But now, after watching the series, I have to say that I was blown away by how spectacular this show is, and it may not be for the reason you think.
As I mentioned, I was never a fan of anime. But Star Wars: Visions is the exception for me for a number of reasons. It was the first episode that really hooked me, The Duel. I was amazed by the brilliant animation style and how distinct it was. It was shown in mostly black-and-white but had colors when weapons were used. The decision to use this style of contrast was absolutely amazing and worked really well. It really helped highlight the storytelling visual to focus more on the characters this way. So of course, after this episode, I wanted to watch more.
Again, what I love about these stories is that they are all unique, fresh, new, and not tied to the Skywalker saga. The Star Wars universe has so much storytelling potential to keep all generations of Star Wars fans hooked, and to explore new ways to discover our favorite elements of the fandom like the Force, the Jedis, and Siths, etc. One of my favorite episodes of the series is The Twins because it has that familiar story of family tensions (both genetically and the light/dark sides of the Force) but we’ve never met them before. Plus, we get to see the Kyber crystals that power the lightsabers used in a lot of new ways that make it interesting but also move the plot forward organically and not as a cheap plot device. It left me not only wanting to see more Visions episodes of the twins but hoping that Disney creates a live-action series of them as well.
Whether you are a die-hard or casual fan of Star Wars, I encourage you to watch Star Wars: Visions. There’s bound to be something for you, and either the story or the animation will really capture you. I now understand that anime isn’t just an animation style but a storytelling technique as well. Yes, it’s not canon. But it’s something to enjoy and makes you want to explore more of the world that could be the Star Wars canon. This show captures the spirit of Star Wars: a universe that is big enough to include all people to immerse themselves in a fandom that we can all love and enjoy for different reasons, but together as fans.