Visions: Star Wars unveils anime anthology for Disney+

Staff Writer

Seven Japanese anime studios are heading to a galaxy far, far away for a new anthology series, Star Wars: Visions.

The anime studios will include Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio (Twin Engine), Studio Colorido (Twin Engine), Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru, and Production IG. Each one will use its signature animation and storytelling styles to bring a fresh perspective to the Star Wars universe. 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) announced the talent involved at the Anime Expo Lite at the weekend, debuting a special look at the environment and concept art as they announced the title and first details of each short.

Kamikaze Douga will produce The Duel, Geno Studio (Twin Engine) will produce Lop and Ochō, Studio Colorido (Twin Engine) will produce Tatooine Rhapsody, Trigger will produce The Twins, Trigger will produce The Elder, Kinema Citrus will produce The Village Bride, Science Saru will produce Akakiri, Science Saru will produce T0-B1 and Production IG will produce The Ninth Jedi.

In developing the series, Lucasfilm made the decision to let creators tell the stories they wanted to tell — whether they featured established or original characters — without a need to tie into the larger chronology. No two shorts have the same visual aesthetic or tell the same story.

The concept art revealed for The Duel features Samurai-esque Jedi and Sith, an astromech droid with straw hat and more.

For Geno Studio’s Lop and Ochō, the visuals reflect the collision between natural beauty and encroaching industrialisation.

Studio Colorido’s Tatooine Rhapsody is through a more Chibi art style, heading into uncharted Star Wars waters by telling a rock opera about a band with a dream to make it big.

Trigger’s The Twins and The Elder will offer new spins on hallmark Star Wars motifs. The Twins subverts the idea of Luke and Leia and imagines a brand-new set of twins born into the dark side, and The Elder is a homage to a classic Star Wars master and Padawan relationship.

The Village Bride by Kinema Citrus follows a fallen Jedi, but not in a way you’d expect. The guardian of peace and justice observes 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.

Science Saru’s two shorts, Akakiri and T0-B1, share a similar cartoonish style but differ in tone, with one telling the story of a droid who dreams of becoming a Jedi.