Blue Eye Samurai released on Nov. 3 on Netflix, is an eight-episode animated series created by Michael Green and Amber Noizumi. Taking place in Edo period Japan, the half-white, half-Japanese sword master, Mizu, swears revenge on the four white men that reside within Japan for the suffering she has faced for being a biracial child of one of these men, half-white and half-Japanese.
Although this show is animated, Blue Eye Samurai faces mature themes and is intended for older audiences. With a rating of TV-MA, the show discusses topics of gore, language, sex, nudity, smoking and violence. This information isn’t meant to discourage viewers, but instead to inform them of what they will get into when watching Blue Eye Samurai.
Covering a variety of hard-hitting topics such as gender, revenge, power, race and discrimination, Blue Eye Samurai touches upon each topic and theme with unique interest.
To further explore the themes of the show, Blue Eye Samurai features a variety of characters that embody those themes that the show contains: A samurai of mixed race, a soba maker born without hands, a blind blacksmith, a defeated man who lost his honor, a woman who owns a brothel for peculiar tastes, a royal with a stutter and a princess who wants independence. Taking in the cultural context of 1600s Edo, Japan, these characters are nobodies who don’t fit. They are disgraceful people in society, yet they are the best and most powerful statement in Blue Eye Samurai.
Noizumi based the protagonist, Mizu, on herself and her mixed-race experience. Noizumi wanted to portray the feeling of not being white or Japanese enough to fit in with either half. Being mixed race is a limbo for the character Mizu. She has found no other way but to be different and find purpose in revenge on those who brought her into this world and violated her mother.
Mizu has such a fierce rage that has spawned from the discrimination in her life that it’s difficult for viewers not to feel sympathetic for her, but to be drawn in by her never-ending determination despite everything. It’s not often found in media that an audience can experience and view a character of mixed race and the dilemmas they must handle.
The theming and topics are not the only things that shine through within Blue Eye Samurai. Stunning animation, awe-inspiring choreography and exceptional storytelling all come together to make Blue Eye Samurai a show you won’t want to miss.
With a rating on IMDb of nine out of ten, Blue Eye Samurai is definitely worth your time. With each episode lasting an average of 47 minutes, this addicting show will easily hook you in and have you staying up all night to binge it.
I agree with IMDb and would also give Blue Eye Samurai a nine out of ten rating. If you’ve taken the time to read this whole story, I ask you only one favor: Dip your toe in and watch one episode. With stunning visuals and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, you’ll have trouble putting it down.