Who knew that all it would take to make me truly love Star Wars again would be a short, 14 minute experimental samurai story? The Duel is phenomenal on pretty much every front, particularly from a visual stand point. The franchise has always owed a lot to Kurosawa films and old school samurai dramas, and this takes it to the literal apex of that degree. It's a simple a story you can get with these things - a Ronin walks into a village and must defend it from bandits - but it's told so effortlessly and confidently, and with it's black and white animation and cinematography just simply popping. Kamikaze Douga, whose work is mainly in that of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure openings, showcase their chops here for striking cuts, incredible single shot work, and some insanely choreography.
And yes, as a hardcore anime fan who also happens to be a massive Star Wars nerd, it's just fantastic to see this universe rendered this way and with such love and care. If anything, this shows that Star Wars Visions is likely the best thing to happen to Star Wars since The Last Jedi back in 2017, which is saying something. Just incredible.
Review by LegionWrexBlockedParent2021-12-17T20:28:14Z
Who knew that all it would take to make me truly love Star Wars again would be a short, 14 minute experimental samurai story? The Duel is phenomenal on pretty much every front, particularly from a visual stand point. The franchise has always owed a lot to Kurosawa films and old school samurai dramas, and this takes it to the literal apex of that degree. It's a simple a story you can get with these things - a Ronin walks into a village and must defend it from bandits - but it's told so effortlessly and confidently, and with it's black and white animation and cinematography just simply popping. Kamikaze Douga, whose work is mainly in that of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure openings, showcase their chops here for striking cuts, incredible single shot work, and some insanely choreography.
And yes, as a hardcore anime fan who also happens to be a massive Star Wars nerd, it's just fantastic to see this universe rendered this way and with such love and care. If anything, this shows that Star Wars Visions is likely the best thing to happen to Star Wars since The Last Jedi back in 2017, which is saying something. Just incredible.