Trigun's Brilliance - I Still Don't Get It....

[JohnCrichton]

I'm watching it... but so far the episodes I've seen so far could've easily aired on Toonami. Edit out words like "dumbass" and it's funny, fun, Blasty McBlasty fun that's no more mature or brilliant than Outlaw Star.

I mean, brilliance to me means that every shot and the accompanying music is just an eye catching symphony of art.

There are some great shots in Trigun that capture the moment and own it, but otherwise I see the camera just put there and "Action!" called.

How is it that people match this series with Cowboy Bebop?

Trigun's got alot of pluses going for it. Excellent and creative character designs, giggle worth moments and an opening theme that is severly missed, but so far otherwise I don't see this series being any better than say... (example I was going to use slips my mind) Outlaw Star.

Ontop of all the other pluses, the voice actor for Vash, Johnny Yong Bosch is incredible! I didn't know he could sound like this with a complete range of emotional tones. I only know him from his shy and solemn role as Adam on Power Rangers. I thought that was because he couldn't act and could only fight. Gotta hand it to him. He's come quite a ways since his Adam days. Good work, Johnny!

[zmanjz]

I'm watching it... but so far the episodes I've seen so far could've easily aired on Toonami. Edit out words like "dumbass" and it's funny, fun, Blasty McBlasty fun that's no more mature or brilliant than Outlaw Star.

I mean, brilliance to me means that every shot and the accompanying music is just an eye catching symphony of art.

There are some great shots in Trigun that capture the moment and own it, but otherwise I see the camera just put there and "Action!" called.

How is it that people match this series with Cowboy Bebop?

Trigun's got alot of pluses going for it. Excellent and creative character designs, giggle worth moments and an opening theme that is severly missed, but so far otherwise I don't see this series being any better than say... (example I was going to use slips my mind) Outlaw Star.

Ontop of all the other pluses, the voice actor for Vash, Johnny Yong Bosch is incredible! I didn't know he could sound like this with a complete range of emotional tones. I only know him from his shy and solemn role as Adam on Power Rangers. I thought that was because he couldn't act and could only fight. Gotta hand it to him. He's come quite a ways since his Adam days. Good work, Johnny!


It's like a snowball rolling down a hill. You don't realize it's power until the later time.

[Rabi~en~Rose]

It's like a snowball rolling down a hill. You don't realize it's power until the later time.

We'll see.

So far this weeks episodes have been alot better then last weeks but even so neither the comedy nor the action have been adult or particulary mature. That doesn't mean its a bad show though, it just hasn't proven it belongs on AS. http://members.aol.com/kimminakochan/chicken.gif

[JohnCrichton]

It's like a snowball rolling down a hill. You don't realize it's power until the later time.

Nice anaolgy. I'll stick with it, cuz I wanna see what the hell everyone's talking about. I mean, I got a good eye for brilliance. I don't let stigma or whatever decide what I do and don't like.

I can see brilliance in stuff I'm not interested in like black & white movies. I don't dig on them, but I've seen more than a few that're brilliant.

I was wootin' and hollerin' about Cowboy Bebop and BERSERK before anyone else I know was. Liked The Big O after its second episode. I'm currently hollerin' about Giant Robo which everyone still needs to see. So if Trigun is brilliant like I keep hearing it's frustrating the hell outta me that I can't see what everyone else is seeing.

I shall continue to tune in.

[NewLib]

Yeah the first couple of episodes arent the best (Lost July is the first Trigun episode which I consider pretty good), but it gets a lot better as we get towards the end.

[gohan11]

Trigun is a good series, that just takes too long to actually get to the point of the story.

But like you said

"How is it that people match this series with Cowboy Bebop?"
I agree, I have seen all of it and I would even put Outlaw Star in front of it.

[okendri]

The main plot for trigun has not really kicked in yet. I think that CN would have a problem with Wolfwood and some of the gun ho guns. I rate Trigun ahead of OS but not ahead of CB.

[RogueMartian]

Like everyone already said, this series gets really awesome once you get to the episode Rem Saverem. And once wolfwood joins the show, you'll realize why everyone loves him.

For now the show is just good fun, and should be enjoyed as such.

Is it as good as cowboy bebop? I have to be honest, there is no anime as good as cowboy bebop. Every aspect of that show was just completely brilliant. I don't think its fair to compare anything to it. Especially since they are very different shows. Okay, so they're both space westerns, but the characterization and plotlines aren't even remotely comparable. It's like trying to compare Eva to Gundam Wing just because they're both in the mech genre. Big No No.

[NewLib]

Yeah Cowboy Bebop is the greatest anime ever. The only anime that comes close to its greatness in my opinion is Lupin. Though Trigun is up there with my second tier of great titles such as the UC Gundam main series (MSG, Z, and CCA especially), NGE, and Outlaw Star (except for the ending.) Of course I am not nearly as cultured in anime as a lot of people on these boards.

[JohnCrichton]

I can compare Gundam Wing to EVA. EVA's better. That was easy. :)

As for no anime being as good as Cowboy Bebop, that's not true. BERSERK is Bebop's equal. And because I've seen CB a thousand times through, and BERSERK is newer to me, I consider BERSERK a notch higher in my personal opinion.

[NewLib]

Berserk is an anime that I have wanted to see and never got around to it. I will probably try to see it soon. Hope it is as good as people say it is.

[Beat]

Wait a little. Around episode 13, everything becomes crystal clear as to why this is one of the great animes out there. And why it's worth getting the boxset.

[JohnCrichton]

Berserk is an anime that I have wanted to see and never got around to it. I will probably try to see it soon. Hope it is as good as people say it is.

Nothing ever meets up to hype and Berserk's good in a different way... but it's the equal of Cowboy Bebop.

What episode are we on now?

[Beat]

Tonight's number 7.

[Mugen]

I'm watching it... but so far the episodes I've seen so far could've easily aired on Toonami. Edit out words like "dumbass" and it's funny, fun, Blasty McBlasty fun that's no more mature or brilliant than Outlaw Star.



Well Pioneer originally sent Trigun to CN to air on Toonami, but CN turned it down due to high amount of gun use.

[tlsmith1963]

Trigun is probably my 2nd favorite after Cowboy Bebop. I wondered what all the hype was about at first, too. I thought Vash was too silly. But once you get past the first half, Trigun becomes a much better show. I'm glad that I stuck with it.

Tammy

[Opaque]

Trigun is probably my 2nd favorite after Cowboy Bebop. I wondered what all the hype was about at first, too. I thought Vash was too silly. But once you get past the first half, Trigun becomes a much better show. I'm glad that I stuck with it. I'm the same way...

[EscaflownePilot]

I'm watching it... but so far the episodes I've seen so far could've easily aired on Toonami. Edit out words like "dumbass" and it's funny, fun, Blasty McBlasty fun that's no more mature or brilliant than Outlaw Star.

I mean, brilliance to me means that every shot and the accompanying music is just an eye catching symphony of art.

There are some great shots in Trigun that capture the moment and own it, but otherwise I see the camera just put there and "Action!" called.

How is it that people match this series with Cowboy Bebop?

Trigun's got alot of pluses going for it. Excellent and creative character designs, giggle worth moments and an opening theme that is severly missed, but so far otherwise I don't see this series being any better than say... (example I was going to use slips my mind) Outlaw Star.

Ontop of all the other pluses, the voice actor for Vash, Johnny Yong Bosch is incredible! I didn't know he could sound like this with a complete range of emotional tones. I only know him from his shy and solemn role as Adam on Power Rangers. I thought that was because he couldn't act and could only fight. Gotta hand it to him. He's come quite a ways since his Adam days. Good work, Johnny!
My thoughts exactly.

I don't see why people are comparing this to Cowboy Bebop... they really don't have anything in common.

Trigun certainly isn't bad, it's just not the "best thing to happen to anime" like many people claim it is.

I felt the same way about Cowboy Bebop. So many people called it the very best anime ever, and even though I liked it alot, it just isn't so good to call it the best anime ever.

I'll still never understand why average shows like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun get all the attention, while superior shows like Now and Then, Here and There are simply ignored...

As for your "toonami" comment, I disagree. Think of all the perverted jokes, drinking jokes, and gunplay that would never make it to Toonami!

I for one am very glad it's not on Toonami!! It would take away the things it does have going for it!

Besides, content in a show doesn't determine whether it's Adult Swim material or not. If it did, Rurouni Kenshin would be on Adult Swim, and Home Movies could pass as a Cartoon Cartoon.

Trigun might not be like "Reign" or "Lupin", but so far it seems like it's definitely for adults, not kids.

[zmanjz]

Trigun is probably my 2nd favorite after Cowboy Bebop. I wondered what all the hype was about at first, too. I thought Vash was too silly. But once you get past the first half, Trigun becomes a much better show. I'm glad that I stuck with it.

Tammy


Actually, I enjoy the goofy episodes as much at as the serious ones...

But for those who like more drama with their action, the ratio does shift that way as the series progresses.

(Also seeing Vash as the Goofy Vash is important to the effect the later episodes will have on you.)
However, If you learn too much of the process behind the series, then like any psycological effect, you'll see it coming, and miss the intended emotions that the series will generate.


It's like the advertising for Jurassic Park. For everyone who didn't read the book, but saw the movie, it was completely unspoiled because the commercials gave nothing away.

If you know too much, or expect things, then you won't experience the suprises and won't have as great an experience.
.

[Nabuca]

1. Trigun belongs on Adult Swim, there is plenty of blood, drinking, language and serious stuff and the second arc of the series proves this. Why arent people complaining about shows that really dont belong on AS, like the Ripping Friends? Trigun would be ripped to shreads starting around episode 12 if it was to air on Toonami
2. How can I describe my love for Trigun? It has one of the best main characters in any anime, Vash grows on you so much in the first half and when the main story kicks in in the second half, wow, just wow. Hes one of the coolest, most human and well developed characters that I have ever seen in anime, not to mention having a great voice actor in JY Bosch. In my book it is better than Cowboy Bebop (Trigun is towards the top while CBB ranks around 6th or 7th on my all time list) and is one of the most memorable piece of entertainment I ever got to watch/read/hear. Sure it may have a few faults here and there but when Trigun shines, its blindingly awesome. Like someone on this thread said, it is like a snowball, growing larger and larger each episode, its an avalanche during the last 4 episodes. There are so many great, memorable moments, especially in the second half. Trigun rules, period, its a proud part of my DVD collection. Im eagerly waiting for someone to pick up the Manga.

[Travis]

If you know too much, or expect things, then you won't experience the suprises and won't have as great an experience.
.

Thats not true. In Romeo and Juliet at the begining it tells you they will die and so on and so fourth. But it is still good.

[Shnay]

So far, I'm in agreement with JC and the gang. I did like last night's (Monday's) episode, but overall, my reaction so far has been "This is Trigun? Am I missing something?"

So far all I've been seeing is a slapstick western that's comedy often falls falt. I try to watch things without any expectations, but it's hard to when people keep talking about it so highly. I'll keep watching, as people's high praise of the second half have intrigued me, so I'll have to go back to the old "wait and see" standby.

[Nabuca]

So far, I'm in agreement with JC and the gang. I did like last night's (Monday's) episode, but overall, my reaction so far has been "This is Trigun? Am I missing something?"

So far all I've been seeing is a slapstick western that's comedy often falls falt. I try to watch things without any expectations, but it's hard to when people keep talking about it so highly. I'll keep watching, as people's high praise of the second half have intrigued me, so I'll have to go back to the old "wait and see" standby.
People like myself, praising Trigun = People who have seen the entire series
People iffy about Trigun = People who havent.
I see a pattern here.
Stick with it folks, its worth it.

[Neo-Era]

People like myself, praising Trigun = People who have seen the entire series
People iffy about Trigun = People who havent.
I see a pattern here.
Stick with it folks, its worth it.

Not really. I've seen the whole thing, too, and while the series really picks up during the middle eps the ending is rushed and feels tacked on, which isn't unusual for anime adapted from manga. Starts off mediocre, gets good during the middle, ends badly.

[Opaque]

Its true though, you have to see the whole series to understand its merit... you dont use half the ingrediants to a cake and call it a cake, you also dont watch a few episodes of a series and deside wther or not it is good...

[David Lucas]

I just recently saw the whole series, and here is my honest opinion.

A very good show, without a doubt one of my top 10. Doubtfully in the top 3 though. One of the episodes coming up is nothing but a clip show, which could have been used to further Vash's history. Compared to Bebop....well you just can't do it (BE SILENT JC! ^_^) However, I can say that once the first GHG (I'll keep it at that) shows up it gets better.

Wolfwood will most certainly become your favorite character when he's introduced. Here's a perfect way to describe Wolfwood in Bebop terms:

Cowboy Andy : Vash

Spike Spiegel: Wolfwood

He acts like Vash, he's as goofy as Vash, but he's much cooler and wears pretty much the same outfit as Spike. There's a lot more to Trigun that meets the eye and I wish

I WISH

Willams Street's dumb ass didn't put that last clip of Vash in the AS opening, god why don't they just show the last battle in the entire series in that damn opening.
Oh wait.....

[.hack//Tsukasa]

TRIGUN is realy good twords the end. like Eva it bulds up. its the best anime curently running on Cartoon Network. second is .hack//sign

[zmanjz]

Thats not true. In Romeo and Juliet at the begining it tells you they will die and so on and so fourth. But it is still good.

...

That's an Illogical argument.

The fact that you can have a good experience doesn't mean that the loss of suspense means nothing.

[Ikwig]

Well, I loved Trigun from the very first ep to the final one. The best thing about it, IMHO, is that is evolves: nothing about this show is ever completely static - the characters, the plot, and the viewer's understanding of what is going on all move forward, grow and change with each episode.

As far as the Trigun vs. Bebop thing goes, I'm afraid I just can't compare the two. I have strong feelings for both series, but the reasons behind my feelings are so different that comparisons just aren't possible.

Anyhoo, in general I try to not compare series (or pay any attention to other's comparisons of them) so that I can watch a new show without expectations to color my opinions.:D

[Shnay]

People like myself, praising Trigun = People who have seen the entire series
People iffy about Trigun = People who havent.
I see a pattern here.
Stick with it folks, its worth it.

I've said over and over again that I will stick with it. I'm not judging the series yet because I haven't seen the whole thing yet, and I realize that. All of my reviews have been "...so far..." or "...judging by these episodes..." I never tried to make any judgements on the series as a whole. I just said that, based on what I've seen so far, it doesn't appeal to me all that much, and I have trouble seeing where all the praise is coming from. But, as I've said several times before, it is because of this high praise that I will watch the whole series.

[RedBoot]

I don't think I've ever met anyone who, after seeing all of Trigun, still didn't like it. I'm sure some people out there don't, but if you stick with it, chances are you'll find something you like about it.

When I first watched Trigun, I was watching it with a friend of mine. We both enjoyed the early episodes, but I was much more into it than he was. I'm one of those people who likes Goofy Vash just as much as Serious Vash. While my friend was enjoying the series, he wasn't as estatic about it as I was. But after we got to episode 12, we both really got into it. So, just keep watching.

However, don't expect episode 12 to be an "End all, be all, Greatest Thing Ever!" or something. I know when Bebop premired, that image was given to Ballad of Fallen Angels and some people expected too much of the episode. But ep.12 does make quite a change in the series. There's a bit of a pause after it since ep.13 is a clip show and 14 is filler, but from there on things get heavy. Basically, if you like ep.12, you'll like the rest of the series.

Anyway...so many people saying whether Bebop is better, or Trigun is better...and everyone treats Outlaw Star as an obvious 3rd place. I wonder if I'm the only one who likes Outlaw Star the best of all...

[ohmrbill]

As far as the Trigun vs. Bebop thing goes, I'm afraid I just can't compare the two. I have strong feelings for both series, but the reasons behind my feelings are so different that comparisons just aren't possible.

My feelings exactly. These two show share almost nothing in common, except for the use of guns and the whole "cowboy" thing.

[StrangerAtaru]

Bebop is Bebop. Trigun is Trigun. Let's leave that part as it is.

Personally, even though Trigun isn't the greatest show to me, it still is a heck of a lot of fun. The main reasons behind the early episodes in seeing "Goofy Vash" is due to contrasting him as well as connecting him to "Vash the Stampede" later on. But that doesn't mean that you can only like one or the other. (sort of like Kenshin: I am watching it for the first time right now on Toonami and seem to like "Swirly-Eyes Kenshin" just as much as "Hitokiri Battousai") I think that with JC, he is enabled with his opinions....and if that means he doesn't like Trigun, so be it. (but then again, this post is from someone who loves Digimon, but can't stand .hack//sign)

[Forbidden]

I've seen all of Trigun, and I'm not impressed. What really turned me off, especially in the first half, is the constant use of cartoonish faces. Whenever a character did something silly, they all of a sudden had their face morphed into this giant stupid caricature. Half the time Vash's face looks like a human, the other half it's some sort of mutant disney chipmunk. The humor wasn't even terribly good, mostly standard embarrassment jokes with the mutant chipmunk faces acting as a laugh track.

The second half looked promising, which I'll hopefully get the spoiler tags correctly for...

The interesting background brought up in the second half is, as far as I remember, never fully resolved. We see Vash as a child, but we're never satisfactorily told just what the heck he and the other one ARE, and what their relationship to the technology is. It's clearly more than "they were taught what all the technology is", since Vash is seen waving his arms at the "plant" and causing it to be fixed. The other one just "wanders off" and comes back with magical guns. Maybe I missed it, but where he goes or how he gets them is never said.

Perhaps, like many movies/tv shows based on a book/manga, it cuts out large sections of plot for the sake of time/action, as it seems these days, producers feel that the audience has the attention span on ferret on mountain dew, and can't sit still for any length of monologue. A pity, too, since some of the most memorable scenes in the greatest works have been monologues...

And I've fed Mountain Dew to my ferret, trust me, it ain't pretty...

[RedBoot]

Whenever a character did something silly, they all of a sudden had their face morphed into this giant stupid caricature. Half the time Vash's face looks like a human, the other half it's some sort of mutant disney chipmunk.

Welcome to anime. Do yourself a favor and never watch Rurouni Kenshin, Tenchi Muyo, or Magic Knight Rayearth, as you'll see that a lot in those (especially in MKR). Hell, 75% of anime has that sort of thing quite often.

[tlsmith1963]

I've seen all of Trigun, and I'm not impressed. What really turned me off, especially in the first half, is the constant use of cartoonish faces. Whenever a character did something silly, they all of a sudden had their face morphed into this giant stupid caricature. Half the time Vash's face looks like a human, the other half it's some sort of mutant disney chipmunk. The humor wasn't even terribly good, mostly standard embarrassment jokes with the mutant chipmunk faces acting as a laugh track.

A lot of anime series are like that. They tend to draw wacky faces on the characters whenever something crazy happens. After awhile you get used to it.

Tammy

[Wervyn]

The second half looked promising, which I'll hopefully get the spoiler tags correctly for...

The interesting background brought up in the second half is, as far as I remember, never fully resolved. We see Vash as a child, but we're never satisfactorily told just what the heck he and the other one ARE, and what their relationship to the technology is. It's clearly more than "they were taught what all the technology is", since Vash is seen waving his arms at the "plant" and causing it to be fixed. The other one just "wanders off" and comes back with magical guns. Maybe I missed it, but where he goes or how he gets them is never said.

I'm rather surprised you missed this:

Vash and Knives are Plants. This is clearly spelled out in the last episode, during their fight:
Knives: "You're not a human, you're a Plant."
Vash: "I know that."
Knives: "You're a superior being."
Vash: "I disagree."
However, it should have been clear in episode 21, when Brad refers to the Plant Vash is trying to repair and later Vash as "beings who live outside of time." Understanding all this should make the series a lot clearer, explaining how Vash and Knives (and Legato) can do all the things they do. It also explains why Knives feels so strongly about the whole spiders and butterflies thing, and adds a deeper meaning to that one scene in episode 17 when they're talking beneath the tree:
Knives: "Hey Vash, do you know why plants can't talk?"
Vash: "Rem says it's because they're strong, they spend all of their energy on just living."
Knives: "But we eat their fruit."
Vash: "Yeah, we have to, to survive."
Knives: "Do you think I'll be eaten someday?"
Vash: "No Knives, definitely not."

Oh, and hey, I'm Wervyn, I doubt I'll be posting much at all, but I just couldn't ignore this. Oh well.

"Sometimes it's better for your invitations to be refused."

[Nabuca]

:Wervyn's post:
Beat me to it, looks like someone watched Trigun half-asleep.

[Master Moron]

Hey, Nabuca, is that a Vash picture in your avatar, because if it is I think you just ruined an important plot point for me.

Anyway, I hope this isn't gonna be like Evangelion where I'm bored to tears for like 14 episodes, just to get to 10 good episodes.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Hey, Nabuca, is that a Vash picture in your avatar, because if it is I think you just ruined an important plot point for me.


Eh....at's not Vash......::ahem::

[Nabuca]

Hey, Nabuca, is that a Vash picture in your avatar, because if it is I think you just ruined an important plot point for me.

Nope......heh...heh.

[MRThundercleese]

I'm pretty new to anime and I think right now my favorite is Trigun. I also like Lupin. I've enjoyed Trigun since it started and I'm looking forward to tonights episode. I even have a trigun wallpaper on my computer. It's growing on me! :)

[JTurner954]

The show is good, but it feels unbalanced. It seems like there hasn't been as much character development as I wanted, but with tonight's episode they fixed that. I sure hope Wolfwood returns.

The animation is good (it reminds me of Outlaw Star) but the music doesn't seem so good, especially the end theme with the guy who sounds like a Japanese Bob Dylan. I'm enjoying the show, but I've seen better. But as I said earlier, tonight was a big improvement step so I'll definitely keep watching.

[Nabuca]

The show is good, but it feels unbalanced. It seems like there hasn't been as much character development as I wanted, but with tonight's episode they fixed that. I sure hope Wolfwood returns.

The animation is good (it reminds me of Outlaw Star) but the music doesn't seem so good, especially the end theme with the guy who sounds like a Japanese Bob Dylan. I'm enjoying the show, but I've seen better. But as I said earlier, tonight was a big improvement step so I'll definitely keep watching.
The second half the series lays on the character development very thickly, I still stick by my opinion that Vash is one of, if not the most dynamic, well developed hero in anime. You will see alot of time devoted to Vash's past, as well as Wolfwood, the history of the world etc.

[raykremer]

The other one just "wanders off" and comes back with magical guns. Maybe I missed it, but where he goes or how he gets them is never said.
I was under the impression that Knives built those guns.

[tlsmith1963]

The show is good, but it feels unbalanced. It seems like there hasn't been as much character development as I wanted, but with tonight's episode they fixed that. I sure hope Wolfwood returns.

The animation is good (it reminds me of Outlaw Star) but the music doesn't seem so good, especially the end theme with the guy who sounds like a Japanese Bob Dylan. I'm enjoying the show, but I've seen better. But as I said earlier, tonight was a big improvement step so I'll definitely keep watching.

Oh, Wolfwood will definitely be back. :D

Tammy

[Nabuca]

Its pretty stupid to say "he came back with magical guns".
Knives left Vash outside the ruins of a ship, while on the ship Knives, using his advanced plant-like intelligence, made those weapons that are capable of merging with beings like himself and Vash. After all, Knives needed something that could kill alot of "spiders".

[Forbidden]

Saying that he and knives are "plants" still doesn't help much. The word "plant" is used both to describe trees and giant lightbulbs. Since Vash appears to be on first name basis with the giant lightbulbs, I'll go with that meaning of "plant". Of course, that also doesn't help much, since it he clearly isn't a giant energy-producing lightbulb. Why does he and knives look human and have all these wicked powers?

Is it just one of those Akira type things where the original explanation was kinda hazy and the translation just makes it impossible? Or am I just a hopeless rube who doesn't get it?

Probably the latter...

Oh, and btw: Don't take my "magical guns" remark as an insult. I like to put things in the simplest terms. I got too much technobabble from star-trek as a child, so now I do everything to avoid it...

Though a six shooter that fires a good dozen shots in a row without reloading is awfully impressive... :)
(I think I counted 12 shots from Wolfwood on the catwalk last night, but I was really tired, so I'm probably off. It was a bit more than six, though)

[Wervyn]

Though a six shooter that fires a good dozen shots in a row without reloading is awfully impressive...
(I think I counted 12 shots from Wolfwood on the catwalk last night, but I was really tired, so I'm probably off. It was a bit more than six, though)

No need for that part to be in spoilers...but seriously, you counted exactly right. And if you'd paid slightly more attention, you'd have noticed that Vash handed Wolfwood the gun AND an extra clip of bullets. Those break-breach revolvers are awesome for quick reloading (though someone did mention the problem with it being a structurally unsafe design).

"Put your clothes back on right now!"

[zmanjz]

Oh, and btw: Don't take my "magical guns" remark as an insult. I like to put things in the simplest terms. I got too much technobabble from star-trek as a child, so now I do everything to avoid it...

Though a six shooter that fires a good dozen shots in a row without reloading is awfully impressive... :)
(I think I counted 12 shots from Wolfwood on the catwalk last night, but I was really tired, so I'm probably off. It was a bit more than six, though)


wolfwood DID shoot 12 shots.

But don't forget, Vash handed him a speed loader, and since the gun is an autoejecting breechloader revolver, it is concieveable that reloading is possible in under a second.

(I forget what the real life 12 shot from a 6 shooter speed record is.)

[Nabuca]

Is it just one of those Akira type things where the original explanation was kinda hazy and the translation just makes it impossible? Or am I just a hopeless rube who doesn't get it?


Alot about the technology used by the human pilgrams is not explained in the anime, I do not know whether it is gone into more detail in the manga, I am deseperatly waiting for someone to license it. Basically, Vash and Knives were created using the same techonology used with the Plants, plants being the advanced form of energy used by Project Seeds. The brothers have the ability to connect to, and control the plants. As shown in episode 16, Vash and Knives as children could fix the plant in minutes, while it took a human days to fix it.

[Forbidden]

Ok, I missed Wolfwood using speed loader... Vash uses it several times, but I didn't catch him giving it to Wolfwood, and it sounded like it was pretty much a continuous stream... But then, Wolfwood IS awfully good with a pistol, and he'd probably be a contender for that 12 shot world record...

You've picked up another thing I missed. From what I recall, with my admittedly poor memory, the crew on the seeds ship were rather surprised to find them. But now you're saying that the crew deliberately created them. The latter makes a whole bunch more sense.

And I left guns bit in the spoiler because someone who hasn't seen the show outside of AS doesn't know that there is more than one of those fancy looking guns, nor that they are "magical". (I don't know how else to describe the morphing into giant arm-beam-cannon of total ass-kicking, or ABCoTAK) The original opening shows the second one, but AS cut that. Which is really a pity, since the openings for most anime, especially Trigun, kick ass. I'm really pissed that I won't be able to see Inuyasha's later seasoning openers until 2010 or so at the rate their releasing episodes on DVD... at least they kept Bebop's...

Speaking of guns, I haven't been watching every episode of AS run, have they shown Vash's hidden gun yet? I know he gets the machine gun upgrade very late, but I don't remember when the hidden gun is first introduced.

[Scythemantis]

Trigun and Cowboy Bebop are probably the only more serious/dramatic anime series I've seen that don't bore the hell out of me. I actually like trigun a little more than bebop...

Outlaw Star I didn't like a bit. It was another boring one for me.

[raykremer]

It's true, in the anime they never explain why Vash and Knifes are humanoids instead of being in the giant light bulbs. The flashback episode starts with them as kids already on the ship. I'm sure it's an interesting story, but since they didn't mention it, it's probably not too important.

[Scythemantis]

I'm told everything unclear in the trigun anime is cleared up in the manga and vice-versa. As is often the case with these kinds of things, the two only *loosely* follow one another.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Never saw past episode 16, so I dunno if this holds for the anime, but in the manga, the plants inside the lightbulbs were vaguely human looking, but mutated hideously, with wings and such. Based on that, I just figured Vash and Knives were more a more advanced breed, kind of a next generation type thing.

[Wervyn]

Never saw past episode 16, so I dunno if this holds for the anime, but in the manga, the plants inside the lightbulbs were vaguely human looking, but mutated hideously, with wings and such. Based on that, I just figured Vash and Knives were more a more advanced breed, kind of a next generation type thing.

This holds true in the anime as well, Vash and Knives somehow being brethren of the entities that live inside the giant lightbulbs. There are several ways to interpret their existence, and while not all of them have merit (theotaku.com, for example, has it all wrong), there isn't enough information (yet) to make a direct conclusion. My personal favorite is put forth in a fanfiction called Moon Child by a guy named ArkNorth, but it's complex and involves a lot of invented story elements so I won't go into it here.
Suffice it to say that Vash and Knives appear to be some sort of Human/Plant hybrid (or maybe fully Plants in human guise), possessing all the perks of the lightbulb creatures that live outside of time (advanced leraning capabilities, immortality/agelessness, the ability to do neat things with their minds, a practically inexhaustable source of power), and yet have a temporal existence inside of time. Their birth or creation or whatever occurs through some circumstance that is never really explained, but the most important facet of this is that no one, not even they themselves, seem to know where they came from or why.
If there is a continuation of Trigun, I really hope they go into this in more detail. As it is now, we just have to accept that Vash and Knives are Plants (a name that has basically nothing to do with the taxonomic Kingdom of Plantae, but instead simply identifies them with the eternal lightbulb creatures), and that this entails all sorts of neat things, like Angel Arms.

"Nobody move, my train of thought fell on the floor somewhere!"