– Slight Spoiler Review –
With the first three Star Wars Visions shorts, while they all pulled viewers into their world, it takes a bit to be comfortable with their different vision, but with Kinema Citrus’ “The Village Bride,” I was fully engulfed from the start and on the edge of my seat by the end, followed by on my knees in front of the TV begging for more of this world. Needless to say, “The Village Bride” is my early favorite.
Outside of watching anime shows like Dragon Ball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Pokémon when I was younger, it wasn’t until 5-6 years ago I saw my first Studio Ghibil film, Spirited Away, and realized how much I was missing out on in the world of anime. Kinema Citrus honors the studio with several aspects of “The Village Bride,” from the titular bride herself, Haru, who looks similar to Princess Mononoke, its slower pacing, to its vibrant colors. It’s not just visual nods Kinema Citrus manages with the short, but they also provide a story that pulls one in and doesn’t let one go, even at the end, where one eagerly wants more of the fully realized world. It was almost a shock to remember “The Village Bride” is only 18 minutes or so, as its slow build, respect for its audience, and cloaked main character provide many reasons to be carried away by its story and world.
“The Village Bridge” follows the mysterious F, a cloaked and masked woman who watches local customs of a small village from a far, where a young couple follow a unique, Force-connected tradition for their wedding. It’s not all happiness and celebrations though, as a harsh truth is revealed: Haru is offering herself up as sacrifice to the marauders who raid their village. Not everyone agrees with Haru’s choice, including her sister Saru, but she’s steadfast in her choice. F and Valco (or Vaan in the original Japanese version), an older man with connections to F’s past, discuss the reality of the situation before them, though he never tips her hand but does make a worthy argument for her getting involved. F’s past is shrouded in mystery, and while we never get the full story, there are enough hints and clues in jarring flashback she’s suffers to tell us Order 66 hit her as hard as any Jedi who managed to live through it. When the raiders come, viewers have palpable suspense regarding what F has chosen to do, but when she does make her choice, it’s probably one of the most rousing, emotional moments of my Star Wars Visions watching so far. A lot of that is owed to Kinema Citrus’ style and pacing with the short, as well as its engaging world, which now that I think about it, feels the most like Star Wars as we know it compared to most of the other first four shorts. It’s easy to imagine this story happening somewhere in the large expanse of the galaxy far, far away, but that doesn’t automatically make it any better than the other shorts, though “The Village Bride” has enough going for it by itself to make it my favorite so far.
I’m really eager to learn more about F, as she seems like quite the character with one heckuva interesting story, and if they choose to make another novel based off one of these shorts, like they did with Ronin being based off of “The Duel,” F is the next one I’d want in a heartbeat. Never did I think I’d be so intrigued by footwear in the Saga, but after the shooting heels in “The Twins” and now F’s unique apparel, the need for a novel on F heavily involves learning more about her heels. Everything about her choice and her weapon’s blade itself is a stunning display in the short’s final moments. Both Karen Fukuhara for the English Dub and Asami Seto with the original Japanese cast provide nuanced, hardened, and a sometimes haunting portrayal of this wayward Jedi, making her even more of an intriguing character you instantly want to know more about.
The villagers and their traditions, which includes a deep and special connection to the Force and nature, which they call the Magina, was also a very intriguing aspect to “The Village Bride.” The whole ritual of carrying the bride up to a sacred rock, which contains memories of the villagers as they interact with the nature around them, made for a compelling new take on the Force being part of everything around us. As much as I want more of F, I’d definitely take an expansion on this world’s unique connection to the Force.
In the English Dub, two actors returned to Star Wars: Asu, the husband of Haru, is played by Christopher Sean, who previously played Kazuda Xiono in Star Wars Resistance and I wouldn’t have put it together if I hadn’t already know; and Andrew Kishino, who plays raider leader Izuma, previously played Saw Gerrera in The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch, while he’s also in “The Ninth Jedi,” which I’ll review next. It’s great to have some returning talent, as they can show off their vocal range. Due to his roles in the original Mortal Kombat and most recently The Man in the High Castle, I’ve always been a bit of a fan of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who plays Valco for the English Dub, and I think it’s only my familiarity with him that I enjoyed his take on the character more than Takaya Kamikawa, though both were brilliant in role, while the character’s helmet/hat is a star no matter who voices him. Otherwise, Nichole Sakura and Megumi Han as Haru carried a confident, yet somber performance for the role that helped her decision and stance feel even more profound.
Here are a few other things:
- The official site has finally released episode guides for the show, much like they do for the other animated projects, so head over there for concept art and trivia galleries from the shorts, but make sure to also watch the Filmmaker Focus extras included on Disney+!!
After watching four of the nine shorts for Star Wars Visions, it’s Kinema Citrus’ “The Village Bride” that’s an early favorite for me, engulfing viewers into its world with lush animation, an intriguing story, and a memorable ending that leaves you wanting more.
+ Purposeful pace pulls viewers in
+ Everything about F
+ Unique traditions with the Force
+ Leaves you wanting more
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
STAR WARS VISIONS REVIEWS
“The Duel” | “Tatooine Rhapsody” | “The Twins”