Trigun Archives | 100 Word Anime

Top 5: Anime Priests

Posted on January 29, 2022January 6, 2022 by Karandi

Very likely this list was inspired by the fact that I’m currently trying to watch Vatican Miracle Examiner, but today I’m looking at my top 5 favourite anime priests. When I say priest, I’m using a broad brush so I’m not overly concerned what sort of priest, or what religion, or even if they are actually ordained. If they dress and kind of act or are treated like a priest, I’m going with that. What put these characters on my top 5? They are a priest and I found them interesting and sometimes even useful to the story they were in. It isn’t an overly deep list this week.

Please Note – Probably a few minor spoilers this week.

Number 5: John Brown from Ghost Hunt

It may be unfair to have John Brown at number 5 given of all the priests on the list, he’s actually the one who acts most like a priest. However, he’s held back by two things. The first is he wasn’t the protagonist of his story and was clearly strictly back up. There were almost no occasions where he was actually useful other than one or two minor exorcisms throughout the story. The second being his horrendous Australian accent in the dubbed version of Ghost Hunt. Certainly if you are looking for comedy, that accent is going to hit the mark but otherwise all it will do is make most Australians cringe.

Number 4: Shiro Fujimoto from Blue Exorcist

Already I can hear people wondering why this anime priest isn’t higher up the list and the answer is simple: he’s dead after the introduction to the series. Yes, we get flash backs to him being awesome and to be honest, he’s probably the best character in Blue Exorcist, but none of that gets us past the fact that he’s already dead. The doting father and incredibly strong exorcist literally steals every scene he gets to appear in, there just aren’t enough of them.

Though I would love to see a prequel series about his exploits as an anime priest.

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Number 3: Frau from 07 Ghost

This guy’s a priest? You actually do know that about him but sometimes it is very hard to remember given his flamboyant ways as well as his taste in… literature. Yet, he does his job and still manages to look pretty cool while doing it which has earned him a solid third place on my list.

And honestly it isn’t as though most anime priests actually act all that much like real priests so authenticity isn’t exactly a requirement here.

Number 2: Seishin from Shiki

I really like Seishin’s character for a couple of reasons. The main one is that he provides a different perspective on the vampires and their invasion to his friend’s. Whereas the doctor chooses to rally people to fight the vampires, Seishin chooses to seek coexistence even when it clearly becomes impossible. It’s another valuable perspective that the story kind of needed particularly during the gory conclusion.

I wonder what the world has in store for him after the events of Shiki as this anime priest definitely made some questionable decisions along the way and his actions were noted. Still, he was a complex character and one who provided a needed alternative perspective to both the vampires and humans in the story.

Number 1: Nicholas D Wolfwood from Trigun

Seriously, what is not to like about this awesome character. He and Vash are perfect as a team and Wolfwood very clearly highlights the path Vash might have taken rather than the one he chooses. Wolfwood, you will be missed.

But in the meantime you were my very favourite anime priest and quite the entertaining character before that whole tragic end thing. And, seriously, using the giant cross you lug around as a weapon is just kind of awesome.

Who is your favourite anime priest is and why?

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Karandi James

Trigun Series Review: He’s The Most Wanted Man Ever But He’s Just Looking for Love and Peace

Posted on July 10, 2021July 11, 2021 by Karandi

I had to wonder when I first started watching Trigun what all the fuss had been about. It was a not so well drawn, cliché comedy with a main character whose blonde hair just kind of made me want to pour a bucket of water on his head. Sure it came from heavy-weight studio Madhouse and yet I just couldn’t see why so many people had recommended this anime to me.

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Trigun - Vash the Stampede — *^{And here is Vash in all his goofy glory.}*

Really, really, glad I didn’t stick with my first impulse when it came to Trigun.

Because everything about this anime grows over time and while the beginning might seem a little vapid, the journey is well worth it. In one season this anime tells a complete story, makes you really care for the central character, and gives you laughs, drama and action along the way.

Trigun – Worth sticking with even if the first episodes don’t appeal.

Yep, Trigun starts out as a screwy comedy with a character who hops around in the desert, dodging bullets like Daffy Duck, and B Grade villains who really need to learn the meaning of restraint but don’t seem to offer any genuine tension. And that kind of hurts the show because of the sheer number of viewers who will probably walk away in those early episodes.

I definitely would have if I’d watched this for the first time now when I have access to so many other titles.

Somehow, after you get to the end of the series, you realise this show couldn’t have started any other way.

Trigun, and the journey of Vash the Stampede, is one of those shows where you don’t even know where the tone changed, but by the end of the series you are left feeling you’ve just watched a dramatic masterpiece.

Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration (alright definitely an exaggeration but you get the point), but for something that starts the way it does, the character development and the way the plot is revealed just work so well. There isn’t a moment where you think, okay now it will get serious.

It’s just that the blend of comedy and drama in each episode shifts more and more to the drama end of the spectrum while still holding onto some of the comedic elements and you don’t even realise its happening.

Vash the Stampede is sick of your rubbish - Trigun — *^{Things do get serious occasionally, particularly toward the end.}*

Part of that transition comes because a lot of the story is filtered through Meryl’s perception of Vash and it takes her awhile to a) recognise who actually is Vash and b) begin to understand that there is more to Vash than the goofy persona he deliberately chooses to portray.

Meryl’s growth as a character and her increasing empathy for Vash work well as a frame for so much of the story. Because, like Meryl, the audience is coming in to this half-way through.

Vash has a very complicated back story and while I’m still not entirely convinced by the seemingly subjective amnesia or the overall villain’s plot or even some of the twists that lead us to the conclusion, it didn’t matter while watching. I was engrossed by these characters as they slowly revealed themselves.

I do want to talk about Wolfwood though.

Wolfwood - anime priest (kind of) from Trigun

He’s an interesting character. Like Vash, he plays the fool far too well, though his facade has a lot more chinks in it than Vash’s. More importantly, Wolfwood get’s the distinct role of playing a character while knowing he isn’t convincing anyone but pretends he doesn’t know that he isn’t convincing them.

It’s interesting to watch given the animation isn’t amazing and yet Wolfwood’s nuanced expressions and the subtle (and sometimes less than subtle) shifts are well used to show us that he is well aware his antics aren’t convincing and yet he’s enjoying the chance to just play for awhile.

Far and away Wolfwood is my favourite character of the series because of his similarities to Vash, and yet the distinct path he chooses. And they use the contrast well. While they both play the fool, at the end of the day, Vash is an idealist whereas Wolfwood is firmly grounded in reality. Which is probably why the outcomes for these characters vary so deeply.

And at some point I really should give Wolfwood his very own post because he’s just an awesome character.

So should you watch Trigun?

Absolutely.

It’s funny and heartbreaking and has fast paced action followed by some excellent characterisation. It builds a rich world where humans fight for survival and shows the history behind the current circumstances. Characters respond in not necessarily realistic ways, but in consistent ways to the conflicts surrounding them and there are some very cool characters who will appear throughout the series.

While the villains are of the over-the-top and bad for the sake of it nature, the hero is also good for the sake of it so it kind of balances out and ultimately the story isn’t about who is good and who is bad but about choosing your own path.

That, and there’s a lot of gun fights and some fairly great weapons to admire. I love Vash’s sunglasses and coat but really would love to fix his hairstyle. However, since writing my review of this initially, I met a cosplayer who had the single most awesome Vash the Stampede look you could imagine and after seeing it in real life I kind of don’t know that Vash could be any other way.

Have you watched Trigun? What were your thoughts?

Images from: Trigun. Dir. S Nishimura. Madhouse. 1998

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Karandi James

Tuesday’s Top 5: Anime Characters with a Tragic Backstory

Posted on May 8, 2018April 28, 2018 by Karandi

Are there any anime protagonists who have a happy backstory? Because that might be something a bit different given the sheer number of characters who come from a past of misery and despair. Okay, I hadn’t really thought about what I was in for when I started drafting this list and to be honest, it was a bit of a nightmare thinking about whether having your parents burned to death after being sewn together was more tragic than having your entire country torn apart by war and to be honest, those kinds of decisions really can’t be made objectively. This list is definitely based on how emotional I became while watching the characters’ tragedy unfold rather than any kind of definitive measure.

Which anime character has a tragic back story that hit home for you? Let me know in the comments below.

Please note, there will be spoilers below.

Honourable Mentions: The entire cast of Angel Beats and Lelouch from Code Geass.

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Number 5: Vash (Trigun)

The guy can’t catch a break in the present with everyone wanting to get the bounty on his head and he’s blamed for so many different disasters. He just wants love and peace. But his current circumstances come directly from the tragedy in his past and while it is pretty much impossible to talk about without spoilers, there’s definitely an evil twin brother involved. Regardless, Vash’s pacifist attitude is almost a protest against the horror that his life has been.

Number 4: Gray (Fairy Tail)

The entire cast of Fairy Tail should probably be on this list as well, though I haven’t really watched far enough along to the know the details of all of them. But fairly early on in the series we have quite the extended arc that delves in Gray’s past and his training by his teacher and to be honest, that was pretty heart breaking. While Gray came out of it better than his fellow student did, there’s still some pretty deep scars and emotional turmoil there. If we think back even further, the reason he was with the teacher was because of the tragedy with his parents so to be honest we’re just kind of lurching from one disaster to the next when we look at Gray’s childhood.

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Number 3: Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

What is more cliché than tragic backstory? Tragic backstory that leaves a visible scar. Despite making fun of it, Scar’s story is really quite horrific no matter how you want to look at it. As a survivor of a war that was more of an extermination than a fight and as someone who was forced to carry a power he found repulsive, Scar’s general anger towards everything kind of makes sense. Still, the nightmare doesn’t end as he goes out for revenge. It kind of prolongs the misery of this story.

Number 2: Ciel (Black Butler)

Child with dead parents cliché? But this one is so much better than just that. Set in the Victorian era a conspiracy of monumental proportions brings down the family that serve the Queen and the child, tormented and humiliated, decides that the perfect solution to this is to take them all down even if he has to sell his soul to the demon who becomes known as Sebastian. The real tragedy here is that even if Ciel succeeds at his plan, his young soul is going to be devoured so he has no future. This isn’t just a tragic backstory. This is a living and breathing tragedy.

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Number 1: Yato (Noragami)

While we haven’t yet heard all of Yato’s backstory, the pieces the audience have seen don’t exactly paint a great picture. Known as a god of calamity who would take on any wish isn’t exactly something that seems like it would be a pleasant existence. Couple in some real daddy issues with the as yet unseen string puller and Yato’s past is complex and has some fairly far reaching consequences. For those who know the silly facade Yato puts on in the presence, even they can see that there’s some deep pain buried underneath. I’m hoping when we finally get the whole story it manages to match the build up but to be honest, a lot of the time seeing Yato’s past makes me want to bring him home and feed him cookies.

And that’s my list but I’d love to know what would make your list.

Thanks for reading.

Karandi James

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Anime Produced By Madhouse

Posted on March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 by Karandi

There’s no doubt that Madhouse is a bit of a powerhouse when it comes to producing anime. They’ve got a large number of fairly big titles under their belt and the quality of so many of their productions is undeniable. That isn’t to say they don’t have any misses and those will need to be looked at eventually, but today is about celebrating my favourite five titles by Madhouse and this was one hard list to put together because I really did want to add a lot more than five. Ultimately I’ve tried to assemble titles that I think represent the range of shows that Madhouse has out there as well as ones that are truly just fun to watch.

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As always, I’d love to see what you would include on your list so be sure to leave a comment below with your favourite madhouse anime.

Please note: There will be spoilers below.

Honourable mentions: No Game No Life and Death Parade.

Number 5: The Irregular at Magic High School

This anime title didn’t have the broad appeal that a lot of Madhouse’s titles have but if you happen to like the story this anime is a really good one to watch. For a magic highschool setting this anime pulls out all the stops crafting a believable world where magic has been integrated with technology and with Madhouse’s attention to detail and great animation has really been brought to life in a truly beautiful manner. Whether the spells are simple or complex, the end result is gorgeous to watch and the fights are exciting and fluid. I really enjoyed this anime for its world building and I think I’m glad that Madhouse was behind this one because in the hands of a different studio it may have ended up decided less than impressive.

Number 4: Ore Monogatari (My Love Story)

I really love My Love Story because of its quirky take on the traditional high school love anime, but again I think part of what makes this show so special is the way it has been put together. The story itself is interesting but without the visuals and animation there was every chance this show would fall flat. Yet every scene draws you into the show and the characters and ultimately watching this is a pure joy.

Number 3: Trigun

This is one of those shows where the story takes awhile to get going so it is a good thing we have fantastic visuals (even if they are a little dated looking by today’s standards) and some really fluid animation to keep us engaged in the early stages where the show presents like a screwball western. Once the story gets going and the transition to dark sci-fi kind of takes over it is impressive how the show manages to remain cohesive but all in all, this is one of those slightly older shows that is worth watching. Vash the Stampede is a hilarious and tragic character who will often leave you scratching your head but when you get right to the end he will step up when needed.

Number 2: ACCA

No surprise that ACCA made my list given it was one of my favourite shows in 2017. It is a slightly off-beat political thriller (kind of) but also has a very laid back tone. Anyway, it all could have been a big mess and yet it became an anime that really held my interest assisted by its distinct visuals and very cool jazzy sound-track. While I wouldn’t describe ACCA as beautiful, it is quite a distinct looking anime and the animation suits the style fairly perfectly. It isn’t as flashy as some of the other titles on the list with less in the way of actual action to show off the fluid animation madhouse has a reputation for, but it certainly has style.

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Number 1: Death Note

Alright, it is a little bit older and from an animation point of view again there aren’t the impressive physical fights to show off just how great it is, and yet this show managed to make writing in a book look intense and amazing and created a visual tone that carried even the weaker parts of the story to fairly lofty heights (there’s a reason this anime is on most people’s must watch lists). With an opening that grabs your attention and is filled with visual symbolism echoed within the show itself (at least the first opening, let’s not discuss the second), and an intensity to every scene that is hard to come by with so many shows striving not to take themselves seriously, Death Note is well and truly worthy of my number one spot on this list even if the second half of the series isn’t exactly flawless.

And that is my list for this week but be sure to check back next week for a new list, or you can check out all of my Top 5 lists here. For now though, I’d love to know what you’ve put on your list.

Thanks for reading.

Karandi James

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Male Characters with Blonde Hair

Posted on March 7, 2017March 5, 2017 by Karandi

Last week I went through my top 5 female characters with blonde hair so now it is time to turn my attention to the guys. And I thought narrowing down the list of female characters was hard. There’s quite a range of blonde male characters to choose from but I think I ended up with a fairly interesting selection. Previously I’ve looked at males with red hair and blue so if you missed those lists check them out. Feel free to add yours in the comments below.

Over on patreon, patrons can access my lesser top 5 list. This week its the blonde guys who make you cringe.

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

Honourable mentions go to: Urahara (Bleach), Edward Elric (Full Metal Alchemist), Yukine (Noragami), Worick (Gangsta) and Oz (Pandora Hearts).

Number 5: Mikaela from Owari no Seraph

For a character that is essentially killed in episode 1, Mikaela definitely doesn’t let that get in the way of being in a large part of this series. While he undergoes a massive transformation from human to vampire and his cheery personality is all but gone, it could be argued Mikaela is the character who changes the least given regardless of the circumstances he is still trying to protect his ‘family’. I love this character and find the series suffers from his absence at times.

Number 4: Vash the Stampede from Trigun

Vash is the goofy character of the wild west only he isn’t really all that goofy when things get serious and they are stuck on an alien planet and not in the west. As a character with a large bounty on his head and known as a humanoid typhoon more or less everyone in the world is out to get him but Vash just wants to make friends and help people. His crack shooting is almost never aimed at someone and he will definitely take an injury before he’ll inflict one. He’s quite the interesting character once you get past the opening few episodes where mostly he just seems like Daffy Duck with a gun.

Number 3: Natsume from Natsume Yuujinchou

I struggled with whether or not Natsume actually had blonde hair or not but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. He’s an awesome character who experiences slow and realistic growth through his encounters. Plus he likes cats. Okay, he spends a lot of time running away from yokai and hanging out in the woods but he mostly still gets to school and he’s even made quite a group of human friends. Mostly it is just fun spending time with Natsume as he grows up.

Number 2: November 11 from Darker Than Black

I reviewed Darker Than Black for my 100th series review and November 11 featured prominently then. He’s one of my favourite characters of all time because of his very cool power (he was also on my list of ice magic users) and his general sardonic outlook on life. I love how he can deliver an accusation or insult with a totally deadpan expression and then add that he was joking after the fact. Admittedly, he needs a shorter message on his phone because wasting people’s time listening to a joke can cost lives.

Number 1: Fai D Flourite from Tsubasa Chronicles

Much like November 11, Fai likes to play the fool at times but don’t let his charming smile fool you. Fai is smart, strong and talented and even if he never lifts a finger in a fight against you don’t think you are going to win. While he might let you claim the draw (mostly because he isn’t fighting back) he seldom has anyone get the better of him. Which makes the few occasions when he stumbles (particularly when it nearly costs him is life) even more shocking. I love that Fai has so much development as a character in the background of this story. He is accused of being a coward and his general desire to simply run away from his past definitely supports that but at the same time he doesn’t abandon his friends throughout the course of the story no matter how bad things get. Plus he looks good in a suit and Mokona likes him.

There you have it, my top 5 male characters with blonde hair. Who would have been on your list?

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