anime analysis

Sailor Moon “Black Moon Arc” Themes, Motifs, & Symbols

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This is PART II of the Sailor Moon analysis series. Click here for PART I “Dark Kingdom Arc.”

Welcome to the long-awaited continuation of this Sailor Moon light analysis series! Like I did in my overview of themes, motifs, and symbols in Sailor Moon‘s “Dark Kingdom Arc,” I want to try veering off the traditional review path and instead focus on some of the thematic devices and elements in my favorite manga or anime series. These posts will not aim to critically analyze elements of the work but rather provide a leaping-off point to prompt your own discussions. I encourage readers to use this post as they see fit (just be sure to tag me and link this page), and I hope you will find it useful!

The themes, motifs, and symbols discussed here pertain specifically to the “Black Moon Arc” of Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon manga and the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series. Other themes, motifs, and symbols may also apply, though I plan to save those devices for future posts where they are more relevant in other parts of the franchise (like the use of dreams inSuperS). At the same time, I’ll avoid repeating any items from previous posts because, like most series, Sailor Moon tends to build off of existing groundwork as the story progresses. As such, this listing is by no means exhaustive, but it should help anyone trying to understand how some of the thematic devices function within the narrative. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Themes

Desire as a Slippery Slope to Possession

It’s no coincidence that the classic anime refigures the “Black Moon Arc” as Sailor Moon R, an R which is commonly believed to signify “Romance,” “Return,” or “Rose.” Plights of desire and envy ignite every moment with new layers of meaning to the word “romance.” Prince Demande’s overwhelming desire to capture Neo Queen Serenity and demonstrate his mastery is a clear twisting of the romance shared between the Queen and her King Endymion. Endymion stands behind Serenity as an act of giving love, while Demande, well, demands that possessing Serenity and her Silver Crystal is the only way to effectively communicate his desires. In truth, Demande likely felt “bewitched” by her superiority, and so he tries to place a bell jar over his love out of an unwillingness to accept that her strength—her capacity to love—is greater than his own.

Duplicity Is Deception

Doppelgängers or mirror personalities loom in the shadows of many characters, reflecting both a semblance of repressed desires and a gross exaggeration of said truth. Tiny Chibiusa has bold Black Lady, the Queen of Nemesis cloaked with power AND the man of her dreams at her beck and call. Little does she realize that a more earnest sense of self awaits around the corner in the form of Sailor Chibi Moon. Sailor Moon (or Neo Queen Serenity) has the submissive, altered version that exists in Prince Demande’s evil eye(s). All of the Black Moon members bear desires original to them that are buried beneath Wiseman’s hypnotic effects. And even Wiseman himself masks his true form as Death Phantom, shedding his layers of deception only as the Senshi are able to wipe away each one.

Distance Breeds Love and Hate

They say that the farther we are from the ones we cherish most, the stronger our passion for them—and despise for others—can grow. Sailor Pluto, known for residing at the forbidden corridor between space and time, is living proof that experiencing distance from our loved ones can reinforce that same fondness for them. She views the dedication to her task as a positive way to deepen her bonds with the royal family’s members. In a way, she is a foil to Wiseman, who instead of safeguarding space-time hides within its folds, his hatred for Serenity heavy in his heart. On the other hand, both Usagi and Chibiusa view their rotating separation from Mamoru with frustration and jealousy towards the other girl. When one has her moment with Mamoru, the other is often caught up in worry and vexation, however needless it all seems in hindsight. It’s astonishing how a little separation can so drastically affect us.

Isolation Creates an Echo Chamber

For a series about love and romance, many characters across the “Black Moon Arc” experience aching loneliness and anxious ideation from their isolation. On Planet Nemesis, Wiseman stews in his own depravity and torment as a rebel forever banished from humanity on Earth. Rather than use the imprisonment cast by Neo Queen Serenity to reflect on the error of his ways, he mines Planet Nemesis for the Beguiling Black Crystal, a gem which only furthers his corruption. It’s not just the bad guys damaged by isolation, though. In the 30th century, Chibiusa is ostracized by her classmates for being the Queen’s daughter; her mother has much grander ordeals to attend to than child-rearing, and the Inner Senshi often accompany their Queen. The echo chamber of her perceived isolation is exploited when Chibiusa flees to the shadowy edges of space-time and Wiseman lures out these anxieties within her. Of course, there’s also Sailor Pluto whose sole guardianship over space-time leads her to ever wondering if her work and dedication were truly enough to please her Queen and, in ways unrequited, her King.

The Futility of Changing History

After becoming disillusioned by the supposed unaffecting ways of Crystal Tokyo’s monarchal rule, the Black Moon Clan joins forces with Wiseman, a terrorist exiled to the far reaches of space, to travel back to the past and erase the possibility of a new Silver Millennium being created in the 30th century. As the Sailor Guardians thwart every one of the Black Moon Clan’s missions, however, it becomes apparent that history is a fixed constant, one that is futile to change. Even if the Inner Senshi become detained or incapacitated, the lone Guardian of Space-Time can be called upon in their darkest hour.

Critiques of Monarchy and Singular Authority

When the Sailor Guardians make their way to 30th century Crystal Tokyo, they find that Neo Queen Serenity had bricked herself up in the Crystal Palace as a final act of self-preservation. Granted, this decision safeguarded the one hope that could be used against the Black Moon, but it’s this same singular dependance on one figure to constantly save the day that landed Crystal Tokyo in so much trouble when the Black Moon first invaded. According to their account, Neo Queen Serenity only graced the public to protect her people against rare acts of terrorism. She was, to the renegade Black Moon (who were once citizens of Crystal Tokyo themselves) a leader in name only—a concept, even. With all vestiges of celestial power sealed within the slumbering Neo Queen Serenity, it almost begs the same question that the Black Moon propose: Why does a superior 30th-century human race still rely on the crown, and why can’t the radiance of the Silver Crystal—the symbol of monarchal authority—be shared by more than one individual?

Motifs

Blackness

Black Moon. Black Lady. Beguiling Black Crystal, black as the abyss of space. The “Dark Kingdom Arc” introduces a similarly vague word to express the forces of evil, but whereas darkness exists on a spectrum of light, black connotes just that: stark, opaque, dense, and without dimension. The evil present in the second arc of Sailor Moon is far more sinister in scale, and its shadows are twice as black. Interestingly, the notes in the manga describe that the Black Moon Clan members Crimson Rubeus, Verdant Esmeraude, and Azure Saphir unite under Prince Demande as the primary colors found in light (red + green + blue = white). When they are removed from the picture, the light is gone; in their stead, “Black Lady” reigns supreme.

The Future

Anxieties about what the future will bring swirl in the hearts of many. For the girls living in the present, it’s mostly concerns with studies, extracurriculars, and friendships. For all of the “aliens,” this worry is retrograde. Having lived to see 30th century Earth, the Black Moon looks to the past to weed out their future enemies. Likewise, Chibiusa fears the reality that the legendary Sailor Moon of the past may be unable to protect her family in the future. After weighing her future against humanity’s, Sailor Pluto makes the desperate call to stop time in the ultimate showdown against Demande. The future is always at risk, ever slipping between characters’ grasps. Simultaneously, it is that which everyone is living through—a stage of possibility that fluctuates on every whim, breath, and pulse shared by the actors. Regardless of the consequences, it’s Mamoru’s comment that closes out this clash for romance, dominance, and the future: “It wasn’t a dream. It was the story of a future that will be here before we know it.”

Acts of Motherhood

This arc, which is devoted to exploring love and its many different forms, does not neglect the mother-daughter relationship in the slightest. Usagi and Chibiusa’s relationship starts out rough, but the edges start to smooth once the two develop a routine: waking up, going to school, playing at the arcade with friends, fighting over Mamoru’s attention, combatting the forces of evil, and then returning home to sleep and start all over again the next day. In particular, it’s moments when Mamoru is present that Usagi feels the conflict of love, for his caring gaze seems split between the two girls. When Usagi heads to Crystal Tokyo and learns more of Neo Queen Serenity, she starts to adopt a more motherly tone with her future daughter. Furthermore, Usagi’s mother begins to feel the gravity of the cosmos pulling her daughter away from their little home in the Juban District. Even Luna must accept that her daughter Diana knows more about the future and what’s best for everyone than she does (which is a RARE occurrence indeed). It’s the willingness of mothers—Usagi, Ikuko, Luna—to relinquish their daughters and let them experience the world that allows trust to strengthen on both sides.

Spectre and the Supernatural

Between fortune tellings gone awry, UFO sightings on the rise, and urban legends spiraling out of control, the Sailor Guardians do their best to combat the bizarre. The iconically named “Spectre Sisters” adorn the first half of the narrative with poltergeist-level misdemeanors and serial phantom kidnappings. It’s not until a literal “Death Phantom” (AKA Wiseman) conjures stranger images that the whole of space-time becomes at risk of collapse. Even with the anime-original “Doom Tree Arc” included at the start of season two, Sailor Moon R‘s expanded exploration to the dark corners of the solar system are entirely connected under the motif of supernatural happenings. There are some forces out there that simply can’t be explained . . . apparently . . .

Exiles, Outcasts, and Alien Invaders

Along with alien energies and antagonists, there’s a fair amount of invasion occurring on just about every level of human interaction. The obvious one is the Black Moon Clan appearing in strange, UFO-shaped discs of light to abduct people for their schemes. Wiseman is an exile of the gravest kind, a terrorist who led a rebellion against the Silver Millennium and is imprisoned on Planet Nemesis for his crimes. Chibiusa, too, is an invader upon not only the temporal past (and the Door of Space and Time protected by Pluto) but also Mamoru and Usagi’s relationship. Additionally, she regards herself as a kind of outcast from her class and family’s affection back home. Finally, there’s Sailor Pluto whose solitary role lends itself to the outward appearance of being outcast from the other Senshi. Despite their respective distances, the narratives of these exiles, outcasts, and invaders will intermingle and cause ripples of unimagined proportion.

Planet Power

We don’t often regard our planet as possessing its own kind of power, but in 30th century Crystal Tokyo, Earth shines as a jewel across the cosmos. Planet Nemesis, which apparently went undetected for centuries due to the *rare* gravitational phenomonen surrounding it, emerges as a planet of rival energy due to it possessing its own crystal power. This battle between Planet Earth and Planet Nemesis, Mythical Silver Crystal and Beguiling Black Crystal, centers itself as the arc’s grand climax. In response, the Sailor Guardians are granted “Planet Power” for the first time by Neo Queen Serenity. With Earth’s prosperity secured across 20th and 30th centuries, the stage becomes reset for the next arc to begin.

Doors and Keys

The “Black Moon Arc” begins with Chibiusa’s opening of the doors to space-time, and it ends in the same way. Doors represent barriers to forces which we might not be ready to take on . . . yet, anyway. The Door of Space and Time offers entrance to the unfathomable realm of causality. Hence, it is only discussed in hushed whispers, locked by special spatial keys, and watched by a lone protector. Still, Chibiusa hears the rumors, steals the keys, and befriends the solitary Sailor Guardian. She opens doors left and right, willing to cause trouble at every turn if it offers a new chance for her to find strength—and a savior—for the ones she loves. To Chibiusa, behind every door resides new possibilities; one only needs the right key to open them up.

Symbols

Beguiling Black Crystal

Unlike the Mythical Silver Crystal, which is limited to one (“1”) body and wielded by the Silver Millenium, the Beguiling (or Malefic/Evil, depending on translation) Black Crystal is mined and crafted into different shapes and sizes. High-ranking Clan members are bestowed Beguiling Black Crystal Earrings which can channel the power of the main crystal housed within the Black Moon Castle. Asteroid-sized Black Crystals have been used to decimate and weaken Crystal Tokyo with a nuclear power that is instantly reminiscent of the atom bomb. If the Silver Crystal persists in its namesake mercurial nature, slipping in and out of various grasps yet unable to be controlled, the Beguiling Black Crystal beckons each of its many holders forward. Not like quicksilver in the slightest, the Beguiling Black Crystal is ironically clear in its presentation. The Mythical Silver Crystal is an endless fountain of radiant power; the Beguiling Black Crystal, its one true rival force, draws and drains power from its surrounding in wicked supply. As Wiseman states, “The negative energy of the Beguiling Black Crystal that consumes all things, returning them to nothingness. And the infinite positive energy of the Mythical Silver Crystal that grants power to all things, amplifying it beyond measure . . .” Like their respective users, the two crystals symbolize the way we can love others: by giving and showering love, or by stealing it away.

UFOs

The preferred method of travel by the Black Moon invaders resembles (by little coincidence) the primary vehicle of stereotypical alien travel. UFO sightings have been a superstitious craze for decades, centuries even, and Naoko Takeuchi’s decision to incorporate their iconic shape into the story takes the girls’ fascination for urban legends to the next level. In reality, these light-shaped discs are not machines but portals created in the vacuum of space-time. While the Senshi are led to believe the invaders are from outer space, the Black Moon members cleverly withhold a second layer of truth: they are travelers from the distant future.

Luna-P

This gift given by Sailor Pluto to Chibiusa means all the world to the budding Sailor Guardian in pink. The way Chibiusa bounces Luna-P around and performs prankish tricks resembles a child playing with a temari, a Japanese handball used for games. Luna-P seems to house many hidden abilities, but one shouldn’t read too much into it as a sophisticated weapon. Rather, the cat-faced ball is a symbol of youthful mischief, joyful innocence, bountiful luck, divine protection, and above all, the bond between two friends.

Crystal Palace

The attempted siege against the Crystal Palace of 30th century Earth began with Wiseman’s acts of terrorism. Following his mission, the Black Moon became consumed with rage against the crown and its opulence. The Crystal Palace still stands after the carnage, a symbol of the royal family’s resilience to change in more ways than one. Until Sailor Moon can save Crystal Tokyo, the palace acts as a safe house for the slumbering Sailor Guardians and the royal family. After all, only the inheritors of Silver Millennium may draw on the power of the Mythical Silver Crystal. The fallout of Crystal Tokyo is still blatant in its chaotic implications, though; the royal family sleeps safely in the palace while civilian bodies lie strewn along ruined streets. Even Usagi herself contemplates the matter of a “divine right to rule” pounding in her soul: “Is it really the Silver Crystal that plants evil in people’s hearts and makes them fight each other? If the Silver Crystal never existed . . . would history never run off course? Should the Mythical Silver Crystal . . . should I . . . have never existed?”

Evil Eye and Bestial Hands

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yet don’t confuse Demande’s bewitching gaze as a mere sign of affection. This power to control and subjugate, along with the Bestial Hands, are bequeathed to Wiseman’s most loyal pawns. The Evil Eye, red with irritation, matches the savage cruelty of the Bestial Hands that go with them. While it’s easy to dismiss them as classic features of fantasy antagonists, one will remember that Wiseman draws his power from the Beguiling Black Crystal on top of years of practicing dark arts. Given Naoko Takeuchi’s background studying science, this could be a dramatization of the mutation caused by the Black Crystal’s radiation and a direct allusion to Japan’s own history with radiation poisoning.

Planet Nemesis

Rumors and theories about a distant 10th planet in the solar system were rampant decades before the dawn of superior-powered telescopes. Nemesis is an extension of this astronomical urban legend given nightmarish form. Comprised of Black Crystal, which was capable of absorbing light and energy much like a black hole, the phantom planet would appear and disappear from Crystal Tokyo’s sensors. As followers of Death Phantom also fled to Nemesis, its powers grew, and the planet began to emit large amounts of negative energy. The planet became synonymous with Death Phantom himself, as symbolized by the loss of his physical body and the binding of his will to Nemesis. For all that was righteous, luminous, and pure about the bygone era of Silver Millennium on the Moon, Nemesis offers the opposite—an all-consuming abyss that feeds off its prisoners.

Usagi’s “Reverie” Dress

Naoko Takeuchi is famous for her fashion tributes and passion for haute couture. When Prince Demande kidnaps Sailor Moon, she awakens to find herself dressed in an unfamiliar white gown. The design of the dress is inspired from Alphonse Mucha’s poster for the F. Champenois company, an art piece that was later given the title “Reverie.” The foreign white dress becomes emblematic of Sailor Moon’s current situation, her subjugation, and (after being topped with an unwanted kiss from Demande) the complete invasion of her body. The aliens had succeeded in capturing the enemy queen. While the whole display is gross to watch, there’s no denying the gorgeousness of the dress. Attached to the back of the dress are four wings fashioned from a translucent fabric. Given that Usagi is royalty, the scene may allude to the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta’s forced capture and wed by Theseus who, in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (“reverie” meaning daydream, by the way), infamously “wooed thee with [his] sword/ And won thy love doing thee injuries” (i.e., bested her in combat, which is how Sailor Moon also lost). In the play, which is inspired by Greek mythology, the fairy king Oberon commits similar dehumanizing acts against Titania, the fairy queen, in a parallel plot. With white wedding dress adorning her front and fairy wings strapped to her back, the stage almost appears set for Sailor Moon (or Hippolyta, or Titania) to plan her unprecedented comeback.

Moon Rod

A celestial weapon created from the love between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, the Moon Rod is the manifestation of their partnership. If Sailor Moon’s previous primary weapon, the Moon Stick, represents her destiny as the Moon Princess, the Moon Rod illuminates her future as a wife, a Queen, and a mother. In that way, the Rod could be likened to a royal scepter. When Tuxedo Mask is brainwashed and uses the Rod to hit Usagi, the scene resembles an instance of domestic violence. Sailor Moon internalizes the attack as such: “That rod was born of our combined powers. And he’s using it . . . against me.” Whether wielded with pure or ill intent, the Rod has always represented the unity of their love. Like the Moon Stick, instead of outright “killing” enemies, the Moon Rod specializes in purifying evil. Of course, bodies completely consumed by darkness are likely to disintegrate entirely. As the story evolves across arcs and seasons, so too will the Mood Rod upgrade in its healing magnanimity, physical stature, and legendary light.

Got any themes, motifs, or symbols you think should be on this list? Drop your suggestions down in the comments for all of us to see. Thanks for reading, and ‘til next time! 

– Takuto

Tumbling Over TRIGUN: Exploding Frontierism and the Wilder West

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“All of life’s journeys come with meetings, partings, and reunions.”

– Meryl Stryfe

Upon finishing Trigun (1998), Trigun: Badlands Rumble (2010), and Trigun Stampede (2023) for the first time this past February, I surprised myself when I hopped over to the keyboard and realized I had nothing to say. The words simply wouldn’t come. It’s not like I was blown away from witnessing a masterpiece. If anything, my experience felt mostly lukewarm, save for the tingle of relief that came from having cleared out another series in my watch stack. 

So, rather than force myself (and any readers) through a more traditional review or reflection post, I figured I’d tug a bit on the unique setting elements that stood out to me either for their sheer creativity or potential historical allusions. Note that this is NOT a formal analysis, nor am I suggesting any authorial intent. Instead, I aim to connect Trigun with a separate history that precedes its creation, that which is bottled within my incredibly limited understanding of the U.S. Wild West, its motifs, and a few themes. Unfortunately for Stampede fans, this means I’ll mainly be sticking to the classic series. Mild spoiler warnings for the entire Trigun animated franchise!

Ready? Steady? Let’s roll!!

No-Man’s Land, an Ever-Expanding Frontier

When it comes to Trigun, the biggest draw for me isn’t its flashy characters or high-octane entertainment value. Rather, it’s the world that this sci-fi Western is set within. Some call the desert planet Vash and crew roam “Gunsmoke,” while others refer to it by the equally loving moniker “No-Man’s Land.” (There’s literally a Reddit thread dedicated to fans disputing the planet’s name, I’m not joking.) 

However you stack the deck, this barren wasteland offers few sympathies towards the unwary. Although water is as precious as gold out in the dusty field, one can count on the occasional small-town saloon to have its shelves stocked with the goods. The liquor is cold, the women are tough, and everyone owns a gun. By the way, these towns or “Plants” apparently formed out of the husks of massive spaceships that crash-landed on the red planet long ago. This is the world of Trigun. 

. . . And call me crazy, but doesn’t it kind of sound like America’s own Wild West?

Historians peg the start of this period being 1800 with Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis declaring the frontier “closed” in 1890. When we think of cowboy Westerns, our minds are pulling on Hollywood portrayals of the peak of this period, around 1865. Given the relatively large span of time, one can interpret the frontier as an idea, a metaphor of process that is not only physical but also political, even psychological. Famously, Turner coined America’s Frontier as “the outer edge of the wave—the meeting point between savagery and civilization.” As adventurers, armies, and settlers pushed toward the Pacific, exploration, struggle, confrontation, and compromise each came to describe this psychological and social expansion. Hence, the frontiersman proved his Americanness by taming this savage Western landscape. Sadly, it was humanity that became (and technically already was) a part of this landscape. 

“We are searching for a place where we can live our lives in peaceful days. No wars, no stealing; a place that isn’t run by fear; a place where people can live, and actually trust other human beings.”

– Vash the Stampede

Whether cattle-driving cowboys and pioneers or refugees and migrant families from faraway lands, settlers of the frontier have traversed its rough terrain for centuries. Understandably, travel and setting play crucial roles in Western-inspired stories just like Trigun. More common than not is it to encounter characters in frontier stories moving from one plot to another in the search of a place to call home. (This is arguably the entire plot of Trigun Stampede . . .) Some ventures involve transcontinental travel or a plight from interplanetary worlds; other movements occur in intimate spaces as private as the bedroom or even the human mind. We see this mirrored in the way Vash strips down when he’s alone in his various busted motel rooms. The outlaw’s bright personality grows markedly dismal when he pensively reminisces on his travels, his fears, and his past. Across both anime adaptations, he manages to mask the truth of his identity beneath obnoxious smiles and booze, but it is traveling the frontier with Meryl and friends that slowly starts to wear down his bravado. 

The Transcontinental Railroad Sandsteamer

As a child, I used to be a train-kid. Trains occupied such a huge part of my life, so much so that I thought I’d grow up to be a train conductor one day. Oh, if younger me were to find out that passenger cars would become obsolete by the time he became a teenager, he’d probably have lost his faith in humanity much sooner. Thankfully, traveling by train is the best way to cross Trigun‘s seamless deserts, and Stampede made sure not to abandon faith either—even if the redesigns look more like clothes irons than locomotives! 

Wait a sec. Sandsteamer. Steam irons. Maybe Stampede is onto something after all. 

By connecting the already existing eastern U.S. rail networks to the west coast, the Transcontinental Railroad became the first continuous railroad line across the country. It was constructed between 1863 and 1869, which according to our earlier history lesson matches right up with the height of the Wild West era. No wonder so many Westerns featured precarious showdowns on the roofs of zooming train cars. Trigun pays homage to this combat motif in two drastically different episodic plots depending on the series. The thrilling two-parter arc in the classic version gave us a particularly in-depth look at the sand steamer’s inner schematics, and I’m eternally thankful for it. 

Wherever the journey goes, motion accompanies the landscape. Whether traveling by boot, cruising via sandsteamer, or hitching a ride on the back of Meryl’s bird/ostrich thing (or sports utility vehicle in the remake), the travel motif connects us to themes of personal growth, reflections of identity, and the cultivation of the agricultural frontier (for not everyone takes on the desert with pistol in hand). 

The Big Electrical Boom

Despite the analogies I’ve made to frontiers and railroads, Trigun isn’t technically a Western; it’s a science-fiction series, one that sometimes toys with elements of cyberpunk through its action-packed set pieces and leather-bound character designs. So, the third connection I make here might seem like I’m reaching (because I am, I always am), but hear me out!

Trigun‘s representations of electrical power “Plants” echo the advent of electricity and the West’s increasing dependence on it for survival.

In studying the fate of the Wild West, three major factors contributed to its end: barbed wire fencing, privatized land, and the railroad. Now, electricity wasn’t commercially available in the U.S. until the LATE 1800s, and western settlers wouldn’t get a taste of it until well into the 1900s, some places as late as the 1950s. (Shocking!) However, what seemed a pleasant commodity at the start eventually turned into a necessity in rural areas. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, communities banded together to bring electricity to America’s farmland. With electricity, farmers could produce greater quantities of food and other resources. 

Taken together, I find it most intriguing how the Plants or spaceship remnants that form the heart of each dinky town scattered across No-Man’s Land (AKA Gunsmoke) resemble giant freakin’ lightbulbs. These Plants can generate energy and food/water-based on environmental conditions, which makes them ideal as colonizing vessels. (Remember that point about “taming the land” from earlier?) Not only that, but most residents that Vash and co. run into are doubly sure to cite half of their worries lie with the inevitability that their Plant is DYING and that not a soul knows how to fix them. Except Vash, of course. Family secret and all that, y’know? 

Like the dawn of electrical power and the final days of the Wild West, when faced with barren land, humanity had to turn to manufacturing artificial energy to eke out a living. This is the part where I add that my favorite moment in the entire Trigun anime franchise is when a comedically large lightbulb goes rolling down a hill and lands securely in the back of an equally large tank Lupin the Third style. Badlands Rumble, you are a gift to God’s green earth. 

Ballad Repetition and Saloon-Style Swing

If you’ve ever watched an old Western, you’d find that, like Trigun, ballads and bars just go hand-in-hand with one another. Across each iteration of this story, Vash, Meryl, Wolfwood, and crew frequent a lot of bars. Like, a Cowboy Bebop number of bars. In fact, the 1998 series opens the first episode inside of one. This, too, would’ve been common for real outlaws both then and now, but I didn’t need to tell you that. Stamped on the cover of my Trigun Funimation DVD set is the iconic yellow subtitle “The Ballad of Vash the Stampede,” a lasting reminder that the series is just that, a ballad: a recount of this pseudo-mythical heroic figure and the dramatic past that immortalized him. (Or permanently labeled him as an outlaw in every town and territory on this side of July City, take your pick.)

The point is, the ballad is the story of an adventure, of a hero, his tragic gifts, and his triumphant deeds. And like any song, it garners strength through repetition. If any story is going to get remade again and again, it’s one in a similar disposition to Trigun where having an evolving audience opens itself up to new variations on the same theme. Even as a standalone ’90s anime, the series uses its episodic escapades to drive the notorious character of the “Humanoid Typhoon” into the viewer’s skull time and time again until the outlaw FINALLY meets his fated showdown against ruthless rival Millions Knives. If Trigun is remembered for anything, it’s without a doubt for being the ballad of one irritating pacifist with blond hair, round shades, and a crimson coat. 

As an aside, music is as equally important as giant lightbulbs and steam trains for creating a setting reminiscent of vintage Westerns. Composer and guitarist Tsuneo Imahori brings jazz, folk, electronic, and orchestral genres into the 1998 and film OSTs that I can only call “electrified Western.” One moment the folk-style swing guitar is jamming’ out with the drums, the next moment it’s a storm of freestyle heavy metal. Or steady, sexy tango with bongos. Or smooth sax with jazz-style piano, saloon-style piano, ballad-style piano—look, if you can play it on a keyboard, Trigun has it. Stampede even dusts off its version of a “pipe organ.” Different composer (nothing but respect to my guy Tatsuya Katou), but still.

Whether ballad or blues, Western landscapes and their depiction entail a degree of imagination to create a complete vision of some kind. This is why I position the classic series over the remake; the classic carries charm in all that it does while the remake tries so hard to be “cool” that it feels like any sci-fi CG series with overly wrought apocalyptic tones and a lack of love for its crew. Still, there is motion in each landscape, and how that kinetic energy is directed will convey the magnitude—and the struggle—of the trying journey the frontier vehemently demands from us. And Trigun kicks that frontierism up a notch in every way. It’s not just the Wild West being re-envisioned—it is one wilder yet.

“I meditate diligently every morning. The subject is Life and Love. I quit after three seconds.”

– Vash the Stampede

Afterword: A 25-Year Retrospective Ramble

I’ll finish by addressing my lateness on two accounts.

The first is that this post comes over two months after my announcement that I’d be marathoning Trigun for my blog’s annual Valentine’s Day Special. I don’t really have any excuses aside from that I finished and didn’t really have too much to say on Trigun at the time . . . Now we’re here 2,000+ words later . . . However, this tardiness does not compare to the second offense: my being 25 years late to watching this much beloved sci-fi anime. Granted, it was released before I was born, but I’ve had Funimation’s Anime Classics DVD set collecting dust on my shelf for several years. I’m not sure why I waited so long to start Trigun, but in a way, I’m glad I watched it when I did. Any past iteration of myself would’ve found it annoyingly quirky. Now, after the release of its hotly anticipated remake series, I get to say it’s annoyingly quirky YET better than the original story it was based on. (Sorry, but when one has gung-ho gunslinger Milly Thompson and the other doesn’t, the decision is obvious!)

Trigun was a unique experience for me because it failed astonishingly at making me care about the epic sci-fi plot and the MC redemption arc it was working towards and said, “Hey, check out these lamp cities instead! We have trains, too!” Damn. Looking back, the whole marathon feels like a dream. Glad I dreamt it, but I’m happier to be awake. 

Ok, I think I’m done with the ballad of Vash the Stampede and its lovely calamities for a bit. Someone take it away from me so we can queue up a different tune. 

‘Til next time! 

– Takuto