Ahhhh… the ironies that define Vash the stampede. He’s a highly-trained killer who adamantly refuses to take a life. He’s a celebrity who can’t get a date. He’s a handsome hero who’s so oblivious to pretty ladies’ come-ons, he needs little kids to help him get a girlfriend. He isn’t a humanoid typhoon… he’s a walking contradiction. And I suppose Wolfwood is, too: but a pistol-packing is probably less obviously contradictory following the EL MARIACHI movies, isn't it?
Something tells me that whoever came up with the plot for this episode - - whether it was mangaka or the anime staff - - must’ve been watching ROBIN HOOD some time during the creative process. Given how tight these communities can be, I’d wager that they watched the Disney version - - you know, the one with the fox. Heroes participating in an invitational marksmanship tournament (one where their identities are revealed by their skills) immediately calls that to mind for me. I usually groan about parallels to oft-referenced literature, but this actually felt pretty fresh. It’s certainly digging deeper than having him, say, make him a point about robbing from the rich to give to the poor.
Speaking of which... if the big double-dollars bounty is going to continue to be such a McGuffin, I wonder how long it’ll be before Vash pulls a stunt wherein Wolfwood or the insurance girls turn him in, just so they can collect the bounty and split it. It’d pretty much be a given that he could break himself out of whatever cell they put him, right? The dude can draw fast enough to keep an egg from falling, for Pete’s sake!
Watch this episode, “Quick Draw,” below and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode here.
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE . Order them on Amazon here & here. Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk
