STAR WARS: VISIONS – MY OWN IMPRESSIONS (A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO REMEMBER STAR WARS)

Star Wars: Visions

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera

Studio: Trigger, Science Saru, Production I.G., Kinema Citrus, Geno Studio, Studio Colorido, Kamizake Douga

Hello my friends, welcome to another entry of my blog.

And… Happy Star Wars Day!!!!

Yeah, I know. It has been two weeks since that celebration, but I really wanted to take my time to see if I was able to give an excellent way to remember one of my most precious childhood memories, also… to redeem myself for… Calling Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker a good story.

I don’t know what was I thinking. I let my inner fan to distract from my hideous, disgusting awfulness that turned to be Episode IX, simply one of the worst Star Wars movies ever existed. Worse than The Attack of the Clones. At least that one made more sense.

Anyway, ready to go back to the Light Side of the Force, with…

But before I start, I must ask all of you my friends, the typical question:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy.

Now, having said that, let’s go with Star Wars: Visions.

PREMISE

As its name points out, Star Wars: Visions is a series of nine anthology shorts of over 10 minutes, each one animated by different anime studios, which basically shows their passion of Star Wars in the form of nine stories setting up in the Galaxy, Far, Far away. The studios include Trigger, Science Saru, Kinema Citrus, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Kamikaze Douga and Production I.G. Most of us knew these studios, but, just in case, I will mention that Studio Colorido made films like Penguin Highway, which I personally and dearfully recommend, and Burn the Witch, from Bleach’s Tite Kubo. Yes… I invented the word «dearfully»; while Geno Studio is the one behind Golden Kamuy, which I hope I can review one day.

The name of the shorts are:

1. The Duel (Kamikaze Douga)
2. Tatooine Rhapsody (Studio Colorido)
3. The Twins (Trigger)
4. The Village Bride (Kinema Citrus)
5. The Ninth Jedi (Production I.G.)
6. T0-BI (Science Saru)
7. The Elder (Trigger)
8. Lop and Ocho (Geno Studio)
9. Akakiri (Science Saru)

Obviously none of the shorts are interconnected in any way, aside from taking place in the Galaxy, but all of them have the two sides of the Force fighting each other, Jedi vs. Sith, Light side vs. Dark Side, Balance vs. Emotion, with an amazing display of what we all love about Star Wars; the epic, the lightsabers, the Galactic Empire, heroes who are willing to fight for peace, beautiful special effects and wonderful soundtrack inspired by John Williams.

Just look at this:

Fantastic!!

Finally, not just the shorts, also the soundtrack was a collaboration of many composers, including Kevin Penkin (The Rising of the Shield Hero, Tower of God), Michiru Oshima (Fullmetal Alchemist), Keiji Inai (Danmachi) among others.

Now, normally I would continue giving my opinion of both story and characters. That is my way to make my entry, but, since there are nine short films, I will first talk about how do I feel about Star Wars: Visions, and then I will briefly comment about my personal favourites.

So… May the Force be with me.

HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT STAR WARS VISIONS

Now. I must say that I absolutely loved Star Wars: Visions, as much as I enjoyed The Mandalorian and some episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, and it is a delight to see that, after years of bad taste from the sequel trilogy, and despite I will always have sour memories from The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, it is good to see that many artists still know what Star Wars is about, and how to represent its essence faithfully.

The Force Awakens, despite taking more elements from A New Hope that it should, is still a passable movie.

Nonetheless, I found amazing that many Japanese studios really made these shorts, that is literally the last thing I expected from Star Wars, especially in recent years. I sadly believe that the franchise is a very delicate status right now, mostly because of the awful Sequel Trilogy, but Star Wars: Visions felt like a fresh perspective, full of nostalgia, great special effect and genuine… powerful… emotional moments.

I understand that not everybody loves Star Wars: Visions, in fact an opinion I recently read said it was just done to «pander weeaboos». But I beg to differ. I feel that Star Wars Visions can be enjoyed by both fans and critics of Star Wars, especially for those who grew up with the Original Trilogy and The Revenge of the Sith (Honorable mention to The Phantom Menace and The Attack of the Clones).

So definitely I recommend Star Wars Visions.

And now… my favourite shorts.

THE TWINS

In this short, twins born from Sith Alchemy, Karre and Am attempt to construct a Star Destroyer with a cannon capable of destroying planets. But Karre renounces the dark side and attempts to free his sister too, resulting in a brilliant lightsaber fight with a more epic conclusion.

I loved this story because… It’s freaking Studio Trigger. What else do you expect?

The animation is marvellous, as expected from Trigger, but through the dialogue and the excellent fight scene, as well as the characters, you really get invested and what to know how Karre and Am are gonna end.

But for me, The Twins are a beautiful metaphor of the everlasting conflict between the Force, the dark side and the light.

The Ninth Jedi

Years after of the Empire, Juro, who is apparently a former Jedi, gives a Padawan, Ethan, a lightsaber, while both await others created by blacksmith Lah Zhima, for Ethan’s fellow Jedi. But things go south when Zhima is captured by Inquisitors, so it depends on his daughter, Kara, who is Force-sensitive, to deliver the lightsabers in time.

This short has a concise and engaging story, including a plot twist that adds to the tension (Seriously, not gonna spoil, but it definitely catch me, unlike many other «plot twists»), but in the end, I feel that it reminded me of one of the most important lessons from Star Wars itself – Never lose Hope.

T0-BI

T0-B1, or Tobi, is a droid that dreams to become a Jedi; he is raised by Professor Mitaka, who warns Tobi not to enter his basement, but Tobi disobeys and finds a starship to send a signal to Sith Inquisitors. Then Tobi learns the truth of Mitaka; he is a Jedi himself.

I swear to you guys that, when I watch this short, I thought that it was animated by Tezuka Productions, not by Science Saru. I know someone out there also realised that Tobi bears a resemblance with Astroboy.

For me, T0-B1 is a story of growth, a rite of passage between childhood and adulthood that ends up pretty well.

And finally…

LOP AND OCHO

At planet Tau, during the era of the Galactic Empire, rabbit-like slave Lop is saved by Ocho, the daughter of the planet’s clan leader, Yasaburo, who reluctantly adopts her. But seven years, when the Empire is exploiting Tau, Ocho joins them despite Yasaburo’s protests. Now, Yasaburo gives Lop the family treasure, an ancient lightsaber. Will Lop be able to bring Ocho back now that she realises is Force-sensitive?

The animations is beautiful, and despite sharing a few moments on screen as sisters, Lop and Ocho really give that sense of closeness, which makes her separation even more tragic; add that with a family-centred story that, despite the ending, makes you really the importance of Hope, a recurring theme in Star Wars.

CONCLUSION

Star Wars Visions is one of the best series of Star Wars that came in recent years, perhaps competing with The Mandalorian. Both prove that this franchise still has some good spark, capable of resisting the Dark Side of the Mouse.

Get it?

Like I said, regardless you are a casual moviegoer, or a Star Wars fan, Visions will keep you entertained, and realise why we should never let this franchise fall. So go watch on Disney+, or illegally? and enjoy a fresh perspective from a Galaxy Far, Far away.

And once…

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!!

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Made in Abyss – My Own Impressions

Made in Abyss

Genre: Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Science-fiction

Studio: Kinema Citrus

Hello guys.

I am feeling a bit inspired today, so, right now, I am going to do another anime that really liked from the very first time I watched it, especially because of all the impressions it left on me.

Now, with no more delays, I introduce you…

MADE IN ABYSS

But before I continue with my review, I must ask you the typical question, my friends; that one I do every day in this quarantine.

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy and happy?

If the answer is yes, then that means I am happy too. And remember, whatever happens:

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE COVID-19

I insist is a very dangerous virus with unpredictable consequences.

Now, let’s go with Made in Abyss.

PREMISE

Riko and Reg

Based on the manga written by Akihito Tsukushi and published by Takeshobo, Made in Abyss (メイドインアビス in Japanese characters), tells the story of Riko, a young orphan who lives in the village of Orth, located next to the Abyss, a gigantic, mysterious hole with no clear end, and that apparently harbours the remnants of a long gone civilisation. Riko dreams to become an explorer of the Abyss, called Cave Raiders, the most senior being the White Whistle.

One day, Riko meets a young boy called Reg, who has cybernetic implants reminiscent of that long gone civilisation, but with no memories of his past life. Shortly afterwards, Reg discovers a letter from her mother, Lyza, one of the legendary White Whistles, telling Riko that she will be waiting for her in the bottom of the Abyss.

Now, Riko and Reg embark themselves to the bottom of the Abyss in search of Lyza, being completely aware of its dangers and a lot of secrets that will definitely change their lives for the years to come.

The studio in charge of Made in Abyss is Kinema Citrus, the same studio that brought us The Rising of the Shield Hero; coincidentally, the composer is Kevin Penkin, also famous for the soundtrack of the latter, in fact, when you hear the soundtrack, you will soon really that is definitely the same person. And recently, Penkin composed the soundtrack of Tower of God.

As of March 23, 2020, Made in Abyss consisted in a season of 13 episodes, as well as two movies that are basically a retelling of the first season, and a movie that was released past January, called Made in Abyss, Dawn of the Deep Soul, sadly postponed in many countries due to coronavirus pandemic.

Interestingly enough, Made in Abyss was awarded Anime of the Year 2017 at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, as well as Best Score.

STORY

For the moment I saw the intro of Made in Abyss, along with the beautiful song, performed by Miyu Tomita and Mariya Ise (the voices of Riko and Reg respectively), I was certain that I will submerge myself in a beautiful adventure that will teach everything about a wonderful, yet mysterious and dangerous landscape. In fact, during the screenings at uni, I noticed they pass Made in Abyss during the time usually reserved for the more serious shows, like Girls’ Last Tour, Beastars or Demon Slayer, so I got a lot of curiosity about what exactly made this series be including on that time. Obviously I was not prepared for what I was getting into.

Because despite having cutesy-looking characters and the charm of a fairy tale, Made in Abyss is anything but generic. It is a story of kids facing some very rough situations, but psychologically and physically, while they also face a very creepy, supernatural environment with teases of children’s literature book. I know it is pretty random, but I saw it like that.

Let’s say less Gravity Falls and more Over the Garden Wall. And perhaps Little Nightmares, but more dialogue and colourful settings. Anyway. With every episode, we get to know more about the Abyss, the landscape, the bestiary, the environment, and the risks.

Because… yes. Getting into the Abyss is anything but hiking. The more you get into the Abyss, the more risks you got when it is about coming back to the surface, that is called the Strains of the Ascension. Pretty much is like going underwater; the pressure changes, and if you don’t de-pressurize, the results will be fatal.

Again, Back to Made in Abyss. The rules of this new environment are pretty solid and easy to understand, but something as marvellous as the Abyss itself, is the friendship between Riko and Reg, they not only help each other to survive, they also create a powerful bond that survives many trials throughout the story, and that is one of its strongest elements. And with the cinematography and animation from Kinema Citrus, the feeling of going into the Abyss is really strong.

There is something that called my attention, and it is…

Was Akihito Tsukushi influenced by Fumito Ueda?

I don’t know you guys, but I got the feeling that, because Reg looks very identical to Ico.

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Furthermore, some landscapes has that vibes from Shadow of the Colossus.

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Credits: creativeuncut.com

Perhaps it is only my own impression.

Overall. Made in Abyss has a beautiful, yet serious story that will always manage to surprise you.

CHARACTERS

Credits: Ho-Le-Dai

And of course… how could I forget about the characters.

Like I said before, it is mostly the friendship between Riko and Reg that starts moving the story, and it’s wonderful world of Abyss, then we got Nanachi and Mitty, and if you think that the episodes of Made in Abyss are not that dark, then you will see that these two will come to prove you wrong.

Then we have Lyza, Ozen…

In case you want nightmares…

Also, we have Marulk, Bondrewd, Wakuna, and many others who definitely enriches this beautiful world; and every you want to see can be found inside many of these characters. However, now that I mention Riko, Reg and Nanachi, I will tell you, that in order to comprehend the horror of the Abyss, you must stick to this character…

MITTY.

Of course, I will spoil anything, but Mitty has some of the best and tear-jerking moments. See it by yourself, but I warn you. It might be too much for you.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Made in Abyss is a really beautiful story, with great visuals and a fantastic world. It is series like this that will always make me love anime as a whole, and definitely one of the best animes of 2017.

I think is available at Crunchyroll, so go, take a look and experience the great mysteries and wonders of the Abyss.

Hm….

I wonder if we can get to the Abyss of our own planet. I haven’t thought about it since I read Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne. Perhaps some day we will be blessed by many great discoveries of the center of the Earth.

But for know… let’s ask this guy about it.

Link to Ho-Le-Dai artwork.

https://www.deviantart.com/ho-le-dai