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.
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 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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