TV Show review
November 3, 2023 · TV-MA · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for BLUE EYE SAMURAI.
Woke representation / casting
The lead character is explicitly mixed-race with blue eyes that mark her as an outcast in isolationist Japan, and she disguises her gender to pursue a warrior path; this premise drives much of the visual and thematic focus, with voice casting supporting a performer of Asian descent in the role.
Woke political dialogue
Dialogue remains grounded in the Edo-period setting with no modern activist language, lectures, or contemporary political references; conflicts arise from personal revenge, survival, and historical prejudices rather than ideological messaging.
Identity-driven story themes
The protagonist’s mixed heritage, blue eyes, and decision to live as a man form the core of her motivation and character development, with repeated exploration of shame, belonging, and defying societal gender and racial norms through her actions and backstory.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The story depicts Japanese society’s harsh treatment of outsiders and women while portraying the white European villain’s ambitions to dominate or transform Japan through force and technology as villainous; some elements critique patriarchal structures and male violence, but these stay within historical context without broad modern institutional attacks.
Review
Blue Eye Samurai is a Netflix adult animated series set in 17th-century Edo-period Japan. It follows Mizu, a mixed-race woman with blue eyes who disguises herself as a man to live and fight as a samurai while seeking violent revenge on the white men tied to her outcast origins and trauma. The narrative centers racial otherness, gender barriers in a patriarchal society, and personal resilience as core drivers, with these identity elements shaping character motivation, flashbacks, and key conflicts in a visibly prominent way.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Significant online criticism labels the series as pushing feminist or identity politics themes, with complaints about the strong female lead, portrayals of white men as harmful, emphasis on patriarchy and racial prejudice, and a perceived self-insert quality; appears in Reddit threads, YouTube discussions, and user reviews calling it “woke” or “feminist trash,” though many defend it as story-driven.
Creator track record context
Michael Green has discussed diversity as key to storytelling and used inclusive approaches in prior scripts; Amber Noizumi has centered personal multiracial identity experiences in her creative work; other key crew members show mostly professional profiles with minimal public activist patterns, though post-colonial influences appear in one director’s stated approach.
Production
