Blue Eye Samurai - What We Have Missed

About why I do this: https://www.tumblr.com/blue-eye-samurai-analysis/788503270784122880/clarification-post?source=share

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Official guide to my metas (and other posts)

EXPECTATIONS BINGO FOR SEASON 2 HOT HOT HOT NEW

Symbolism in Blue Eye Samurai:

# Mirrors

# Windows

# Peaches

# Mizu's Inferno HOT

# Water

# People, animals and items which represent Mizu

# Name meanings

# Mizu's future

# Rapier NEW

Character Analysis:

# Duality of Taigen: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

# My thoughts on the (potential) Love Triangle between Mizu, Taigen and Akemi: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

# Why Taigen HAS to go to London (5 reasons) HOT

# Penmanship

# Intriguing questions about Mikio

Season 2 & 3 predictions:

# Shu Ha Ri NEW

# When Taigen finds out Mizu is a woman HOT

# Taigen and Mizu – 5 headcanons

# Revenge is not always easy

# Rapier and Japanese fencing

Ending predictions:

# Part 1 (Ringo), Part 2 (Mizu)

References to historical figures, other series:

# Blue Eye Samurai link to Musashi Miyamoto: Part 1, Part 2

Theme posts (mainly pictures, no analysis)

# Mizu’s Ember

# Mizu’s Hands

# True nature of a person

# Mountains

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Why Taigen HAS TO stay in Japan (for the first half of the season) - 5 reasons

I’’ve already written a lengthy post about why Taigen should go to London… but my dream was shattered when the creators announced he would start the season in Edo. Sooo, it’s time to analyze why it makes sense for him to stay in Japan.

Reason 1 – So he can have a proper closure with Akemi

When you look at season one as a whole, you realize Akemi and Taigen have a lot of unfinished business. Their talk from episode two ends with Akemi giving away her virginity and Taigen leaving her to chase MIZU. Officially he’s trying to “regain his honor” and save their engagement, but it doesn’t change the fact he leaves his fiancé IMMEDIATELY after deflowering her. Not very gentlemanly of him.

Next time they see each other is many episodes later, when Edo is burning and Seki has just died in Akemi’s arms. Taigen suggests they run away together, disregarding anything that had happened between them just before he left. And, honestly… if he made that kind of proposition two episodes earlier, Akemi might have enthusiastically agreed. But she’s now two episodes wiser and she has no plans to flee – she intends to be great, to play the game, and to win, just like Seki had taught her.  

We don’t know yet what role will Taigen play in that game. Will Akemi treat him as just another pawn, using his affection for her against him? Or maybe, she will convince herself he’s still the man who had given her the candy under the tree? Try to keep him as a lover, perhaps? Whatever happens, the end is certain.

Akemi and Taigen are the type of couple that works very well together, but only until the honeymoon phase is over. All it takes is one crisis and their relationship crumbles. With every new episode of season one it becomes more and more obvious how fundamentally different they are from each other. Akemi is natural at lying and manipulation, and Taigen is brutally honest (just like a certain blue eyed samurai). Their priorities after the Shindo Dojo incident are completely different – Taigen wants his honor and Akemi wants to save the engagement at all cost. To Akemi it doesn’t matter HOW she achieves what she wants as long as she gets it – for Taigen the way of achieving his purposes is EVERYTHING (remember how he could just murder Mizu after the battle with four fangs, but didn’t?).

So, they need at least half of the season to understand what they want to be to each other. My bet is that they will part ways as friends… or Taigen will become fed up with Akemi’s court games and they will separate on bad terms (to become friends again in season three). Either way, they need a closure.   

Reason 2 – So he stands up for foreigners being harassed by the new shogun

From Lady Itoh’s speech it is obvious that under the new shogun Japan’s going to become even MORE xenophobic. After Fowler’s failed coup the hate towards the white devils will reach its peak and every foreigner or half-foreigner will be in serious trouble. Perhaps there will even be an ethnic purge of some sort?

For Taigen this means facing the very same choice he had to make before - first as a child, then as a member of the Shindo Dojo.

He knew it was wrong when he bullied Mizu with other kids, but did it anyway. He could probably tell his Shindo mates were a bunch of assholes, but he worked hard to be accepted by them and it paid off, because it took him to the point when he was engaged with a princess. Until he wasn’t.

Now his social standing is good again - he had helped to save shogun’s family. But he’s no longer the man whose honor is defined by being acknowledged by important people.

I bet he’ll see foreigners being abused, but this time he’ll act differently. He’ll defend people like Mizu and it’ll get him into serious trouble.     

3 – So he can see the hypocrisy of Japan’s ruling class

Honor is something that defines a samurai, distinguishes him from a simple cutthroat. It’s Taigen’s personal obsession and I have a hunch it’s somehow linked to his father – as long as Taigen behaves with honor he will be different from the man who raised him.

In season one every important decision he makes is based on honor. He doesn’t kill Mizu when she’s unconscious (even though he’s tempted) - he helps Ringo get her to safety and offers to wait until she’s in good shape for a duel. In prison he doesn’t reveal ANY information about his rival, even after enduring hours of torture. He’s angry at Mizu for abandoning Akemi because it’s dishonorable.

For Taigen, people’s worth is defined by their honor. That’s why he comes to respect Ringo so much and becomes best buddies with him at the end of the season. That’s why he forgives his rival immediately, when Mizu proves to him that he cares about things other than revenge.

So, the question is: how he’s going to act when he understands that shogun and his family are very dishonorable?

He already got glimpses of this hypocrisy when he was in Shindo Dojo, his buddies being extremely rude to Mizu, even though all she wanted was to talk to their shihan. Hell, he got glimpses of this his whole life, when his friends were cruel just because they felt they had the right to be. Because they believed – just like Taigen believed – that being samurai, or simply being Japanese, makes one more honorable by default.

If you’re samurai and you’re dealing with someone who’s not, everything you call honorable HAS TO be honorable. If you’re Japanese and the other person is not, they are obviously the monster, the wrong one, simply because being Japanese means being more honorable by definition. Except it doesn’t, and Taigen already realizes this at the end of season one.

At this point simply being something is not enough to convince him – acting in a certain way does.

And it’s easy to predict Lady Itoh and the new shogun will not be honorable.

They intend to be cruel to everyone with foreigner’s blood and Mizu falls into that category. Although she had helped them with Fowler and they are technically in her debt, it won’t matter to them. But it WILL matter to Taigen.

Because, yeah… being bad to random white people he can understand. He might be against it, but he understands where it came from - Fowler tried to seize control of Japan not too long ago, being wary of his kind makes sense.

But hunting the family’s savior, not wanting to treat Mizu fairly, is the sort of attitude Taigen will certainly despise.

Not to mention that he himself may become the target. Lady Itoh made it clear that anyonr who saw her husband’s fall deserves to die and something tells me this includes Taigen as well. Perhaps Akemi will intervene and Taigen will not be targeted immediately, but I’m sure he won’t get the gratitude he hopes for.  

If one is not admired for gallantly coming to his shogun’s aid, then what the hell is even the point of serving the shogun?       

Reason 4 – So he can admit to Akemi (and to himself) that he was an awful person to Mizu

After the puppet show Akemi is still very bitter about Mizu’s decision not to come to her aid. She basically dehumanizes the blue eyed samurai, calling her “it”.

A being with no feelings, a monster.

And it’s the truth that Mizu has a monster inside her, but she didn’t create it on her own accord. It grew because of other people’s hatred. Yes, Mikio made the demon’s awakening complete, he finished the process, gave it the final push, but he wasn’t the one who started it.

Taigen did.                                                                                              

And you can tell he’s aware of it when he gets those flashbacks in Kohama. Not to point of taking responsibility for his own cruelty, not yet, but he’s getting there.

What I want from him in season two is admitting that he left a scar in another person’s soul – one that cannot be fixed by offering fish dumplings in a form of lousy apology.

And he HAS to admit his past transgressions to Akemi – so he can shatter that image of himself from the first episode of season one, when he was that humble, but incredibly sweet guy, who had nothing to offer the princess, except from his good heart and honor.

Yes, Taigen can be sweet. And great. I believe deep down he is (read my other post). But he can’t be if he’s one person in front of his (ex) fiancé, the other with his buddies from Shindo Dojo, and yet another when he’s with Mizu and Ringo.

Taigen needs to be one and the same person in front of everyone and it will be possible ONLY if he admits to himself what he did wrong and what kind of moral compass he wants to follow from now on.    

Reason 5 – So Akemi gets confirmation that Mizu was right

At the end of season one, Mizu provided Akemi with two valuable pieces of information about Taigen:

First – that he is not a good guy but he CAN be a great one. All true. Reread point four from this post.

Second – he doesn’t actually love Akemi.

Okay… technically, it was said that Taigen BELIEVES to love Akemi very much, which basically means he doesn’t, he’s just delusional about his feelings. Which, when you think about it, is a really nasty way of telling someone their ex fiancé doesn’t love them.

Mizu could just have been straightforward about it.

Or… she could lie. Say that Taigen does love Akemi. Why didn’t she?

That’s the question for another meta. Right now I want to focus on Taigen and Akemi.

When Akemi is tied up in the brothel, she bitterly suggest that Taigen ran away “from her to Mizu”. Which means she understands – in some subconscious level at least – that Taigen doesn’t love her. But even with that knowledge she still chased him, was determined to keep him. When Edo burns, she asks him to stay with her, while she’s married to another man.

Perhaps she believes she can make Taigen great by involving him in her schemes. But she can’t.

She could only make Taigen great if she ran away with him, because they would be far away from the hypocritical shogun and Taigen would have been able to follow his moral code. His greatness would be loyalty to his wife and to his principles. And he could have made Akemi happy. Seki said himself, that there’s happiness to be stolen, even when you’re married to the wrong man. Mizu understands it, too – Mikio was her “wrong man”, and she would have been perfectly happy with him, if only she had not been encouraged to reveal her true self and his ego hadn’t been wounded.

Mizu knows how little it takes to build a happy life and I think she genuinely wants that for Taigen and Akemi (in spite her own attraction to Taigen). But then, the destiny shifts when Seki dies. Akemi realizes it’s greatness she wants, not happiness. And yet she refuses to part ways with Taigen. Perhaps she believes Taigen’s devotion for her is enough to make him stay and play the game with her. But she’s wrong.

It may be enough at the beginning.

Taigen will stay - even though they were not able to marry, he still cares about Akemi and believes that watching after her is his responsibility. Annnnnd he thinks Mizu is dead, so what else he can do with his life?

So yeah, he chooses to stay. But it’s going to be a disaster, because he’s too impulsive and too sincere to play court games. He’ll come to understand he doesn’t really love Akemi – that she can’t give him neither happiness nor greatness, at least not in this circumstances.

Which brings us back to point one – Taigen need a closure with Akemi…    

BONUS reason – So he can learn that Mizu is alive and follow her to London

I REALLY want this to happen mid-season or at least at the very end. Like I’ve written in my other post, it would be SUCH A WASTE of plot potential if Taigen didn’t go to London.

But now that I think about it, it DOES make more sense for him to go after experiencing some things in Japan and realizing what true honor means.

And it makes even MORE sense for the creators to mislead us by putting him in Japan at the beginning, so when he goes on a voyage it’s a big surprise to us, viewers.

I have this delicious scene in mind when Taigen learns that Mizu is alive and he literally drops everything to chase his rival, just like he did in season one. Such a beautiful parallel!

I really want it to happen. What about you?

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Finally SOMETHING!

Netflix has just released this picture and it might not be much, but I'm glad it won't be a smooth sail to London.

As someone who is passionate about history, I would be VERY disappointed if that sorry excuse of a ship from the end of season one would carry Mizu all the way across the world without any issues. Please sink and get rescued by some handsome European sailor, will ya?

By the way, loose hair Mizu is so hot!

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Sooo... I woke up to THESE news from the Annecy International Animation Festival:

I'm happy they're throwing us a bone after such a long time, but at the same time... incredibly sad that Taigen WON'T be going to London with Mizu.

I wrote a lengthy post in which I explained why him staying in Japan would be a waste of a potential character development. Furthermore, his relationship with Mizu would have little chance to evolve, since they won't be... like... seeing each other for a long time?

It's XVIIth century we're talking about, so the mere journey to London would take almost a year. One way! It means it will be at least TWO years before Mizu reunites with the rest of the party.

Of course there are great plots in the history of the animation, where the main character separates from his friends for a long time, then comes back and everything is changed - Naruto and One Piece being great examples of how well it played out.

But with Mizu I'm a bit sceptical. I don't doubt the talents of Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, but I still hoped Mizu would be accompanied by at least ONE of her companions - if not Taigen, then Ringo - to London. In comparison to Naruto or Luffy her friendships aren't fully developed - they've just started to form. Started! So... separating her from everybody now kind of ruins the continuity of the plot for me, I guess? Let's just hope it will play better than I expect.

Of course, this could also be a HUGE bluff, and the creators do plan to send someone else to London, but after an episode or two, the way we don't suspect anything.

We know from experience how they love to manipulate viewers perceptions - in season one they made us believe Mizu was living as a man her whole life and never tried normal life, but in episode five- BAM! We got flashbacks of her being married. It was brilliant how they kept it from us for such a long time. Perhaps that's the plan for the next season as well? Make us believe she's all alone in London, then suddenly she gets company?

We also know that they love to create confusion in the interviews - they've said, ages ago, how much they want to continue their Mizu- Taigen - Akemi love triangle, and there was a sugesstion of Mizu kissing Akemi in season two, which caused a lot of raised eyebrows in the fandom, because it would be quite difficult to execute, with Mizu leaving for London and all.

Anyway, I'm a bit worried now, but still hopeful in some way. Give me a legit trailer, dammit!

What are your thoughts? Are you happy about Blue Eye Samurai taking place simultaneously in London and Japan?

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I'm glad Mikio had betrayed Mizu - actually, he's done her a favor!

We tend to think that Mikio’s betryal was the worst thing that ever happened to Mizu. But what if it actually was… the BEST thing?

I’ve only noticed this recently, but Mizu’s backstory is such a great metaphor for psychological reasons behind women being abused around the world.

Think about it: you have this girl who is an outsider in every sense of the word. She grows up without love, without friends, and her only family member shows her little affection. Then she loses that family member and – however bad their relationship might have been – it’s a huge loss. Little girl blames not the world but herself – because she’s been told, from the very beginning, constantly, every day, that she’s the REASON of her own misfortunes.

She starts fantasizing about killing the man who brought her into this world. This goal might be destructive, but at least it gives her PURPOSE. Strength.

Now, there is this misconception that only weak women allow themselves to be abused, but it is sooo very far from the truth. Strong women can become victims as easily as everyone else. The reason behind this is one tricky feeling.

Longing.

Mizu is crazy strong. Independent. Perfectly capable of taking care of herself. More importantly – she has a potential to be likable, but she doesn’t know it yet. How could she, when the only person who accepted her was a blind man?

So, she might be angry, obsessed with revenge, but she is also love-starved to the point of latching herself the first person who’d shown her even a little bit of kindness.

Think about how easily she falls into mama’s arms when they reunite. How she cannot force herself to get angry at mama for stealing her money. How she doesn’t ask herself: is it truly reasonable to trust someone who chose to fake their own death, practically abandoning her as a child?

Compliment level Mikio.

Then, comes Mikio. He’s not exactly friendly at first, but at least he doesn’t try to rape Mizu during their wedding night. I mean… well, respecting consent (or, in this case: lack of it) might not be such a spectacular character treat (rather the most basic requirement one would expect from a partner), but remember: as a child Mizu was used to being targeted almost every day by almost everyone. For someone like her the mere lack of violence would be interpreted as kindness.

E-VE-RY good thing directed at her would be interpreted not as the MOUNTAIN of acceptance. Love, even. Except that…

Calling something “love” doesn’t make it love. Kindness is just kindness – and it can be withdrawn as effortlessly as it was given.

Let’s take a closer look at flashbacks from episode 5 (Ronin and The Bride). Some people in the fandom believe what we saw there was Mizu and Mikio gradually falling in love. And it… might be true for Mizu. But Mikio? Honestly, I don’t believe he ever loved Mizu – he was just kind.

You may say: look at all the things he did for her! How he cut peaches for her, taught her how to tend to horses, laughed with her, had sex with her. But then again: look at all the things he DIDN’T do.

He didn’t call her beautiful. Not once. He never reassured her: don’t worry, I’m on your side, your battles are my battles (*cough* *cough* Taigen). In bed, when they talked after sex, she called herself a “monster” a he NEVER corrected her. And then…

Yeah, we all know what happened next, because it was the most traumatic moment in the whole series, and when the soldiers arrived the whole fandom was like: oh no, poor Mizu, it’s so horrible she was betrayed like that. But you know what would be even worse? If she WASN’T betrayed. I sincerely believe Mikio did Mizu a favor by selling her out to those soldiers. You wonder, why?

Because… well, try imagining an alternative universe where he DOESN’T betray her.

The fight under the peach tree still happens, Mikio gets humiliated, calls Mizu a monster, she’s lectured by her mama and prepares to apologize. Imagine her waiting in that make up, all humble and submissive. Except this time there are no soldiers arriving to kill her. Mikio comes back instead, and Mizu is determined to do ANYTHING to make him forgive her. And he’s determined to repair his wounded masculinity. So… various things may happen from here.

Perhaps he initiates the sex and perhaps Mizu allows it, because she feels her precious husband deserves an apology. Perhaps he acts politely afterwards and Mizu sighs in relief, thinking she has repaired their marriage. Routine returns, but NOTHING is as it was, because Mizu will always remember how she almost destroyed the relationship with the first person who was attracted to her, and Mikio will always be aware of the fact that his wife proved to be stronger than him. So… incidents start to happen.

Mikio initiates sex again. And again, and again. And Mizu consents, again and again. Until she doesn’t. Because at this point she understands that sex won’t heal their relationship. But this is not their wedding night and Mikio doesn’t care about her lack of enthusiasm anymore. He needs to “prove himself”, so he rapes her. Now, she could defend herself, like a strong woman she is, but… she chooses not to.  

Her story becomes similar to the stories of many other women in broken marriages. You can easily guess what happens next.

Violence enters the routine. First insignificant. Then regular. Maybe even life-threatening. At some point children are born and it makes the whole situation more complicated. Mizu wants what’s best for them. But she knows what kind of reality awaits them outside the farm and the protection of their Japanese father. She might take them and leave – but where would she go? To her oldest friend, Master Eiji? But coming to him after so many years, with extra “luggage” would be so humiliating.

That’s the true dilemma of women who are abused. It’s not just a matter of leaving and slamming the door firmly behind you. In many cases there is literally nowhere to go. The house is your husband’s and so is the money. And besides, there is something else stopping you – that wicked voice in your head, saying you’re not enough, and it’s better to belong somewhere than nowhere. Because your husband might be abusive, but at least he’s kind to you… occasionally.

So, having all of this in mind, I’m kind of glad that Mikio betrayed Mizu. Honestly, I’d rather see her wounded than staying with that scum, convinced he’s the best she can hope for.

Of course, the scenario I’ve described is just one of many and Mizu might have acted differently. Perhaps she would have left Mikio after a while. Or perhaps he wouldn’t dare to be violent towards her, fearing she might kill him. We don’t know what would have happened if he chose not to betray her, but contemplating it is very interesting, because it forces us to examine the more vulnerable side of Mizu – not the badass fighter, cold to his friends and enemies – but someone craving love and acceptance above everything else.

Now, the question is: how she’s supposed to let herself want these things again, when wanting them in the past almost killed her?

Remember what she said to Shindo, while Taigen listened?

“I don’t want to be happy. Only satisfied.”

That being said, I do believe future seasons will allow Mizu to admit that she wants – after all – to be happy. It’s something every person who is/was abused needs to learn – that you deserve the full happiness, not just the imitation of it.   

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

Expectations BINGO for Season 2!

Hello, hello, everyone! It’s a brand new year, which means we have higher chances of getting a brand new trailer with a brand new content very very soon. Which is why I decided to summarize all the things I’m looking forward to in the upcoming season. Just to be clear – I don’t expect ALL OF THEM to happen, I just want to have fun later to check how many of them come true ;)  

I’ll start with the most basic ones and then proceed to my more personal wishes, like shipping preferences and things like that.

1a – Culture Clash!

Mizu, being raised as a Japanese person, will surely be shocked by some European customs, like cuisine, hygiene, manners, religion and even approach to sexuality. Honestly, the more the better. And if some other Japanese characters like Taigen or Ringo decide to follow Mizu to London, it would make things even more interesting (I’d like to see Ringo’s reaction to typical English dishes). Fun fact: a similar culture shock has already been explored in the tenth novel of the “Young Samurai” series by Chris Bradford. It’s a book for kids, but I still believe that Chris made a good job in showing what might have shocked a Japanese person in XVIIth century England (makes me wonder, whether Blue Samurai Creators have read that novel).   

1b – More Mizu Sex Reveals

Looking for an idea for a drinking game? I propose taking a shot every time someone new discovers that Mizu is a woman. I’m sure the big secret will come out at least couple of times in season two. One of the most exciting moments I’m looking forward to is Taigen finding out and his reaction to it. If I were to guess, I’d say it would happen somewhere in the last two episodes of season two.

1c – Historical Accuracy

First, I want to say, that I don’t believe historical accuracy should be priority in every TV show. There are series, which are very well written and entertaining even without making everything EXACTLY as it was in the past (cough, cough, my beloved “Bridgertons”). However, it is always impressive when creators manage to include many realistic elements in their show, without ruining the plotline, and creators of BES certainly did their research. Of course they haven’t made a hundred percent realistic feudal Japan, but they managed to create a beautiful balance between historical realism and modernity. Even though I’m a huge Japan culture nerd, they not only managed to show me things I DID know and like (tea ceremony elements, sword fighting forms), but also things I didn’t know (I can’t believe I haven’t heard about the ohaguro before BES– oh my God!). So yeah… dear creators, if people are going to expect some realism from you in the second season, it’s basically your own fault for setting the bar so high ^^. I, for the record, don’t expect Mizu to get to England in that sorry excuse of a ship she’s boarded in the last episode of season one, because it’s like… umm… ignoring CENURIES of naval evolution which enabled Europeans to finally sail the world? Let’s sink that boat and let Mizu (and Fowler) be saved by some nice English ship.   

1d – New fighting styles

It is implied by Mizu holding a rapier in the poster promoting season two, and I’m sooo excited about it! Read my special post regarding this topic here.

2a – Taigen going to London

I’ve written a separate post about why Taigen going to London would be beneficial for the plot – you can read it here.

2b – Another half-breed

Mizu has already met someone like her in the brothel episode, but they didn’t really exchange any words. I want it to change in second season. I expect Mizu to meet another half breed in London – preferably someone with a completely different personality than Mizu, without any self-hate or revenge obsession. I'd also want Akemi to get friendly with a blue-eyed person who isn't Mizu. I'm making a special order: more half-breeds, please!

2c – More info about Violet

That scene from the first official season two trailer? Honestly, I can’t imagine it to be anything other than flashback of Mizu trying to get to Violet and killing him (if you were following my metas, you know that one of my favorite theories is that Mizu’s glasses used to belong to Violet).

2d – Fowler escaping at some point

It’s just BEGGING to happen! Not killing your enemy when you get the chance hits the main character almost every time, Ladies and Gentlemen! Fowler WILL escape, possibly almost killing Mizu and warning Skeffington and Routley to make the hunt more difficult. This is the guy who PREDICTED his buddy Shindo's betrayal and still lied to the dude without batting an eye. I'm telling you, he's not going to make a good prisoner.

3a – Mizu making English friends (aka meeting the “Good Whites”)

It is an absolute must. I’ve already written a little bit about it in my Taigen post, so here I just want to add: the plot is going in the direction of Mizu questioning some of her opinions, like self hate and the drive to kill her father, and for her to question all of that she first need to understand that – duh! – not all the whites are bad. Trip to London is just perfect to have that lesson.

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Alright! I’ve got the basics covered, so now it’s time for LESS PROBABLE things, like theories and personal wishes.

3b – Mikio returns

Ever since the infamous interview with the creators, fans have been speculating, who is this mysterious “dead, but MAYBE alive” character. Mikio seems like a reasonable answer, because he was the only person whose death has been blurred. Well… logically, it could ALSO be Violet (first potential father), since we only have Mizu’s word for killing him, which means, he might be alive and kickin’, buuuut… like a lot of people in the fandom, I realllyyyyy want it to be Mikio, because it would be so dramatic and interesting, and there are just so many unanswered questions about him. Check my separate post about Mikio.

3c – Badass female fighter

Until now Mizu fought men, so I’m STARVING to see her having a clash with a female fighter holding a larger weapon than Akemi’s sorry excuse for the knife (my apologies, Akemi – I still admire your courage). And since we KNOW that the creators adore Kill Bill, our chances of seeing this are really high. One of my favorite theories is that we’ll have at least one episode of the sea voyage, and that Mizu will clash with someone based on the famous pirate from the Golden Age of Piracy, Anne Bonny.  

3d – European Mentor Figure

I think it would be really nice if Mizu met someone who would guide her into the European World. I’m envisioning either a ship captain (he could also teach her English), a swordsman or a blacksmith. Each option would be very interesting.

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Finally, the LAST ROW, which I reserve for hardcore fan theories, which could turn the whole plot upside down. Even ONE of them would be enough to make our brains explode and if it’s more of them, we’re going to need therapy after the show ;)

4a – Akemi’s female love interest

And by “female love interest” I don’t necessarily mean Mizu. I’ve been thinking about Akemi a lot and I’ve realized something: she has a habit of manipulating men who are her love interests. Not only the husband she was forced to marry – Taigen as well. She believes she’s in love with him, but she has no problems manipulating him through flattery and sex, ultimately proving to him, that she doesn’t really care about his pride or honor – only about her own agenda. And it makes me wonder – what if it’s going to be true with EVERY man Akemi will like in the future? Each and every one of them will be a threat for her freedom, so Akemi will manipulate them “just in case” (like Madam Kaji taught her). But with a woman she might find balance, equality and – most importantly – the ability to show her true self. I really like the vision of the Empress Akemi ruling Japan with a female lover by her side. One of my favorite theories is that she’s going to have a relationship with a blue-eyed prostitute from Madam Kaji Episode.

4b – Mizu’s (real) dad is Japanese

And her mother is/was white. This theory needs no more explanations, because it existed in the fandom ever since the last episode of season one aired, and we have learned, that “Mama” was just “a maid”. It’s such a great theory, because it questions Mizu’s whole revenge quest.

4c – Mizu’s (real) mum is alive

This one is not that popular in the fandom, because Fowler implied that Mizu’s mum was killed and it is unlikely that he had lied. And I agree with this. But… even though Fowler is not lying, there is a possibility that the information he provides are incorrect. He BELIEVES Mizu’s mum to be dead, but we have no idea, how it had happened or if he actually had seen the act. There are countless of possibilities and if Mizu’s mum is still alive, it might complicate things. A lot. One of my favorite theories is that we’ll meet a new female character in season two, and that person will later be revealed to be Mizu’s real mother.    

4d – One of Mizu’s (potential) fathers is a good person

Although Fowler had said, that Skeffington and Routley were “the worst of them”, I think it would be interesting if one of them would turn out to actually be a good person. Not necessarily from the beginning – he might have done nasty things in the past, and now has regrets, change of heart or whatever else. But I want one of these guys to be good. Why? Because Mizu HATES killing good people, as we have seen in the Kinyuo episode. So, having an oopsie daisy discovery, that one of her targets is now a nice fellow, would kick our poor Blue Eye Samurai’s psyche right between the legs.  And I’ll ear popcorn to that.

Okay, that’s it! All of my expectations in one place.

Some of you are probably surprised I didn’t put any Taizu here, since I’m a dedicated Taizu shipper (or Taimizu – as some prefer to call it). I decided against it, because even though my poor heart is aching for intimate scenes involving Mizu and Taigen, rationally it would make much more sense if they happened in season three not two. Right now… those two sword nerds just have too big of a gap between them. Taigen still hasn’t apologized for being a little shit as a kid (sorry, dude, bringing dumplings is a sorry excuse for an apology) and Mizu hasn’t confessed she’s a woman (honestly, I don’t believe she will, I think someone or something will expose her to Taigen). If they don’t clean their messes before entering a relationship, they’ll just end up like Korra and Mako from “The Legend of Korra”.

Sooo… whether I like it or not, they need some development in season two in order to become couple in season three. And for having a development AT ALL, Taigen… yeah, I’ll just say it again… he NEEDS to go to London, dammit ;)

Do you have your own expectations?

Feel free to create your own bingos. And let me know if you share any of my expectations.

Have a great new year and let us hope for a quick release of season two!

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

Trilogy is perfect? Blue Eye Samurai and the SHU-HA-RI concept!

I might have mentioned in some of my previous posts that I used to be a martial artist. Which makes watching Blue Eye Samurai much more fun, because I keep noticing various things connected to some stuff I had learned during my training.

Soo, while waiting (impatiently) for season two, I remembered the creators mentioning in one of the interviews, that they intend to make three seasons in total (with possible season four as a bonus). And then it hit me!

There is something in martial arts called the “SHU-HA-RI” and it describes different levels of becoming a master of a discipline.

First stage “SHU” is about blindly following your teacher’s instructions to cover the basics. You’re learning forms, solidifying your posture, gaining stamina, all of that.

In second stage, “HA”, you start to question what you had learned. Forms are already known to you, and you get much deeper into understanding them. You may discover that something doesn’t really work the way you thought, that certain paths and solutions may not be right for you, and you rebel against your teacher (not literally, though – when the student is ready, the teacher encourages them to follow their own path).

Finally, third stage “RI” is becoming a master, which means you know precisely who you are, what do you want to do and how is your path different from everybody else’s. Most importantly, you’re in BALANCE.

Sounds familiar?

You bet it does!

Because I’ve noticed that this concept works wonderfully not only for martial arts, but for the greatest movies or TV series I have watched throughout my life!

Think about it: WHY are the very best sagas trilogies? Because they create beautifully balanced narration.

Classic example of that? Star Wars, especially the original trilogy. In "New Hope" it's all simple: good guys led by Luke, Han and Leia, bad guys led by Vader. "Empire Strikes Back" makes you question EVERYTHING, including two sides of the Force and Obi-Wan's story learned in the previous part. "Return of the Jedi" gives us Luke, who chooses not to fight his evil dad, but to make an attempt of saving him. So beautiful!

Lords of The Rings. In “The Fellowship of the Ring” Frodo is mainly following Gandalf, he’s protected by much stronger members of the group and he’s not yet tempted by the ring. In the “Two Towers” both Frodo Team and Aragorn Team need to face some tough choices, and it’s not clear which path is the good one. “The Return of the King” has many heart clenching moments too, but most heroes already know who they are and where they allegiances lay. They have no problems making their decisions. Anyway, the trilogy as a whole is just perfect.

Another example, this time from the television. “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. Damn, it may be (mostly) for kids, but for me this series is just so wholesome. Fans are quarrelling for ages for the superiority of either Aang or Korra, and each side has strong opinions, but If we are talking about the composition of the series, I think everyone will agree that Aang did a much better job, simply because (again) it’s the perfect trilogy.  Each season is dedicated for one element – that’s one thing. But more importantly, the character development is done in a way that every stage of Aang’s (and not only his!) journey is dedicated to its appropriate season. In season one he is just a goofy kid, whose task his simple: he needs to be the Avatar and save the world. In second season questions start to pop: “But wait a second! What does it really mean to be the Avatar? Can I really remain the way I am, or should I change something?” Aang has to master earthbending, which means not only mastering a new element, but also facing problems instead of avowing them (there is a whole episode dedicated to that). Damn, he even has this amazing meeting with guru, when he opens the chakras, which is like therapy, but much better – he literally has to face E-VE-RY single important decision he has made throughout the series and figure out what to do with it. It’s brilliant! We also have a huge crisis in the first episode of season three, but except from that, season three shows us Aang who already understands the weight of his responsibilities and has grown to be the Avatar who refuses to take the easy path instead of the right one (I’m talking about his decision regarding Ozai). Anyway, what a well-staged series.

“Cobra Kai”, my most beloved Netflix series is another great example of SHU-HA-RI, although here the “HA” part (second stage: rebellion) happens somewhere between season two and season six. We have this great martial artists who revives his master’s old school, and at the beginning he follows everything he had learned blindly, without questioning anything. But then, he notices, that teaching the very same shit to the people he cares about, can have devastating effects. So he rejects some things, he makes changes, and in the very end finds his balance. And it’s beautiful, because it’s true for both protagonists of the series: Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso.

And this is also why I treat the prospect of having three season of Blue Eye Samurai as a very good sign. It’s just makes perfect sense!

In first season Mizu was mainly seeking revenge, she was positively obsessed about her mission and saw firsthand where it can get her (she wasn’t able to get Fowler on her first attempt, when she was trying to do it alone, and the price she paid for that attempt was angering almost every person, with whom she had started building a meaningful relationship).

Soo, if I were to guess, I’d say second season will be extremely exciting, because that’s when the whole “questioning everything” part will begin.

“Are all white people really that bad?”

“Is it wise to kill someone, just because he MIGHT be your father?”

“I thought my male part cannot coexist with my female part, but what if I’m wrong?”

Those are the questions I’m expecting Mizu to ask herself somewhere in season two. I also kind of expect that something really awful will happen in the end, so she can transform herself and come back in season three as a completely new person (still bloodthirsty, but much more balanced, free of self-hatred and appreciating her relationships).

All we have to do now is prepare our popcorn and wait for the creators to finish their amazing work!           

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

Mizu fighting with RAPIER in SEASON 2 is a huge EASTER EGG for the Martial Artists!!!

As in – how Europeans influenced Japanese Sword Styles.

When the Season Two poster was released, people immediately realized Mizu was holding a European Sword instead of Japanese katana.But not everybody noticed what kind of sword it was and what it signifies.

Before I get further into this, let me just tell you a bit about my personal background. I’m a former Martial Artist. For several years I was a semi-professional in aikido. I’ll try not to get into too many details, but you should know, that aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art, recognized mainly for using opponent’s strength against him. It is said that WOMEN get a hang of it quicker than men, because they don’t rely on their PHYSICAL strength as much (by some straaaange coincidence I’ve seen Mizu using various aikido techniques in the series, but that’s a story for another post XD).

Another trademark for aikido is that many of its techniques were inspired by kenjutsu – Japanese sword styles – which is why many aikido schools add bokken practice to their usual hand-to-hand practice.

The reason I’m mentioning all this, is because of what my aikido sensei (teacher) told me years ago. He shared with us (the group) an interesting fact about the so-called “tsuki”.

I know that some people reading this post are learning Japanese, so when they hear about “tsuki” they immediately think “moon”. But in Japanese martial arts it also means “straight punch”. Some examples from karate:

In kenjutsu “tsuki” means  “to thrust”  or “to stab”. Examples:

And you know, what my akido teacher told me about this move? It wasn’t ORIGINALLY used in Japanese sword techniques! And it makes perfect sense, because Japanese katana is curved, with only one sharp edge, and it was designed mainly for cutting, NOT for stabbing.

However, Japanese samurai learned how to thrust and how to counter thrusting, while fighting EUROPEANS who were using… guess what?

Rapiers!

The very same swords like the one Mizu is holding on the Season Two poster. The fact that she will be using this particular swords opens a possibility, that SHE will be the samurai who will start the transformation of Japanese sword styles and enrich them with new techniques.

The European techniques. And I must tell you, that even though rapiers are not as flashy as Japanese katana, they have some amazing advantages.

First of all, they are light, so you don’t need that much of a physical strength to wield them. Second, they are very universal, allowing the fighter to both CUT AND STAB. And finally, you can easily hold them in just one hand, which allows you to be creative and use your agility to the fullest in the combat. Just look at Lady Oscar – another woman-turned-man like Mizu – using rapier like a BOSS!

Screens from "Lady Oscar" - quite old but nonetheless excellent anime, which I recommend watching (but not Netflix version - the original anime is so, SO much better).

(Mizu’s and Oscar’s crossover is my personal wet dream – even though Oscar's story starts more than 100 years after Mizu)

Have I already mentioned that rapier is an excellent weapon for WOMEN?

But not only for women, of course. Think about Fowler! Why do you think he is such an incredible fighter? Why he easily held his own in a fight against BOTH Mizu AND Taigen? Because he is using a COMBINATION of Japanese AND European fencing. Just look at this:

This is NOT Japanese kenjutsu, this is European fencing. Look how huge his rage is and the way he is holding his free hand!  And of course he also has the advantage of being bigger in seize than an average Japanese person, which allows him to swing a katana with one hand like it’s nothing. No wonder he’s THAT difficult to beat!

And now Mizu is going to England, so she can learn how to use rapier and come to Japan much, much stronger and, Oh My God, I am SO very impatient to see how it plays out.

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

Season 2 poster is finally OUT 🔥🌊!

Stay tuned for my poster analysis.

What are your expectations for Season 2?

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

Mizu’s FUTURE has already been revealed in Season One – You just haven’t noticed!

While reading some awesome metas in Tumblr and some great fanfiction in Ao3, I noticed a pattern: for a lot of people it is quite difficult to imagine what Mizu will do after the main story is complete - that is, after she’s killed all the men she had sworn to kill. And I must admit, for a long time I also had difficulties imagining her future. But then I rewatched the whole season (again) and I discovered something.

I strongly believe that the creators have already dropped several hints about what Mizu will do in her epilogue and that something is… revenge.

Okay, most of you probably blinked and thought: “Oookay? Revenge? But… how can THAT be Mizu’s future, when it already occupies ninety percent of the plot? I thought the whole point of Blue Eye Samurai was Mizu HAVING her revenge and being done with it. ”

That’s because I’m talking about DIFFERENT kind of revenge. Hear me out!

First, we need to establish basic facts. I think we can all agree that Mizu’s current revenge agenda is her COPING mechanism. When she was a kid, she’s made a promise to her (pretending to be) dead mama, because she needed a purpose, something that would protect her from her own self hate.

She does all of this, because the world doesn’t accept her and she believes she doesn’t belong anywhere. Even when someone shows her kindness, she doesn’t allow herself to be cared for, too hurt and broken to just acknowledge the fact that she might be accepted after all – that’s why she refuses to befriend Ringo and calls herself a burden to Master Eiji.

She focuses on her revenge mission, because it gives her sanity, but it cannot be her endgame.

I’m pretty sure, there will be some sort of twist. Because in the good tv series (and I believe Blue Eye Samurai  is one of them) the twist ALWAYS happens. Mizu can’t kill all of her four targets and that’s it, end of the story.

I mean… she probably WILL kill Fowler and at least one more guy, but then something will happen. Perhaps the fifth guy will be revealed? Perhaps we will learn that Mizu’s real mother was white? Or perhaps something else will happen that will turn the whole situation upside down?

But anyway, something needs to happen, because the whole point of Mizu’s journey isn’t her killing those four guys, but her self-acceptance. After first season she’s learned that she cannot ignore her bonds with people, that she’s allowed to have friends, but that was just a beginning.

My guess is that second season will be about her prejudice towards white people, that she’ll realize the whole racism stuff is all bullshit, and in the third season she will finally find love and acceptance.

So, the real question is – what next? Mizu defeats the real villain of the series (whoever that might be) she gains inner peace, and then what?

Well, my guess is that she will still live by having revenge - but not for herself anymore. She will be the deliverer of vengeance for those who cannot avenge themselves for some reason. Here’s why:

Master Eiji and Mizu’s talk about art in episode seven.

Remember the crisis Mizu was having after her failure in Fowler’s fortress? Master Eiji told her that he didn’t taught Mizu to be human or demon, he just taught her to be “an artist”. After that, Mizu revealed that her “art” is “revenge”.

Can you believe it? She could say that swordfight is her art, but she didn’t. She said that REVENGE is her art. And the creators said something very similar, when they talked about season two – they said that “revenge is Mizu’s RELIGION”. Pretty strong choice of words, right? It made me realize something.

Mizu’s revenge is not the same as Arya Stark’s revenge from Game of Thrones. It’s not the same as the Bride’s revenge from Kill Bill. And that’s because Mizu doesn’t treat revenge as something personal – she treats it as art.

Throughout the series we get glimpses of how IMPORTANT revenge is to Mizu, even when it’s not about herself.

Remember how she met Chiaki for the first time? How she was moved by his story, by the fact that he was willing to avenge his dead dad, even if it costed him his own life?

Helping him was so important to her, that she dared to play rebellious teenager in front of the person she admired most in her life.

Just look at this: Master Eiji is having doubts and she throws the wood angrily to the ground. For Mizu who is usually very reserved about her feelings, this is quite something. Master Eiji is her beloved foster dad, but in this moment she is disappointed in him – that’s why he surrenders and agrees to make a sword for Chiaki (ignoring his suspicions).

Then, there’s Kinuyo’s business.

Every scene from that arc is so meaningful. Madame Kaji calls revenge “a luxury”, something only “men like Mizu” can get. All of this gets to Mizu and she reaaallly wants to avenge Madame Kaji. And when she is forced to kill Kinuyo instead of Boss Hamata, the situation becomes almost unbearable for her. For the first time in the series we see her really shaken. It’s not only because she was forced to take an innocent life, but because all of this is so unfair.

In the end, she defeats the thousand claws army and drags Boss Hamata to be finished by Madam Kaji. One of my favorite scenes in the whole series, to be honest. And it tells us a lot about Mizu.

She really likes (and is VERY good at) delivering justice to other people, avenging other people.

When she swears vengeance for the first time, when she’s just a little girl, she speaks about avenging not only herself but also her mama.

When she’s betrayed by Mikio, she doesn’t give a shit about killing him at first. She has no intention of avenging herself. She simply turns around and walks away. She stops ONLY when Mikio kills her mum. Only THEN she attacks him. And her expression afterwards? As if she was FORCED to kill him, had no other choice. And I strongly believe that’s her truth - she couldn’t NOT attack Mikio after he killed her mum.  Because for Mizu REVENGE is HONOR.

And, as we all know, honor can be pretty tricky. Especially if it becomes an obsession.

Both Taigen and Mizu are very unbalanced through the whole season one, because they are both obsessed. Taigen is obsessed about honor, which for him is “how others perceive him”, and he only starts to act like a decent person when he stops trying to impress others at all cost, and just decides to listen to his instincts about right and wrong. Mizu is obsessed about revenge, which makes her go through hell in episode six.

There is a very powerful metaphor in the next episode (seven), which go unnoticed by many people.

The fact that this time Mizu decides NOT to make her sword herself. And God, she is so right. No one should make their own sword, because no one has the ability to look at one’s self objectively. Only other people can do that. And that’s the truth about the revenge, too. I strongly believe that you shouldn’t deliver your revenge personally, because you can easily lose your cool and turn yourself into a beast.

Even Taigen notices it, in spite of being the slowest (mentally) person in the whole show – that while, yeah, Mizu SHOULD kill Fowler, she shouldn’t do so because of the HATE. Although I don’t approve of his behavior in that moment, I have to admit his conclusion is right – killing someone because of the pure hate is not honorable.

Sooo, having all of this in mind, my guess is that in the very end Mizu will become Edo Period’s Avenger. A Daredevil of a sort.

She will earn her living by being a blacksmith, perhaps she will also be Taigen’s lover (I’d like that very much), but that will not be all.

There will be a rumor in Japan about a mysterious avenger, who will get those who hurt you, even if you don’t have money to pay him. People will half-heartedly believe that truth, but sometimes they would try to reach the “Demon” – and they would occasionally succeed, through Ringo, Taigen or Akemi.  

I imagine a crying woman coming to Ringo who is a Buddhist Monk (I wrote a separate post about HIS future) and complaining about her sad reality. She would be told where to find Mizu. And she would come to Mizu in the same manner as Chiaki once came to Master Eiji, throwing all of her poor belongings to the floor and begging. And Mizu would just say that the justice would be delivered. Perhaps she will accept payment in form of nice objects or food or maybe something her partner (Taigen) would like.

I think that would be really awesome. Mizu gaining inner peace, gaining balance, gaining family of her own, but still doing revenge for people who cannot avenge themselves. If that happened I would be satisfied. And I totally see it happening. As I’ve said before, I’d also like her to end with Taigen and I believe we got plenty of hints THAT will happen as well, but I don’t want her to be a traditional wife for him. Well, maybe occasionally. And I don’t necessarily think they need children. Although it would be cool if they had a son or a daughter, with BROWN eyes, and many many years later we will see this person’s descendant, perhaps in modern Tokyo, telling a family tale: “You know, there is this legend, that one of my ancestor was Japan’s famous vengeful spirit with BLUE EYES”.

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

Name meanings in Blue Eye Samurai

Note that the meanings of the names I will provide here are NOT official. As far as I know, the creators of Blue Eye Samurai never published any official guide, where they would offer us official name meanings of their characters.

Getting the meaning of Japanese names is tricky, because they are typically composed of kanjis (one of the three alphabets in Japanese language, used mainly to create nouns). While being in Japan, if you want to know someone’s name meaning you have to ask for their meishi (business card) or ask them to write their name for you - only then you can be absolutely sure.

If I remember correctly, in Blue Eye Samurai we only learn the kanjis for one person, and that’s Taigen (his name is written on the letter, left with the broken blade).

BUT, there are also official Japanese subtitles WITH character’s names in kanji and @hauntingofhouses did a great job of checking their meaning.

Now, I’m going to expand the subject – add some additional names and their symbolism.

But have in mind that in most cases my explanations are just guesses – I’m trying to come up with those which make the most logical sense regarding the plot. I do speak Japanese, but I’m not native, so I’m going to rely on intuition.

If there are any natives around, I’ll be very eager to hear your opinion about the subject.

So, here we go!

Mizu

Her name’s pretty obvious, it means "water". It may be a reference to her fighting style, which is based on adapting to different opponents and using different weapons (Interestingly, that’s also how Miyamoto Musashi fought – check my other post about it). It matches Mizu’s nature as well - because she seems calm on the outside, but she’s actually capable of becoming really violent. Just like water.

Kai (Mizu’s Horse)

This one could be anything, but I’d go with two solutions for this one.

Kai could be a “shellfish” or “shell” and it would a metaphor of how Mizu is on the outside – wild, untamable beast.  It makes sense for Kai to be Mizu’s “shell”. Various people already wrote that Kai The Horse represents Mizu and so, when Mikio sells Kai, he symbolically sells out Mizu (actually, he does so also literally).

My other guess is that Kai means “ocean” and it represents big range of Mizu’s emotions, which remains unnoticed by other characters in the series (Remember how Akemi told Shogun she didn’t see any love in the onryo? Gosh, that hurt!)

Ringo

His name means “apple”. Interesting fact is that in Japan apple is quite rare and a symbol of good fortune. When I was in Japan, I was shocked how expensive apple were (in my country they are ridiculously cheap). In other words, Ringo is a rare treasure – a person who immediately accepts Mizu’s heritage and sex (though it’s funny he calls her blue eyes a “disability”).

Seki

Although his name from the Japanese subtitles suggest something different, in Japanese language “seki” means “rock” and I immediately thought about it when he first appeared on screen. Because that’s what he is (was) – Akemi’s  rock.

Madame Kaji

Oh, this one is going to be reaaaallly good.

Again, Netflix Japanese subtitles suggest something different, but if you use “kaji” as independent word, it would mean either “fire” (as in fire out of control) or “housework” depending on the context. And, my God, this is SO true for Madame Kaji! Actually, we can even take it a step further, and conclude that it’s truth for EVERY common woman in the series. Because that’s what Madame Kaji seems to be represent, judging from her relations with Mizu and Akemi – a symbol of women who were born without any special backgrounds and they do their jobs dutifully but there’s still fire in them.

Master Eiji

I like Netflix Subtitles explanation for this one, but I also found out the funny fact. According to online dictionary (jisho.org) “eiji” means “infant, baby” – perhaps it’s an allusion to Mizu’s time with him, that she was still quite innocent when they were living together.

Daiichi (Akemi’s father)

His name may mean “the first” as in “first of his family to achieve something remarkable”. Makes perfect sense.

Kohama Village

I believe it’s the composition of two words: “ko” for “small” (like “koinu, koneko, kotori” – “small dog, small cat, small bird”) and “hama” meaning “beach”.

Kohama may means “small beach” because it’s literally small, but it can also be a metaphor for a narrow mindset.  

Okiyama (Tea Party Guy)

The first thing I thought when I heard his name, was “ooki yama” as in “Big Mountain”. Makes sense XD

Mikio

His name is composed of two main elements: “MIKI” and “O” (MIKI-O).

In case of similar names, “O” at the end usually means “a man” and I think we can safely assume this is one of these cases. The only mystery is with the “miki” part. Here, I have TWO guesses, why the creators chose this particular name for Mizu’s husband.

First is that, MIKI-O is supposed to be a reference to MIKI-NOSUKE, who was Miyamoto Musashi’s adopted son (I wrote a separate post, in which I mention every Miyamoto Musashi reference in the series and I explain how this amazing samurai may be connected to Mizu).

My second guess is the verb MIKI-RU, which means…

Yeah, that. And, oh my God, it makes such a perfect sense, because it literally makes Mikio “The Man who has seen all of you and forsaken you”. Even his name screams red flag. Ouch!

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

People, animals and items which represent Mizu.

The Glasses - Mizu's Mask

We see Mizu with her trademark orange glasses since episode one, but we later learn, that she has only started wearing them sometime AFTER Mikio incident. During her first attempt to gain information Mizu doesn't wear glasses, which signifies how innocent and sincere she still is. She doesn't hide her blue eyes, neither does she attempt to hide her personality, her true self. And it ends badly for her - she gets injured, reunites with Mama, gets (sold out) married and eventually... gets betrayed.

Some time after that she start wearing glasses.

One of my favorite theories is that they belonged to Violet - the very first man she managed to kill - and she took them as a trophy.

Later, Mizu takes off her glasses on various occasions and that's when we get glimpses of her true self, different aspects of her personality: her hatred for the people who do business with white men (with Hachi), her appreciation for beauty (when she admires Kyoto), her love for martial arts (when she duels people or spars with them), her compassion (when she rescues Kinuyo) and her wish to be desired (when she looks into the mirror). Actually, there is more, but for this post, this is enough.

The Coat - Mizu's Bitter Experience, lessons she can never forget

Do you know this coat actually belonged to Mikio? I had my doubts whether it was really his, but I rewatched episode five several times,  and even the stains on the coat are in the same places. For such a detailed animation it can't be a coincidence.

Why would Mizu take something that belonged to the man who betrayed her? Out of sentiment? I don't think so. Mizu was disgusted with Mikio, when she watched him quarelling with Mama. So, my guess is that she took this coat to ALWAYS remember: "this is what happens when I trust someone, when I allow myself to hope for hapinness".

The Knife (from episode 5) - Mizu's brutality

Remember the knife Mizu gives to Ringo at the beginning of episode five? She keeps it hidden somewhere near her ankle, but it's not an assasin's knife but a regular kitchen knife. It doesn't have Mizu's smith signature, so it wasn't made by her. Actually...

It's the very same knife Mama used to shave Mizu's hair. The knife Mizu used to cook for her husband. The very same knife Mizu used to make her first (!) kill ever. The one she threw at Mikio, murdering him in the process (although some believe he's still alive). It's so poetic that while using this knife, Ringo claims to feel "the darkness inside".

Obi (The blue belt) - Mizu's Identity, her legacy?

Mizu's Obi serves as a blanket, when she is a baby. Considering the fact she still has it, it might be a link to one of her biological parents.

Sword - Mizu's soul

That one's obvious. Mizu's sword is her soul, and the only two people who had a chance to hold it were Mikio and Taigen (in episode three, when he lifts the sword from the ground, and in episode seven, when he picks up a piece of Mizu's broken soul in the forge).

Kai - Mizu's temper, Mizu as a whole

It's really important, that it's Mizu who tames Kai in the end, not Mikio. Which means it's ulimately HER decision, whether she wants to reveal her gentler side to another person - she cannot be forced to do this.

Kai was a great horse and I hope we will see her again in future seasons.

The Puppet Show:

The Bride - Mizu's Feminine Side

The Ronin - Mizu's Masculine Side

The Child - Mizu's happiness It can be born from the harmony between her masculine and feminine side. However, when Mizu enters a relationship with a wrong man (Mikio), her masculine side gets surpressed for a long time, and when it finally reappears, it slains both the feminine side and the hapiness in the process.

Samurai from the brothel - Mizu's sexuality, Mizu's deepest desire, Mizu's Ying Yang

In one of my previous posts I wrote that this samurai represents Mizu ideal partner - one which will accept both her feminine AND masculine side. But this samurai can also represent Mizu - more preciselely her desire to live a sort of life which will allow her to show both sides of her personality.

Kinuyo - Mizu's Innocence and Compassion

Kinuyo is mute and deaf, but "there is a whole world inside of her". I think that's something you can also say about Mizu - even though she is NOT mute nor deaf, in many circumstances she act as if she was. She doesn't talk much (even when she is happy with Mikio!) and she rarely reacts to people being kind (Ringo) or rude (Taigen, Akemi) towards her. That's why plenty of people assume she can't get hurt, she doesn't have any feelings and she doesn't feel compassion. But all of that is so completely WRONG! In episode four we see how strongly Mizu feels stuff, how much she cares about people she barely even knows (Kinuyo, Akemi).

Akemi - an impossible dream

Akemi is something Mizu can never be and was lacking her entire life - a pure Japanese, a perfect woman (at first glance at least), someone with good name and reputation. That's why Mizu looks at Akemi with both longing and jelousy.

The Bird - Freedom to choose, freedom in general

Mizu is actually quite compassionate and gentle, but she cannot afford the luxury to act this way. When she is forced to kill an inocent bird, she is also forces to kill her FREEDOM. In her case, it's the freedom of choosing her own behavior - her freedom to be compassionate and gentle. Later, Akemi's freedom is also killed by her future husband, Takayoshi.

Peach - Mizu's Innocence and Virginity

I already wrote a whole post about it, check it out.

The Bell - Mizu's Concience

In episode two Mizu offers the bell to Ringo and HE becomes her conscience. She later rejects her conscience when she refuses to help Akemi. She hears the bell ringing almost the entire episode six, when she enters hell (check my post about Mizu's Inferno).

Water - Mizu's emotional state

When she has flashbacks about her childhood, it is ALWAYS raining. In spite of being raised by a wonderful Master Eiji, Mizu doesn't have a single happy memory. (Check my post about water)

Fire - Rage and/or desire

Check my post about the Ember and you will see that there is quite a fire between Mizu and Taigen XD

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Mountains in Blue Eye Samurai

While looking at them you start to believe that anything is possible.

Tranquil happiness, away from everything.

Greatness.

Even if you are a demon woman, rejected by everyone.

Or a rebellious man, who was once abused by his own father.

So different... and yet, while facing the mountain, their souls synchronize.

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

Intriguing questions about Mikio (and possible answers)

1# - Was he the one who sold Mizu out?

There is a very nice analysis on YouTube by Georgia Dow, which basically convinced me, that yes - Mikio indeed sold Mizu out. I encourage you to watch Georgia's analysis, it's really interesting - but if you don't want to, I will sumarrize it in two important arguments. First, Mikio wasn't surprised when he saw the soldiers who had come for Mizu, which means he was expecting them.

Also, Mama didn't have any reason to betray her "daughter" - not after keeping her secret for so many years. Mizu, who is a very perceptive person, first assumes it was her mother, but after seeing her husband's reaction to the soldiers, she's convinced it was him.

2# - How betraying Mizu would help Mikio win back his title?

I thought about it for a while now. When the soldiers show up to kill Mizu, they say "a bounty is something a few can resist". But what exactly they mean? There are two options. First - they came to kill her for the money after being tipped about her location. So, when they mentioned a bounty, they meant the money THEY would earn. Second option - perhaps Mizu is so important, a person can earn extra cash for the mere information about her whereabouts. In this case the bounty mentioned by the soldiers would be somebody else's payment. But anyway, it is all about the money.

So... Mikio either betrayed his wife to get rich (which makes little sense - it was explicitly told he ALREADY had money, that's why Mama chose him for Mizu) or he revealed information about her out of spite. If it's the second option, it makes him truly disgusting - even if he DID have the right to get upset about his wounded pride, getting back at Mizu by sending ASSASINS after her, seems like a bit of an exagerration. But anyway, it doesn't explain HOW selling Mizu out is connected to his title. And Mama said that Mikio betrayed her daughter to "get back his title". It doesn't make any sense! Unless...

Mikio's Lord is the one who set a bounty for Mizu, or he's somehow connected to the person who issued that bounty.

There is another hint which supports this theory and that's the fact, that Mikio "left early to take the horses to the Lord".

Okay, so he went to see the Lord and... the bounty hunters just happened to be there? How did he meet them? Where? When?

It is sugested that Mizu put on her make up shortly after her conversation with Mama, to wait for Mikio and apologize (we don't know how much time has passed, but if it had been days, maybe we would have seen a scene of Mikio passing Mizu and being clearly upset with her). So there is a big possibility that Mikio sold Mizu out right after the business with the horses. That makes me ask another question.

3# Did he know about Mizu's bounty from the beginning?

During the pillow talk after sex Mizu explains that she HAD to live as a man, because she has a bounty for her head as a woman. So... it makes us think that's the first time Mikio learned about the bounty. I think that's what Mizu assumed too, and it made her think "here's what happens when I tell people more about myself. First thing he does after learning about my bounty is selling me out, only because I had upset him."

By the way - is Mizu's bounty a general knowledge?

Well, logic suggests it has to be known, because she was hiding her sex for so long...but, if you think about, it can't be known for just everyone, simply because hunting people for money is NOT everyone's business. You have to be someone like Four Fangs, or someone similar, to be aware, which people are being hunted for money. OR you need to be someone connected to the one who issued the bounty.

Anyway, my guess is that Mikio DID know about the bounty even before the pillow talk, because he met Mizu through Mama. Hiding Mizu's existence had to be an important part of the deal - Mikio needed to be careful not to blab in town that he had a blue eyed wife. But then, he got humiliated, got very upset, went to sell the horses, and... he somehow ended up betraying Mizu. If so, then...

4# Did he plan to sell Mizu out when he left the house, or was it a spur of a moment decision?

I'm not so sure about it, but If I were to guess... I don't think Mikio actually PLANNED to betray Mizu. He already decided to get back at her by selling Kai. He didn't need to do anything else. That alone was enough to hurt Mizu and Mikio wanted to do precisely that. Perhaps he also wanted to reassure himself, that he is still a great samurai, so he attempted to sway his lord by bringing him the best horse.

Now, let's think about it: what if Mikio did what I described here, and his lord was just: "pfft, it's just a horse! What did you expect?"

Mikio would feel really wounded and offended, his pride still vulnerable after being trashed in a spar by his own wife. Perhaps it would make him angry, bitter and desperate. And perhaps... he would decide to do something bold and risky? Find another way of swaying his lord - like revealing the location of the demon woman, who was elusive for so long?

I don't know if it's the right trail, but all of this is just so fishy. It makes me think we're not done with Mikio and his story yet. Which brings us to the last question?

5# Is Mikio still alive?

Funny thing is that... yeah, he might be. It's something I've already discussed with some people in private messages and comments. Some time ago Mizu's voice actor talked about season two and hinted that "people who were considered dead might still be alive". Since then, fandom has been speculating and Mikio seems like the only candidate who makes sense. Yes, Mizu threw a knife at him, but we've seen Blue Eye Samurai characters surviving much worse wounds (remember Okiyama?). AND the whole event was blurred.

Apart from all of this, Mikio being alive would provide us with plenty of drama, and it would give Mizu the oportunity to face her past and finally get over everything that happened.

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

"Water" in Blue Eye Samurai

It represents so many things, but mainly feelings.

Violent emotions of a cornered child.

Storms of puberty.

Someone's true self.

The parts we wish to deny.

The parts we are not ready to reveal.

Seeking the clarity of the mind

Seeking the freedom to just be ourselves

Seeking the right path

Is it just a coincidence that among all four main protagonists, Taigen is the ONLY person who doesn't have any scenes inside the water?

I think it proves his immaturity... and makes me eager to see what will happen in future seasons. I want to see the REAL Taigen, without his clothes (in situations other than sex), getting into the water and learning some truths about himself.

Fun fact: ablutions (getting into the water for spiritual reasons) used to be (and still are!) really important for some people, especially the martial artists. Blue Eye Samurai does an incredible job of showing this part of Japanese culture. I'm in constant awe for this show.

[blue-eye-samurai-analysis]

You discover the true nature of a person while lying down, vulnerable and helpless"

Your husband, who wanted to know you, UNTIL you beat him.

Your rival, who decided to know you, AFTER you beat him.

This series has so many beautiful parallels.

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Do you have any errant knowledge on penmanship? I read in an article that the BES team hired an expert in historical calligraphy to design all of the handwritten text in the show. We do get to see examples of a few characters’ handwriting, and I would love to know about the distinguishing characteristics between one character’s handwriting and another’s.

To be completely honest I don't know much about penmanship... BUT I managed to learn some basic facts, when I was still an active martial artist. 

Before modernity came to Japan, it was common for the people from certain social classes to learn caligraphy - not just for the sake of being able to write elegantly. 

Someone's writing style was litterally their identity put on paper. 

Just look at Akemi's penmanship.

It's clear she had written this just for herself, to come up with a strategy to convince her father and to better memorize her own thoughts. The content is barely readable, but several kanjis are written beautifully. Even when she's barely trying, Akemi is instinctivly graceful. 

And it's no surprise, because geisha and high class women practiced caligraphy to be exactly this - graceful. 

Samurai did it to become better fighters - it improved their concentration and (more importantly) their control of the wrist. 

What Mizu saw in Shindo Dojo was very common in martial arts school all over Japan - students would learn not only kata (basic sword forms) but also meditation and etiquette. And caligraphy, of course. Although practicing in front of the guest would be incredibly rude - the treatment Mizu has received, proves that the guys from Shindo clearly lost their way and forgot what it means to be a true martial artist. 

But anyway, back to the subject. 

While entering the more advanced stage, a swordman's penmanship would become a reflection of their fighting style. 

Taigen writes slowly and with care, in the very same manner his senior from Shindo did. 

His penmanship is proper, correct and... not entirely his, I'd say. Each letter is written separately, they are not connected. He wants to stick to the form at all cost (the same way he wants to stick to the traditional notion of honor or tradition in general).

In my opinion this attitude is a wall which stops him from becoming a better fighter.

(Which will hopefully change in future seasons)

Master Eiji's letters are written very close to each other, decisively and without hesitation. 

Quite impressive, considering his blindness. That's the penmanship of the man who knows himself and his trade. 

Finally, Mizu's penmanship. Her style is very smooth, like water. Remember that scene with Madame Kaji? 

Even though Fowler's name is composed of several letters (I assume it is written in katakana), Mizu puts it on the paper in one swift movement. 

It is also visible in the letter she had left for Taigen. 

Several letters are connected. Mizu probably only lifted the brush to get more ink. It matches her fighting style so perfectly: she is always on the move, quickly adjusting to circumstances like water itself. 

So, yeah... that's how I see it. 

Remember: all of this is just my intepretation. I'm not any sort of expert on this particular subject XD