On Episode 4 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Cody Ziglar have the high ground when talking about three incredible shorts in Disney+’s Star Wars: Visions (dropping 9/22)! In Previously On (1:26)… they go bananas (better than flinging their feces, right?) for the trailer of Hulu’s upcoming Hit-Monkey series as well as recap the latest episode of What If…? and predict what’s coming next. Then in The Airlock (17:09) Jason and Cody dive deep (deeeeep) on three shorts from Star Wars: Visions: “The Duel” (Kamikaze Douga), “Tatooine Rhapsody” (Studio Colorido), and “The Twins” (Studio TRIGGER). Next, Jason cracks open The Omnibus (42:23) to explore the life and work of visionary director Akira Kurosawa and his prominent influence on the Star Wars universe. In The Hive Mind (1:00:34), Jason, Cody, and writer Alicia Lutes question whether Star Wars needs cinema when it has such good serialized storytelling in Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, and more. Finally, in today’s Endgame (1:19:57 )Jason & co. award their Medals of Yavin to the best characters from these three Visions shorts. Who was your favorite? Use #XRVEndgame to let us know!

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Introducing… The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision, including the properties name-dropped in the episode!

Hit-Monkey #1 and especially Deadpool #19-21, which features a Spider-Man/Merc with a Mouth team-up.
Basilisk, the anime series based on the manga of the same name by Masaki Segawa. The 24 episode first season is on Hulu & Funimation; a second series produced in 2018 set ten years later is not.
Sword of the Stranger (2007) is an anime film produced by Bones. Available on Funimation.
RoboTech, a US-produced series broadcast on Harmony Gold that spooled together stories from three unrelated mecha anime series.
Toonami, is an Adult Swim programming block started way back in 1997 on Cartoon Network that primarily airs anime.
Kill la Kill, an anime series produced by TRIGGER and showcasing their frenetic, fast-paced style. Available on Netflix, Hulu, or Crunchyroll.
Promare, a 2019 mecha (i.e. robots) anime film co-produced by TRIGGER that showcases more of that same style. Available on HBOMax or to rent on iTunes or Amazon.
The Hidden Fortress (1958), directed by Akira Kurosawa. Available on HBOMax, Criterion Channel, & Kanopy.
George Lucas: A Biography by John Baxter.
The Making of Star Wars by JW Rinzler.
Rashomon (1950), directed by Akira Kurosawa. Available on Criterion Channel, HBOMax, Kanopy & to rent on Amazon or iTunes.
The Simpsons, “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” (season 10, ep. 23). Available on Disney+.
Yojimbo (1961), Sanjuro (1962), Kagemusha (1980), Ran (1985), and Dreams (1990), all directed by Akira Kurosawa, the inspiration for Sergio Leone & Clint Eastwood. Available on Criterion Channel, HBOMax, & Kanopy.
Wolverine, written by Chris Claremont with art by Frank Miller and first published in 1982. The 4-issue arc covers Wolverine’s engagement to Mariko Yashida.
The Asian Influence on Hollywood Action Films (2008), by Barna William Donovan.
Astro Boy, known as Atom in Japan, an iconic character of manga and anime, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1951. The character has been featured in video games, TV, and film.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, if you’re listening to this right now, you probably already know it, but, if you don’t, check it out! Available on Disney+.

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