January 7 saw the premiere of the reboot of the anime adaptation ofYasuhiro Nightow’sTrigunmanga series,TRIGUN STAMPEDE, a fresh and different take on the story. The whole new look has proven to be controversial for fans, many of whom are unhappy with several changes to story and aesthetic. Be that as it may; however, the first two episodes ofTRIGUN STAMPEDEshowed promise, but also presented a huge number of changes from the 1998 anime.
Aside from the visuals,TrigunandTRIGUN STAMPEDEhave quite a number of significant differences to the plot and overall direction of this particular adaptation, so there are quite a lot of reasonable and interesting takes regarding how this new series changes various important details from the original anime. Here are a few of the most important changesTRIGUN STAMPEDEhas made to theTrigunanime narrative.
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Visuals
The most obvious difference betweenTrigunandTRIGUN STAMPEDEis of course the 2023 adaptation’s whole new look and feel. The 1998Trigunanime was produced by Madhouse, a studio that many anime fans are familiar with for their production of significantly popular anime adaptations and original productions likeBarefoot Gen (1983); the first season ofOne Punch Man (2015); Satoshi Kon’sPerfect BlueandPaprika (1997). This series was animated with a “90s look” in its character designs, animation and overall visuals, since the production methods used in its creation were largely cel-shading, while the current iteration ofTrigunis completely 3D animated, a huge leap from the traditional cel-shaded appearance the original anime series.
This change in appearance from original to reboot can be partly attributed to the change in animation studio from Madhouse to Studio Orange, the studio behind the production of titles likeBEASTARSandLand of the Lustrous. In addition tothis 3D approach to the animation, the character designs have changed significantly, with Vash the Stampede having been altered the most from his original appearance; with his new 2020s haircut, polarised glasses and jacket being changed from his original long coat and windswept hair reminiscent of Guile fromStreet Fighter. The visuals have been the largest contention for fans; however, judging from the first episode of the series, Studio Orange has created a gorgeously animated take on theTrigunseries, and the animation is one of the series' biggest perks.
The Introduction of Vash The Stampede
There are major differences between how Vash is introduced in either series, the most striking being the fact that we know the least about Vash in the original for much longer, whileTRIGUN STAMPEDEgives us information about Vash, the sci-fi futuristic setting, not to mention the fact that the planet isn’t Earth, the originalTrigun’s Vash the Stampede is more of a legendary presence in his universe because few people know what he actually looks like or where he came from, so much like an apparition,the “truth” about Vash the Stampedecontinues to shroud him in an air of mystery that enables rumours to take root. InTrigun, we first hear of the legendary Vash the Stampede in a “saloon” somewhere in Felnarl Town, where two guys appearing to be mercenaries are having a conversation about him. The conversation follows an attack apparently perpetrated by Vash on a town called Dunkin and through this story, we hear of the brutality of Vash the Stampede. InSTAMPEDE; however, we meet Vash after such an encounter has already happened, and he is left tied up for the authorities to deal with. Overall, the story ofSTAMPEDEin its first two episodes seems to borrow various elements from the first few episodes of the original anime and puts them all together in the first two episodes, with major changes to the agents of particular events.
WhileTRIGUN STAMPEDEemphasizes Vash the Stampede’s reluctance to get into violent confrontations by showing him hanging upside down after what’s presumed to be an encounter with people who are after the huge bounty on his head, the originalTrigunshows more of Vash’s overwhelming evasive ability, his physical humour and goofy demeanour and the fact that he is clearly outwitting his pursuers becomes more apparent the longer they continue. That being said,TRIGUN STAMPEDE’s version of Vash going up against an opponent with an unloaded gun is treated much more seriously as the stakes are raised by the fact that in this version, Vash isn’t simply going up against a gang that picked a fight with him – he’s defending a town against the underhanded onslaught of a government dog. There is more drama surrounding the one individual bullet that Vash uses in this version, while in the originalTrigun, Vash doesn’t even realize that his own gun is unloaded before trying to open fire on his attackers,hilariously showing more of Vash’s naturemuch earlier than inSTAMPEDE.
Where’s Milly?
One of the biggest and most noticeable changes to theTrigunstory lies with the replacement of beloved main character Milly Thompson, the big lady with a big heart who accompanies Meryl Stryfe in the original anime with De Niro, a jaded alcoholic who serves as Meryl’s superior reporter. This contrasts the original anime, in which Meryl herself is the leader and Milly her slightly clumsy junior, and this dynamic between Meryl and Milly is one of the aspects of the originalTrigunthat the reboot cannot beat. There’s also the fact that in the original, Meryl and Milly aren’t reporters, but rather disaster investigators for the Bernadelli Insurance Society, who want Meryl and Milly to surveil Vash the Stampede for at least 24-hours to prevent an addition to the 300+ Vash the Stampede-related disasters that have already taken place. Milly’s cuteness and humourous contribution to the originalTrigunhelp the series maintain one of its most charming points:Trigunis hilarious, and Milly may have been a big partthe comedic heart of the series, hence her removal in favour of a more seriousTrigun.
Infernal Twin
Those who have seen the originalTrigununderstand it to be a bit of a slow-burner as far as the story is concerned. We learn about Vash and the setting over the course of the series, whileTRIGUN STAMPEDEgives away important details that were more deftly expressed through the progression of the original series. The most important of these details is the fact that Vash is an alien, and one who has a twin – an evil twin named Millions Knives. While both series feature Knives,TRIGUN STAMPEDEintroduces Vash and his brother immediately, showing that the intent of the reboot is to present the dichotomy of Vash and the true perpetrator of the crimes that Vash is blamed for – his evil twin. Vash in the originalTrigunclaims his notoriety much more readily than hisSTAMPEDEcounterpart; the rebooted Vash is more inclined to attempt to iron over his bad reputation because of the memory ofhis brother laughing maniacallyamong the ruins.
Atmosphere
The biggest difference betweenTrigunandTRIGUN STAMPEDEis the general feel of both series. The original had much slower pacing than the reboot, which in turn makes the arid conditions and wasteland environment have a visceral influence over the story. One of the aspects that made the originalTrigunso entertaining was the comedy, which it maintained even throughout Vash’s conflicts.TRIGUN STAMPEDEfeels a lot more serious by comparison, although it doesn’t lack the protagonist’s physical humour and penchant for getting into ridiculous situations. Ultimately,the atmosphere is the biggest differencebetweenTrigunandTRIGUN STAMPEDE,particularly the former’s ability to easily blend serious drama with even more comedy to create what remains a classic, 25 years later.
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