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[Nirolak]

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MF2VFgCUSk

Summary:

• Disney announced a new series of 16 animated shorts with an accompanying toy line.
• The shorts star Leia Organa, Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, Rey and Jyn Erso. Each character is voiced by their original voice actor from their cartoon (Clone Wars, Rebels) or movie (Episode VII), except for Leia (who is now voiced by Shelby Young). This is also true for supporting characters like Hera, Finn, Anakin, and Maz.
• These are canon stories that fill in extra storylines about each of the characters. Maz narrates each of them.
• One example is ”Beasts of Echo Base", which is "about Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO that takes place on Hoth before the events of The Empire Strikes Back".
• Another is ”Tracker Trouble", which "shows that while Han, Chewbacca, Rey and Finn were traveling to Maz Kanata's castle on the Millennium Falcon, they had a major obstacle to deal with thanks to a tracker left by Unkar Plutt".
• These shorts will be available for free on YouTube.
• They are also starting a book line which will first adapt the shorts, and then continue from there.
• Hasbro is releasing a new collection of "Adventure Figures", which are essentially a hybrid of a doll and an action figure. More specifically, they "aim to blend the qualities of traditional dolls (11-inch height, rooted hair, changeable outfits) with old-school action figures (weapon accessories, battle attacks)". Before you get disappointed, I suspect most of you will not like how these look.
• Hasbro is also making a purple lightsaber and Rey's staff.
• There will also be a clothing line eventually.
• As is presumably self evident, the primary target audience here is younger girls, though they're hoping to make the shorts in a way that appeal to a broad range of audiences, ranging from people who have seen nothing of Star Wars, to people who know literally everything about Star Wars.

Source 1: http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04...mated-shorts-and-toy-line-launching-this-year
Source 2: http://ew.com/movies/2017/04/13/star-wars-female-heroes-forces-of-destiny-stories/

The shorts and book covers:

Toys:

 

[AndersK]

Star Wars continually triggering MRA'S.

I'm loving it.

 

[SpaceWolf]

Star Wars continually triggering MRA'S.

I'm loving it.

The comments on the YouTube announcement trailer are truly a thing to behold.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Fantastic concept but my god that art style is atrocious!

 

[kulapik]

I guess this is an answer to the #WheresRey controversy from two years ago.

 

[youbastards]

So the DC Super Hero Girls equivelant of Star Wars...cool! My daughter will like these!

Collectors might be able to kit-bash a decent 1/6 Hoth Leia out of this outfit...

EDIT: Err, nevermind, just saw that the arms/legs are plastic.... :\

 

[Bronx-Man]

Star Wars continually triggering MRA'S.

I'm loving it.

Rebel Force Radio wept

 

[Big One]

Not a fan of the art style but I like the concept behind it. Hope they end up being good. Could use for some more canon Star Wars animation.

 

[Toa TAK]

Please be good.

You know

for me

 

[sphagnum]

what about female villains

what about RAE SLOANE

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Prepared for some Ghostbusters 2016 level backlash. And it will be glorious.

That being said, this is all awesome.

 

[Sojgat]

Fantastic concept but my god that art style is atrocious!

This.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

How are those any different from DC Super Hero Girls dolls?

 

[Experien]

Chewie looks awful but Leia on Endor looks great.

 

[Toa TAK]

what about female villains

what about RAE SLOANE

She'll get her due someday.

 

[sphagnum]

She'll get her due someday.

It's criminal that she still isn't on Rebels yet.

 

[Brazil]

I didn't know Newgrounds was still around.

 

[Nirolak]

How are those any different from DC Super Hero Girls dolls?

They actually talked about this a bit:

Other sci-fi/fantasy franchises have created special stories to attract female fans, like DC Superhero Girls, which rounded up heroes and villains into a high school. Rather than putting its heroines into a new environment, like a galactic classroom or summer camp, Lucasfilm preferred to keep the characters within the same universe as the movies, TV shows, novels, and comics.

“We didn’t want to put them in a false social construct. They’re meeting each other on Star Wars terms,” Beck tells EW. “No part of Star Wars should feel like, ‘That’s the fake Star Wars, over there.’ No matter who you are, or how young you are, you want to feel like you are sharing the same thing your dad and mom love, that your grandparents love. You want to feel like you are a part of it.”

 

[Charcoal]

Holy shit at that art style, Disney.

 

[TheGameshark]

Fantastic concept but my god that art style is atrocious!

Yeah kinda looks like stuff I'd expect to see on deviantART.

 

[Freddy=Legend]

what about female villains

what about RAE SLOANE

Poor Ventress didn't get any love either.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

 

[Lan Dong Mik]

Oof that art style is fucked

 

[Ouroboros]

Yeah kinda looks like stuff I'd expect to see on deviantART.

Flash animation circa 2004 on newgrounds.

 

[eXistor]

That's an intensly ugly art style, looks like some cheapo flash fan-animation.

 

[PaulExcellent]

I really like the Luke and Rey figures. >.>

 

[Nirolak]

Star Wars continually triggering MRA'S.

I'm loving it.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

First Leia thing without Carrie?

I'm sure she would've approved, tho. Never ever forget that she was a fierce advocate for gender equality, mental illness understanding & acceptance.

 

[Toa TAK]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

This fandom was a mistake.

 

[ivajz]

Why is the art, "my first flash animation"?!

 

[HarryDemeanor]

An entire series of female protagonists is great. I just don't like the art style for this.

 

[Platy]

Love the idea, but the animation looks INCREDIBLY cheap =|

 

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Star Wars continually triggering MRA'S.

I'm loving it.

Hahaha yep.

The comments on the YouTube announcement trailer are truly a thing to behold.

The comments on the leaked Battlefront 2 stuff have these types of comments too.

 

[Kinyou]

Those toys look terrifying.

The shorts star Leia Organa, Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, Rey and Jyn Erso.

Way to exclude Doctor Aphra

Ok... Maybe for a reason

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

They actually talked about this a bit:

No, I understand that and think its a far better choice. One that could lead to me watching it which I haven't beyond a single Super Hero Girls short.

However in one of those points it says the dolls are an entirely new category they created.

 

[Gravidee]

The style looks like those fan animations that you find on YT. I hope it will look better in motion...

 

[Miles Quaritch]

So...this means Ahsoka isn't dead? Because I need her to show up in TLJ or maybe her own spinoff?

I just want live actions Ahsoka. Give it to me, Disney.

 

[smileyforall220]

Screams "we didn't want to spend money" on that joke of a crappy flash art style. I'm willing to bet a hefty sum it's animated using crappy limited peg animation too

 

[TheGameshark]

If you're going to bring the actual voice actors back , couldn't you at least look like you're trying with the actual animation.

 

[AlexFlame116]

Wait so everyone is reprising their roles? Even Anakin???

Also, those action figures look really weird.

 

[Ferr986]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

holy shit.....

Anyways, I have a friend that have a lil daughter that loves Star Wars. I'm sure she will love this!

Good for Disney. Just wish they spent a little more with that art style.

 

[Toa TAK]

Those toys look terrifying.


Way to exclude Doctor Aphra

Ok... Maybe for a reason

There is no reason.

Aphra for life.

 

[Nirolak]

No, I understand that and think its a far better choice. One that could lead to me watching it which I haven't beyond a single Super Hero Girls short.

However in one of those points it says the dolls are an entirely new category they created.

Oh, I think I misunderstood the article when it said "a new line" when referring to the toys. I'll fix that. Thanks.

 

[……forgetit]

Cool cool, hope it does well, but the homogeneous appearance of female Star Wars characters still disappoints me.

 

[MattKeil]

So...this means Ahsoka isn't dead? Because I need her to show up in TLJ or maybe her own spinoff?

I just want live actions Ahsoka. Give it to me, Disney.

Ahsoka's got a long span of time between Clone Wars and Rebels to fill in. Her being in this doesn't really tell us anything about her fate post-Rebels.

 

[AndersK]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Whoa. I expect nothing and I'm still disappointed.
I love how female protagonists are something to be endured: 'I know they'll have a beefcake next time around, I can take this'

 

[a916]

Does LucasFilms not have enough money to pony up for better art? Not digging the look at all.

I'm under the impression those are just concepts? Because even the trailer is showing animatics and the concepts in that look better than this.

I'm going to have to retract that comment until I see the final shorts

 

[sphagnum]

So...this means Ahsoka isn't dead? Because I need her to show up in TLJ or maybe her own spinoff?

I just want live actions Ahsoka. Give it to me, Disney.

She's using two green sabers, so that takes place during the Clone Wars.

 

[DavidDesu]

holy shit.....

Anyways, I have a friend that have a lil daughter that loves Star Wars. I'm sure she will love this!

Good for Disney. Just wish they spent a little more with that art style.

Yeah these sound cool, art-style not really my cup of tea though (when for the love of god will they make that 80's retro hand drawn Tie Fighter cartoon style spin off like that guy made by himself, but officially?!)

 

[Gravidee]

So...this means Ahsoka isn't dead? Because I need her to show up in TLJ or maybe her own spinoff?

I just want live actions Ahsoka. Give it to me, Disney.

Pay close attention to her outfit. Looks like her story will take place not long after she left the order.