1) Polygon Picture's 'The Bird of Paradise' takes my top spot. Every aspect of this short, from art direction to dialog, is in service of the story’s through-line: acceptance. The way that Nakime's blindness was animated was absolutely stunning and I was left in awe by the end. F*cking brilliant.

2) I can honestly say that 'Black' left me speechless. Directed by the legendary animator Ohira-sensei, this thing is equal to 'Andor' in terms of the level of high art that Star Wars fans certainly DO NOT DESERVE but sometimes get. You have to experience it for yourself. Words can't do it justice.

3) Kinema Citrus is back with 'The Lost Ones' and it's just as deliberate and poignant as their last outing. F continues to be the best representation of what a Jedi can be. I love the way she's written. Kevin Penkin returns as composer and the first time F's theme kicked in I damn near cried. 10/10

4) 'The Duel: Payback' was an action-packed blast and you could really tell that Kamikaze Douga wanted to go all out this time. I'm very happy to report that nothing contradicted Emma Candon's 'Ronin' novel (which you should all go read imo). Good shit all in all. Lightsaber go brrrr etc etc.

5) This is the point in my list where these shorts become straight bangers from here on out. Wit Studio's 'The Bounty Hunters' was so much fun and I loved the story, the stakes, and the main duo. Also the credits song is a BOP. Ringo Sheena out here singing her heart out! We love a gay ass pop song.

6) Full of funky music, dazzling colors, and a really cool magical girl transformation sequence, Project Studio Q's 'A Song of Four Wings' did not disappoint. The story introduced a cute little alien that I'm surprised isn't already being sold as a plushy somewhere. 8/10. A fun Star War.

7) Otsuka-sensei is back again with 'The Smuggler', and much like his first short 'The Elder', this one is…fine. I did enjoy the characters though, especially femme space-twink Prince Arluu. I'd have just liked to see studio Trigger have a bit more to say about imperial subjugation, but alas.

8) 'Yuko's Treasure' is probably the short I have the least to say about. It's a simple little story about found family but, compared with the other shorts on offer this volume, it doesn't do enough to be memorable. Billy (the bear-bot) is very cute though and I enjoyed his relationship with Yuko.

9) 'Child of Hope' was so disappointing. When 'The Ninth Jedi' spinoff series got announced at SWCJ this year, I was beyond excited! But this? Inconsistent animation quality, poorly implemented 3D assets, and paper thin plot and character work? I still can't believe it. At least Teto was cute.

I finished #StarWarsVisions Vol. 3 and I gotta say I'm a bit mixed on a few shorts this go-round. This is the first time that 'Visions' as a whole has felt like a legacy project, which is a weird feeling for me, but I enjoyed this volume overall. Here's my ranking from least favorite to favorite:

I’m personally already obsessed with Kara’s cute new droid friend. 🥹