Trigun Bookclub: makima-s-most-smile: Trigun Maximum Volume 6: Part 1

Back to the Trigun Bookclub Archive

Original Tumblr Post: Trigun Maximum 6

Table of Contents

Trigun Maximum 6

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

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.

Back to the Trigun Bookclub Archive