Further Thoughts on Trigun Stampede.

I know I wanted to have my first review of 2023 out sooner; but it's once again been held up (by a combination of life, Generation IX and Shredder's Revenge to name few). Rest assured, it will be out once I have it ready. In the meantime, here are further thoughts on Trigun Stampede.

Though it's still not the complete disaster I was worried about it being; I also continue to question why it was necessary. The second and third episodes have marginally better animation than the first; but it also just seems off to me. Other people have praised its art direction, but I honestly don't see it. Maybe it's my personal preference, maybe it's how high the bar has been set by Lupin III The First (along with Orange's previous work on Land of the Lustrous and BEASTARS); but the movement feels choppier than even the original anime did in the same point. I am starting to adjust my eyes to the presentation, but I typically don't watch most anime on pause. Honestly hope people that prefer the reboot design of Vash are joking, since I still think he looks like a Fortnite avatar in this version.

Not pictured- vibing with Goku, Deku and the Mandalorian.

The pacing and tone are still issues I have with this version: I now have to rescind placing this above Digimon Adventure 2020 (forget you, Toei, I'm not including the colon in the title), since it committed the same mistake of tipping their hand too early in terms of the villains. Not just with Knives (who didn't confront Vash until the original's denouement); but the Nebraska brothers as well. While I'm on that subject; I don't really agree with the changes made to their designs. Some of this was necessary given the different medium; but Hard Puncher looks more plasticky than his SH Figuarts tie-in. His handler also looks less like the mad scientist from its senior and more like Zack de la Rocha with a bad platinum bleach job.

Character redesigns aside, this raises further questions about why this reboot was necessary if Orange is just going to plow through the story and threats like this. To put this into context; it gives me flashbacks to when 4Kids removed Laboon and Little Garden from One Piece... only for both arcs to be connected to Brook and Water 7, respectively. Oops. In a more recent analogy, it would be like if Luffy followed Zoro to Wano immediately after freeing him from the Marines' prison.

Though I am at least glad they got Johnny Yong Bosch back as Vash; I honestly wonder why it took this long to just come out and say it. He might have been under NDA, but he said on his social feeds he hadn't been contacted before the reboot announcement was officially made; and I believe him. I honestly would have been way more open to the reboot if the promotional team wasn't going out of their way to put the lens of bad optics even on good decisions like that. It just makes the questionable ones stand out even more (yes, I am still disappointed about the absence of Milly at this stage).

Three episodes in, and while not a complete misfire; this reboot still lacks the magic of the original personally. I still do not plan on giving it a full review until the whole anime is out. I sincerely recommend those who haven't seen it or read the original manga please do so; as it is a much better use of time than this. Take care everyone.