Anime is growing more and more popular as the years go by, with shows like Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball Super, and My Hero Academia appealing to animation-loving audiences who normally stick to regular cartoons. As a result, Disney+ and Lucasfilm have decided to take full advantage of the genre's current popularity with a new Star Wars anthology series called Visions.
No, this isn't a crossover with WandaVision (unfortunately), but Visions actually refers to the many different studios who are bringing their particular creative "vision" to the nine-episode animation. With so many different studios contributing to the anthology, there will be quite a range of visuals to captivate lovers of a galaxy far, far away.
Seven different studios contribute to the series, with two of them pulling double-duty and producing two episodes each. First is Kamikaze Douga's The Duel, with Twin Engine's Geno and Colorido Studios creating both Lop and Ochō as well as Tatooine Rhapsody.
Meanwhile, Trigger provides The Twins and The Elder, while Kinema Citrus adds The Village Bride. Science Saru is making both Akakiri and T0-B1, leaving Production IG to wrap the series with the final episode, The Ninth Jedi.
The special look featurette released by Disney clocks in at just over three minutes in length, providing plenty of information for excited fans. We've included it along with the synopsis for you below.
Seven Japanese anime studios bring their unique talent and perspective to Star Wars: Visions, a collection of animated Original Short Films, streaming September 22 on Disney+. The anime studios revealed were Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio (Twin Engine), Studio Colorido (Twin Engine), Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru, and Production IG. Each studio will use their signature animation and storytelling styles to realize their own visions of the galaxy far, far away.
Lucasfilm’s Jacqui Lopez (Executive Producer), James Waugh (Executive Producer), Josh Rimes (Executive Producer), and Qubic Pictures’ Justin Leach (Co-Executive Producer) and Kanako Shirasaki (Producer) were on hand at the event to reveal each studio and give fans a special look at the environment and concept art as they debuted the title and first details of each short.
As a first formal venture into anime, each “Star Wars: Visions” short bears a unique Japanese sensibility, which in many ways aligns with the tone and spirit of Star Wars storytelling. From the beginning, stories told in the Star Wars galaxy have counted Japanese mythology and the films of Akira Kurosawa among their many influences, and these new visions will further explore that cultural heritage through the unique animation style and perspective of each anime studio.
All episodes of Star Wars: Visions will be released on Disney+ on September 22, 2021. Will you be tuning in? In the meantime, you can hear our exclusive interview with fellow Star Wars voice actor Josh Brener below!