#Star Wars akakiri

[bo-katan]

STAR WARS VISIONS ▪︎ S01E09: AKAKIRI

@giftober 2024 ▪︎DAY 21: MINIMALISTIC

[marinersubmariner]

Star Wars: Visions – Screecher's Reach

[aq2003]

sw visions s2 review! i overall enjoyed this season more than the first, the variety in animation mediums was amazing and a lot of these were just fucking stunning to look at. thoughts and ranking under the cut:

9. sith

i have beef with this one. i think this by default takes the spot as my overall least favorite star wars visions episode across both seasons just because of how it does the dumb "you can use both the light side AND the dark side :) dont worry about it" trope. the animation is cool in some places but (likely due to disney+ deep frying the video quality?) it felt weirdly hard to look at in others. i do love the painting aesthetic but it feels the least true to the star wars spirit. i think the duel from season 1 executed the "darksider vs former sith" idea much better

8. i am your mother

this one being so low on the ranking is just a testament to how much i enjoyed all of the other episodes. i think this short succeeded fully with what it set out to do, it's just a fun story about a mother-daughter pilot duo which is great! simple and enjoyable.

7. aau's song

this one was just really adorable. i loved the aesthetic and the animation, the characters felt so.. fuzzy. huggable. really nice breather to end off a volume of really good stories. loved the visuals for the crystals and the character design for the jedi in this episode especially

6. the pit

bruh i was so fucking sad when THAT happened . i get why they did it but it felt so unfairrrrr aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. i liked the animation and character designs and this one also has some really creative visuals for the settings. but i thought the resolution to the conflict felt a little too .. easy isnt the right word for it. but i think some of the writing falls a little short in an otherwise really good story.

5. the bandits of golak

and i KNOW the people that made this were fans of tcw/rebels. (was that sabine's phoenix symbol i saw on the side of the train????). loved the dynamic between charuk and rani, i get why they had to part ways but i got sad when they did nevertheless. the texturing on the models feels very reminiscent of tcw's style and it tickled my brain <3 except i think the character designs blow tcw out of the water <333

4. journey to the dark head

FUCKING SUE ME. i loved this one. studio mir put everything and i mean EVERYTHING into the animation on this one. toul and ara are great characters and i love how they played off of each other. bichan's character design went HARD AS HELL i literally don't care if some of the story didn't make sense to me because ouhghhhhh this was just a whole MEAL for my eyes . if that makes sense. studio mir i love you

3. 2. the spy dancer

i CANNOT in good faith put this at any spot below a 2 so i guess we'll have a tie here. the animation was absolutely fucking STUNNING and the fight scenes were also, like journey into the dark head, complete and utter bangers. loi'e is probably my favorite protagonist out of all the episodes this season, just the concept for her being a performer and also a spy for the rebels is [chefs kiss]. i also do love a good ironic twist and this one Has it <3

2. screecher's reach

perhaps this one is ranked so high because it was placed right after my disappointment from episode 1 and perhaps it's because it struck such a chord within me that i truly cannot explain. daal and her friends were so cute and the colors and backgrounds were truly beautiful to look at and god. the story on this one. fully fucked me up. crazy how a story this dark and upsetting made me feel better than episode 1 but it gave me Such a level of tragic catharsis. (is that the right word for it? it's unsatisfying but on purpose and i love it) this one probably isn't going to be as high on other people's rankings but i don't care. i love it. it's dear to me.

in the stars

this one just straight up made me cry. i don't why it hit me that hard but it definitely has to count for something. this one is also really fucking beautiful to look at like the rest of my top 4 but this one has an aesthetic that lends itself really really well to the storytelling. the scene of the painting telling their mother's backstory is just.. ugh my heart. i love koten and tichina so much it's unreal. the final scene where they stared down the walker mirroring the painting made me fucking lose my mind. perhaps i was not feeling very hopeful for their fates after what happened in episode 2 but i was so happy when it did end on a happy note. also them finally seeing their mom's star in the sky.. i just.. ugh. lay me into the ground!!!!!

[darth-memes]

STAR WARS VISIONS SEASON 2 COMES OUT IN 10 DAYS!

[iateyourburrito]

Rewatching starwars visions because I'm gomna watch the new episode and this guy is scrunchy as hell.

Like I forgot how scrunchy he is

[panzerdrako]

STAR WARS VISIONS

[bereft-of-frogs]

Confession time: I lied about hating all ✨forbidden romance✨ plot lines in Star Wars (except for, you know, the main one)

Akakiri can stay too.

[malice-death]

Star Wars Visions

Upon finishing the season, I went back and rewatched the last episode of the first season, and boy was in for the coolest surprise.

Aau’s Song and Akakiri have a few things in common.

First both end with a selected person pursuing a different path than the one they started with.

Aau going to become a Jedi after saving her purifying the Kyber, while Tsubaki went to become a Sith after getting his lover back.

Second: The fact with how the first season ended a more negative note, while in this second season we get this more positive end note.

Thirdly: I loved the fact that the soundtrack for both final episodes had this unique essence to them, that made them better than they should’ve been

and that was my speech on why both seasons had the best ending in their own creative ways.

[geekygirlexperience]

In my final entry into Visions Remembered, I dive into the Star Wars: Visions short Akakiri and talk about how it's actually the most hopeful story of the entire season. Also, Lorraine Toussaint is excellent! Check it out on Dork Side of the Force!

[communistkenobi]

Hi, I don’t know if you don’t watch Star Wars in general anymore (if so I’m sorry for sending this ask), but a new set of the “Visions” shorts came out, and they’re absolute gorgeous and highlight animators from South Africa, India, Chile, etc, etc. if you happened to watch it, I’d like to hear your thoughts! Good day

Yes!!! I definitely want to watch the new set of shorts. The Duel and Akakiri were my favourites from the first season, I’m hoping they do more cool force shit this season

[bo-katan]

STAR WARS VISIONS EP 9: AKAKIRI

This was basically Anakin's story had Padmé lived and not been pregnant.

》 A princess and a Jedi fall in love. The princess's home is invaded, and together, they must try to reclaim her home. The Jedi is having visions of death that are actually being manipulated by a darksider that wants that specific Jedi to be their right hand. Said Jedi pledges themself to the darkside in the end. It's the prequel trilogy au told in 15 minutes.

I'm sad this one did not live up to my expectations because it had the most unique animation style and had the best poster imo

Anyway, I feel like I've seen those chicken-horses before?? I think they were in the "The Deserter" episode of The Clone Wars.

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Star Wars Visions (Season 1)

Since these eps are all roughly under 20 minutes I'm just lumping my thoughts under the cut for all of the episodes.

THE DUEL

Easily my favorite episode. Art style goes insanely hard. Monochrome palette with the only hints of color being the lights and blades of the lightsabers? Loved it, no complaints. I want more of Ronin's story. Why was he helping people? Why was he collecting the red kyber crystals like Thanos? How would the crystal ward off evil?

TATOOINE RHAPSODY

Least favorite episode by a longshot, honestly. Only redeemer for me was the Boba Fett cameo and the voice work done by Temuera Morrison. Song was awful lol.

THE TWINS

Subtitles did not match the audio/dialogue, so it loses points for that. (From an accessibility standpoint: If you're going to provide proper sub-captioning services it should match up with exactly with what the people are saying; not close words, but the exact words.)

Neat art style with good old ridiculous sci-fi: Karre should not be able to survive in space like that without a suit (or the Force) but we'll ignore it. War of Stars and Shit's Whack Anyways.

THE VILLAGE BRIDE

Loved the clothing and environment designs in this episode. Had a bit of a Ghibli vibe to it. Liked the yellow blade reveal. Just wish we had her name.

THE NINTH JEDI

Absolutely hilarious that when Kara picks up one of the lightsabers there's just. No color. Ghost saber. DLC-looking lightsaber later turns green in a grand fight in the Aerial Temple (which looks kinda like a lightsaber itself). Interesting ep overall I suppose.

T0-B1

All the cute droids you could want in a sometimes-fuzzy art style. Don't mess around on strange spaceships, kids.

THE ELDER

Hoping the awkwardness of the dialogue was just a matter of translation into English. Sounded a little unnatural at times (in my opinion).

That death-blow was incredible though.

LOP AND OCHŌ

Really vibing with the aesthetic for this episode, too.

"Inheritance has nothing to do with blood." coming from the guy who was most reluctant about taking in Lop was great character growth and maturity. You're no less family when you're adopted. Something Ochō's blind quest for power Toa's advancement by siding with the Empire seemed to make her forget...

Ironically symbolic given she's the one who leaves with both her eyes intact, unlike her father who loses his other eye, before the episode ends.

AKAKIRI

Japanese for "red haze", the title really would have been a giveaway for what happened in this episode if I'd looked it up before, and not after. I could still see where it was going with Tsubaki's story even if I didn't with the increasing clarity of the Force visions.

[jedi-order-apologist]

Did ya watch Visions V2 yet? And if so, what was your favrotie short? (Mine was Aau's Song)

I just finished watching! (The episodes, at least. I'll watch the behind-the-scenes filmmaker interviews later).

But it's really hard to pick a favorite, Visions is consistently top-tier and I enjoyed all of the episodes. This really is Star Wars at its best, so I'll just talk about what I enjoyed about each one:

"Sith" - I loved the way color was used in this, it's clearly the focus of the animation and it was done very well. The story of the protagonist rejecting the Sith and pulling herself out of that on her own was good, the way she had to acknowledge her darkness in order to move past it and fully reject the Sith was a great moment.

"Screecher's Reach" - The environment was beautifully drawn, very atmospheric. It's an unsettling one (in a good way!), and reminds me of the previous season's "Akakiri" in the tone of its ending.

"In the Stars" - The particle effects and especially the water was beautifully animated. The story here is strong, with the conflict between surviving and fighting back, with both sisters having good reason for their caution/risk-taking, respectively, and the love they have for each other and the people who were cruelly slaughtered by the Empire.

"I Am Your Mother" - this one is probably the weakest of the bunch in that it didn't really grip me and I don't think it had as much to say, but it was by no means bad! It was fun and I got some laughs out of it. The race looked great, too.

"Journey to the Dark Head" - Another one with beautiful environments, and I found the setting very compelling and full of potential; I was left wanting to see more of it and the Jedi of this era. The approach to the Force is a little video-game-y in my opinion but they do nail the aspect of fear being the root of anger and hate.

"The Spy Dancer" - If I absolutely had to pick a favorite, it might be this one by a slim margin. I loved the fluid dance/fight scenes, and the characters are so compelling. The protagonist's trauma is heartbreaking; there's no shying away from how evil the Empire is. And the reveal of who the Imperial officer is was built up very well, I had already guessed by the time the episode confirmed it. The hopeful ending implies a future where he will break away from the Empire and the horrible things it made him internalize about himself.

"The Bandits of Golak" - Completely unsurprisingly (given IGN's backhanded recommendation), I loved this one a lot, and could easily pick this one as my favorite too. The lightsaber fight here was my favorite in this season, and the environment was lovely. Of course, the sibling bond is the real heart of this one, especially in him letting her go (which I believe was the plan all along).

"The Pit" - Loved this one too, the Empire's brutality is, as common with the other shorts, unflinchingly depicted here. Which makes the contrast with the average citizens all the more poignant, and my favorite part about this is how readily they're willing to look into the matter and help once they've heard what's going on. It's such a positive depiction of humanity and community and I really loved that.

"Aau's Song" - Beautiful, vibrant environments here, and the characters look so soft, like they're made of felt. I liked the Jedi character a lot, and I like that the protagonist decided to go with her in the end. The scene where the kyber is healed is stunning. I can definitely see why this episode would be someone's favorite!

[danwhobrowses]

Star Wars Visions Season 2 Confirmed

Once again Anime is coming to enrich the Star Wars universe again. This time we have a much redder aesthetic, which makes me wonder if the stories will be more Dark Side-oriented (though we had a mix of it last season with The Duel, The Twins and Akakiri being more dark side-focused) the episode names seem to suggest it too.

The most interesting company to have their hand at it are the claymation gods Aardman, responsible for Wallace & Gromit, Morph and Chicken Run. But do not underestimate Cartoon Saloon's potential, the studio that gave us Wolf Walkers have the caliber especially in the sci-fi wonder of Star Wars. Same can be said for Studio Mir (Legend of Korra & Voltron) and Studio La Cachette (Primal, LD&R's Sucker of Souls).

Wonder what we'll get from the next 9, though I'm not expecting continuation from the last nine.

[darth-memes]

STAR WARS VISIONS SEASON 2 COMES OUT IN 20 DAYS!