Bloody as hell, stunned from the first scene: Blu Eye Samurai

Since its release on 1 November, Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai has proven itself more than enough, spending two weeks in the top 10 worldwide and entering the top 10 in 50 countries (according to Netflix’s statistics). In addition, the eight-episode animated series, which was watched 4.8 million times in the first two weeks, was also one of the most popular series on the platform according to Netflix. Critics are of the opinion that the series is “the best Netflix series of 2023”.

The Turkish audience’s relationship with Netflix is a bit complicated! At a time when Netflix members in Turkey have given up on Turkish productions, it has become almost impossible to find a good Turkish Netflix production. The fact that the number of content offered by Netflix to the Turkish network is quite low compared to many countries increases the value of productions such as Eye Samurai. In short, this content can be said to be a lifeblood for Netflix Turkey.

Since its release on 1 November, Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai has proven itself more than enough by spending two weeks in the top 10 worldwide and entering the top 10 in 50 countries (according to Netflix’s statistics). In addition, the eight-episode animated series, which was watched 4.8 million times in the first two weeks, was also one of the most popular series on the platform according to Netflix. Critics are of the opinion that the series is “the best Netflix series of 2023”.

The Turkish audience’s relationship with Netflix is a bit complicated! At a time when Netflix members in Turkey have given up on Turkish productions, it has become almost impossible to find a good Turkish Netflix production. The fact that the number of content offered by Netflix to the Turkish network is quite low compared to many countries increases the value of productions such as Eye Samurai. In short, this content can be said to be a lifeblood for Netflix Turkey.

Being ‘woman’ and ‘hybrid’ in Edo period Japan

Mizu is a white and Japanese mixed race woman who lives in secret under the false identity of a male swordsman. Her blue-eyed appearance is living proof of the influence of outsiders and a physical defect considered by others to be of supernatural or demonic origin. She seeks revenge against the four Englishmen hiding illegally in Japan during the Sakoku period. Because according to Mizu, one of these four Englishmen, Fowler, is her father.

During the Sakoku period, only Dutch merchants were allowed to enter Japan and were imprisoned on a small man-made island off the coast of Nagasaki. The isolationist policy of the Tokugawa shogunate (the military government of Japan during the Edo period) effectively closed the country’s borders to all outside influences by a series of edicts from 1633 to 1639.

However, viewers of Blue Eye Samurai may find it useful to know that during the preceding period, the so-called Christian Century (1540-1630), the Japanese authorities eagerly welcomed numerous foreign merchants and pirates residing in Japan and operating in Japanese waters. We can hypothesise that four Englishmen are the remnants of these pirates, including the villainous Abijah Fowler, the archenemy of Blue Eye Samurai.

One of the most male-dominated societies in the world

During the Edo period, women were expected to be submissive but not weak. As depicted in the series, women present themselves as characteristically beautiful with elaborate hairstyles, make-up and clothing. They are also expected to be educated and obedient…

In fact, decades later, we can say that Japan is a Japan that adheres to its traditions. According to Dutch scientist Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension, Japan is one of the most male-dominated societies in the world. Let’s keep this information in our pocket and continue the story of Mizu.

Mizu is a character burdened by many stereotypes of Japanese society. She is not only a woman, but also of mixed ancestry, repeatedly referred to as “less than human” and “impure”. She has to disguise her difference with a masculine disguise.

This situation is reminiscent of the fate of the children of William Adams, a British sailor who became an honorary samurai in the 17th century. William Adams was the first Englishman to set foot in Japan. He made such an impression on Japan that he became an advisor to Togukawa, was instrumental in signing a trade agreement with the Dutch, and carried out the country’s first Western-style shipbuilding. When he was allowed to return to his country, he continued to stay in Japan and died here. However, Adams’ children disappeared from historical records after 1635. The series captures the hidden presence of people of European and Japanese descent during this period.

Although Mizu prefers to travel alone, he meets a few stray people along the way: Ringo and a burly, friendly, handless cook who dreams of becoming a warrior like Mizu. Although he is Japanese, he is despised and humiliated because of his lack of hands.

Upper classes in the Edo period

The life of the upper classes and the options open to them are depicted in detail through Akemi and her family.

Although she is called a “princess”, her status is more of a “lady”, as she is not of royal blood. Her father is a self-taught lord. However, since the role of the Japanese emperor was essentially ceremonial during this period, power resides with feudal lords like her father. It is correct to suggest, as the series does, that by marrying Akemi off to a member of the ruling shogun family, she will gain a higher social status.

The strong-willed “princess” Akemi excels in many of the fine arts and courtly practices expected of a woman of her class. These include tea ceremonies, Renku poetry, flower arranging, painting, dancing and being an accomplished Go player.

We watch her use these skills to achieve independence in a patriarchal society, including becoming a geisha with similar skills to women of the ruling class. Although initially repulsed, she eventually agrees to marry the new shogun’s brother instead of her childhood sweetheart, Taigen, and to play an active role in the shogunate’s court.

In Edo period Japan, some people, including geisha, lived outside the expected gender roles. They could run their own businesses and, as the character of Madame Kaji shows, this life offered women a level of independence unknown to other classes.

The reality of violence in Edo period Japan

The violence in Blue Eye Samurai suggests that life in unified Edo Japan was far less peaceful than it actually was.

Due to the economic and political stability of the long Edo period, the warrior role of the samurai was largely reduced to a ceremonial one. Their sword skills were demonstrated in stylised duels and struggles for honour rather than on the battlefield.

The enmity between Mizu and Taigen is based on Taigen’s belief that he has lost his honour after losing the duel. However, a story suggesting that Fowler would succeed in usurping the Shogun because he had access to firearms that would dwarf the Japanese’s sword and spear weapons may be a bit of an exaggeration.

In reality, there were craftsmen in Japan who had been making weapons throughout the Edo period and for a century before the period in which this story takes place. Since using a gun required less skill than using a sword or bow, it was seen by some samurai as contrary to their values. There is a cult film on this subject that almost everyone knows: The Last Samurai. In average small-scale conflicts in the Edo period, the sword was a more practical weapon.

Despite some deviations in history, Blue Eye Samurai is a splendid story that shows Edo period Japan as accurately as possible.