BLUE EYE SAMURAI
BLUE EYE SAMURAI
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BLUE EYE SAMURAI

"Purpose is a weapon"

8.5
Yr 2023
Status Returning Series
Action & Adventure Animation Drama
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Driven 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.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 94 /100

Blue Eye Samurai received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers widely declaring it one of the best animated series of 2023 and a standout release for Netflix. Critics heavily praised the show's breathtaking visual style—a stunning mix of 2D and 3D animation—alongside its masterfully choreographed action sequences that pay cinematic homage to classic samurai and Western filmmaking.

Narratively, critics applauded the show for delivering an unflinching, emotionally rich revenge story. The writing was widely lauded for balancing graphic violence, adult themes, and toxic masculinity with tender moments of beauty, character growth, and deep themes surrounding identity and gender.

While a rare dissenting opinion found aspects of the narrative somewhat unremarkable, the overwhelming consensus framed the series as a gorgeous, addictive thrill-ride that excels in every facet of its production.

“It deserves to be counted among the best shows of the year.”

“Blue Eye Samurai is a gorgeous, addictive thrill-ride that never loses sight of Mizu's point-of-view, even when the road ahead is obscured with blood.”

“deftly counterbalances the elaborately choreographed violence (spearheaded by director Jane Wu and her team) with moments of pure beauty, deep longing, and even amusing gentleness”

“the fight scenes are an absolute joy to watch”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Netflix Standard with Ads
CA • UK • US
Netflix
UK • US • CA
Why fans love it

Blue Eye Samurai blends the precision of 17th-century Japan with a stark, brutal visual style. It transforms the historical period into a shifting landscape of filtered light and sudden movement. The animation favors harsh textures over smoothness, mirroring the intensity of a protagonist defined by isolation and the calculated pursuit of those who marked her as an outsider.

Violence serves as a central language for the story rather than simple punctuation. Battles are choreographed with a focus on momentum and the physical toll of combat. Maya Erskine lends a grounded, sharp tone to a narrative that moves steadily through complex social hierarchies. The result is an adult-oriented adventure that treats its setting not as a backdrop for decorative tropes, but as a crucible for character development.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 49
Regulars 12
Longest run 6 eps
Maya Erskine
Maya Erskine
as Mizu (voice)
George Takei
George Takei
as Seki (voice)
Masi Oka
Masi Oka
as Ringo (voice)
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
as The Swordmaker (voice)
Brenda Song
Brenda Song
as Akemi (voice)
Darren Barnet
Darren Barnet
as Taigen (voice)
Randall Park
Randall Park
as Heiji Shindo (voice)
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
as Abijah Fowler (voice)
Show 41 more
Holly Chou as Chiki (voice) 1 episode Takaaki Hirakawa as Tengu Crest (voice) 1 episode Brittany Ishibashi as Momo / Ragged Female Merchant (voice) 1 episode West Liang as Hachi (voice) 2 episodes Daisuke Suzuki as Hulking Teacher (voice) 1 episode Mark Dacascos as Chiaki / Referee (voice) 2 episodes Yoshi Ando as Additional Voices (voice) 2 episodes Joe Cappelletti as Additional Voices (voice) 2 episodes Matthew Yang King as Smiley / Drunk Teenager (voice) 2 episodes Junko Goda as Additional Voices (voice) 2 episodes James Taku Leung as Additional Voices (voice) 2 episodes Yumi Mizui as Additional Voices (voice) 2 episodes Ryan Moriarty as Additional Voices (voice) 2 episodes Alpha Takahashi as Additional Voices (voice) 2 episodes Judah Green as Young Taigen (voice) 3 episodes Karen Huie as Priestess (voice) 1 episode Lee Shorten as Complainer Samurai / Yoshi (voice) 1 episode Orli Mariko Green as Young Mizu (voice) 3 episodes Brian Takahashi as Even Drunker Mate / Rinji (voice) 1 episode Eric Bauza as Goro / Farmer / Brigand (voice) 4 episodes Marcus Choi as Kohei / Drunk Boat Captain / Checkpoint Guard (voice) 3 episodes Jenson Cheng as Okiyama (voice) 1 episode Ann Harada as Mama (voice) 3 episodes Patrick Gallagher as Daichi (voice) 5 episodes Sherry Cola as Kuma (voice) 1 episode Stephanie Hsu as Ise (voice) 2 episodes Sophie Kim as Kiku (voice) 2 episodes Gedde Watanabe as Chiba (voice) 6 episodes Clyde Kusatsu as Watari (voice) 4 episodes Amber Noizumi as Female Brigand (voice) 3 episodes Keone Young as Shogun Itoh (voice) 4 episodes Harry Shum Jr. as Takayoshi (voice) 3 episodes Amy Noizumi as Yuki (voice) 1 episode Alain Uy as Second Man's Voice (voice) 2 episodes Ming-Na Wen as Madame Kaji (voice) 4 episodes Byron Mann as Mikio (voice) 2 episodes JB Tadena as Captain of the Great Guard / Tokunobu Bannerman (voice) 1 episode Tamlyn Tomita as Lady Itoh (voice) 2 episodes Charlet Chung as Kuni (voice) 1 episode Christine Ko as Kino (voice) 1 episode Jane Wu as Lovelorn Lady (voice) 2 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where BLUE EYE SAMURAI overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

japan samurai revenge adult animation edo period 17th century action overcoming the odds violent whimsical adoring
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
November 03, 2023
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
819