‘Trigun Stargaze’ Episode 1 review: “Wandering Days”

Trigun Stargaze Episode 1 finds itself at a narrative and thematic crossroads. Picking up two years following the events and imminent destruction of July City (and nearly three years since the gorgeous Season 1 finale), “Wandering Days” feels more like a reset and a look to the past than a forward momentous push. Not to insinuate that’s a bad thing. Instead, this stagnant restlessness allows the series to convey a meditative melancholy as we reacclimate to this world, its story, and the divine misery of the flawed pacifist at its center.

The first suggestion that things have evolved since the events of July City is Meryl Stryfe (Sakura Ando) and the subtle changes her character has undergone. Not only has she taken her own rookie journalist under her wing in the form of the fan favorite Milly (Chika Ayamori), but there are also adjustments to her personality and character design. She’s more no-nonsense and straight to the point, and her design has traded her skirt for pants and her silly hat for desert-applicable goggles.

They might seem like minuscule details, but they matter in telling an offscreen story of what she’s been up to in the two years since she last saw Vash (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka). She’s seasoned, now, rather than a fresh face on the scene. Trigun Stargaze ties itself to the original 1998 Trigun, with call-backs to Meryl and Milly’s first saloon introduction.

Orange knows when to scale it back.

Meryl and Milly help shepherd the story back to Vash, even when he’s not onscreen. In the midst of an ongoing investigation about plant robberies, likely orchestrated by Knives’ group, they run into Zazie, who leads them to a crashed starship. There, they find a plant corpse and all signs suggest it died soon after the crew died in the Big Fall.

Trigun Stargaze Episode 1 never relinquishes the deep sense of sadness that permeates the story, even in the lighter, comedic moments. As they look on at this forgotten corpse, a life that was never respected by its human crew despite its crucial role in keeping them alive, it winds down to the series’ general conceit. How can peace be attained in a world beholden to humanity’s worst attributes? How does Vash achieve his pacifist desires while his autonomy is stripped from him by someone he held dear? Is this battle of morality futile, and are Vash’s efforts damaging rather than aspirational?

The fluctuating morality of the characters aids in making the series so worthwhile.

It’s that duality that gives the story such formidable anchorage. Because it’s not just about whether or not Vash and co are doing the right thing, but if their efforts are worth it in the grand scheme of things. Is it worth it to protect humanity when so many of them would sacrifice the lives of those who don’t look like them to preserve whatever stability they have?

The imagery of the plant is gorgeous and haunting, demonstrating the art team’s capacity for grandeur even in the smaller moments. While Studio Orange excels at action with its 3D animation tools, it is even more startling in the quieter beats. Think of sequences such as when Phosphophyllite in Land of Lustrous scales the ocean floor in a dissociative march. For something lighter, think of the extraordinary character acting of Beastars, where Legoshi’s ears and hunched shoulders tell as much a story through visual cues as the dialogue.

Trigun Stargaze Episode 1 maintains the series volatile, emotional center.

Think of Trigun Stampede, where a dejected Vash drives away from a city, as a light flickers on in the distance.

The image of the plant is striking because, like the small changes Meryl has undergone, it spells out the passing of time in a single image. And it makes sense, then, through her own personality, the garish decay in front of her, and Vash’s influence, that Meryl states she’ll find some way for humans and plants to coexist.

Vash, meanwhile, spends the brief time we have with him in the premiere completely catatonic. By all accounts, he’s been like this since his fight with his brother, where the world and its scripture unwound itself. As a man hidden behind a mask laboriously cares for him, the series spells out one last story through the visuals, blending together the past and present. Vash lost, leaving him broken and wayward. And, this time, it’s the unexpected kindness of someone else who keeps him alive, even if he doesn’t have his own fight or will to.

Trigun Stargaze Episode 1 ends on a cliffhanger, and there’s no doubt that Vash will be shaking off the depressive cobwebs soon enough (though even with a spikier do and a clean-shaven face, there’s room to argue he’s all but a blink away from self-destruction at all times). With stunning imagery, an intense, propulsive action sequence that allows Milly to shine, and plenty of suggestions of where these characters have been and what they’ve seen during their time away, “Wandering Days” is a strong, declarative opener.

Trigun Stargaze Episode 1 is out now on Crunchyroll. 

Images courtesy of Orange and Crunchyroll. 

Allyson Johnson

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.