The Mandalorian and Grogu, featuring Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, released worldwide on May 22, three weeks after the official Star Wars Day.
Directed by Jon Favreau and co-written by Lucasfilm co-President Dave Filoni, the movie serves as a continuation of the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, and follows Din and Grogu’s shenanigans as they help out a fledgling New Republic after the fall of the Galactic Empire.
Ahead of the release, Lucasfilm collaborated with several Japanese manga artists, including Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) creator Hajime Isayama.
Isayama became one of the most renowned and best-selling manga artists of all time, with Attack on Titan selling more than 150 million copies worldwide. The show, which ended in 2023, was one of the most anticipated series finales in anime history.
In honor of the first live-action Star Wars film release in seven years since The Rise of Skywalker, Isayama shared a hand-drawn illustration of Din Djarin zipping through the air with the fibrecord whip of his Mandalorian armor, holding Grogu in his other hand.
Din’s movement in the drawing is reminiscent of the Omni-Directional Mobility (OMD) gear used by the Survey Corps members in Attack on Titan.
The illustration was accompanied by a comment by Isayama about the first time he watched Star Wars. “My first encounter with Star Wars was when I was staying with a host family in Idaho, and they showed me episodes 6, 5, and 4 in that order,” he said. “The stark contrast between the inorganic spaceship and the lingering smell of mold and dust was what gave me a sense of the reality of life, and that’s what Star Wars meant to me.”
“And above all, Grogu is just too cute, I can’t get enough of him,” he added
Of all the recommended ways to view Star Wars, including Superman star David Corenswet’s favorite machete order, 6-5-4 would probably be at the very bottom of the list.
Four other manga artists also chimed in with their Star Wars experiences.
Hajime no Ippo author George Morikawa said that the hyperspace sequences gave him “a shocking feeling of being sucked into the screen” the first time he watched it. Ever since, he has expected to be stunned by Star Wars movies on the big screen, and has yet to be disappointed.
Oh! Great, real name Ito Ōgure, author of Bakemonogatari and Air Gear, was captivated by the “innovative and fascinating array of mechs” and envies the younger generation of audience who are encountering the franchise for the first time with Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Ken Wakui, author of Tokyo Revengers, confessed he once cried over the fracture between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. “The master-apprentice relationship is the epitome of Star Wars! I want to see it! I’m so excited!” he said
Fire Force creator Atsushi Ohkubo is particularly fond of lightsabers, especially the blue ones, but wants Grogu to use a green one in the future: “Looking back, I think it might be because of blue lightsabers that I started thinking that anything that glows blue looks cool! I’m rooting for Grogu as he follows the Mandalorian path, but I’d also love to see him wield a green lightsaber someday!”
While Grogu abandoned the Jedi path when he chose to leave Luke Skywalker and rejoin Din Djarin, fans were keen to see how much “Baby Yoda” uses his knowledge of the Force, albeit limited, in the new movie.
Watch the final trailer for the movie below, which also features Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver. It’s expected to hit Disney+ later this year
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