Review of Trigun
“Imma bout to shit all over this dumpster fire. May my asshole not be singed too badly.” — Krunchyman Any anime worth its weight in salt, understands that well-written, believable characters are the key to crafting a good/great show. If the characters come off as being cliched, redundant or unrealistic, it prevents the viewer from creating a meaningful connection with said character(s); thus, inhibiting the overall potency of the various themes it may be attempting to push forward. Vash, for the majority of the series, comes off as prepubescent imbecile, who only concerns himself with outlandish flirting and stuffing his face with doughnuts(none of which are particularly funny, even though the show would have you think otherwise). Through the repetitive nature of the episodic plot, Vash follows a conventional pattern of acting silly for the sake of “laughter,” followed by saving the day with his impressive gun skills and preaching a philosophy of “love and peace.” Aside from the weird juxtaposition of charismatic dolt and the solemn pacifist — a mixture that does not work well together — Vash’s moral compass is ill-explored and his insistence to remain steadfast in his personal creed (i.e. not to kill), severely obstructs his potential as an objective thinker who questions his own belief structure. The manner in which the subject is broached is not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, because it utilizes a plot device to construct a binary situation in which there is no room for rationalization.
Knives, while being dogmatic in his beliefs like Vash, represents the antithesis of “peace and love,” via his goal to exterminate the human race and create a peaceful environment for him and his brother to live in. This black and white dichotomy harkens to the philosophy of Yin and Yang, but it feels too romanticized, as most people seldom adhere to being strictly “good” or “evil.” Amalgamations of both traits exist in every person (sometimes one trait becomes more pronounced) but rarely does one exhibit unconditional wickedness or benevolence for the mere sake of it, without an ulterior motive to benefit from that disposition.
Needless to say, Vash’s antics waned on my nerves from beginning to end, as did Milly (a five year-old trapped in an adult’s body) and Meryl (classic Tsundere). The various villains presented throughout the series were nothing to write home about, because they merely served as cannon fodder to exemplify Vash’s proficiency with a gun. Wolfwood, on the other hand, was the only character that was mildly interesting, as his cryptic past served a useful purpose later in the series, and his overall demeanor seemed the most authentic among a cast of shallow, trite characters.
The lone bright spots were the OST — the OP, in particular, is quite exhilarating — and the above average animation (for its time). The animation, however, is nothing groundbreaking, as numerous scenes feature desert backdrops that are rather plain, barren, and uninteresting. Static shots occur more frequently than the viewer would like to admit, but when the action does commence, it's quite good (albeit brief).
Overall, Trigun is a silly western rife with schlocky characters, stale jokes and simple themes that are never thoroughly fleshed out. Coming from the mid-to-late nineties — a period of considerable experimentation (NGE, Lain, Utena, Berserk, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, etc.) — it seems rather bizarre that Trigun gets lumped in with truly great works as a “classic.” Perhaps because Trigun aired in the midst of these other innovative shows, the positive nostalgic effect has shaved away its rugged edges, giving the appearance of “excellence;” when, in fact, it’s a rather cheap imitation of a great show in an otherwise revolutionary epoch in the history anime.