Anime Expo Lite revealed nine new Star Wars stories told via anime….
So, back in the day, when Star Wars was “over” in 1983 (for the first time), this guy dove into anime as a hobby (and defacto replacement).
I was not disappointed.
Starting with Battle of the Planets (Gatchaman), adding Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato), Belle and Sebastian (Meiken Jorī), eventually Voltron ( Beast King GoLion, Armored Fleet Dairugger XV), and finally Robotech (Macross, Southern Cross, Mospedia) anime kept me traveling to galaxies near and far, far away.
Anime Today
Today, my oldest is more immersed in anime than I ever was, thanks to the proliferation of anime (and manga) throughout the world.
But to me, to see figures and art and styles so familiar, yet so special, depicting Star Wars is a really amazing moment.
Today, “Anime Expo Lite” allowed Lucasfilm to “pull back the curtain on the series” and give fans a look at what Star Wars Anime has in store: Star Wars: Visions.
And “what’s in store” is fantastic.
Star Wars Visions
Image: StarWars.com
Star Wars: Visions, a new anthology of animated shorts celebrating Star Wars through the lens of some of the world’s best anime creators, is coming to Disney+… and it looks to be a wholly unique collection of inventive, visually stunning, and personal Star Wars Hosted by Chastity Vicencio and featuring James Waugh (executive producer), Josh Rimes (executive producer), Jacqui Lopez (executive producer), Justin Leach (co-executive producer), and Kanako Shirasaki (producer)…
Image: Lucasfilm
[T]he panel showed concept art, revealed the studios and creators behind several shorts, and offered plot details for the diverse and creative stories on the way.
Image: Lucasfilm
Deets On Visions
Dan was also kind enough to point out the major facts for those of us trying to catch up in real-time via the “Anime Expo Lite” feed.
Check out some of the top details from this afternoon’s event:
Image: StarWars.com
- Visions debuts on September 22 on Disney+
- The anthology series is non-canon and need not fit into any Star Wars timeline.
- The series features nine episodes and seven studios: Kamikaze Douga – The Duel, Geno Studio (Twin Engine) – Lop and Ochō, Studio Colorido (Twin Engine) – Tatooine Rhapsody, Trigger – The Twins, Trigger – The Elder, Kinema Citrus – The Village Bride, Science Saru – Akakiri, Science Saru – T0-B1, and Production IG – The Ninth Jedi.
- Each short represents a different story and art style.
- There is a space-bunny named Lop.
Of course, StarWars.com isn’t going to let this chance go by the wayside. They’ll garner a large share of the fandom with the below teaser:
Also, if there’s anyone out there who goes back a bit in terms of the Star Wars comics; doesn’t this non-linear concept remind you of something?
Image: Lucasfilm
So, tell me: Do you love anime? Do you love Star Wars? Will you be watching Star Wars: Visions?
Feature Image: Lucasfilm