The Big Picture
- Blue Eye Samurai, a visually stunning adult animated series set in Edo-period Japan, has been renewed for a second season by Netflix.
- The show follows Mizu, a mixed-race swordmaster seeking revenge against the white men who took her mother and features a star-studded cast including Maya Erskine and Kenneth Branagh.
- The co-creators have big plans for the show, with a four-season plan in place, and teased that there will be more violence to come in future seasons.
The journey is far from over for Maya Erskine's Blue Eye Samurai Mizu. Netflix has renewed the violent, revenge-filled adult animated action series by creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi for a second season. It comes as little surprise considering the stunningly-animated title was hailed as one of television's finest in 2023.
Blue Eye Samurai takes place in Edo period Japan and follows Mizu, a mixed-race swordmaster lusting for revenge against the white men responsible for taking her mother and creating her, a "creature of shame." Hiding her gender, she takes up the blade and journeys across the country to end the men's lives as retribution. Along the way, Mizu becomes a monster in the eyes of her enemies, slicing through them with great ease and carving a path toward the ruthless Abijah Fowler (Kenneth Branagh). Her voyage is far from just a revenge quest, however, as she also seeks to become in tune with herself.
Mizu isn't alone in the quest for retribution. Blue Eye Samuraiboasts an enviable group of stars, including Erskine and Branagh alongside George Takei, Masi Oka, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Song, Darren Barnet, Randall Park, Stephanie Hsu, Ming-Na Wen, Harry Shum Jr., and Mark Dacascos. Part of the reason the show is getting so much love — Season 1 has a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes — is the animation. Green and Noizumi told Collider's Nate Richard that they took a deeper, and more expensive, dive with the animation company Blue Spirit to ensure the visuals took the series to greater heights.
'Blue Eye Samurai' Creators Have Big Plans for Mizu
For Green and Noizumi, a Season 2 renewal is only the first step in the grand tapestry they hope to depict with Mizu. Details on future seasons aren't yet known, but the ending of Season 1 indicates Mizu will be heading abroad to continue exacting vengeance in London. The co-creators say they have a four-season plan to keep the show running and the blood flowing. In a statement celebrating the renewal, the pair spoke about the love that went into creating the series as something that feels historically accurate and heartfelt and teased that there was much more violence to come in the future of this series:
"When we started this project, we made a commitment to take this very personal story set in Edo-period Japan and bring it to life in the most authentic and beautiful way possible. Our animators, historians, musicians, martial artists and voice cast made this a reality beyond our expectations. We are thankful to our entire team and to our viewers from all over the world who have shown such passion for Mizu and her path of revenge. Mizu has a lot more blood to spill! We are deeply grateful to our incredible partners at Netflix for letting the journey continue.”
Blue Eye Samurai Season 1 is available to stream now. Stay tuned here at Collider for more details about Season 2 as they come out. Read our review of Mizu's first outing here.
Blue Eye Samurai
ActionAdventureDramaDriven by a dream of revenge against those who made her an outcast in Edo-period Japan, a young warrior cuts a bloody path toward her destiny.
- Release Date
- November 3, 2023
- Cast
- Maya Erskine , Kenneth Branagh , George Takei , Darren Barnet , Masi Oka , Randall Park , Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa , Brenda Song , Stephanie Hsu , Ming-Na Wen , Harry Shum Jr , Mark Dacascos
- Main Genre
- Animation
