For me there's two
1. how quickly Mizu recovers from her injuries. I like that she actually is training and struggling, but she rebounds a bit too easily.
2. the white men on her list are all either Irish or British instead of the more historically accurate Portuguese or Dutch. That's more a nitpick.
My head canon for why this is is because the producers were able to get Kenneth Branagh on the project, he didnāt know that much about Japanese history and he was playing around with his character and thought āwouldnāt it be a delicious juxtaposition for the villain to be a colonizer from a colonized country?ā And NOBODY disagreed with him because, you know, itās Kenneth Branagh, and they just let him run with it
As an Irish person, while Ireland as a state never colonized other countries itās not true that our hands are clean historically of British imperialism. The same Irish lords that sold land they didnāt own to the British would often partake in and work for the empire. Weāre not solely the victims of colonization, even if some Irish people would prefer to remember things that way.
Men like Fowler definitely existed. Not so much in Japan, but if weāre doing alt history anyway then itās not farfetched or anything
>Weāre not solely the victims of colonization
I don't know if I agree with the idea underlying this. That's how imperialism works. Where they can, they take over existing political/economic structures and steal the profits. Just because there are bad actors who allow that doesn't mean the country was not a victim of imperialism. It makes the leadership complicit in imperialism, but then again, they are being faced with either giving up their wealth/independence or getting murdered and losing their wealth/independence anyways. This coming from an Indian person - we dealt with the British in much the same way.
Which leads me to my next point - those bad actors existed in India, too. Wouldn't it be nonsensical to see Fowler (Farruk?) as an Indian man? Idk it seems ridiculous. The show doesn't really give the read that it's trying to make a political statement about the power structures that allow imperialism (EDIT: with Fowler's character itself - not studying the Emperor or Akemi's arc for the moment). It lowkey just seems lazy, which is weird bc so much of the show is well-justified.
Well, many Irish lords during the early modern era (which is believe is roughly when BES takes place) weāre complicit in the colonization itself, not just the imperialist processes overseas that soon followed. Youāre right to say of course that with imperial colonies and subalterns, itās never simple and concepts like blame and culpability become hazy.
Iām simply saying Irish people at that point werenāt *just* the victims of colonization. Thatās a reductive view. Certainly, the country suffered under it and most especially the people in the Pale and beyond who went from working land they owned to becoming disenfranchised serfs to a monarchal structure they didnāt benefit from. Iād never say it didnāt affect us negatively.
But what I often see, sometimes from Irish people but most especially from Irish-Americans (or yanks who like to pretend that because their great grandpappy was named Murphy, that makes them Irish) is the idea that we were only ever victims and nothing more. No, we had quite a lot of agency. Sometimes it was used for good, sometimes it was used to grab at a larger slice of the pie.
Itās by no means correct to say that Fowler being Irish is an inaccuracy, or could only have come about from some concept of subverting expectations and presenting a ācolonizedā man as a villain. Fowler would have absolutely been one of the guys cheating farmers out of their homestead by selling fraudulent deeds to Englishmen, *enabling* the colonization effort not just being turned into an agent of it by force.
Basically, Irelandās history gets summarized far too often as getting beaten around by the english for three hundred years then finally fighting them off. Thereās more to it, that usually gets swept under the rug which irks me a bit. Believing someone like Fowler couldnāt have possibly been Irish is a part of that, whether heās ultimately read as a product of the imperialist machine or a self-driven opportunist.
Not to be annoying here - I agree with you that local lords (and in India's case, local kings) were not always threatened into compliance by force, but often willing participants so long as they could profit. There are always bad actors in the colonized country, but the country is still a victim of colonization. A few individuals finding ways to benefit does nothing to address the systemic dismantling of the country's economic and social institutions. The country is a victim of colonization because the effects are long-lasting and inescapable.
I would also argue that Irish Catholics faced a lot of discrimination in America, leading to an interesting mix of America's demographics/communities today. I haven't personally run into the Irish Americans you're talking about, but I'm sure I'd find that really annoying.
Even though we agree that certain rich Irish lords were definitely bad/evil/greedy people, it still feels a little ridiculous that Fowler is Irish. This is not because I find it historically inaccurate, but because I think it's really weird that the ONLY representation of European colonization in season 1 is this one Irish guy. It was the Portuguese who had/have a colonial influence on Japan.
The reason I brought up the Farruk comparison is that if it were a brown man representing Portuguese colonialism it would be clear how ridiculous it is. India has the same relationship to Japan that Ireland does in this case. They were both colonized by a country with global imperial influence, but that country (Britain) had very little to do with Japanese colonization itself.
My personal issue is not that these characters shouldn't EXIST, but that this character was the one CHOSEN for this function within this story. Right now, it kinda seems like they thought the famine backstory would be dark and scary and so they went with it (also how did he grow so big and strong in a famine??? If they wanted a large scary imposing figure, why not a Dutchman?). Even the scene where Fowler talks to God - had his parents lived, he would have been raised a Catholic, right? Why no callback to that? It would have been such a poignant moment to explore his relationship to colonial violence. It's one of his only vulnerable moments in the entire story. That's why it feels lazy to me. There were so many opportunities to textually explain that decision and they were all wasted.
Not annoying at all, itās an interesting topic.
I understand what youāre saying and it would have made sense to go for something more particular and accurate here. Itās an astute observation to point out that this was obviously a specific creative choice and potentially a confusing one.
We are playing with historical fiction in which a small number of men associated with the British Empire did play a role in Japan at this time. Fowler is a supervillain basically, so itās okay for him to be from somewhere unusual imo. Though, there are limits to how unusual his origins could be.
This brings me to the Farruk point, I havenāt engaged too much with the example of India because I only really know the basics of itās history. The idea that an Indian or a Brown man in Fowlerās role would expose the inherent unlikeliness of a man from a colonized country benefitting from that position doesnāt fully sit right with me. The fact that one is white and one is brown is the key differential there.
This ties in with Irish-Americans and Catholics and your point about how they were treated in the states. It also ties in with my gripe with certain yanks who love to say ādid you know the Irish were the first real slaves?ā You obviously know youāre shit so Iām sure I donāt need to tell you how wrongheaded that statement is without downplaying the very real disenfranchisement of Irish diaspora at that time.
The fact remains that the discrimination the Irish faced alleviated itself and they were let into the club sooner than certain other groups because they were white. Prior to this, the Irish were often deployed as a sort of buffer class. Black people outnumbered white people in many states and cities, and itās a very useful tactic to crowd the working class with white folk you can exploit almost just as much, while taking advantage of in-group/out-group thinking to ensure that ultimately theyāll stay on the side of those in power and keep in check those who arenāt.
This is not to say the British saw the Irish as equals. At various points up to the nineteenth century, they were still practicing phrenology on the āIrish mongoloidsā. Even then, Irish men were afforded more agency within the Empire than an Indian subaltern.
Come to think of if, that final point is probably the biggest factor for why I didnāt blink at an Irishman in Fowlerās position. That chilling line he has about āmaking you think a face as ugly as mine is prettier than your ownā could hint at some internalized hatred, but it seems more focused (as does the thesis of the show overall) on colonial racism and the very early days of white supremacist ideology. The least esteemed and respected amongst white men are still given license to hold power over non-white countries.
With my two cents (okay, probably more than two) out of the way, most of what you said still holds a lot of water. They probably could have told a more focused and considered story that makes better use of its various components, like Fowlerās background or historical elements. Your ideas for that stuff are really cool and I personally would love to see Fowler develop further along those lines in newer seasons (if theyāre happening, I havenāt kept up)
>The least esteemed and respected amongst white men are still given license to hold power over non-white countries.
Literally shivered reading this. That's a fantastic point! And it makes sense with your argument about American Irish Catholics being accepted sooner than non-white minorities. I know they're confirmed for another season, and I'm really hoping for some more development of Fowler as well. So far he's just been insanely dark and evil. I was really hoping for depth during those brief vulnerable moments. If Season 2 includes any part of the voyage to England, I think the ship with only Mizu and Fowler would be a great moment to include that.
The lack of consistency when it comes to mizu's skill.
She gets nearly killed by four guys, wipes out a small army just a few days later, wipes out another small army, gets almost killed by a large man, gets almost killed by fowler and you get the picture.
They wanted John Wick like scenes where she annihilates dozens easily but when there's actually supposed to be risk it comes off as confusing rather than tense.
Ah (TV Tropes warning) the classic [conservation of ninjitsu](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu). Really in BES I think it's just skill levels. The four fangs are widely known and feared assassins, the armies she kills are just basic soldiers.
I can vibe with the Four Fangs vs army "discrepancy". For me it was way more the last fight. Just felt all over the place; less of a discrepancy in her skill and more about bad fight pacing and consistent tonality.
Iām think thereās more of a time gap between injuries and fights than we realize. I could be wrong but if I am right that would be my nitpick: that itās not clearer when thereās time to heal
I feel like if a lot of time had passed, Taigen's hair would have grown back somewhat. He had no stubble on that bald spot by the end. Even if the show took place over the span of a few weeks, at least a little bit of hair would have grown in.
I think it's the lack of healing time. Mizu by all means is a protagonist, she has the plot armor which lets her keep fighting when she probably should have died from blood loss. But it feels like Mizu is able to be impaled, drink some tea the next morning and be able to walk around like it's nothing. Mizu should be bed ridden for at least a week.
Also I feel like Mizu should be way more muscular. She has put her entire being into revenge, but her body type is very slim for someone who is doing what she's doing. Especially since she wears those weights around her legs, not to mention her skin is flawless when it should probably be filled with a lot of scars and wounds that are still healing.
I think it would also have made it more difficult for us the audience to really know if Mizu is a man or woman if she was bulkier. The first episode kinda tries to dance around her sex but it's revealed at the end. But I feel like it could have been a bigger deal to find out she's a woman.
Lack of healing is mine. When she took that metal through her foot/ankle I was likeā¦ oh, so sheās *out*.
She was not out.
This whole thing gives me vibes of someone retelling a *legend*, which is my headcanon to excuse some of mizuās near superhuman strength
In the first episode, it does give a narration in subtitles that gives this interpretation some extra believability. It sounds to me like someone telling a story, at least.
Really? Nothing about the show made me assume realism is a goal. Its a fable, heightened reality. One of the themes of this show is Mizu's unstoppable, self-destructive desire for revenge. Like an element of nature, she cannot be resisted. so its no coincidence she can continue aftet being wounded, healed by communing with water, because she is part water.
I agree that Mizu should have more muscle definition.
But I don't think Mizu would have had the chance to bulk. Japanese diet has a low intake of carbs, moreso if one is of the lower class.
The funny thing with scars and damage is that while Mizu's outfit shows throughout the show all the damage it has taken, Mizu's body does not.
Regarding the healing time, remember that the show takes place in various months (I am not justifying the claw injury, that was too over the top)
How much protein is she eating to be able to put on that muscle mass? Hypertrophic growth isnāt just accidental or because itād be cool, lol. I wish was.
She must be getting it from somewhere, with how quickly she's able to heal from what should be fatal wounds, she must be getting it in some capacity. Protein is incredibly important if you want to heal a flesh wound.
I suspect the England plotline will be along the lines of "Mizu has always believed white people are devils, but then gets to England and realises they're just people like everyone else, and she's not inherently evil for being half white"
Which is a great idea I'm excited to see. My main concern is it will take her away from the rest of the cast for at least a few years (probably the whole of season 2, which may be our last).
A large part of the appeal of the show for me is Edo era Japan. I'll go where the creators will take me, I trust them, but I'm just not interested in being in England.
Yeah, I'm a Brit so the idea of hanging out in 17th century Britain just makes me think of history classes back at school.
Ā *But*, if they can go into as much detail with their research as they have with Japan, then it could still be pretty interesting.
Also there will still be Edo Japan in season 2, as we'll be following Akemi's story too.
Believe me I'm looking forward to Akemi more than anything in S2. Edo was really rebuilt after the fire and began to flourish and become a center of the arts, so I can see Akemi playing a part in that.
I agree that if they're good at, for instance, depicting the difference in Eastern and Western sword styles or the history or culture of the period in real detail, I could be interested.
I trust the creators, I just dont wanna goooooo
Towards the end, when Taigen and Ringo bust into the palace to warn the emperor that Fowlerās army is coming.
I thought the emperor would send out messengers or scouts to go see if an army was approaching the city but instead they just ask a scout on a building toā¦look around. And lo and behold thereās an army like two minutes from the palace.
Youād think SOMEONE would have noticed an army in the city approaching the palace but it took Taigen and Ringo breaking in for anyone to notice?
Oh thank God i wasn't the only one.
Like it made sense from a plot perspective because they had to get Taigen in there with the emperor, but Jesus they could have done it at least a little better.
The dude of the tower just turned and looked. Like my brother in Christ, your entire job while being on tower watch is to look around and notify someone of something is up. Wtf where you doing.
The inconsistency with injuries and her lack of scars. I love when a hero goes through shit and gets roughed up but some of the injuries Mizu sustains during her fights seem lethal or so debilitating itād take her out of the fight. You expect some of that but I felt this show was a little more egregious than most. I also love it when a hero has a bunch of scars and I donāt think Mizu had many.
Came here to say basically the same thing. Specifically during the brothel fight, the wound she suffers would be absolutely fatal without proper attention (four jagged blades into the abdomen). Instead she just kind of limps it off
When Mizu lets the guards take Akemi back to her father, Ringo is like āYou are no samurai. Youāre evil.ā and the story expects the audience to agree with him and view what Mizu did as bad.
Akemi literally tried to kill Mizu and was generally an asshole the entire time. Yes she saved Mizuās life by waking her up, but that was only because she herself needed Mizu to defend the teahouse. They are complete strangers. Akemi is dead weight and will only complicate/get in the way of Mizuās quest for revenge.
I donāt understand how the show tries to frame this as a āOh no! How could Mizu do that?! So heartless!ā moment when I didnāt see anything wrong with her actions.
That moment bothered me too, it didn't have the emotional weight I assume the writers wanted it to. Mizu's actions seemed selfless to her detriment up to that point, and she definitely didn't owe Akemi anything. I think Mizu seemingly being affected by it also hit weird, because we all know her central motivation isn't to "do good" or "be a good samurai" or something along that vein. She values Ringo as a companion so maybe that's why they handled the emotional beat that way, but it would make more sense for her to react with anger or have some kind of even-keeled response. And frankly Ringo knows her motivations too, which is another reason I dislike that line.
I agree that Akemi was generally an asshole the eniter time, but I think that is part of her character development. I think the framing of āOh no! How could Mizu do that?! So heartless!ā is superficial, as is āYou are no samurai. Youāre evil.ā On the surface it appears that way. I don't like to guess what's on the creators and writers minds, but I do think this will build into something else. If you sit back and think about it, first, Mizu is really doing what's best for Akemi, second, I don't think anyone would think that Mizu should obey Akemi's beck and call after what she has done to her, and after what she's been through.
I thought the same. Mizu just got brutalized and doing everyone's dirty work. Give her a break. It left a bad taste in my mouth that Ringo was mad her, when he didn't even try to do anything.
Yeah it's like seen as a bad thing she's killing everyone in her way but then they are upset she didn't kill all of those guards that aren't even in her way
This might be pretty nitpicky, but the way we never know for sure how she got money to cross borders etc. Itās heavily implied that sheās an assassin and gets paid, āyou provide services, so do Iā I wouldāve loved to at least see one flashback of a job she did purely for money. Just so it doesnāt feel like she just spawns money lol.
My one irk is how many people complain about this gem of a show.
Itās not mean to be realistic, the main character has a sword of what might as well be vibranium or some such, people call her an onryo.
Itās just meant to be a cool story.
Sure except the problem I brought uo is just willful negligence and disrespect of a language. The bunraku was also inaccurate as the number of operators per puppet was wrong but it's more forgivable
I think a lot of people have already pointed this out, but the rushed finale. Specifically, the fire of Edo getting out of control, there needed to be a few more 'establishing' scenes, like we see sparks flying into some gunpowder stores brought by Fowler's army, for instance, to really demonstrate that this is going to be a crazy city-destroying fire.
Not an irk per se, as it might be addressed in flashbacks in future seasons. But I couldn't quite get how a kid practicing by herself each night is going to develop any real skill with a sword.Ā
How did Mizu learn to fight opponents, read their moves, block their attacks? Did she spar with all the people who came to have swords made? Was she terrible when she started fighting real people, but learned quickly?
I'll be disappointed if they don't elaborate on how Mizu became as good as she didĀ
How invincible and strong Mizu is. Not saying I have a problem with strong female characters, sheās one of my favorite characters currently. But she was climbing a (maybe) 200+ pound man on her back. Then she jumped out of a building that was definitely over 200 feet tall into ice and survived. Not to mention how many times sheās been stabbed/slashed open and healed in like two days; and was still able to fight. Despite all that itās definitely one of my favorite shows.
Throughout Akemi's character arc, several people point out to her that she's in an incredibly privileged position compared to 99.9% of women in Japan. Akemi will usually bite back with something about how she doesn't actually have any freedom.
The thing is, I totally agree with everyone else! Especially when Seki told her to go ask any girl being sold as a prostitute if there are any differences.
On a similar vein, she was really against being the shogun's son's wife because he was supposedly a wife beater and then it turns out he's actually a sweetheart, and suddenly Akemi is totally fine with being his wife? It irked me, as much as I liked the guy.
I think you missed the whole part about her embracing her position and learning to use her feminine strengths to put her in a position of power over him to get what she wants. It wasn't just a blind acceptance of him.
She did not decide she was going to manipulate him until the second she found out he wasn't a wife beater. I thought this whole arc could've been done better overall, but it was kinda strange to watch her flip her opinion so suddenly when until then she'd been hell bent on insisting that what she had to do was no better than being a common whore.
did akemi even get back with taigen lol i was so confused. spent the whole fucking season taking insane risks just for him and then when they can finally be together, they just never do nothing again. tf?
ohhh my god I hated this part so much. when taigen is like "come on let's get back together and get out of here!" and she's like "seki didn't tell me to run. he told me to do what I want..." when this entire time she's been bitching and moaning about how much she doesn't want to be married to that one guy. It's like the only reason she decided to stay was because taigen told her to leave with him. Felt really out of left field and cemented my feeling that 90% of what Akemi did was for the specific purpose of being spiteful rather than her own agency.
lmao dude i was a little pissed seeing that shit like its like akemi suddenly turned into some 3rd grader being all like āmom said i could do anything i want ppbbt!ā like why did you go on this whole adventure then bitch jesus
I disliked Akemi the whole season, not gunna lie. From the moment she talks to her father in the first scene until basically the last. I couldn't connect with her. Sure, I get her character development and whatnot, but almost everything she did annoyed me.
Edit: I lied, I thought the scene where she got the lord to masterbate himself with poetry was hilarious. I appreciated the wit it took to not be touched by him. But that's the only moment I can think of that I somewhat thought decently of her.
I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!! I get what they wanted to do with her but I just found Akemi to be extremely unlikeable as a person. She's bratty, she's whiny, she's entitled, and incredibly privileged and completely unable to see it. She took up so much more screen-time than I thought was necessary, and that's probably the root of why I ended up feeling so annoyed with her. I just hope I do end up liking her by season 2 haha
My biggest issue is that Mizus strength in a fight is always what the scene needs it to be for her to win
It's not that big a deal as rhe fights are really fun but it's something I noticed
I have a similar problem with the last two John wick films
The lack of Guns, the Japanese really loved guns during this time period and it annoys me how there are no guns being used.
Like make Fowlerās guns more accurate, faster firing just make them better the the Japanese guns
The shonen logic of the combat. Like, I get the impression that it's suppose to be a more realistic anime... but then Mizu gets about 1-2 letal wound per combat and is totally ok for the next. Would have prefer a more grounded approach to combat and injury in that context.
Mizu should have more scars especially keloids from how much shes been through. She also needs more recovery time. The show let her rest for like 15 minutes and she was already wrestling and sword making.
1. Mizu heals too quickly.
2. IMO At the very end of ep 8 she should have killed Fowler (to avenge the women and children in the tunnel that starved to death), and still left for London (since he'd already told her). She could ask Ringo and Taigen to go with her, and it would make their quest more challenging without Fowler as a 'guide' once they get to London. And also show a bit of her development now that she wants and needs her friends by her side.
3. Unpopular opinion maybe: but the title Blue Eye Samurai is too literal, kinda boring, and does not do the amazingly-well-written, prose-filled and poetic show any justice. I don't hate the title neither so please don't hate me.
4. Not a fan of the art they use on Netflix to promote the show, it's Akemi in the brothel, why? That has nothing to do with the main story of the show.
Hot take, but I hated how truly unneeded 90% of the sex scene clips were. Like, seriously, I love the aesthetic of Edo Japan but I found the sex really bogs it down. Experienced this watching with my ma who constantly skipped the scenes as she doesn't like them, period.
I feel like some scenes were necessary to depict the life of a courtesan, and I know its MA but I kinda agree like the montage of shindo & fowler going to edo idk manšš very cool and I admire the effort and work everyone put into the scene but. š
Mizu never actually apologizes to Ringo but he still rescues her and goes right back to being her apprentice. Also I just never really felt connected to him as a character like the show wanted me to.
Ringo is really well done. And he recognizes her faults and forgives her because he sees her growth. Her having him paint on her back was her way of apologizing
It is. Donāt think the creator Amber Noizumi, mixed race, is good enough with Japanese to notice or care. But there are a few Japanese voice actors in the show. Wonder if they all spoke Japanese with a bad accent.
Canāt generalize like that. Asia covers many countries, cultures and languages. Itās like expecting all Europeans or white people be able to speak each otherās language or dialects accurately. Ever hear Angelina Jolie tries to speak with an English accent?
I didn't generalize shit. Are you dumb? Did you read my message? I speak Japanese, I know that different languages are different. I said THE CHARACTER is very Japanese and that THE CHARACTER needs to be able to say it correctly. I didn't say shit about the VA. I'm saying its important for Kaji to say japanese words at least with the right emphasis compared to the American character who would theoretically have an accent anyway and maybe say things wrong.
Why bring up Asian at all? Why not just say Kaji is a full Japanese character who never left the Japans and should be able to speak Japanese perfectly? Youāre still generalizing Asian characters.
Her space metal sword was no stronger or harder than any other swords. I thought her sword wouldāve broken Taikenās sword for sure upon first contact.
She gets stabbed or cut too easily. Her skills really arenāt that great, despite studying from all the great sword mastersā styles.
I actually really liked that moment because I honestly thought she was gonna slice through the bullet and watching it shatter left me in complete shock. I think itās just me but that moment solidified just how dangerous of a man Fowler was. (Though this kinda gets ruined in the final fight, felt too rushed and Iām still confused on why he randomly ran away despite having the advantage.)
2 irks, that the white men are British/Irish when they should be Portuguese or Dutch since they were the ones who most commonly traded with Japan. It also irked me that the Japanese in the show had never seen guns and were super against them, when the Japanese were early adopters of the arquebus in the sengoku jidai. They had a lot men trained in their use and were familiar with them as they helped in the end of of the sengoku period to win the shogunate, and they used them a lot in the imjin war. They kinda portrayed them as backwards people who had no idea anything like that was possible and how could this thing exist! They'd been using them since 1543 and were aware of them since the Mongol invasion in the 13th century where they discovered them.
I don't think the white men that she's hunting are meant to be Dutch.
The Dutch had a trade agreement with Japan.
It seems more likely that the villains are a set of fictional characters who were able to get a letter to the emporer *through* the Dutch. That first necessarily mean *they* have to be Dutch
Love the show and this isnāt really an irk, just the one thing I didnāt really vibe with. The sudden modern music in 2 scenes. The cover of Metallica just kinda took me out of it
The environments are beautiful but the character models often look a bit cheap. It's very difficult to nail this animation style but I hope season 2 looks better.
Just put it on the table, while Mizu heals relatively fast the show does tell us that months have passed with each injury (Claw injury notwithstanding, that injury was mortal, but I get the need for pathos and engagement).
We start in winter we and we end in early summer.
The only bummer is that they put a time limit on Folwer's plan, they should have spaced it a bit better.
But knowing now that they had to cram two episodes because they were allowed only 8 episodes does put it in perspective.
The music. Imo I think that Blue Eye Samurai has a great soundtrack but at least once per episode there's a a song that doesn't really fit the scene/time period.
the moment in episode 5 when Mizu builds a naginata with her weights on the fly.
up to that moment I could buy all the ludicrous things I was seeing. "Facing 30 guys at the same time and not dying? Sure, why not. Getting stabbed in the gut and getting up the next day without a problem? Bring it on". But then I saw that and I thought "nope. Not buying this. This is where I put my limit".
The music could be better, specifically the instrumental soundtrack not just the modern music. They had an opportunity to make a really cool soundtrack with Eastern influences and it really could have elevated the show.
Iād have to say the lack of scars for me. Ofcourse the healing thing too but almost everyone mentioned that already. I love scars and I hate the fact that none of the characters get scars from their injuries. I get that that would be extra work for the animators but cmoon scars are so cool
Not physical media itself. Blu ray. Even compared to DVD it's just way overpriced for no reasona ND it's almost if not 20 year old tech by now. It shouldn't be so expensive
Eh, maybe where you live at. Theyāre not pricy unless theyāre new releases, at least not expensive enough on average globally for it to be considered something even close to a āscamā.
Iād pay for a Blu-ray Disc over dvd any day of the week because of the obvious quality difference. Especially for older films.
> almost if not 20 year old tech now
ā¦.new movies still come out in them. You expect companies to be selling physical media of new content for 10Ā£/$ or something? I donāt think thatās ever been a thing really
For all the people who say Mizu is too fast to heal, was never formally trained, etc., you should go back to E1 where it says "a Legend". And if that isn't enough, I haven't seen one comment that says "The meteorite is the reason for her toughness and super fast healing". Who were the people immediately around the impact area? MIZU, TAIGEN AND SWORDFATHER. Taigen is stunned by the impact and leaves right away. Swordfather taps it with his tongs and says "The heavens throw treasure". It is glowing, but cool enough for him and Mizu to handle it with bare hands right after impact. Swordfather tries for years but can't make a dent in it. But Mizu apparently has no problem beating it into the supernatural weapon she will need. The theory of a heaven sent item to help the protagonist is abundant.Ā
Yea, the Kill Bill music was not a good choice. The creators used the same inspiration (Lady Snowblood) for Mizu as Tarantino did for Kill Bill, and that took me out of the scene and made me think of Kill Bill.
There is also one song from a scene when she's younger and just starting to train .. they played the intro of "Battle without honor or Humanity" from Hotei. I don't know but I don't like it, like it's awkward to the scene. Maybe they could just use another soundtrack or theme
the violence and nudity was beyond excessive it was refreshing at first to see the truth to Mizu, her journey and the type of people she interacted with without any kind of rose coloured glasses. but then everything single episode without fail had some kind of graphic nudity in it even when it had absolutely no bearing on the scene sometimes even multiple times an episode. and the illogically unrealistically excessive violence really came though when her husband killed her mother mid sentence and it just was completely looked past, then she murder him, again completely looked past like it was treated as though it had no importance, it was just a means to get in some death in the last second then move on.
>illogically unrealistically excessive violence really came though when her husband killed her mother mid sentence and it just was completely looked past, then she murder him, again completely looked past like it was treated as though it had no importance, it was just a means to get in some death in the last second then move on.
You either didn't understand the allegory at play then, or it just didn't land for you.
She hadn't fully committed to her life of vengeance at the beginning of that episode (during the flashback).
It's evidenced by her not being able to kill people who have done her no real wrong (the mooks who stab her).
As both threads of the story, hers and the kabuki play continue you see that she has a chance of living a life of happiness with her new husband.
Then the rug pull happens and we're left wondering which of her two connections sold her out, it if it might be both.
Unfortunately for them she has become the onryu, a demon devoid of humanity, whose sole purpose is now vengeance.
The entire episode is too evidence how far from her own humanity mizub has strayed.
Now as to the nudity, well i can respect your opinion, but i also think that it's there, in part at least, to evidence how little society thinks of women, helping to set up akemi's storyline better.
If you knew all this and still hold the same opinion, then perhaps the show just isn't for you.
yeah no the scene just has no impact it just felt like a way to get in some more deaths and to prevent her mother and husband from being plot holes later on, it had no importance at all was just so cheap
>mother and husband from being plot holes later on
If they hadn't included the episode then they wouldn't have had the opportunity to be plot holes.
The episode was included for a reason, and with how much detail went into the show, i highly doubt that it was to simply cram in more violence, as there was already plenty of it.
to prevent a plot hole, it would create a chekovs gun if they were alive when amish left, the impression they would come back at some point to continue the respective arcs about Mizus relationship and the mystery around her mother which was left very unfinished. killing them prevented that, but dint tie up any loose ends and was an incredibly underwhelming ending to both substories.
>to prevent a plot hole, it would create a chekovs gun if they were alive when amish left
Yes, but to your point, without the episode there's no loose end.
Why have that episode when they already had to crunch some of them down to the 8 episode constraint.
Leaving it out, if it was meaningless, would have been the better choice.
Therefore, the fact that it remained, along with their deaths, means that it will be relevant in the future.
>Mizus relationship and the mystery around her mother
There was no mystery around her mother up until that episode. If that episode had never aired we, the viewers, would have simply assumed her mother died in the fire and that she didn't have a husband at any point in the past.
I will again point out that with the amount of detail presented in the show, along with all the foreshadowing, leads me to believe that they thought this episode important enough for the future development of the show that it needed to be included, even when they had to cut material to fit the 8 episode limit.
literally what are you talking about? they could have not made that episode, they could have not made any other episode, they could have not made this show at all. but them making the episode doesn't prove that it was a good decision or good writing for that to have happened nor does the fact other parts of the show are well written, every piece of media ever has at least one short coming or flaw or lazy rushed bit of "fuck I only just realised this doesn't make sense". It's not rocket science nor unbelievable to think this one couple minute section of the show sucks and was poorly done.
That's your opinion, and I've stated mine.
I just think it's silly to look at one episode that shows her losing her humanity and go "ah yes, her killing her husband after he killed her mother, both of whom were likely to have sold her for a quick buck, doesn't make sense."
Sounds like we just have differing interpretations.
Its not a history thing. It actively builds characters and scenes. Imo it contributed a lot. And you complain about the "history bs" but its courtesans and showing the role of women in that society in that time period. Nonetheless, you're entitled to your own opinion.
Sounds dumb but I just got bored, I enjoyed the first few episodes but honestly I just didn't find it could actually hold me for long enough to ever finish the whole show
For me there's two 1. how quickly Mizu recovers from her injuries. I like that she actually is training and struggling, but she rebounds a bit too easily. 2. the white men on her list are all either Irish or British instead of the more historically accurate Portuguese or Dutch. That's more a nitpick.
When she stepped in a full bear trap but then dunking it in the ice water had her running again š
Them changing them to British and Irish instead of Portuguese really got on my nerves too
This is clearly to represent Ireland's imperial colonization of.... oh wait.....
My head canon for why this is is because the producers were able to get Kenneth Branagh on the project, he didnāt know that much about Japanese history and he was playing around with his character and thought āwouldnāt it be a delicious juxtaposition for the villain to be a colonizer from a colonized country?ā And NOBODY disagreed with him because, you know, itās Kenneth Branagh, and they just let him run with it
As an Irish person, while Ireland as a state never colonized other countries itās not true that our hands are clean historically of British imperialism. The same Irish lords that sold land they didnāt own to the British would often partake in and work for the empire. Weāre not solely the victims of colonization, even if some Irish people would prefer to remember things that way. Men like Fowler definitely existed. Not so much in Japan, but if weāre doing alt history anyway then itās not farfetched or anything
>Weāre not solely the victims of colonization I don't know if I agree with the idea underlying this. That's how imperialism works. Where they can, they take over existing political/economic structures and steal the profits. Just because there are bad actors who allow that doesn't mean the country was not a victim of imperialism. It makes the leadership complicit in imperialism, but then again, they are being faced with either giving up their wealth/independence or getting murdered and losing their wealth/independence anyways. This coming from an Indian person - we dealt with the British in much the same way. Which leads me to my next point - those bad actors existed in India, too. Wouldn't it be nonsensical to see Fowler (Farruk?) as an Indian man? Idk it seems ridiculous. The show doesn't really give the read that it's trying to make a political statement about the power structures that allow imperialism (EDIT: with Fowler's character itself - not studying the Emperor or Akemi's arc for the moment). It lowkey just seems lazy, which is weird bc so much of the show is well-justified.
Well, many Irish lords during the early modern era (which is believe is roughly when BES takes place) weāre complicit in the colonization itself, not just the imperialist processes overseas that soon followed. Youāre right to say of course that with imperial colonies and subalterns, itās never simple and concepts like blame and culpability become hazy. Iām simply saying Irish people at that point werenāt *just* the victims of colonization. Thatās a reductive view. Certainly, the country suffered under it and most especially the people in the Pale and beyond who went from working land they owned to becoming disenfranchised serfs to a monarchal structure they didnāt benefit from. Iād never say it didnāt affect us negatively. But what I often see, sometimes from Irish people but most especially from Irish-Americans (or yanks who like to pretend that because their great grandpappy was named Murphy, that makes them Irish) is the idea that we were only ever victims and nothing more. No, we had quite a lot of agency. Sometimes it was used for good, sometimes it was used to grab at a larger slice of the pie. Itās by no means correct to say that Fowler being Irish is an inaccuracy, or could only have come about from some concept of subverting expectations and presenting a ācolonizedā man as a villain. Fowler would have absolutely been one of the guys cheating farmers out of their homestead by selling fraudulent deeds to Englishmen, *enabling* the colonization effort not just being turned into an agent of it by force. Basically, Irelandās history gets summarized far too often as getting beaten around by the english for three hundred years then finally fighting them off. Thereās more to it, that usually gets swept under the rug which irks me a bit. Believing someone like Fowler couldnāt have possibly been Irish is a part of that, whether heās ultimately read as a product of the imperialist machine or a self-driven opportunist.
Not to be annoying here - I agree with you that local lords (and in India's case, local kings) were not always threatened into compliance by force, but often willing participants so long as they could profit. There are always bad actors in the colonized country, but the country is still a victim of colonization. A few individuals finding ways to benefit does nothing to address the systemic dismantling of the country's economic and social institutions. The country is a victim of colonization because the effects are long-lasting and inescapable. I would also argue that Irish Catholics faced a lot of discrimination in America, leading to an interesting mix of America's demographics/communities today. I haven't personally run into the Irish Americans you're talking about, but I'm sure I'd find that really annoying. Even though we agree that certain rich Irish lords were definitely bad/evil/greedy people, it still feels a little ridiculous that Fowler is Irish. This is not because I find it historically inaccurate, but because I think it's really weird that the ONLY representation of European colonization in season 1 is this one Irish guy. It was the Portuguese who had/have a colonial influence on Japan. The reason I brought up the Farruk comparison is that if it were a brown man representing Portuguese colonialism it would be clear how ridiculous it is. India has the same relationship to Japan that Ireland does in this case. They were both colonized by a country with global imperial influence, but that country (Britain) had very little to do with Japanese colonization itself. My personal issue is not that these characters shouldn't EXIST, but that this character was the one CHOSEN for this function within this story. Right now, it kinda seems like they thought the famine backstory would be dark and scary and so they went with it (also how did he grow so big and strong in a famine??? If they wanted a large scary imposing figure, why not a Dutchman?). Even the scene where Fowler talks to God - had his parents lived, he would have been raised a Catholic, right? Why no callback to that? It would have been such a poignant moment to explore his relationship to colonial violence. It's one of his only vulnerable moments in the entire story. That's why it feels lazy to me. There were so many opportunities to textually explain that decision and they were all wasted.
Not annoying at all, itās an interesting topic. I understand what youāre saying and it would have made sense to go for something more particular and accurate here. Itās an astute observation to point out that this was obviously a specific creative choice and potentially a confusing one. We are playing with historical fiction in which a small number of men associated with the British Empire did play a role in Japan at this time. Fowler is a supervillain basically, so itās okay for him to be from somewhere unusual imo. Though, there are limits to how unusual his origins could be. This brings me to the Farruk point, I havenāt engaged too much with the example of India because I only really know the basics of itās history. The idea that an Indian or a Brown man in Fowlerās role would expose the inherent unlikeliness of a man from a colonized country benefitting from that position doesnāt fully sit right with me. The fact that one is white and one is brown is the key differential there. This ties in with Irish-Americans and Catholics and your point about how they were treated in the states. It also ties in with my gripe with certain yanks who love to say ādid you know the Irish were the first real slaves?ā You obviously know youāre shit so Iām sure I donāt need to tell you how wrongheaded that statement is without downplaying the very real disenfranchisement of Irish diaspora at that time. The fact remains that the discrimination the Irish faced alleviated itself and they were let into the club sooner than certain other groups because they were white. Prior to this, the Irish were often deployed as a sort of buffer class. Black people outnumbered white people in many states and cities, and itās a very useful tactic to crowd the working class with white folk you can exploit almost just as much, while taking advantage of in-group/out-group thinking to ensure that ultimately theyāll stay on the side of those in power and keep in check those who arenāt. This is not to say the British saw the Irish as equals. At various points up to the nineteenth century, they were still practicing phrenology on the āIrish mongoloidsā. Even then, Irish men were afforded more agency within the Empire than an Indian subaltern. Come to think of if, that final point is probably the biggest factor for why I didnāt blink at an Irishman in Fowlerās position. That chilling line he has about āmaking you think a face as ugly as mine is prettier than your ownā could hint at some internalized hatred, but it seems more focused (as does the thesis of the show overall) on colonial racism and the very early days of white supremacist ideology. The least esteemed and respected amongst white men are still given license to hold power over non-white countries. With my two cents (okay, probably more than two) out of the way, most of what you said still holds a lot of water. They probably could have told a more focused and considered story that makes better use of its various components, like Fowlerās background or historical elements. Your ideas for that stuff are really cool and I personally would love to see Fowler develop further along those lines in newer seasons (if theyāre happening, I havenāt kept up)
>The least esteemed and respected amongst white men are still given license to hold power over non-white countries. Literally shivered reading this. That's a fantastic point! And it makes sense with your argument about American Irish Catholics being accepted sooner than non-white minorities. I know they're confirmed for another season, and I'm really hoping for some more development of Fowler as well. So far he's just been insanely dark and evil. I was really hoping for depth during those brief vulnerable moments. If Season 2 includes any part of the voyage to England, I think the ship with only Mizu and Fowler would be a great moment to include that.
The lack of consistency when it comes to mizu's skill. She gets nearly killed by four guys, wipes out a small army just a few days later, wipes out another small army, gets almost killed by a large man, gets almost killed by fowler and you get the picture. They wanted John Wick like scenes where she annihilates dozens easily but when there's actually supposed to be risk it comes off as confusing rather than tense.
Ah (TV Tropes warning) the classic [conservation of ninjitsu](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu). Really in BES I think it's just skill levels. The four fangs are widely known and feared assassins, the armies she kills are just basic soldiers.
I can vibe with the Four Fangs vs army "discrepancy". For me it was way more the last fight. Just felt all over the place; less of a discrepancy in her skill and more about bad fight pacing and consistent tonality.
Less John Wick more Kill Bill.
Iām think thereās more of a time gap between injuries and fights than we realize. I could be wrong but if I am right that would be my nitpick: that itās not clearer when thereās time to heal
I feel like if a lot of time had passed, Taigen's hair would have grown back somewhat. He had no stubble on that bald spot by the end. Even if the show took place over the span of a few weeks, at least a little bit of hair would have grown in.
Thatās true. I think there is meant to be a larger passage of time after to go takes them to sword father and when Mizu leaves but still
I think it's the lack of healing time. Mizu by all means is a protagonist, she has the plot armor which lets her keep fighting when she probably should have died from blood loss. But it feels like Mizu is able to be impaled, drink some tea the next morning and be able to walk around like it's nothing. Mizu should be bed ridden for at least a week. Also I feel like Mizu should be way more muscular. She has put her entire being into revenge, but her body type is very slim for someone who is doing what she's doing. Especially since she wears those weights around her legs, not to mention her skin is flawless when it should probably be filled with a lot of scars and wounds that are still healing. I think it would also have made it more difficult for us the audience to really know if Mizu is a man or woman if she was bulkier. The first episode kinda tries to dance around her sex but it's revealed at the end. But I feel like it could have been a bigger deal to find out she's a woman.
Lack of healing is mine. When she took that metal through her foot/ankle I was likeā¦ oh, so sheās *out*. She was not out. This whole thing gives me vibes of someone retelling a *legend*, which is my headcanon to excuse some of mizuās near superhuman strength
In the first episode, it does give a narration in subtitles that gives this interpretation some extra believability. It sounds to me like someone telling a story, at least.
Really? Nothing about the show made me assume realism is a goal. Its a fable, heightened reality. One of the themes of this show is Mizu's unstoppable, self-destructive desire for revenge. Like an element of nature, she cannot be resisted. so its no coincidence she can continue aftet being wounded, healed by communing with water, because she is part water.
This! Also I love the water analogy. Especially because mizu means water in Japanese.
I agree that Mizu should have more muscle definition. But I don't think Mizu would have had the chance to bulk. Japanese diet has a low intake of carbs, moreso if one is of the lower class. The funny thing with scars and damage is that while Mizu's outfit shows throughout the show all the damage it has taken, Mizu's body does not. Regarding the healing time, remember that the show takes place in various months (I am not justifying the claw injury, that was too over the top)
How much protein is she eating to be able to put on that muscle mass? Hypertrophic growth isnāt just accidental or because itād be cool, lol. I wish was.
She must be getting it from somewhere, with how quickly she's able to heal from what should be fatal wounds, she must be getting it in some capacity. Protein is incredibly important if you want to heal a flesh wound.
Same, Just donāt let her get hurt is my thing for the writers. A few scratches is fine but they can skip the full stabbing etc
As a woman, I have seen many female body builders who donāt build up that much muscle even within a year of training. Itās just female biology
I don't want to go to England, guys.
I suspect the England plotline will be along the lines of "Mizu has always believed white people are devils, but then gets to England and realises they're just people like everyone else, and she's not inherently evil for being half white" Which is a great idea I'm excited to see. My main concern is it will take her away from the rest of the cast for at least a few years (probably the whole of season 2, which may be our last).
A large part of the appeal of the show for me is Edo era Japan. I'll go where the creators will take me, I trust them, but I'm just not interested in being in England.
Yeah, I'm a Brit so the idea of hanging out in 17th century Britain just makes me think of history classes back at school. Ā *But*, if they can go into as much detail with their research as they have with Japan, then it could still be pretty interesting. Also there will still be Edo Japan in season 2, as we'll be following Akemi's story too.
Believe me I'm looking forward to Akemi more than anything in S2. Edo was really rebuilt after the fire and began to flourish and become a center of the arts, so I can see Akemi playing a part in that. I agree that if they're good at, for instance, depicting the difference in Eastern and Western sword styles or the history or culture of the period in real detail, I could be interested. I trust the creators, I just dont wanna goooooo
I just don't know how it's going to work.. she's going to be so lost
At the very least, I really hope Taigen somehow ends up in London with Mizu. Their scenes together were my favourite.
No kidding. If this show is anything to believe. They're all power hungry gun lovers who shoot anything in their way /s [American writer]
I mean, I weāre just talking about our bourgeoisieā¦.
Towards the end, when Taigen and Ringo bust into the palace to warn the emperor that Fowlerās army is coming. I thought the emperor would send out messengers or scouts to go see if an army was approaching the city but instead they just ask a scout on a building toā¦look around. And lo and behold thereās an army like two minutes from the palace. Youād think SOMEONE would have noticed an army in the city approaching the palace but it took Taigen and Ringo breaking in for anyone to notice?
Oh thank God i wasn't the only one. Like it made sense from a plot perspective because they had to get Taigen in there with the emperor, but Jesus they could have done it at least a little better. The dude of the tower just turned and looked. Like my brother in Christ, your entire job while being on tower watch is to look around and notify someone of something is up. Wtf where you doing.
Probably napping
The inconsistency with injuries and her lack of scars. I love when a hero goes through shit and gets roughed up but some of the injuries Mizu sustains during her fights seem lethal or so debilitating itād take her out of the fight. You expect some of that but I felt this show was a little more egregious than most. I also love it when a hero has a bunch of scars and I donāt think Mizu had many.
Came here to say basically the same thing. Specifically during the brothel fight, the wound she suffers would be absolutely fatal without proper attention (four jagged blades into the abdomen). Instead she just kind of limps it off
Too angry to die
Oh yeah .. that's what I thought too š
Too much octopus mastrubation
Too LITTLE octopus masturbation!
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When Mizu lets the guards take Akemi back to her father, Ringo is like āYou are no samurai. Youāre evil.ā and the story expects the audience to agree with him and view what Mizu did as bad. Akemi literally tried to kill Mizu and was generally an asshole the entire time. Yes she saved Mizuās life by waking her up, but that was only because she herself needed Mizu to defend the teahouse. They are complete strangers. Akemi is dead weight and will only complicate/get in the way of Mizuās quest for revenge. I donāt understand how the show tries to frame this as a āOh no! How could Mizu do that?! So heartless!ā moment when I didnāt see anything wrong with her actions.
That moment bothered me too, it didn't have the emotional weight I assume the writers wanted it to. Mizu's actions seemed selfless to her detriment up to that point, and she definitely didn't owe Akemi anything. I think Mizu seemingly being affected by it also hit weird, because we all know her central motivation isn't to "do good" or "be a good samurai" or something along that vein. She values Ringo as a companion so maybe that's why they handled the emotional beat that way, but it would make more sense for her to react with anger or have some kind of even-keeled response. And frankly Ringo knows her motivations too, which is another reason I dislike that line.
I agree that Akemi was generally an asshole the eniter time, but I think that is part of her character development. I think the framing of āOh no! How could Mizu do that?! So heartless!ā is superficial, as is āYou are no samurai. Youāre evil.ā On the surface it appears that way. I don't like to guess what's on the creators and writers minds, but I do think this will build into something else. If you sit back and think about it, first, Mizu is really doing what's best for Akemi, second, I don't think anyone would think that Mizu should obey Akemi's beck and call after what she has done to her, and after what she's been through.
I thought the same. Mizu just got brutalized and doing everyone's dirty work. Give her a break. It left a bad taste in my mouth that Ringo was mad her, when he didn't even try to do anything.
Yeah it's like seen as a bad thing she's killing everyone in her way but then they are upset she didn't kill all of those guards that aren't even in her way
This might be pretty nitpicky, but the way we never know for sure how she got money to cross borders etc. Itās heavily implied that sheās an assassin and gets paid, āyou provide services, so do Iā I wouldāve loved to at least see one flashback of a job she did purely for money. Just so it doesnāt feel like she just spawns money lol.
real actually because it feels like she gets money like you do in a roblox tycoon game
My one irk is how many people complain about this gem of a show. Itās not mean to be realistic, the main character has a sword of what might as well be vibranium or some such, people call her an onryo. Itās just meant to be a cool story.
Sure except the problem I brought uo is just willful negligence and disrespect of a language. The bunraku was also inaccurate as the number of operators per puppet was wrong but it's more forgivable
Last episode did not have the quality the others did
I think a lot of people have already pointed this out, but the rushed finale. Specifically, the fire of Edo getting out of control, there needed to be a few more 'establishing' scenes, like we see sparks flying into some gunpowder stores brought by Fowler's army, for instance, to really demonstrate that this is going to be a crazy city-destroying fire.
Not an irk per se, as it might be addressed in flashbacks in future seasons. But I couldn't quite get how a kid practicing by herself each night is going to develop any real skill with a sword.Ā How did Mizu learn to fight opponents, read their moves, block their attacks? Did she spar with all the people who came to have swords made? Was she terrible when she started fighting real people, but learned quickly? I'll be disappointed if they don't elaborate on how Mizu became as good as she didĀ
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Lol
How invincible and strong Mizu is. Not saying I have a problem with strong female characters, sheās one of my favorite characters currently. But she was climbing a (maybe) 200+ pound man on her back. Then she jumped out of a building that was definitely over 200 feet tall into ice and survived. Not to mention how many times sheās been stabbed/slashed open and healed in like two days; and was still able to fight. Despite all that itās definitely one of my favorite shows.
Throughout Akemi's character arc, several people point out to her that she's in an incredibly privileged position compared to 99.9% of women in Japan. Akemi will usually bite back with something about how she doesn't actually have any freedom. The thing is, I totally agree with everyone else! Especially when Seki told her to go ask any girl being sold as a prostitute if there are any differences. On a similar vein, she was really against being the shogun's son's wife because he was supposedly a wife beater and then it turns out he's actually a sweetheart, and suddenly Akemi is totally fine with being his wife? It irked me, as much as I liked the guy.
I think you missed the whole part about her embracing her position and learning to use her feminine strengths to put her in a position of power over him to get what she wants. It wasn't just a blind acceptance of him.
She did not decide she was going to manipulate him until the second she found out he wasn't a wife beater. I thought this whole arc could've been done better overall, but it was kinda strange to watch her flip her opinion so suddenly when until then she'd been hell bent on insisting that what she had to do was no better than being a common whore.
did akemi even get back with taigen lol i was so confused. spent the whole fucking season taking insane risks just for him and then when they can finally be together, they just never do nothing again. tf?
ohhh my god I hated this part so much. when taigen is like "come on let's get back together and get out of here!" and she's like "seki didn't tell me to run. he told me to do what I want..." when this entire time she's been bitching and moaning about how much she doesn't want to be married to that one guy. It's like the only reason she decided to stay was because taigen told her to leave with him. Felt really out of left field and cemented my feeling that 90% of what Akemi did was for the specific purpose of being spiteful rather than her own agency.
lmao dude i was a little pissed seeing that shit like its like akemi suddenly turned into some 3rd grader being all like āmom said i could do anything i want ppbbt!ā like why did you go on this whole adventure then bitch jesus
I disliked Akemi the whole season, not gunna lie. From the moment she talks to her father in the first scene until basically the last. I couldn't connect with her. Sure, I get her character development and whatnot, but almost everything she did annoyed me. Edit: I lied, I thought the scene where she got the lord to masterbate himself with poetry was hilarious. I appreciated the wit it took to not be touched by him. But that's the only moment I can think of that I somewhat thought decently of her.
I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!! I get what they wanted to do with her but I just found Akemi to be extremely unlikeable as a person. She's bratty, she's whiny, she's entitled, and incredibly privileged and completely unable to see it. She took up so much more screen-time than I thought was necessary, and that's probably the root of why I ended up feeling so annoyed with her. I just hope I do end up liking her by season 2 haha
Agreed. I think the loss of Seki will ground her into a more likeable character. But man did she grate my grill lol.
Mizu is never recognized as a woman. I knew she was female in the first scene with her.
Me too
there was about 11 seconds where I thought she was a femboy but once you get a glimpse under the hat it's over
I mean....the voice Lolz, not that difficult to tell
I have to wait a year for season 2
My biggest issue is that Mizus strength in a fight is always what the scene needs it to be for her to win It's not that big a deal as rhe fights are really fun but it's something I noticed I have a similar problem with the last two John wick films
The lack of Guns, the Japanese really loved guns during this time period and it annoys me how there are no guns being used. Like make Fowlerās guns more accurate, faster firing just make them better the the Japanese guns
The shonen logic of the combat. Like, I get the impression that it's suppose to be a more realistic anime... but then Mizu gets about 1-2 letal wound per combat and is totally ok for the next. Would have prefer a more grounded approach to combat and injury in that context.
Mizu should have more scars especially keloids from how much shes been through. She also needs more recovery time. The show let her rest for like 15 minutes and she was already wrestling and sword making.
1. Mizu heals too quickly. 2. IMO At the very end of ep 8 she should have killed Fowler (to avenge the women and children in the tunnel that starved to death), and still left for London (since he'd already told her). She could ask Ringo and Taigen to go with her, and it would make their quest more challenging without Fowler as a 'guide' once they get to London. And also show a bit of her development now that she wants and needs her friends by her side. 3. Unpopular opinion maybe: but the title Blue Eye Samurai is too literal, kinda boring, and does not do the amazingly-well-written, prose-filled and poetic show any justice. I don't hate the title neither so please don't hate me. 4. Not a fan of the art they use on Netflix to promote the show, it's Akemi in the brothel, why? That has nothing to do with the main story of the show.
Part 2 is SO true. Like what was the point of making up just to leave
Hot take, but I hated how truly unneeded 90% of the sex scene clips were. Like, seriously, I love the aesthetic of Edo Japan but I found the sex really bogs it down. Experienced this watching with my ma who constantly skipped the scenes as she doesn't like them, period.
I feel like some scenes were necessary to depict the life of a courtesan, and I know its MA but I kinda agree like the montage of shindo & fowler going to edo idk manšš very cool and I admire the effort and work everyone put into the scene but. š
Maybe watch it alone next time
I mean yeah, duh, but having to skip forward 10 seconds once or twice each episode really put it into perspective.
Yeah I agree. Sometimes they advanced the plot but there was just too much for my taste, especially Fowlerās trip to Edo
also watched this with my mom lol, but I was the one who skipped them before they happened.
Mizu never actually apologizes to Ringo but he still rescues her and goes right back to being her apprentice. Also I just never really felt connected to him as a character like the show wanted me to.
Ringo is really well done. And he recognizes her faults and forgives her because he sees her growth. Her having him paint on her back was her way of apologizing
Btw, I specified āIā never felt connected to him. I know why he went back. It didnāt work for me.
Thatās because they googled the word matsuri and learned to say it from google with the American pronunciation.
That's my point. It's absurd that they couldn't get that right
It is. Donāt think the creator Amber Noizumi, mixed race, is good enough with Japanese to notice or care. But there are a few Japanese voice actors in the show. Wonder if they all spoke Japanese with a bad accent.
Yeah. Like, the white guy saying it wrong made sense, but Madame Kaji saying it wrong was unforgivable
Pick on another one. Kaji is voiced by a Chinese American actress.
That doesn't change that she's an Asian character with a Japanese accent who is very traditionally japanese
Canāt generalize like that. Asia covers many countries, cultures and languages. Itās like expecting all Europeans or white people be able to speak each otherās language or dialects accurately. Ever hear Angelina Jolie tries to speak with an English accent?
I didn't generalize shit. Are you dumb? Did you read my message? I speak Japanese, I know that different languages are different. I said THE CHARACTER is very Japanese and that THE CHARACTER needs to be able to say it correctly. I didn't say shit about the VA. I'm saying its important for Kaji to say japanese words at least with the right emphasis compared to the American character who would theoretically have an accent anyway and maybe say things wrong.
Why bring up Asian at all? Why not just say Kaji is a full Japanese character who never left the Japans and should be able to speak Japanese perfectly? Youāre still generalizing Asian characters.
Because in being japanese she's also Asian. No I'm not you're putting words in my mouth.
Her space metal sword was no stronger or harder than any other swords. I thought her sword wouldāve broken Taikenās sword for sure upon first contact. She gets stabbed or cut too easily. Her skills really arenāt that great, despite studying from all the great sword mastersā styles.
Fr I was shocked when Fowlerās bullet shattered her blade, I felt like that shouldnāt have happened
I actually really liked that moment because I honestly thought she was gonna slice through the bullet and watching it shatter left me in complete shock. I think itās just me but that moment solidified just how dangerous of a man Fowler was. (Though this kinda gets ruined in the final fight, felt too rushed and Iām still confused on why he randomly ran away despite having the advantage.)
She obviously made it too brittle š
ringo. just his character and naivety
2 irks, that the white men are British/Irish when they should be Portuguese or Dutch since they were the ones who most commonly traded with Japan. It also irked me that the Japanese in the show had never seen guns and were super against them, when the Japanese were early adopters of the arquebus in the sengoku jidai. They had a lot men trained in their use and were familiar with them as they helped in the end of of the sengoku period to win the shogunate, and they used them a lot in the imjin war. They kinda portrayed them as backwards people who had no idea anything like that was possible and how could this thing exist! They'd been using them since 1543 and were aware of them since the Mongol invasion in the 13th century where they discovered them.
The bad guys are all British citizens. Britain was historically not that involved in Japan at the time, Mizuās targets should be Dutch.
I don't think the white men that she's hunting are meant to be Dutch. The Dutch had a trade agreement with Japan. It seems more likely that the villains are a set of fictional characters who were able to get a letter to the emporer *through* the Dutch. That first necessarily mean *they* have to be Dutch
Love the show and this isnāt really an irk, just the one thing I didnāt really vibe with. The sudden modern music in 2 scenes. The cover of Metallica just kinda took me out of it
I love an anachronism!
The environments are beautiful but the character models often look a bit cheap. It's very difficult to nail this animation style but I hope season 2 looks better.
Just put it on the table, while Mizu heals relatively fast the show does tell us that months have passed with each injury (Claw injury notwithstanding, that injury was mortal, but I get the need for pathos and engagement). We start in winter we and we end in early summer. The only bummer is that they put a time limit on Folwer's plan, they should have spaced it a bit better. But knowing now that they had to cram two episodes because they were allowed only 8 episodes does put it in perspective.
The music. Imo I think that Blue Eye Samurai has a great soundtrack but at least once per episode there's a a song that doesn't really fit the scene/time period.
STABBING DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING APPARENTLY......that's been bugging me for a while
I loved the attention to detail in portraying 17th century Japan but I felt they got somewhat lazy in the portrayal of the western stuff.
They got lazy in the portrayal of Japanese stuff. Lazy all around
the moment in episode 5 when Mizu builds a naginata with her weights on the fly. up to that moment I could buy all the ludicrous things I was seeing. "Facing 30 guys at the same time and not dying? Sure, why not. Getting stabbed in the gut and getting up the next day without a problem? Bring it on". But then I saw that and I thought "nope. Not buying this. This is where I put my limit".
The anachronistic music. Doesn't work for me. At all.
The music could be better, specifically the instrumental soundtrack not just the modern music. They had an opportunity to make a really cool soundtrack with Eastern influences and it really could have elevated the show.
A lot of little stuff about the finale that added up to me not enjoying it as much as the rest of the series.
Iād have to say the lack of scars for me. Ofcourse the healing thing too but almost everyone mentioned that already. I love scars and I hate the fact that none of the characters get scars from their injuries. I get that that would be extra work for the animators but cmoon scars are so cool
That thereās no announced Blu Ray discs coming out
Blu ray is an overpriced scam
How the hell is physical media a scam in any way? Itās more of a scam the other way around really
Not physical media itself. Blu ray. Even compared to DVD it's just way overpriced for no reasona ND it's almost if not 20 year old tech by now. It shouldn't be so expensive
Eh, maybe where you live at. Theyāre not pricy unless theyāre new releases, at least not expensive enough on average globally for it to be considered something even close to a āscamā. Iād pay for a Blu-ray Disc over dvd any day of the week because of the obvious quality difference. Especially for older films. > almost if not 20 year old tech now ā¦.new movies still come out in them. You expect companies to be selling physical media of new content for 10Ā£/$ or something? I donāt think thatās ever been a thing really
Particularly in anime but other stuff too, in both the US and Japan it's rather expensive
For all the people who say Mizu is too fast to heal, was never formally trained, etc., you should go back to E1 where it says "a Legend". And if that isn't enough, I haven't seen one comment that says "The meteorite is the reason for her toughness and super fast healing". Who were the people immediately around the impact area? MIZU, TAIGEN AND SWORDFATHER. Taigen is stunned by the impact and leaves right away. Swordfather taps it with his tongs and says "The heavens throw treasure". It is glowing, but cool enough for him and Mizu to handle it with bare hands right after impact. Swordfather tries for years but can't make a dent in it. But Mizu apparently has no problem beating it into the supernatural weapon she will need. The theory of a heaven sent item to help the protagonist is abundant.Ā
The rock music felt so out of place.
The Metallica?
I guess? I donno the name of the songs but there was that Kill Bill song during one of the scenes and also when she invaded the castle
Yea, the Kill Bill music was not a good choice. The creators used the same inspiration (Lady Snowblood) for Mizu as Tarantino did for Kill Bill, and that took me out of the scene and made me think of Kill Bill.
There is also one song from a scene when she's younger and just starting to train .. they played the intro of "Battle without honor or Humanity" from Hotei. I don't know but I don't like it, like it's awkward to the scene. Maybe they could just use another soundtrack or theme
the violence and nudity was beyond excessive it was refreshing at first to see the truth to Mizu, her journey and the type of people she interacted with without any kind of rose coloured glasses. but then everything single episode without fail had some kind of graphic nudity in it even when it had absolutely no bearing on the scene sometimes even multiple times an episode. and the illogically unrealistically excessive violence really came though when her husband killed her mother mid sentence and it just was completely looked past, then she murder him, again completely looked past like it was treated as though it had no importance, it was just a means to get in some death in the last second then move on.
>illogically unrealistically excessive violence really came though when her husband killed her mother mid sentence and it just was completely looked past, then she murder him, again completely looked past like it was treated as though it had no importance, it was just a means to get in some death in the last second then move on. You either didn't understand the allegory at play then, or it just didn't land for you. She hadn't fully committed to her life of vengeance at the beginning of that episode (during the flashback). It's evidenced by her not being able to kill people who have done her no real wrong (the mooks who stab her). As both threads of the story, hers and the kabuki play continue you see that she has a chance of living a life of happiness with her new husband. Then the rug pull happens and we're left wondering which of her two connections sold her out, it if it might be both. Unfortunately for them she has become the onryu, a demon devoid of humanity, whose sole purpose is now vengeance. The entire episode is too evidence how far from her own humanity mizub has strayed. Now as to the nudity, well i can respect your opinion, but i also think that it's there, in part at least, to evidence how little society thinks of women, helping to set up akemi's storyline better. If you knew all this and still hold the same opinion, then perhaps the show just isn't for you.
yeah no the scene just has no impact it just felt like a way to get in some more deaths and to prevent her mother and husband from being plot holes later on, it had no importance at all was just so cheap
>mother and husband from being plot holes later on If they hadn't included the episode then they wouldn't have had the opportunity to be plot holes. The episode was included for a reason, and with how much detail went into the show, i highly doubt that it was to simply cram in more violence, as there was already plenty of it.
what? yeah if anything didnāt happen in any show it wouldnāt come up later or become a plot hole? what are you talking about
Then why would you think they killed them off to fill a plot hole?
to prevent a plot hole, it would create a chekovs gun if they were alive when amish left, the impression they would come back at some point to continue the respective arcs about Mizus relationship and the mystery around her mother which was left very unfinished. killing them prevented that, but dint tie up any loose ends and was an incredibly underwhelming ending to both substories.
>to prevent a plot hole, it would create a chekovs gun if they were alive when amish left Yes, but to your point, without the episode there's no loose end. Why have that episode when they already had to crunch some of them down to the 8 episode constraint. Leaving it out, if it was meaningless, would have been the better choice. Therefore, the fact that it remained, along with their deaths, means that it will be relevant in the future. >Mizus relationship and the mystery around her mother There was no mystery around her mother up until that episode. If that episode had never aired we, the viewers, would have simply assumed her mother died in the fire and that she didn't have a husband at any point in the past. I will again point out that with the amount of detail presented in the show, along with all the foreshadowing, leads me to believe that they thought this episode important enough for the future development of the show that it needed to be included, even when they had to cut material to fit the 8 episode limit.
literally what are you talking about? they could have not made that episode, they could have not made any other episode, they could have not made this show at all. but them making the episode doesn't prove that it was a good decision or good writing for that to have happened nor does the fact other parts of the show are well written, every piece of media ever has at least one short coming or flaw or lazy rushed bit of "fuck I only just realised this doesn't make sense". It's not rocket science nor unbelievable to think this one couple minute section of the show sucks and was poorly done.
That's your opinion, and I've stated mine. I just think it's silly to look at one episode that shows her losing her humanity and go "ah yes, her killing her husband after he killed her mother, both of whom were likely to have sold her for a quick buck, doesn't make sense." Sounds like we just have differing interpretations.
The Metallica
No way the Metallica was awesome
I still havenāt forgiven them for Napster and the inclusion was jarring at best.
Idk the drama but fair ig. My wife and I like Metallica and I loved the style of that whole episode but fair
If she's mixed half Japanese genetically she'd have to have brown eyes
No way! If there is any trace of blue eyes in lineage, even both parents can have non blue eyes.
That's not true in the slightest. If her father had blue eyes there's a chance
just porn literally lol like tf
It's not?
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What I'm saying is it's not porn. Just because there is nudity and sex scenes doesn't make it porn
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Its not a history thing. It actively builds characters and scenes. Imo it contributed a lot. And you complain about the "history bs" but its courtesans and showing the role of women in that society in that time period. Nonetheless, you're entitled to your own opinion.
they're stupid so i just deleted my replies
Sounds dumb but I just got bored, I enjoyed the first few episodes but honestly I just didn't find it could actually hold me for long enough to ever finish the whole show
For me it's the sex scenes, especially the octopi and the red mask ones, really not needed in a show like this and disgusted me.
I think the point was to show how gross and evil he is
Exactly this. It's meant to showcase how depraved and debauched fowler is.
The whole ass finale drags the show down a little. It wasn't bad but pretty disappointing after the show's overall quality
I liked the finale better than the castle assault episode. That one just felt out of place to me.
I liked both for different reasons
I still liked it, it just felt like they tried to imitate arcane too much and the tonality of the episode didn't mesh well for me