Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check back in on Vash and the gang, as we race towards the climax of Trigun Stampede. Through the winding adventures of Vash and his companions, Stampede has set up something resembling a theological parable, a question of what we owe to each other, the planet, and the quasi-gods above. Million Knives is our old testament arbitrator, eager to wipe the slate clean, and fundamentally contemptuous of humanity’s struggles for survival. In contrast, Vash may well serve as our redeemer, witnessing the sins of generations and yet perpetually struggling to save our frail, fractious species.
In between these two poles, our last episode reintroduced Zazie as an avatar of the planet itself, a collective organism potentially incompatible with humanity’s rapacious hunger. Mankind’s better instincts will always face an uphill battle; it is far easier to destroy than it is to rebuild, and as this journey has shown, desperation can drive even the best of us to tribalism and hatred. But so long as one soul remains committed to a brighter, kinder future, I imagine Vash will stand alongside them, still loyal to the compassion his precious guardians have taught him. If we can help raise a being as fundamentally decent as Vash, perhaps we might be worth saving after all. Let’s find out!
Episode 10
We open with an efficient summary of the situation via radio broadcast, as Vash and Wolfwood race towards JuLai to rescue their companions
The city itself is a real standout visual setpiece, its high towers rising like claws piercing out of an eggshell, with the huge moon behind it offering a sense of visual contrast in the darkness
Then we’re back post-OP with Zazie, once again asking if humans or plants should be the rightful inheritors of the planet
“Whose side are you on?” Meryl’s exceedingly myopic question is countered with “humans really like dividing things into groups.” Even Meryl falls victim to our natural tendency to create in- and out-groups, our preference for clear moral divisions over the complexity and perpetual negotiations of attempted coexistence
“The Worms take no sides. We are the planet.” Of course, as distinct individuals who struggle even to understand each other, humans unsurprisingly have trouble relating to a philosophy of total collective survival, which almost inherently denies the importance of one single identity
Knives’ scientist accomplice at last reveals himself, framing his objective as merely an alternate route to survival compared to Luida’s
Oh man, JuLai looks even more impressive from up close – like a Hong Kong-esque Blade Runner city rising out of a mountain, alight with colored displays and projected advertisements. And the team really spared no expense in actually constructing the city; we’re introduced via a remarkable pan up from Vash on the street level through all the towers and bridges of the city overhead. Movement into or out of depth is obviously easier with CG animation, as you don’t have to commit to the perpetual redraws necessitated by changing perspective relative to traditionally animated objects, but the convenience of this approach doesn’t negate the effort implied in building the whole damn city. This production continues to flex the unique possibilities and aesthetic strengths of CG animation, and I can only hope this pan implies we’re going to eventually see Vash fighting across this lovingly constructed metropolis
Feels like you can draw a line from JuLai to Blood Blockade Battlefront; while most of Trigun takes place in a relatively barren desert, JuLai embodies the love of sprawling urban architecture that is so core to BBB’s appeal
Terrible stealth rolls and excellent faces as Vash sneezes like an engine backfiring, immediately alerting the guards to their presence
They’re already taking advantage of JuLai’s compelling mixture of civilian architecture and industrial underbelly for Vash’s feats of acrobatics
“My parents were in Jeneora Rock when it happened. And you… how could you?” Even with the best intentions, we will inevitably leave a trail of rightful grievance in our wake. How can Vash, whose presence always precipitates violence, hope to guide us rather than simply earn our enmity? Perhaps that is the best he can do – direct our anger towards him as a focal point, rather than let it fall equally on all of us. As always, he is the one who must bear the burden of our sins
All Vash can do is take the bullet and walk away, hoping that might relieve some of this man’s anguish
“Luida’s ambition of changing the environment is admirable. But time is of the essence.” He’s not wrong, which makes him much more compelling as an antagonist. There are no clear answers here, and Luida’s plan is wildly idealistic
Thus the doctor’s plan: rather than transform this environment into one amicable to humanity, change humanity so it can survive in this environment
“Thus I created my collection of badass cybermen”
“Thank you for not killing them.” “How could I? You’d already taken off.” And Vash laughs, fully understanding that Wolfwood must lie to himself about his own resurgent humanity
“So that’s the price you pay for saving everyone.” The fruits of Vash’s philosophy are the scars on his back
In contrast with Vash’s “my body moved on its own” denial of his morality, the doctor is eager to rationalize his actions as a certain kind of compassion
With his augmented humans proving a failure, the doctor then switched to preemptive bioengineering, attempting to grow the perfect humans he could not construct
“What arrogance.” “If that’s what you think, young lady, you may kill me right here and now.” In contrast to a lot of “villain unveils their master plan” monologues, the doctor’s speeches feel genuinely desperate – he wants to be redeemed, wants to hear his actions are justified, and thus hopes to make the relative “innocent” Meryl complicit in his plans
“Both Knives and I are looking much further ahead in the future. It’s a lonely job, but it must be done.” Building a future they will never see, while inciting the hatred of all those who live in their own time
“What’s more important than how you feel about seeing these kids right in front of you?” As the doctor said, it’s a lonely job – for all our faults, we are indeed designed to feel empathy towards those we see suffering right in front of us, an instinct the doctor has necessarily suppressed for his larger goals
“Who are you to pity me?” The plant-human hybrid child apparently has no need for Meryl’s shortsighted sympathies
Their name is apparently Elendira
“Oh no! You would kill a pitiful creature like me!?” It’s true – human sympathy might be deeply felt, but it’s generally superficial and conditional. Our hearts ache for cute animals even as the planet is destroyed
“You’re all driven by discrimination.” Ultimately, we are most likely to feel sympathy for things that remind us of ourselves
In spite of it all, Vash’s genuine gestures of concern find a crack in Elendira’s defenses
Ah jeez, Roberto’s not looking great. Took a nail right to the gut
Excellent expressions of exhaustion and despair from Meryl here, though I feel a little bad even praising it
Ah, I see – we’re getting the origin story for Meryl’s preference for these two-shot pistols, as a tribute to Roberto
“I… was just unlucky.” His final words are a pardon, emphasizing his death was not her fault
“Wanting to save everyone… that’s a child’s idealism. Folks only get to live cause others die.” Wolfwood’s words are echoed by Meryl picking up the pistol, her acknowledgment that idealism alone cannot bring about a better world
“I don’t have the luxury of being afraid to make tough decisions.” Wolfwood’s position is perfectly reasonable – from his perspective, others agonizing over moral choices is just them abdicating responsibility, forcing him to take the weight of action upon himself
Vash at last reaches Knives. “All I’m doing is rescuing our brethren who’ve been discriminated against and oppressed.”
“You don’t want to save the humans because you love them. You just want to make up for the crash 150 years ago.” But what is the difference, Knives? Isn’t guilt just compassion in retrospect? I always distrust this tendency to quibble about the motives inspiring righteous action – ultimately, we are what we do, no matter the reasoning
“Nicolas, were you able to lay down your cross?” In spite of all his justifications, the doctor ultimately hopes that Wolfwood found a better way, and discovered peace in the here and now
“I want to believe in them.” Isn’t that motive enough?
Not for Knives, apparently. He sends Vash plummeting into the depths of his facility, intent on remaking his brother in his own image
And Done
Thus our two brothers at last face off as adults, having each carved their own dramatic path through the development of humanity on No Man’s Land. This episode offered a fine showcase for a variety of dueling philosophies, with our “nefarious mad scientist” actually demonstrating all sorts of interesting shades, and clearly wishing for absolution from either Meryl or Wolfwood. His position seems to actually embody what Knives accused Vash of – an attempt to make up for one’s sins, not because of empathy for others, but simply because their weight has become too heavy to bear. But we all have to live with our choices, and it seems Wolfwood, Meryl, and Vash are all prepared to make their own. Onward to the fireworks!
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