#have i mentioned i love wolfwood btw

[tarteggs]

a moment of respite

[huginsmemory]

Trigun and Christianity

In lieu of trigun Stampedes choice to make Wolfwood an undertaker instead of a priest (to, well, my disappointment), I thought it might be interesting to look at some of the Christian themes in Trigun, and then also look at why they might have decided to choose for Wolfwood to be a undertaker then a preist, and a potential reason to why Trigun has these Christian themes. Also, btw, this is chock full of manga spoilers so, beware!

To start it off... trigun is actually... pretty heavy on Christian themes. Fuck man, the main character is basically an angel, and in one of the first volumes they literally describe the plants as something divine (although they are later declared to be something humans made... But nevertheless the very clear imagery is there). Also what features very strongly is pacifism and the themes of unconditional love; Vash's refusal to kill coming from believing that going forward, anyone can change, even when he is literally being harmed or attempted to be killed by others. These themes of pacifism and unconditional love are very Christian, and Vash's actions very much centre him as a Jesus-like character. In fact, even the way that he (and knives) was born, a virgin birth, also could be seen as an allusion, as well as the way that he holds a physical form as a human while being more than human- Jesus being considered a 'son of man' while also being the son of God; ie, something in-between, something both divine and human. Knives as well is written in that angelic and divine light, although he is done so in a dark opposite of Vash, with an emphasis on his 'divinity' for imagery as he is obsessed with it. Interestingly, contrast to Knives, Vash, who goes around as a human, is multiple times called a Devil for his reputation, although he is the one that actually is virtuous... This in a way also alludes to him as a Jesus-like figure, as that Jesus was ultimately sought after by the authorities and in some places hated and even driven away by people.

12 disciples

As well, Nightow is pretty blatant that the gung ho guns, of which there are 12, is a allusion to the 12 disciples; hell, Wolfwood calls them straight up disciples when he is at Jeneora Rock. One might argue that then whether that posits Knives as a Jesus figure as that they follow Knives directions, or if one would consider Vash to be the Jesus figure, as the 12 literally seek out, and 'follow' Vash, and of which one of them literally betrays (although, technically, Wolfwoods betrayal goes both ways). However, I don't think that argument is really one that matters, as it's more of the aesthetic of Christianity that Nightow likes in this matter, not the philosophical implications.

As well, as mentioned above, Wolfwood is very Judas-coded; he gets close to Vash, only to inevitably betray him and deliver him up to his fate, while clearly being torn up about it. Vash is not surprised at all when Wolfwood tells him that he was one of the gung ho guns, and you get the sense that he knew about it all along, and knew exactly what he was walking into. Yet he still loves and forgives Wolfwood for all of it. Which... is exactly the same thing that occurs between Judas and Jesus, Jesus willingly going with Judas even though he knew what lay before him.

Wolfwood

As well, quite obviously adding to the heavy Christian themes of trigun, is that Wolfwood calls himself a priest. Although indeed it's part of his front, it's clear Wolfwood in the manga is religious, challenging and calling upon God in response to seeing the Knives born, and his response to the fifth moon incidence where he questions if it was the hand of God (which, actually, is caused by Vash's hand... again alluding to the 'divinity' of Vash and Knives). This clear religious affiliation continues through the series, such as when he is rescuing Vash from Knives, and even praying while he is on the ship with the people that helped vash.

Wolfwood also throughout the series is very clearly is morally wraught with guilt over his choices and sins... Something that's very Catholic/Christian. Hell, the fact that the punisher, the insignia of his murderous profession, is a literal heavy cross that Wolfwood carries with him, is poetic irony; he's literally carrying around the embodiment of his sins and his guilt from his profession and choices, which weighs both heavily on his physical body but also him emotionally. Wolfwood's guilt over his sins and choices comes to its climax when he's about to die when rescuing Vash from Knives, after betraying him; where he questions whether he can be forgiven for what he has done and whether he was wrong, and in response Vash saves him, declaring that he is not wrong; not wrong to go against orders, leaving his vocation of being a murderer behind, in trying to save Vash and moving forward. In declaring Wolfwood that he was not wrong, what Vash (heavily implied divine, Jesus-like character) is declaring is that Wolfwood can be forgiven for his sins, is already forgiven for his betrayal (unconditional love, anyone?), and that Wolfwood can change, that his past doesn't define him, because his future is also a blank ticket.

As well, this is followed up later by Wolfwoods confession to Vash that he hates killing:

The confession and the way he phrases it- seeing all humans as his brethren (although, in this sense he may be speaking tangentially about Livio) is something that also has Christian overtones. (Also, the way that they mention Vash sees the whole of humans as his relatives, also ties into that; except personally I'd argue that's more of a Indigenous view then a Christian, but theres plenty of things that overlap with other theologies and philosophies within the manga that aren't just characteristics of Christianity).

Redemption via acts

There's also a theme of redemption via acts, which both Wolfwood and Vash lean into heavily as a result of guilt from their 'sins', something that is very... Well, again, Christian, especially Catholic. Vash, from being unable to stop Knives and having obliterated July and just his and knives general existence, and Wolfwood from his profession, and so they both struggle with immense feelings of guilt. As a result both are very self-sacrificing; Vash very obviously so throughout the series, and Wolfwood in a quieter way, in choosing to continue to work to protect the orphanage, even though he desperately wants to escape the life he leads and hates killing people. They both don't believe they deserve to be loved because of the weight of their sins, and so they redeem themselves the only way they know how by self-sacrifice; this literally causing Wolfwoods death as he didn't reach our to Vash for help, and is evident in the way Legato looks at Vash at the end and realizes he sees a man that only sees himself as a tool and hates himself. This belief of Vash's that he doesn't deserve love/nice things is something that is also interesting, because he so aggressively pushes the 'blank ticket of the future', ie, unconditional love, while clearly being unable to apply it to himself.

Tldr: the point is, Trigun is very heavily Christian themed, both in aesthetic and philosophy, and the characterization of both Vash and Wolfwood reflect that. The show is rampant with such Christian philosophical themes as unconditional love, sin and guilt, confessions, forgiveness and redemption through self-sacrifice; for aesthetic ones, well, literal 'angels' as main characters, Wolfwood being a priest and carrying a cross, the 12 gung ho guns as 12 disciples.

Wolfwood as an Undertaker

Since Trigun is so heavily Christian themed, it makes it... well, a bit of a strange choice to pull the fact that Wolfwood is a preist out, since him as a preist further emphasizes the moral quandries within the story and the themes of sins/guilt/forgiveness and unconditional love. However, as one other post here on tumblr mentioned, stampede as an iteration of trigun is more directed towards a more modern and Japanese audience, some of which can be seen with the revamp of the character designs to make them more relatable, and I think they mentioned some specific character traits with Meryl. This re-vamping, especially one specifically for a Japanese audience might explain why Wolfwood becomes a undertaker instead of being a Christian priest. Nightow in the back panels in the manga is clearly is very enthralled with American culture- and his knowledge and love of the American genres shows pretty strongly in the themes and the setting for Trigun. In fact, the 1998 anime was better recieved in the west then in Japan, and a possible likelihood for it's higher popularity within the Americas is going to be directly because of the western audience being more familiar with the Western genre, as well as specifically, the Christian themes within the show (since western countries cultures are Christian based, even if one wasn't raised religious). As well, compared to the other typical gunslinging space western anime, Cowboy bebop, Trigun contains more Christian themes, which would make it less relatable, and less popular to the Japanese audience (of course there are many other differences in the shows, so I would be reluctant to chalk it up to just the religious themes in trigun- hell, Cowboy Bebop makes some great criticisms of capitalism that is not present in Trigun). Circling back to them revamping the show, if they are trying to make it more relatable to a Japanese audience, then removing more overly American influences, such as one of the characters literally being a Christian priest, would fit that bill quite well.

Trigun and Christianity... Why?

Also, I personally think that Nightow didn't exactly mean to make a story that is really heavily Christian themed. My sneaking suspicion from reading chapter 0, is the Nightow thought that writing a western with a main character gunslinger that is a pacifist would be a fun and interesting prospect, and then when he began to elaborate on it, he began to pull in more western (both cultural and genre wise) themes and aesthetics into the story, resulting in something that is very heavily Christian themed in the end.

EDIT: it's been raised to my attention by the lovely @trigum, that it says in the wikipedia on Nightow that he was raised buddhist and converted to Catholicism, although there is no source for that information. If so, this would, well, very obviously explain why Trigun is so heavy on Christian themes and negates the paragraph above. I'm not giving him enough credit then, my apologies Nightow!

EDIT 2:

Edit 3 (Feb 3): made a somewhat part 2, specifically looking at the phrase the 'bride of Christ'.

[fruitsoxs]

me: *manifests in anyone's inbox as soon as wolfwood is mentioned*

hey socks! (love your name too btw) I haven't interacted yet but I really enjoyed reading your stuff, so here I am - Wolfwood prompts, you ask? how about him overhearing the reader get off, and maybe even them moaning his name? I know that's a classic prompt but haven't spotted anyone who wrote it for our man here

i like your mind anon--

pairings: wolfwood x (gender neutral) reader

warnings: !nsfw minors dni! , masturbating , descriptions of moaning, a bit of religious imagery but not a lot , idk wolfwood may be being a bit of a creep but you love him so it's okay

notes: just as a general rule i try to keep the reader gender neutral when answering requests unless the gender is specified- so if you want the reader to have a specific gender just ask :) also it's a bit short but i hope it's okay!! also i kind headcannon that they take turns deciding who gets a room the themselves-- and it just so happened to be your turn--

A better man would have ignored the sweet noises coming from your room the moment he heard them through the thin walls. However, Wolfwood is not a better man. In fact, he considers himself to be the worst of the worst. Someone’s whose sins are unforgivable in the eyes of God. So maybe that’s why, instead of respectfully ignoring the situation, his ear is pressed up against the cool wall as he drinks in every last noise you make.

At first he was a bit worried. 

Vash had passed out the moment his head hit the pillow, but Wolfwood’s head was full of all kinds of thoughts. Things he couldn’t fall asleep to without a fuck load of alcohol probably. So he’s left tossing and turning in the uncomfortable bed by himself for a while- until he hears a small whimper from the room next to him. The room you’re staying in.

He’s up immediately, a cold fear washing through his body. Are you hurt? Did somebody break into your room? He’s close to grabbing the punisher and knocking down the wall in between the rooms just to make sure you are safe- and then the next noise happens.

A moan.

Oh.

His face instantly erupts into a fiery shade of red, his heart slamming against his ribs. That wasn’t a very heavenly noise. He looks over to make sure Vash is still asleep (he should know by now that even the end of the world couldn’t wake that man up), and lets out a sigh of relief when he sees that his traveling companion is still passed out. 

Another soft moan erupts from your room, and the noise shoots down right to his dick. He’s already getting hard. It doesn’t help that he’s imagining what you look like right now. Sprawled out on your bed, lips parted and face flushed. He imagines your legs parted, your hand in between, touching yourself just the way you like.

Another moan - and he can practically see it leaving your pretty lips.

He doesn’t even realize how close to the wall he’s gotten, chasing the sounds that emanate from your room. You get louder the closer he gets, and he’s able to pick up on more sounds. It’s a beautiful symphony to his ears.

At some point his hand sneaks down to his groin, as he starts palming himself through his pants. This is wrong. He shouldn’t be listening to this- but another moan from you and all his guilt melts into a need. A lust that no man who carries a cross should have. He grunts as he dips his hand into the waistline of his pants, wrapping his hand around his dick. You whimper out something - a name or a curse. He can’t tell, you stutter it out so softly. He can’t even feel jealousy for whoever’s name falls from your heavenly lips. He doesn’t have time, because you begin to whimper in just a way that has him pulling down his pants.

His mind is blank at this point, too focused on the string of curses and moans that leave your lips. His hand moves, pumping his shaft with an intensity he hasn’t felt in a long time. He’s not sure if he’ll ever recover from this. He moves his hand a bit faster, a bit tighter-

“W….Wolfwood~”

He freezes. 

His eyes widen and his body tenses completely. What was that? There’s no way…he definitely just heard you wrong. His hand drops to his side and he presses his ear against the wall. He’s sure he heard his name just now. But then, like a prayer, his name leaves your lips again. 

He stands there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Before he hikes up his pants and sprints out his door. He slams his fist against your door and calls your name.

You emerge a little while later. Your hair is a mess, your eyes wide, and your cheeks a beautiful pink. It’s a perfectly normal sight for anyone who doesn’t know what you were just doing. Wolfwood knows though. He can’t help but stare at you for a second, and he wonders if you can tell that he was doing the same thing.

After a moment, you begin to ask what he’s doing but he cuts you off. “The walls are thin.” Is the only explanation he gives before he crashes his lips against yours.

[makima-s-most-smile]

Trigun Maximum 3 Part 1

Tumblr hit me with a You're-too-naughty-label for my Trigun Maximum 2 Part 2-Post, so here have a link to it, because you can't find it otherwise. (There is nothing sexual in there... Tumblr, wtf! I reblog naughtier pics than what I wrote about the manga) *cries*

Trigun Ultimate: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4

Trigun Maximum: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5

01: Reservoir Dogs

Oh, this page! The situations with Vash that are the most impactful for Wolfwood, the ones where he felt with him (blue) and the ones where Vash was explicitly inhuman/above human to him (red). All coming down to the panel in the lower left where both of them share a nonverbal quip, in which Vash most likely appeals to Wolfwood to not kill the people who made him suffer so much. And Wolfwood has to make a decision! Again. From how Wolfwood starts the fight, yeah, he tries to keep Ninelives alive by disarming him. He tries so hard to find a compromise between them. All while being in fucking freefall, btw. 

Ew, human body parts scorpion puppets! (The grammar program wanted to desperately change this outcry to “human body parts are scorpion puppets…” Thanks for making it worse!)

I think it is interesting that nearly everyone around them has problems dealing with the twin’s humanity. But still the glaring difference between Knives and Vash is obvious to them.

I think it is also interesting that Leonof’s point of view is based on how they deal with suffering. He suffered in the past and broke from it. His real body starts to inflict self harm upon itself at the mere mention of that, while the puppet he controls states the plant’s resilience as a glaring example of their inhumanity. And he reasons that he wants Vash in his collection for that very reason. Maybe to learn from him how to be that resilient. 

Such a bitter outlook. While Leonof has his little ideological crisis just by Vash existing, Wolfwood fights for his life, again, and again internally against his deeply rooted cynicism. 

I love how so much of Wolfwood’s inner beliefs are directly contrary to his existence. The nihilistic bastard says nothing changes, all good is for naught and ideals don’t matter. Without giving us much context, we can confer much about his life. He had no one to really look up to, even if he was in a safe place it was in constant danger of disappearing or he had experience with that just happening, he has seen good people die and their goodness being for nothing in the long run. But then here he is, still willing to dirty his own hands so he can make sure that orphaned kids have that safe place that he didn’t have. He changes their future. But he is completely unable to see it.

And Vash does. I love how the panels drive that down. Vash is not deterred by Wolfwood’s cynicism. Vash is not deterred by his own experiences. If it is the right thing or not remains to be seen.

WHY ARE THE TOMA CRYING?! QQ BABIES! NOOOO! Meryl, what did you do to them? (And while they are the horses of No-Man’s-Land, we now know they can barf. I’d like to see the No-Man’s-Landers reaction to the German idiom: “Well, horses have been seen throwing up.” Which kinda means: You never know. All is possible. And I just want to know their reaction to it! They don’t know horses and they don’t know the idiom and they would know even less likely that horses are unable to vomit. *cries* I am suddenly emotional about this scene. AHHHHH! I wanna see Meryl and Wolfwood being completely confused, Milly just accepting it and Vash being like: Huh? But Horses can't vomit...)

02: Cement

“This is my business.” What do you mean, Wolfwood? Your decision and you standing by it? Or you being unforgivable? 

*sees Ninelives opening their mouth* I am not gonna say the whole thing but it ends with dentata… Thanks, Freud.

I have problems following the whole action, but damn. It is bloody, gory and feels so personal. And it fits Wolfwood’s state of mind, battling with the feeling of dread by Vash, his own mortality and his struggle being trapped in a No-Win-Situation. All odds are against Wolfwood and are towering over him. David against Goliath. Wolfwood is so small.

Nightow is able to give us that sense of Wolfwood being small and a punching bag. But he still is able to add those moments that show how fucking quick Wolfwood’s deduction is and how fast he acts to it. 

I love the way Nightow draws Wolfwood here. He seems to be less there than Ninelives with how part of his body is not drawn. And it reminds me so much of the page of Wolfwood’s past where he was shot the first time.

“I don’t want to die!”

And that is what it comes back to again and again with Wolfwood.

Sassy!

Did I mention that I love the way how Nightow draws body language? You really do get the feeling that Wolfwood is barely able to stay on his feet.

Well, Wolfwood said he’d disarm him. And, look, that way he didn’t have to kill Ninelives! Even though Wolfwood desperately fought for his life, he was able to hold up Vash’s ideals here. He tries so hard, man. I feel for him.

“The rest of them will come... That's for sure... Like demons risin' from hell…” While Wolfwood enjoys his (earned) victory (too early), he is already thinking about the consequences of his decision and what further strife it will bring him.

Oh, fuck, I didn’t realise the arm was moving! I needed to take a double take when I saw it holding the up button in the next chapter. Ew! Ew! Ew! Maybe it is me not being able to take in all the detail that Nightow draws. Good that I am reading the manga in discussion mode.

3: No Escape!

Damn, the chapter title. No escape from what? No escape for Nicholas from his fate? Is it an omen that Nicholas’ struggle to escape his bloody lifestyle is doomed and that he has to kill again and again? That though he tried his best to upkeep Vash’s ideals that he has to decide between Ninelives’ and his own life? Is this foreshadowing that he will be unable to escape his place between a rock and a hard place and end up squished? 

Nicholas’ third gun, the fucking rocket launcher.

Vash hears Wolfwood’s struggle, but we don’t get any insight into what he thinks. Worry for Wolfwood? Surely. But what more? Does he reflect upon their talk here? Is he considering that Wolfwood is risking his very life for Vash’s home right now? For him? How that explicitly contradicts Wolfwood’s very reason to be at his side? As a traitor to be and follower of Knives.

As another user said, Wolfwood’s fight is a close combat one, all dark and claustrophobic. It is David against Goliath. Vash is in open space. His struggle is not for his life, not really, his struggle is to reach Leonof and get through to him. By switching between their fights, Nightow stresses the difference. That's such a brilliant way to story tell.

Please correct me. I have a really big problem reading Wolfwood here. Why is he grinning? I read it as defiance and a dare against the thought of something being immortal and thus being unable to be reached by a mere mortal like him. It is as much a challenge towards Ninelives as it is towards Vash. But I am not sure and I need other perspectives!

And just a quiet, little panel between Wolfwood spearing and shooting Ninelives, shows him being drenched in blood, looking weary and tired. And the way the blood smears under his eye, looks like he is crying. The panel is so full, you barely see it and you barely see it on the page. You need to pay attention to see it. And damn, if that doesn't summarise Wolfwood's plight and arc perfectly. I think it is my favourite panel out of the volume, there are so many cool ones, but this is so quiet and sad between all those loud and cool fighting ones. Wolfwood is drowning, someone please rescue him!

And while Wolfwood’s fight is bloody, explosive and incredibly loud, Vash’s is quiet and dreary. It plays with our feeling of foreboding and your knowledge that what he fights is the corpses of close ones.

Baby with a gun!

“I see beneath that cold, calculative expression of yours.” Interesting, Leonof. A chapter ago you said that his cold stare hides a void full of suffering. What more do you want to see? Are you mocking him? Or are you trying to relate?

And the chapter ends with Vash declaring Leonof’s real name and that the game ends. No escape for Emilio, either!

04: Emilio the player

Hi, Brad! Those aren’t only puppet parts! :3 Those are body parts of the people you grew up with. Joy!

The puppet master reacts to the name. Leonof registers the name as his own, but his puppet seems to deny it! His puppet is his way to keep a distance from himself and reality.

Vash knows the name of everyone he has met. (I cannot even remember the name you just told me. Vash superpowers! Well, that, but it also makes him so incredibly inhuman for me. He knows everyone, but connects to no one. It reads like such an artificial bond. He loves humanity, but like I love Pokemon. (without the fighting system)) But damn, Leonof’s breakdown is so creepy. 10/10 sleep paralysis demon. Good work, Nightow.

Hi, Doc. ;C

“All according to keikaku!,” is what I think about when reading that sentence.

But seriously, I read up guignol and was kinda shocked that it is comparable to the German Kasperle theatre and had a bit of a culture revelation. *hugs their French brethren*

The same page has Vash connecting the dots and forming a plan on how to defeat Emilio without killing him. I love how we get the foreshadowing without realising it.

Gosh, I have a thing for wet hair Vash. He just looks so much better with his hair down! 

I know that No-Man’s-Land doesn’t have the best dentistry, but, Emilio, your teeth shouldn’t shatter like this.

Sorry, Brad, but that is no puppet. :/

[aluvian]

Top 5 ships

Not me temporarily forgetting every ship I've ever shipped when I saw this ask. And then having to pick from the numerous ones I do have. Lmaoooooo 😂

Fox Mulder x Dana Scully - The X-Files. The ship to end all ships. The blueprint. When I say that your faves could never, I truly mean it. Mulder and Scully probably did it first and continue to do it better. We have them to thank for the term shipping and online spaces where we can scream about and over our faves. They've given me permanent brain damage. 🥰

FemShep x Garrus Vakarian - Mass Effect. The ultimate battle couple. My favorite cross-species liaison, who aren't afraid to test the limits of reach and flexibility. Their transition from friends to friends with benefits to UH OH I CAUGHT SERIOUS FEELINGS is immaculate. Plus, we get some real dialog bangers. My personal fave: "You know me, I always like to savor the last shot before popping the heat sink." I LOSE IT EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Neo x Trinity - The Matrix. There isn't a sexier ship out there, and that's a fact. Imagine looking that hot all the time and being willing to die for one another without a second thought or ounce of hesitation, even if it means dooming the rest of humanity. Goals, tbh.

Jaime Lannister x Brienne of Tarth - Game of Thrones/ASOIAF. I would be physically/mentally/emotionally incapable of not shipping something that was Beauty and the Beast coded. ESPECIALLY if it's an inverse of the classic fairy tale. I try not to think how the show did them so dirty. And I have still not recovered from that, btw. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gwendoline Christie deserved to play book!JB so, so badly. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE??????? The show did give us some iconic moments with them but ultimately wasted all that potential. Still holding out on George and TWOW. I truly believe he's not going to let us down.

Roy Mustang x Riza Hawkeye - Fullmetal Alchemist. They are literally Mulder and Scully in anime form. How could I not ship them? Their devotion to each other makes me want to chew through the drywall. "I'll follow you into hell if you ask me to." HELLO??????????????

...annnnnnnd I definitely have a type when it comes to my OTPs 😅

Honorable mentions: BroShep x Tali'Zorah vas Normandy from Mass Effect, Batman/Bruce Wayne x Catwoman/Selina Kyle from the Batman franchise, Rogue x Gambit from the X-Men franchise, Vash the Stampede x Meryl Stryfe from Trigun & Trigun Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood x Milly Thompson from Trigun, Guts x Casca from Berserk*, Shinya Kougami x Akane Tsunemori from Psycho-Pass, Meryl Stryfe x Nicholas D. Wolfwood from Trigun Stampede, FemRyder x Vetra Nyx from Mass Effect: Andromeda, Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes from the MCU, Leon S. Kennedy x Ada Wong from Resident Evil...and I truly could keep going. I have a lot of ships. And I will spare you guys my sports anime ones. 😆

*I do need to give a special shout out to Guts and Casca for being especially insane. Imagine initiating a sword fight with a guy, stabbing him, then deciding to fling yourself off the side of a cliff afterwards, having him rescue you by grabbing you at just the right time (with the hand he used to pull out the sword you stabbed him with no less), then crying and calling him a fool, then kissing him, then fucking him. They truly do not make anime/manga ships like this anymore. 😔

Wow. Never get me talking about anything I love because this is what happens. I simply do not know how and when to shut up. Anyway! This was tons of fun, and I appreciate you sending me this ask so much. 💙

Ask me my Top 5 anything!

[gayhoguns]

went back to my trigun reread and let me just say. let me just say

im about to call legato a slur

actually reading this after knowing his backstory hits different... i can really understand him and not just think wow wtf theres a guy in the ceiling. like he was fully prepared to be punished by knives (heh) just so he could get to vash. "that presence between master and me". he really sees vash as just something holding knives' back. and the fact that he is knives' favorite too. also "both in body and in mind" wtf does that mean for the love of god

elendira also never ceases to amaze me you can see why wolfwood of all people is so scared of her. she wants to destroy, wolfwood wants to protect. but alas im not gonna get ahead of myself lets wait until her chapter so i can praise her some more. btw after that page she fully tells legato to shut up what a queen honestly

AND THE STAR OF THE SHOW ARRIVES... EOM MENTION

love how they show how eom makes their soldiers right away, with the injections and vials. also "a change in leadership" hooooo mayyybeee tehehe... we will get there legato dont you worry...

AND LIVIO MENTION!!!

he always looks raw as hell whenever he shows up how does he do that.

though this means we are getting closer to a Certain Moment in the manga when will have to physically restrain myself so i dont type an entire essay about. not even an essay tbh a masters thesis

and lmao freaks

put that thing awayyy WHY the fuck is legato holding the coins on his tongue. i mean he is imprisoned but. couldnt he ask someone else to do it. drama king

[makima-s-most-smile]

Trigun Maximum 6

Skittles after the bookclub. SOON! I... need... to... catch... up. Soupy brain, do not leave me!

Trigun Ultimate: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 Trigun Maximum: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5

1. The gunslinger

Aw, and it starts with Meryl having a nightmare. It was much for her. Not only did she have to confront Vash’ inhumanity in theory, but in practice, too. And that left marks. Btw @/pancake-breakfast was right, Zazie described the independent plants as bystanders, not themself.

The sheriff is such a nice guy :3 NOT! Ramming the door into Vash and not even apologising. I leave his talk with Marlon in the open, because we do not know either of them, maybe there is something behind it.

Yay, Wolfwood gets to eat in peace! Jokes aside, I take sharing food and such is one of Wolfwood’s love languages. He cares for other people. And Meryl is hit really hard with the downs. Depressive symptoms as a response to a trauma aren’t that unheard of. And she has dreams and flashbacks, too. It really hit her hard. ‘Til the dragon’s nest district, Meryl could ignore the whole Vash being nonhuman and the trouble that follows him and be innocently interested in him, now the reality hit her hard.

Wolfwood is just peak idiot. How come I remember him as this suave liar, when the only reason that people don’t know stuff around him is that they don’t pin him down. If he’d be more obvious, he’d be spelling stuff out. Heck, he is doing eurythmics the whole time. (It is the sunglasses and the suit…)

Also, Woowoo is wearing his sunglasses again. I just found something interesting today about sunglasses and Japan. *lemme find the link* Japanese people use the eyes to see what the other person is thinking, while westerners are more likely to get the info due to the mouth. I remember reading somewhere else, too, as a reason why the eyes in manga are often drawn so big compared to western media, because emotion is mostly told via the eyes.

And Wolfwood goes back to his roots of pushing people away for their own safety. He is not completely wrong and at least he talks to Meryl about it. Though, it can be read as a low blow that he mentions Milly. Because Meryl has someone she is responsible for! It is not just about herself. That’s something Wolfwood can relate to, but for him it forces him to stay. Would Wolfwood stay if he didn’t have to? If he could be sure that his orphanage and the planet would stay safe? I don’t know. 

There is no real right or wrong here, but damn, they should include Milly in the talk, too! Babysteps. But at least now Meryl truly thinks about the danger she gets herself and Milly into. And that is important. Until now her decision to find and follow Vash was filled somewhat by naivete and ignoring the glaring danger signs around him. She got a reality check. While Vash is not evil, trouble follows him and it has hurt her now, too! It has hurt Milly. But what she does with the new outlook is her own decision! Wolfwood came to the conclusion that he needs to talk to the women on an equal level to get his point about saving yourself across. And he does so. FINALLY!

Alcohol as a means to cope with something. Something is eating good ol’ Marlon up. And it is the basis for his behaviour and why he despises that shooty-mc-tooty-sheriff.

Do you, sheriff? Do you keep the town safe? Or is it more your power fantasy. Eny green is an ugly colour. Manga is so much about show, don’t tell. And damn, we haven’t been shown anything about you protecting anyone. 

I love how Meryl listens in and just immediately knows who the broom headed bastard is! Her reaction is cute! More of it! Vash truly is a trouble magnet!

“Consider guns delicate.” Vash is a gun. 

Meryl knows the fear that comes with shooting someone. She wasn’t spared of the danger of this world. She had to protect herself in the past. And her reaction is just human. But what is moreso, her reminiscence is a way for her to feel sympathy for Vash. How must he feel with that gun of his, that was fired against his will/he fired with consequences he didn’t want, not only shooting but killing so many people. Meryl collapsed after one shot. (I’d be down, too, gurl.) I am not even sure if she killed her opponent. So she finds some understanding for Vash as a person. She finally starts to understand WHY he is the way he is. He is starting to become more than an interesting enigma.

Uh, nice that the evil guys want to rob the town for money to pay for their food and drinks. Down with the banks! Money to the small business owners!

Vash fires with his right arm. The arm that is the angel arm. I read it as Vash punishing himself, but also fighting to regain control over himself and his body. He “tames” his firepower into the gun he choses. He takes back control.

Such a nice responsible sheriff, keeping the town safe. :3 By attacking random dudes in the middle of the day.

I… can hear Brandon’s voice in my head. It is gorgeous. ;3

But, yeah, that’s kinda what it boils down to. Guns in and of itself aren’t pure evil. In experienced hands they can be used to protect, to feed people, hell, they can even be a sport. But they are also an idol for (masculine) power. And that attracts the kind of people that aren’t responsible enough to own a gun. Murdock is the kind of guy that would pull out his special made Marlon-Gun and accidentally shot someone. And that's why he doesn't deserve it.

I don’t see the problem here. That is Germany every new year’s eve.

Vash… VASH?! Are you sure it is a good move to abuse Wolfwood’s mistress and throw her aside afterwards?! 

It kinda boils down to firepower on No-Man’s-Land. Would Vash even own a gun if he didn’t have to?

And poor Meryl. Her thoughts are purely about Vash, even after her flashbacks and her nightmares.

Is it, though? Vash’s pistol is as much a prosthetic as his left arm is. It isn’t his true power, it is far from it, but he is still able to act with it. Especially without worrying that he might accidentally kill someone. (However stupid that sounds)

Also, it?! The Punisher is a classy lady! To call her "It", the audacity! Next he calls Angelina II an it.

Yeah, sorry, Vash. Don’t take the emotional support machine gun cross from a priest. That never ends well.

2. Double team

I love this pic. 

I am not entirely sure, but is Wolfwood sitting on explosives/gasoline? Because this kinda summarises Wolfwood’s situation. Can you truly relax while waiting for the bomb under your arse to explode?

Like he said in the chapter before! Tickin’ time bomb he is sitting on! Wolfwood is putting his life at risk and he knows it. He is just waiting for it to go off.

Wolfwood is in the darkness, looking into the light, the innocent, pure thing he protects by throwing himself into the darkness. From the positioning we could even think that Chapel is truly in the darkness and Wolfwood stands between Chapel and the orphanage. (I don’t think that Nightow wanted to say this, but as a European this reads very much: Church is dangerous for kids.)

Uh, remember that pic with the line up of the gun-ho-guns? 

From Trigun Maximum 4 Chapter: Killer Horn Blues. 

This isn’t Wolfy, this is the OG-Chapel. But that reads for me that it was an atmospheric line-up, since the other gun-ho-guns would have called Wolfwood out for being very not Chapel. Or they truly did not care, which… I do not think is that unwarranted of a thought?

And the Damocles’ sword is still hanging over Wolfwood’s head. He was able to protect the kid’s from one danger - Chapel/Church -  but the other danger, the danger that awaited Wolfwood behind Chapel still prevails. Not only that, it is much more dangerous than Chapel himself. Wolfwood is ready to disappear from their lives to keep them safe, but whatever he does it is not enough. And he still tries under constant fear of failure, he confronts the danger. He is the orphanage’s protector, their last and only bastion.

And like always, Wolfwood’s nightmares are interrupted by sillies. But damn, I love his little: Fuck, I am in so much pain-face. I’ll keep the alcohol thingy for later in this volume.

I know in the panels between Wolfwood put a cigarette in his mouth. But I read it as appearing randomly to make him look cooler in this little confrontation.

But we get that next to no one of the Gun-Ho-Guns knows that Wolfwood is, well, Wolfwood. I mean, while Midvalley wasn’t surprised, it was Milly that spelled out Wolfwood’s true identity to him. And Knives… Didn’t even deem it important enough to tell Legato about the change of plans, why would he bother to share such a little detail about Wolfy? And as much as Knives does not really care for Legato’s position, he does not care for Wolfwood’s, either. Knives is mocking him. Wolfwood is his plaything. Nothing Wolfwood does truly matters. But it is a nice ego boost for Knives that Wolfwood is too “scared” to act against Knives’ wishes. Wolfwood knows, Zazie knows. Add insult to injury, even Zazie mocks Wolfwood about his stuck between a rock and a hard place position. Wolfwood doesn’t work for Knives of his free will, he knows what Knives’ plans are. It goes against everything Wolfwood cares for. Again, an I know, they know-situation. And Wolfwood does not lie to Zazie, he stops talking to them.

Namedrop: Eye of Michael! The church/cult Wolfwood is part of. Doesn’t sound like something normal, but the catholics have a way with weird names. Interestingly, why eye? Michael is known for his sword, for throwing Satan from heaven. Wouldn't the Sword/Arm of Michael be more fitting, especially since killing seems part of the cult? I mean, Wolfwood being an assassin AND a priest and learning stuff at the same time from different sources would be pretty weird. Michael is the patron of soldiers and honestly, what else is Wolfwood if not that? But back to the Eye-part. He keeps track of the actions and sins of humans, judges them when they die and is the judge on the Last Day. That would be more fitting for the eye part. (And not gonna lie, Wolfy is judgy, even if he means well/projects his insecurities hard.) 

And another thing, Wolfwood has uncanny senses. Not Vash’ level, but they are definitely not human.

OOF! Big faux pax, Zazie. No one wants to be compared to Legato. *starts to write a comparison for this in a few volumes* *coughs*

What exactly is that plant aura stuff? Vash accidentally uses it when Home happened and it seemed like he was projecting his inner grief outwards. But Knives does not seem scared here. Which begs the question what is happening here? Is Knives able to project what he wants because he has more control over his plantiness? Or is Knives truly scared but Wolfwood’s own memory is distorted since he was affected by the projection? Or a secret third thing, like plants constantly emit such feelings of uncanniness due to their power and it takes experience to suppress it and Knives just does not care to do so? I think @/needle-noggins had an interesting theory about that, but I really do not know. This is too wishy-washy for me. :C

Vash, the weapon of mass destruction. The hole in the moon as a reminder. Not only that, the hole in the moon is Wolfwood’s first experience with Vash’ inhumanity. Can even a well-meaning weapon of mass destruction cause something other than the aforementioned mass-destruction? 

I love how Nightow sometimes draws a face with two different emotions. Vash is so sad and also incredibly peaceful at the same time. Is he sad for another betrayal? Or does he feel with Wolfwood who is in emotional turmoil right now? Is he peaceful because he trusts Wolfwood not to shoot? Or that he accepts his death at Wolfwood’s hand? After splitting the face up, I am at least sure of one thing. Vash is aware, but he would not dodge. Not for the position Wolfwood starts to take in Vash’ life, but that may part of it, Vash has just remembered July and he is not coping at all.

For fuck’s sake, don’t avoid talking to each other! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Just MOOD. That was me today when I put something away and caused a chain reaction that made a selfmade bowl land on my foot and then shatter.

Is… is he called Godot because they waited for him?

Not only that, guys… So much about the play is about waiting and not acting on your own impulse. Both Wolfwood and Vash are waiting for the other to take a step, to talk about it, about Knives, about everything! But both are doing nothing on their own. They hint or do verbal eurhythmics like Wolfwood, but in the end it boils down to the other acting on the hints. They wait for the other, but the other never comes. From their perspective, they are the people waiting for Godot, but they are each other's Godot at the same time. Godot never comes. The play “Waiting for Godot” ends with the people continuing to wait for Godot. This is an omen and it hurts me so muhuhuhuhuhuch. Or it is not an omen, since what follows is the fight scene where they get each other without talking and, well, Godot literally came.

This page. It kinda drives home WHO Wolfwood truly is. We already had a taste in the Midvalley fight, when Wolfwood used the cross to protect Milly. But the scene was used to stress how inhuman Wolfwood’s abilities are. Yes, Nightow also put focus on Wolfwood shielding Milly, but what Midvalley got from it was that even blinded and hurt, Wolfwood is aware of everyone’s position. Here, the cross that we saw used mostly as a weapon is used for what Wolfwood truly wants. Wolfwood doesn’t want to kill or hurt people. He is all about protecting close ones. While especially the orphanage, it does not count out other people he considers close or important.

Chekhov's table!

How can you not love this? They are so very aware of their different strengths and how to use them effectively. Are they in sync? I think they are starting to get there. Both are very aware where people are positioned and both know that the other can do their task successfully. The realisation that they were in sync dawned, I think at least Wolfwood, afterwards.

But IS Vash aware of Wolfwood’s inner struggles? He looks confused here. Does Vash understand how other people perceive their surroundings? How they did something not very human right now?

I think it is cute that Wolfwood calls himself by his forename here. Though the whole people calling Wolfwood Wolfwood may be because of the difference between Japanese and English? Japanese people use the surname to talk to people they don’t know well. The forename is for close friends, if I recall it correctly. But that is something, someone with more understanding of the different culture should look into!

With many siblings you learn to sleep tight! Poor Meryl, another night not slept well.

3. CrossxAssassins

Legato, you really do not understand how much Knives revolves around Vash. 

But yeah, Legato started to go crazy after Knives squished him. Big surprise. Legato built himself a world where only he would gain Knives’ attention and then it was utterly squished by Knives himself. But he cannot fault Knives for that, since Knives is perfect. So Vash is the problem. And the other GUn-Ho-Guns are lesser than him. But did Legato not get a number because he is so much better or because he does not even count? Or maybe he is irreplaceable? 

That’s what you get for working with suicidal men, Elendira!

But jokes aside, I want to know more about Elendira. We do not even get bits! Is she jealous because Legato seems closer to Knives? Close enough to be numberless? What is her relation to Knives? He deems her trustworthy, that’s for sure. And she isn’t miffed for not getting the whole picture like Legato who is slowly breaking apart from it.

If Legato was truly so devoted, he wouldn’t stray from his idol’s path. But here he is, deeming people worthy and unworthy and using Knives’ army for his very own gain. Legato’s devotion devolved into an obsession. He thinks he knows better what Knives wants than Knives himself. (And ironically, both are wrong!)

Motherfucking evil Didney queen bitch arse castle!

Vials? Vials! Also, I FINALLY GOT WHO THIS CLAMP-MF REMINDS ME OFF! Suzaku Kururugi from Code Geass. Now I can rest.

Such a healthy mindset!

I… laughed tears. He just goes BOOMF! But his head... His head is so tiny!

So, the Eye of Michael is Knives’ personal cult and bootlickers. No wonder the guy has an inflated ego, if he has a whole cult devoted to him. Neither Vash nor their sisters have them around, so it is Knives' cult, not a plant cult.

I love how the chapter hints that Clamp-boy and… cowboy-devil are the missing EoMs, but then JINKS! NOPE!

IS THERE ANYTHING NORMAL ABOUT LEGATO?! This reminds me so much of that one dude in HunterxHunter.

But, yeah, nice of you to store your weird little play coins in your mouth! I’d love to take them from your tongue and stash them in my belongings for your little private death game.