Finally!
5
By just some guy on iTunes
Only took 20 years or so. Such a great series, great to have this finally now on iTunes.
Trigun was one of the first anime to be marketed to Japan yet have a greater pull with US viewers. Hard to imagine why with its American western themes, but there is a beautiful sense of harmony throughout the show and strong Christian tones of redemption in the characters.
I thought this anime was unique in that it didn't just focus on interesting characters, or on how people get themselves into trouble and out of it, or you know typical anime things. Rather, the creators explored philosophical concepts and deep moral predicaments. The main character himself, his whole arc was figuring out how to respond to violence, evil, and suffering in a way that didn't compromise his own integrity and yet was realistic and not idealistic. And to do this with such a memorable cast of characters is pretty epic for an anime. Easily the best anime of all time, because it's just GOOD. Goodness radiates all through it. The men are masculine, the caricatures are so obviously pertinent to people around us (never us, right:-) and the women are interesting. Millie's character was so beautiful, and what a hero for the way she while at the same time crying her eyes out over losing her man, saddled up to help our protagonist against Knives in his final battle. The show is just so real. And inspiring.
And the soundtrack is a perfect complement to it. There's the cool gunslick themes with the bass, the blues wtih Eastern vibes, and a hard rock guitar to depict Vash when he's not the silly donut-wolfing goof side of him. Then there's the tender guitar and soft strings to portray him at his most thoughtful and real, when he's neither cool nor goofy but just a real man - someone anyone would find both strong and yet good. That song as the puppet-master forced Vash to shoot him, it was so precious and hard to hear. And that scene where Vash - you have to hear it in the Japanese for the howl to affect you (even though the English is really good still) - howls out his guts as he remembers what he's done once Meryl leaves the room ... wow. How can you not cry realizing what's happened? His best friend is dead, the woman who was basically his mother got murdered by his brother who for no good reason except hating goodness decides to kill him and his friends, and nobody left really understands what he's going through. He talks to himself and his memory of Rem ... and he's constantly trying to do the right thing and amazingly threading the eye of a needle every time with his eyes closed.
The soundtrack is great, the show is spectacular, this review is lagging on: TLDR buy it! Watch the show! Don't waste another minute! Learn.
