TRIGUN STARGAZE continues its second and final season with Ep. 2 “Unforgiven” by showing the consequences of the sins of the past. Specifically: the sins of Vash’s past during the events involving the city of JuLai/July. Because you know, it’s a bit hard to blow up a city without killing a lot of people, and the death of one random person in it is coming back to hit Vash in this episode with the full force of karma.

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 2 “Unforgiven”: Details in Brief

TRIGUN STARGAZE NA key art
Alas, in order to be made whole again, Vash must first be broken.

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 2 “Unforgiven” is the second episode (you can read my review of Ep. 1 here) of the second and final season of this reboot anime, with TRIGUN STAMPEDE serving as the first season. Said reboot anime is the reboot of the 1998 Trigun anime series, which itself was the anime adaptation of the manga of the same name by Yasuhiro Nightow.

Studio Orange (BEASTARS, Land of the Lustrous) returns as the animation studio behind this anime. Interestingly though, Kenji Mutō is not returning as the director, and none of the writers from TRIGUN STAMPEDE are returning either. Instead, Masako Satō will be the director, with Kazuyuki Fudeyasu as the writer. Tatsuya Kato returns as the composer though.

The opening theme song for TRIGUN STARGAZE is “Picaresque Hero” by ano. Meanwhile, “Stardust” by FOMARE is the ending theme song.

Synopsis

It looks like it will be a while before the main cast reunite as well.

Alas, TRIGUN STARGAZE has only just begun airing/streaming. In fact, Ep. 2 “Unforgiven” hasn’t even simulcast yet as of this writing, with the date of that future simulcast being on January 17, 2026 exclusively on Crunchyroll. However, we also don’t have the synopsis for Ep. 2 yet. Thus, we shall give you all the official Crunchyroll synopsis for this second season as a whole below:

“It’s been two and a half years since the Lost JuLai tragedy laid waste to an entire city and engulfed the whole planet in chaos. Meryl continues her search for Vash with her new younger sidekick, Milly, and runs into Wolfwood along the way. Meanwhile, Vash has taken the new name Eriks and is living in hiding in a backwater town. When he receives an abrupt visit and SOS from the third ship they call home, he acts swiftly in order to protect those dear to him. However, as soon as the planet receives good news from the far reaches of outer space, the one-winged angel returns to wreak havoc and despair. Fates collide to forge a final conclusion for the panicked planet.”

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 2 “Unforgiven”: The Good

Ep. 2 “Unforgiven” continues the story that TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 1 “Wandering Days” left off on at the end, and that was begun in TRIGUN STAMPEDE. Except that in this episode, instead of the wide, cinematic shots of the desert that characterized Ep. 1 “Wandering Days”, Ep. 2 “Unforgiven” focuses on close-in shots of the characters of this episode: Vash (voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (JP)), Jessica (voiced by Eri Suzuki (JP)), and Hoppered (voiced by Taketora (JP)). Shots that focused on their faces, their bodies, their actions, and in general, shots that focused on them with the focus of a character drama, which is exactly what this episode is. Much of this episode is all about the consequences of Vash’s action and inaction, with a bittersweet intensity that’s surprisingly faithful to Yasuhiro Nightow’s canon.

And all done with Studio Orange’s signature high quality CGI animation too. Their CGI animation isn’t the run of the mill, usual low quality that CGI anime are notorious for. The way Hoppered’s jet engine gauntlet things roared to life with lovingly animated engine flares really emphasizes the high-strung tension of the fight scene, with Vash’s smooth, dance-like gun fu adding a strange sort of beauty to that scene.

Tatsuya Kato’s music is what really seals the episode as bittersweet though. The soundtrack for this episode isn’t triumphant or energetic despite the intense action in it. It’s depressing and outright tragic. It’s action where you don’t actually want the characters to fight it out to the bitter end, but alas, only one must walk away from this fight. That bittersweet tone wouldn’t have been possible without that bittersweet music to make it so.

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 2 “Unforgiven”: The Bad

TRIGUN STARGAZE Ep. 1 “Wandering Days” screenshot 1
Many tragic things abound in this one scene.

Unfortunately, if you don’t like the look of CGI animation, then this might not change your mind. It looks noticeably different from traditional handdrawn animation, no matter how high the quality is. If you want that, then you might want to look to other anime series instead of TRIGUN STARGAZE.

Another factor is that while TRIGUN STARGAZE is more faithful to Yasuhiro Nightow’s canon, Ep. 2 “Unforgiven” definitely shows off that it’s also doing its own take on the story. Details great and small like Meryl and Milly having that poignant scene with a dead Plant in that crashed starship and Jessica looking a bit different than she did in the 1998 anime show that they don’t just want to repeat the old story, and that there’s something more here. Regardless though, if you want an anime that stays 100% true to the old canon, this isn’t it.

Anime Recommendations

Fortunately, there are plenty of other anime series to choose from. If you want high-intensity action like the duel between Vash and Hoppered, then you might like watching Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Kaiju No. 8, DDDD, DAN DA DAN, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, Zenshu, Blue Box, Solo Leveling, Black Butler, Nyaight of the Living Cat, and/or May I Ask for One Final Thing?. However, if you want more quiet moments like the conversations between Jessica and Hoppered as they decide on Vash’s fate, then you might want to check out Spy x Family, Senpai is an Otokonoko, Apocalypse Hotel, Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, My Dress-Up Darling, This Monster Wants to Eat Me, and/or Journal with Witch.

What did you think of this week’s episode of TRIGUN STARGAZE? Tell us your CGI-animated anime thoughts in the comment section below.

For more on Anime, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.

Keep Reading:

Journal With Witch Ep. 1 “Overflow”: Intersection Of Neurodivergence And Depression [Review]