#the visions I'm getting from this are kind of ghibli-esque

[canisalbus]

i imagine Modern Vasco and Machete quitting their jobs and eventually owning and running a bakery so they could make sweet rolls for each other and cakes like it's their birthday/anniversary everyday

.

[wheatbeats]

I did this last time and it got a couple notes, so why not again? Here's my ranking for all the shorts from Star Wars Visions: Volume 2.

Screecher's Reach - holy shit. Holy shit. I knew I would like this one going in because Cartoon Saloon owns my ass, but I never thought I'd see animated Star Wars horror. This one was genuinely creepy and seeing such a poor character fall victim to the lies of the Sith was heartbreaking, and unique for Star Wars content. I loved this short.

Aau's Song - I know the phrase "Ghibli-esque" gets thrown around annoyingly often, but I feel like it actually applies here. The gorgeous natural vistas, the emphasis on the nobility of simple work, a loving family dynamic, the power of a child and the magic of love, it's all here. The character designs are lovely, the music is moving, and I love the vocal performances too. This one is really close to the #1 spot.

The Spy Dancer - I somehow forgot that Studio La Cachette has been responsible for some of the most astounding animation of the past couple years, but oh my god did this short make me remember. Not only is the animation gorgeous, but the characters are so vividly portrayed in such a short amount of time, and it weaves a compelling story completely separate from the lore of the Jedi and the Sith. I'd love more Star Wars content like this.

Sith - the visuals of the painted world in this one are maybe some of the most out-there, artistically, in this whole bunch, and I appreciate such a strong vision. I feel like tumblr is gonna have the hots for our former-Sith protagonist, but I'm always a sucker for droids who are Just a Little Guy.

In the Stars - I love Lilo & Stitch in space. The visuals walk the line where I'm not 100% convinced whether they were cgi or stop-motion, but either way they're extremely impressive. I personally don't vibe with the character archetype that Kichina embodies, but I like her dynamic with Koten, and the arc they go through is pretty rock-solid.

The Bandits of Golak - I have mixed feelings about this one. I like the clear Clone Wars influence in the character designs, and the action staging is pretty great. I also love the sheer Bollywood energy that the Inquisitor brings; I'd love to see more Star Wars villains with this kind of energy instead of more blandly evil bureaucrats. That said, the character models are kind of stiff (especially in the human faces), and Rani is just... so annoying. Chanuk is a good boy, though.

I Am Your Mother - I'm kind of shocked that Aardman even decided to do a short for this volume, but I'm not complaining. When you get Aardman on board you expect a certain tone, and this doesn't disappoint. It's not nearly as funny as Aardman's best work, but it's still a good time and a nice balance with the darker shorts like Screecher's Reach.

The Pit - I really respect this studio and it's unique circumstances, but I feel like this short was missing something. Putting aside the animation, which looked great in still shots but didn't move super well, I feel like this short has nothing that ties it to Star Wars. The stormtroopers could have been any evil army, the kyber crystals could have just been gold or diamonds, the pit itself could have just been on Earth. This short has a good story to tell, but it makes absolutely zero relevant use of Star Wars lore.

Journey to the Dark Head - I'm sad to put the Studio Mir short on the bottom, but here we are. Mir still delivers on some astounding individual cuts of animation that live up to their lauded work on The Legend of Korra and Voltron: Legendary Defender, but I feel like overall the direction of this short was a little chaotic and confused, and the thrills didn't last for more than a few moments each. Moreover, the plot barely made any sense, and failed to sell a convincing story even using a longer runtime than any other short this volume. And I'm sorry, Eugene Lee Yang; I'm happy to see you here, but it just wasn't a very good performance.