Anime Review: Star Wars – Visions 3

Very Average Joe
5 days ago
6 min read

Title: Star Wars – Visions 3

Director(s): Various

Screenwriter(s): Various

Studio: Various

Released: 2025

Runtime: 9 episodes, ~20m each.

My Verdict: Whilst not a bad effort overall, they are nothing great. A few are recommended.

Visions 3 is the third anthology of short films. Thankfully, like the first season, all are by Japanese studios and all but one is anime in style.

Like the previous two seasons, these are outside of the main storyline as depicted in films and can take a liberal interpretation of the lore. The first season is hit-and-miss and the second season, whilst a good effort in some ways, is just meh apart from maybe two films.

This season is much better in terms of both the storytelling and visuals, especially for those who like anime.

Apart from the last episode which is a little shorter, they are about 20 minutes long. Generally, this is a length that allows for decent pacing and, whilst still a short film, the story can feel full and not rushed.

Of the 9 films, three are sequels. “The Duel: Payback” is the best, and the last two “The Bird of Paradise” and “Black” probably try a bit too hard. On balance, this season is not bad.

Below are a few comments for each episode.

“The Duel: Payback” – Director: Mizuno Takanobu, Screenwriter: Mizusaki Jumpei, Studio: Kamikaze Douga & Anima

Although not directly tied to “The Duel” in Season 1, this is still a follow-up and therefore helps to watch that first to understand the context. The same lone swordsman is now at a gambling hall built on two AT-STs. A Sith woman recognizes him and starts a fight. Meanwhile, a Jedi “Crusader” who is hunting him also turns up…
It is done in the same style of feudal Japan with black and white conte-like texturing. Looks great, and the sound design and editing are excellent too.
Good pacing and action-packed, with the action escalating to a satisfying climax and resolution. This is basically the “hero’s past catching up to him” story. My only complaint is that the replacement lightsaber(s) is a bit much. (You’ll know it when you see it.)

“The Song of Four Wings” – Director: Kobayashi Hiroyasu, Screenwriter: Enokido Yoji, Studio: Project Studio Q

A Rebel princess named Crane is on a snow/ice planet conducting recon when imperial forces turn up. She finds a half-destroyed village with a lone survivor…
The visual style uses relatively less graduations. The result is simple and sleek. It’s the anime equivalent of bubblegum electronic-pop, which is what the music also goes for. One either likes it or not but it does suit the character.
The premise is obviously based on Princess Leia and Hoth. There are flashbacks that explain Crane’s willingness to rescue the “cute and cuddly” survivor. She is too reckless and the abilities of what is emphasized to be an old droid are a bit too much. Other than that, it’s not a bad piece.

“The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope” – Director: Shiotani Naoyoshi, Screenwriter: Shiotani Naoyoshi, Studio: Production I.G

Kara and her Jedi friends are being hunted whilst looking for her father who was captured in the first part in Season 1. This does not address the latter issue. Kara is blown out into space during an attack and is rescued by a lone droid on a disabled ship.
This story aims to develop Kara as a character as she helps the droid and develops her Jedi skills.
As expected from Production I.G, it is nicely done but is admittedly nothing great. This is presumably in anticipation of future films in which she will fight the villains and rescue her father. So, whilst this story finishes and does not end on a cliffhanger, it is clearly “To be continued…”

“The Bounty Hunters” – Director: Yamamoto Junichi, Screenwriter: Seko Hiroshi, Studio: Wit Studio

Bounty hunter Sevn and her droid IV-A4 are on the run. Interestingly, IV-A4 was a medical droid but Sevn had installed an assassin’s module. They land on a planet in which a seemingly nice guy who runs a mining company offers her a job…
Visually, it’s too simple and clean given the tone of the story. It’s not as bad as Western “anime” but it arguably goes in that direction.
Thematically, it obviously plays on the dual personalities. Both the villain and IV-A4 have two faces. The pacing is not bad but the plot is predictable.

“Yuko’s Treasure” – Director: Tachibana Masaki, Screenwriter: Takahashi Natsuko & Tanaka Mika, Studio: Kinema Citrus

Yuko and her big teddy bear droid Bily are living outside of Mos Eisley. They are obviously somewhat in hiding. Some nosy boy who thinks he’s a hero notices them and reports them to pirates. They in turn go after Yuko and Bily thinking they have their treasure.
As it is a children’s story, the style corresponds to that. It is simple and low on detail. One either likes it or not but at least it fits the tone of the story. But it can be more detailed.
The plot is predictable and the pacing is steady if nothing else.

“The Lost Ones” – Director: Haga Hitoshi, Screenwriter: Oonishi Takahito & Haga Hitoshi, Studio: Kinema Citrus

Although a different story, this is a follow-up to “The Village Bride” in Season 1. The plot follows F who helps a group of people trying to save their planet. They live in a giant ship but they attempt research on the planet surface damaged by carbonite mining.
As before, the style is simple but rough. It seems worse than the previous film. The characters can be cleaner and the environment relies too much on the watercolor-like rendering. The ship takes a different style and the Star Destroyer looks so good that it is jarring.
F is deliberately a mysterious character which is fine in itself but there is not enough background in “The Village Bride”. In this short film, it defaults to the commonly used “hero’s past catching up to him”.

“The Smuggler” – Director: Otsuka Masahiko, Screenwriter: Otsuka Masahiko, Studio: Trigger

Set sometime after the fall of the Jedi Order, Chita is the smuggler who has debt issues on the planet Zenarita which has been taken over by the Empire. She is offered a job to transport two people who, predictably, turn out to be part of the Rebellion.
Visually, even though it is not rough, it can be more refined. The ships look good and even the environment looks not bad but, on balance, the elements don’t seem to fit together that nicely. It’s not jarring but it lacks that wow factor.
There are a few moments in which the characters linger too long for dramatic effect when they need to show urgency. Chita is also not as capable as she should be given her trade. Other than that, the pace is steady.

“The Bird of Paradise” – Director: Yoshihira Tadahiro, Screenwriter: Yoshihira Tadahiro & Uezu Makoto, Studio: Polygon Pictures

Jedi Padawan Nakime is fighting a Sith, the former being impatient and reckless. When injured and blinded by the Sith, Nakime must face her fears. The film is structured into the subsequent five days.
This is an animator’s show-off. The rendering and the motion are nicely done, particularly when Nakime is “sensing” her surroundings.
Although part of her character and understandable, Nakime complaining about not wanting to die is a little annoying to begin with. That being the case, the premise is not a bad idea even if it tries to little too hard to be arty at times. The biggest weakness is that the ending lacks a denouement.

“Black” – Director: Ohira Shinya, Screenwriter: Ohira Shinya, Studio: David Production

This is done in the style of rough illustration rather than conventional anime and, unlike the other eight films, is shorter at a runtime of about 12 minutes.
During what is presumably the Battle of Endor as seen in Return of the Jedi (1983), the so-called plot follows a stormtrooper’s memories and “internal conflict”. It’s not as if one can’t work that out but there is too much reliance on being informed of that for the viewer to understand what is going on.
The premise is not a bad idea but this film is simply trying too hard. There are ways to convey “dark, gritty and chaotic” without actually being a total mess, in terms of the visuals and the plot. There is no dialogue, which is fine, although the use of jazz for the soundtrack is… well, trying too hard.
Although it is meant to be fragmented to reflect the psychological state of the character, it lacks a plot; there are ways to convey that whilst still having a sense of progression. There is the obvious use of symbols and colors but not enough framing to give them substantial meaning. Even at merely 12 minutes, it feels like a drag.