When I first saw 'Blue Eye Samurai' being promoted on Netflix's front page I was initially interested but after watching the trailer I moved on. It was clear that the lead protagonist was another "strong woman" and I've had my fill of that over the past few years. American entertainers lost the ability to write strong female characters despite flooding the market with them. 

I'd more or less forgotten about the show until I saw it recommended by the Critical Drinker, an entertainment review channel I've come to trust almost implicitly. "The Drinker" usually holds the same views I do about entertainment so I figured I'd sit down and give the show a shot...

...and I'm glad I did. 

Everything about the show looks like more modern dreck on the surface. It features a strong woman as its main character, an incredibly skilled fighter who seemingly can't be beaten. Many of the men seem either evil or stupid and women are constantly portrayed as either strong and resourceful or victims to men's manipulations and strength. 

But once you plunge into the show you get a much deeper story. 

Firstly, I should warn you not to be fooled by the fact that this show is animated. It is not for children. The show contains adult content and themes that are not for children. 

The tale centers around Mizu, a girl born in 17th-century Japan during its Edo period. Mizu is a bastard child and to make matters worse, her father is white. Japan believes white people to be demons and devils, and young Mizu is constantly hunted and picked on by the other children for her blue eyes. In order to give her some protection, Mizu's mother makes it clear to her daughter that she must pass herself off as a boy at all times. 

Mizu's cursed upbringing sets her mind on revenge against the four European men, on of which is her father, who forced himself on her mother and brought her into this world.

At some point, Mizu is orphaned and taken in by the blind blacksmith Eiji. This old man seems gruff but teaches Mizu wisdom and temperance. It's during this time that Mizu dedicates herself to learning how to use the blades that she helps Eiji forge, becoming a skilled swordswoman. At some point, Mizu grows to become an excellent fighter and an expert at the katana. With a special blade forged by Eiji, sets off on her quest for revenge. 

Mizu continues to hide the fact that she's a woman by wrapping her breasts and wearing clothing that hides her form. She also dons a pair of colored glasses to hide her blue eyes. 

Along the way, Mizu meets many characters including a soba maker who was born without hands, a male rival who vows to defeat her one day, the madam of a whore house, a nobleman's daughter trying to find her lost fiance. Every single one of these characters serves an important part of the story, and each of them has an incredible character arc. 

But the character I fell in love with the most was actually Mizu, the strong woman protagonist. Mizu might resemble a one-man army sometimes but she is not invincible. She does not look to overpower men twice her size with feats of strength but instead uses her sword fighting skills and agility to her advantage. Mizu takes her fair share of blows and losses, and when faced with an incredibly large opponent, she becomes a glass cannon. She doesn't always win, and sometimes she has to be rescued. 

But what I love most about the character is that despite the stoicism she portrays, the show makes it clear that underneath is a very hurt and damaged woman. Mizu emotional pain is what drives her quest for revenge. She's not some smirking strong woman with nothing in the way of flaws. She's not perfect and she has far more depth than you'd think possible in this day and age. 

Very few times during the show do you find yourself rolling your eyes at Mizu. You actually enjoy her presence. 

I do have complaints. The show does a great job of making the main antagonist seem dangerous but they also make him so evil that he sometimes comes off as goofy. They could have done a better job making him seem more conniving and sinister by scaling him back a bit and making him a tad more reserved. 

Also, there are times when Mizu's skills become a little too farfetched, but these moments are few and far between. There are also moments of modernity where the tired "men are bastards" theme comes forward, however, they do well in balancing this out with characters like the blacksmith and the soba maker. 

All in all, this is a show I can't recommend enough. It manages to walk a line that I didn't think today's entertainment industry was capable of anymore and the creators produced a solid show I could honestly go back and watch twice.