This week The Dot and Line is looking back at Trigun. Check out our retrospective essay on the show and read on for an interview with Vash the Stampede’s voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch below. Check back in tomorrow for an interview with Dorothy Elias-Fahn, who played Meryl Stryfe.
The Dot and Line: Your work as Vash the Stampede was your first anime role, and a beloved one by fans. What makes Vash such a memorable character, and what’s your fondest memory of voicing him?
Johnny Yong Bosch: I found myself laughing. That’s what drew me in.
Part of what set your voice acting career off was the high praise you received for voicing Vash. Why do you think you were able to bring the character to life so effectively?
Great story, great director. It was so far away from my previous experiences that I really enjoyed the character. I couldn’t wait to get into the booth for each volume.
Can you describe the recording process for an anime dub?
For that one specifically, they gave me a few of the episodes to watch and familiarize myself with the character and the story. Typically you just head in without much knowledge, get the script on the day of recording, your director would give you some notes and perspective and then you work. Being able to see it ahead of time helped me.
“He’s not only my first but one of the biggest roles I’ll ever play.”
Trigun is unique among anime in that it never really connected with audiences in Japan the way it did in the West. Were you aware or a fan of the series before becoming involved? Did you ever meet its creators or your Japanese counterparts?
I’d never heard of it before working on Trigun. I did meet Yasuhiro Nightow at a convention. I was a little nervous. I had a bright orange shirt on that he made fun of before telling me that he liked what I did as Vash. Hearing that from him was awesome.
Did your work on Trigun lead to lasting relationships with the rest of the cast?
Unfortunately, I was in the booth alone. Which is typical with anime dubbing. I did however meet a few of the other actors at conventions and because of their work on the series I already had so much respect for them.
Vash has many elements to his character. Were there specific choices you made to tease out his many facets?
I’d come from working on Power Rangers but I called myself the background ranger. I did little more than an extra, but that was comfortable for me. I’m a shy, keep-to-myself kind of guy. With Vash I had to completely come out of my shell. It was a bit freeing. I just kinda let loose. It’s kinda like that scene from Footloose when he just goes dancing around, I pretty much did that.
What was your favorite line to read, or the line that resonated most with you?
“This world is made of Love and Peace!”
Like many anime, Trigun has a large cast of characters, including those that appear only once or twice. Aside from Vash, do you have a personal favorite?
Wolfwood definitely.
Vash wanders the planet in Trigun preaching “love and peace.” Do you think that his story is relevant for modern audiences who may have missed the show when it originally aired?
Heck yeah, seems like more today than ever.
At its heart, Trigun is a conflict between philosophies but also a sibling rivalry between Vash and his brother Knives, who embody those divergent views. Do you have siblings? Were the central conflicts or concepts in Trigun relatable to anything in your life?
I do have siblings, but they aren’t crazy, we pretty much get along. Holidays might feel like the last couple of episodes though.
How often do fans contact you about Vash, and what’s a favorite message you’ve received?
He’s not only my first but one of the biggest roles I’ll ever play. I hear from fans often but when they tell me watching it got them through a hard time in life is the most moving for me. It was an honor to play this role, I was very fortunate to be cast as Vash and I’m grateful to be a positive part of anyone’s life.
Finally, what are you up to currently? What do you want fans to know about projects you’re involved in now?
A few things I can’t yet talk about which is common place for me. What I can mention is a few personal projects like my new band Where Giants Fall. We released a single a few weeks ago with a music video. Other than that, when I can talk about projects I usually announce them on my social media.
You can follow Johnny Yong Bosch on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
You can follow Wyatt Erchak on Instagram.
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