BLUE EYE SAMURAI
BLUE EYE SAMURAI
Now Showing

BLUE EYE SAMURAI

"Purpose is a weapon"

8.5
Yr 2023
Status Returning Series
Your Verdict
Unrated

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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.

Status

Latest

  • Renewed for third and final season — August 21, 2026
Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 92 /100

Blue Eye Samurai debuted to widespread critical acclaim, with numerous critics hailing it as one of the best shows and animated offerings of 2023. Reviewers praised its stunning animation style, perfectly paced storytelling, and thrillingly choreographed action scenes, which seamlessly blend cinematic cinematic influences ranging from classic samurai cinema to Westerns. The series was also lauded for its unflinching approach to mature themes, tackling revenge, gender, identity, and isolation through a sharp emotional lens.

While the overwhelming majority celebrated the show as an addictive and gorgeously rendered thrill ride, minor critiques emerged regarding its occasional lean toward simple revenge tropes and shallow storytelling beneath the sheer spectacle. A lone reviewer found the overall season unremarkable compared to the heavy praise. Nonetheless, the vast consensus celebrated the series for balancing breathtaking violence with moments of striking beauty, exceptional voice acting, and rich emotional resonance.

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

“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... with moments of pure beauty, deep longing, and even amusing gentleness”

“an unflinching look at revenge, gender, and how we let pain consume our hearts and lives.”

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
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 Shindo Samurai 2 / Angry Cook (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 Bloodthirsty Kid (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 / Stocky Samurai / Kinuyo's Bodyguard (voice) 4 episodes Marcus Choi as Kohei (voice) 3 episodes Jenson Cheng as Okiyama (voice) 1 episode Ann Harada as Mama (voice) 3 episodes Patrick Gallagher as Daichi / Frantic Man (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 Kenzou / Chiba (voice) 6 episodes Clyde Kusatsu as Watari (voice) 4 episodes Amber Noizumi as Female Brigand (voice) 3 episodes Keone Young as Dojo Master (voice) 4 episodes Harry Shum Jr. as Man's Voice (voice) 3 episodes Amy Noizumi as Yuki (voice) 1 episode Alain Uy as Kazuyoshi (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 violent whimsical adoring blood revenge unlikely partners dynamic duo
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
November 03, 2023
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
857