User Reviews

The brilliant animation team, Blue Spirit Studios, based out of Montreal and Paris, is the same group that did "What If?" which was their first foray beyond French cartoons. Their captivating artwork complement a fluid story line with strong character development. Continuing to collaborate with "Heroes" producer, Michael Green, Masi Oka provides timely humor as Ringo. The soundtrack is invigorating, lending a pulse to, at times, predictable action sequences. The comparisons to Kill Bill have been made by some critics, which is spot on since it combines a traditional story with a modern vibe. Over eight tightly packed episodes, the series contains a considerable amount of pacing that allows it to breathe with meaning and purpose. There isn't a better animated series IMHO and is perfect for fans of "Warrior" on MAX. You won't be able to tell how satisfying this show is till you start it.

Utterly brilliant. Perfect storytelling, great animation, fantastic action I can't praise this series enough. I don't bother rating things usually but had to show my apprecaition for this masterpiece the only way I can.

Such a compeling tale of a damaged hero struggling with reconcilling revenge with personal growth. Alll and I do mean all the characters are well developed and even the smalll parts give you enough material to imagine thier lives, loves and motivations mapped out. This is an absolute must see for anyone not just anime fans. Don't spoil the plot on this one people go in blind and enjoy the reveals.

With so much of the anime world being over populated with minor variations of the same stories and themes, this was a really great palate cleanser.

Netflix can certainly commission some great works now and then. An original story with a great female lead. I was expecting this to be based on a manga or light novel, yet apparently it isn't. Also with the title I expected it to be a twist on the life of William Adams an actual blue eyed samurai of the time. Again nope, for that you'll have to watch the phenomenal Richard Chamberlain's Shogun.

The voice cast is fantastic. Kenneth Branagh oozes malicious evil and is completely unrecognisable voice wise. His scottish accent does come and go through out the series which is the only criticism of his performance. If you are going to make a character that make it consistent. George Sakei doesn't have to do much acting wise as he's done this role so many times before. Alas its what people tend to give you when you get to his age, even though his voice still has plenty of energy to it.

This is definitely not for kids with the bloody action of every episode with regular sex and sex themes. After the uproar of how women were treated in Game of Thrones its not surprising the writers felt they had to hammer home the point that women have very little options in that time period repeatedly.

The action is well thought out and stays grounded without going over the top as so many series and films want to. There's a clear arc for each of the characters and the writers have thought it through without making the development seem either forced or the next necessary step. There is one slight exception to that which feels it unless you're aware that such craftsmanship and ingenuity was present, and done in the time period. Just not on the mass production level needed for the plot point. There are some nice twists and turns in it to keep the tale from going stale.

There are some familiar tropes used in the series which are forgivable. The supporting male character who doesn't realise he's fallen for the lead. The comic Ringo who is a genuine delight to watch and you grow to care for. That in itself is a nice change to how such characters are usually done.

Every now and then, Netflix gets it right and BOY did they get this one right!

Blue Eye Samurai is one of the best animated series I've seen in a long time. The first episode had me hooked and by the third, I was completely invested in the characters, the plot, everything.

It's hilarious, heartbreaking, dark, a little dirty sometimes, gory as heck and just straight up beautiful. It can go from a captivating scene with gorgeous landscapes and delicate emotions being put on display to quick and precise butchery with martial arts and swordsmanship on full display. The main character plays to their strengths when facing skilled opponents and creates advantages when facing overwhelming odds. It's somewhat grounded and not too over the top. Kinda like a samurai John Wick. The animation is truly a pleasure to watch. The fight scenes are just *chefs kiss*

On the surface, it's a classic revenge tale. Some might find that boring and overdone but I kid you not, It's so much more than that.

It's also refreshing to see an animated series of this particular style without a ton of fantasy elements.

It's a must watch for me.

Blue Eye Samurai is a captivating show that truly exceeded my expectations. The animation alone is a visual feast for the eyes, with stunning attention to detail and fluid movements that brought the characters and their world to life. Every frame felt meticulously crafted, showing the dedication, love, and talent of the animators.

Not only was the animation top-notch, but the story was equally compelling. From start to finish, it kept me on the edge of my seat, eager to see what would happen next. It cleverly weaved together elements of action, drama, and mystery, creating a truly engaging narrative that made me unable to turn away.

Yeah I feel like Netflix out of nowhere made not only one of the best animated but perhaps one of the best shows of 2023!

The journey and character of Mizu was something I did not expect! A vengefull samurai with a dark past, comiting to kill 4 certain people.. no matter what!

This was a journey of all kind of emotions! I was either super excited at times, or felt my heart and soul crushed or feeling the tears due to the beautifull and emotional stories! The show does not shy away from gore or nudity either!

The other characters are great as well, and each stand out! I have to praise Kenneth Brannagh as Fowler! Does a great job at creating a detastable villain!

The animation however might be the true achievement of the show! Beautifully animated with breathtaking sequences! American animation is at groundbreaking point with this along with Spiderverse, Arcane, puss in boots etc! This is the kind of stuff we want!

Best part was the announcement of season two!

It's just nice to watch a TV show in 2023 where the writers are not trying to bash you over the head with "THE MESSAGE" and you can in engage with a likeable and believable female protagonist who you want to see succeed. Fantastic animation style, music (with a Japanese version of For Whom The Bell Tolls being something I that I never knew I ever needed!), and the dialogue with a stellar voice cast that all contribute to a great show that I was fully invested in from start to finish. The show does however at times over-rely on it's use of sex scenes, and I'm not prudish, but it does feel a little awkward at times. But still a 10/10 for me , absolutely amazing.

Blue Eye Samurai is a captivating show that truly exceeded my expectations. The animation alone is a visual feast for the eyes, with stunning attention to detail and fluid movements that brought the characters and their world to life. Every frame felt meticulously crafted, showing the dedication and talent of the animators. Not only was the animation top-notch, but the story was equally compelling. From start to finish, Blue Eye Samurai kept me on the edge of my seat, eager to see what would happen next. It cleverly weaved together elements of action, drama, and mystery, creating a truly engaging narrative that captivated both my imagination and emotions. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an engrossing anime.

Ever watch a show that's so good you'll binge it just a bit slower so it'll last a bit longer? I did that with Blue Eye Samurai.

The story is brilliant and poignant, the action and animation is great, often looking like art. There are no fillers and the way the story is told is captivating. It's at once raw and tender, brutal and profound.

It's very much a heroes journey story but with plenty of twists to keep the attention of the most jaded people. The voice-acting is top-notch as well and you feel the characters in archs and complexity. The bait and 'will this or that' happen is there aplenty but you'll never really know until it happens.

From now on, it's waiting on season 2 and rewatching it to catch all the nuances. Best show I've seen since Arcane, and I do not say that lightly. Watch it, watch it now!

The first five episodes of this animated story of vengeance (and love) set in 17th C Japan are superb. The characters are lively, the aesthetics are spot on and the story is compelling. But as it reaches towards the climax, the level of "suspension of disbelief" required to swallow the story become almost untenable. It's not the superheroic endurance of the main characters that got me, it was the stupid lazy errors in the writing. No Irishman in 17th C would have described himself as British. Guns were already in Japan (it's how Tokugawa got to power). The assault in the final episode is just daft.

Still it's a stylish and entertaining story regardless of its flaws and I hope they make more.

Great animation! Extremely binge-able with a very interesting premise that I'm not sure I've seen before in a Samurai storyline . This show really makes you care about the characters and is beautifully paced. The writing is smart and I like that the conflict in the story is based more on skill and wit than something like magic powers because it makes it more relatable. It's also nice to recognize some of the voice actors behind the characters. If you're planning on watching this with your kids, I'd say DON'T unless you are ready to have THOSE conversations. Otherwise, get some snacks and binge this over the weekend!

I had no clue what to expect when I started watching the first episode. I was hooked from the start by the very beautiful visuals and the overall atmosphere and also by the very relatable characters.

It has no supernatural elements, this is a 100% old school samurai story set in a medieval Japan. I saw only the first episod so far and I can not wait to see the entire series.

I think this style of animation is called manga, or it is inspired by this genre and I was not a big fan of it until I watched Castelvania. This is the second such animation I watch and I am so happy I had no prejudice in giving it a try.

I watch a lot of anime. I even watch a lot of bad anime. So when a rare gem comes along, I am so happy. "Blue Eye Samurai" is easily the best anime of 2023. It reaffirms what the medium is capable of and shows what talented animators, storytellers, and actors can produce.

The Good: Pretty much everything. The story, the visuals, the character design, the sound design, the thematic design of each episode, the voice acting (although the English original is not bad, I think the Japanese version is even better) - IMO Japanese voice actors are generally better at their craft.

The Bad: Honestly, this series is so well done that I would have to get nit-picky here to name something. But I won't, that's how much I love this series :D. But if I had to pick just one, it would be that the slightly xenophobic tone was noticeable to me - but then that's true to the period in which the story is set.

Special Mentions: Without going into spoilers, here are my most favorite things about "Blue Eye Samurai": (1) good plot twists, (2) suspenseful tea ceremony - I've been to only normal ones, fortunately, (3) sexual haiku, (4) bunraku theater theme, (5) beautiful tracking shots, (6) love and betrayal, (7) the coolest katana/naginata weapon I've ever seen, and (8) yes, strong female characters.

Go watch this series. Even if you don't normally enjoy anime. You won't regret it.

What an epic experience. We need more of this! This was a journey that kept you on the seat of your chair waiting to see how it turned out. Through ups and downs of the journey never was there time to be bored. It was entertainment at its best, something Hollywood has forgotten how to do. Netflix seems to have found the niche to where greatness can be seen once again. Of you have any doubt about watching this? No need, the reviews speak for themselves. You will watch it and if you are anything like me, you will have to watch it again and maybe even a few more times just in case you blinked and missed something.

I have to write a review, because this show is so masterful in all aspects, it completely exceeded my partner and I's expectations. We were glued to the screen. My partner who has done marital arts throughout his whole life was fascinated and fully captivated by the marital arts, choreography, training, and craftsmanship of sword making in this series. I not having any background of these areas, was really just in awe and so intrigued by the artful, careful protrayal of all of this, and so much more in this series. For the characters, their development, the voice acting - is all excellent. The artwork is beautiful and different. The pacing is perfect - building at all the right moments, and breaking out precisely when it is meant to! I highly recommend this series, not only to people who like animation and anime, but genuinely to anyone who would appreciate art; masterful story telling and pacing, well thought out action scenes, and meaningful characters. Some other reveiwers have made comments that this show reminds them of Kill Bill, John Wick and Mulan. I would agree with this. So, if you like any of those films, then this series is definitely for you. A warning though, this is not a show for children. If you have any, wait till they are much older before seeing this. Other than that last bit, seriously watch this underrated and brilliant series!

I went into this series with high hopes and it shattered my expectations. Yes this is CG enhanced animation and it works beautifully. The characters are all amazing, the show is dark while also having enough humor to help balance this. The main thing that sets this apart is how much better this is due to being animated by an American Studio. I was initially put off by having a Japanese location show in English, however the voice acting is incredible. The best thing though? No censorship. While there isn't any high level graphical sexual stuff like in adult anime, they are able to show fully nude characters, genitals, and there is no censorship of any violence. There is also no Japanese kawaii humor nonsense that makes so much anime unwatchable. 10/10 show, I hope we get another season in 2025.

...in the final two episodes.

I'll tell you why. Lazy writers who run out of ideas on how to consistently close out a show. Now, I'm not up on the source material, but the last two episodes try WAY too hard to wrap things up neatly, only to fail to wrap anything up at all. The whole point of a season ender is to set up season 2, and to do that, you must give some closure to a few of the characters. But in this case, NONE of the plotlines are satisfactorily resolved.

Additionally, the last 2 episodes take the physics-bending action to the extreme, which completely dilutes the impressive hard work and dedication the main character's back story so eloquently displays. Instead, we have super human strength (a tiny woman and an old man holding a huge gate closed against a horde of enemy), a fire that starts like everything in Edo was doused with kerosene moments before, characters who get bones crushed and pierced through to their guts, but are up and fighting like nothing happened a few days (sometimes MINUTES) later. And then the ridiculous, 1700's era firearms that can't miss a bullseye at hundreds of meters, when in reality, they couldn't hit anything beyond 25 meters reliably.

I get it, it is fantasy. But when the final act completely throws logic and physics out the window, simply for the sake of closing out (poorly) the story, the blame rests solely on the shoulders of the production team for not pacing the story well. A mad frantic unbelievable sprint to finish a slow-burn marathon does not make good watching.

It's easy to assume this series is just another revenge plot. To me it felt like another series about an extremely overpowered female character that did not earn their power, their revenge felt unjustified. I expected a story around just their revenge and expected everything to just be a filler. But time and time again I was surprised, I watched characters grow, I watched them change. I started rooting for them, but then got disappointed in their decisions and I wanted to hate them, yet somehow I understood their point.

It's not a real story, these are not real characters. But this is the closes tv series I've seen that gets close to the high bar edge runners set for me.

Can't wait for the next season.

Seriously, do yourself a favor and just try watching the first episode. I promise you won't be able to stop there. I KNEW within the first five minutes of starting this series that I was instantly hooked and had found my new favorite show. Little did I know just how much of an impact this show would have on me.

This series portrays some of the most intricate, intense, and thoughtful storytelling that I have ever seen. Throughout my first watch through (and even my second!) my jaw was on the floor, I gasped, I cried, and I fell in love. The character development, animation, choreography, and soundtrack are second to none. I truly cannot give this show enough praise and sincerely hope Netflix doesn't fumble the ball by not renewing it for a second season.

I seriously created an IMDb account just to review this show and convince others to give it a try. So if that doesn't persuade you to watch it I don't know what will!