I can't stand anime and will not even try watching this, it's just not for me, but it's actually pretty much the only one of those recent "everything has to be turned into anime" titles I don't mind. Turning such inherently western creations as Lord of the Rings or the Witcher into anime just baffles and disgusts me, I hate every property being treated as some infinitely plastic, shapeless mass with no identity that can be shaped into anything for a quick buck. But Star Wars was always heavily inspired by japanese movies, so an anime is not that much of a stretch in this case. It's just a pity the result is furries and lightsabre umbrellas.

Oh yes that's right of course.

Though I don't mind anime (but I will admit it's rare for me to find an anime I like, with a proper english dub that is), in this case, for me, the anime feel clashes with that quintessential SW vibe. If something doesn't 'feel' like SW, then it sends me running for the hills. TFA I think fooled me initially because of this, because I do remember it feeling like SW early on. But then the whole thing just started crashing down around me :P

Japanese cinematography and Japanese animations (or "anime") are two very very different beasts. I find it ironic that the Japanese movies George Lucas quotes as sources of inspiration for Star Wars were in turn heavily inspired by western culture, particularly Shakespeare's plays. Traditional Japanese theater, while an art form in its own right, inspiring many subsequent movie pieces, lacked the depth and scope we take for granted in western dramaturgy - it enacted pieces comparable to short stories at best.

Somewhat painful, I'd imagine. But don't worry, we have force heal now :P. And it being an anime, I also expect something in the lines of force ball scratch to make its appearance.

I know what you mean. I think this guy put it very well.

I've had this problem with Star Wars for a long time now. Even before Disney. At some point as it grew as a franchise it became what felt to me like this sort of "catch-all" name that could be applied to almost any sci-fi story to market it better. Sure, there was a lot of good stuff in the previous canon, and whether people care to admit it or not, there is also in the new one. But there's also a ton of stuff in both that is really just SW in name only. And this anthology right here in Visions seems to be a case of exactly that.

I think it's a large part of why I enjoyed the Bad Batch recently, even though in all honesty it's a mediocre show. But it nails the Star Wars aesthetic and the right feel, of a group of outcasts bouncing from one corner of a vast galaxy to another fighting an evil Empre agaisnt overwhelming odds, and with a cool villain connected to them by familial ties. It needs work to be better show, but it needs no improvement in being good Star Wars.

You're saying that like Lucas wasn't already doing that decades before with metric tons of crap merchandising. This is just the natural evolution. ;)

Does anyone remember the Ewoks cartoon from the 80s? Now there was some fine SW content, essential addition to the canon. No milking there, no sir :D

Or the Ewoks spin-off films? *shudder*

Yeah, the animated series was ok. No one would ever have guessed it was related to Star Wars in any way, but it was a nice show.
Also Star Wars Droids was ok.

But the Ewok movies were almost at the same level as the Holiday Special.

SW in name only? That is similar to searching for river shrimps in salt water!

But yea, Omega is cool! The Mandalorian was cool too! I enjoyed both the Han Solo story and the prequel to SW movie 4. SW Jedi Fallen Order is Ultracool! SW squadrons manages to hit the feeling too, can't wait for Rogue Squadron to air though with a director who needs to read into the SW universe first i won't be surprised if to you that will be another flick with lots of SW in name only ( and this time i'd understand! )

Spaceballs said it best (+ all the other Spaceballs products littered throughout the movie). ;)

tbh I think it would have been a better idea if disney made a new space series anime, that way they wouldn't have the huge expectations and be more free.

I'd like to suggest that you watch Lupin III. It's a nice old anime.

Droids and Ewoks are actually not part of the canon so I guess it makes sense that it doesn't relate to the main series much.

And the Ewoks films (yuck) are part of the old "spin-off trilogy" which includes the Ewok films and Holiday Special. I don't know how they thought it was a good idea.

Sorry for the late reply (salt mines...)

Sure definitely, I will begrudgingly admit that there's at least one good film in the new canon, by which I mean Rogue One. I remember feeling positively refreshed after watching it, because it felt like one of the actual good SW films of yore. (i.e. 2005, which is where I fear we will have a gentleman's disagreement :) ) Apart from the somewhat cringy motivational speech towards the end, it scored full marks for me.

I will definitely try and get hold of the bad Batch then, so thank you for the endorsement, and Tartakovsky's Clone Wars while I'm at it. For some reason, apart from Rogue One, I haven't dived into anything SW related for many years.