Disney Plus’ anime event looks huge
After a big behind-the-scenes look out of the 2021 Anime Expo, Disney and Lucasfilm premiered the trailer for Star Wars: Visions on Tuesday. Premiering this September on Disney Plus, the nine-episode animated anthology series renders the Star Wars universe in various styles of Japanese anime, and the shorts will cast both English and Japanese actors in various roles.
Visions brings together studios from across Japan, including Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio (Twin Engine), Studio Colorido (Twin Engine), Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru, and Production I.G. Each of the nine shorts has a distinctive visual style, as teased in the full-length trailer.
“Each one of these studios that we approached, we found hardcore Star Wars fans,” Lucasfilm executive producer Jacqui Lopez said at the Anime Expo. “They all had a story they wanted to tell.”
Along with the trailer, Disney announced the Japanese voice cast and character names for the first nine episodes:
- “The Duel”: Masaki Terasoma (Ronin), Akeno Watanabe (Bandit Leader), Yūko Sanpei (VillageChief)
- “Tatooine Rhapsody”: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Jay), Kōusuke Gotō (Geezer), Akio Kaneda (Boba Fett), MasayoFujita (K-344), Anri Katsu (Lan)
- “The Twins”: Junya Enoki (Karre), Ryoko Shiraishi (Am), Tokuyoshi Kawashima (B-20N)
- “The Village Bride”: Asami Seto (F), Megumi Han (Haru), Yūma Uchida (Asu), Takaya Kamikawa (Vaan), Yoshimitsu Shimoyama (Izuma), Mariya Ise (Saku)
- “The Ninth Jedi”: Chinatsu Akasaki(Kara), Tetsuo Kanao (Juro), Shin-ichiro Miki (Zhima), Hiromu Mineta (Ethan), Kazuya Nakai (Roden), Akio Ōtsuka, (Narrator), Daisuke Hirakawa (Hen Jin)
- “T0-B1”: Masako Nozawa (T0-B1), Tsutomu Isobe (Mitaka)
- “The Elder”: Takaya Hashi (Tajin), Kenichi Ogata (The Elder), Yuichi Nakamura (Dan)
- “Lop & Ocho”: Seiran Kobayashi (Lop), Risa Shimizu (Ocho), Tadahisa Fujimura (Yasaburo),Taisuke Nakano (Imperial Officer)
- “Akakiri”: Yū Miyazaki (Tsubaki), Lynn (Misa), Chō (Senshuu), Wataru Takagi (Kamahachi),Yukari Nozawa (Masago)
The show will also include an English dub performed by some well-known names. Here’s that cast list:
- “The Duel”: Brian Tee (Ronin), Lucy Liu (Bandit Leader), Jaden Waldman (Village Chief)
- “Tatooine Rhapsody”: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Jay), Bobby Moynihan (Geezer), Temuera Morrison (BobaFett), Shelby Young (K-344), Marc Thompson (Lan)
- “The Twins”: Neil Patrick Harris (Karre), Alison Brie (Am), Jonathan Lipow (B-20N)
- “The Village Bride”: Karen Fukuhara (F), Nichole Sakura (Haru), Christopher Sean (Asu), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Valco), Andrew Kishino (Izuma), Stephanie Sheh (Saku)
- “The Ninth Jedi”: Kimiko Glenn (Kara), Andrew Kishino (Juro), Simu Liu (Zhima), Masi Oka (Ethan), Greg Chun (Roden), Neil Kaplan (Narrator), Michael Sinterniklaas (Hen Jin),
- “T0-B1”: Jaden Waldman (T0-B1), Kyle Chandler (Mitaka)
- “The Elder”: David Harbour (Tajin), Jordan Fisher (Dan), James Hong (The Elder)
- “Lop & Ocho”: Anna Cathcart (Lop), Hiromi Dames (Ocho), Paul Nakauchi (Yasaburo), Kyle McCarley (Imperial Officer)
- “Akakiri”: Henry Golding (Tsubaki), Jamie Chung (Misa), George Takei (Senshuu), Keone Young (Kamahachi), Lorraine Toussaint (Masago)
Here’s the trailer with the English dub actors:
Star Wars: Visions premieres on Sept. 24.
[Polygon]
