REVIEW: ‘TRIGUN STARGAZE’ Delivers A Fantastic Season

TRIGUN STARGAZE, the second season of Studio Orange‘s reimaging of the classic Trigun series, returns to Nomans Land three years after the destruction of Julai. Despite searching for Vash (Yoshitsugo Matsuoka, Fate/Strange Fake) all that time, Meryl (Sakura Ando) and her new assistant, Milly (Chika Ayamori, Zenshu), have found no sign of the “Humanoid Typhoon.” But a familiar threat lingers as those loyal to Knives (Ryuji Sato, Solo Leveling) seek to return the villain to life, that he may reap his vengeance upon Humanity, even as a fleet of colony ships approaches to take everyone to a new home.

The twelve episodes that make up TRIGUN STARGAZE fall cleanly into a classic, three-act structure. We see both sides gather their resources and members; there are the opening fights between the heroes and Knives’ underlings as the final preparations are made, and then the grand finale plays out. Each phase of the journey occupies four episodes of the season. 

While this sort of structure is a fairly basic approach, there is a reason it’s a classic, and it works especially well for TRIGUN STARGAZE. With the aftermath of season one overshadowing the present, this approach allows the season to address the important questions about where everyone is and how they are doing before diving fully into the new story. 

TRIGUN STARGAZE features a standard three-act structure, proving that one doesn’t need to complicate storytelling.

Of all the survivors of Julai’s destruction, none are struggling more than Vash himself. The man of peace stood at the epicenter of a mass murder, and while he never wanted it to happen, that has proven small comfort for him. The opening act is the section of the season that most singularly focuses on Vash, as he is forced to face and overcome that haunting moment. 

This heavy focus on trauma in the early episodes of TRIGUN STARGAZE not only delivers poignant moments but also reinforces Vash’s determination. Seeing what he has been forced to claw his way out of solidifies his determination to never allow anything like Julai to happen again. 

As TRIGUN STARGAZE gets rolling, the story takes ample time to explore the rest of the cast of characters, hero and villain alike. As the clashes start, the histories of characters like Wolfwood (Yoshimasa Hosoya, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth) and the wounds they still carry, as well as the strength they gained from their pasts, are showcased. Blending the present battles with the past generally works well for the series, as it allows for a lot of exploration to happen promptly, keeping the story moving forward. 

The emphasis on trauma in the season’s beginnings highlights Vash’s cause and urgency.

The only place where these explorations fail is with Livio (Genki Muro, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii). His past is the only character exploration that the series loses control of. There is too much going on within his pain-filled origin that leads to split personalities, trying to stuff it all into the time it’s given, leaving a bit of a confused mess in its wake. 

But while many of TRIGUN STARGAZE‘s supporting cast get their moments in the sun, none shine as brightly as Meryl and Milly. Despite being the only major characters in the series with little combat potential, the pair prove themselves to be capable of far more than just being the cheering squad. The duo repeatedly seize the initiative in key moments, leaving a far greater impact on the narrative than Meryl’s darringer could ever hope to. Allowing both to deliver some of the biggest and best moments of the series. 

Even as TRIGUN STARGAZE seeks to build up the conflict during its second act, the narrative does stumble once. The desire to build up hype and tension clashes with the series’ handling of the pacifist tendencies of its lead. This leads to the fizzling out of a conflict, after a significant amount of time has been spent building up how it would play out. An unforced error that proves to be the series’s only major narrative blemish. 

Trigun Stargaze stumbles in its handling of pacifism, but rights its course.

As the final stretch of TRIGUN STARGAZE plays out, the clash between brothers and their various supporters brings loads of inventive action sequences, as well as emotional payoffs. With the fleet in orbit, salvation feels so close, yet it sits on the edge of a knife as the final moves are made to bring it all crashing down. 

The steady buildup to the final moments of the series manages to draw in everything that has led to it. All the revelations, struggles, and threats come together and receive their deserved payoffs. The final clash between Knives and Vash offers a fitting moment of closure for the conflicted siblings, a perfect ending to a phenomenal story. 

Helping to amplify every tear, explosion, and thrown punch are the gorgeous visuals that Studio Orange infuses into everything this series sets out to accomplish. The character designs look great, and the action plays out with smooth animation and fantastic punch. But even more crucial to visual storytelling is the camerawork.

The action and tension are further amped up by Studio Orange’s animation.

What TRIGUN STARGAZE does with its camera work may be the best I’ve seen in anime. The way it moves, the dynamics and energy it drives into moments, amplifying the action and scope of the narrative’s biggest beats, does so much work that it’s hard to imagine the story being told any other way. Even the tamer moments are given extra emotional weight thanks to awareness of the ever-present camera. 

This series couldn’t succeed as greatly as it does without the phenomenal voice cast that brings it to life. Despite the often heavy emotional moments and dramatic elements that highlight the narrative, there is also a lot of silliness. Managing to craft consistent voices that feel real, through both the drama and the zany comedy, requires an incredible amount of range, one that the cast here is more than up to the task of.

TRIGUN STARGAZE doesn’t just reimagine a classic; it delivers something phenomenal in its own right. The characters, narrative, action, animation, and voice work come together to deliver what is nearly a perfect season. One I cannot recommend enough. 

TRIGUN STARGAZE is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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