Blue Eyed Samurai

[shunyata]

She’s my college “kid” who is studying to be a mortician, lol.

Without spoiling anything, I don't mean regular old sex. There's some pretty debauched shit in there later in the season.

 

[Flower2dPeople]

I'm a few episodes in and it's enjoyable. It's not anime though, it's an animation. Anime is a specific genre and Blue Eye Samurai is an animated series that takes place in Japan.

 

[herpd807]

Without spoiling anything, I don't mean regular old sex. There's some pretty debauched shit in there later in the season.

Haha ya! I love that they have zero fucks about what they put into the show! That's honestly part of the appeal for me, nothing is off limits.

 

[avenue94]

There's not a specific reason why her character is not a man, or why its a secret she must disguise herself as a man.

This one is pretty straight forward. Women had a lower social position, and only samurai were allowed to carry weapons publicly by the time of the show. Ergo, a women walking around carrying a sword would be flagrantly illegal, so she has to pass as a man to avoid scrutiny. I don't really follow the logic of there has to be a specific reason for a character to be a woman in a fictional show

Throughout the season I was waiting for some kind of explanation as to how & why Mizu is so much better than everyone at fighting

It's a show where someone loses an eye from across the room because another character had such great aim when using a single human tooth as a projectile. In other words, we know the hero is super duper awesome and the focus is on her story, not the actual combat really. I feel like your view is a very modern opinionin the sense that audiences are increasingly nitpicky because of the internet, fan culture, etc ,etc. Like what you like, but to me, knowing Mizu is awesome because she ate her wheaties and did 1,000 pushups everyday wouldn't really improve the show. Having said that, there is plenty of time in future seasons for more flashbacks I'm sure.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

This one is pretty straight forward. Women had a lower social position, and only samurai were allowed to carry weapons publicly by the time of the show. Ergo, a women walking around carrying a sword would be flagrantly illegal, so she has to pass as a man to avoid scrutiny. I don't really follow the logic of there has to be a specific reason for a character to be a woman in a fictional show

Okay... thank you for clarifying... but I wish this was expressed within the show.

I have alot of respect for the Samurai-era Japan, but there's alot of details about that time are unknown by the vast majority of everyone.

It's a show where someone loses an eye from across the room because another character had such great aim when using a single human tooth as a projectile. In other words, we know the hero is super duper awesome and the focus is on her story, not the actual combat really. I feel like your view is a very modern opinionin the sense that audiences are increasingly nitpicky because of the internet, fan culture, etc ,etc. Like what you like, but to me, knowing Mizu is awesome because she ate her wheaties and did 1,000 pushups everyday wouldn't really improve the show. Having said that, there is plenty of time in future seasons for more flashbacks I'm sure.

This is like saying 'Star Wars is about space wizards with lazer swords so everything is possible.'

Although the show isn't specifically anime this is an annoying trope from anime, where Mary/Gary Sues are prominent protagonists.
In my view, that weakens the narrative.

And knowing Mizu ate her wheaties and did 1000 pushups a day would help the narrative in regards to her confidence and knowing how to beat so many in combat so easily.

It doesn't necessarily convince me she's good, it makes me question those she's fighting isn't shit.

I will say this is a flaw that can be remedied in future seasons with flashbacks, but it wasn't even questioned by other characters in the 1st season how/why she's as good as she is.
After she destroyed everyone in the samurai dojo in the 1st episode, no one asked 'How are we so weak that a lone person could come in and defeat us all?'

 

[herpd807]

Okay... thank you for clarifying... but I wish this was expressed within the show.

I have alot of respect for the Samurai-era Japan, but there's alot of details about that time are unknown by the vast majority of everyone.




This is like saying 'Star Wars is about space wizards with lazer swords so everything is possible.'

Although the show isn't specifically anime this is an annoying trope from anime, where Mary/Gary Sues are prominent protagonists.
In my view, that weakens the narrative.

And knowing Mizu ate her wheaties and did 1000 pushups a day would help the narrative in regards to her confidence and knowing how to beat so many in combat so easily.

It doesn't necessarily convince me she's good, it makes me question those she's fighting isn't shit.

I will say this is a flaw that can be remedied in future seasons with flashbacks, but it wasn't even questioned by other characters in the 1st season how/why she's as good as she is.
After she destroyed everyone in the samurai dojo in the 1st episode, no one asked 'How are we so weak that a lone person could come in and defeat us all?'

You are not going to find anyone more sexist and fed up with the "women get it done" agenda by Disney. But even I was ok with this one.

I feel like she got smacked around more than enough for me to be satisfied that she struggled.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

You are not going to find anyone more sexist and fed up with the "women get it done" agenda by Disney. But even I was ok with this one.

I feel like she got smacked around more than enough for me to be satisfied that she struggled.

To be clear, I gave it overall a 9/10 in my 1st post.
Its the best new series of the year, IMO.

But whenever you give it a less-than-perfect score, you're obligated to give your reasoning, and I gave my criticisms and I'm sticking by them.

And its far more related to anime propes -
*Mary/Gary Sue Protagonist
*Continual Deus Ex Machina Sidekick
- than 'woke' themes.

I encourage everyone to watch the series for themselves, and determine for themselves if my criticisms are valid.

 

[Streeter]

To be clear, I gave it overall a 9/10 in my 1st post.
Its the best new series of the year, IMO.

But whenever you give it a less-than-perfect score, you're obligated to give your reasoning, and I gave my criticisms and I'm sticking by them.

And its far more related to anime propes -
*Mary/Gary Sue Protagonist
*Continual Deus Ex Machina Sidekick
- than 'woke' themes.

I encourage everyone to watch the series for themselves, and determine for themselves if my criticisms are valid.

The side kick is dumb an un needed. Never saw the main character as a mary sue though I thought the opposite.

Agree best animated series since Arcane an imo better as Aracsne held back an should of been MA not tv14. Arcane with the same level of being grafic as BES might of been better tho.. arcane just bothers me as Jinx is an obvious copy of Harley Quinn.

Only thing about show that pissed me off is during the middle of season when it got to great fight scenes it would be Interupted with 20 min flashbacks .

I liked how it never went into depth about Mizu being female. The fact despite being known was never story centric .


I admit after first episode seeing hmmmmm white people bad and girl main character I was like oh shit great animation and investing story gonna get ruined by woke bullshit. It never materialized tho after that an got less n less actually as story went on.

What's nuts is after I watched Blue Eye I tried to watch a new Netflix Japan Anime and I couldn't watch as the French qaulity is levels better. Some Japan Anime is great visually tho like Demon Slayer but the story for that is so cringy even though the anime is beautiful its tough watch.

 

[herpd807]

To be clear, I gave it overall a 9/10 in my 1st post.
Its the best new series of the year, IMO.

But whenever you give it a less-than-perfect score, you're obligated to give your reasoning, and I gave my criticisms and I'm sticking by them.

And its far more related to anime propes -
*Mary/Gary Sue Protagonist
*Continual Deus Ex Machina Sidekick
- than 'woke' themes.

I encourage everyone to watch the series for themselves, and determine for themselves if my criticisms are valid.

Ya I understand your grievances towards the Japanese trope where the protagonist is instantly a bad ass. I'm just saying that as someone who is over the concept of female protagonists.in general since it's played out, I was absolutely ok with it here. Probably because she struggled enough to my satisfaction throughout the show.

She had the right amount of shit kicked out of her and at times relied on her friends to get her out of situations.

Rey never really suffered. Rescued herself. Instantly knew everything about everything and was able to best everyone without much training.

So if it's the trope you are sick of. That's fine. I get it. But I don't feel like there was an agenda of Mary Sue here to push the woke narrative of "see women can be hero's" which is a lesson we already knew

 

[FyrFytr998]

Me and the kid watch it straight through until 4 am. What a series!!

It’s like a mix of Mulan, The Last Samurai, with the main character having the will power and focus of John Wick.

 

[FyrFytr998]

Without spoiling anything, I don't mean regular old sex. There's some pretty debauched shit in there later in the season.

All good. We had a good laugh at the mask.

 

[Iron Mang]

Okay... thank you for clarifying... but I wish this was expressed within the show.

I have alot of respect for the Samurai-era Japan, but there's alot of details about that time are unknown by the vast majority of everyone.




This is like saying 'Star Wars is about space wizards with lazer swords so everything is possible.'

Although the show isn't specifically anime this is an annoying trope from anime, where Mary/Gary Sues are prominent protagonists.
In my view, that weakens the narrative.

And knowing Mizu ate her wheaties and did 1000 pushups a day would help the narrative in regards to her confidence and knowing how to beat so many in combat so easily.

It doesn't necessarily convince me she's good, it makes me question those she's fighting isn't shit.

I will say this is a flaw that can be remedied in future seasons with flashbacks, but it wasn't even questioned by other characters in the 1st season how/why she's as good as she is.
After she destroyed everyone in the samurai dojo in the 1st episode, no one asked 'How are we so weak that a lone person could come in and defeat us all?'

I think they laid the foundation of her being so strong by showing her watching every swordsman that came for a sword to be made, and them having to show all their techniques in order for their sword to be made ideally for their style. So she absorbed and practiced probably dozens of styles.

Then on to her strength, she was swinging a hammer making swords for like 15 years or so, then mix in her wearing arm and ankle weights (very Ippo like) and that all shows why she has skills and is strong.

 

[NoSmilez]

Eh this series is like Last Samurai or Kill Bill. It's catered for the western audiences. I feel the same way when I watch Japanese people write stories in a western setting. It is ok but it is definitely not anything groundbreaking in terms of anime. I gave it a few episodes but I am not going to continue. Some stuff is hilarious. Children of peasants calling her a round eye made me chuckle. That slur doesn't exist over there.

 

[Flower2dPeople]

Eh this series is like Last Samurai or Kill Bill. It's catered for the western audiences. I feel the same way when I watch Japanese people write stories in a western setting. It is ok but it is definitely not anything groundbreaking in terms of anime. I gave it a few episodes but I am not going to continue. Some stuff is hilarious. Children of peasants calling her a round eye made me chuckle. That slur doesn't exist over there.

I will give this series a try after I'm done with Pluto. I thought this season was a disappointment but there are a ton of killers.

 

[Iron Mang]

Eh this series is like Last Samurai or Kill Bill. It's catered for the western audiences. I feel the same way when I watch Japanese people write stories in a western setting. It is ok but it is definitely not anything groundbreaking in terms of anime. I gave it a few episodes but I am not going to continue. Some stuff is hilarious. Children of peasants calling her a round eye made me chuckle. That slur doesn't exist over there.

I was hoping there would have been a Japanese audio with English sub option, just to try and get a better feel of the setting, but there wasn’t an option. I’d honestly enjoy it more if I could watch it that way.

 

[avenue94]

Okay... thank you for clarifying... but I wish this was expressed within the show.

I feel like most people got the subtext or would already have assumed that gender equality wasn't a thing in that era of Japan. Just like most people don't need an explanation of why Mulan had to pretend to be a guy or Bend It like Beckham, etc. Like I said, modern audiences have gotten a bit hyperfocused on minutia. At either rate, you're welcome for the random historical tidbit.

I have alot of respect for the Samurai-era Japan, but there's alot of details about that time are unknown by the vast majority of everyone.

If you haven't read it and are in need of reading, I'd recommend Katsu Kokichi's autobiography for a glimpse at what life was actually like for a samurai, once you get past all the mythology.

This is like saying 'Star Wars is about space wizards with lazer swords so everything is possible.'

Although the show isn't specifically anime this is an annoying trope from anime, where Mary/Gary Sues are prominent protagonists.
In my view, that weakens the narrative.

Different style of film. I'd liken it more to Superman or John Wick. Neither is really interested in examining how the character become a near god amongst men, it's just accepted as is so that the film/story can focus on other things, whether it's style, other aspects of narrative, etc. But like I said, to each their own.

I will say this is a flaw that can be remedied in future seasons with flashbacks, but it wasn't even questioned by other characters in the 1st season how/why she's as good as she is.
After she destroyed everyone in the samurai dojo in the 1st episode, no one asked 'How are we so weak that a lone person could come in and defeat us all?'

For a more direct cue, it's like many a classic western. Lonesome gunslinger comes into town and wrecks shop. We don't get a training montage of how they got there, it just is what it is. They are a force of nature. Hence the frequent borrowing between samurai flicks and westerns.

For the record, I actually think I rate the show lower than you (8 out of 10 in my book), but that's mostly down to just not liking the animation style (I like the art style).

 

[NoSmilez]

I will give this series a try after I'm done with Pluto. I thought this season was a disappointment but there are a ton of killers.

Honestly I would skip this unless you have nothing to watch. It’s not bad but it’s like I seen this before. I feel like a cat and the owner shakes the kibble container. I had this meal a hundred times.

This anime has the all the check marks we like but it’s not really original. It’s kinda like John Wick type movie. It’s fun but 2 months later I will forget the plot.

 

[NoSmilez]

I was hoping there would have been a Japanese audio with English sub option, just to try and get a better feel of the setting, but there wasn’t an option. I’d honestly enjoy it more if I could watch it that way.

VPN it. There is a Japanese dub. It's not the original though. The original is meant for English speaking audiences.

 

[Blayt7hh]

I liked it. I didn't think it was amazing but definitely a good show. I wish the action was a little more grounded than it was.

 

[Iron Mang]

Honestly I would skip this unless you have nothing to watch. It’s not bad but it’s like I seen this before. I feel like a cat and the owner shakes the kibble container. I had this meal a hundred times.

This anime has the all the check marks we like but it’s not really original. It’s kinda like John Wick type movie. It’s fun but 2 months later I will forget the plot.

I finally finished the show today. It was okay at best. Lots of eyerolls during the course of the series. The ending while setting up future seasons, was lame AF. I'm not sure if I will catch season 2 if it gets made.