Omg hiii
Yesterday I was online (as I am, chronically) and modern Trigun fans went NUTS over the new key visual for the Stargaze 2026 announcement.
I think it’s important for everyone to know that Toho Animation is releasing TRIGUN STAMPEDE for free on YouTube for a limited time coming up as of writing this post:
- Episodes 1 to 3 – March 24 to 30, 2025
- Episodes 4 to 7 – March 31 to April 6
- Episodes 8 and 9 – April 7 to April 13
- Episodes 10 and 11 – April 14 to April 20
So I think I need to try to sell y’all on STAMPEDE now.
And the only way I can think to do that is by talking about my experience, I guess.
Imagine, if you will:
It’s freshly the year 2023. Sometime Januaryish. Life is stressful, you’re doomscrolling Tumblr constantly. You’ve Heard of Vash the Stampede as a character before, of course, he’s existed since whenever the fuck and you’ve been around fandom spaces long enough to have experienced Karkat’s introduction live.
But Januaryish of 2023 you see something that changes your life forever.
You see this pathetic idiot (/affectionate)
You’re like. Wait. That’s not Vash is it?
So you have to go and watch the two episodes that are out by this point.
Instant hook.
So many factors worked against me in this case. I’m a sucker for a prettyboy MC, and my GODS he fits the bill. The fact I caught it early so I could do this weekly instead of feeling the pressure to binge. The gorgeous graphics, like really. I know a lot of people are so hesitant about computer graphics, and I was too, but they captured something so pretty and so lively even in a land so desolate.
The decades-old fandom really helped bolster the account for me. Trigun fans are a special kind of insane and I’m so happy to have found that niche.
STAMPEDE rearranged the very synapses in my brain. I finally took time to read the first 20 chapters of the manga recently as well. Every piece of news that I see coming out has me absolutely gnawing at my phone.
New to Trigun especially, I would LOVE to say STAMPEDE is a WONDERFUL (I almost accidentally typed “wamderful” somehow?) introduction to the series.
There’s only a few things I’d advise for if you were interested in it, a la “Does the Dog Die”–
- In Stampede, there’s bugs. Like. Lot of bugs. If you can’t look at bugs? I’m sorry. Don’t do bugs.
- A character shoots himself in the head at some point (ep. 7). Yes that’s a spoiler but I kind of wish I’d had a warning before I got to it myself because HOO BOY did I dissociate for 2 hours after that episode.
- Religious trauma? Mmmmmm approach with caution.
I could go on and do commentary on so much, but honestly my thoughts right now are very tangled. Maybe I’ll take them apart and do some coherent breakdowns later.
Just give STAMPEDE a shot! It’s gonna be FREE for a short while!!
LOVE & PEACE!!!!
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