Nowhere, ever, did RJ say VIII was like Empire Strikes Back. Someone asked Rian Johnson “Any chance you could address these concerns [about VIII being a copy of V] in a meaningful way, without dismissing the issue?” and he replied:

That’s not how I interpreted it. I took it as.. being blind, sound is what ‘colors’ her world. When nature is still and calm she gets no input. But when it rains and water splashes everywhere off of everything the sound of the splashing makes her world come alive.