Of all the shows announced in December 2020, Star Wars Visions piqued many’s, including mine, interest due to its compelling and limitless idea: give anime studios a chance to create whatever Star Wars anime projects they wanted as part of an anthology series. Star Wars has borrowed a lot from East Asian cinema, with George Lucas originally offering the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi to Toshirō Mifune even, so it’s about time they get their chance to show what they can bring to the Saga. Starting September 22 on Disney+, Star Wars Visions will feature nine shorts from seven legendary anime studios, all with their own original score, and we have some new details and a slick trailer show the wild and exciting styles to come thanks to a panel at Anime Expo Lite. Head below for more details! UPDATE 2: A brand new, spectacular trailer and the full cast has been revealed! FINAL UPDATE: We’re reviewing these shorts one by one, so here’s our first one, a review of “The Duel,” while you can find the rest of our Visions reviews here! Plus, you can read our spoiler-free reviews of “The Duel” tie-in novel, Ronin – A Visions Novel.
Here are the 9 Star Wars Visions shorts and a few details/thoughts on what we’ve seen in the trailer. UPDATED with short clips from each studio highlighting more concept art and images from their short:
Kamikaze Douga – The Duel
There is an astromech with a straw hat, like a Ronin might wear, what more do you need to know?!? I love this will be a black and white short, with color used sparingly, like with lightsabers, to really emphasize what I’m sure will be the shorts epic, eponymous clash. Don’t forget, here’s our reviews of the tie-in novel, Ronin!
https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1412459279316049920
Geno Studio (Twin Engine) – Lop and Ochō
Lop happens to be a new species idea, basically a bunny-person, and she’s adorable, though it’ll be interesting to see how they tackle, as they put it, “the collision between natural beauty and encroaching industrialization,” as she comes face to the face with the Empire.
https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1412459335972753410
Studio Colorido (Twin Engine) – Tatooine Rhapsody
For once, your first guess, just based off the name alone, wouldn’t be wrong: this is a space rock opera! According to the panel, it’s a band with the ultimate dream, make it big, which must be something in a galaxy as wide and as large as Star Wars. I’m already eager for this one thanks to the rock opera part alone and I can’t wait to see how they bring it to life in the short. Also, it’s the only short of the series to feature any characters we already know, with Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett making an appearance.
https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1412459388967821314
Trigger – The Twins | Trigger – The Elder
“The Twins” has such a stellar premise: an inverse of Luke and Leia, with these twins being born of the dark side. Like, what a cool idea! They even have a co-joined Star Destroyer…how will that work and wow did I want to see it right now.
As for “The Elder,” from the same studio, will be a “period” piece so to speak, with a Master and Padawan encountering a mysterious enemy, who from the trailer looks like an older gentleman with dual-red-lightsaber-swords. Never underestimate your elders! “The Elder” will be Masahiko Otsuka’s, the short’s director, final work; What a way to end your career, getting to create a Star Wars story like this!
https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1412459458282856448
Kinema Citrus – The Village Bride
This one gives me Kenobi vibes, the Legends novel, as it’ll star a Jedi but they’ll be observing a, “…local tradition in a far-off village through the eyes of a bride on the eve of her wedding day, and an unexpected choice she must make to save her people.” Considered me intrigued and I feel like this will be the low-key surprise of the group.
https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1412459508434096137
Science Saru – Akakiri | Science Saru – T0-B1
I feel like we know the least about “Akakiri,” so I’ll just quote what the official site said was mentioned during the panel: “It’s a beautiful yet painful story about a princess.” Princesses never have it easy in the Star Wars universe, anime anthology short or not!
As for “T0-B1,” (pictured above) or “Toby” as I’ve taken to calling the cute, adorable android, it’s a fun story about Toby wanting to become a Jedi. I understand your dreams, little one!
https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1412459643561992194
Production IG – The Ninth Jedi
Last, but totally not least is this epic sounding “The Ninth Jedi,” which is so big because it combined two of their ideas into one:
“One was to be set in a time when Jedi have fallen into legend and need to come back as darkness threatens the galaxy, with the daughter of a lightsabersmith seeking out the Jedi and delivering their weapons. The other story was to be told from the point of view of eight warriors coming together, learning if they are indeed Force sensitive and can trust each other.”
How this is combined together, and how cool the idea of a lightsabersmith might look over Huyang’s little shop for Padawans, are things I’m eagerly looking forward too!
https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1412459740869840901
In the end, you might be wondering where Star Wars Visions might fit in canon, but thankfully these weren’t constrained to such confines, which makes this all the more exciting because we’ll have no idea how any of them will end since they don’t have to fit into the story we know. Also, this show has a companion novel coming out October 12 and unfortunately there were no details on Star Wars Visions: Ronin from the panel, but author Emma Mieko Candon has been fun to follow on Twitter because she’s been dropping little hints and details ever since its announcement, like the fact the cast of her book is in one of these shorts; can’t wait to find out which one!
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.