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This year, the celebrated anthology show made a comeback with a fresh set of installments of spectacular sci-fi adventures taking place in the iconic universe, and also continuing a number of the most compelling storylines from its first season.

For many fans, this series beautifully conveys the unique appeal of the saga so remarkable: how each fan experiences its story in varied perspectives. For this reason, one particular 3D-animated short instantly stood out, presenting the tale of a hot-headed Jedi Padawan who is rendered sightless in battle and must endure a series of moral tests to conquer the temptation of the shadowy force.

The plot takes inspiration from ancient Japanese lore, featuring the main character exploring a dreamlike realm of the world as interpreted through her inner energy, giving the story a breathtaking and original visual style.

Behind the Scenes

While the creative team had worked before in another digital project, the filmmaker clarified that zero the team members contributed to the two productions.

Although I remained aware of incorporating multiple components from the rich background of the franchise in a figurative style, we chose instead to realize an innovative approach worthy of the anthology,” he noted.

Creative Sparks

When asked about the breathtaking and gorgeous visuals, the director shared that the main theme of the cinematic style was “to visualize the Force as an picture.” Moreover, he aimed the art to be not simply a artistic element or attractiveness, but to act as a narrative tool that would bolster the plot and clearly convey the heroine’s emotions.

Additionally, he decided to portray all fantastical occurrences by blending the plot’s characteristics with the idea of Midi-chlorians, showing them as “aggregations of minute particles and non-living material”, encompassing the subtle, fading scenes of a unseen dimension.

In addition, the team came up with the concept of depicting these aspects on the screen as artistic masterpieces as opposed to standard VFX shots. How the energy shows itself and the world seen through it shifts in response to the heroine’s mental condition.

In depicting the diverse dreamlike dimensions that progress day by day within this plot, and to express the exceptional craftsmanship and elegance they contain, the team found significant ideas from master paintings all over the world.

Creating the Figures

The cast in this narrative were inspired by old Nippon stories and ancient lore. In the case of the antagonist, the designers chose “Amanosagume”, a figure from Japanese mythology believed to be the source of the mischievous demon that features in numerous folktales.

Her nature fit perfectly with the function of the dark side user in this narrative. Developing this thought, the designers chose to merge the culture and species of the galactic setting with a Japanese “Amanosagume” design.

The art director developed further the concept of the “Oni”, the mythic figures commonly recognized in Nippon tales. Regarding intricate aspects, he incorporated elements such as villainous ink mixed with “Kabuki makeup” and dramatic lines.

From a Western perspective, he additionally included themes of the clown figure and skulls symbolizing death, along with elements drawn from Eastern spiritual practices.

Moral Layers

When questioned about the story’s sometimes spiritually resonant tone, the director stated that even though some parts were inspired by traditional legends and mythic lore as sources of ideas, he did not aim to use them as holy writings or as a belief system for this world.

The franchise already possesses its own culture and ideology through the Force-users, and he didn’t want this episode to favor any particular moral stance.

When writing the plot, he based his storytelling on an acclaimed archetypal structure. He chose to concentrate especially on the ancient “animism” that has flourished throughout Japan from ancient times, and aimed to examine the commonalities and universality shared among mythologies and belief systems across the world.

Using that framework, instead of basing the story in a particular religion such as Eastern spirituality, his goal was to create something perfectly suited for the fictional universe; something that represents the universal and primordial values present in the intersection of diverse traditions and human histories.

Regarding the writings that feature in the short, he used overlapping ideas from inspirations such as ancient scriptures, Japanese mythology, the Five Elements, the inner temptations, and the Seven Deadly Sins. The language was purposely composed from a highly elevated, almost mythic viewpoint, watching a solitary character from a universal standpoint, so the lines would inherently convey her psychological journey.

Future Possibilities

In discussing the chance for a follow-up, the filmmaker explained that he possesses a vague idea if the journey moved forward. It wouldn’t be the main character regaining her sight, but more about exploring the contrast between her, who exists through sensing and connecting with the reality through her inner self under a {unique set of rules|