The Netflix Violent Action Series Channels Quentin Tarantino In The Best Ways

Blue Eye Samurai is an original adult animated action series on Netflix that’s set in 17^th-century Edo-period Japan and follows Mizu, a half-white half-Japanese Onna-musha (a female warrior) on her quest for vengeance. However, the portrayal of Mizu’s revenge is quite graphic and, thus, not really fit for everyone’s stomach. The animators of this particular release didn’t hesitate to let the blood flow and gush up to the point that would put Quentin Tarantino to shame. There’s blood and flying limbs everywhere.

There’s so much blood and gore that the producers of Blue Eye Samurai, Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, assigned tasks to animators, along with a content warning. They even sought the animators’ consent to work on particular scenes due to their graphic nature. Admittedly, their efforts paid off since both the animations and fight sequences of Blue Eye Samurai have received overwhelmingly positive responses.

The animation alone is well done, not just from the technical aspect but also from the point of storytelling. Sometimes, it’s the background that talks to the viewers. Everything, from Mizu’s bitterness and rage to the blood-splattering swordplay, dismemberment, and the aforementioned gore, is balanced out by the stunning imagery and serene aesthetics. Blue Eye Samurai is a fantastic viewing experience whose narrative and visuals leave you glued to the thin panel hanging from your living room wall.

Blue Eye Samurai is set in the 17^th century during the Edo period in Japan, a part of Japan’s history notorious for super-aggressive foreign policies, because of which outsiders, particularly Europeans, were banned from the country. Mizu’s quest for vengeance pertains to four Europeans who reside illegally in Japan, one of whom is her father.

However, to execute her mission in an era in which vengeance was reserved for men only, Mizu, as a woman, had to be practical about her methods—in other words, she goes about disguised as a man.

This isn’t a novelty. We already had Mulan, who was, admittedly, a Chinese female warrior posing as a man. However, Blue Eye Samurai is much more adult-oriented, with all the flying guts, which only adds to the symbolism of Mizu’s actions, as her quest for vengeance also represents the fight against prejudice, injustice, gender oppression, and even xenophobia that were associated with the times.

It’s worth noting that Blue Eye Samurai was released with little-to-no fanfare in November last year, but the fantastic animation and great story carried the show to new heights and a Certified Fresh rank on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 100 percent critic rating and a 96 percent audience score, which indicates universal acclaim. Those interested in watching Blue Eye Samurai can watch the show on Netflix.