For all the missteps in Disney’s approach to Star Wars since purchasing the IP from George Lucas, there’s one aspect to the business they’ve gotten right: the manga adaptations. Heavily influenced by Japanese culture and film, Star Wars is a property that fits like a (black, L-hand 980 prosthetic covering) glove in the anime and manga world, and Disney has been selective in how it’s adapted and by whom, resulting in releases that run the short spectrum from “good” to “awesome.” This most recent one, an adaptation of four of the shorts from the first season of Star Wars: Visions, continues to show how well the images and stories from that universe fit into the manga medium—though because of inconsistency, both with the original material and this adaptation, it falls slightly toward the lesser end of the scale when it comes to the Star Wars manga releases.
The stories selected for adaptation in Star Wars: Visions: The Manga Anthology are not entirely those I would have picked; they’re a mixed bag, adaptations of two of the stronger shorts (The Ninth Jedi, The Elder) and two of the weaker ones (Lop & Ocho, THE TWINS). It’s no surprise, then, that the latter result is middle-of-the-road manga, while the former are turned into very strong adaptations.
The biggest surprise, actually, is that The Elder makes for a manga that’s more than good—it’s excellent. The original short is full of tension and features a scene of frightening action, recalling dark moments from The Phantom Menace and Return of the Sith, but overall the story is more of a thoughtful introspection on the nature of the Jedi and the relationship between master and padawan. But in the hands of celebrated mangaka Kamome Shirahama (Witch Hat Atelier), the story is more lively and interesting than the already strong source material.
Also well done is The Ninth Jedi, based on the short that is most tailor-made for Disney to adapt into a series. The short and manga both introduce a host of characters—a young, plucky heroine; a wise, older master; a complicated but kind team member; and a pure-of-heart young man—who fit the mold for both the Star Wars universe and shonen manga. The end of the one-shot practically begs Disney to turn this into a fuller series (which, based on how virtually all the stories of the original shorts go, seems to have been the marching orders originally given to the anime studios). Alas, to my disappointment and surely many others, a full series doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
The other two adaptations sparkle, but have major issues weighing them down. Both, coincidentally, deal with siblings that each turn to opposite sides of the force. In Lop & Ocho, an adopted bunny girl (this is the most anime thing of all about Star Wars: Visions!) is forced to come to blows with her sister, whose conflict with their father about what’s best for their clan and world leads her to the dark side. The story is far too rushed, though that’s not unusual for a one-shot; this story could be compelling if laid out over many chapters and volumes. THE TWINS, however, is dead on arrival; the original is a Studio Trigger spectacle without even the most minimal depth expected out of Star Wars. The manga, unfortunately, cannot replicate the awesome visuals of Studio Trigger, resulting in a story that features both confusing action panels and a weak story.
Even so, THE TWINS and Lop & Ocho are at least fun and creative. Despite considerable issues, they still stir that “long ago and far away” nostalgia in me. All the more so, of course, for The Ninth Jedi and The Elder. The feelings of delightment cover any sins in the adaptations, and fans of Star Wars and manga will find this anthology to be delightful. In fact, the reader will likely be left with just one enduring disappointment—the acceptance that the stories in Star Wars: Visions, in both anime and manga form, will forever be one-shots, never fully realized into complete series. Oh, what could have been!
Star Wars: Visions: The Manga Anthology is published by VIZ Media.
