James R | On 01, Jun 2022

Star Wars: Visions will officially return to Disney+ for a second volume, Disney has confirmed.

Telling new Star Wars stories through the singular style and tradition of Japanese anime, the series debuted on Disney+ last year, produced by seven anime studios: The Duel from Kamikaze Douga, Lop and Ochō from Geno Studio, Tatooine Rhapsody from Studio Colorido, The Twins and The Elder from Trigger, The Village Bride from Kinema Citrus, Akakiri and T0-B1 from Science Sarum, and The Ninth Jedi from Production IG.

The collection of anime shorts was released with both a Japanese voice cast and an English dub, with the visual styles ranging from hand-drawn and black-and-white to CGI animation.

Now, Disney has confirmed that Volume 2 will arrive in spring 2023 and will bring together new stories from creative teams in Japan, India, UK, Ireland, Spain, Chile, France, South Africa, and California.

James Waugh, executive producer and Lucasfilm Vice President, Franchise Content & Strategy, said: “It’s going to be a celebration of the incredible animation happening all around the globe.”

 

Watch: First trailer for Star Wars Visions

17th August 2021

The first trailer has landed for Star Wars Visions – and it gives us a first look, and listen, of the anime anthology.

Telling new Star Wars stories through the singular style and tradition of Japanese anime, the series is produced by seven anime studios: 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.

James Waugh, executive producer and Lucasfilm Vice President, Franchise Content & Strategy, says: “Their stories showcase the full spectrum of bold storytelling found across Japanese animation; each told with a freshness and voice that expands our understanding of what a Star Wars story can be, and celebrates a galaxy that has been such an inspiration to so many visionary storytellers.”

The shorts will be released with a Japanese voice cast and an English dub, with Disney confirming the list of voices taking part, including returning talents such as Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett.

Here are the two versions of the trailer – read on below for the rundown of the shorts and the cast.

The DueL

Japanese cast: Masaki Terasoma (Ronin), Akeno Watanabe (Bandit Leader), Yūko Sanpei (Village Chief)

English dub: Brian Tee (Ronin), Lucy Liu (Bandit Leader), Jaden Waldman (Village Chief)

Tatooine Rhapsody

Japanese cast: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Jay), Kōsuke Gotō (Geezer), Akio Kaneda (Boba Fett), Masayo Fujita (K-344), Anri Katsu (Lan)

English dub: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Jay), Bobby Moynihan (Geezer), Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett), Shelby Young (K-344), Marc Thompson (Lan)

The Twins

Japanese cast: Junya Enoki (Karre), Ryoko Shiraishi (Am), TokuyoshiKawashima (B-20N)

English dub: Neil Patrick Harris (Karre), Alison Brie (Am), Jonathan Lipow (B-20N)

The Village Bride

Japanese cast: Asami Seto (F), Megumi Han (Haru), Yūma Uchida (Asu), Takaya Kamikawa (Vaan), Yoshimitsu Shimoyama (Izuma), Mariya Ise (Saku)

English dub: Karen Fukuhara (F), Nichole Sakura (Haru), Christopher Sean (Asu), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Valco), Andrew Kishino (Izuma), Stephanie Sheh (Saku)

The Ninth Jedi

Japanese cast: Chinatsu Akasaki (Kara), Tetsuo Kanao (Juro), Shin-ichiro Miki (Zhima), Hiromu Mineta (Ethan), Kazuya Nakai (Roden), Akio Ōtsuka, (Narrator), Daisuke Hirakawa (Hen Jin)

English dub: Kimiko Glenn (Kara), Andrew Kishino (Juro), Simu Liu (Zhima), Masi Oka (Ethan), Greg Chun (Roden), Neil Kaplan (Narrator), Michael Sinterniklaas (Hen Jin)

T0-B1

Japanese cast: Masako Nozawa (T0-B1), Tsutomu Isobe (Mitaka)

English dub: Jaden Waldman (T0-B1), Kyle Chandler (Mitaka)

The Elder

Japanese cast: Takaya Hashi (Tajin), Kenichi Ogata (The Elder), Yuichi Nakamura (Dan)

English dub: David Harbour (Tajin), Jordan Fisher (Dan), James Hong (The Elder)

Lop & Ochō

Japanese cast: Seiran Kobayashi (Lop), Risa Shimizu (Ocho), Tadahisa Fujimura (Yasaburo), Taisuke Nakano (Imperial Officer)

English dub: Anna Cathcart (Lop), Hiromi Dames (Ocho), Paul Nakauchi(Yasaburo), Kyle McCarley (Imperial Officer)

Akakiri

Japanese cast: Yū Miyazaki (Tsubaki), Lynn (Misa), Chō (Senshuu), Wataru Takagi (Kamahachi), Yukari Nozawa (Masago)

English dub: Henry Golding (Tsubaki), Jamie Chung (Misa), George Takei (Senshuu), Keone Young (Kamahachi), Lorraine Toussaint (Masago)

 

Star War: Visions is available on Disney+ UK, as part of a £7.99 monthly subscription or a £79.99 yearly subscription.

 

Visions: Star Wars unveils anime anthology for Disney+

6th July 2021

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, eno 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.

All episodes of Star Wars: Visions will be released on Disney+ on 22nd September.

Add to Watchlist