Blue Eye Samurai had been so heavily requested I just had to check it out, and I'm thankful to say, that it definetly lived up to the hype! Twitter: / reviews_steve Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=16101082
@@Thepotatohidingintheshadows She actually talked about them in two different classes. One day she came into are class and started to talk about a show she watched yesterday called arcane. And one day she talked about the cycle of violence and used blue eye samurai as an example. Also, while she never declared herself as a weeb, she did say that she’s a big fan of “Japanese animation”.
Mizu is "strong" because she is talented, independent, and determined. But what makes her a good character is that these seemingly positive traits are also the source of her flaws. Her talent makes her reckless, her determination makes her stubborn, and her independence makes her standoffish.
@@TheHeadNinjainComics or other important characters to her for example her mother and the lady when she LITERALLY about to die on her first time fighting someone
Episode 5 is a master stroke. The whole series is a 10. But that one’s a 15. The reveal of Akemis family being audience to the play and then the reveal of her black teeth sent shivers down my spine.
Fowler is straight up one of the most intimidating villians I've ever seen. I also don't think he's actually Mizu's father, so I don't mind him being just completely evil.
I don't think he's her farther either. Mainly because I think his eyes are greenish and hers are blue and the chances of that happening are highly unlikely.
And also an important detail; Gene for blue eyes are recessive, and thus the majority have to have at least have a Blue eyed relative on their mothers side in the past.
I feel like the last one she meets will be her father but who knows. Fowler delivered great performance. I remember his promise in the church that was built by the Japanese how he would praise the religion if it will only help him succeed, when he talked about his childhood while revealing how the guns were transported and saying his “kind” make better weapons. It felt I was getting a little taste in history that gave me chills but excited. It made me hate him so much but loved his character as the villain/ antagonist
I want to point out to anyone else who might not have noticed but Mizu wears orange glasses because it's opposite of blue on the color wheel. Her glasses kinds "mute" her blue eyes in a way. It makes her eyes more gray.
@@faciated5355not many people catches on, also she wears a scarf as well, someone saying its a way to cover what could be revealing as female, while also having bandages over her chest. Somethings to help blend her true self from the world.
I'm quarter Japanese. My father's mother was a Japanese nurse during World War II. His father was a US Army soldier, who also served in the war, and was part of the Occupation of Japan. That's how they met. The story goes, Grandma was carrying a series of inoculation needles through the ward. Grandpa was there, recovering from a hangover. His foot was in the way and Grandma hit his foot with her own. Grandma could speak some English, "Excuse me, sir, please don't have your foot in my way." Grandpa's response was 'colorful', adding, "I'm not an officer! Don't call me sir!" It was a name calling match. Later, Grandpa's CO ordered him to not only apologize to her, but to take her out for a date. Something happened because the two later married, had children, and spent the rest of their lives together. One major problem, my Grandfather's Uncle, Corporal William Lee McMillan, was a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese for nearly three years. He was part of Company M, 4th Marine Regiment, who surrendered on Corregidor Island in May 1942. Through his records we found he was virtually blind in both eyes from ulcers. Malaria paralyzed him from the waist down. The Imperial troops at the time were notorious for their brutality. Yet, without proper medication or rations, Uncle Bill survived, albeit in body. So, when Grandpa later came home with a Japanese bride, the family was split. Most family members were either cold or outright hostile to Grandma, and later my father after he was born. Surprisingly the exception to this was one of Grandpa's brothers, Thomas, and, even more surprising, was Uncle Bill. Grandma described him as a quiet man who never once raised his voice at her, called her names, or blamed her for what happened to him, but he wouldn't stay in the same room with her for very long.
That's because despite what happened to him, Uncle Bill didn't see your grandma as a demon. He saw your grandma as a nurse and a lady that your grandfather fell in love with. He didn't want his trauma to be associated with your grandma.
I loved abijah fowler as a villain. And i adored how the show handled him At first i was scared when he started to talk about his past. I thought the show was gonna have a flashback and try and make him sympathetic But im glad they kept it short and brief, you can understand why he is the way he is, but you can still feel absolutely disgusted and appalled by him even after knowing his backstory. Abijah Fowler wasnt and still isn't a tragic character who is lashing out at the world that abandoned him. He is a traumatized boy who got a taste of evil and decided that, that will be path in life. And a bastard to his core
I really do love that his backstory ties into the historical context of the Nine Years War. The way he so nonchalantly describes the absolutely sickening horrors he experienced, while explaining how he comes from a place of "manufactured suffering". I love that, in this context and time period, he was a part of an oppressed people, and yet still carries that evil with him. It's delicious, he's such a disgusting person/character. I can't wait to see more development with him
I totally agree; it feels a little unexpected-it's actually kind of fresh that the guy is basically just an irredeemable monster. Also him discovering her secret because "your bones break like a woman's"-incredibly fucked up. Such a good way of alluding to the terrible things he's done, and how often he's done them.
Same, this story, or at least season, isn't made for a "I'm secretly good" white man. Imperialism in Asia was as brutal as the show portrayed. You can't be a good person to do all that. If they go down the "questioning if they're really that bad" route, I hope it's manipulation. Cause Like I said, you can't be a good man to do all that in Japan. (Also, it's heavily implied that the mother was raped by these men)
@mafiacat88 oh shit I never thought of that, I did find it a bit odd the THAT was the giveaway. But hot damn, to think he has actually tortured that many women to feel such an anatomical difference like that is petrifing
I actually really liked the way the meteorite sword was handled, especially after it shatters and it’s revealed that Mizu did not forge it properly due to her refusal to allow any beneficial imperfections inside.
SPOILERS: A tiny bit of story telling / background a lot of people miss is when Fowler says her bones break like a woman's and you see it in his face when he realises. He has done it enough, he can tell the difference.
~0:40 Japan wasn't actually closed off to ALL foreigners, it was specifically closed off to Europeans (except Dutch ships at one port city), because they were specifically trying to keep Christianity out of the country after early Portuguese missionary efforts. There was still a ton of interaction between Japan and other Asian countries like China and Korea (and, again, in a more limited capacity the Dutch, who were given an exception because they didn't try to proselytize in Japan).
You read the book or see the movie called Silence? I think it might be related to the Portuguese missionary efforts. Intense book and the film is well done.
Considering what a Christian cult did to China (history’s bloodiest civil war), I kind of understand. These weren’t the secular Christians of modern day, but a virulent, fundamentalist social contagion. And the stuff the shogunate did to stamp out the Japanese Christians is also genocidal, but if they didn’t, there would have been a risk of religious civil war.
My favorite headcanon/plot wish is that Mizu’s father will be one of the first people that she encounters: a nice, helpful character, who she can finally trust. Maybe with a small business and a cruel side, not unlike his daughter. When Mizu figures out his identity, it’s discovered that he already has a family and children, Mizu’s half-siblings. She becomes resentful of him, but ultimately, decides to let him leave and finally lets this whole “revenge” thing finally behind her. Honestly, it’s would be a pretty good ending to her arc.
I kinda expect similar to that but he would be the last person she meets in London after having her revenge. The general idea is that when she kills the 4 white man (fowler included) one was a "fake" who took over the business after the original one retired for some reason, either regret or trying to redeem himself.
It was Mizu's husband that betrayed her to the guards. In the play that was going on in the same episode was a mirror to what was happening in the backstory. Mizu was the maiden, the husband was the ronin and the mother was the child because they were the third family member. The ronin killed the child, just like how the husband killed the mother and tried to kill the maiden. However, the maiden came back as a vengeful spirit, just like Mizu at the end of the backstory.
Possibly, Mizu's life doesn't match up to the play perfectly after all and the show itself leaves it very ambigious about who betrayed Mizu...if either her husband or mother did at all.
While I can see this as possible the thing you missed is that Mizu is both the bride and the ronin. She had swore a vow of vengeance but later held off on it after finding love (the ronin aspect) then she was betrayed by someone close to her trying to kill her and when that happens she becomes an onryo [vengeful spirit] (the aspect of the bride) and because both Mikio and her 'mother' have reasons to have sold her out but we can't prove either of them did it so by that logic they're both innocent and die (aspects of the child). If anything I actually see the husband as representing the child slightly more because their love was an unexpected but happy outcome for a time before she killed him while her 'mother' houses the start of the bride's part because she is the one Mizu loves first and stops her quest for. It was a very interesting way of showing everything and you can even possibly view the death of the child as the death of the last of her innocence or humanity because the betrayal was the final nail in the coffin for her and solidified the Mizu we see at the start of the show who's cold and calculating and refuses to bow to emotions like empathy.
I'd like to imagine that Amber Noizumi and Michael Green were inspired by Kill Bill for some parts of Mizus journey. Especially given that some scenes are extremely Tarantino like.
Something i really like about Mizu's charatcer is that shes basically a Wild Western Protag (think of the Nameless Gunslinger Clint Eastwood played). She is not a good person but inst unreasonable (accepting help when necessary and listening to others, especially from Ringu and Taigen), she doenst go out of her way to help others but still feels remorse and trys to help abit. One of my favorite scenes is after she gos through a long and massive fight, wich happened after she killed an innoncent, she was both phisically and mentally tired, so when others ask her for help to defend one person, she says the equivelant of "Fuck it, not my problem." wich makes complete sense for her.´ Edit: I forgot to mention that Akemi also atempted to drug Mizu, and didnt see her fighting for most part. So yeah she had even less reason to help the princess whos gonna get married to the Shoguns Son.
It's surprising how much that moment divided the fan community. Not intervening with Akemi's situation was an entirely reasonable decision on a number of levels, but Ringo and a lot of viewers got upset at her for not being a hero that time.
@@octochanit's because they project the idea of a "noble samurai" on Mizu, but I don't remember Mizu ever stating she was a samurai. She knows what she's after and that it's not a noble path. She's a warrior lusting for blood.
Myup, even the guards acted smart cause they arrived on the scene, saw the blood and bodies and focused on getting Akemi out of there, because whatever happened there wasnt their business or goal. They cleary noticed Mizu was bloody and had blu eyes (not sure if the whole blu eyes bounty is still up at this point) but they focused on Akemi instead of starting shit with Mizu. Seriously, theres a couple media where the guards/law enforcement lose focus of their goal to start shit with the MC or somebody else and that always ends up biting them in the ass.
Even Mizu said Akemi was stupid for chasing after Taigen instead of accepting the marriage with the Shogun's son. Even I was like "Yeah, Mizu. Stay out of that."
Wow. This definitely looks like something strong. Mizu's journey is definitely showing a lot of messages, especially considering it took place in the 1600's, a time full of racism and sexism. I feel bad for how people treated her and everything she went through because of it. And yet she manages to show everyone who demonized her what she’s capable of and grow a soft spot for them. I have a lot of respect for characters like her.
Is it wrong that I don't feel anything for her at all? And if she were me everyone would have a completely different opinion if I was out to kill someone?
@@vandalsavage6743 She is a demon / onryo as explained in the show, and you're not supposed to be on her side. Her quest for vengeance is portrayed as her going astray. You should really watch the show.
I watched this series last month. Super gorgeous and badass. It's also one of the best anti-hero series I've watched since Todd McFarlane's Spawn: the animated series that was on HBO back in the 90s. I also would love to see Mizu as a guest fighter in Mortal Kombat.
Been so good seeing this show blow up in popularity over the past few weeks - it came out and barely anyone was talking about it, but I’m so happy to see it getting the praise and attention it deserves
I personally loved Fowler in the same way I love Scar or Mother Gothel. He's so much fun to watch be evil, and it's not necessary that he be a good person. I do think Mizu will meet people who aren't awful in London, but I also hope Taigen is there and still pissy about his missed duel.
Episode 5 was such a breath of fresh air; having a female protagonist who genuinely fell in love with a man is such a rare occurrence these days. Also, Mizu will find out that her mother will be her white half.
7:45 They actually did something special with the storyboarding. It's shot like a Live action movie, with considerations of the physical limitations of cameras. So... You've got a sharp, lush, crisp 3D animated painting style, shot like this. This making every scene POP, POP, POP from every direction!
This is honestly the best show I’ve seen in YEARS I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good story’s. But I will say the part that stuck with me the most was abijas murder cave. How mizu gets into his fortress where she sees all those women and children’s skeletons and then learns those are all her brothers and sisters just absolutely destroyed me. I know the time period is brutal but fuck that was super rough.
I already can't wait for the second season! All I want is for her to return back to her adopted father. Now, with a different view but more at peace with herself.
I'm surprised how much I became interested in Mizu and Taigens messy relationship, and now with her overseas, I'm curious how their relationship could possibly progress.
I like how they went full Li Shang (Mulan) with Taigen and made him ‘unintentionally bisexual’. It’s shown throughout the series that Taigen likes/is attracted to women, with his obvious relationship with Akemi, but his developing enemies/rivals to friends/lovers dynamic with Mizu was ‘unintentionally gay’ as he (and everyone else, besides Ringo) believed her to be a man; so from his perspective, he literally made out and got horny for his ‘male’ rival. And the series (first season) even ends with Taigen never finding out Mizu’s true gender, so he’s left with the idea that he’s attracted to another man.
My wife suggested this series to me and I absolutely ADORED it. I'm picky when it comes to anime style media but she's pretty good at telling which ones I will like. Everything about this show was phenomenal. The art style, action, character work, themes, and storytelling are top notch. I'm just happy to have another "proper" strong female character. This is how it's done 👍
This has never been recommended to me on Netflix and I'm sad that I didn't know about this show until right now. I am going to see if I can find it and add it to my list asap.
Initially, I wasn't enthusiastic for season two on account of the continued revenge plot line, but now that Steve mentions it, it would be interesting to see how Mizu copes with her experiences in the West.
It’s confirmed in the last episode that the mother in episode was not actually her mother. Just a midwife, and that she was paid off by Fowler to keep misu secret. She revealed misu when the money ran out
Such a great show. Great art & animation, great writing, great music, great fight chorography, it has it all. Greatly looking forward to the next great season.
A couple days prior I also made a review of this series, for the first time ever. It was my first time doing something like this ever, so it’s pretty shit, but, it’s really nice to see this beauty of a series gaining proper attention and a review. Happy holidays, Stevie and have a wonderful next year :)
This show is a prime example for why calling something "woke" just from a premise, or trailer is a disservice to the work and to the audience that hasn't yet seen it. It also shows that you can be "woke" and still tell an excellent story. Being woke has never been the problem, but rather the execution and implementation.
As you say, “woke” themes aren’t the problem in modern story telling, it’s the story telling itself. However I didn’t see this show as woke at all! Gender non conformity, bigotry and sexism have always been interesting elements to explore in a story and a good writer knows how to use them to their advantage. It gets “woke” when the audience is being sneered at for holding the wrong opinions or the characters get an easy ride and unearned revenge just because the writer feels they deserve it.
This is how you make a GOOD and STRONG Female character that you're wanted so much, Hollywood. For Steve, i would recommend you to watch Godzilla Minus One if you had a chance. The movie got a positive review from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB as well.
The historical context of this period was spot on for the most part. While it was a bit confusing that the Shogun's forces didn't possess rifles (since they were a vital component for their military though not as reliable as bows and arrows when it stormed), it got much of the culture, architecture, and costumes of the Edo Period right.
It was probably done to create a starker divide between "East" and "West," emphasizing the destructive invasive nature of the white men into Japan by their introduction of firearms. Though it is a bit unfortunate, especially considering that the birth of domestic firearm manufacturing in Japan is a great example of their adaptability as a historically militaristic society, and I'm not sure whether or not it comes off as a bit orientalist through creating this supposedly inherent divide between Japan and Britain. Mizu is only an "abomination" in culture and race in accordance with this irreconcilable divide, so maybe they'll subvert this when Mizu arrives in Britain and realizes the similarities between the two nations, potentially even coming to accept the nature of her existence as a bridge between two seemingly disparate cultures, existing within a liminal space beyond the boundaries of both.
just finished watching blue eye samurai today and fell in love with itttt! the composition in this show was spectacularly scrumptiousss aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! i love your idea of one of mizu's potential fathers rivaling them, being a decent person or somewhat i cannot wait for the 2nd season
I was thinking about the possibility that her real father is a decent enough person, too. Maybe her real father was discovered trying to make a family and was forcefully deported. But it wouldn't surprise me if Fowler *is* the daddy after all. It irked me that Fowler says that he's not sure who Mizu's real father is, but he knows enough to say that her "mother" wasn't actually her real mother. That also gave me an idea that it's her mother who was white -- maybe a wife or a sister/daughter of one of those men.
I think that would be really interesting. The show has really big themes on femininity, they could probably explore a lot of new ideas if Mizu's white parent turns out to be her mother.
@@chiko4536 well, if her mother is her white parent and Fowler tells the truth that she was killed, then there would be little left to explore, imho. And I think Mizu needs to learn to accept herself even if one of her parents was a monster, like Fowler (Which won't happen if both of her parents were simply victims of unfortunate love and cruel circumstances. Accepting that is much easier, even if it is still tragic.) Nevertheless, I want to see the man from the episode 3 that saved baby Mizu's life. At the very least I want to learn who he was.
The way Mizu struggled and did everything she could to complete her missions bleeding severely almost fatally and barely even able to walk. She still clutches her sword and fights. Easily the BEST female protagonist ive seen in years. That includes live action. More stories need to be told through the perspective of characters with an estrangement of there morals.
As someone’s who’s been writing characters for a while now, I can say with confidence that these characters have a hell of a lot more depth and not screw around with it. Stay Flamingotastic, Steve!🦩💖
Thanks for the reminder. I was going to watch this but never got around to it. Saw your review pop up and binged it today. Happy to hear the 2nd season has been greenlit.
Okay, so, not ONCE have I ever stopped a video at the spoilers. Never. But I'm doing it now and going to watch Blue Eye Samurai now, cos you made it sound awesome. Back in a couple of days.
I love this show, I watched it again right after finishing it the first time. Already dying for future seasons and really hope they get greenlit for all of their planned work. SPOILER MAYBE? I saw once that someone brought up Taigen was not shown at the very very end after his scene with Akemi, and it's possible he stowed away on Mizu's ship. I can only hope, otherwise I'm not sure what he'd be doing while everyone else is kind of on their own paths now.
I started watching this the other night and I LOVED it! The style is absolutely gorgeous. The animation is fantastic. And the story is extremely engaging.
Her father has to be one of the other 2 men. Fowler is Irish with red and green eyes, the one she already killed would be a lame comp out. But it’s probably the flesh trader that would be her father and see if he’s even worse as Fowler was just the gun trader or if he’s nicer and stopped trading after meeting mizu real mother. There no reason to keep mizu as if he was as evil as Fowler who just drowned all his kin
I freaking love this show, it's like Warrior but animated. It just fills a specific niche for me. I haven't begun your video yet, but I'm sure I will enjoy your review!
I’d love to see if maybe one of Mizu’s dad’s follows 10:49 where he turns his life around. Maybe he joined a monastery. Or he lost his family to death like mizu and is just as broken as her.
I felt the same way in regards to the music when they would add modern elements to fill in the sound track, like that training montage of Mizu's. I was so immersed into the culture that it threw me out of it and almost made me turn it off. But I do like the fact that when they do now use the music that is modern, they have covers of Japanese singing translations in it.
Episode 5 is truly one of the most tragic stories of the entire show. You just don’t see these types of stories be told in modern day media. It would be like watching Rey be in a relationship that failed all because she was force sensitive. Causing her husband to rat her out to the order and have her become a monster who wants to hunt down the empire, not out of moral insight but straight up vengeance. I WOULD watch that more then what we got in the sequels. These stories just don’t happen that often and i wish we are able to see these types of vulnerabilities in powerful female protagonists. If anybody has any recommendations pls feel free to share :)))
I love how varied the sources of inspiration were for this animated series. You can see so much from classic Clint Eastwood movies and Kill Bill. It's really cool
I’ve been hyping this show up since the first week it released. I love the settings, the characters, the writing and plot. It challenges everything and I love it for that.
A friend and I had a talk about Mizu's dad. We brought up the possibility she could actually have a white mother and a Javanese father. Which would be a huge plot twist! Just a theory.
Great show. Great wirting and some really hard hitting moments that even caught me out. Season 2 will be interesting as it wont be set in Japan. I think if it goes on each season will be set in a different country.
Binging this show was one of the best choices in my interests in the entertainment industry. It’s so good it even got me wanting to replay Ghost of Tsushima
I think out of all the review channels I've watched, Steve might be the only one that actually REVIEWS movies/shows. Instead of just going through the whole movie, every word of dialouge, every story beat, and only occasionally tells us he likes or dislikes something or what he'd do differently, he purposely leaves out huge chunks from the movie or show he's reviewing, subtly nudging his viewers to actually go watch it by making us curious about what he didn't mention and giving his genuine opinion about the movie, his fears of what he expected, his actual likes and dislikes, and even fun facts about the makings of the movies and shows, like how this show was based off a real life child and is a mix of 2d and 3d animation, which I didn't notice until he pointed it out. He really is my favorite review channel to turn to
