[Anime React] Trigun Episode 01x05

Trigun • トライガン

Season 1, Episode 5

HARD PUNCHER

"I'm chasing the elusive mayfly of peace... or something like that."

Original Air Date: 29 April 1998

Running Time: 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Language: English

Vash finds himself under siege once again while eating at a cafe in Inepril City. After disposing safely of the bandits who attacked him, the citizens of the city decide solemnly that they need the bounty to save their dying plant. The citizens themselves end up destroying most of the city in pursuit of Vash the Stampede and the $$60 billion on his head. They even hire the infamous father-and-son team of Professor and Gofsef Nebraska just to catch him, which only leads to more destruction. Meryl finally accepts (with great dismay) that the strange man they've been inadvertently following is the real Vash the Stampede. 

Still making my way through Trigun one episode at a time, it's still in a very old-school anime episodic "adventure of the week" type format - or at least that's how this starts. It looks like just another one of Vash's adventures gone wrong, with our lovely insurance ladies tagging along for the ride. But this episode things get a little more intense than earlier, and we really get to have more of a taste as to why (well, more like wondering why) Vash is the famous outlaw, the human typhoon.

But where did she keep that parachute?

And yes - MERYL FINALLY FUCKING GETS IT. SHE FINALLY FUCKING REALIZES HE'S VASH THE STAMPEDE. LIKE MILLY GOT IT FROM DAY ONE - YOUR STUBBORNNESS IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR ME STAHP IT.

The standoff at the end of the episode was pretty goddamn epic. We've seen some of Vash's badassaery and mad skillz before but that was under the mask of an almost nonchalant goofiness. Here he was totally serious and actually bothered to use his gun. Either way, this means we're starting to get the beginnings of a much bigger picture that I'm pretty hella excited about.

Pure. Fucking. BADASS.

Then he ruins the moment in his usual dorky way. Complete mood whiplash, but for the characters too, not just the audience, so it's not necessarily a bad thing. So far I do like the weird balance between comedy and serious dramatic situations, and I think Vash is not only completely aware of this contrast, but mostly the one pushing it. This entire world is a cynical dustbowl and then you've got this guy in a red duster with an adorkable attitude and shining idealism and that just makes me wonder why? 

Also I have yet to watch it in Japanese, but especially for an older anime the English voicework is pretty good (well, for the main characters at least, the episodic townsfolk aren't so hot but not completely horrendous either). My only real complaint (apart from once again some shoddy townsperson) is mostly because I can't help but hear Lelouch of all characters. Johnny Young Bosch's voice, though he's good at the acting part, doesn't really change quality that much (as in I can recognize it instantly). Trigun - perhaps because it's older, and perhaps because of Vash's need for an almost boyish performance in this dub - kinda threw me off the trail for a while... And then in serious moments his voice got deeper and I was all like "Fuck... It's Lelouch."

I had my own JYB power hour apparently

Overall, a pretty damn good episode if you ask me. We're starting to get a real taste of where this show's going. AND ONCE AGAIN FUCKING FINALLY MERYL.

"Maman, Maman, why is this always happening to me?? And why am I crying in French?"