Star Wars: Visions — The Manga Anthology

by Kamome Shirahama, Keisuke Sato, Yusuke Osawa

Celebrate the mythos of Star Wars with this manga adaptation of the hit Disney+ series Star Visions !

The first series of Star Visions invited visionary Japanese anime studios to explore the Star Wars galaxy through their unique cultural lens. Now, top manga creators such as Kamome Shirahama and Yusuke Osawa bring those visions to life in manga form! Featuring the “The Elder,” “Lop and Ocho,” “The Ninth Jedi,” and “The Twins.”

Genres: Manga, Star Wars, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics

232 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Kamome Shirahama (白浜鴎) is a Japanese manga artist.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very easy five stars from me. I might be slightly biased as the four episodes chosen for this book were four of my favourite episodes from the Visions series. There were an easy adaption to Manga. I am pretty sure they were created with manga and anime in mind.

"The Elder." A master and padawan detect a disturbance in the Force. What or who could be causing it?

"Lop and Ochō." Families are more than just blood. Sibling rivalry with the fate of a planet in the balance.

"The ninth jedi." A desperate message is answered, and a new hope could be discovered. My one criticism is that the big reveal did not work as well in black and white.

"The Twins." Born of the dark side, for the dark side, but rebelling to find their own destiny.

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Acolyte has been so tremendous, it's reignited my Star Wars interest. So while I continue to process all that happened in that series, I checked out this manga adaptation of four of the anime shorts in the first set of Visions. This volume includes two of my favorites (The Ninth Jedi and The Twins) and two that I didn't have strong feelings about (The Elder and Lop & Ocho). The adaptations are just fine, but for me, the move from bright, vibrant colors to the black and white of manga felt disappointing. If the manga had added anything to the original anime, then that would be good; but instead, they're mostly just exact copies (with some scenes presented in a slightly different order in Lop & Ocho). I always hope that an adaptation will do something different or expand the original story (though what other books did to The Duel expanded the original story beyond recognition, so I guess there are limits), but that's not the case here. Still fun to revisit these shorts (Visions is one of my favorite things Disney has done with Star Wars, and I rewatched these four shorts after reading the manga versions), but not a book I'll return to.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I think I may have enjoyed reading these stories more than I did watching them. The art was very good and the action was captured beautifully. Solid adaptation overall.

[Parelion]

I still haven't watched the animated series, shame on me. Still, how cool is Star Wars when people are allowed to play with its unique themes and elements? Many of these stories feel like first chapters of a wider narrative, and I would like to see them developed more, but it was really refreshing! (Also, the art is beautiful)

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich kenn die Kurzsserie "Visions" leider noch nicht, aber mir gefielen die Kurzgeschichten aus dem Manga sehr. Diese haben nichts mit dem bekannten SW-Universum (Film und Serie) zu tun, sondern sind vollständig mit neuen Charakteren, die teilweise auch sehr japanisch angehaucht sind vom Setting. Mir gefielen alle sehr gut, und ich hätte sogar lieber mehrere Bände, wo die Geschichten weiter ausgearbeitet wären. Diese enden nämlich alle mit einem sehr offenen Ende.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.5

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Star Wars: Visions is a manga-style adaptation from Season 1 of the TV series of the same name. The concept for Visions is to create a whole new story in anime/manga style set to the premise and theme of Star Wars but without being actually in the same universe. The concept is great and allows the creators to let completely loose, though perhaps the output is still rather tame and predictable Star Wars.

This adaptation is faithful and even the art style is basically copied from the series. This is both great and bad - if you've already seen the TV series, there's not much new here. If you haven't then honestly you might still enjoy the TV series a bit more than this adaptation.

Stories: This volume collects four stories from the TV series (from the original 9 episodes), "The Elder", "Lop and Ocho", "The Ninth Jedi" and "The Twins". "The Elder" is the most traditional of these and could easily be dropped into the Star Wars universe as-is. "Lop and Ocho" feels like it could be a traditional manga, just with a Star Wars vibe. "The Ninth Jedi" is my favorite, having a bit of a 'whodunnit' vibe to it. Finally "The Twins" is a story of twins, one light and one dark, with crazy visuals.

Each story has its own art-style and as mentioned is very faithful to the original. I like them all, though weirdly "The Twins" , which is the most easily recognized as manga actually worked better animated.

I'm a big fan of Visions, and this collection does the concept and series justice. My only beef is that if you've seen the animated TV show, there's not much new here. Often a comic adaptation works nicely as it adds a new style or you have more time to process what is going on, but here I feel like the original work is so close to this adaptation that you might as well just rewatch the show. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Spayde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology delivers exactly what it promises a set of unique, beautifully illustrated Star Wars stories reimagined through the lens of some of Japan’s most talented and renowned mangaka. Each chapter offers its own distinct artistic style, yet all remain true to the spirit of the galaxy far, far away.

The narratives are concise and approachable, requiring no deep prior knowledge of Star Wars lore to enjoy, though long-time fans will spot familiar elements and appreciate the subtle new layers added. While a few twists can be anticipated, the blend of fresh ideas with iconic themes keeps the reading experience engaging.

Character work is familiar yet charming, drawing on recognizable archetypes but occasionally bending expectations most notably in one story that forgoes traditional “hero” and “villain” roles in favor of moral complexity.

Visually, the book shines. Each artist brings a unique vision, from intricate panel work to striking action sequences, making this a volume that would benefit greatly from a deluxe edition to truly showcase the art. The world-building seamlessly complements the established Star Wars universe, with only minor deviations in lore that may stand out to dedicated fans.

Overall, it’s a vibrant, high-quality manga anthology that blends the magic of Star Wars with the creative freedom of Japanese storytelling. A joy to read and one worth revisiting.

RATING: 4.5/5

[Ellyn → Allonsythornraxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

25/02/2025
3.25 ⭐️
Everyone in this anthology has amazing hair and I need to know all their secrets immediately. Also yay for manga short stories, this was really fun!

✨ 28/100 read for 100 Graphics in a Year Reading Challenge ✨ + also read for the graphicsathon 28 in 28 Feb 2025 challenge!

Letterboxd | Instagram | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Twitter | StoryGraph | Hoemance Book Club | Graphicsathon | Scoobathon

[Clifford Luebben · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a joy to revisit some of the Star Wars: Visions stories in manga format. The Elder is one of my favorite bits of Star Wars content ever, and the manga adaption captured the anime well. Lop & Ochō I enjoyed even more in manga format than I enjoyed the original anime short, so extra kudos to Hariuchi. I don’t think The Ninth Jedi worked as well in manga format, at least in part because color was a key part of the storytelling in the anime. Also something about the pacing. The artwork of the lightsaber handles was nice. The storytelling for THE TWINS I don’t think was as clear in the manga format; although it also wasn’t my favorite of Visions animes either.

Overall I walked away from each story feeling refreshed & happy. I would recommend this anthology to other lovers of the Star Wars: Visions series

[Ricard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vaig comprar el manga en veure les històries que contenia. No vaig ser molt fan del fet de l'antologia Visions perquè va ser molt irregular. Però aquests capítols inclosos aquí van ser els millors.
Sobretot destaco el del Anciano, que aquí és delicat (pq l'autora és de l'Atelier) i l'anime té un to més fosc i introspectiu (amb el voice acting de Jordan Fisher), i el de Lop i Ôcho em va semblar un bon homenatge a la inspiració japonesa del sintoisme i els samurais respecte al lore dels Jedis.
No desmereixo ni La Novena Jedi ni Los Gemelos. Em semblen molt bona narració curta i currada.
I el llibret manga us juro que té imatges molt impactants i igual de bones que l'animació. No es pot tenir en físic una peli, però si un llibre.
quedeu-vos amb això

[Hope M · Rating 5 out of 5]

While being an adaptation, it's still really fun to have as a Visions fan. Look, I like The Duel, but it's nice to have more with the other shorts too. "The Duel" can't be the favorite child all the time to have novels and comics and one shots every few months. There is new art in this book which was neat and some extra insight with the characters. Personally, I always want more of Dan and Tajin from The Elder, so this was perfect for me. It was worth the two year wait to come over to the states.

[Beastyos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would've preferred if they created new original stories or adapted scrapped one's or whatever, but I guess you can't go wrong with adapting peak.

They chose a fine selection of stories, although I wouldn't have gone with Lop and Ochō as it wasn't really that incredible in the show, but the other 3 were some of my favourites, and I saw were because I surprisingly think Lop and Ochō is one of the strongest one's here. It was improved tenfold from the show, whilst THE TWINS was ten times worse than the show, and the other 2 were just as good.

[Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the adaptations of these shorts didn't add or change the story, they did help me to enjoy a couple of the shorts more. I wasn't a huge fan of the Elder or Lop & Ocho when they initially aired, but I did enjoy the manga versions. If you liked the shorts and enjoy manga, you could check this out, otherwise, it doesn't add anything new.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology contained some of my favorite episodes from the first season of Visions. I hope they make a second one from season two because there are a few episodes from that I'd love to see as manga.

[Will Plunkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

In debating between a 4- or a 3-star rating, the qualities in the fourth story that put it over the top were onomatopoeia like "grip" and "glare." Wonderful! As typical of the genre, plenty of action and dramatic dialogue.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

The elder by Kamone Shirahama
Art- ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Story- ⭐⭐
Writing- ⭐⭐

Lop & Ochō by Haruichi
Art- ⭐⭐⭐
Story- ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Writing- ⭐⭐⭐

The Ninth Jedi by Yusuke Osawa
Art- ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
Story- ⭐ ⭐
Writing- ⭐ ⭐

The Twins by Keisuke Sato
Art- ⭐ 1/2
Story- ⭐ ⭐
Writing- ⭐⭐⭐

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I am not a fan of Star Wars or manga but both my husband and child are. They both read this book and gave it 4 stars. It was a good adaptation of the animated series.

[Raul Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably like the Visions shorts more than most, so I really enjoyed this companion Manga collection. My only gripe is that it only adapts four of the season one episodes. I hope they continue to adapt the rest of the first season and the second.

My rating: 4 Stars

[Jesse Bartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Further proof that Star Wars needs an honest-to-god anime that is canonical.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

great way to revisit the Star Wars Visions stories, but I wish there had been a bit more added content to take advantage of the manga medium and flesh the stories out.

[Adam Sequoyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

MPA ratings: PG for violence and for brief mild language

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult to rate, greatly enjoyed this on Disney+ and they adapt it well, though the Ninth Jedi naturally suffers from being in black and white, which if you’ve seen the episode, you’ll understand.

[mykittyquest17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Nav · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect length to dip your toes in the Star Wars universe without using favorite characters or recognizable locations. Though you do need SW knowledge to follow along.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good as adaptations. I can't say I like the last story, about the Dark Side twins, very much.

[Braden Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this stories animated and it was fun to experience them in a new way!

[Allen Baird · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. But the stories have been slightly shortened to fit the manga format. And some of the art doesn't quite transfer from the show. My advice is just watch Visions.

[R. L. Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda meh

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was AWESOME! I loved seeing more work from the Manga artist who does Witch Hat Atelier. All four chapters are beautifully done. I thoroughly enjoyed this jaunt into the Star Wars universe.