Star Wars Visions Volume 2 has brought together stories from 10 countries to tell stories from across the Star Wars galaxy. In Star Wars Visions Volume 2 Episode 5, “Journey to the Dark Head,” audiences see the most action-heavy short of the season. They are also shown that light and darkness, despair and hope, all come together regardless of which one we feel is dominating at any given time. The short is directed by Park Hyeong-geun and written by Chung Se-rang.

Animated by South Korean Studio Mir, “Journey to the Dark Head” showcases the studio’s skill in fight animation, use of light, and, ultimately, telling stories. As the longest short of the bunch, Star Wars Visions Volume 2 Episode 5 is also one of the strongest in the anthology series. Able to balance action with thoughtful lessons about life and living, Studio Mir has struck gold. The short follows Ara (Jang Ye-na), a member of a people tasked with recording the stories of fleeting prophetic visions shown in the stones of their home in a hidden temple far in the Outer Rim. When Ara learns about the rising power of the Sith, she wants to warn the Jedi to protect them from the darkness. But as record keepers, her role is to simply record what happens, not change it

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The use of traditional Korean instruments in the climactic battle creates a fascinating and fast-paced sequence that comes to life like nothing that’s been done before. While the choice to make the dialogue all be Korean is one element of highlighting Studio Mir’s Korean background, it’s the music that really highlights the absolute importance of allowing each country to fill their short in this anthology with their culture. You can hear hourglass drums, cymbals, rattle bells, and the taepyeongso in the most dramatic moments, which then how the music morphs into more the strings we have come to connect with a lightsaber battle brings something beautiful to the “Journey to the Dark Head.” Jang Young-gyu and Lee Byung-hoon’s music in this short completes the immersive story.

Studio Mir isn’t a studio without notoriety, having worked with Netflix on titles like Voltron, Kipo and the Wonderbeasts, and DOTA: Dragon’s Blood. The studio is also behind the iconic The Legend of Korra series. That said, to see the series produce a short in Korean and featuring Korean instruments feels like an accomplishment that centers their culture in animation.

The reason it feels so important? Because outside of Lookism, most of their catalog animates English-speaking properties. Beyond that, much of the outsourced animation for many Netflix animated projects and anime goes to the talented folks at Korean animation studios. Still, Korean studios rarely get the recognition they deserve. But here, in Star Wars Visions Volume 2, they get the chance to thrive at the center of the story and to do it in their language with Episode 5.

“Journey to the Dark Head” is the longest of the shorts in the Star Wars Visions 2 anthology, but as episode 5 and the halfway point, I wanted to stay in it. I could take a whole series, a whole film, I want to see more of what Studio Mir can do in the franchise. Studio Mir has crafted an 18-minute story that builds emotion and action in equal measure, capturing the beauty and heart in an intense action sequence.

https://butwhytho.net/2023/05/star-wars-visions-volume-2-episode-5-review/

Kate Sánchez May 4, 2023