Kara Dennison
July 11, 2021 
The long-promise Star Wars anime is getting closer! Star Wars: Visions will be coming soon to Disney+, and it’s got some serious heavy hitters involved. Even if you don’t know their names, you definitely know their work.
Here are some of the anime luminaries we’re most excited to see taking part. This is just a small portion of the list, though. Whose short film are you most looking forward to?
Kenji Kamiyama
A Star Wars anime is likely to have a nice mix of space wizardry and high-end action. When it comes to epic sci-fi battles, we think of Ghost in the Shell. And it just so happens the two projects have some similar DNA, in the person of director Kenji Kamiyama.
Kamiyama’s anime pedigree extends all the way back to the 1980s, when he did backgrounds for Patlabor. More recently, he’s written and directed multiple series of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. His talents stretch in several different directions — from the modern intrigue of Eden of the East to the dreamlike science fantasy of Napping Princess. His contribution to Visions, titled “The Ninth Jedi,” is sure to be epic.
Eunyoung Choi
Eunyoung Choi has been producing and directing anime for quite a while — but her name went big last year, when she produced Keep Your Hands off Eizouken! for Masaki Yuasa’s Sceince SARU. As of last year, she’s president of said studio now that Yuasa has stepped down. But Eizouken is unlikely to be your first time seeing her work.
The South Korean producer/director has directed episodes of Space Dandy, The Tatami Galaxy, and Kaiba. She’s also done storyboards for projects like Yuasa’s The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl. With these fantastical shows under her belt, she’s a shoe-in for a Star Wars anime. Look for her work on the short “Akakiri,” which is being animated at Science SARU.
Hiroyuki Imaishi
Even if you don’t know Imaishi, you know him. The former Gainax animator turned Studio TRIGGER co-founder is legendary for his kinetic animation style. Titles like Gurren Lagann, Promare, and Kill la Kill have made him known across the industry. His style is so iconic that when Hayate the Combat Butler wanted to parody it, they just… hired him.
We can’t wait to see what he does with a Star Wars anime short — and we’ll be getting two animated at TRIGGER. One, “The Twins,” will be directed by Imaishi himself. The clips we’ve seen in the trailer look promising, especially considering we’ll get to see him direct a light saber battle!
Star Wars: Visions comes to Disney+ this September.
Related Posts
