East meets West through ambitious Star Wars anthology

If there was ever a franchise best suited to the medium of anime, it would be Star Wars. From the outlandish weapons, expansive lore, and over-the-top fight sequences to the unique character designs and themes of the story, the universe of Star Wars seems perfectly suited for an anime adaptation. In fact, it’s a wonder that Disney hasn’t done something like this sooner.

Star Wars: Visions has proven not only that this visual approach can be appreciated by mainstream Western audiences, but also that it is one of the most versatile and expressive art forms out there. Featuring short, anthology-style episodes from nine different studios in a variety of art styles and tones; from black and white samurai epic to colorful and cute slice of life stories, Visions artfully showcases the diversity of anime styles and firmly cements this style as not just a genre, but as a wholly distinct storytelling medium.

While still keeping the aesthetics of the Star Wars series, Visions has a clear influence from Japanese culture in its worldbuilding and character designs, creating a beautiful blend of futuristic sci-fi and enchanting traditions that results in such cultural fusions as lightsaber katanas and Jedi robe kimonos.

The nine stories have been stated to be non-canon to the rest of the Star Wars main timeline, so sorry Mandalorian fans, but Baby Yoda won’t be meeting any catgirl Jedis any time soon. However, this meant that the anime studios and directors were able to have much more creative freedom with the stories that they told, and were able to make up new planets and characters as they pleased without having to worry about continuity or cheapening the story of Star Wars as a whole. Some of the stories could have easily fit into the main story, of course, but Visions functions much like Marvel’s What If? series in the way that each episode allows for exploration of ideas and concepts that would’ve never showed up on the big screen, and had an even slimmer chance of appearing on the small screen. In fact, these two shows are evidence that Disney as a whole is starting to branch out beyond the traditional monster-of-the-week formula of animated series past and are not afraid to get creative and try new plotlines.

And in the best cases, some of these risk-taking new ideas actually turn into wild, breathtaking concepts. In episode two, an indie rock band runs into trouble with Jabba the Hutt, but instead of the usual deal-making and carbonite-freezing, they perform and do so well that even Boba Fett starts dancing along. It’s a fun story that anyone can crack a smile at, and also something that would never be seen in a traditional Star Wars movie.

In another groundbreaking story, a young android boy learns to become a Jedi. But after the Empire invades his home and kills his beloved master, he learns to move on and grows a forest of green on his desert planet, instead of wallowing in self-pity or turning to the dark side like the typical Star Wars protagonist.

This series showcases the Jedi in a way never before seen on screen- as the noble knights that they were always meant to be, paragons of knowledge, morality, and justice. For the first time, the Jedi Order feels like something to be looked up to and idolized, and it's no wonder, coming from the country with its own history of noble sword-wielding warriors bound by a strict moral code to protect the innocent.

Disney seems to be embracing its eastern audiences as of late, with the first Asian-led superhero film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dropping just last month, and the recent announcement of their upcoming first full-length anime series, Twisted Wonderland. 

Overall, Visions offers a refreshing and completely new creation, and serves as a beautiful representation of a combination of cultures. From the gorgeous and varying animation styles, to the captivating stories and characters. The Star Wars universe finally feels like it has been used to its full potential, and the results are out of this world.

Grade: A

Star Wars shines at its best in this gorgeous anthology series that dares to be something no one has ever seen before.

by Bailey Staerkel

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 2

November 1st, 2021