PEACE MAKER
| PEACE MAKER | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese Name | PEACE MAKER |
| English Name (Funimation) | Peace Maker |
| Episode No. | 3 |
| Original Airdate | April 15, 1998[1] |
| US Airdate | April 2, 2003[2] |
| Previous Episode | TRUTH OF MISTAKE |
| Next Episode | LOVE&PEACE |
| |
PEACE MAKER is the third episode of Trigun.
In this episode, Vash travels to Warrens City where he meets Frank Marlon, an alcoholic gunsmith haunted by the consequences of his actions.
Synopsis
The episode opens at the dead of night, panning down from the moon, to Warrens City's local plant, then the saloon. A man with a toupee walks in front of the lively saloon, finishes of a bottle of alcohol on hand, and walks in. The bartender seems confused at first upon the sound of the doors opening, then recognizes the man with displeasure. The man, drunk to the point of slurring his words, approaches two patrons mid-conversation to ask them for a drink, citing that he had no cash on him. The bartender turns her back to the conversation, as the man continues pestering the patrons for a drink and getting in their personal space, claiming he wasn't picky on the type of alcohol. The two patrons kick him out of the saloon, one of them threatening the man with a bullet between his eyes. Both patrons taunt the drunk man for not responding to them, and kicks him again, demanding he stay away from the saloon. When they leave, the drunk man begins laughing, calling them both "stupid idiots."
The next day, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson are at a cafe in Warrens City, enjoying a banana sundae and tea and cake respectively. Milly asks Meryl about which rumors about Vash the Stampede to pursue for the day, between "a giant man, a red coat, blond hair, or a guy with a mohawk." Meryl, now frustrated with the rumors, insists they both start with the original set of rumors: looking for a gunman amazing enough to have a 60 billion $$ bounty. Milly notes Meryl's description of the gunman as incredibly vague, and Meryl doubles down, saying that they needed to be on guard for anyone matching the description, even in a presumably quiet city like Warren City. Vash the Stampede passes by Milly and Meryl as they are discussing. Milly stands to enthusiastically greet Vash mid-conversation, startling both Meryl and Vash in the process. Vash takes a second to respond, greeting both insurance girls and asks if they were working. Meryl groans as Milly and Vash exchange pleasantries. As Vash continues walking, Milly notes that he matches the description Meryl provided perfectly, and answered to the name Vash the Stampede. Meryl is unconvinced, believing they were looking for a horrible fiend rather than someone she deems an obnoxious idiot.
Now out of earshot from the Insurance Girls, Vash makes his way further into the city. The drunk man from earlier is sent flying out of a different bar, and collides into Vash, sending the gunman headfirst into a thoma pen. The man confronts Vash about running into him, claiming he was injured because of it, and insists to be compensated with alcohol. Vash attempts to slip away from the conversation, but is unsuccessful when the man jumps on top of him, holding him down in a tight hold. Vash flails and begs the man to stop as a small crowd of people are attracted to the commotion, including Meryl and Milly. Vash calls out to them for help once he notices them watching. Disgusted and exhausted from what she is seeing, Meryl continues past both of them, Milly following behind her. At the height of the commotion, the man tries to kiss Vash on the cheek, and instead throws up on him.
Defeated, the drunk man leads Vash to the saloon he was kicked out of the previous night, requesting the best alcohol the bartender had to offer. The bartender asks the drunk man, revealed to be Frank Marlon, if he had enough money to pay. Marlon insists Vash has enough money to cover the tab, to which Vash requests the cheapest booze the saloon had to offer instead. The bartender holds onto Vash's gun until he and Marlon are finished drinking. She comments on how odd the gun was, to which Vash mentions it was gifted to him. Marlon, now somewhat somber, comments on the sorry state of the firearm, which Vash sheepishly confirms, noticing his eye for gun craftsmenship and his gunpowder stained hands. As Marlon drinks, Vash asks if either the bartender or Marlon had heard of a guy named Frank Marlon. Marlon himself claims to have never heard of the guy, while the bartender recounts the time the gunsmith saved the town from bandits, by arming the civilians. Vash mentions wanting his gun fixed by this legendary gunsmith, but the bartender insists Vash is wasting his time looking for him in the first place. Marlon throws his glass at the bartender in retaliation, before taking Vash's glass to pour himself another drink. He chastises Vash for trusting a stranger with his gun, as it was a foolish risk to take. Vash, instead of responding, pours Marlon another drink.
Characters
In order of appearance:
- Frank Marlon
- Bartender
- Saloon patrons
- Man 1
- Man 2
- Meryl Stryfe
- Milly Thompson
- Vash the Stampede
- Mayor of Warrens City
- Mob leader
- Mob leader's gang
- Tailor
Manga
This episode's story is original to the anime.
However, Frank Marlon is later mentioned in the Trigun Maximum chapter "THE GUNSLINGER" as the father of Brandon Marlon, a character original to the manga. Like his father, Brandon is a renowned gunsmith. In that chapter, Brandon repairs Vash's revolver, similarly to Frank in this episode.
Frank and the bartender both make cameos alongside Brandon in the Trigun Maximum chapter "THE END OF THE JOURNEY AND THE ECHOES OF BREATHING".