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EP. REVIEW: Trigun Stampede

Meryl‘s role in Stampede so far is more acting as the audience surrogate than anything else. There hasn’t even been much to characterize her as a “love interest” (which IIRC was only a thing in the first anime, she didn’t even have any romantic development with Vash in the manga right?).

If Stampede is only one cour so far, I wonder if they are intending to try to tell and resolve the entire planned story in one cour or if the one cour will just be adapting like a part/arc of the greater Stampede story (and they are hoping they will be able to produce more additional cours/seasons later)?

Meryl‘s role in Stampede so far is more acting as the audience surrogate than anything else. There hasn’t even been much to characterize her as a “love interest” (which IIRC was only a thing in the first anime, she didn’t even have any romantic development with Vash in the manga right?).

Stampede is also doing its own take of the concepts. In the manga Wolfwood didn't really clash spoiler[with Vash until he shot the defeated samurai something that turned into the child assassination in Madhouse's take.]

The title is "Hungry" because eating and food and hunger are the thematic line on which the story elements are tied on. It starts with people eating worm; then we learn that Vash hasn't been eating, also Roberto teases Meryl about eating worm meat; then Wolfwood gives Zazie a lollipop to eat and says one of his defining character lines ("even if you carry a heavy cross it's still okay to eat; it's still okay to smile"); then they're all eaten by Zazie's worm and Wolfwood breaks himself and Vash out, saying his other defining character line (it's been translated as "I'm a tough nut to crack", the Japanese idiom he uses translates literally as "I'm not a guy who can be eaten"); then the episode ends with Wolfwood teasing(????) Meryl about eating worm meat, and Vash finally eating, while repeating Wolfwood's line about it being OK to eat and smile despite the heavy cross he's carrying, which we're meant to take as him finding solace and encouragement in this advice, strength to get over his feelings of guilt and self-blame, as well as noting the symbolism re: Vash starving for acceptance and companionship and perhaps absolution from what he believes are his sins and whatnot (Japanese uses the same "to starve for" idiom for this as English so it's not something falsely extrapolated from the English title).

The one issue I continue to really hate is how they're treating Meryl. It's like she exists for two reasons, one: to be the one to know literally nothing about the world she's supposedly also grew up in, so people can spout exposition at her and talk down to her for not knowing anything; and to be "comically" harrassed and messed with by the guys in the group

It's more like it hasn't been confirmed that we'd get more than 1 cour. And seeing the speed I think it's very unlikely. If they had 25 episodes I don't think they'd go at such a fast pace.

Episode 4 is still plagued by the biggest problem I have with this new adaptation: putting everything up front right away instead of letting it build up naturally. spoiler[That Wolfwood's cross is actually a gun and that he's with the Gung-Ho Guns. I guess you could also throw in there the bit about Vash's pacifism and goofy personality being a defense mechanism, which didn't become clear until the second half of the series.] Another thing I noticed is that Vash is oddly flat, we're 4 episode in and they've dumped a ton of story and background on us but it feels like he's barely had any impact on anything that's happened and that he's just going through motions of what his character is supposed to do and say.

The writing just feels like it's trying to do way too much way too fast.

Episode 4 is still plagued by the biggest problem I have with this new adaptation: putting everything up front right away instead of letting it build up naturally.

Another thing I noticed is that Vash is oddly flat, we're 4 episode in and they've dumped a ton of story and background on us but it feels like he's barely had any impact on anything that's happened and that he's just going through motions of what his character is supposed to do and say.

It's incredibly frustrating. There's no reason for the scene between Wolfwood and Zazie to be here, other than to make the show less interesting by not giving audiences time to ponder what the deal with Wolfwood might be.

It's a trademark of bad remakes recently: not knowing who they want their audience to be. Do they want to draw in new people, or do they want to cater to older fans who already know these details?

Which is also a reason why those issues with Vash exist: they are paradoxically wanting to go in their own direction, while also leaning on the older version to fill in the gaps for why anyone should care about this character.

Also a You problem, it won't make things less interesting for tons of people out there, it's just how you yourself prefer the story to be told.

No, it's a basic storytelling problem. Unless you have some way in which the narrative is enhanced by them just tossing out Wolfwood's agenda in the same episode he's introduced (before any new viewer could even know who he is, much less care about any revelations about him), you're just trying to scrounge for excuses for poor structure and pacing and failing at it.

A character's introduction, the reveal of their history, goals and agenda, and how the audience grows to relate to them doesn't have to be told in such a linear way.

trilaan wrote:

A character's introduction, the reveal of their history, goals and agenda, and how the audience grows to relate to them doesn't have to be told in such a linear way.

We went from wondering who this suspicious new guy is, to being somewhat convinced that he's on Vash's side, and then learning that he really is up to something shady, all in the same episode.

Old Trigun:

Cons:
Crappy animation
Slow pacing
Inconclusive ending

Pros:
Superb soundtrack
Lots of heart and characterization

New Trigun:

Cons:
Plot development over characterization
Fast pacing

Pros:
Superb animation
Will adapt entire story

I just hope the lack of buildup is compensated by the plot development at later episodes.