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Anime enthusiasts might unknowingly be familiar with the remarkable work of Shinya Ohira, a master animator whose impact on the industry is profound. Rising to prominence in the 1980s, Ohira honed his craft with realistic effects in iconic productions such as “Akira” and “Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack.” Over time, he developed a distinctive, sketchy, and hyper-fluid surrealistic style that has become his signature. As one of Hayao Miyazaki’s go-to animators, Ohira’s genius is evident in memorable scenes like the boiler room sequence in “Spirited Away,” Howl’s magical transformation in “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and his stylistic peak in the fiery bombings of “The Boy and the Heron.”
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Though primarily associated with movies and original video animations (OVAs), Ohira occasionally lends his talents to television anime, but only for projects of exceptional significance. Notable contributions include the dazzling Gear 5 power-up in episode 1072 of “One Piece” and several thrilling action sequences in Netflix’s well-received animated adaptation of Naoki Urasawa’s “Astro Boy” reboot, “Pluto.”
While directing is not a frequent pursuit for Ohira, his four decades of experience as one of Japan’s leading animators ensure that any scene he oversees becomes a standout feature. One such instance is “BLACK,” the final episode of the third season of “Star Wars: Visions.” Directed by Ohira, this episode stands as the most daring and intriguing 13 minutes in the “Visions” anthology to date.
Compared to its predecessors, “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 3 adopts a more conservative approach, with a significant portion of the episodes serving as direct sequels to popular Volume 1 installments. The new narratives lack the stylistic diversity seen in earlier volumes, resulting in an offering that, while enjoyable, fails to deliver anything groundbreaking—except for the episode “BLACK.”
“BLACK” reimagines one of the most legendary moments in “Star Wars” lore—the Death Star’s destruction—through a novel lens. Ohira presents this event from the viewpoint of a Stormtrooper (or perhaps two) undergoing a hallucinatory crisis at death’s door. The narrative follows two figures, one red and one green, with identical faces that ultimately converge, symbolizing the dual nature of a single psyche. As they battle, morphing into monstrous forms, the environment transforms fantastically; walls sprout eyes, explosions morph into galaxies, and fleeting memories surface. The absence of dialogue is compensated by a dynamic soundscape of buoyant jazz and distorted effects, creating an otherworldly experience.
Shinya Ohira brings a distinctive style to Star Wars
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For the most part, “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 3 plays things safe compared to the first two volumes. A third of the episodes are direct sequels to fan favorite Volume 1 episodes, and the new stories don’t have as much stylistic variety. It’s better-than-average “Star Wars” fare, but nothing particularly special — except for “BLACK.”
“BLACK” revisits one of the most iconic scenes in all of “Star Wars” — the destruction of the Death Star — but Shinya Ohira gives it a fresh perspective through the eyes of a Stormtrooper (or is that two Stormtroopers?) experiencing a psychedelic breakdown on the verge of death. A red figure and a green figure with identical faces — who appear to merge in the final shot, seemingly two sides of the same psyche — fight each other, sometimes becoming monstrous figures, as the walls grow eyes, explosions become galaxies, and glimpses of the past flash before their eyes. There’s no dialogue, only buoyant jazz and distorted sound effects.
Ohira’s “Star Wars” episode isn’t his first time lending his artistry to a popular American IP: his work on Shinichiro Watanabe’s “The Animatrix” segment “Kid Story,” Watanabe’s later short film “Blade Runner Blackout 2022,” and the animated segment of “Kill Bill Vol. 1” (which has been extended for “The Whole Bloody Affair” release) were many Westerners’ introductions to the artier side of anime. If George Lucas ever made good on his promise of returning to experimental filmmaking, it might look something like “BLACK” — except the only person who could make something that literally looks like this is Shinya Ohira.
