The majority of Trigun Stampede Episode 10, “Humanity,” offers all that’s made the series such a singular creation. Vash and Wolfwood’s escapades deliver on their comedic, at-odds dynamic, further illuminating the two and their motivations. We’re given further backstory into Vash’s troubled past, which has led him to be the well-intentioned, if naive, pacifist he is, his body a diary of physical reminders of where and when he’s suffered at the hands of whatever peace he’s trying to protect.
The visuals, as always, are immaculate, but the landscape of their latest base, JuLai, allows even greater detail and vibrancy compared to the often stark endlessness of Nomans Land’s deserts. And that final standoff between Vash and Knives? Like the floor beneath our protagonist, our stomachs drop with the last note of the sequence.
But man does the stuff with Roberto, and Meryl continues to be irksome. And with this week’s farewell to the fatally wounded Roberto, the series won’t get the chance to right this element. Ten episodes into the 12-episode season, and two of the four main characters remain unchanged and uninteresting. Roberto dies a cynic and a drunk, having protected Meryl yet again. It’s all he’s done the entire series, dragging her from gunfire and other dangers. Meryl remains steadfast in her desire and will to protect those who need it, and to face dangers head-on when the possibility of an unveiled truth arises. But, gain, that’s been her characterization since Episode 1.
Meryl and Roberto are the weakest links, no question.
Roberto’s death and her receiving his pistol as she ascends the tower to confront Knives result in a meaningless narrative beat and, worse still, render Roberto’s entire existence inconsequential. His death isn’t the guiding hand Meryl needed – she would’ve chosen this path regardless. With no changes and no real impact on the storyline, the scenes the two of them share leave us eager for the plot to quicken so we may return to the other, more interesting characters. Characters who have undergone change and growth. Whose histories have unveiled regrets that make for more flawed heroes.
Perhaps the last two episodes will deliver redemption to Meryl’s characterization and make her a driving force of interest in the series. Still, at this point, it’s tough not to care only about whatever conflict further unravels between Knives and Vash.
Because that final, brief conversation between the two, as they argue over the state of humanity, their place in it, and Vash’s need to believe he’s protecting out of love rather than atonement, is complex and powerful. As we mentioned in Episode 9, with Vash’s incessant need for pacifism and our greater understanding of Plants and the way in which humanity is using and abusing their abilities, there’s reason to understand where Knives is coming from, even if we don’t excuse the carnage he’s wrought due to it.
Studio Orange knows how to create visually rich worlds.
However, it only makes their relationship all the more intriguing. Especially as Knives isn’t seeking to kill Vash, but to unmake him and rebuild him in his image. A perfect Independent. While Knives is villainous to the core, as he seeks death and destruction against humanity as a whole, we can understand why he wouldn’t be able to understand Vash. We believe that he’d see his brother as something broken and in need of repair.
Two episodes remain, and with the ending, this week that gave way in a rush of breathlessness as our hero ran out of time – the hourglass styling in the opening credits feeling increasingly clever – there’s increased anticipation for what follows. Studio Orange has created a beautiful, dense world with layers of understanding and questions of morality that align with the ponderings of the studio’s other ventures, such as Beastars and Land of Lustrous.
There’s no denying the eagerness in finding out how all of this does or doesn’t resolve itself. But the true thrill comes in awaiting being able to soak in the actualized melancholy and soft horrors of the story, visualized through animation that’s as delicate in its particulars as it is bombastic in its epic staging.
Trigun Stampede is available to stream now on Crunchyroll.
Featured Image Courtesy of Crunchyroll/Studio Orange
REVIEW RATING
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Trigun Stampede - 7.5/10
7.5/10
Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.
