During the panel and AnimeNYC 2022, producers Kiyotaka Waki and Yoshihiro Watanabe from Studio Orange and Katsuhiro Takei of TOHO Animation spelled out the inception of the new series, Trigun Stampede. Viewed by many as their gateway into anime and a seminal influence on the medium, Trigun is a beloved western-themed action series based on the serialized Trigun and Trigun Maximum mangas. The TV series debuted in 1998 and followed insurance agents Meryl and Milly while tracking outlaw Vash the Stampede across the desert planet of Gunsmoke. Hijinks and catastrophic destruction ensue as Vash evades countless bounty hunters and ne’er-do-wells on his quest to stop his brother, Knives, from wiping out humanity.
During the panel, I was somewhat stunned to find that, along the way, the production team was encouraged to view as much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as possible. Trigun creator Yasuhiro Nightow was inspired by Marvel’s approach to reimagining character origins for the MCU adaptations and insisted that tapping into that formula would pay dividends in crafting the new series. That process culminated in the meticulous crafting of a 2-inch thick narrative development “Bible” that is usual for anime productions working from an established manga. However, according to the team, this revision is only possible because the manga is now complete. Therefore, story elements and characters could be recontextualized with the entirety of their arcs in mind from the outset. This also allowed the team to pack the series with easter eggs and subtle cues for the knowing Trigun faithful.
And the Trigun faithful were and are definitely on the producers’ minds. As Trigun stans themselves, I found the tension among the producers on Friday’s panel was palpable. They want the audience to love this iteration of the story and have put tremendous work into evolving the presentation and pacing while retaining the core details of these characters. Artists for the series provided hundreds of character expression stills to the CGI animators for reference to maintain an impressive degree of expressiveness and continuity between the 3D iterations and their classic counterparts. As a result, the usual criticism that CG anime characters are more rigid and stonefaced compared to more traditional animation doesn’t apply to this reboot. Instead, there was a conscious effort to bring a robust dynamic quality to these characters, which is tremendously effective.
From what I’ve seen, at the very least, Vash and Meryl remain true to form. The Humanoid Typhoon presents an unassuming facade, optimistic to a fault but always sincere. Meryl is the same headstrong firebrand with impeccable resolve and an uncompromising moral compass. What may surprise viewers is the somewhat more rapid pacing of the action. We’re shown very early on that Vash is something special, and the quicker reveal may appeal more to new fans who have never experienced the slow burn progression of the original series. Trigun Stampede will also feature an increased thematic focus on the duality of Vash and Knives’ characters and motivations, particularly regarding Knives. Both characters’ origins are introduced immediately and will undoubtedly undergo more complex exploration throughout the series. Another reveal confirmed during the panel was that the town of July would be a significant addition previously excluded from the original series.
Despite these seemingly substantial changes, this new series is unmistakably Trigun. After previewing episode one of the Trigun reboots, I can say unreservedly the project features some of the most breathtaking animations I have ever seen in a series. That’s disingenuous. The production, at all levels, is film quality and defies practically all preconceptions of what “TV” animation should be. It’s easily the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in motion since season one of League of Legends: Arcane. In terms of characterization and scale, though worlds apart in style, genre, and tone, Trigun Stampede presents some extremely stiff competition to Riot’s excellent series going into 2023. Beyond the stellar visuals, the question is, “Can the reboot stick the landing on the narrative?” I look forward to finding out when Trigun Stampede begins streaming in January 2023.
Christian Davenport
cable201@comicattack.net
