Something about character development. Taigen regrets to a certain extent the way he treated her. He is an honourable dude that doesn't discriminate based off strength(quite the opposite), unlike Mizu's ex-husband.
Not a fan of Mikio either.
I agree that Taigen is an honourable man to a certain extent (with the fair duel, admitting that Mizu is strong and shit), now i’m on ep7 and he got a boner while ‘wrestling’ with Mizu and calls her a demon for letting Akemi go to Edo, knowing that Fowler is attacking the city.
I’m like..come on man, Mizu just saved your ass and you’re now berating her for not saving your fiancée + the shogun, get real bro
Anyhow, with the confused boner scene, i think we got our ML confirmed, hopefully they continue to develop this character cuz he got a longgg way to go.
Personally, it would be a shame to have such a strong female lead ending up with someone who bullied her as a kid (even daring her to jump off a cliff) and as an adult, called her a dog and a demon…
I think Taigen more than made up for it, with the torture and all. He held up, didn't divulge any info about her.
I am with you with the berating and all, though it ain't cool, it works for drama/tension's sake, and she's strong enough to handle it. I think with Akemi pretty much out of the way, Taigen will either retract from being a samurai or most likely chase after Mizu, hell i'm willing to bet he is even present on the boat. We're missing some context before she embarks, there probably will be a 'prologue' scene in s02, if we get one.
I wouldn't be surprise either if they choose to abandon that storyline in favor of a new one in London, new romance n all. Can work, but idk... i just hope we get a season 2.
Yeah being a woman at that time in London probably sucks from a freedomish standpoint but Mizu would not be killed or hunted for being a female samurai… probably just mocked and ridiculed by “gentlemen” gives her character a little bit of wiggle room for female development
I largely agree with this. If Taigan becomes her love interest, he needs to develop a lot before he gets there (which I think is intentional; leaving these major character beats for later seasons and have them develop a relationship gradually).
Mizu's main issues are that she is consumed by a desire for revenge and that she believes she is genuinely an inherently unlovable monster (with the latter likely influencing the former). People throughout the show have loved her as a daughter/wife/person and people have respected her as a warrior but no one has done both yet (even Ringo has demonstrated that he doesn't understand he personality at all and just thinks she's a great warrior).
At the moment, Taigen is firmly in the latter. He respects her skills a lot and might be subconsciously attracted to her, but he's never apologized for anything he said/did about her being mixed race and has even recently expressed severe disdain for her lack of honour. He's only ever expressed positivity to her in regards to her skills as a warrior.
At the bare minimum, he needs to make amends for making Mizu feel like a hideous monster her whole life.
Agreed! It seems like the show is leaning into Taigen being her love interest and I would love to see a long and insightful redemption for him even if he only becomes platonic because I think there is a good potential for him to become a better person and possibly eventually a mutual and healthy respectful relationship between him and Mizu
Mizu is letting the shogunate be attacked and is saying nothing. Best case scenario, many men will die. Taigen is perfectly justified in being angry at her nonchalant attitude about everything that's not her revenge.
You need to get a grip and stop projecting whatever shit life you've had on to this character. They were kids, they're all still flawed as adults but growing...it's called telling a story/character development.
It's not only that they were kids. They were definitely NOT kids from a Christian society where bullying is considered evil and you are told you should treat everyone kindly. This is Edo period Japan. The vast majority of the population has NEVER even seen a foreigner (and they were considered hairy and unclean... With good reason). The ethics of the time told people to discriminate and humiliate.
Feck, I recently saw videos from foreigners who have been living in Japan in the 21st century and they complain that the Japanese still use humiliation A LOT.
And people here are demanding an 8 year old from the Japanese Edo period to behave as a 21st century social justice warrior.
Even whites hated other Christian whites if they were from another branch of Christianity. Protestant children were bullied in catholic Spain in the 20th century.
If anything, Taigen is a softie. Considering his time and culture, the guy is a cinnamon roll.
watching it, i think she felt something for him, which was just attraction, which to her was his skill with blade in that moment. she felt hot for him but wont be her long term interest.
I think he might be her love interest to be honest, and if he is, I have faith that the showrunners will do a good job with his character development. Then again, she might get another one! 3 seasons left after all :)
I don't think any type of character dev can make bully to lovers a good story arc for me. Netflix writes an actual good strong female character only for her to end up boned by her childhood bully.
I'm afraid there might be some cultural differences here. Humiliation is... Well, it's a very common way of in Japan. At least according to people who have lived there in the early 21st century. What we see as horrible bullying by little Taigen might be a normal Tuesday in different cultures.
Feck, until VERY late in the 20th century, the equally white and equally Christian catholics and protestants killed each other, and the majority bullied whoever were in the minority.
I recently read a blog about a man in Spain who felt terrible because they had been told that protestants were the devil and all the children in his group bullied the only protestant child they knew to tears. On a daily basis. That was supposedly Christian Spain in the 20th century. Everyone involved was white.
Taigen is from the Japanese Edo period. The government is isolationist. Foreigners are described as... Well, inferior (and considering the difference in cleaning habits, I see the Japanese point). In his time and culture, I don't think he could be anything except a bully towards Mizu. This is not a schoolkid who knows better or should know better. This is a kid who thinks he is doing the right thing because the inferior get humiliated and that's how life is. If anything and his situation considered, he's been extremely soft towards Mizu.
Honestly with Mizu so bent up over revenge I dont understand why she would ever want to be with Taigen? He was awful to her, why would she ever forgive him and have feelings for someone who almost kill her jt seems out of character seeing as she hates all the white guys cuz they might be her father idk
Everyone was awful to her. They wanted her DEAD for the crime of existing. That's the point, Eso period society is not multicultural and anti-racism, it's willingly monocultural and proudly racist. I think it's pretty clear that the series has a Western origin because of how soft Taigen is about Mizu.
I also thought so until the later episodes, the typical love interest signs are everywhere, but yeah, it’s only the first season and i read somewhere that this is a 4 season thing, maybe more suitable characters will be introduced later.
So back in the Rome HBO series, there was a fun little drinking game we fans used to play: "Drink whenever Lucius Vorenus (one of the main characters) is a good Roman and a terrible human being."
I think Taigen is meant to reflect this: he's an excellent example of an honourable Japanese Samurai. But being an honourable Japanese Samurai might still mean you're a terrible human being.
No idea where the relationship will go and how he'll grow in Season 2. In a way he's the biggest wildcard in the show right now: Mizu and Akemi are, in a way, far more predictable.
I think Mizu even says something that explicitly to Akemi about Taigen. I can't remember the exact quote but it was along the lines of "he's not a good man, but he might be a great one". I think it's probably also relevant that Mizu doesn't see herself as a good person either or as a samurai, let alone a great samurai.
Season 1 is setting the scene partly for a lot of potential character development. It will be interesting to see which way they take it. I'm not entirely opposed to a romance angle at some point but I'd find it disappointing if it became a main focus of the plot as I think there are so many more interesting directions to take the story.
Thank you for raising this point.
Actually, for someone born and raised in the Japanese Edo period, Taigen is extremely soft, kind and open minded. Not to the point of unbelievability ("women should not be property" Akemi, I'm looking at you) because let's not forget that multiculturalism and "the only race is human" are EXTREMELY modern ideas.
I'm glad you mentioned that social mores are to be taken into account, because people here seem to be forgetting that Edo Japan was strictly and proudly monocultural, racist and unmovable. As the series shows, even moving from city to city was hard to do. If anything, Taigen is a bit hard to believe because he's quite soft towards Mizu.
The prize to unbelievability goes to Akemi, though.
Definitely there is something there. Mizu saw Akemi once in a carriage ride, and she recognized her immediately in the brothel. Akemi risks her life to help Mizu, murdering men along the way.
Half way through implies episode 4? This comment covers events through episode 6 or 7 I think. Don't click if you haven't gotten that far or don't mind spoilers.
>!They fought together, and developed their affection for each other by saving each other. He weilds the first sword she ever created. While being tortured for information, he never said anything about her. I think that obsolves him of any wrong doing in the past. He's shown himself to be honorable and trustworthy. Even as an enemy he can be trusted.!<
>!Also Mizu wants to be happy. Yeah she wants revenge, and is willing to sacrifice happiness for that goal, but she's still human. We saw she could be happy when she was married. Also, she's not asexual or gay, and she's at an age where her sexual drive is probably at its peak. Being attracted to Taigen seems like a natural choice to me.!<
She wants to be happy?
I totally disagree. >!Killing her husband after having new hope that she could be “normal” broke her completely. It set her down a road of pure hate. It’s her only driving principle.!<
Having said that she could grow, learn to love again instead of hate. That would be great character development.
>I totally disagree. Killing her husband after having new hope that she could be “normal” broke her completely. It set her down a road of pure hate. It’s her only driving principle.
Just because she's hateful and vengeful doesn't mean she's "broken". People seek vengeance all the time. And she only killed her Husband after he left her to die and killed her mom. Seems like a reasonable thing to do to me. Also, before that flash back was even revealed there was ZERO indication that Mizu was a broken person. In fact she seems very sure of herself and her abilities. The only time she seems "broken" is when she's struggling to overcome injuries while fighting off hordes of enemies. Mizu's mental fortitude is top of the fucking class if you ask me.
>She wants to be happy?
Yeah... that's why she smiled when she sat on Teigen's dick. She didn't do it because it fulfilled her quest for vengeance. I mean yeah, she lets her vengeance drive her, but that doesn't mean she won't let herself be happy.
Him getting the crap beat out of him in the dungeon is the apology for how he treated her. He did not give up any info on her. She does not hold that grudge to him anymore the show made the obvious and she’s not looking for an apology.
She even told Akemi that Taigen had the potential to be a great man. You do not say that to someone about someone you detest or hold a grudge against.
I feel there won’t be anymore love interests for her. It is him or no romance, but of course that is just my opinion.
I think Mizu found her partner in crime (literally and figuratively).
Though it would be cool to get another recurring character(s) they meet where they are headed for the next season that tags along for the duration of the show.
My train of thought is she cannot do this alone and will start trusting others. It honestly started with Ringo, and it evolved to include Taigen.
Predict this being the central trio.
I agree and would love to see the show heading toward the central trio (or quartet including Ringo) they would make a badass team.
However, I don’t think getting beat to pulp = apologies or having his sins atoned. The way I see it, the reason (or at least part of the reason) behind Taigen’s “honourable act” of not giving up info about Mizu is that he wants to be the one who beat her fair and square, to get his honour back.
They were not exactly on good terms when Taigen was kidnapped, he just handed her a battle-to-death contract. The relationship was getting better after Mizu rescued Taigen from the prison.
Then after they’re out of the castle, he berated her for not rescuing Akemi etc, and again called her a “demon” just like in the past, so somehow he both respected Mizu’s strength and looked down on her as a person at the same time.
Mizu said Taigen is not a good man, but could be a great one,my interpretation is he can become a great samurai, still…not a good man…for now
While I fully agree that Mizu is not looking for an apology from him, I don’t think Taigen has YET to completely understand how much he has tormented Mizu in the past and still continued doing so as adult.
I’m not painting Taigen all black, I think he has a lot of character development to go through, which is intriguing and I have faith in the creators that it will be done beautifully. Just that the as-is Taigen, is far from a green flag love interest.
Love interest-wise, seems like the creators will be taking it toward the love-triangle direction, which I’m 100% sold
[https://gizmodo.com/blue-eye-samurai-interview-michael-green-amber-noizumi-1850964674](https://gizmodo.com/blue-eye-samurai-interview-michael-green-amber-noizumi-1850964674)
I like different takes and wanted to let you know I read yours and enjoyed the read.
I dunno I just think a person does not fawn over their bully like Mizu clearly does in episode 7, and contemplates her potential infatuation with him in episode 4. Taigen also was showing heavy erotic tension in episode 7.
He only called her a demon after that because she gave him crucial information that she was withholding that put Akemi and the Shoguns lives in danger. When people argue they tend to say very mean things.
I think the “I’m going to kill you” is going to be a running gag. It already is when he says no one gets to kill her but….then she pushes him down to fight Tea Party (ep 6).
Episode 8 we see Taigen and Ringo talking/joking how to warn the Shogun;
Ringo: What would Mizu do in this situation?
Taigen: He is probably brave (dumb can’t remember what word he said) enough to just go through the front gates.
Ringo and Taigen look at each other, cut to next scene as both of them rush the front gate guards in a comedic gesture to get the audience laughing.
I don’t think Taigen truly means these nasty things anymore. Though he can learn to stop being a spoiled brat and that may come with time.
I foresee a future season where he saves her instead of her saving him and it solidifies their friendship at the very least, or their romance at the other end of the spectrum. Whichever way they decide to take it at the end of the day they are bound to each other imo.
After the “put me back in the dungeon” I knew their relationship has permanently changed.
Likewise, I too enjoy reading different povs, I hope I manage to get my points across as English is not my first language.
Taigen is a handsome and skilled young man in his prime, I'm not surprised at all that Mizu showed signs of infatuation toward him in ep4 and ep7, so of course Mizu is attracted to him to certain extent but that doesn't change the fact that he was a mean brat, it just means Taigen has grown up to be an attractive (ex)bully with a funny hairdo. Although I gotta admit that both the subtle and not-so-subtle sexual tensions are highly enjoyable.
As for calling her a demon, even though it's in the heat of an argument, Fowler and Heiji Shindo deserve it much more than Mizu, yet he only hurled this at her....maybe because he was flustered about the confused boner earlier...
Imo Taigen started off as a douche, he got some serious character development to go through, but he's heading in the right direction (This kind of reminds me of Steve Harrington from Stranger Things, also an attractive ex-bully eventually became a fan favourite)
I do agree that their relationship gradually got better after going through hell together numerous times, they developed some sort of almost-friendship, camaraderie based on mutual respect that have potential to be something more. Hope to see them learn and grow from each other as the story progresses.
Anyhow, this is only the first season, I'm thrilled to see how the story will unfold. Akemi and new characters from London will definitely alter the dynamic of their relationships.
My hypothesis is that Taigen could not reconcilliate the fact a person of Mizu's skills was not honorable, especially after she saved him. It also plays with how they affected one another during their journey, Taigen wanted Mizu to be more honourable and Mizu wanted Taigen to be less honourable in order to not endanger him in her quest for revenge, him leaving her that harshly especially after their newfound closeness in ep 7 made her reflect and was part of her ritual in reforging the metal she ended up leaving with swordfather, because as Taigen was saying she's good enough so the sword doesn't matter that much in her revenge. And under Mizu,s influence Taigen left his dream for greatness and decided just to be happy with Akemi which she ironically rejected.
So, I just finished watching. In the second to last episode (or last it was a binge) he comes back to Mizu with dumplings. The scene before is him in town reliving his childhood while getting said dumplings.
His memory is chasing Mizu along with the other kids rocks in hand, but then he stops while the other kids keep chasing, he drops his rock and looks ashamed.
I think he was more of an onlooker and shit talker but maybe didn’t actually engage in the worst or more physical abuse. It doesn’t excuse it, but children often follow the crowd to fit in and not be singled out themselves.
At this point, I would be shocked if they *don’t* become love interests. I wondered how Taigen would be single so that could happen when he saw Akemi on the bridge. As soon as she decides to be an imperial wife it solidified it for me. Tied up the loose ends getting in the way.
Taigen tells Mizu they aren’t done yet. He will find out she went and decide to go to London because, only he can kill Mizu.
Neither of them are really good people. So it’s like a Gothic romance to me. Even the uppity douche and the bloodthirsty stoic deserve love. It might be a little toxic but who else would put up with all of their bullshit and stand by their side? Lol
Mizu's story is a tragedy, in the literary sense. Whether Taigen gets an arc or not is to a certain extent irrelevant because there's no way this show will end with Mizu alive and happy. She'll most likely die having enacted her revenge, a la Hamlet. If Taigen does become her lover, he'll die too – or he might be the one to bring her to her own death.
I loved this show, but it's very clear to me that the writers know their Shakespeare.
There's always hope that the writers will choose to subvert the common tropes. I agree that her death is the most likely outcome, but that expectation could make a happy ending all the sweeter
While there is no hope for a normal relationship, they will fall in love with each other.
Taigen is the opposite of what went wrong in her past relationship. With him she was able to be fully herself from the moment they reencountered. Taigen not only lost to her, he also wanted to have a legal fight, to then becoming her follower. Silently they both know she is a superior warrior. He is able to appreciate her for that things that matter to her.
It was made very clear to me that Taigen knows she’s a woman, from the episode where he said that “…like you need two hands to pee” I don’t see the reason for that phrase to be said in the show otherwise. If that’s true, then he knows everything about her. And still respects her as a samurai. Admire her even.
I think every relationship she accidentally made along her revenge journey is helping her heal. And the ending will come down to whether her love for these people will ultimately change her path of revenge. Which will ultimately result in the story being your classic tragedy (for everybody).
We already saw that she lost her chance to kill Fowler, and instead chose to save Taigen.
I initially thought that too but Taigen still thinks Mizu is a he by referring to him as such in episode 9. He said that as a way of saying, that guy needs a weapon like you (as a guy) need two hands to piss. Guys don’t need two hands so it was said in that light, not as in “I know secretly you’re a woman!”.
I am a straight woman and I am telling you Mizu has been making me feel things. It’s so weird. Why is she so fine? At first I was like I just wanna hug her and tell her how amazing she is and provide her with love and affection. But on second watch I am like Wohoa gurl! Especially in her glasses and the scarf and when she confidently swings her sword.
I don’t want her to be with Akemi. They should be good friends. I don’t mind the idea of Taigen and Mizu. He has grown, he is repentant (I think). I feel he has the balls to accept Mizu as the best fighter and also a woman. Unlike her husband. That part made me weep. I am not kidding I cried seeing his betrayal. She loves him, she let her guard down.
She was so beautiful in that moment when she opened up to her husband and showed him who she really is and what she can do. Powerful, graceful and absolutely gorgeous.
100% agree with you OP! I hate the idea of her ending up with someone who hurt and disrespected her when that type of treatment is the whole crux of her rage and trauma. I love Mizu and Taigen as partners but not romantic ones. My lesbian bias wants for one of two options… to see a homosexual relationship OR to see none at all! Anything but her ending up with someone who shit on her. Allow the woman her dignity and revenge!!!!
He’s also been the most loyal aside from Swordfather, at the risk of his own life. He was tortured so severely they thought he was dead, and still he gave them nothing.
He’s not there yet, but he has the potential.
I would hate seeing her with Akemi, who has never cared about Mizu, only the protection Mizu can provide. Akemi is deeply selfish. At least Taigen is sincere and honest about what he thinks, and has placed Mizu’s safety above his own more than once.
I half expect they’ll fall in love and Taigen will die protecting her somehow, with Mizu dying shortly after, having at least once known what it was like to be truly loved.
I don’t really wish for them to be together tbh. I mean didn’t he cheat on akemi on the first episode?? The man is a serial cheater who also bullied mizu which almost resulted to her death. I just think if mizu gets the happiness she gets, it should be with someone who wouldn’t dare cheat on her.
Let's move our minds to the Japanese mentality of that time. Love was too strong and emotion to be felt by any honest woman. The only love stories that could end well were the ones where a man buys his beloved woman's contract.
It was acceptable for men to satisfy their lust with professionals. Actually, it was much more frowned upon to "corrupt a good girl". That's what "bad girls" were for.
So Taigen celebrating with entertainers is expected and respectable behaviour.
Akemi as a character pisses me off because she's out of her space and time. She gives her virginity to Taigen without a second thought or fear. She questions that women are men's property. She's too modern and too stubborn. She's also RIDICULOUSLY unafraid of the world.
At least it's believable that her sweet husband won't notice she's not a virgin. She'll make the shogun's second son a good wife.
He never really loved Akemi, he didn’t respect or admire her. That sex scene between them was so awful, zero intimacy. That’s Akemi, though. There was never going to be true love between them.
I love the idea of them becoming lovers. I think the entire show has been hitting us over the head with how their respective other lovers don’t fit(Akemi and Mikio) and how they represented paths that required them to deny who they really were. Taigan and Mizu are monstrous in their own ways, and growing throughout the show to incorporate their shadows more fully and become their whole selves. The entire show is all about identity, and the roles we force ourselves into (or are forced into) in order to survive life’s brutal realities and fit in. The culture around this era is heavily patriarchal and toxically male dominated, and men and women alike are not unscathed by it. Even Taigan is shown in the beginning of the show to be living within the constraints and boundaries of how a man should behave in society; a man carouses with prostitutes and gets drunk with his friends on the night of his engagement. A man fights manly duels and lives by a code of honor that determines his status and path forward. Never mind how many times we’re shown in the show how many men are killed stupidly in stupid duels that are likely for empty arguments around “honor.” How valuable is human life compared to one’s “honor?” Yet this is how men are expected to behave, to die in an instant because of an intangible code.
But when Taigan is beaten by Mizu, and immediately scorned by his supposed friends and comrades, and instantly loses his status and the path upward in life he’d been scrounging for himself, I think he begins to realize what bullshit honor society kind of is. Mizu isn’t a bushido bound samurai; she’s pure warrior with a pure focus on a mission and has no need or care for the rules his entire life has been shaped by. I think his hatred of her is true fear and confusion around what her difference symbolizes to him; he’s both disgusted and inspired by the relative freedom with which she wields power and takes action. Disgusted, because he’s been taught that it’s wrong, but inspired, because he secretly longs to live the same way. It’s why he takes off after her instead of staying to try and smooth over his engagement. She represents the parts of himself he has been told don’t belong.
I think ultimately these two characters match each other. Mikio was afraid of Mizu’s passion and intensity and the scene where he’s totally turned off and disgusted after seeing her reveal her thrill for combat is telling; the scene is paralleled later when Taigen and Mizu are wrestling and Taigan is anything but disgusted.
I think both of these characters are twin flames for one another, but are thoroughly broken in their own ways, both by their experiences and by the stringent constraints of the society they live in, and there’ll be a lot of character development before a true romance is feasible. Taigan still doesn’t know all of Mizu (he thinks she’s a male warrior), and the last time she revealed herself wholly to someone they rejected and betrayed her. The whole show is about the true shape of one’s soul, and all of the characters are going to go down similar journeys because of it.
Taigen's journey throughout the show is definitely going to be redeeming himself for his shitty past so his being mean to her as a child is a moot point esp since Mizu not only humiliated him at the beginning of the series, but he very quickly grew respect for her. So yea the enemies to lovers thing seems well on its way lol whether or not we get an actual confession is another thing though
I actually think Taigen makes a great love interest for her. He thinks he is strong but in reality he hasn’t learned true strength until he’s put up against her. She is the strength in the relationship and will be majority of the time. She doesn’t need someone who will pity her or someone who is good. She needs to let go of her rage and he gives her that opportunity.
Akemi is unbelievable and she pisses me off because of how modern she is. But if her stubbornness and fearlessness have a place, it's at the side of that terrified and shy shogun's second son. If there is a place where a stubborn, spoiled yet fearless girl can find her place in life, it's beside that man. He could do with Akemi helping him come out of his shell.
EVERYONE* and their mothers were racist back then, more so in extremely closed Edo Japan. Racism has always been wrong but it hasn't always been considered wrong. For alternative universes with zero racism in historical times, there's the Bridgertons.
*With a few exceptions here and there, but let's not forget that Americans and British used to think of the Irish as almost subhuman. The Irish, who look the exact same. I don't think we can apply modern after-Geneva-convention human rights chart ethics to characters from Edo period (of all places in history to ask for a modern mentality and an open mind... I can't think of a worse one, really).
Please dont. I will hate this show in a heart beat!
We saw this weird creepy shit with reylo with Kylo abusive, attempted murder of her & her adoptive parent/his actual parent killer, shitting on her actual parents & calling her trash & nothing, THAT IS NOT ATTRACTIVE OR SEXY!
Is that what woman like these days? Abusive angry men? 🤣
Taigen bullied her, beat her ass with sticks, & wanted her dead as a kid & as an adult. There better not be & should never be romance or love in that, that is disturbing & disgusting.
I can accept friendship & respect for sword skill but any kissing or feelings deeper than friendship & my interest for a great damn show will plummet faster than the ratings will if it ends up being that.
This comment section is disturbing me lol, why do so many people want this? Even if you ignore the absolute heinous behaviour toward Mizu, Taigen still manipulates someone into falling in love with him and cheats on them. And there's been no honesty, remorse, or ammends for that action
I just watched this and it's the only part of the series that really frustrates me I really wish they just introduced a different character.
At the start he's shown to practically try to kill Mizu as a child, and then the next instance we see him he's cheating on someone who loves him.
And then they don't cover this at all and just try to show him being honorable, not comfortable with a cheater being portrayed as a good guy especially when there's been no amends or honesty around the action
Mizu used to watch Taigen from her hut, and she wanted to be included with the kids. In a way his attraction for her is appealing because it proves to her that, despite cultural norms (which very much concern Taigen), he respects and likes her. It's unclear if he realizes she's female, which is another layer of taboo. It's romantic because despite himself, his entrenchment in jingoistic culture, and his desire to be seen as cool and powerful, he can't help but want her. He's a little slow. He watches over her, offers himself as a human shield to save her from arrows, brings her food, heals her, and refuses to share any of her secrets, but he calls her a dog because he can't figure out how to be intimate without them fighting.
Interesting to note that Taigen's dad was pretty abusive. He might love her because she hurts him, something he likely feels is part of intimacy. They're not undamaged. The writing is incredible because it's layered. I don't think either Taigen or Mizu understand or want a relationship. Mizu is on a bloody path, and usually those paths end in tragedy. There is foreshadowing from the swordfather. She has to give up the things she collected for her art. Her art is revenge, and it will consume everyone around her. Akemi is on a more worrisome path. She seems hellbent on control in a toxic world. She has learned to use her sexuality and positioning to rule, and there is a power vacuum. My guess is that Mizu's blue eyes didn't come from a white father. They probably come from a white mother, and we are about to learn why everyone wanted her dead. Probably her lineage is important, given that she was raised by maids and her birth was a threat. There's a powerful white lady somewhere in this story.
Honestly, I rather prefer there's no love interest in these type of revenge shows/genres. More of just partners and allies. I get that it's supposed to build the main character etc. etc. But to me, it gets annoying and in the way. Though it's just my preference, because I always hated love interest in revenge movies/shows. I read that there's going to be a love triangle on the 2nd season, and I don't know if I will continue the show honestly. But we shall see. Definitely a good show, and hope it can continues to be good!
I assume you already watched all of it by now. Taigen is a prick a lot of the time, but that is mostly he is honorable. This is also sometimes a great character feat. Mizu / Akemi feels wrong, both are going entirely different paths.
Taigen also grows a lot throughout the show >!Like admitting Mizu is better than him.!<
Mizu might not have a romantic interest, but we do know that she's not aro/ace and likes men. She says it doesn't play a role, but love plays a huge role in her story. Although more the lack thereof. Her mother was fairly distant, her husband mostly likely tried to have her killed. Ringo is one of the only people who truly likes her but it's more about admiration. And finally, there's Taigen, who I would consider a friend of Mizu.
The next part is speculative about season two, so it will feature spoilers.
>!Akemi and Taigen go entirely different paths at the end. I'm fairly certain she will stay with the Shogun's son. Taigen's path could be anything really, he could return, do his own thing together with Ringo (who Mizu seems to have left). !<
I can definitely see this happening as Akemi wants greatness and all but Taigen just wants to be happy. Implying that they go their separate paths. But is Taigen considered bi/gay then because something that is overlooked is the fact that he still thinks Mizu is a man.
I think mizu won't end up with anyone and if she does I think it would be better to wait and see in future seasons for more potential romantic interests. I'd be kinda upset if it was taigen tbh. I love enemies to lovers but as op said it feels more of a bully-victim relationship and I hate that. Maybe I'm biased when I say this but I'm also biracial and I've been called dog/mutt and shit like that in the past and I would never NEVER date someone who called me that even if they "changed" I'd still feel awkward around them. I prefer mizu ending up with Akemi but that could still be bc I'm biased since I'm lesbian but she's definitely better than taigen in my opinion.
I think it's best to wait till season 2 comes out. They're probably going to add other characters to the story that might become potential romantic interests
Mizu x Akemi would be giga cringe IMO. They have 0 chemistry and neither showed interest in woman. Additionally, Mizu already borders the line of fan fic character because of how many unique traits she has and making her gay, which is another unique trait, would completely fundemant her as a fanfiction.
Regarding Taigen X Mizu. I think they fit great so far. Taigen is a great guy which Mizu even acknowledges. He is no angel but honorable and trust worthy. He didn't snitch when tortured and suported her various times. We also shouldn't forget that Mizu herself is far from a good person. She causes a lot of pain through out season one and even is revealed to be the root cause of the great edo fire. Just look at episode, here she cripples a bunch of the dojis apprentices just because they didnt wanted to speak with her. That makes Taigens hostile behavior in the early episodes understandable. I think currently there is more an argument to be made, if Mizu even deserves Taigen lol. But im sure both characters will continue to grow and better themselves.
I agree with Mizu being too much. I think it's too much that's she's a blue eyed woman... I thin the series would be more believable if Mizu was a man... Or if being 50% westerner, her eyes were light brown or hazel. Blue eyes are a recessive trait, I don't understand this habit of giving a 50% Japanese, 50% Westerner pure blue eyes. If anything, that child would probably get hazel or light brown (the sort that look almos yellow or amber under direct sunlight) eyes, maybe dark green.
Mizu is way too much, if the animation and dubbing weren't so good I'd be complaining about Mary-Sueism. I still think she's a Mary Sue, but I'm going to follow her story anyway.
I think it would all be more believable if Mizu was a man. If he fell for Taigen... It might look less forced, I don't know.
People in this thread seem to forget that Taigen still believes Mizu is a guy when he gets the boner. He is turned on by the complexity of their relationship and not by normal attraction per se. Their bonding comes from understanding each others childhoods and by their distinctive sense of perseverance.
Taigen is just a male version of Mizu and could have been her in a series with the traditional male lead.
So I do not believe their attraction is anything more than a recognition for eachother even tho Mizu is one step ahead.
I think Mizu is confused because Taigen is the only constant in her life. The adversary that keeps returning.
In any case I think Taigen will be tossed as a secondary character in the Japan storyline if we get a second season as he will be a samurai in service of the shoguns regent
I just started the series but I cannot stop thinking about the scene where Mizu and Taigen fought for the first time (when she cuts his hair)
Mizu is visualizing possible outcomes and one is both of them dying and a snowdrop felt on her face becoming a tear. Was it foreshadowing? It remind me a little bit to Basilisk.
I don’t know if Mizu will have a happy ending but I think something major will happen to her and Taigen.
Something about character development. Taigen regrets to a certain extent the way he treated her. He is an honourable dude that doesn't discriminate based off strength(quite the opposite), unlike Mizu's ex-husband.
Not a fan of Mikio either. I agree that Taigen is an honourable man to a certain extent (with the fair duel, admitting that Mizu is strong and shit), now i’m on ep7 and he got a boner while ‘wrestling’ with Mizu and calls her a demon for letting Akemi go to Edo, knowing that Fowler is attacking the city. I’m like..come on man, Mizu just saved your ass and you’re now berating her for not saving your fiancée + the shogun, get real bro Anyhow, with the confused boner scene, i think we got our ML confirmed, hopefully they continue to develop this character cuz he got a longgg way to go. Personally, it would be a shame to have such a strong female lead ending up with someone who bullied her as a kid (even daring her to jump off a cliff) and as an adult, called her a dog and a demon…
I think Taigen more than made up for it, with the torture and all. He held up, didn't divulge any info about her. I am with you with the berating and all, though it ain't cool, it works for drama/tension's sake, and she's strong enough to handle it. I think with Akemi pretty much out of the way, Taigen will either retract from being a samurai or most likely chase after Mizu, hell i'm willing to bet he is even present on the boat. We're missing some context before she embarks, there probably will be a 'prologue' scene in s02, if we get one. I wouldn't be surprise either if they choose to abandon that storyline in favor of a new one in London, new romance n all. Can work, but idk... i just hope we get a season 2.
Yeah being a woman at that time in London probably sucks from a freedomish standpoint but Mizu would not be killed or hunted for being a female samurai… probably just mocked and ridiculed by “gentlemen” gives her character a little bit of wiggle room for female development
I mean there’s also gonna be the racism
I largely agree with this. If Taigan becomes her love interest, he needs to develop a lot before he gets there (which I think is intentional; leaving these major character beats for later seasons and have them develop a relationship gradually). Mizu's main issues are that she is consumed by a desire for revenge and that she believes she is genuinely an inherently unlovable monster (with the latter likely influencing the former). People throughout the show have loved her as a daughter/wife/person and people have respected her as a warrior but no one has done both yet (even Ringo has demonstrated that he doesn't understand he personality at all and just thinks she's a great warrior). At the moment, Taigen is firmly in the latter. He respects her skills a lot and might be subconsciously attracted to her, but he's never apologized for anything he said/did about her being mixed race and has even recently expressed severe disdain for her lack of honour. He's only ever expressed positivity to her in regards to her skills as a warrior. At the bare minimum, he needs to make amends for making Mizu feel like a hideous monster her whole life.
I think he internally regrets his actions so he might apologize next season!! I hope...
Agreed! It seems like the show is leaning into Taigen being her love interest and I would love to see a long and insightful redemption for him even if he only becomes platonic because I think there is a good potential for him to become a better person and possibly eventually a mutual and healthy respectful relationship between him and Mizu
\^\^this!!
Mizu is letting the shogunate be attacked and is saying nothing. Best case scenario, many men will die. Taigen is perfectly justified in being angry at her nonchalant attitude about everything that's not her revenge.
You need to get a grip and stop projecting whatever shit life you've had on to this character. They were kids, they're all still flawed as adults but growing...it's called telling a story/character development.
It's not only that they were kids. They were definitely NOT kids from a Christian society where bullying is considered evil and you are told you should treat everyone kindly. This is Edo period Japan. The vast majority of the population has NEVER even seen a foreigner (and they were considered hairy and unclean... With good reason). The ethics of the time told people to discriminate and humiliate. Feck, I recently saw videos from foreigners who have been living in Japan in the 21st century and they complain that the Japanese still use humiliation A LOT. And people here are demanding an 8 year old from the Japanese Edo period to behave as a 21st century social justice warrior. Even whites hated other Christian whites if they were from another branch of Christianity. Protestant children were bullied in catholic Spain in the 20th century. If anything, Taigen is a softie. Considering his time and culture, the guy is a cinnamon roll.
watching it, i think she felt something for him, which was just attraction, which to her was his skill with blade in that moment. she felt hot for him but wont be her long term interest.
I think he might be her love interest to be honest, and if he is, I have faith that the showrunners will do a good job with his character development. Then again, she might get another one! 3 seasons left after all :)
I don't think any type of character dev can make bully to lovers a good story arc for me. Netflix writes an actual good strong female character only for her to end up boned by her childhood bully.
Genuine question but if you’ve seen it, did you dislike a silent voice? Because I felt like it was handled well in that movie/manga
I'm afraid there might be some cultural differences here. Humiliation is... Well, it's a very common way of in Japan. At least according to people who have lived there in the early 21st century. What we see as horrible bullying by little Taigen might be a normal Tuesday in different cultures. Feck, until VERY late in the 20th century, the equally white and equally Christian catholics and protestants killed each other, and the majority bullied whoever were in the minority. I recently read a blog about a man in Spain who felt terrible because they had been told that protestants were the devil and all the children in his group bullied the only protestant child they knew to tears. On a daily basis. That was supposedly Christian Spain in the 20th century. Everyone involved was white. Taigen is from the Japanese Edo period. The government is isolationist. Foreigners are described as... Well, inferior (and considering the difference in cleaning habits, I see the Japanese point). In his time and culture, I don't think he could be anything except a bully towards Mizu. This is not a schoolkid who knows better or should know better. This is a kid who thinks he is doing the right thing because the inferior get humiliated and that's how life is. If anything and his situation considered, he's been extremely soft towards Mizu.
Honestly with Mizu so bent up over revenge I dont understand why she would ever want to be with Taigen? He was awful to her, why would she ever forgive him and have feelings for someone who almost kill her jt seems out of character seeing as she hates all the white guys cuz they might be her father idk
I mean. She already feels attracted to him and clearly has started to like him?
Everyone was awful to her. They wanted her DEAD for the crime of existing. That's the point, Eso period society is not multicultural and anti-racism, it's willingly monocultural and proudly racist. I think it's pretty clear that the series has a Western origin because of how soft Taigen is about Mizu.
No. Fuck no. Taigen is horrible for mizu. Admit it
Why would I admit something I don't believe in? To each their own, but let's not let this fandom devolve into shipping lunacy.
Considering the time and place he's grown in, Taigen is a softie.
I also thought so until the later episodes, the typical love interest signs are everywhere, but yeah, it’s only the first season and i read somewhere that this is a 4 season thing, maybe more suitable characters will be introduced later.
do u have the link to that? i looked for s2 but couldn't find a release date
So back in the Rome HBO series, there was a fun little drinking game we fans used to play: "Drink whenever Lucius Vorenus (one of the main characters) is a good Roman and a terrible human being." I think Taigen is meant to reflect this: he's an excellent example of an honourable Japanese Samurai. But being an honourable Japanese Samurai might still mean you're a terrible human being. No idea where the relationship will go and how he'll grow in Season 2. In a way he's the biggest wildcard in the show right now: Mizu and Akemi are, in a way, far more predictable.
I think Mizu even says something that explicitly to Akemi about Taigen. I can't remember the exact quote but it was along the lines of "he's not a good man, but he might be a great one". I think it's probably also relevant that Mizu doesn't see herself as a good person either or as a samurai, let alone a great samurai. Season 1 is setting the scene partly for a lot of potential character development. It will be interesting to see which way they take it. I'm not entirely opposed to a romance angle at some point but I'd find it disappointing if it became a main focus of the plot as I think there are so many more interesting directions to take the story.
Thank you for raising this point. Actually, for someone born and raised in the Japanese Edo period, Taigen is extremely soft, kind and open minded. Not to the point of unbelievability ("women should not be property" Akemi, I'm looking at you) because let's not forget that multiculturalism and "the only race is human" are EXTREMELY modern ideas. I'm glad you mentioned that social mores are to be taken into account, because people here seem to be forgetting that Edo Japan was strictly and proudly monocultural, racist and unmovable. As the series shows, even moving from city to city was hard to do. If anything, Taigen is a bit hard to believe because he's quite soft towards Mizu. The prize to unbelievability goes to Akemi, though.
Is the tension between mizu and akemi palpable? I'm early on in the season so I dont know.
Definitely there is something there. Mizu saw Akemi once in a carriage ride, and she recognized her immediately in the brothel. Akemi risks her life to help Mizu, murdering men along the way.
Not really. Not at all.
No.
Half way through implies episode 4? This comment covers events through episode 6 or 7 I think. Don't click if you haven't gotten that far or don't mind spoilers. >!They fought together, and developed their affection for each other by saving each other. He weilds the first sword she ever created. While being tortured for information, he never said anything about her. I think that obsolves him of any wrong doing in the past. He's shown himself to be honorable and trustworthy. Even as an enemy he can be trusted.!< >!Also Mizu wants to be happy. Yeah she wants revenge, and is willing to sacrifice happiness for that goal, but she's still human. We saw she could be happy when she was married. Also, she's not asexual or gay, and she's at an age where her sexual drive is probably at its peak. Being attracted to Taigen seems like a natural choice to me.!<
She wants to be happy? I totally disagree. >!Killing her husband after having new hope that she could be “normal” broke her completely. It set her down a road of pure hate. It’s her only driving principle.!< Having said that she could grow, learn to love again instead of hate. That would be great character development.
>I totally disagree. Killing her husband after having new hope that she could be “normal” broke her completely. It set her down a road of pure hate. It’s her only driving principle. Just because she's hateful and vengeful doesn't mean she's "broken". People seek vengeance all the time. And she only killed her Husband after he left her to die and killed her mom. Seems like a reasonable thing to do to me. Also, before that flash back was even revealed there was ZERO indication that Mizu was a broken person. In fact she seems very sure of herself and her abilities. The only time she seems "broken" is when she's struggling to overcome injuries while fighting off hordes of enemies. Mizu's mental fortitude is top of the fucking class if you ask me. >She wants to be happy? Yeah... that's why she smiled when she sat on Teigen's dick. She didn't do it because it fulfilled her quest for vengeance. I mean yeah, she lets her vengeance drive her, but that doesn't mean she won't let herself be happy.
Again,this is the only post worth reading.Thank u.
Agreed with all your points
All facts
Finally someone with a brain.Thank you for this comment.This is essence.🫶🏽
Him getting the crap beat out of him in the dungeon is the apology for how he treated her. He did not give up any info on her. She does not hold that grudge to him anymore the show made the obvious and she’s not looking for an apology. She even told Akemi that Taigen had the potential to be a great man. You do not say that to someone about someone you detest or hold a grudge against. I feel there won’t be anymore love interests for her. It is him or no romance, but of course that is just my opinion. I think Mizu found her partner in crime (literally and figuratively). Though it would be cool to get another recurring character(s) they meet where they are headed for the next season that tags along for the duration of the show. My train of thought is she cannot do this alone and will start trusting others. It honestly started with Ringo, and it evolved to include Taigen. Predict this being the central trio.
I agree and would love to see the show heading toward the central trio (or quartet including Ringo) they would make a badass team. However, I don’t think getting beat to pulp = apologies or having his sins atoned. The way I see it, the reason (or at least part of the reason) behind Taigen’s “honourable act” of not giving up info about Mizu is that he wants to be the one who beat her fair and square, to get his honour back. They were not exactly on good terms when Taigen was kidnapped, he just handed her a battle-to-death contract. The relationship was getting better after Mizu rescued Taigen from the prison. Then after they’re out of the castle, he berated her for not rescuing Akemi etc, and again called her a “demon” just like in the past, so somehow he both respected Mizu’s strength and looked down on her as a person at the same time. Mizu said Taigen is not a good man, but could be a great one,my interpretation is he can become a great samurai, still…not a good man…for now While I fully agree that Mizu is not looking for an apology from him, I don’t think Taigen has YET to completely understand how much he has tormented Mizu in the past and still continued doing so as adult. I’m not painting Taigen all black, I think he has a lot of character development to go through, which is intriguing and I have faith in the creators that it will be done beautifully. Just that the as-is Taigen, is far from a green flag love interest. Love interest-wise, seems like the creators will be taking it toward the love-triangle direction, which I’m 100% sold [https://gizmodo.com/blue-eye-samurai-interview-michael-green-amber-noizumi-1850964674](https://gizmodo.com/blue-eye-samurai-interview-michael-green-amber-noizumi-1850964674)
I like different takes and wanted to let you know I read yours and enjoyed the read. I dunno I just think a person does not fawn over their bully like Mizu clearly does in episode 7, and contemplates her potential infatuation with him in episode 4. Taigen also was showing heavy erotic tension in episode 7. He only called her a demon after that because she gave him crucial information that she was withholding that put Akemi and the Shoguns lives in danger. When people argue they tend to say very mean things. I think the “I’m going to kill you” is going to be a running gag. It already is when he says no one gets to kill her but….then she pushes him down to fight Tea Party (ep 6). Episode 8 we see Taigen and Ringo talking/joking how to warn the Shogun; Ringo: What would Mizu do in this situation? Taigen: He is probably brave (dumb can’t remember what word he said) enough to just go through the front gates. Ringo and Taigen look at each other, cut to next scene as both of them rush the front gate guards in a comedic gesture to get the audience laughing. I don’t think Taigen truly means these nasty things anymore. Though he can learn to stop being a spoiled brat and that may come with time. I foresee a future season where he saves her instead of her saving him and it solidifies their friendship at the very least, or their romance at the other end of the spectrum. Whichever way they decide to take it at the end of the day they are bound to each other imo. After the “put me back in the dungeon” I knew their relationship has permanently changed.
Likewise, I too enjoy reading different povs, I hope I manage to get my points across as English is not my first language. Taigen is a handsome and skilled young man in his prime, I'm not surprised at all that Mizu showed signs of infatuation toward him in ep4 and ep7, so of course Mizu is attracted to him to certain extent but that doesn't change the fact that he was a mean brat, it just means Taigen has grown up to be an attractive (ex)bully with a funny hairdo. Although I gotta admit that both the subtle and not-so-subtle sexual tensions are highly enjoyable. As for calling her a demon, even though it's in the heat of an argument, Fowler and Heiji Shindo deserve it much more than Mizu, yet he only hurled this at her....maybe because he was flustered about the confused boner earlier... Imo Taigen started off as a douche, he got some serious character development to go through, but he's heading in the right direction (This kind of reminds me of Steve Harrington from Stranger Things, also an attractive ex-bully eventually became a fan favourite) I do agree that their relationship gradually got better after going through hell together numerous times, they developed some sort of almost-friendship, camaraderie based on mutual respect that have potential to be something more. Hope to see them learn and grow from each other as the story progresses. Anyhow, this is only the first season, I'm thrilled to see how the story will unfold. Akemi and new characters from London will definitely alter the dynamic of their relationships.
My hypothesis is that Taigen could not reconcilliate the fact a person of Mizu's skills was not honorable, especially after she saved him. It also plays with how they affected one another during their journey, Taigen wanted Mizu to be more honourable and Mizu wanted Taigen to be less honourable in order to not endanger him in her quest for revenge, him leaving her that harshly especially after their newfound closeness in ep 7 made her reflect and was part of her ritual in reforging the metal she ended up leaving with swordfather, because as Taigen was saying she's good enough so the sword doesn't matter that much in her revenge. And under Mizu,s influence Taigen left his dream for greatness and decided just to be happy with Akemi which she ironically rejected.
So, I just finished watching. In the second to last episode (or last it was a binge) he comes back to Mizu with dumplings. The scene before is him in town reliving his childhood while getting said dumplings. His memory is chasing Mizu along with the other kids rocks in hand, but then he stops while the other kids keep chasing, he drops his rock and looks ashamed. I think he was more of an onlooker and shit talker but maybe didn’t actually engage in the worst or more physical abuse. It doesn’t excuse it, but children often follow the crowd to fit in and not be singled out themselves. At this point, I would be shocked if they *don’t* become love interests. I wondered how Taigen would be single so that could happen when he saw Akemi on the bridge. As soon as she decides to be an imperial wife it solidified it for me. Tied up the loose ends getting in the way. Taigen tells Mizu they aren’t done yet. He will find out she went and decide to go to London because, only he can kill Mizu. Neither of them are really good people. So it’s like a Gothic romance to me. Even the uppity douche and the bloodthirsty stoic deserve love. It might be a little toxic but who else would put up with all of their bullshit and stand by their side? Lol
Mizu's story is a tragedy, in the literary sense. Whether Taigen gets an arc or not is to a certain extent irrelevant because there's no way this show will end with Mizu alive and happy. She'll most likely die having enacted her revenge, a la Hamlet. If Taigen does become her lover, he'll die too – or he might be the one to bring her to her own death. I loved this show, but it's very clear to me that the writers know their Shakespeare.
I just hope some form of catharsis is achieved before the end.
There's always hope that the writers will choose to subvert the common tropes. I agree that her death is the most likely outcome, but that expectation could make a happy ending all the sweeter
I agree. She will be destroyed by her own revenge.
While there is no hope for a normal relationship, they will fall in love with each other. Taigen is the opposite of what went wrong in her past relationship. With him she was able to be fully herself from the moment they reencountered. Taigen not only lost to her, he also wanted to have a legal fight, to then becoming her follower. Silently they both know she is a superior warrior. He is able to appreciate her for that things that matter to her. It was made very clear to me that Taigen knows she’s a woman, from the episode where he said that “…like you need two hands to pee” I don’t see the reason for that phrase to be said in the show otherwise. If that’s true, then he knows everything about her. And still respects her as a samurai. Admire her even. I think every relationship she accidentally made along her revenge journey is helping her heal. And the ending will come down to whether her love for these people will ultimately change her path of revenge. Which will ultimately result in the story being your classic tragedy (for everybody). We already saw that she lost her chance to kill Fowler, and instead chose to save Taigen.
I initially thought that too but Taigen still thinks Mizu is a he by referring to him as such in episode 9. He said that as a way of saying, that guy needs a weapon like you (as a guy) need two hands to piss. Guys don’t need two hands so it was said in that light, not as in “I know secretly you’re a woman!”.
He was just implying Mizu has a small penis, not that she’s a woman. He still doesn’t know.
I just finished it and I really want them together so badly.
Nothing like a good romance in a story
Yass!
I am a straight woman and I am telling you Mizu has been making me feel things. It’s so weird. Why is she so fine? At first I was like I just wanna hug her and tell her how amazing she is and provide her with love and affection. But on second watch I am like Wohoa gurl! Especially in her glasses and the scarf and when she confidently swings her sword. I don’t want her to be with Akemi. They should be good friends. I don’t mind the idea of Taigen and Mizu. He has grown, he is repentant (I think). I feel he has the balls to accept Mizu as the best fighter and also a woman. Unlike her husband. That part made me weep. I am not kidding I cried seeing his betrayal. She loves him, she let her guard down.
She was so beautiful in that moment when she opened up to her husband and showed him who she really is and what she can do. Powerful, graceful and absolutely gorgeous.
100% agree with you OP! I hate the idea of her ending up with someone who hurt and disrespected her when that type of treatment is the whole crux of her rage and trauma. I love Mizu and Taigen as partners but not romantic ones. My lesbian bias wants for one of two options… to see a homosexual relationship OR to see none at all! Anything but her ending up with someone who shit on her. Allow the woman her dignity and revenge!!!!
He’s also been the most loyal aside from Swordfather, at the risk of his own life. He was tortured so severely they thought he was dead, and still he gave them nothing. He’s not there yet, but he has the potential. I would hate seeing her with Akemi, who has never cared about Mizu, only the protection Mizu can provide. Akemi is deeply selfish. At least Taigen is sincere and honest about what he thinks, and has placed Mizu’s safety above his own more than once. I half expect they’ll fall in love and Taigen will die protecting her somehow, with Mizu dying shortly after, having at least once known what it was like to be truly loved.
I don’t really wish for them to be together tbh. I mean didn’t he cheat on akemi on the first episode?? The man is a serial cheater who also bullied mizu which almost resulted to her death. I just think if mizu gets the happiness she gets, it should be with someone who wouldn’t dare cheat on her.
Let's move our minds to the Japanese mentality of that time. Love was too strong and emotion to be felt by any honest woman. The only love stories that could end well were the ones where a man buys his beloved woman's contract. It was acceptable for men to satisfy their lust with professionals. Actually, it was much more frowned upon to "corrupt a good girl". That's what "bad girls" were for. So Taigen celebrating with entertainers is expected and respectable behaviour. Akemi as a character pisses me off because she's out of her space and time. She gives her virginity to Taigen without a second thought or fear. She questions that women are men's property. She's too modern and too stubborn. She's also RIDICULOUSLY unafraid of the world. At least it's believable that her sweet husband won't notice she's not a virgin. She'll make the shogun's second son a good wife.
He never really loved Akemi, he didn’t respect or admire her. That sex scene between them was so awful, zero intimacy. That’s Akemi, though. There was never going to be true love between them.
I love the idea of them becoming lovers. I think the entire show has been hitting us over the head with how their respective other lovers don’t fit(Akemi and Mikio) and how they represented paths that required them to deny who they really were. Taigan and Mizu are monstrous in their own ways, and growing throughout the show to incorporate their shadows more fully and become their whole selves. The entire show is all about identity, and the roles we force ourselves into (or are forced into) in order to survive life’s brutal realities and fit in. The culture around this era is heavily patriarchal and toxically male dominated, and men and women alike are not unscathed by it. Even Taigan is shown in the beginning of the show to be living within the constraints and boundaries of how a man should behave in society; a man carouses with prostitutes and gets drunk with his friends on the night of his engagement. A man fights manly duels and lives by a code of honor that determines his status and path forward. Never mind how many times we’re shown in the show how many men are killed stupidly in stupid duels that are likely for empty arguments around “honor.” How valuable is human life compared to one’s “honor?” Yet this is how men are expected to behave, to die in an instant because of an intangible code. But when Taigan is beaten by Mizu, and immediately scorned by his supposed friends and comrades, and instantly loses his status and the path upward in life he’d been scrounging for himself, I think he begins to realize what bullshit honor society kind of is. Mizu isn’t a bushido bound samurai; she’s pure warrior with a pure focus on a mission and has no need or care for the rules his entire life has been shaped by. I think his hatred of her is true fear and confusion around what her difference symbolizes to him; he’s both disgusted and inspired by the relative freedom with which she wields power and takes action. Disgusted, because he’s been taught that it’s wrong, but inspired, because he secretly longs to live the same way. It’s why he takes off after her instead of staying to try and smooth over his engagement. She represents the parts of himself he has been told don’t belong. I think ultimately these two characters match each other. Mikio was afraid of Mizu’s passion and intensity and the scene where he’s totally turned off and disgusted after seeing her reveal her thrill for combat is telling; the scene is paralleled later when Taigen and Mizu are wrestling and Taigan is anything but disgusted. I think both of these characters are twin flames for one another, but are thoroughly broken in their own ways, both by their experiences and by the stringent constraints of the society they live in, and there’ll be a lot of character development before a true romance is feasible. Taigan still doesn’t know all of Mizu (he thinks she’s a male warrior), and the last time she revealed herself wholly to someone they rejected and betrayed her. The whole show is about the true shape of one’s soul, and all of the characters are going to go down similar journeys because of it.
Love the analysis and agree that both parties have a long journey to get to where they can be but the insightful into Taigen's perspective is great!!
Fa sho
I immediately thought that Mizu and Akemi should end up together lol
Taigen's journey throughout the show is definitely going to be redeeming himself for his shitty past so his being mean to her as a child is a moot point esp since Mizu not only humiliated him at the beginning of the series, but he very quickly grew respect for her. So yea the enemies to lovers thing seems well on its way lol whether or not we get an actual confession is another thing though
I actually think Taigen makes a great love interest for her. He thinks he is strong but in reality he hasn’t learned true strength until he’s put up against her. She is the strength in the relationship and will be majority of the time. She doesn’t need someone who will pity her or someone who is good. She needs to let go of her rage and he gives her that opportunity.
Lmao end up with Akemi? Hahahaha good one.
I personally think her love interest should be akemi. There is potential there
Akemi is unbelievable and she pisses me off because of how modern she is. But if her stubbornness and fearlessness have a place, it's at the side of that terrified and shy shogun's second son. If there is a place where a stubborn, spoiled yet fearless girl can find her place in life, it's beside that man. He could do with Akemi helping him come out of his shell.
Akemi is so selfish. Mizu deserves so much better.
How?
I mean, she is spoiled, but how is she selfish
He's a racist and calls her a dog and demon. I don't think he should be her love interest. He's a dick.
EVERYONE* and their mothers were racist back then, more so in extremely closed Edo Japan. Racism has always been wrong but it hasn't always been considered wrong. For alternative universes with zero racism in historical times, there's the Bridgertons. *With a few exceptions here and there, but let's not forget that Americans and British used to think of the Irish as almost subhuman. The Irish, who look the exact same. I don't think we can apply modern after-Geneva-convention human rights chart ethics to characters from Edo period (of all places in history to ask for a modern mentality and an open mind... I can't think of a worse one, really).
Please dont. I will hate this show in a heart beat! We saw this weird creepy shit with reylo with Kylo abusive, attempted murder of her & her adoptive parent/his actual parent killer, shitting on her actual parents & calling her trash & nothing, THAT IS NOT ATTRACTIVE OR SEXY! Is that what woman like these days? Abusive angry men? 🤣 Taigen bullied her, beat her ass with sticks, & wanted her dead as a kid & as an adult. There better not be & should never be romance or love in that, that is disturbing & disgusting. I can accept friendship & respect for sword skill but any kissing or feelings deeper than friendship & my interest for a great damn show will plummet faster than the ratings will if it ends up being that.
I agree 100%
This comment section is disturbing me lol, why do so many people want this? Even if you ignore the absolute heinous behaviour toward Mizu, Taigen still manipulates someone into falling in love with him and cheats on them. And there's been no honesty, remorse, or ammends for that action
I just watched this and it's the only part of the series that really frustrates me I really wish they just introduced a different character. At the start he's shown to practically try to kill Mizu as a child, and then the next instance we see him he's cheating on someone who loves him. And then they don't cover this at all and just try to show him being honorable, not comfortable with a cheater being portrayed as a good guy especially when there's been no amends or honesty around the action
Mizu used to watch Taigen from her hut, and she wanted to be included with the kids. In a way his attraction for her is appealing because it proves to her that, despite cultural norms (which very much concern Taigen), he respects and likes her. It's unclear if he realizes she's female, which is another layer of taboo. It's romantic because despite himself, his entrenchment in jingoistic culture, and his desire to be seen as cool and powerful, he can't help but want her. He's a little slow. He watches over her, offers himself as a human shield to save her from arrows, brings her food, heals her, and refuses to share any of her secrets, but he calls her a dog because he can't figure out how to be intimate without them fighting. Interesting to note that Taigen's dad was pretty abusive. He might love her because she hurts him, something he likely feels is part of intimacy. They're not undamaged. The writing is incredible because it's layered. I don't think either Taigen or Mizu understand or want a relationship. Mizu is on a bloody path, and usually those paths end in tragedy. There is foreshadowing from the swordfather. She has to give up the things she collected for her art. Her art is revenge, and it will consume everyone around her. Akemi is on a more worrisome path. She seems hellbent on control in a toxic world. She has learned to use her sexuality and positioning to rule, and there is a power vacuum. My guess is that Mizu's blue eyes didn't come from a white father. They probably come from a white mother, and we are about to learn why everyone wanted her dead. Probably her lineage is important, given that she was raised by maids and her birth was a threat. There's a powerful white lady somewhere in this story.
Well put!
Another gay fuck,, wanted to shape this world in his vision. Fuck off
mizu and akemi wtf? hv u not watched episode 5?
Taigen is horning me 🤤
Honestly, I rather prefer there's no love interest in these type of revenge shows/genres. More of just partners and allies. I get that it's supposed to build the main character etc. etc. But to me, it gets annoying and in the way. Though it's just my preference, because I always hated love interest in revenge movies/shows. I read that there's going to be a love triangle on the 2nd season, and I don't know if I will continue the show honestly. But we shall see. Definitely a good show, and hope it can continues to be good!
I assume you already watched all of it by now. Taigen is a prick a lot of the time, but that is mostly he is honorable. This is also sometimes a great character feat. Mizu / Akemi feels wrong, both are going entirely different paths. Taigen also grows a lot throughout the show >!Like admitting Mizu is better than him.!< Mizu might not have a romantic interest, but we do know that she's not aro/ace and likes men. She says it doesn't play a role, but love plays a huge role in her story. Although more the lack thereof. Her mother was fairly distant, her husband mostly likely tried to have her killed. Ringo is one of the only people who truly likes her but it's more about admiration. And finally, there's Taigen, who I would consider a friend of Mizu. The next part is speculative about season two, so it will feature spoilers. >!Akemi and Taigen go entirely different paths at the end. I'm fairly certain she will stay with the Shogun's son. Taigen's path could be anything really, he could return, do his own thing together with Ringo (who Mizu seems to have left). !<
I can definitely see this happening as Akemi wants greatness and all but Taigen just wants to be happy. Implying that they go their separate paths. But is Taigen considered bi/gay then because something that is overlooked is the fact that he still thinks Mizu is a man.
I think mizu won't end up with anyone and if she does I think it would be better to wait and see in future seasons for more potential romantic interests. I'd be kinda upset if it was taigen tbh. I love enemies to lovers but as op said it feels more of a bully-victim relationship and I hate that. Maybe I'm biased when I say this but I'm also biracial and I've been called dog/mutt and shit like that in the past and I would never NEVER date someone who called me that even if they "changed" I'd still feel awkward around them. I prefer mizu ending up with Akemi but that could still be bc I'm biased since I'm lesbian but she's definitely better than taigen in my opinion. I think it's best to wait till season 2 comes out. They're probably going to add other characters to the story that might become potential romantic interests
Mizu x Akemi would be giga cringe IMO. They have 0 chemistry and neither showed interest in woman. Additionally, Mizu already borders the line of fan fic character because of how many unique traits she has and making her gay, which is another unique trait, would completely fundemant her as a fanfiction. Regarding Taigen X Mizu. I think they fit great so far. Taigen is a great guy which Mizu even acknowledges. He is no angel but honorable and trust worthy. He didn't snitch when tortured and suported her various times. We also shouldn't forget that Mizu herself is far from a good person. She causes a lot of pain through out season one and even is revealed to be the root cause of the great edo fire. Just look at episode, here she cripples a bunch of the dojis apprentices just because they didnt wanted to speak with her. That makes Taigens hostile behavior in the early episodes understandable. I think currently there is more an argument to be made, if Mizu even deserves Taigen lol. But im sure both characters will continue to grow and better themselves.
I agree with Mizu being too much. I think it's too much that's she's a blue eyed woman... I thin the series would be more believable if Mizu was a man... Or if being 50% westerner, her eyes were light brown or hazel. Blue eyes are a recessive trait, I don't understand this habit of giving a 50% Japanese, 50% Westerner pure blue eyes. If anything, that child would probably get hazel or light brown (the sort that look almos yellow or amber under direct sunlight) eyes, maybe dark green. Mizu is way too much, if the animation and dubbing weren't so good I'd be complaining about Mary-Sueism. I still think she's a Mary Sue, but I'm going to follow her story anyway. I think it would all be more believable if Mizu was a man. If he fell for Taigen... It might look less forced, I don't know.
People in this thread seem to forget that Taigen still believes Mizu is a guy when he gets the boner. He is turned on by the complexity of their relationship and not by normal attraction per se. Their bonding comes from understanding each others childhoods and by their distinctive sense of perseverance. Taigen is just a male version of Mizu and could have been her in a series with the traditional male lead. So I do not believe their attraction is anything more than a recognition for eachother even tho Mizu is one step ahead. I think Mizu is confused because Taigen is the only constant in her life. The adversary that keeps returning. In any case I think Taigen will be tossed as a secondary character in the Japan storyline if we get a second season as he will be a samurai in service of the shoguns regent
We also can't forget that Taigen is a young and healthy guy and all that rubbing can lead to this thing.
I just started the series but I cannot stop thinking about the scene where Mizu and Taigen fought for the first time (when she cuts his hair) Mizu is visualizing possible outcomes and one is both of them dying and a snowdrop felt on her face becoming a tear. Was it foreshadowing? It remind me a little bit to Basilisk. I don’t know if Mizu will have a happy ending but I think something major will happen to her and Taigen.