The Ballad of Vash the Stampede, or the Legend of the Galaxy's Greatest Gunslinger

Trigun - this is the first Japanese animation that I really got into. I was introduced to this anime back in high school, when I was a part of a club (the name escapes me, but we'd be introduced to various anime and held various video game tournaments, so that was cool), and I was immediately captivated by the show. 

In short, Trigun revolves around a lone gunslinger by the name of Vash the Stampede (aka The Humanoid Typhoon), infamous for destroying entire cities, especially the city of July, all too effortlessly. Thus, Vash has become an outlaw, with a 60 billion Double Dollar bounty on his head, dead or alive. Also, Vash is followed by two ladies, Meryll Stryfe and Milley Thompson, of the Bernardelli Insurance Company, in hopes to minimize the damage and danger that seems to follow Vash wherever he goes. Occasionally, a priest by the name of Nicholas D. Wolfwood joins the trio in the adventure. 

In the anime, there are two "Acts" (so to speak) that seem to take place. In the first "Act", the focus is more on lighthearted, emphasizing more on Vash's personal goal to spread love and peace amongst the people of the desert planet Gunsmoke, often overcoming problems non-violently (which frustrates the people that are involved in the situation, once they learn of Vash's true identity). So, in several moments, we're allowed to see a glimpse of Vash's true skill with a gun, as well as see Vash's true nature, a gentle and kind-heared being rather than being a malicious threat to the people.

However, it is the second "Act" that the anime becomes more serious and dramatic in nature. The focus is on the feud between Vash and his brother, Millions Knives. Knives is drastically different from Vash in the sense that Knives intends on killing off the entire human race, considering them unfit to be to be alive, while Vash wants people to live long, happy lives in peace and harmony with each other. Before the feud between the brothers can be settled, Vash fights through the Gun-Ho Guns, a elite group of assassins with superhuman abilities, whose only goal is to teach Vash "eternal pain and suffering."

It is this second act that I relish the most, because the anime wasn't afraid to delve deep into the philosophy of taking life from another person. Both Nicholas and Vash constantly argue between themselves over each other's actions. Vash believes that all life is precious, that nobody has the right to take the life another, and there is always an alternative to violence. This is why Vash does his best to solve issues without using his gun at times. Wolfwood, however, believes otherwise, since he has no problem drawing his gun in a fight. Wolfwood believes that sometimes there is no alternative: if you don't shoot to kill, you get killed. Wolfwood believes that some murder is justified, whether it's for protection, self-defense or otherwise. It's something for the viewer to watch and decide for themselves what is wrong and right.

In conclusion, Trigun is one of those anime that must be seen, especially the second half of the series, where focus of the story becomes quite philosophical. Great storytelling, soundtrack, and voice acting make this anime a priceless gem for any anime enthusiast. 

Come Learn French with Me!

One of my classes this Spring Semester is elementary French (or FR100, as some refer to it). This was, unfortunately, the only basic foreign language course available this semester. All other languages were either level 2 or above, and I didn't have the prerequisites (the beginning classes) to add those to my current schedule. Besides, French is one of the handful of languages that I do want to learn (among German, Russian, Japanese, and American Sign Language), so I'm quite content with taking this course this semester. When I talked to my sister about this language course, she reassured me that learning French is quite easy, since a good handful of vocabulary and grammar reflects its Spanish cousin (which I already know - ethnicity for the win!). This simply means (in theory) I shouldn't have too much difficulty learning this romantic language.

However, just like anything new, learning a new skill (or in this case, a new language) relies heavily on repetition, comprehension, and understanding. So I got to thinking, "What if I post my progress here? I can review the material thus far and I can pass on (somewhat) what I've been learning onto others." It's been three weeks, but I've already got a good grasp on basic numbers (0-70), reciting the French alphabet (same letters as the English alphabet, but with different pronunciations), and basic colors, phrases and greetings (and such). Essentially all of chapter 1 in our class textbook. I'm ecstatic to know just how much I'll learn before the semester is over. Until next time, fellow readers!