Trigun Stampede

So don't get me wrong here. Im not a hater off the bat, I don't mind the new art style much, the animation is smooth....but even in the character re-design my main critique of the whole reboot comes in. . . This series in it's attempts to tell the story in a new light fails to realize what made the original so good; firstly the key plot points are slowly revealed over the course of many interactions between characters in the original. For example: In the or first we do not find out Vash has a bionic arm and get the first clue that Vash is more than an oddball pretending to not be a skilled gunman until quite a few episodes in.....in this they took out the whole air of intrigue and mystery and imply all of the intriguing developmental plot points right in the beginning of the show. His Bionic arm in plain sight, no attempt to hide his mysterious odd connections really. It's just weak storytelling. The animation is sadly pretty impressive but the pacing and progression that it is all tied to in my opinion just feels underwhelming, half baked, and overall a much less impressive compositional mix than first. Would have been better off as a stand alone cyber punk style story and not tying Trigun to it imo. All of the characters just feel like shallower versions of their original concepts. It was nice to see a little more about Knives and Vash's mom but the incredibly direct way it is all spoon fed to you just never felt super surprising or exciting. I guess it might be pretty decent if you never watched the original and were forced to compare them though.

To everyone who is discouraged by the bad reviews - don't let them drive you away of this show. I love the original Trigun and I love the Trigun story. This show is obviously a kind of prequel. The character of Milly isn't replaced and all the characters are a bit different because we see them in different time then it was in the 98 series.

I really kept my expectations low, because I was afraid of the CGI and new art style, but the show didn't disappoint me. On the contrary I am eager to see another season and I very much hope that there will be more than one. Trigun as a story masterpiece deserves this new look and its story told in more depth.

Also regarding the manga, there is so much more to cover than the original series could do. I can only be exited for more seasons! (I had to submit my first review for this :D )

I'll start by saying that this Trigun is simply a feast for the eyes, the animation and the effects of modern cinema really give a unique atmosphere to each episode, although I can end here with the positive section of the series.

Now, an incredible animation is not the same as a work full of life, in this case it is a product lacking soul if we compare it with the classic series.

All the goofy expressions of our friendly protagonist have been eliminated and everything that made each character stand out too, instead they feel like Mad Max survivors who simply come together thanks to the magic of the script.

The music is something redeemable, it is quite good.

First of: The obvious review bombing for the show is insane! Im 100% sure some people dont even give this a single(!) fair chance and go "3D bad!!"+"The OG Trigun rules" and give it an unreasonable low score. My first impression on the other hand is actually very positive! I have rarely seen an anime with such an kinetic style. The action is plenty, the camera goes wild, great sound design and the characters show so much emotion in their expressions and movements. This show is directed skillfully, just like Studio Orange's Land of the Lusterous. The criticism I have is that it basically tells you a lot of stuff in the beginning that could have made for good reveals. You should give at least the first episode a fair chance. Just dont expect the old Trigun. The first episode alone is such a blast!

Trigun Stampede follows a genial guy with freakishly quick reflexes as he travels through a wasteland dealing with various weird antagonists. It's an engagingly told story with good but unexceptional CGI animation and weak character development.

That would be my basic review of the series if I had not seen the original Trigun. But if you've seen the first adaptation of the manga, then you can't help but spend your time considering the ways in which it was more effective than this version.

In the original Trigun anime, Vash is basically an inept, bumbling idiot in sci-fi Western setting. He's a silly, comical character. But then, when danger arises, he is suddenly supernaturally skilled. One of the first things that drew me into the series was, how does this make sense? Who is this guy? What's his story?

Trigun Stampede tosses the mystery. We start with who Vash is, so there's little mystery involved. Vash is also no longer a buffoon. In his introduction, he does make a comical mistake, but that's the only time it happens. Basically he's just a pleasant pacifist with incredible gun skills. And while this still takes place in a desert wasteland, the Western tropes have been mainly stripped out.

So, Trigun Stampede's Vash is less funny, less mysterious, and more tortured. But that is not inherently bad, even if it's not as fun. But by the time one reaches the end of the season, the problem becomes clear - the changes have created a Vash who is hard to care about. He's so innocuous that in spite of his tragic backstory and ongoing struggles, I found myself in the final battle not really caring much about how it would turn out.

The original animation's characters were broad but compelling. As the mystery of Vash was slowly revealed, one got a sense of how much pain there was behind the goofball mask. This made the show, at times, heartbreaking.

None of this makes Trigun Stampede a bad series. I would absolutely recommend it. But not as much as I would recommend watching the original, which is one of my all-time favorite anime series.