If you’re a fan of Star Wars and animation, then I can only assume that you’re watching The Bad Batch right now. And if you were worried about what to watch after The Bad Batch concludes in mid-August, then you can breathe a sigh of relief: Lucasfilm has announced Star Wars: Visions, an anthology of nine short films from several anime studios and filmmakers. Here’s the full episode list:
- The Duel — Kamikaze Douga (dir. Takanobu Mizuno)
- Lop and Ochō — Geno Studio (dir. Yuuki Igarashi)
- Tatooine Rhapsody — Studio Colorido (dir. Taku Kimura)
- The Twins — Trigger (dir. Hiroyuki Imaishi)
- The Elder — Trigger (dir. Masahiko Otsuka)
- The Village Bride — Kinema Citrus (dir. Hitoshi Haga)
- Akakiri — Science Saru (dir. Eunyoung Choi)
- T0-B1 — Science Saru (dir. Abel Góngora)
- The Ninth Jedi — Production IG (dir. Kenji Kamiyama)
Based on the names in the above list, Visions features some considerable talent. Kenji Kamiyama might be the best known name, given his work on the Ghost in the Shell franchise, but Masahiko Otsuka has worked on FLCL, Neon Genesis Evangelion, His and Her Circumstances, and Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart. Hiroyuki Imaishi directed Dead Leaves and Gurren Lagann, and worked as an animator on several of the Evangelion movies. And Eunyoung Choi has worked on Devilman Crybaby, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Vinland Saga, and Welcome to the NHK.
Anime News Network has more details about Visions’ production and the folks involved.
Branching into anime makes sense given the medium’s global popularity and the need for more original Disney+ content. However, it also seems rather fitting given that George Lucas was heavily influenced by Japanese culture and cinema (e.g., the films of Akira Kurosawa).
Star Wars: Visions will begin streaming on Disney+ on September 22.