So I’ve been a little down in the dumps this past year. I didn’t feel very motivated to watch anything new, or watch anything really. I just kept consuming media that was ‘easy’. Didn’t require a lot of my concentration, didn’t require a lot of my attention. Honestly, I was just tired and needed something to keep my mind occupied. I’m also in the middle of pursuing my MA degree, so it’s been a very tough year overall. So what I’m trying to say is, I still don’t have the energy to produce very refined blog posts, just consider it word vomit at this point, but hopefully, just a tiny bit more structured so its easy to read. I didn’t give a shit about Blue Eye Samurai when it released, but somewhere, someday, it caught my attention, and I decided I’d give it a shot.
[ No Spoilers here ]
I’m very glad I did.
I do agree it’s a show that demands your attention, but it also commands it in a brilliant way. As always, I never watched the trailer, never read anything about the show, except for the synopsis available on Netflix. But that’s never enough and that’s a good thing. I was very concerned I might drop the show halfway because I felt I might not be mentally there. But I became way too invested in the show to not care. I was craving for the next episode, and now I’m craving for the next season. So I hope you’ve gotten the affirmation you needed to watch the show if you still haven’t.
The show is great because it’s got a solid story. I personally think it’s as simple as that. The story is super refreshing in its premise, and I just never saw it coming. The characters are all so full in the sense that they are full of life, their purpose and their existence on the screen. I never caught myself once questioning if they were a necessary addition to the story. I loved learning about each and every one of them. And I truly appreciate that the writers of Blue Eye Samurai brought them all together so seamlessly.
Try as I might to be open-minded, I’m still quite judgemental. I usually do have pre-conceived notions before I properly embark on any new visual adventure. I rolled my eyes when I saw the visuals of Blue Eye Samurai in passing because I thought Netflix was trying to pull another “Yasuke” with this one. For some context, I had previously expressed my absolute disdain for Yasuke in my now non-existent blog post. It felt like Blue Eye Samurai was attempting to ride the coattails of the popularity of Japanese culture and anime. Of course I was extremely wrong. And it did not take too long into the first episode for me to proven wrong either.
I’m very ecstatic that Season 2 of Blue Eye Samurai was greenlit. I rarely enjoy the combination of 2D-3D animation in a show. This however, was just such a good treat for my worn out soul. Visually, it was stunning. Intellectually so stimulating and not at all overwhelming. It handles aspects like representation on a few surprising fronts so gracefully while fulfilling its “historical accuracy.” I think with regards to representation, many people think it needs to serve a purpose. I disagree. They just need to be there. They need to be representation because they are a part and parcel of all of our collective lives. There have been so many shows with a “token POC” or “token queer character”. In Blue Eye Samurai, there is no tokenism. Just the character. In fact, even the gory aspect of the show is (to me) very elegant as well. I’m not qualified to talk about animation at all, I know nothing, but it was so well done.
Please watch the show. It’s simply great. You don’t need anything else or anyone else to speak for it. Because Blue Eye Samurai does it all on its own. You won’t regret it.
Happy Holidays. May the new year bless us with more wonderful media to engage and indulge in.
-brainscratch.