This particular screenshot absolutely took me (and other viewers) out on the first watch.
Where was he hiding those broad shoulders and all that muscle before? How did he make all of us believe he was just another silly twinky anime man?
Listen to me: it's all about the jacket.
The creators of Tristamp have talked extensively in the past about how they changed the design of Vash's jacket and had him wear it unzipped to reflect the fact that this is a more "open" Vash. But for all his openness, he's still hiding.
See, the jacket dwarfs him. It's this big billowing piece of fabric that manages to hang on his massive frame and make him look much smaller than he is. And that's on purpose. Vash wants to look smaller. He wants to be perceived as less threatening.
Because even with his nice eyes and soft voice, if he walked into a town looking like this, with all his strength on full display, people could still perceive him as a threat, even slightly. Vash plays up how harmless he is all the time, as we saw in episode 1. It's kinda his thing. So it would make sense for it to extend to his physical presentation as well.
There's something we have to remember about Vash. He doesn't want to be dangerous. It's a part of himself he doesn't like looking at or acknowledging. Hiding behind his coat, hiding the physical markers of how "dangerous" he could be, is all part of that.
@tristampparty
