The Big Picture
- Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 takes Mizu's journey from Japan to London, opening up new possibilities for the protagonist and her quest for vengeance.
- Akemi's journey in Season 2 will likely involve her consolidating her political power and navigating the treacherous royal government.
- Taigen and Ringo, meanwhile, face uncertain futures and must find new callings.
Blue Eye Samurai is, quite simply, a masterpiece. Praised by the Collider staff as one of 2023's best series and a clear passion project from creators Michael Green, Amber Noizumi, and the production team at Blue Spirit, Netflix's adult animated series is a towering achievement of passion, pathos, and staggering ambition. And in a time when no streaming series is safe from cancelation, Netflix renewed Blue Eye Samurai for a second season. It's a win both deserved and needed; Season 1's finale left each character dangling with masterful precarity over a cliffhanger. Although official details concerning Season 2 are understandably sparse, Blue Eye Samurai's debut season sets up clear possibilities.
Blue Eye Samurai
ActionAdventureDramaDriven by a dream of revenge against those who made her an outcast in Edo-period Japan, a young warrior cuts a bloody path toward her destiny.
Cast Maya Erskine , Kenneth Branagh , George Takei , Darren Barnet , Masi Oka , Randall Park , Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa , Brenda Song , Stephanie Hsu , Ming-Na Wen , Harry Shum Jr , Mark Dacascos Writers Michael Green , Amber Noizumi , Yana Bille-Chung Streaming Service(s) Netflix Directors Jane Wu , Michael Green , Alan Taylor Showrunner Michael Green , Amber NoizumiMizu Sets Sail for New Shores in ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Season 2
CloseBlue Eye Samurai's conceit features an ensemble cast led by Mizu (Maya Erskine), a samurai with an all-consuming need for revenge. Born to a Japanese mother and a white man during Japan's Edo period, a time when the country's borders were closed to outsiders and biracial individuals were considered demonic, Mizu's tormented upbringing catalyzes her bloody quest: kill the only four white men in Japan, any of whom might be her father. To do so, Mizu disguises herself as a man and conceals her tell-tale blue eyes. The abuse Mizu endured gave her tunnel vision; she's viscerally determined to achieve her goal, no matter the cost to her soul or to others' livelihoods. Although Mizu leaves enough of a bloody trail to rival The Shining's gushing elevator of blood, she gradually learns to accept herself, including (and especially) the parts others consider abhorrent. Her perspective shifts, even if her ultimate vendetta remains the same.
Blue Eye Samurai's Season 1 finale sees Abijah Folwer (Kenneth Branagh), one of those white men illegally residing in Japan, staging a massive armed coup against the Shogun. An exhausted, embattled, yet fiercely determined Mizu defeats Fowler in combat but spares his life after Fowler informs her that her remaining quarry are in London. Holding Fowler captive, Mizu boards a ship headed for England. Having its protagonist leave Japan is a surprising and daring move for Blue Eye Samurai, but it opens an undeniable world of possibilities. Plot-wise, as long as the ship safely arrives, there's no telling who or what Mizu will encounter in London. A new city might represent another level of character development and internal acceptance. The setting change also gives the duplicitous, Irish Fowler a home turf advantage against Mizu, whose life he'll undoubtedly imperil.
‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Season 2 Sees Akemi on a New Path
Once tightly entwined, Blue Eye Samurai's main supporting characters separate during the finale. Akemi (Brenda Song), the daughter of a rich lord, has spent the season desperately fighting for agency. At the start of Season 1, Akemi wants to marry her lover Taigen (Darren Barnet), an impressive up-and-coming fighter. Instead, her father, Lord Daichi (Patrick Gallagher), uses her as a political bargaining chip. He forces her to marry the Shogun's younger son Takayoshi (Harry Shum Jr.) as part of his plan to overthrow the Shogun.
Thanks to some apt life lessons dispensed by her tutor Seki (George Takei) and brothel madam Kaji (Ming-Na Wen), Akemi keeps resisting her circumstances — she just changes how she asserts her limited autonomy. She adopts a pleasant exterior. Her cunning secures her new husband's affection and respect, especially after Fowler murders the Shogun and the royal family barely escapes with their lives. Akemi and Taigen briefly reunite, only for Akemi to realize her desires have changed. She refuses Taigen's proposal. Instead, Akemi opts to stay, securing her role as one of Japan's most powerful individuals.
Entering Season 2, as Akemi continues to consolidate her power, her relationships with her husband and in-laws are both a chess board and a battlefield. Akemi's tooth-and-nail fight against misogyny always served as a contrasting echo to Mizu's, who cloaked herself in a male disguise and adopted traditionally masculine avenues that weren't available to Akemi. With Akemi playing the long game strategy but still a political novice, the alliances she forms and the enemies she makes will influence how she navigates the treacherous, deadly web that is the royal government.
‘Blue Eye Samurai’s Characters Must Find New Callings
CloseAkemi rejecting Taigen leaves her former betrothed in an uncertain place. Blue Eye Samurai introduces Taigen as an arrogant, hot-tempered swordsman driven by honor to an almost absurd degree. As his season-long pursuit of Mizu evolves into a respectful partnership of convenience, Taigen's layers reveal themselves and his perspective forcibly shifts. Now, he enters Season 2 without a crusade and without the woman he loves. Essentially, Taigen's starting from scratch. All that remains is his duel with Mizu. And with Mizu traveling to London, it might be a while before they resolve that duel — and their growing attraction. Whether Taigen feels aimless or immediately seeks something to fill the void, he's a rebel without a cause, agenda, or master. He needs at least one of those things to move forward.
The person who finally gains a cause and a master? Ringo (Masi Oka), the gifted cook with dreams of greatness. Ringo spends Season 1 revering Mizu's samurai skills but flitting between potential professions. He's a puzzle piece looking for his place in a world that rejects him for his differences. The Season 1 finale implies that Ringo becomes an apprentice to Master Eiji/Sword Father (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), Mizu's mentor and surrogate father — and suggests this might be the calling that sticks. The exuberant Ringo needs a wise, grounding figure like Master Eiji. If Season 2 sees Ringo become a swordsmith under Eiji's guidance, that facilitates both Ringo's current goals and the dreams he cast aside. Wise samurai will use the weapons Ringo makes, but crafting those swords is an expression of Ringo's own greatness — no qualifiers or concessions needed.
Mizu’s Journey Is Far From Over
Michael Green and Amber Noizumi have an expansive vision for Blue Eye Samurai. "Our fondest hope is that this is Season 1 of four at a minimum," they told Collider. "We'd love to be talked into more. This is a tale just beginning." An entirely original, non-franchise series like Blue Eye Samurai receiving a second season is a remarkable feat. It's a triumph almost as impressive as the series itself. Season 1's finale leaves its characters in vastly different places (emotional and geographical) and plants the seeds for far more. Green and Noizumi might keep details about the sophomore season under wraps for a while, but they promise one thing for sure: "Mizu has a lot more blood to spill!"
Blue Eye Samurai is available to stream on Netflix.
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