Lost July is the episode of the series that I always return to. I prefer the earlier self-contained episodes of Trigun, as opposed to the second half of the series, which is more focused on the Knives storyline. The knives episodes have this inevitable dreadfulness that lose most if not all of the carefree goofiness that the first half of the series has so much of.
What I like about Lost July is that it has all of the trappings of a goofy adventure, but it also has a serious ending that manages to be wholesome and touching without being so dark and grim.
I should preface by saying I never read any Manga or other Vash anime. I like that this episode is one of the few that shows Vash face to face with the power plant. I always suspected that the power plant contains females of Vash's plant species. Where as Vash and knives would be the males. I don't pretend to grasp how that relationship works, but it gives some insight into Vash's character. He tries so hard to connect and create meaningful relationships with humans, but I suspect he often feels more kinship with the creature inside of that giant plant. I suppose it is the inevitable bit of such a long life, to always find yourself without a home or family, and having to start over.
In this episode we get some classic Vash themes. Revenge will never make you happy, not for Knives, and certainly not for the Elizabeth who finds that she is not capable of pulling the trigger. The other recurring theme is expectations vs reality. Everyone always assumes the worst of Vash, they have heard all the rumors, and so they expect some horrible villain. And then they are shocked when they discover that he is kind, carefree and utterly selfless.
The final thematic in this episode that interests me, is that Elizabeth and Vash are both haunted by a very similar past. Elizabeth lost her home and her parents as a young child, Vash had the exact same trauma. Elizabeth chooses to spend her life until now, on revenge. Vash chooses to forgive. I think they are both incapable of healing from the loss and trauma that they experienced at such a young age. They wander, but they don't really have homes or families anymore. I'd like to think that Elizabeth is able to be more whole after this, and that Vash feels the same way at the series end, but we can only guess about what their futures hold.
In conclusion, Lost July is a phenomenal episode that always manages to hit me right in the feels. And every re-watch manages to reveal some new depth or aspect in the characters that I had not noticed before. Bravo!
What I like about Lost July is that it has all of the trappings of a goofy adventure, but it also has a serious ending that manages to be wholesome and touching without being so dark and grim.
I should preface by saying I never read any Manga or other Vash anime. I like that this episode is one of the few that shows Vash face to face with the power plant. I always suspected that the power plant contains females of Vash's plant species. Where as Vash and knives would be the males. I don't pretend to grasp how that relationship works, but it gives some insight into Vash's character. He tries so hard to connect and create meaningful relationships with humans, but I suspect he often feels more kinship with the creature inside of that giant plant. I suppose it is the inevitable bit of such a long life, to always find yourself without a home or family, and having to start over.
In this episode we get some classic Vash themes. Revenge will never make you happy, not for Knives, and certainly not for the Elizabeth who finds that she is not capable of pulling the trigger. The other recurring theme is expectations vs reality. Everyone always assumes the worst of Vash, they have heard all the rumors, and so they expect some horrible villain. And then they are shocked when they discover that he is kind, carefree and utterly selfless.
The final thematic in this episode that interests me, is that Elizabeth and Vash are both haunted by a very similar past. Elizabeth lost her home and her parents as a young child, Vash had the exact same trauma. Elizabeth chooses to spend her life until now, on revenge. Vash chooses to forgive. I think they are both incapable of healing from the loss and trauma that they experienced at such a young age. They wander, but they don't really have homes or families anymore. I'd like to think that Elizabeth is able to be more whole after this, and that Vash feels the same way at the series end, but we can only guess about what their futures hold.
In conclusion, Lost July is a phenomenal episode that always manages to hit me right in the feels. And every re-watch manages to reveal some new depth or aspect in the characters that I had not noticed before. Bravo!
