Star Wars: Visions Volume 3

Episode 1: Good to have this anthology back, even if it was pretty hit-or-miss, and nice in particular to see that it's following up stories from Volume 1. The Duel is easier in that regard since the story was pretty simple: former Sith going after other Sith. Visually, this is just as spectacular if not better than the first, particularly with how the antagonist moves. Story-wise, it's basically Afro Samurai with a bit of the "balance" of light and dark that typifies Star Wars thrown in. It's not bad in that respect, if a little inconsistent with the MC's MO up to now, but it ... works well enough and I like all the little details in the worldbuilding (like how this location is built on top of two decommissioned AT-ATs). 8/10.

Episode 2: I'll hand it to them, the CGI looks fluid and vibrant this episode (never heard of Project Studio Q, and it doesn't look like they've done much), even if those eyes on the lead are pretty unsettling. I feel this cribs a bit too much story-wise from The Mandalorian in particular with the cute, Force-wielding side-kick and makes the lead just a little too capable in the face of overwhelming danger, but the X-Wing armor was a nice touch. Still striking. 7/10.

Episode 3: The follow on to the best story of Volume 1, "The Ninth Jedi," is... honestly a bit underwhelming. It's a stop-over that doesn't thrive on intrigue in the way the first entry did and, while it's got a good mix of 2D and CGI, doesn't get to flex as much as the first did besides one fight. This is really a single character journey, and while her interactions are clearly designed to have her come to terms with her new powers and form a connection with a short-lived droid, that kind of character journey just didn't interest me much. It's setting up more than it delivers. 6.5/10.

Episode 4: Wit comes in with a well connected story and some clear character motivations (beyond the antagonist, who's just an asshole for money). Nice to see a story that stands alone and doesn't involve the force. I did find Ronny Chieng's robot personality a little grating (I'm not a hater, but Ronny's really better doing straight comedy or voicing for Scissor Seven), but a combination of good animation, stand-out music and a satisfying payoff elevate this a bit, even if it’s a bit predictable. 7.5/10.

Episode 5: My second favorite of the season. Much more local without these broader implications, there’s a real sense of this episode being more lived in, and it’s particularly apparent how well that works by the end with a solidly sweet and sad moment. The animation is more than decent and I love hearing Steve Buschemi’s voice out of the villain, just makes it work all the better. 8.5/10.

Episode 6: The follow-up to "The Village Bride" by Kinema Citrus, this was a pretty good episode from Volume 1 and the animation looks just as good this time around. This also brings in carbonite, which is being mined on the planet and that produces dust that freezes much of the life on the planet, and the plot uses that extra factor very well. There's some pretty nice touches regarding Empire propaganda, though they don't pan out to much. The inclusion of F's master is at least a cool idea, even if it is rushed and half-baked. It's nice to see that F herself has grown into someone who can face him, and that lightsaber clash on the field of red flowers at the end was glorious. CGI's only a little jank. It's a nice way to continue this story that doesn't quite live up to the arc of the first entry. 7.5/10.

Episode 7: I'd rather have seen more from the team behind "The Twins" (which featured so much of Trigger's incredible flair) than the one behind "The Elder" (which was pretty visually boring and one of the weakest entries in Volume 1), but here we are. This does look better from them, even if it's still pretty drab by comparison to the other episodes so far. Not a terribly interesting story and it feels pretty low stakes when it becomes clear they have a Jedi in their midst. Probably could have been more interesting if we'd gotten more insight into her background. A couple of decent chases raise this up a bit, but there's not a lot else to it. 6.5/10.

Episode 8: The CGI animation is pretty great throughout, as one would expect from the studio behind iDOLM@STER. This is one of the most visually striking episodes of the season, and while that carries it pretty well, it's also a relatively basic story about a padawan going through a journey to maturity, which is... fine. It's pretty tropey and its main source of action is a mirror match between the lead and all the parts of herself that she wants to reject, nothing special, even if it does have some decent introspection. Not a lot to work with otherwise, though hearing George Takei's voice was a delightful surprise. 7/10.

Episode 9: Easily the most inventive visual experience of the series, not just the season. This is a wild ride, and going back through the the art and animation directors' histories, you can see why: Kick-Heart, Ping Pong, Mind Game, Redline, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, and Lupin the 3rd Part IV are all on display in some way, shape or form in this thing. Couple that with some intense sound design and jazzy musical choices and this really does go hard. It's often impossible to follow through some scenes, but that's kind of the point. It's the insanity of battle in a Star Wars context, and the way this toys with perception and visuals, literally showing cuts through or of an eye as it goes, is just amazing. My favorite entry of the season. 8.5/10.