Trigun Bookclub: makima-s-most-smile: Trigun Volume 2: Part 2

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Original Tumblr Post: Trigun Ultimate Vol. 2 (Part 2)

Trigun Ultimate Vol. 2 (Part 2)

Why do I have to say so much about all of this? It will need at least two other parts…

Chapter 1: Blood and thunder

Excuse you? He wasn’t just a shoemaker? What else? Many shoemakers also work with keys, shoes and keys are a thing… So maybe he works with more fine tuning stuff like weapons and/or prosthetics?

How does Vash know, though? Our dude is much more streetsmart than we are made to believe!

Man, children in bad places is such a big part of Trigun. I feel for the girl. I know that Vash is not in the right place to help her more than this, but damn, I wish someone was. We see glimpses of all the suffering, we see the results of all the suffering in the characters we meet, but it never gets better. Kaite in the last volume, now this girl… And in the end, they are left alone after our adventure with them. The status quo still stands.

Vash must feel absolutely powerless when confronted with such a situation. He cannot help her, he knows this, his not acting is not apathy, but it may read as such when you don’t take time to read into it. I always stress how much agency Vash gives to other people, but this is not one of those situations. This is Vash being unable to do more. He is not part of the community, he cannot find her a home, he can only feed her for a day and offer to play with her and make it okay for a little while. But from her perspective, why should she trust him more than getting the food offered. Too nice men can be dangerous. *stares at the next page and Legato* Yeah…

When I was younger, I read in a prank book that a perfect prank would be to stand in the city plaza and stare into the sky as if you see something there. And people would stop and try to see what you see. I feel that this woman is one of the people that would be pranked by such sillies!

I miss those innocent times!

Lightbulb-Knives confirmed. Vash does not remember July. But it does not take much for him to put two and two together here. He remembers the wreckage and being at point zero. The only logical conclusion is that Vash and Knives had an altercation there. But Vash does not know the extent! We on the other hand get to see something more skeletal than fullbodied.

Please, give us insight into what Meryl is thinking! We got a quick lookover to Milly, but the women must know that there is something going on and have their own thoughts. Even if that exchange is over quickly, the girls see the change in Vash and they don’t see Legato.

First of all, Knives rattling on and on about Rem confirmed!

Secondly, Legato has a point there, but not the kind of point he thought he did. Rem’s memory is holding Vash back, he cannot really connect to other people, he becomes a martyr for others, he takes his own agency and puts himself into a passive receiving role towards the actions of others. Legato talks about the godlike position Knives has to him. Sure, Vash could do the same. But since Vash is putting Rem into a godlike position and thus humanity as a whole, he makes himself into a pariah. Both brothers are wrong and opposing sides on the same medal. A middle ground would be good.

Sure, Knives and his godcomplex… Knives’ twelve disciples, holding onto silver coins. Man, we haven’t met that guy, but he is already a theatre kid! At a christian school at that. Going all biblical with the numbers. Or is it Legato who decided that and wanted the Christian flavour to get gummy points with Knives?

Not gonna lie, this paper bag has perfect timing. Since I need to buy groceries with paper bags, I can say that mine wouldn’t hold a blood dripping head for such a long time without any spilling out. Plants make high quality stuff.

Chapter 02: Diablo

While I understand the sheriff, I am also thinking: Dude, has anybody seen Vash transport the head in a bag towards the square? Do you really think that Humanoid Typhoon would let himself be easily arrested if he was guilty? This is about looks and not wanting to have real responsibility to look into that.

Girl, he is looks seven at that point, max! Don’t put that existential crisis into him and the responsibility of being a caretaker! Rem is often depicted talking with the kiddos like they are adults. Well, they are the only other people she can really talk to… The S.E.E.D.S. project really didn’t take isolation and loneliness into consideration for the person on watch. While the kids depend on her as a caretaker, she also depends on them for her mental health. She is not a bad caretaker, but her isolation and the twin’s plantness makes it difficult for her to bring them up age appropriately.

We already get a glimpse into her depression when she states that she has noone left, so it doesn’t matter where she is. I don’t think even 150 years later Vash understands her being depressed and lonely.

Another little thing, the way they talk to each other reminds me how many autistic kids talk to adults. I did it and I read that many autistics tend to talk to adults more than to kids, because they can talk about topics that their peers aren’t interested in. Granted, in this case Vash has no neurotypical friend his age. Only Rem and Knives.

Why do I remember them being much younger at the Great Fall? They look like early teens here.

And yeah, Knives going full denial and dehumanisation on Rem because he couldn’t live with losing her. Interesting, how Knives has no real face in Vash’s memory. Only a grin.

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