I Guess I'll Post About Shipping Mizu
The way I see it, we've got 3 options for Mizu: Akemi, Taigen, and Ringo.
I ship Mizu with Ringo.
Here is my long-winded breakdown of why.
Akemi is probably the worst match for Mizu. Which is really unexpected, I'm frankly almost always gunning for the lesbian option. There are reasons they could work: they could find some solidarity as women in a shared culture, each trying to find their own way. They are both ruthlessly determined and willing to be underhanded. However, they have led very different lives, Mizu of poverty and Akemi of privilege, and we see Akemi often acting very entitled, while Mizu is unlikely to ever give a shit about being 'proper.' Most damning, I think, is that Akemi is resolved to be Great by the end of S1, hence why she and Taigen don't work out. Mizu is very similarly not very interested in being great: she wants to kill some people, and is otherwise lacking in aspirations.
Which leads into me talking about Taigen. They have a shared appreciation for swordplay and martial arts. I'm not so blind I can't see the sexual tension in their fights. And they are both people who could be happy to settle down and live a mundane life, away from everything. However, Taigen is... especially bullheaded. Just kind of a dick all around. He's honorable, sure, but within the bounds of his honor code he is repeatedly an asshole. I cannot possibly imagine him responding well when he finds out that a woman is wielding a sword, and that flavor of constant dickishness really puts a damper on any of his stronger points.
Ringo, in contrast, is nice, in a way that I think complements Mizu very well. There are some issues, of course. Ringo also wants to be Great, like Akemi. There is a pretty big gulf between the two in how comfortable they are with violence, Ringo shying away while Mizu embraces it. However, Ringo is also actively interrogating what he wants out of life, which also reflects Mizu's struggles, and I can see them actually deciding on a life course together. There is also solidarity pretty much from the start of their relationship, Ringo accepting Mizu as a swordswoman and Mizu not dismissing Ringo as worthless, even praising his ability to be stealthy. Mizu is vulnerable with Ringo in a way that she isn't with the other two. Ringo is careful enough to balance Mizu's recklessness, but also willing to roll with her, and I like the dynamic.
The last big comparison I have to make is how each of them responds to Mizu's bullshit. When she hurts Taigen and Akemi, each of them are quick to reverse their positive impressions and start referring to Mizu in racialized terms. Ringo, however, calls her out for more appropriate reasons. And while all three have had their conflicts with Mizu, her conflict with Ringo never became homicidal or even violent. In fact, Ringo is the only one of the three who actually has a positive history at all with Mizu.
