Fans of Yasuhiro Nightow’s sci-fi space western manga and anime series Trigun may get some mixed feelings with the upcoming new animated series “Trigun Stampede” - which released a new poster and trailer that not only shows off more of the redesigned Vash and his mission to find his twin brother Millions Knives, but returning fan favorite characters Meryl Strife and Nicholas D. Wolfwood, as well as introducing a new supporting character named Roberto De Niro (who is probably named after the legendary Hollywood actor of the same name).
Trigun Stampede is set to premiere on Crunchyroll on January 2023.
It's not every day you get to celebrate two decades of an Japanese Anime series that influenced a generation of viewers - let alone one that was based off a popular manga and didn't quite follow the plot of that as it was still ongoing yet turned into its own spin and became a classic nevertheless. Of course, we're talking about the anime adaptation of Yasuhiro Nightow's "Trigun" - an action packed space western show that ran for 26 episodes and was animated by Madhouse. Like its source material, the series told the story of a mysterious gunslinger known as "Vash the Stampede" - who wanders around the colonized and desert like planet of Gunsmoke with a $$60 Billion Double Dollar bounty on his head. Why would some guy like that be the target of every scum and mercenary out there? That's what the series chronicles - including revealing bits and pieces of who Vash really is as well as meeting his companions in insurance girls Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, as well as the priest gunfighter Nicholas D. Wolfwood.
Now what makes this anime so badass? Why let's see and listen to the opening first before anything else:
Trigun Opening - "H.T"
That was the intro using the song "H.T", and it presents Vash as a badass. However, the anime shows more than just guns blazing. The first few episodes in fact show a "different side" to our main character than one would expect.
There's tons of life lessons and things to appreciate about Trigun - from Vash's naive and seemingly impossible mission as a pacifist to save everyone without killing, to the hopeless circumstances and grim choices those around him have to make to survive. The planet they live in is also devoid of most natural resources - with humanity relying on alien "Plants" to provide them with all the necessary water and energy they need to survive. It gets better over time - and it's turned into one of the anime classics of its time (alongside fellow 20 year celebrant Cowboy Bebop) that you can watch at your leisure and name your favorite moments from each episode. While the English dub is pretty good (with Johnny Yong Bosch of Power Rangers fame providing the voice of Vash), stick to the original Japanese dub for quality viewing and the jokes - Masaya Onasaka being THE definite voice of Vash.
With that, I celebrate 20 years of the Trigun anime with this picture of my small collection. LOVE AND PEACE BABY!!!
If I recount my experiences with Japanese Animation, there have been several shows over the years that have impacted and influenced me a great deal. There'd be too many to list down if I started going through each and everyone of them, but fortunately, in relation to today's post, I'm going to concentrate on one anime in particular - Trigun. A futuristic space western tale set on the planet Gunsmoke, this series was the brainchild of one Yasuhirow Nightow, who wrote and illustrated the original manga before it was adapted for TV. Focusing on the story of a man known as "Vash The Stampede", Trigun follows the fellow's adventures, as he evades danger and save lives at the same time. However, his presence alone inadvertedly causes so much destruction and chaos, and one particular incident in his past left an entire city in ruins. As a result, Vash now has a big bounty placed on his head, leaving him constantly on the run from the law and the badguys who want to kill him! I could go on and on about how silly, cool and exciting this series is, but I'd best leave that for curious eyes to see for themselves. Just check out the intro to this classic and see what I mean.
Trigun Intro
Now that I've talked about the show, it's time to get to the heart of this post - a review on the newest toy based on Vash and out for the collectible to buy and share with the world. I'm talking about none other than Revoltech Yamaguchi's Vash The Stampede action figure, and by golly, it's an amazing toy that is a must have for the definite Trigun fan! Why do I say this? Because this baby packs several swappable parts and interchangeable pieces, not to mention a body full of poseability, articulation, and action! Take a look!
Ok, now that I've squealed and ranted about the figure in a positive light, I'll move on to a detailed review of it now.At first glance, The Revoltech Yamaguchi Vash (designated "Series No. 091") can look deceptively small, especially with the way it's positioned inside the box. True, no one knows exactly how a figure's gonna fare out to them unless they open it, but in this case, many may make the mistake of immediately passing on what is already proven to be a top-selling figure. I picked this cool dude up a week ago, and I'm still in disbelief that it's going hot like donuts.
Vash is packaged inside a white box with a see through plastic screen that exposes the toy and its numerous parts inside. The figure itself is positioned in the center, with its legs spread out and the upper body hunched to make it fit inside the packaging. Like I said, it makes the figure look smaller than it should be. That's a matter of perception though, and anyone who needs their doubts dispelled can easily check the various poses pictured at the back of the packaging to get an idea just how articulated and tall this figure can be.
Once I opened this baby, I could very well see how much the Revoltech line has grown considerably since its early iterations all those years ago. Articulation and detail have been the prevailing points for the Yamaguchi line of figures, and no expense was spared in crafting a fine and well sculpted Vash The Stampede, based on his appearance on the recent Trigun movie: Badlands Rumble, which debuted in Japan last end of April. This particular look of Mr. Humanoid Typhoon looks more like a hybrid of his Manga and Anime appearance, with more emphasis on the former for the extra details he gets on his suit. That's probably a good thing, and getting the best of both worlds is great for me.
I took the guy out of the plastic and started fiddling with the various joints and accessories. Keep in mind, Revoltech prides itself in interchangeability and variation, so there's A LOT of ways to play and make Vash look extremely cool. The only gripe I have is that his .45 is stuck in the one right hand accessory it is attached to, meaning he can't use the gun on the left one. A minor quirk, yes, but I would have loved to switch and play with his main gun accessory.
The left arm is actually a prosthetic that conceals a machine gun inside, which can be interchanged again with the one left hand exposing and using said gun. Fancy stuff to play around with different concepts here, but I prefer Vash holding and posing with his .45 while seated on a damaged concrete surface.
Ok, now that I've pointed out the main stuff, all that's left to critique is the paint. I choose well and hard over two other pieces of this figure, and being mass produced, paint is an issue that must be carefully addressed before picking up a Revoltech figure. Some of the other Vashs has paint chips and smears, but I got lucky plucking out a good one. Also, with the numerous pegs and accessories coming along with this figure, it's easy to lose track or misplace these items, so Revoltech was nice enough to include a small mini orange box just to store said items, only with the used ones, plastic stands, and explosive peripherals unaccounted for. Be sure to handle the figure with care, as the tight joints may loosen over time or with excessive play and use.
Bottomline, while I already have a Vash figure with the McFarlene release, I love this rendition a lot more and am very pleased with having it. As a big fan of the character and Trigun, I couldn't pass this guy up when I saw it out at my local hobby shop. As I mentioned earlier, this figure is going fast, and there's no doubt why that's so. He's just too cool to be missed, and even if he's a pacifist gunslinger who advocates no killing, he has a heart of gold and a mission of love and peace, which makes him an awesome hero in my book.
