Blue Eye Samurai: [Season 1]
November 6, 2023 2:39 PM - Season 1 (Full Season) - Subscribe
Driven by a dream of revenge against those who made her an outcast in Edo-period Japan, a young warrior cuts a bloody path toward her destiny.
Warning. It's quite violent and there is a lot sex and nudity of all persuasions.
I personally found the Japanese dubbing better than the English. Both are good.
Warning. It's quite violent and there is a lot sex and nudity of all persuasions.
I personally found the Japanese dubbing better than the English. Both are good.
Ringo is a treasure and must be saved at all costs. Peaches...
posted by KaizenSoze at 5:27 PM on November 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by KaizenSoze at 5:27 PM on November 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
I’m four episodes in and straining to limit myself to one episode a day.
posted by billsaysthis at 8:06 PM on November 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by billsaysthis at 8:06 PM on November 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
I stumbled across this over the weekend, and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. I love the obvious homages to various samurai movies casually slipped into scenes.
I’m about six episodes in, and I’m starting to have a bit of apprehension as to what may be coming. Mizu has started defining their goal in terms of “eliminating anyone sharing a single drop of Fowler’s blood,” which, well, consequences. This trepidation kind of dovetails with my increasing...dislike?...of Mizu’s character over their becoming so single-minded in their blood-mission.
The production is fantastic on all levels.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:53 AM on November 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’m about six episodes in, and I’m starting to have a bit of apprehension as to what may be coming. Mizu has started defining their goal in terms of “eliminating anyone sharing a single drop of Fowler’s blood,” which, well, consequences. This trepidation kind of dovetails with my increasing...dislike?...of Mizu’s character over their becoming so single-minded in their blood-mission.
There’s a lovely bunraku that addresses this transformation.
The production is fantastic on all levels.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:53 AM on November 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm three episodes in and really enjoying the show. The animation is pretty superb (thank you for sharing the spotlight on Jane Wu!). I've had some strong Lone Wolf and Cub manga feels from the show, be it Mizu telling Ringo they're on the demon road of revenge (like the aforementioned characters) to just the overlying layer of intrigue with the daimyo(s) and so on. The violence and sex is really on par with the manga as well, tbh, too. But that being said, the show does not feel excessively violent for what it is. It's much less violent than say, Invincible, or The Boys. You got people using giant razor sharp swords, there will be severed body parts and blood.
I've got the rest of the show to watch, so I'll be back then to avoid any spoilers!
posted by Atreides at 7:05 AM on November 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've got the rest of the show to watch, so I'll be back then to avoid any spoilers!
posted by Atreides at 7:05 AM on November 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Just finished it up. And I can’t say they stuck the landing. The last episode is just a messy affair. To avoid too many spoilers, let me simply say that this doesn’t end the way I think all of you want it to end. At least, it didn’t end they way I hoped it would. I was hoping for a good, solid, satisfying, wrapping-up all the loose ends, and a fitting finale for our hero.
Instead...we get a lead-in for season 2.
Gah!!!
posted by Thorzdad at 12:44 PM on November 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Instead...we get a lead-in for season 2.
Gah!!!
posted by Thorzdad at 12:44 PM on November 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Just finished it up. And I can’t say they stuck the landing. The last episode is just a messy affair. To avoid too many spoilers, let me simply say that this doesn’t end the way I think all of you want it to end. At least, it didn’t end they way I hoped it would. I was hoping for a good, solid, satisfying, wrapping-up all the loose ends, and a fitting finale for our hero.
I agree they started losing narrative focus in the last few episodes.
posted by KaizenSoze at 2:40 PM on November 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've finished the first 3 episodes and they were really good. Ringo keeps on saving the day too.
Something about the character animations reminds me of the titans in Attack on Titan and when the villagers all stripped and ran to swim in the water it really looked like a bunch of titans.
While I'm watching I feel like it should be in Japanese with English subtitles but it's an American show so that wouldn't make sense.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:25 PM on November 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Something about the character animations reminds me of the titans in Attack on Titan and when the villagers all stripped and ran to swim in the water it really looked like a bunch of titans.
While I'm watching I feel like it should be in Japanese with English subtitles but it's an American show so that wouldn't make sense.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:25 PM on November 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
One thing that kind of felt inconsistent about Mizu’s character was how they kept flipping from “super samurai” to “easily disabled by one hard punch.” It’s almost as if the producers felt like they had to remind the audience Mizu was “merely a girl” or something.
Also, breaking her meteorite-metal sword was silly. I get that “a samurai is more than their sword” but c’mon. It was as much of a supporting character as anyone else. Hell, it practically had as much of an origin story as Mizu. And, sure, she carried on without it, but nothing changed. Mizu wasn’t any different.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:51 PM on November 8, 2023
Also, breaking her meteorite-metal sword was silly. I get that “a samurai is more than their sword” but c’mon. It was as much of a supporting character as anyone else. Hell, it practically had as much of an origin story as Mizu. And, sure, she carried on without it, but nothing changed. Mizu wasn’t any different.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:51 PM on November 8, 2023
The bunraku episode was *chefs kiss* great, in my opinion.
posted by WedgedPiano at 8:13 PM on November 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by WedgedPiano at 8:13 PM on November 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
One thing that kind of felt inconsistent about Mizu’s character was how they kept flipping from “super samurai” to “easily disabled by one hard punch.” It’s almost as if the producers felt like they had to remind the audience Mizu was “merely a girl” or something.
The fights were uneven. Considering there isn't any "magic" in the show. Character recover way too fast from serious injuries. This are the usually tropes for action shows alas.
It's one of the shows where the highs are good enough to overcome some of the tropes.
posted by KaizenSoze at 4:03 AM on November 9, 2023
Also, breaking her meteorite-metal sword was silly. I get that “a samurai is more than their sword” but c’mon. It was as much of a supporting character as anyone else. Hell, it practically had as much of an origin story as Mizu. And, sure, she carried on without it, but nothing changed. Mizu wasn’t any different.
This is definitely an allusion to Excalibur, a magical blade, that breaks due to the possessor not being worthy of it. Mizu comes to this determination after she discovers she could not reforge it on her own, and that she will not attempt to forge it until she has become a better person. This change is signaled in the final episode with her intent to help Akemi escape before pursuing her revenge against Fowler (as well as trying to teach Ringo as a worthy master). If I had to guess, her katana will be restored to her at some moment, probably delivered by Ringo, based on the Forger's decision that she was worthy to wield it again, as well as simply needing it.
For those interested, the fire depicted in the finale is based on a real event, the Great Fire of Meireki in which over 100,000 people were killed. Unlike this show, in which it's a candle/lantern kicked by Mizu, it's alleged to have happened when a priest was trying to burn a cursed kimono that had killed three young women and hurricane level winds sent cinders flying away.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The animation was superb, as was the direction for said animation (thank you again, Jen Wu!). Can I pick on things? Sure. There was a disturbing lack of retainers who would have been present in and about Edo with their Daimyo lords there to honor the Shogun, and I feel the Shogun would have had a larger guard to throw at the problem.
I get Mizu's reluctance to use a sword, but her pragmatic nature makes me feel she would have picked up any of the dozens laying around the castle. Her naginata also just disappeared after she severs Fowler's rifle. I'm fascinated to see Mizu head to London and mourn the idea of missing Ringo in London (again, Ringo will go to bring the sword - that's my prayer)...because Ringo gawking and commenting on everything in mid-17th century London would've been great. "It's so dirty here!"
Anyhoots, give me season 2.
posted by Atreides at 11:58 AM on November 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is definitely an allusion to Excalibur, a magical blade, that breaks due to the possessor not being worthy of it. Mizu comes to this determination after she discovers she could not reforge it on her own, and that she will not attempt to forge it until she has become a better person. This change is signaled in the final episode with her intent to help Akemi escape before pursuing her revenge against Fowler (as well as trying to teach Ringo as a worthy master). If I had to guess, her katana will be restored to her at some moment, probably delivered by Ringo, based on the Forger's decision that she was worthy to wield it again, as well as simply needing it.
For those interested, the fire depicted in the finale is based on a real event, the Great Fire of Meireki in which over 100,000 people were killed. Unlike this show, in which it's a candle/lantern kicked by Mizu, it's alleged to have happened when a priest was trying to burn a cursed kimono that had killed three young women and hurricane level winds sent cinders flying away.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The animation was superb, as was the direction for said animation (thank you again, Jen Wu!). Can I pick on things? Sure. There was a disturbing lack of retainers who would have been present in and about Edo with their Daimyo lords there to honor the Shogun, and I feel the Shogun would have had a larger guard to throw at the problem.
I get Mizu's reluctance to use a sword, but her pragmatic nature makes me feel she would have picked up any of the dozens laying around the castle. Her naginata also just disappeared after she severs Fowler's rifle. I'm fascinated to see Mizu head to London and mourn the idea of missing Ringo in London (again, Ringo will go to bring the sword - that's my prayer)...because Ringo gawking and commenting on everything in mid-17th century London would've been great. "It's so dirty here!"
Anyhoots, give me season 2.
posted by Atreides at 11:58 AM on November 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
I watched it, generally enjoyed it, and the bunraku episode is indeed really, really excellent.
This trepidation kind of dovetails with my increasing...dislike?...of Mizu’s character over their becoming so single-minded in their blood-mission.
I agree. I felt like Mizu's motives were kind of ... unexamined? At least to a degree where I felt like I understood why Mizu would feel the need to carve through hundreds of people to get to one guy. Similarly, I felt like despite being the main villain, Fowler was written as almost too-cartoonishly-evil in every respect. Like, the guy who was his "jailer" had more complicated motivations, and it feels almost like they made Fowler that way just to be able to justify Mizu's actions, but Mizu really doesn't know exactly how much of a walking skidmark Fowler is, she's just hunting down anyone who has even a remote chance of being her father. But that seems like her entire thing - she was born into a very racist society as a mixed-race person, had a horrible life because she was mixed-race, so she's going after the non-Japanese because of it rather than the society that treats her as an outcast and we're just accepting that feudal Japan is horribly racist and that's OK, because again, Fowler is an objectively shitty person in pretty much every aspect imaginable.
It kind of feels like a set-up. Like, I wouldn't be surprised if Fowler is right and Mizu's mom isn't her mom, but her real mom is living happily in England with her actual dad and there were just some terrible circumstances that got Mizu separated from them and they had to leave without her, and Mizu will get to England and see that and have a bit of an identity crisis. Or, given the time frame, maybe there's one white colonizer who's hanging out in England while her parents have moved on to continue their colonizing and are living in Jamestown or something.
posted by LionIndex at 1:52 PM on November 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
This trepidation kind of dovetails with my increasing...dislike?...of Mizu’s character over their becoming so single-minded in their blood-mission.
I agree. I felt like Mizu's motives were kind of ... unexamined? At least to a degree where I felt like I understood why Mizu would feel the need to carve through hundreds of people to get to one guy. Similarly, I felt like despite being the main villain, Fowler was written as almost too-cartoonishly-evil in every respect. Like, the guy who was his "jailer" had more complicated motivations, and it feels almost like they made Fowler that way just to be able to justify Mizu's actions, but Mizu really doesn't know exactly how much of a walking skidmark Fowler is, she's just hunting down anyone who has even a remote chance of being her father. But that seems like her entire thing - she was born into a very racist society as a mixed-race person, had a horrible life because she was mixed-race, so she's going after the non-Japanese because of it rather than the society that treats her as an outcast and we're just accepting that feudal Japan is horribly racist and that's OK, because again, Fowler is an objectively shitty person in pretty much every aspect imaginable.
It kind of feels like a set-up. Like, I wouldn't be surprised if Fowler is right and Mizu's mom isn't her mom, but her real mom is living happily in England with her actual dad and there were just some terrible circumstances that got Mizu separated from them and they had to leave without her, and Mizu will get to England and see that and have a bit of an identity crisis. Or, given the time frame, maybe there's one white colonizer who's hanging out in England while her parents have moved on to continue their colonizing and are living in Jamestown or something.
posted by LionIndex at 1:52 PM on November 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
I agree, Fowler was kind of over the top. I wonder if he wasn't supposed to represent the colonial ideal of consumption. In that, to him, Japan was a nation and people for him (European powers) to consume, and in proper colonial style, quite brutally and horribly. There's the aspect that Fowler, as a child, had to resort to cannibalism to survive, again perhaps referencing the idea that European powers had to consume the worse things to survive as well.
I didn't mention it before, but I found the final fight with Fowler a little underwhelming based on how both characters had been presented leading up to the finale.
posted by Atreides at 10:58 AM on November 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
I didn't mention it before, but I found the final fight with Fowler a little underwhelming based on how both characters had been presented leading up to the finale.
posted by Atreides at 10:58 AM on November 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
In terms of Mizu directing all of her rage at the four men potentially her father rather than at Japanese society, she's internalized the prejudice that she grew up with. Not to mention, "punishing" her potential fathers is an achievable goal and gives her suffering a sense of purpose. I do think those ideas will be challenged in the upcoming season as Mizu experiences London.
posted by miss-lapin at 11:23 AM on November 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by miss-lapin at 11:23 AM on November 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
The ending felt really strange to me but I figure the questions I have will be answered next season so I'll just table them for now. A show about a feudal Japanese person in Europe could be interesting and I'll be looking forward to it.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:47 PM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:47 PM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
The whole thing I found to be a cringey mess for the most part but it was very watchable. Some miscast voice actors (who thought Randall Park was a good idea for a villain?), a lot of derivative asian tropes that felt pretty forced (also the American gaze underlying the whole thing made it feel a little orientalist).
The plot mostly leaned on a C- level women empowerment theme that felt like something a direct to DVD disney movie writer might shit out on a bathroom break. I know caucasians are out culturally, but a happa on a quest to hunt down every white man in Japan just felt absurd. The clunkiness of the writing and plot paired with Quentin Tarantino levels of sophisticated, gratuitous violence also felt incongruous to me.
Some of the action and visuals were excellent though, the puppet show motif in one of the episodes and the episode centered in the pleasure quarter were pretty good.
posted by Res0ndf7 at 12:02 AM on November 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
The plot mostly leaned on a C- level women empowerment theme that felt like something a direct to DVD disney movie writer might shit out on a bathroom break. I know caucasians are out culturally, but a happa on a quest to hunt down every white man in Japan just felt absurd. The clunkiness of the writing and plot paired with Quentin Tarantino levels of sophisticated, gratuitous violence also felt incongruous to me.
Some of the action and visuals were excellent though, the puppet show motif in one of the episodes and the episode centered in the pleasure quarter were pretty good.
posted by Res0ndf7 at 12:02 AM on November 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
The plot mostly leaned on a C- level women empowerment theme that felt like something a direct to DVD disney movie writer might shit out on a bathroom break. I know caucasians are out culturally, but a happa on a quest to hunt down every white man in Japan just felt absurd.
The show was inspired by the creators' daughter, fwiw, so a female empowerment angle is not surprising as they envisioned a scenario where someone like their daughter might exist in feudal Japan. Given that part of that involved the woman going on a blood soaked journey of revenge did not quite feel Disney-esque to me.
But the aspect about Europeans being hunted in Japan is based pretty much on historical fact. After the Tokugawa consolidated control, Europeans were forbidden to be in Japan but for a small trading post owned by the Portuguese and later the Dutch at Nagasaki. That, even, was a small artificial island. If I remember correctly, they were allowed once a year to leave the island to travel to Edo and show deference to the Shogun. Christianity, which was just barely referenced in the show, was banned, and thousands of followers were slaughtered during the Shimbara Uprising in the 1630s. After that, practitioners went underground to avoid persecution.
posted by Atreides at 7:43 AM on November 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
The show was inspired by the creators' daughter, fwiw, so a female empowerment angle is not surprising as they envisioned a scenario where someone like their daughter might exist in feudal Japan. Given that part of that involved the woman going on a blood soaked journey of revenge did not quite feel Disney-esque to me.
But the aspect about Europeans being hunted in Japan is based pretty much on historical fact. After the Tokugawa consolidated control, Europeans were forbidden to be in Japan but for a small trading post owned by the Portuguese and later the Dutch at Nagasaki. That, even, was a small artificial island. If I remember correctly, they were allowed once a year to leave the island to travel to Edo and show deference to the Shogun. Christianity, which was just barely referenced in the show, was banned, and thousands of followers were slaughtered during the Shimbara Uprising in the 1630s. After that, practitioners went underground to avoid persecution.
posted by Atreides at 7:43 AM on November 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
I thought this was pretty good. Not great... I think the characterization and writing was... rather generic. But the whole thing held together really well.
Unlike others here I found the quality of the episodes to be quite consistent. Maybe the last episode felt oddly weightless in spite of how epic it was supposed to be... but the characters had pretty clear arcs across the whole thing, and I felt the season ended with a number of plot threads cleanly resolved.
I'll definitely give another season a go.
posted by Alex404 at 11:14 PM on November 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Unlike others here I found the quality of the episodes to be quite consistent. Maybe the last episode felt oddly weightless in spite of how epic it was supposed to be... but the characters had pretty clear arcs across the whole thing, and I felt the season ended with a number of plot threads cleanly resolved.
I'll definitely give another season a go.
posted by Alex404 at 11:14 PM on November 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
I thought this was great. mizu feels very sharply defined to me, to the point where I understand both what drives her to murder her way to any white man she can find and what drives her to end up trying to leash Fowler for her own ends. I didn't love the way the finale left some the threads dangling, but it also wasn't unexpected once I shifted expectations towards "multi-season epic" instead of "sharp, ruthless miniseries"
the bunraku episode was the pinncale, but every episode, nearly every frame is so gorgeous and well-realized. I'm very curious about the animation process and am gonna tuck in happily to the vanity fair piece linked by the OP!
posted by Kybard at 1:50 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
the bunraku episode was the pinncale, but every episode, nearly every frame is so gorgeous and well-realized. I'm very curious about the animation process and am gonna tuck in happily to the vanity fair piece linked by the OP!
posted by Kybard at 1:50 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
Absolutely loved this, I devoured it. Can't wait for the next season.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 2:09 PM on December 1, 2023
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 2:09 PM on December 1, 2023
That was an intense show. Agreed they didn't quite stick the landing, but so many more things were top notch. Between this and Scavengers Reign, quite the year for "grown up" animated series.
Am I the only one who saw Marlon Brando's character in Apocalypse Now as the clear inspiration for Fowler?
posted by gwint at 9:44 PM on December 13, 2023 [4 favorites]
Am I the only one who saw Marlon Brando's character in Apocalypse Now as the clear inspiration for Fowler?
posted by gwint at 9:44 PM on December 13, 2023 [4 favorites]
My memory is shaky, but I think there was definitely a visual homage to Brando's character somewhere not long into the character's introduction. We're at least intended to make some connection to Colonel Kurtz.
posted by Atreides at 8:52 AM on December 14, 2023
posted by Atreides at 8:52 AM on December 14, 2023
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Hinting as it did of cultural appropriation, the show's title gave me a moment's pause, but I was very pleased to learn that it was a misdirect, as much of the show is: few of the characters (and their motivations) are as they are initially presented. Outside the action sequences, the show is a surprisingly complex meditation on identity, betrayal, duty and alienation.
The animation is spectacular throughout. Strongly recommended, even if you're not into revenge films or samurai epics.
A few resources for those interested:
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 5:01 PM on November 6, 2023 [5 favorites]