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Trigun (トライガン), a 26-episode
Anime series based on a
manga, is the story of Vash the Stampede, a.k.a. The Humanoid Typhoon,
and the two Bernardelli Insurance agency employees Meryl Stryfe and Milly
Thompson who were ordered to follow him and minimize the damage that seems
to follow Vash everywhere he goes. Much of that damage is caused by the
activities of the bounty hunters who are after the $$60,000,000,000 ($$ =
double dollar) reward on Vash's head for the destruction of a city called
July (which, amazingly, resulted in no direct loss of life to the city's
inhabitants). Vash does not clearly remember the destruction of July, and
only wants "love and peace," as he puts it; though he is a gunfighter of
near god-like skill, he uses his weapons only to save lives wherever he
can (even the lives of those who try to kill him).
As the series progresses, more is gradually learned about Vash's
mysterious history and the history of human civilization on the alien
desert planet the series is set on. The series is often humorous in tone,
but at the same time it involves very serious character development and
especially in later episodes it becomes quite emotionally intense. Vash is
occasionally joined by the preacher Nicholas D. Wolfwood, who is almost as
good a gunfighter as Vash himself, and later is targetted by a band of
mercenaries known as the Gung-Ho Guns for reasons which are mysterious at
first.
Trigun evolves into a very serious discussion of the nature of
morality, posing questions such as: What is the nature of morality? Can we
judge different moral codes? If a person is forced to betray their moral
code, does that betrayal invalidate that moral code, and can the person
still try to live up to that moral code? Can the person find redemption
from their wrongs, and if so, how?
Trigun was created by the animation studio,
Studio Madhouse and is licensed in the United States by
Pioneer USA. In 2003, Trigun began broadcast as part of
Cartoon Network's
Adult Swim programming block.
Characters
Vash the Stampede (Humanoid
Typhoon)
The main character. He was initially discovered by Meryl and Milly
imprisoned by some bandits who wanted to collect on the $$60 billion. He
escapes and Milly and Meryl eventually learn that this is the person they
are supposed to track. Although he is a pacifist, he is also an extremely
skilled gunman who seeks to preserve life where ever possible.
Meryl Stryfe
She and Milly were sent by the Bernardelli Insurance firm to evaluate
claims regarding Vash the Stampede. Initially, she didn't know who he was
and found Vash to be a nuisance. As time passes, she recognizes that Vash
isn't the villain that he is made out to be. Despite her serious attitude,
she is still a good person.
Milly Thompson
Friend and assistant of Meryl, she also works for the Bernardelli
Insurance firm. She seemed to pick up on the fact that Vash was the
wandering gunman before Meryl, but she didn't realize that she was right.
She has an extremely kind heart.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood
A preacher and an excellent gunman, Nicholas and Vash meet in the
desert when their bus runs across his motorcycle. He proves to be a
valuable ally, but sometimes Vash and Wolfwood's philosophies conflict. In
the end, he comes over to Vash's way of thinking, even though he was
associated with Knives the whole time.
Knives
Vash's brother, who believes that humanity is a plague that must be
exterminated because he felt that by killing man, he would prevent any
damage man can cause. He first tried to convince Vash to join his quest,
but eventually the two became bitter rivals.
Theme Songs
- Opening
- Ending
- "Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku" (Winds of Change) by
The First Donuts
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