothers me is his left arm (like, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?). Roberto De Niro was also a surprise. He's a good character and I don't see him as a "replacement" for Milly Thompson for now. Meryl still can't be treated like a veteran in her profession, so it makes sense for her to start this journey with someone like him. Perhaps they are preparing something interesting for us as the story unfolds.

Btw many nostalgic people will criticize this new anime for the dumbest possible reasons and PLEASE don't be like that, the old anime still there. I also don't blame people for problematizing CGI animation like that, but this is already starting to get out of hand, since Orange is doing a fantastic job. The animation is gorgeous, smoth and colorful. The ost is also GREAT! I love Tsuneo Imahori music in the old anime, wich suits perfectly with the series, but Tatsuya Katou is doing a amazing job here too!

For now I'll give it a 8,0/10. I LOVE TRIGUN and can't wait for the next episodes.

Don't let the purists decide for you.
As much as the original Trigun anime was my all time favorite in the early 2000s. This reiteration is written better than the original.

The original started full of gags and filler-ish episodes and took a serious turn just past half of the series while this one is direct to the point with just the right humor elements that doesn't take too much away from the narrative.
Take knives for example as seen on the trailer and the early scenes. The Old version of knives looks like a joke compared to the capabilities of his version here on ... the stampede. It's one element that justifies why vash acts the way he acts and gets serious and dark real quick in certain events.
Animation is not as bad as the internet says it to be. It's great just watch it and don't compare it to anything else.

This feels like a combination of the OG anime and trigun maximum with tweaks here and there W/c potentially may or may not surpass its predecessors.
Eitherway, i'm excited to find out.

I know a lot of fans of the old anime have a very negative reaction to this show, but honestly... I like it better? Like... coming from someone who never watched the original series in my childhood, I never had the nostalgia factor, so to me old Trigun had a lot of very obvious flaws. The animation is dated and very static (making fights feel 'meh'), plenty of the humour doesn't land (especially creeping on women), there's filler eps and it's a slog to actually get to something resembling a plot...

Now, stampede resolves a lot of this. The animation is fantastic... say what you will ... about CGI but there's so much attention and love poured into every frame, the expressions are super emotive and the action is detailed and fast paced. There's still some silliness, but a lot of the dated humour is gone (thank god, creeping on women is not funny) and personally I like the darker tone. We get to the actual conflict much faster, and while there's an argument to be made that maintaining the mystery longer adds something I can appreciate that we're not bogged down by filler. I do think a few extra episodes to fill in the gaps in the later episodes (notably 8 and 9) would have been good, as we kind of just end up somewhere with no proper explanation of how, but I think with the limited episodes they have some stuff had to be cut.

There are changes to the source material, some good and some bad (there's a particular change that I really like which recontextualises and event between the protagonist and antagonist, which I think works better for the relationship they're trying to paint between them). At the end of the day, I would recommend giving stampede a go, but to understand that it's not trying to be a 1:1 adaptation but an original spin on an existing concept. It needs to be appreciated by itself.

Having read the manga, I'm very interested to see how things proceed. It'll be next to impossible to wrap everything up in a single season, and so I'm eager for a second one. If that never happens because people are too wrapped up in nostalgia and decide to review bomb or refuse to watch this show just because it's different, I will be very sad.

All that said, I will probably write an updated review once the whole season is concluded and I can evaluate it as a whole.

Never written anything in MAL, but this awful anime made me write a short review..

This is one awful anime.. In general CGI isn't great and in general a terrible art choice, but here it looks like the most generic, boring and lifeless thing ever, they also changed how Vash the Stampede looked for the worst. He is such a boring/blend looking MC now... On top of this they also left out Milly, although she is mentioned once, who had a pretty big role in the original anime and was somewhat of a crowd favorite.

There is reason for Vash the Stampede's (the ... 1998's) womanizing/goofy character, his past was pretty bad and its his way of coping with it.. In the 2023 reboot he is portrayed as always gloomy while looking like a zoomer with his terrible 'trendy' hair and way to big glasses..

There are more things to talk about, but i can just leave it at it's a terrible reboot in general.. Stick to the Trigun anime from 1998, that one is actually good compared to this IMO.

Disclaimer: never watched the original Trigun nor read the manga so I don’t have a point of reference or comparison like many who watched this probably do. That said, I came into this with lowest expectations because of the fact that it’s a 3D anime, and boy was I proven wrong. From visual standpoint, this is one of the most beautiful, inspired and epic animation work that I’ve ever seen. Period. It really sold me on the potential of 3D anime. And don’t get me started on the universe, the characters, the battle scenes. All top notch! The protagonist is cool, unique and easily ... relatable, and he’s surrounded by a cast of colourful, memorable allies and villains that I won’t soon forget, especially the main antagonist. The downside is that the first two episodes are a drag, but episode 3 pulls the rug from under you and delivers a mind blowing scene that will get you hooked, and after that the breathless pacing never hits the breaks until the last couple of episodes for more exposition. While I wish the finale gave a more satisfying and definitive conclusion to this obviously first part of the larger tale, I’m nevertheless very excited for what comes next.

Stampede starts and ends strong, but episodes 2-8 were a struggle to get through.
Let me get this out of the way - I don't care about your thoughts on the original Trigun anime. You liked it? Cool. You hated it? Cool. Whatever. That discussion is not relevant here and I feel it's in bad faith to always compare the two when it's obvious both series were trying to achieve different things, ESPECIALLY knowing how season 1 of Stampede ended.

The very first episode of Stampede was honestly amazing. Everything from the storytelling, the pacing, character interactions, animation, comedy, etc., it was all near perfect. I, for ... one, was very excited to see the direction of Stampede. Unfortunately, it starts going downhill, really fast. The villain of the week formula does not work for this show. Again, knowing how S1 ends, I kind of see what they were going for, but none of it felt cohesive. It was just one bad guy or sometimes two or three at a time, all competing for spotlight before one or all of them dies and the story and the main characters move on.

I said the villains were all fighting for spotlight, and that negatively impacts the main cast because, aside from Vash and MAYBE a little bit of Wolfwood, the main cast get zero spotlight. It seems the writers went the FMAB route when writing Stampede, in that they assumed you watched the original series and knew the characters from there so that they don't have to spend too much time reintroducing them again. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work here. The Vash/Meryl/Wolfwood/Knives in this show all feel very different from their OG anime counterparts. That in itself isn't a bad thing, but, because the show doesn't give us a chance to know the Stampede versions of these characters, I go through literally every episode still not sure what each character's goals, motivations, likes, dislikes, etc. are. I'm honestly really bummed about this, because I genuinely like all of the main characters, but I also feel like I don't know them at all. It's like seeing that one person in class or at the gym and getting along with them for the two hours you're there but then not knowing a thing about them outside of that.

It's even worse for Wolfwood in particular. The show just randomly drops his backstory on us, and, while I do think it's a great backstory, the emotional weight was absent because there was no build up. All he did was join the crew for like two episodes, complain about Vash, then boom sad backstory. You can't give me a sad backstory for someone I really still don't know.

Another big issue I have with Stampede is its tone. Episode 1 is so tonally different from the rest of the show that it was jarring. I'm not against dark themes or bloody/gory fights, but the show just randomly gets so dark and gruesome and needlessly violent after its very lighthearted and silly first episode. Again - I'm not against those things in a vacuum, but it just didn't match, making the later comedic scenes feel out of place. If they wanted this show to be dark, it should have been that way from episode 1.

I'm glad the last few episodes were able to tie up the mess it left behind in the middle episodes, and I'm still cautiously optimistic about season 2., if not just for the fact that I love Vash so much and am willing to get any type of Vash content that I can.
I didn't talk about it a lot but I will say the animation of Stampeded is absolutely gorgeous. It makes me hopeful about the future of CG in anime.

I know I talked a lot of smack, but I'd say give the show a try. Don't listen to the discourse of whether or not the OG series is better - be open-minded and at least give the first few episodes a shot (haha get it).

Producer Yoshihiro Watanabe claimed that this show was meant to be a retelling, a fresh take on a decades old story, with no intention to step on anyone's toes.
So this review is with that in mind, because while people claim that you should not compare it to the original anime, the producer himself already made a claim directly related to it.

I find this show near unwatchable, from a technical standpoint. It has different frame rates for different animations and multiple characters animated at the same time in the same shots (big animation no-no).
There is a stylistic choice in making the animation look choppy, ... perhaps to avoid the smooth transitions that is inherent to 3D rendered animation, but practically it looks like something's wrong with my screen or computer, it looks and feels jarring. It feels incompetently made.
No one would forgive any classic cartoon for being produced at half the animation frames, we all know that it wouldn't meet a minimum standard of a pleasant viewing experience.

The visual changes, aka the "fresh take" consists of less details and a more present day relatable wardrobe, which consists in a man wearing a hooded jacket on a desert planet. While the previous trench coat wasn't exactly a logical choice either, it made sense in the context of it being a sci-fi western and it certainly had an iconic look.
Where before Vash had a covered/hidden mechanical prosthetic arm with a built in gun, it is now entirely on display as a cybernetic replacement.
His revolver has changed from a .45 to a .22 caliber, a famously weak cartridge. The previous .45 was already a mediocre ammunition doing things that begged your belief, but .22 does not in any way possess the power or mass to pull off the things portrayed in the show. This is not a meaningful change, if anything it serves to denigrate the character.
Finally Vash himself has changed his personality from a positive man who always played off serious situations with humor, only becoming insecure or angry when the situation was outside of his control, such as when innocents are involved. In this new version he is unserious and will often devolve into a complete crybaby, only to suddenly become entirely serious for the producers to 'show off' the character's competence, when he could've done so from the start. His attempts at talking to people only goads them on and while this has always been a part of Vash, it turns from naive optimism to unreasonable risk taking.

If this is a fresh take, then why does it rely on you knowledge of the previous show or manga? There is no build up, there is no mystery, everything is laid bare from the start and you see all of Vash's phases, moods and personality in one go.

Between the obnoxious animation, poor design and genuinely awful and amateurish writing, I've never in my life felt so miserable watching anime. This is not divorced from the previous show, it is an incompetent and entirely unwarranted desecration of it.
You will be better off not watching it.

To make this clear from the very start, I haven't watched the original and don't plan to do so.

Trigun Stampede is probably one of the better shows this season, though that's not tough to achieve with Vinland Saga being the only show I‘m actually excited to watch every week. That is not to mean that Stampede isn't a great show, far from it, there is a lot to love about it, but at least after watching episode 3 there is still something missing, a hook to tie it all together and keep me invested.

I‘m going to go over a few of the qualities of the ... show talking about them briefly while trying to keep it low on spoilers:

Art/Animation: This is not a bad-looking show. I don't want to get into arguments here with the people that still think that CGI in anime is the beginning of the apocalypse and the first sign of the birth of the anti-Christ, but their criticism is completely over the top. The CGI never looked so bad that it hurt or even bothered me, though taking a look at Studio Orange‘s other shows, this is still far from Beastars and Land of the Lustrous. In conclusion, I would say that it‘s a bit like the 2nd part of Attack on Titans‘ third season: The art can look great and most certainly does a lot of the time, you just can't forget about that Colossal Titan model stumbling around.

Music/Sound: I honestly couldn't tell you anything about this, there isn't a single track from the show I actually remember. After skipping through the first 2 episodes for a bit the only thing that stood out to me was the music for the opening scene with the spaceships. The music isn't bad though, it fits the western style this show is going for quite nicely. Finally, the opening while lacking interesting animation is a jam and a song I would happily listen to if it would randomly appear in my playlist.

Voice Acting: As I don't speak Japanese, I can't say much about this. All I can say is that the voice actors were appropriate for their roles, although that's not a high bar to clear.

The writing: Before we get to the criticism, let me say one thing up front: You don't need to have seen Trigun before, I've understood everything fine so far and I don't think it was intended as pandering to old fans. So, now we come to a bit of a problem. I'll try to keep this light on spoilers, but I'll be referencing a scene from the first episode to make the point I'm trying to make a little clearer. I'm not the sort of person who watches a series just for the spectacle, so please bear that in mind.

The first episode ends with a duel between our protagonist Vash and a cop from another city. After Vash refuses to draw his gun, the officer takes a rocket launcher off his back and shoots a stray missile into the sky. What happens after that is not that important, just know that Vash saves the town at the last moment by shooting a bullet given to him by a minor character.

The problem with this scene is that we abandon logic and reason for a bit of animation banter. For all we know, the officer was not suicidal, or at least he didn't look like it. This could be explained later, but with the rather episodic structure of the first three episodes, I doubt it.

In summary, this is not a bad series, but it's not a great one either. It has its fair share of problems, but to call it a dumpster fire or train wreck is going too far. I see a lot of people enjoying the series for what it is, and I understand that. For me at least, it's not really what I was looking for and I'm not sure if I want to see it to the end yet. If you do and you like it, good for you, don't let these CGI anarchists spoil your fun.

If you've watched the original Trigun series, this reboot might be a bit disappointing.

First thing you'll notice is the CG animation. While there are parts this sticks out like a sore thumb (or arm), the fight and action scenes are pretty impressively gone. But yeah, the vibe CG gives out is just not something that currently be hidden. It's especially jarring when characters are trying to be goofy-expressive with facial expression or they're having a gag scene.

Speaking of gag scenes, 3 episodes in and the series is still not at all funny. It vibe is really too try hard and takes itself far more ... seriously than the first, yet the comic relief and "clumsy, lucky Vash" act just doesn't flow well either. It's really awkward, stale, and flat. The original series was yes, was clearly targeting a younger crowd (pre-teens and teens), but it was pretty hilarious as it knew it's identity and what it was trying to accomplish. And the reason why it became such a classic is because it gradually opened up with the story, the events all tied together, and things got real. From goofy and comedic to serious and dark, it was super well done, with great action all throughout. This current series just seems confused on what it wants to be and that's my real issue with this reboot.

Third is, of course they changed up a quite a few things. The hair, the gun, the sunglasses... but really, the worst offender is getting rid of Milly (afaik). This isn't a spoiler, as this is the first thing that fans have noticed when it was announced and it's clear from the first episode. In the original series, the dynamic between Meryl and Millie was so perfect, both progressing the plot and dialogue, and giving the series appropriate comic relief when needed. Most of all, it was fairly ahead of it's time, an older female senpai and a newbie working together on something big (and they weren't reporters then, so not as stereotypical). Speaking of stereotypical, that's what we get now... the old and jaded old veteran and the naïve newbie. Like, come on!

I don't know, maybe this series will surprise me as it goes on. Maybe it just has a rough start and will seriously pick up and surprise us all! I'm still a Trigun fan and I need to resist the urge to be harsh and really approach this reboot with an open mind.

Trigun surprised me once, maybe it can do it again with Stampede

So I usually don't write reviews, but Trigun was one of my first and favorite anime, and later manga too.
Meaning I know both source materials.

This is a retelling. It is not a prequel or an adaptation, it is a retelling.
I understand what it is trying to do, and why it exists.
The writer of this show (probably and hopefully) liked the original, but had some problems with some plotlines or characters.
So what this show does is take the general plot, some of the characters, and the incredible world with its worldbuilding, and tries to tell it's own spin on the original ... story.
Basically someone went: I can do this better then the original.

I dislike that thinking. I think it's an insult to the orignial creator and to the thoughts behind it.
The original took time to build up certain charakters, the world and the plot.
It also build up many mysteries. Who is Vash? Why does he have a bounty if he is so nice? What is Vash? Who is this Rem person? Why doesn't he allow himself to kill? What are the plants?

Maybe it's because of an episode limit, but this show doesn't do that. They spoil most of the mysteries in the first episode.
By the third the main villian is already shown.
For some reason he, and many other characters got changed a lot. Maybe to progress the plot faster?
Some of these new characters are really lazy tropes.
You had Milly in the original, she was the partner of the reporter girl and was a counterenergy to her.
Here they replaced her with the most generic version of "old teacher who drinks all the time and teaches the foolish youngling" I have ever seen. Bet that character is gonna die in a last moment of glory like all characters with that trope.

The MC has his vallues, which were essential to the original philosophy of the manga, nerved. This is surprising, as it is one of the main appeals of the source material. The main character is such a pacifist, it physically hurts him to see others die, and he would always bring himself in danger to stop even a hoodlums death. By the third episode things happen, and he doesn't seem to be affected. His twin and counterpart, the villian lemilion knives is supposed to be a counter philosophy. That is the beginning and the end for the plot. It is the reason they clash. They are parts of the same coin, with similar abilities. At least they should have been, as this would be again, essential to the original philosophical ideas of the manga.
For some reason he is suddenly overpowered.
Vash and him were supposed to be the same, with the same skills, just vash not using them, because of his morals.
Vash is supposed to be as powerfull as his nemesis, but still in a loosing position, because of his limiting morals.
Buffing the villian to make him more scary and oppresive is defeating the whole process.

The cgi is nice, character designs are difficult. Vash, just looks much cooler in the source material. He is a very iconic character. His costume which was very restricive in style (lots of edgy 90s belts) was kind a showing that he is restricting himself. The buttons on the coat were stylish and a zipper just doesn't do it justice. I liked the original hair alot, but I think the new one is fine. I just don't get why they couldn't keep the cool glasses. they redesigned them for no reason (I am no expert in cgi but I think a few extra spikes wouldn't have destroyed the model because they should be able to fix them to key points of the face if I am not wrong).
Many other designs are also simplefied or boring, but I guess that is because of the cgi model limits.
Cgi is still quite good.

So should you watch it?
Sure, give it a try, we don't know what will happen because it doesn't follow the original plot.
Will probably be a lot better then most isekais, especially if you didn't see the original.
I still strongly urge you to watch the original though, or even better read the manga.

In my opinion this is not Trigun. This is something wearing it's shell and characters. I love Trigun, that's why I gave this quite the low score. If this would have been a original story instead, I would have been rating this higher. Sadly this is just insulting my memory.

The sadest part is, I will still continue to watch this, as I am always happy to see more of Vash, even if its a "fake" or "wrong" one, as it just is one of the characters who influenced my childhood so greatly.

The original 1998 anime adaptation of Trigun is one of those rare beasts that grew big in North America after flopping in Japan. In fact, it became so successful in America that it spawned a side story movie more than a decade later. Even more surprisingly, after another decade, we're getting this reboot, with the source material having sat finished on the shelf for over 15 years already.

One quick glance at any of the pictures related to Trigun Stampede is enough to tell you that the makers have struck out in a completely new direction in terms of aesthetic. I can't say I was too ... keen on the new style, but since the 1998 adaptation was one of the first anime I watched and enjoyed as an adult, I decided to check it out despite my reservations. For old times' sake.

The resulting experience was … interesting, to say the least.

I'll be honest, my impressions of the 1998 version is etched deeply, and perhaps because of this, I couldn't help but compare this new version against the original at every turn. Unfortunately, Trigun Stampede does not hold up well in these comparisons, at least not for the first half of this season.

First, let's get the elephant out of the room and into the open: the CG. I'll preface this by saying that I did not think much of character designs of the original, with their blush lines making them look like children's sketches; nor do I consider myself as someone anti-CG who would shudder at the mere thought of using CG in anime. So it's as much of a surprise to me that I soon found myself yearning for the hand drawn look of the original that I felt lukewarm towards to begin with! The CG has polished away the rough edges of the original design, but it's also over polished away a lot of the visual flair that gave the original personality, as well as the aesthetic that so suited the dusty, grimy wild west feel of its world. Beyond the art style, movements such as how hair sway and how the characters move feels too smooth and so deeply rooted in the uncanny valley that they distracted me from focusing on the story. The CG is especially ill suited to the goofy antics and over-the-top gunslinging action inherent to the franchise. Even Vash's red trenchcoat - so iconic in the 1998 version with its plethora of straps and buttons - becomes just an unremarkable looking red trench coat in Stampede. The only place I can think of where the CG does well is in animating Million Knives' weaponry, as it had the effect of giving them an unsettlingly alien and phobia-inducing creepy quality.

It's obvious that Trigun Stampede was deliberately made to distinguish itself from its predecessor, and the visuals was just one of the ways that signalled this intention. One of the producers even said that they wanted to attract new audiences with Trigun Stampede, but to me the show actually does the opposite. The backstory involving Rem was perhaps THE major emotional climax as the 1998 Trigun entered its final straight; here, it's revealed in the opening episode. Moreover, the major players all appear early on with their ulterior motives laid bare as the outline of the plot is sketched out. That takes a lot of the tension out of the story, meaning there's no sense of mystery; no hook in the plot to reel the audience in; the characters haven't even been built up enough to make you care about their backstories yet! The only way I could see it working was if Stampede was intended for people who've seen the original and are just here to see the characters they know and love in a retelling of a story they're already familiar with. And even in this, I think they fall short - I'm pretty fond of the original Trigun, but I spent disappointingly long stretches of the first half of Stampede feeling bored.

The characterisations also mostly misses the mark: Wolfwood, who was so effortlessly cool in the original, just comes off as someone trying too hard to be cool here; the newly introduced Roberto de Niro fits so snugly inside the archetypical jaded senpai mould that the only remarkable thing about him is his name - and most disappointingly, he's not even voiced by Robert de Niro in the dub! One of strengths of the 1998 Trigun was how well it juggled the goofy humour with the pathos; in Stampede, the balance feels out of whack as it discarded most of its goofy side and ramped up the angst instead, and the little goofiness that remained feels forced and out of place. It's not even very good angst: there's a lot of shouting but the lacklustre character chemistry and the unremarkable script meant that it felt more annoying than anything else in my emotionally detached state.

The strongest emotion I felt while watching the first half of Trigun Stampede was nostalgia, and not in good way for this new instalment. As the series touched upon familiar characters, familiar references and familiar features of this imaginative world, it evoked in me an appreciation of how well conceived the original concept was, and how much better it was done in the 1998 adapation. Almost the only improvement Trigun Stampede makes comes from the writers realising that, as much as "Knives" makes for a badass antagonist name, it's a ridiculous one to give to a child. So here, they made the main antagonist's birth name "Nai" instead.

To its credit, Trigun Stampede eventually gets its shit together and finally came into its own for the second half. With the caveat of it being so long since I last saw the original that I've have forgotten a lot of the finer details, I felt that Stampede aimed for and succeeded in fleshing out Vash and Knives' origin story a lot more. Most notably, Knives was simply a coldly logical and blood thirsty killer in the original, and here he becomes a much more sympathetic character, with his contrast against Vash feeling rather like that between Magneto and Profession X. One particularly harrowing scene of plants in their "last run" is one of many that makes Knives' case against humanity quite damning, and they provide especially poignant food for thought in this current era when climate change and living off the planet sustainably are such hot topics. I kinda wished we got to see more of Rem though, especially when the prolific Maaya Sakamoto lent such an experienced, star quality to her voice that she stole almost every scene in which she played a significant part.

The final part of Trigun Stampede wasn't without issues, the most glaring one being the technical aspect of the plot descending into incomprehensible, gobbledigook jargon jungle. That said, the ending provides an intriguing twist (one that I might have guessed had I re-familiarised myself with the original adaptation before embarking on this one), but you'd have to have seen the original to appreciate it. Yet again, this was an instance of the series throwing a bone to a familiar crowd that the newbies to the franchise would miss.

Before I finish up, I want to give a nod to the music production of Trigun Stampede. While the series abandoned the snarling electric guitar solos and the twanging sound of the blues of the original, what they replaced it with is at least as good. The opening is a modern, stylish chiller of a song with the auto-tune effect serving as a fitting parallel to the CG laden visuals; the ending is a melodic soother, gentle like a summer drizzle. Combined, they represent one of the best OP/ED combinations I can think of in recent anime. The background music is also good, serving up an array of distinctive styles to suit distinctive sceneries. This is one anime for which I want to check out the sound track!

So, how do I feel about this new adaptation of Trigun? Try as I might, I can't extricate myself from my impressions of the original to give an independent assessment of Trigun Stampede, different though it may be in both style and substance. My best guess though, is that newcomers to the series will find it underwhelming. But for existing customers, it's not bad, with a strong second half salvaging the mediocrity of the first. The more in depth origin story makes it a worthy supplement to the 1998 adaptation. At the very least, it has sold me on the next season, and I'm feeling just a little a spark of excitement about how they'll continue the story.

Personal rating: +0.5 (decent)