T5W#308-Top 5 Thoughts on Star Wars Visions

Honestly, when they announced this during that huge announcement splurge of future Star Wars projects, I wasn’t really registering this.  A Star Wars Anime?  Was Disney really willing to go all in on such a venture, for a medium Star Wars hasn’t really touched (though there was a pretty awesome Manga of the original trilogy that’s kind of hard to find now).  Well, last weekend we got proof that not only is this truly and Anime and it is happening…it’s happening a lot faster than I would ever anticipate.  This September, Star Wars Visions launches on Disney + and will consist of 9 short films, similar to what was done for The Animatrix and Halo Legends.  As a life long Star Wars fan seeing what’s been planned for these mini movies, I couldn’t be more excited.  So on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, let’s dig into what we can look forward to with Anime’s take on A Galaxy Far, Far Away with my Top 5 Thoughts on Star Wars Visions. 

#5-This is Definitely Going on the First Impression Friday List

My First Impression Friday features return to the Gundam Anime Corner in August, the week after my trip to Otakon.  Seeing as how I use this to voice my initial thoughts on Anime series before giving a recommendation to continue or not, it’s only fair Visions gets time in the spotlight.  Might have to rearrange some titles I have planned but shouldn’t be any biggie.  With the full series dropping on Wednesday, September 22, look for my FIF on Star Wars Visions on Friday, September 24.

 

#4-TRIGGER and IG are doing Star Wars Anime? HOLY S***

Like the aforementioned Animatrix and Halo Legends, each of stories in Star Wars Visions is being handled by a different Anime Studio.  Some I’m not so familiar with like Kinema Citrus and Science SARU.  However, I do recognize two studios that are near and dear to me.  Production I.G. has given me some of my all time favorite Anime including The End of Evangelion and the Ghost in the Shell Franchise.  As for that other studio I know…well I just got finished a whole month bragging about Studio TRIGGERs accomplishments (and whatever the hell Darling in the Franxx was).  The studios that gave us action heavy Anime like Jin Roh and Kill La Kill handling lightsaber duels?  The Star Wars universe will never look better.

 

#3-The Excitement of the Staff

During the behind the scenes trailer we got for Star Wars Visions, we spent a lot of time looking at the production and getting to meet some of the animators and directors on the Japanese side…and man, each of them couldn’t believe this was happening.  Many have been lifelong fans of Star Wars and now they have a chance to bring their craft to one of the biggest inspirations of their careers.  I think more than the drawings and the overall promise, I felt truly excited for their excitement to be working on a dream project like this.  There’s a lot of love and fandom going into this Anime.  Since it is a first for the Star Wars franchise, it shouldn’t have any less of that than The Mandalorian or The Bad Batch has.

 

#2-A Very Diverse Galaxy Far, Far Away

When you hear Star Wars and Anime and know theyre gonna become one, you think of one thing…we’ll come back to that later.  But what you should know is that while there will no doubt be some jaw dropping action spectacles, that’s not what the whole of Visions will be about.  They staff are hinting at childrens stories, love stories, comedies, in addition to the sweeping epics we know Star Wars to be.  It’d be easy to stick to one genre here.  But the title is “Star Wars Visions”, Visions, plural.  That means whatever story this incredible staff has ever wanted to make, they can and it’s gonna be glorious.

 

#1-SAMURAI JEDI!!!!

Ok, while im proud of Visions for being diverse, I am right here for allllll the lightsaber action I can handle.  Some of the character designs they feature in the BTS Trailer showcased very Samurai esque apearance from the Jedi robes to their Soul Calibur style hair and even some interesting lightsaber designs that look exactly like Japanese Katana’s.  These are the kind of visuals Ive always wanted to see: souped up Star Wars action with an Anime flair.  At the very least, they’ll give us some true Jedi Lightsaber battles that will put anything The Rise of Skywalker gave us to further shame (seriously the more new Star Wars that comes out, the more I hate the Rise of Skywalker…but that’s a rant for another day).  Grab your Lightsaber Katana and get ready to throw down people…it’s a freaking Star Wars Anime and we should all be hyped.