Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai is an anime series set during Japan’s Edo period, also known as the Tokugawa period, spanning from 1603 to 1867. The series explores various themes, including the role of samurai, the experiences of women, individuals of mixed heritage, and violence during the Edo period, with differing levels of historical accuracy. At that time, Japanese society was strictly hierarchical, as frequently highlighted in the series. The social structure was organized, from top to bottom, as follows: samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants. In the early 1600s, the samurai class revolved around the role of the warrior. However, by the 1650s, when the series begins, Japan was politically and economically stable, leading to the decline of the samurai role. Despite this, samurai continued to uphold the ideals of loyalty, courage, and honor, which motivate the main characters, Mizu, Ringo, and Taigen, in Blue Eye Samurai.
Mizu (played by Maya Erskine) is a woman of mixed heritage, both white and Japanese, living disguised as a male sword master. She embarks on a revenge quest against four British men, one potentially being her father, who are illegally hidden in Japan during Sakoku. Under Sakoku, only Dutch traders were allowed entry into Japan, confined to a small artificial island near Nagasaki. The Tokugawa shogunate, Japan’s military government during the Edo period, implemented isolationist policies that effectively closed the country’s borders to foreign influences through a series of edicts issued between 1633 and 1639. However, viewers might benefit from knowing that, during the preceding “Christian Century” (1540 to 1630), Japanese authorities, with varying enthusiasm, had allowed many foreign traders and pirates to reside in Japan and operate in its waters. The four renegades in the series are presumably remnants of these pirates, including the primary antagonist, the villain Abijah Fowler (voiced by Kenneth Branagh).
In the Edo period, women were expected to be submissive, but not weak, as the series illustrates. They presented themselves characteristically through elaborate hairstyles, makeup, and clothing and were expected to be educated and compliant. Mizu faces societal stereotypes typical of Japanese culture, being both a woman and of mixed heritage, often described as “less than human” or “impure.” She hides her identity by adopting a masculine appearance. This mirrors the fate of William Adams’ children, an English sailor turned honorary samurai, who vanished from historical records after 1635. The series effectively portrays the secret existence of mixed European and Japanese individuals at the time.
The upper-class lifestyle and available choices are accurately depicted through the character Akemi (voiced by Brenda Song) and her family. Although referred to as a “princess,” likely for Western audience clarity, her status is more akin to a “lady,” as she lacks royal blood. Her father (voiced by Patrick Gallagher) is a self-made lord. Since the Japanese emperor’s role was mainly ceremonial during this period, power resided with feudal lords like her father. The show accurately suggests that he could improve his social standing by marrying Akemi into the ruling shogun family. The strong-willed Akemi excels in the fine arts and courtly practices expected of her class, including tea ceremonies, Renku poetry, flower arrangement, painting, dancing, and playing Go. We watch her use these skills to find independence in a male-dominated society, eventually deciding to become a geisha—a role that offers a degree of independence—initially finding it repulsive but later accepting marriage to the new shogun’s brother as a means to gain influence in the shogun’s court, instead of marrying her childhood love, Taigen (voiced by Darren Barnet).
In Edo-period Japan, some, like geisha, defied traditional gender roles; they could own businesses and enjoyed more independence than other classes, exemplified by the character Madame Kaji (voiced by Ming-Na Wen). The show’s vivid portrayal of violence suggests that life in unified Edo Japan was more turbulent than it was, as historical stability reduced the samurai’s military role to largely ceremonial functions through stylized duels for honor rather than battlefield engagements. The conflict between Mizu and Taigen is plausibly rooted in the latter’s perceived dishonor after losing a duel. However, the storyline that implies Fowler might overthrow the shogun due to his access to firearms, supposedly superior to Japanese swords and spears, is misleading. In reality, Japan had gunsmiths producing firearms throughout the Edo period and before the series’ time setting. While guns were less skill-intensive than swords or bows, some samurai viewed them as contrary to their values, preferring swords for typical small-scale Edo-era conflicts.
Despite some historical deviations, Blue Eye Samurai is an engaging, reasonably accurate, and visually stunning depiction of Edo-era Japan.