Review of Blue Eye Samurai

 

Indeed, revenge may give a pleasure, no scent of a woman or man can give,

Alas, revenge too shackles one in the seclusion, may or may not, with guilt.

The above two lines summarizes Blue Eye Samurai. In the fifth episode, the way in parallel three stories have been synchronously directed & told with impeccable animation, as in one theatre artists performing on stage, in another a flash back story of a fallen bride of a ronin, and in the last, Mizu‘s (the protagonist) battle, would make you feel how in depth the expressions of behind the scene animators/creators/artists must’ve gone. From the art of war to art of revenge to even the art of sex without even having once (peculiarity) as how Akemi (the princess) demonstrates while reciting a poetry; this adult animated series is blended with different flavours.

You’ve to choose between, being Happy or being Great, as the two never follow each other nor go hand in hand. Akemi chooses to be being great despite Taigen (her boyfriend) asking in the end otherwise; so as blue eyed mixed race Mizu disguising as a man, in the revenge till kill four men, in a now closed Japan from the outer World. More seemed like a classical version/adaptation of Kill Bill.

This also project the darker side of how once women were being treated, even today at many places around World, as being considered merely a fertile soil, born to give birth to the next in bloodline.

If the ‘blind’ swordsmith can make undefeated swords, then so as a samurai can fight ‘without’ the sword (soul) in its hands. And as I’m not an authentic historian herein, so can’t comment on whether it’s an accurate depiction of the 17^th century or a true story; but would give you a feel of the same with its aesthetics.

Was Mizu’s revenge merely restricted to being born as a mixed race in the now closed isolated Japan from outer World, or, was it more about what the four men did to her mother, or, the feeling of being dejected by the local natives; it was still unclear, because, the second reason of revenge was understandable; whilst in the third, it’s more of a societal problem in general, and in the first, more about being raised with complexes; thus on that part, the story wasn’t that lucid.     

All said and done, this adult animated series is indeed a good watch. 😊

© Pranav Chaturvedi