Saturday Night Showcase: Trigun

When you ask anime fans about their favorite Japanese animation, more often than not Trigun is on that list. A blend of science fiction and western with fun, action, and an emotional backstory, there is a reason this series has such a strong following. Since I know I have a broader audience I’ve been waiting on Hulu to finally start posting episodes in English, and as  of this writing the first four episodes are are finally available.

[7/7/2022: As of this update it isn’t, or at least Hulu isn’t available to post. So here’s a post of episode 1 from Crunchyroll’s YouTube channel]

Based on a manga by Yasuhiro Nightow that’s as popular as the anime, Trigun‘s focus is Vash the Stampede, a man whose reputation is…exaggerated. His skill, however, is not, and neither is the destruction that tends to follow his adventures. The series takes place on another planet, with the decedents of a crashed spaceship. The series not only shows us more about the enigma that is Vash, but the history of planet Gunsmoke (anyone get the reference) and a mysterious organization.

If you have been watching JesuOtaku’s “In-Betweens” on the series on either That Guy With The Glasses or the D2 Brigade (WARNING: SPOILERS) you know a lot about the differences between the anime and its manga parent. You also know that this was the first voice acting gig for former Power Ranger Johnny Yong Bosch, and right out of the gate he’s excellent. (Perhaps due to all the VA work he did when his character Adam was in his Ranger costume.)

As of this writing only four episodes are up dubbed, but the entire 26 episode run is up on Hulu in the original Japanese with subtitles. With what little I’ve seen of it thus far I can understand why it’s so beloved by fans and sometimes a large fan base DOES make it worth checking out.

[UPDATE AGAIN: Here’s the full series and Badlands Rumble on Crunchyroll.]

Related Articles

• Anime Review: Trigun (janaiblog.com)