[7.7/10] The score for this one really put it over the top. I have to admit, at a certain point early on, I wasn’t feeling this. I was intrigued by the seeming master and padawan characters, but watching some generic young lovers march up a hill wasn’t really my speed.
But then the music kicked in, and I don't know. I got it. It clicked for me. There’s something very ethereal about it, and it helps set the right almost meditative tone for this. Here are a group of people, not Jedis, who are nonetheless in tune with nature and their planet in a way that befits the Force. The way that inspires what’s implied to be a padawan who survived The Jedi Purge and has been wandering ever since to take up the fight once more has weight and meaning. She sees people suffering, a wrong that needs to be righted, and with the nudging of her wry mentor (as befits Star Wars), she joins the fray.
The main character reminded me of Ahsoka in the novel that bears her name. She hides out in a far flung place, comes to know a people as she means to remain anonymous, and accepts her training and spirit when she sees them suffer injustice. There’s power in the protagonist as a “traveler” and outsider to this community, learning that they’re worth sticking your neck out for, and using her Jedi abilities to stop an oppressor.
I also appreciate how much “The Village Bride” leaves to implication and speculation. This episode is remarkably lacking in exposition for a Star Wars tale. Beyond the explanation that this place was gutted by the Separatists and taken over by raiders during The Clone Wars, there’s remarkably little direct explanation for who the major characters are, what their relationship is, and how they got here. The writers expect the audience to be smart enough to catch on thanks to context and feel, and they succeed on that front.
There’s an elemental quality to this one. We understand the archetypal nature of the conflict. Villainous outlaws turn the screws on a gentle people. Most of the population wants to accommodate and sacrifice to keep one another safe, while a smaller band is fed up enough to want to fight back. A conflicted hero cannot stand the unfairness of the situation and finally intervenes in impressive fashion. We don’t need to know the exact details here, because the broad strokes reach our hearts and minds well enough on their own.
Visually, this one is a bit of a mixed bag. The regular human character designs have that generic anime look that, candidly, always kind of takes me out of the moment. Likewise, the short’s dodgy integration of 2D and 3D elements is a touch jarring. But when the characters are masked, or the shots are focused on aliens, or we just get to enjoy the scenic beauty or striking action at play, this one can still hold your attention with its imagery alone.
Overall, this is one of the more somber and spiritual episode of Star Wars: Visions so far, and it’s neat as an affecting story with a more measured tone.
It's so darn peaceful. The music is soothing, and the connection the village has with nature, while mysterious, is not too dissimilar to a Jedi's connection with the Force. It does a good job of telling you what you need to know, and letting you fill in the gaps for yourself. Heck, the main character doesn't even have a name, and that's pretty cool.
Gives me Studio Ghibli vibes. Very well done!
Absolutely amazing episode. The best episode yet. Brought tears to my eyes. It had 2 strong visual moments that I loved.
Spoiler. The Battle Droids dropping down and the look on the warlord combined with the music gave a very sinister feeling. Never thought it's possible to fear the Battle Droids. Later they were back to their comedic routine which was unfortunate.
The Jedi strike was absolutely amazing. You just hear the swoosh of the saber and never see any movements, not even a blurry thing or a ghost movement. Later the warlord realizes what has happened. I want to see that in a movie. The Jedi strike without you seeing anything.
I have no idea why that episode made me so emotional. Some Studio Ghibli vibes. The soundtrack was beautiful. All the nature aspects fit really well into Star Wars. Very cool ending. I would love to see more of this character
Cool mix up with the more anime-ish style. Cool concept of the twins. But it was just okay. Never really grabbed me? Felt a little silly at times which would be fine normally, but it didn’t feel like that was exactly what they were going for in those moments. Some weird dialogue at times too. All in all, I’m glad they are experimenting with this series.
Ethereal goodness; Star Wars at it's most meditative, slow, and thoughtful, and therefore at it's absolute best. The franchise has always been at it's strongest exploring big ideas and The Village Bride starts slowly, easing us into the world and it's characters at much more calm pace then prior shorts in this series. And yet, because of that, the atmosphere and environment becomes a character into itself - what is essentially a story similar to The Duel becomes something completely different. While that story was a bite-sized Kurosawa tribute, this is a exploration of our relationship to nature, spirituality, and the living, and it's all aided by always amazing Kevin Penkin's incredible score.
I also really love how our lead Jedi, F, is characterized. So many Star Wars thing focus on the big lightsaber battles which yes, are fun, but F only draws her blade once throughout the entire runtime and only ever uses it to save somebody and then puts it away. The serene grace of how it's portrayed is unlike the rest of the series with maybe the exception of Obi-Wan vs. Maul from Rebels, which is high praise. A stellar short.
This episode was very beautiful. In such a short time, we were able to see the village traditions and the marriage journey up the mountain. It was interesting to see all the emotions in the episode, and when the climax came, we got to see the MC do what she felt was best. The music definitely made the episode better and pieced together the entire aesthetic. Even though the fight was short, it was epic and very cool. Once I realized that the Japanese cast in the episode was good too, I rewatched this is Japanese and it made me teary for how perfect it felt. Never thought I'd see Star Wars like this.
That was really gripping and emotional. I'd give full credit to the artist, writer and director for making me care for characters within the span of such a short episode.
The music was amazing in creating the whole atmosphere nessessary. Like the first episode, this one I'd wish to be longer.
The episode really excels in the soundtrack, really brings the classic, fantastical Yuki Kanno feel. The simple flat visuals helps in creating that mystical anime feel. The two match perfectly with the local community theme going on. I like that that the episode depicts the world of Star Wars as a plural one. Not everyone follows the religion of the Force-sensitive; some who do may have their own religion, and here it's called as Magina. Very fascinating. Great world-building.
However the episode suffers from the same issue like most episodes so far. Simple storytelling, and dumb villains. Kinda disappointing seeing battledroids as yet another parody. Too focused on the role of the Jedi as well. Wish they had focused on the Magina believers more.
The score in this episode is just beautiful and the direction, specially during the face-off is excellent.
God, the music was absolutely tear-inducing. So freaking beautiful.
A better episode. Wish Disney+ would do an English subtitle track that doesn’t have audio description included
The best one yet. The animation, the cast, and the story are the most unified they've been, and the vibes are immaculate. And the music... It just got to me.
This episode had the best music by far. A very emotional story
It's refreshing to see a different side of Star Wars. A little imperfect with the dialogue but the view we get into a new culture and characters more than makes up for it.
Shout by Oel HardradaBlockedParent2021-09-22T16:54:20Z
This was really similar to The Last Jedi