‘Star Wars: Visions’ Season 1 Review- Jedi Go Anime
This show streamed in 2021.
Star Wars: Visions is a project that was a collaboration between LucasFilm and seven Japanese animation studios. It was produced by Kanako Shirasaki and has nine episodes released on Disney Plus.
All nine episodes take place in some part of the Star Wars timeline. The Old Republic, the time of the Rebellion, prequels, the expanded universe, and the time after the original trilogy are all explored through the lens of a character, usually on some isolated planet where someone of the light side meets someone or someone of the dark side.
For instance, my favorite episode, “The 9th Jedi,” Lah Kara, voiced by Kimiko Glenn, is the daughter of a lightsaber smith who works for a Jedi who has summoned masterless knights to his planet to give them weapons. Unfortunately, Sith hunters arrive and capture the lightsaber smith, forcing his daughter to find the Jedi on her own. It showed great respect for the lore, had an outstanding voice cast, and Production I.G. did a great job with the animation.
The series is a bit uneven since it is an anthology series and does not follow a single character or team throughout. Each anime studio was given full creative control, and I think that was a good call. Not all of the episodes were amazing, but they all were well done and put together tremendously.
As a Star Wars fan, there is not a lot to get excited about, but this one is a game-changer. The creatives behind this anthology truly put their hearts into each and every episode, giving us a variety. Some were somber, tragic, thought-provoking, while others were fun, exciting, action-packed, and enduring. I had fun with the whole show, and I hope that there will be a second season.
Whether you like or dislike Star Wars: Visions, you can feel the love in how the series is written. The showrunners had more honor and respect for the lore, old movies, and the fans than what most Disney content has put out with the “Star Wars” label.
Check out the trailer below:
The studios involved were Kamikaze Douga (Batman: Ninja) for episode 1, Studio Colorido (A Whisker Away) for episode 2, Trigger (BNA: Brand New Animal) for episode 3 and 7, Kinema Citrus (The Rising of the Shield Hero) for episode 4, Production I.G (Moriarty the Patriot) for episode 5, Science SARU (Devilman Crybaby) for episode 6 and 9, and Geno Studio (Kokkoku: Moment by Moment) for episode 8.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Some violence, Rude humor
This review is based on the dub.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review.