TV SHOW REVIEW - Blue Eye Samurai: Season 1
By The Masked Medic
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that watching shows that are over 15 episodes long has become very difficult, which means that I often seek out shows with smaller seasons, and those that are less than 10 episodes are so easy to get through. This show in particular was recommended to me by an A+E consultant, who could not believe that I hadn’t seen it, and called myself a fan of Japanese culture. I took that personally and got to it immediately!
‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Season 1 tells the story of Mizu, a young samurai who is on a mission to find a number of foreigners whom she blames for the death of her mother. What’s worse is that Mizu has blue eyes, similar to the foreigners, making her an outcast in Feudal Japan. She is taken in by a blind blacksmith, whose talent is known far and wide, and his reputation brings in a lot of warriors who are looking to have him make a sword for them. Mizu, from that young age, begins to learn how to wield a sword. Due to her being a woman, she has to be extra careful and take precautions to make sure she’s not discovered. On her journey, she meets a number of characters who become integral to her mission. Firstly is Ringo, a young man who has lost both his hands and has been working in his father’s noodle shop. Ringo sees Mizu as a chance to travel and perhaps learn to be the best at something else, and so begs Mizu to let him be her student. During a mission to find out who has been harbouring one of the foreigners, Abijah Fowler, Mizu comes up against an up-and-coming samurai named Taigen. Taigen has managed to secure a match with Akemi, the daughter of one of the local lords. However, during a duel with Mizu, he loses and thus Akemi’s father arranges an alternative match for her, leading to Taigen trying to get revenge on Mizu. Can Mizu find Abijah Fowler and continue her mission for revenge? Or will she see an alternative life unfold in front of her?
We have to talk about this cast. Some of the names surprised me when I looked them up, although some voices sounded so distinct. Voicing Ringo was Masi Oka, who a lot of people may know from “Heroes”. He did a great job in terms of making Ringo sound like the friendliest guy ever. Taigen was voiced by Darren Barnet, who was in “Never Have I Ever”, not that I’ve seen it. Haha! But genuinely, there were parts where I thought he sounded like Dave Franco and had this really cocky voice. One actress whom I do know, but did not recognise, was Brenda Song, who voices Akemi. Akemi is such a dynamic character, and I was surprised to hear the range in her performance. Okay, this show also managed to get some legends on board. Voicing Madam Kaji, a cunning woman who owns a brothel, was Ming-Na Wen, whose acting and voice acting exploits include Mulan and also Fennec Shand in “The Mandalorian”. Randall Park voices Heiji Shindo, an accomplice of Abijah Fowler. I recognised his voice immediately! Playing our main antagonist was Kenneth Branagh. I completely forgot that he’s from Northern Ireland, because I was so surprised to hear that accent. There were also a few veterans of the business. George Takei voices Seki, Akemi’s tutor, and the late Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa voices Master Eiji, the legendary blacksmith. The standout performance for me, though, was definitely Mizu, voiced by Maya Erskine. The character has this real gravitas, and Erskine delivered it perfectly!
So initially, I was a little sceptical about this show. As you guys and girls know, I’ve developed an interest in watching anime, and this show was recommended to me as one. By technicality, it isn’t one, and perhaps that’s why I raised eyebrows. That being said, this show is fantastic, and if Japan wants to formally adopt it as an anime, I’d be okay with that. I’d said before that shows which are more than 10 episodes can start to become a little draggy, but at 8 episodes long, I was also aware that perhaps there wouldn’t be enough run time to strengthen the story or the character arcs. I did not have to worry about that at all. The main characters each get their chance to shine, and the way the episodes weave means that, actually, there aren’t really filler episodes; it’s more like tangents to help you understand the characters. The story is compelling, and there is a lot of action, which means that you never get bored. I have only one criticism, and that is, there was far too much nudity, and most of it added nothing to the show. C’mon, guys, we don’t need that stuff to attract viewers!
The show was produced by a French company called Blue Spirit, and I have to hand it to them; the show was animated brilliantly. The mixture of the 2D animation with an almost 3D style created a unique blend, which I’ve not seen done as well as this before. The music was good, and most of all, I loved all the different backgrounds, from Fowler’s Castle to the ocean scenes with Ringo and Master Eiji’s shop. I’ve heard there is a Season 2 coming soon, and I cannot wait to see where Mizu’s adventures take her!
Rating:
Story: ★★★★
Voice Acting: ★★★½
Filmography: ★★★★½
Integral vs Filler Episodes: ★★★★
Enjoyability: ★★★★