The samurai genre is one that I can’t ever seem to get enough of. The formula of an honorable Ronin traveling through the countryside and encountering a myriad of adventures along the way can be used in a variety of mediums. From comics to films, as well as video games, I’ve seen a majority of the best that the genre can offer. Blue Eye Samurai is Netflix’s latest attempt at delivering a smash hit samurai story. 

The first season totals eight episodes and follows the character Mizu, a mixed-race samurai on a quest for revenge against four white men whom she holds responsible for a lifetime of discrimination and hardship, one of which she knows is her biological father. This show is set at a time when Japan closed its borders to the Western world and thus, those who show markers of being biracial are harshly persecuted and mistreated by other Japanese.

As you might expect, for Mizu,  this is her blue-colored eyes. Apart from this narrative device and unique animation style, I found much of this season to be rather unremarkable. Many are praising this show as one of the best animated series of 2023 and I’d have to disagree. Though there are certainly some praiseworthy aspects, much of the show is often filled with cliché narrative elements and clunky dialogue that bring the whole thing down significantly in my eyes.

Firstly, let’s discuss the overall plot in general. The main conflict is almost a beat-for-beat rip-off of Kill Bill, with a few minor tweaks to the setting and additional side characters. There are a few glaring plot holes and contrivances littered throughout eight episodes. For example, there is a moment where a minor antagonist is poisoned and thrown off a cliff falling hundreds of feet to his demise only to appear two episodes later with no explanation to oppose Mizu again.

Secondly, the pacing is extremely sporadic at times. Each episode is roughly forty minutes to an hour but seeing as how the plot is relatively simple, it has no business being this length and could have easily conveyed the core themes in 20-30 minute chunks. As a result, the first few episodes are very slow with lots of scenes that don’t do much to advance the plot and simply provide gratuitous adult content in order to justify a mature rating. As mentioned previously, dialogue can be very awkward at times. I noticed that characters often tend to over-explain things rather than simply allowing the visuals and context to speak for themselves.

Side characters here are rather irritating for the most part, and fall into well-trodden character tropes such as the quirky sidekick and naïve noblewoman. I will say these characters do have solid development throughout the season, though their subplots failed to interest me as much as the core narrative and I was often left wondering when we could get back to the action. 

In terms of positive aspects there certainly are things to enjoy here. The voice cast is quite good and features some great performances from Kenneth Branagh, Maya Erskine, and George Takei. Most of the action choreography is fantastic throughout. Episode 6 in particular has some very impressive extended sequences that are truly stunning.

Episode 5 is especially strong as well with some compelling symbolism and the use of an engaging framing device that helps flesh out Mizu’s personality and background. These two episodes are easily the best in the season and carry the entire story alone as far as I’m concerned. Another strong aspect is the scene composition and cinematography. Many backgrounds are quite beautiful and the camera is used effectively to create maximum drama and emphasize important moments.

Unfortunately, the final two episodes fall incredibly flat for me. Our villains are given a slight power advantage and those who oppose them are suddenly incompetent, leading to a final battle that’s hard to believe. Additionally, the final conflict is unresolved and instead, we opt for a cliffhanger that teases a dramatic shift in setting which is a huge letdown for me.

The following season will no doubt introduce a whole new cast for our protagonist to interact with. I’m left wondering how the side characters that this season spent time developing will continue to be relevant in the future as the core narrative moves away from them.

Ultimately, Blue Eye Samurai isn’t unwatchable but as a hardcore fan of the samurai action genre, its story fails to offer much in the way of new aspects and the things that are offered don’t do enough to compel me to stick with the story.

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Blue Eye Samurai

5

Score

5.0/10

Pros

• Great action choreography
• Solid voice cast

Cons

• Pacing
• Clunky dialogue
• Plot holes and plot armor
• Weak ending