This is unironically one of the best episodes of television made in my 40 years of life, as far as I’m concerned. “Is Mizu the Ronin or the Bride?” “Yes.”
@celestialcass5 ай бұрын
This is my favorite episode! I will never be over that Naginata fight sequence- and Mizu's backstory makes TOTAL sense to me, in that she really did try to have as close to a normal life as she could and it didn't work. It's tragedy in it's purest form and makes me fully understand how bitter and ruthless Mizu is at the beginning of the series. The contrast between the Ronin and the Bride Bunraku play and Mizu's life have SO many interesting parallels and use the primary themes of the show in the most elegantly executed way.
5 ай бұрын
From the play of the puppets, I understood that the four are the representation of Mizu, the Ronin being the masculine and warrior side, the wife the feminine side, the baby the innocence side, when these three die, there is only the representation of anger and revenge, the Onryou spirit.
@3Kings_Industries5 ай бұрын
This episode is such a masterclass in storytelling, story embedding, symbolism, grief, trauma, and duty. I seriously believe that this episode will change storytelling for the better. In the way that Enter the Spiderverse gave us this fantastic digital art style. Also, the kitchen knife reference to episode 1. Brilliant. OMG, that moment you recognize the girls on the bridge.
@arklytte5 ай бұрын
The kitchen knife reference is even deeper, and runs through the whole series. If you look at the knife that Ringo uses in episode one (the one that Mizu uses to cut the flesh peddler's fingers off), you can see that the 'signature' mark on it is Mizu's. That knife, the knife she gives Ringo in this episode, AND the knife that Mizu herself uses to cook with in the flashback, are all knives that she made when she was an apprentice. I honestly dont know what the significance of the kitchen knives is...either it's too deep for me, or I'm just too dumb to figure it out, but it's there throughout the whole series, and I hope that, someday, someone smarter than me figures it out and posts it online.
@andrewrawlings52205 ай бұрын
'Woke' has become like 'socialism', in that it is a word that certain people use to simply mean 'things I don't like' rather than having its original meaning.
@bluewolf63235 ай бұрын
Also with misogyny and racism, because omg, the thumbnails of people talking about Mizu and the show like "Omg, Mizu is just a Mary Sue." "Omg, the show hates men because it's showing how men are horrible at everything and showing how bad men are." It's just all stupid...
@Ivan___Cunha5 ай бұрын
The more I watch this episode, the more I appreciate it. And I think the reason why Mizu is the ronin in the beginning of the play and then the bride after is because of what role she takes to herself in this society. First she identifies as a man, then she is a bride and now she is a monster.
@mattdrahos26625 ай бұрын
It is beautifully ambiguous. The fact that it is a question, and that identity isn't easy to extend.... haters should be afraid of the dichotomy. It threatens their sense on self. It provokes fear for some. That is art.
@wild_lee_coyote5 ай бұрын
Season 2 is already greenlit. When you get to the end of season 1 you will understand. I am so glad there is more.
@The_Scienceboy5 ай бұрын
But you will not guess how it’s going to play out 😜
@Conorp775 ай бұрын
I haven't really stopped thinking about this episode since I first saw it last week. What a masterpiece.
@jd1775 ай бұрын
I love how they didn't tell us who betrayed Mizu for the bounty. It could have been either.
@ashhoegg52815 ай бұрын
i dont think it was necesarily hes ego. woman those days werent suposed to be agressive, and now she is showing a fierce yet murderous side, ofc hes shocked. it would be like if you entered in the ring with a friend for a light spar and hes almost chocking you out or throwing the heavy hits in, you would be like wtf. it doesnt excuse him for his weakness, but we are all human. thats the point of this show
@peterepeatepete28455 ай бұрын
Yeah I think this is a time period thing. Even nowadays there are plenty of jackasses who can’t handle a strong woman, but back then it was so far outside the norm it Would feel disturbing. Again, doesn’t excuse what he did, but the show is great at its characters having believable flaws.
@MsEverAfterings5 ай бұрын
Also, she beat him with a weapon that she has never wielded before. A weapon that he has mastered.
@GunnerLockandLoad5 ай бұрын
It's interesting, I never noticed until now that when Mizu is talking to Ringo and say's she's on the path of revenge and doesn't have time for weakness, her gaze looks down on the word "weakness". Assumably, she is looking at his missing hands.
@joeg.53745 ай бұрын
I feel like they missed the part where he told her to Stop during their fight, and she just kept going. No means No right?
@BlueSun_5 ай бұрын
Also he wanted to spar with the weapons covered, she fully pulled out the blades. One of them could've died. She did the equivalent of going to a shooting range and starting to shoot in the direction of the other people there.
@daubingblue59145 ай бұрын
He said no, but he did catch the weapon thrown to him and engaged after Mizu’s comment about his backbone, so it was a consent? He could also just drop the weapon and not spar anymore.
@plastic_vicar5 ай бұрын
Like all the characters in this, her husband was nuanced. Yes, he recated badly to her when his pride was injured and did a shitty thing. But when she reminded him of his loss and station and bringing up such a painful memory for him just so she could have some fun is also shitty on her part? Like what if he said "what's the matter? Didn't you learn to cook for a man when your home was burned down and you though your mother was dead?" She pushed the duel cos she wanted to show she was kick-ass thinking it would impress him but when he asked to stop she went for his weakness, a really sore spot cos she was having fun. This episode shows everyone's flaws, including Mizu. But of course, because Mizu is the main character, everyone immediately just goes "fuck this dude, he's such a piece of shit". And not that it really affects anything for her, I'm convinced it was for sure her mom who narced on her.
@Refixul3 ай бұрын
Also I honestly think what got the husband was the sheer excitement and fury from Mizu when she had a blade on his neck. I think he kind of saw a glimpse of the demon that Mizu was forced to be and got really scared of her and rejected her. It didn't seem to me a fragile macho reaction. It reminds me a lot of stories of dealing with people with a heavy baggage of trauma, and Mizu had a lot of trauma(s). In the end I very much like that the narrative is not around "good guy bad guy" but how life can be cruel and even with all good intentions things can go south easily.
@astrea40203 ай бұрын
@@plastic_vicarWow you have zero media literacy. He betrayed her. Either because he turned her in or left her to die. That in itself earned him his death.
@seandun70835 ай бұрын
I would push back a bit at the husband overreacting. While he did ask for the dual, he was clearly reluctant at the thought of continuing with real weapons. On top of that, he didn't consent to being kissed with a blade to his throat. While that might turn some people on coming from someone they trust, not everyone is into that. It is probably especially uncomfortable if you have been attacked by someone with a sword before. Couple that with him calling people who force themselves on others brutes earlier in the episode. Granted calling her a monster may have been too far and the rest of the episode leaves it somewhat ambiguous as to who called the soldiers, but his reaction was definitely more complicated than being just ego.
@cablemonkey83405 ай бұрын
Thanks for this comment, I agree with this. Yes, I”m sure his ego was bruised as he was not expecting her skill (or her trash talk). but we see from the fact that he kept his naginata sheathed even when she unsheathed her sword, that he wanted a light sparring match, and instead got a blade pushed hard against his throat by his wife . A wife who seemed very aroused by being an inch from killing him. that description by madam kaji the prior episode of men needing violence for sex really seemed prescient with Mizu’s own state here. Everyone’s got a kink, but I can’t fault him if his isn’t feeling a second from being murdered. If she had just beaten him, I don’t think his reaction would have been the same. He was terrified.
@adambulmash68805 ай бұрын
I’ve heard this argument before, and honestly, I don’t buy it. I mean the man is a trained, veteran samurai. I’m *sure* this wasn’t the first time a blade has been held to his throat. Just none held by a woman. Also he was the one who suggested the sparring match. If you challenge Amanda Nunes to a sparring match, you don’t get to act surprised when she kicks your butt. It’s because he’s stuck in the mindset of “women shouldn’t be this deadly with a blade” that he rejects her. Which sucks because they could’ve been the greatest power couple in all of Japan had he not been a dick about it. I think Sokka from Avatar the Last Airbender is a useful contrast here. Sokka gets beaten by Suki and learns, “oh wow, this woman is way better than me. I should ask her to train me so I can better my skills.” This guy, by contrast, gets beaten by Mizu and thinks, “oh wow, this woman is way better than me. She’s a monster!” Sokka’s attitude makes him stronger, and he gets the girl. Mikio’a attitude makes him weaker (his every action after this moment highlights his weakness and cowardice), and he loses the girl-and eventually his life. Just as Sokka’s arc for the episode is completed by him learning to see past his own sexism and see women as warriors, Mikio’s arc is completed by him failing to see past his sexism and failing to change in response to his wife. This plays into the overall theme of episode 5 of “love poisoned by betrayal will make a monster out of anyone.” Mikio’s true betrayal wasnt if/when he informed on her. It was when he rejected her under the tree, even after Mizu showed him her true self and shared with him her blade. If Mikio rejected Mizu simply because of her own actions (ie he was reasonably scared of her), it would contradict this theme of betrayal because it wouldn’t be a true betrayal. The betrayal was that Mizu thought she had finally found a person who could see her for more than her gender and heritage. She was wrong.
@seandun70835 ай бұрын
@@adambulmash6880 again, losing a sparring match is different than being kissed with a blade against your throat. Even if he was expecting the later, he clearly didn't like the former in that context. It would have been better had the situation been resolved with open communication about boundaries, but I don't think he's entirely out of line for having some form of negative reaction to that.
@adambulmash68805 ай бұрын
@@seandun7083 I just think that interpretation contradicts the episode’s central theme around betrayal. If Mikio’s reaction is reasonable, then the rest of his actions after that are seen as Mizu’s fault. Because she scared him. Granted, Mikio commits *several* more acts of betrayal before he’s eventually killed, but this first act under the tree is the one that sets all the others in motion. And I think the writers want us to see this rejection as an unreasonable betrayal because that is exactly how Mizu feels when he pushes her off of him. It’s written all over her face. And also because Mikio’s every single action after this moment is one betrayal after another that’s meant to highlight just how weak and cowardly he actually is. So I really don’t think the writers want us to see Mikio’s reaction as reasonable. But that’s just my interpretation. To each their own.
@BlueSun_5 ай бұрын
@@adambulmash6880 Mikio’s reaction is reasonable under any realistic scenario. In the context of the framing of the show it may be perceived as unreasonable if the show (like many martial arts stories before it) doesn't consider sparring with sharp blades a serious thing. Much like modern soldiers don't shoot each other with live ammo in training, only maniacs spar with sharp battle ready weapons.
@gpaje5 ай бұрын
Those anti-woke channels rather love this show. Main points they like is Mizu is a strong woman who trained & isn't invincible. Episode 5 especially since she was a happy wife until betrayed. This and Arcane, the other series w/ strong female characters is well loved by that group. Beyond that, both shows are masterpieces.
@markhomer25245 ай бұрын
Thank you.
@heroicryan62575 ай бұрын
Yeah i really dont know how to feel about those channels. sometimes i agree but sometimes i feel they go too far lol
@gpaje5 ай бұрын
@@heroicryan6257 I as well, sometimes they have a point or reasonable argument, but sometimes is just angry to be angry. They see a woman or a minority and it's instantly woke. It's sometimes the same on the other side, sometimes they don't see good arguments because of a particular stance or bias they have, both extremes suck.
@rocket68445 ай бұрын
@ the "anti woke" crowd doesn't like when minorities replace established characters that were white (which is valid) where as the "woke" crowd thinks that white voice actors shouldn't be allowed to voice non white characters (which is not valid) and when the races are swapped from white to black (for example) the "woke" crowd says "the race of the character isn't important to the narrative" but when the roles are reversed or even white voice actors playing non white characters they scream offense. Hypocrisy and double standards run rampant on the "woke" side of the argument
@gpaje5 ай бұрын
@@rocket6844 Yup, that sums up some of it.
@michaelowens91095 ай бұрын
I am 52 years old, and I've never seen a show like this episode. Perfection. Also, in the D&D you mentioned, I always have got a little bit of Beauregard Lionett in Mizo lol.
@jasonmarbach5 ай бұрын
Bidet, fellow critter!
@davidbodor17625 ай бұрын
I'd say she's a mix of Beau and Yasha. Especially with that rage of hers.
@deanthemachine74895 ай бұрын
I think the difference between this and the Star Wars stuff brought up is that this feels genuine and has good writing while most Star Wars stuff feels like a soulless assembly line product mining our nostalgia for cash. You’re 100% right that there is a knee jerk reaction of saying “woke”, but I think it’s their inability to articulate their more understandable anger of cynically monetizing passive Progressivism (ie the two gay characters far in the background of Rise of Skywalker put in for Western audiences but easily removable for China and Middle East markets, etc). They don’t realize that what they hate is Hollywood capitalism and can only critique with the culture trigger points they’ve been told is the reason for the problems in their lives
@bulletproof8445 ай бұрын
It is not "woke" because it is done right. :) Rey = "Mary Sue" Mizu = actual badass, tragic, relatable, vulnerable (fictional) human being WITH real human weaknesses and reactions. I believe one of the reasons that this show doesn't come across as "woke" is that the story around the women (i.e. Mizu, Akemi, Madame Kaji) at the time doesn't feel forced.They are still very strong women, but they are forced to play by the rules of the time to get where they want to go. Mizu had to train for years to get that good with the swor, Akemi has to use her wits and her femininity to bend the will of the men in her favor. The show made sure, that we see how they got to where they are. They earn every win they get along the way, but they also lose a lot and grow. That is why I am rooting for them and not for the likes of Rey. Since @NerdyNightly brought up Rey: She doesn't have an arc anywhere near Mizu or Akemi, because the rules in her story are made to fit her, and rules we already knew from the SW-universe were tossed aside so she could become the heroine of the plot. She doesn't have to train, she doesn't really sacrifice anything and everything she does, goes in her favor. Before she even met Luke she was able to fight and stand her ground against Kylo Ren - without any training!!? HOW? The dude is twice as big and heavy as her AND he trained since he was a young boy. It is just not believable, but such an important part of the SW-lore. The character, from a narrative perspective, simply didn't earn any of that. Sabine in "Ahsoka" has a similar problem even though it is not as severe. Long story short: Swap Rey for Mizu in the fight against Kylo Ren and I could have believed, that she was able to stand her ground!
@Chibbykins5 ай бұрын
What do you think 'woke' means?
@bulletproof8445 ай бұрын
@@Chibbykins I am not talking about the definition of "woke" per se. I am talking about "woke" how specific people are talking about it, when they dislike something, if you catch my drift.
@troikas33535 ай бұрын
There's a push that STEM should actually be STEAM as art is such an important thing to how we think and see the world. Art and media literacy both really need to be a bigger part of standard education. They are incredibly important skills to have and only becoming more important in the age of disinformation we've entered.
@RomanyGypsy925 ай бұрын
I can't believe I'm commenting this, but as a queer history nerd I do in fact know the answer. Strap-ons and other sex toys were actually already invented in some forms before this so heyyy throuple time lmao.
@Saphthings5 ай бұрын
The wilhelm scream at 18:16 LOL I just caught it haha
@LuizBarrosPoa5 ай бұрын
This is parallel stories scriptwriting perfection. Imagine this people doing a Star Wars project?
@njebei3 ай бұрын
The rest of the season couldn't compete with this episode (or any before it) and it's no one fault. Episodes 1-5 was a masterclass of character building. Episodes 6-8 were the aftermath which inserts Miso into a larger story which had to happen at some point. This is true of any show once the audience knows the main characters enough so they struggle to surprise us. Miso is the Onryo and she has been released.
@deanmaynard82565 ай бұрын
People who use Woke as a pejorative are actually saying - I am intimidated by people who seem to have more developed empathy and ethics than I do, and it makes me feel insecure...
@Fangtorn5 ай бұрын
9 times out of 10 you can always write off those who complain about media being too "woke" because it basically boils down to the acceptance of women, or gays, or non-whites as equals. It's sad that in 2023 people still can't handle that, but here we are.
@paulchavez30395 ай бұрын
U just put into words what I've been feeling for like five years
@rafaelrivera93463 ай бұрын
I disagree woke is a change as has many other changes int the past. Some accept it other reject it but will bring change no matter what we do. From believing in one God versus the previous one or ones, or owning property vs leasing it from lords or kings, or equal rights vs cast or nobles. It’s a change that may or may not be accepted but will most likely bring permanent change no mater what some will or will not like.
@paulchavez30393 ай бұрын
@@rafaelrivera9346 there's a thing called linguistic gentrification that can be very powerful to discredit and erase a community's methods to communicate in the most unproblematic way an ethical threat to their identity, and when said method of communication is engineered into a buzzword, thus making it problematic, you take away its original meaning and bastardize its usage for your own divisive, Machiavellian schemes to produce inflammatory emotional responses where previously there wouldn't have been. It's intellectually dishonest to compare something like that happening over the course of less than a decade to the evolution of religions over thousands of years.
@basicsimp8798Ай бұрын
@@rafaelrivera9346 Woke just means alertness to racial prejudice and discrimination. This also means acknowledging the lack of representation other people are getting. And that is a good thing.
@michaelpeters3645 ай бұрын
This was the best Netflix show I've seen since Sandman.
@user-gd6gy7xw6f5 ай бұрын
@nerdynightly it's not about 'woke' or 'woke'.....it's more about how tasteful is the application of messaging, art in all form have always and will always have message but the problem arises when the message is the main point of the art, then at that point it's no longer art it becomes propaganda. For example Terminator 2 is a movie about female empowerment, where Sarah not longer wants to be a victim or slave to the future but instead wants to change it and make a new future for her and her child but nobody ever complains about that cus it's well done creatively.....
@sineaterdred15 ай бұрын
I think you may have forgotten her main objective. That's the only way I believe you could assume that there would only be one season. Otherwise, great work guys 🖖😎👍
@mattrangel20505 ай бұрын
Really wasn't expecting the in depth discussion of nerd culture and media literacy but I very much appreciate it
@Ringoroadagain65 ай бұрын
I really don't understand how anyone could think AoT supports Nazism
@ourabouras3 ай бұрын
Nerdy: …once the strap-on has been invented… Me: Who’s gonna tell him?
@Saphthings5 ай бұрын
He def had a fragile ego. But that sword fight was not an example of that. I don't want someone attacking me while I ask the person to stop and they ignore it... Everyone has different tastes, pleasures, and wants. He was actively voicing for her to stop. She was ignoring his consent. Ignoring your consent is never a turn on or ok. He was someone high up that fell, and was in love with finally having someone beneath him. We mistook that for loving her (as did she), so it stung when he turned out to just be a man like many other. Once he saw she would never truly be inferior to him, and even in his own house he was still below (or so he'd feel), he lost any love he had for the situation.
@ysteinschiefloekanestrm76525 ай бұрын
In the sparring it’s easy for us to go either «yea, girlboss,» or «please step on me.» This is feudal japan though where honour and the strength of man is absolute. What Mikio felt was complete humiliation, even asking to stop, with Mizio continuing while taunting him, even pushing the blade to his throat. For today? Piece of shit. For then? His anger and hurt would be a normal reaction.
@lil_tungsta5 ай бұрын
the episode I have been waiting for you guys to see!!
@carpalclient16395 ай бұрын
Been a month since I watched this episode and am still thinking about it
@mattdrahos26625 ай бұрын
Don't let the incel's dictate the platform. Commentary about challenging story lines is the definition of art. Stick to your guns.
@surginspurgeon745 ай бұрын
This was easily my favorite episode of the show! Just the storytelling in it and everything! Netflix and the animation studio did confirm it is getting a second season!
@rottensquid5 ай бұрын
I think the core issue with wokeness is that people don't really see a difference between the themes of a story and the way they're explored. Much of the time, media that's trying to be "woke" tends to wear its subtext on its sleeve, or abandon subtext altogether, explaining in no uncertain terms what the story means. This is why they say, "show, don't tell." Blue Eye Samurai doesn't have to explain what it means. It trusts us to figure it out. On the other hand, what annoys me about all these people singing the praises of Blue Eye Samurai for not being "woke" is that they clearly don't understand the themes of the show, or else they don't know what "woke" actually means. When it comes to "woke" messaging, BES ticks every box. It's all about race and racism, sexism, it's got queer representation, disabled representation, brutal condemnations of patriarchy and male ego fragility, and not one, but two very distinct strong female protagonists. And it passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. So when people say it's not "woke," they just mean they don't feel preached to about subjects that make them uncomfortable. Which tells you all you need to know about what they think "woke" means. To them, it just means they think the show is telling them they're bad boys. Or at best, they'd rather stories let them ignore all the stuff they don't want to think about. They just want to stories on their own terms, without anyone shoving all that troublesome stuff about male fragility in their face. But much as I think this approach makes BES a better show, I sometimes feel like these people don't necessarily deserve to enjoy it. Because its woke themes are elegantly integrated into the story rather than spelled out, people get to ignore them and just see the show as another might-makes-right story about a bad-ass that kills the hell out of her problems. I'd love to see a big viral article that spells out how "woke" this show actually is, just to ruin it for all these lunkheads that think it's the antidote to wokeness. And yet, this reaction also speaks to how "woke" has become such a banal set of signifiers to sell the media to a woke audience. "Woke" is a term that's been so thoroughly distorted from its origins in black civil rights, it almost constitutes cultural appropriation. The only people more annoying than the "anti-woke" reactionaries, combing through all media for a hint of anything they think is telling them they're bad boys, is media creators whose top priority, for whatever reason, is to make media woke. Yes, this can often be a cynical pandering, trying to appease a self-righteous audience who're also scanning everything they watch for anything "problematic" (guilty!) But mainly, I think wokeness is done badly in so many shows for another reason. I'm a writer myself, so I know what insecure writing looks like. It's hard to trust your audience will "get it." It's hard to trust your own writing, that you made clear what you meant. The temptation to just make sure everyone understands you is enormous. So I try to distinguish loud, over-earnest wokeness from the cynical, pandering kind. While writing Apocalypse Now, Francis Coppola worried that he was failing to handle the important subject. He felt that when a writer tries to say something really profound, and doesn't pull it off, he's guilty of pretension. And pretension is contemptible, of course. But paradoxically, you can't make anything truly profound without running the risk of being pretentious. So that just means all these woke jackasses with their preachy, on-the-nose strong female characters, or their big broad metaphors about capitalism, or even whatever libertarian nonsense Zack Snyder was going for, the worst you can really say about them is that they were trying like hell to make great art, and didn't quite manage. Is that such a crime?
@sensereference22275 ай бұрын
The thing about Attack on Titan's political messaging being ambiguous is that...well, you see...it's like... ummm...in the end the character of Eren makes it clear that...huh...
@HeliRy5 ай бұрын
Talking about her blades’s ability to cut through bone. The hallmark of craftsmanship in a katana, the pinnacle… was called a three-body blade. One which could cut clean through three people with one stroke. At least that’s the legend. Hopefully they practiced on pigs and not prisoners lol 😮
@arklytte5 ай бұрын
@Clarus, When you're talking about people not being able to dissect ideas and discuss them in a critical way, you're absolutely right. It's something that I've noticed gaining significance over the last twenty years or so...along with the rise of the Internet. People are so used to either getting all their ideas spoon fed to them in small digital bytes, that their attention spans, as well as their ability to critically think, have basically turned completely to shit. Unfortunately, I dont know what we, as a society, can do about it...well, I DO know, but it's one of those 'ebull Conservative "conspiracy theories"', but it's one that would benefit most Western countries...abolish all the various government sanctioned 'Departments of Education', and return control of education back to both educators and, most especially, PARENTS. Because our governments, as well as various powerful global organizations, want to keep the populous fat, dumb, and happy. The US used to be powerhouses in education...and then the Dept of Ed came into being, and you can literally see the decline start...just grab any statistical analysis and it's blatantly obvious. I dont know what the analogous governmental agencies are in Canada and Europe, but I bet if you look into the data, you'll find the same thing. It's more than a little frightening.
@adamr9835 ай бұрын
I will say that this does have quote on quote some woke talking points but I think it is done correctly, doesn’t feel forced and feels authentic, not let’s have strong female/female’s characters just cause they are female
@massacrestarts16735 ай бұрын
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don't personally think that this show falls within the "woke" narrative. All the characters seem equally flawed. If having a heroine lead makes this woke, then that narrative has been around for ages. There have been strong female characters in cinema for a long time, Ripley (Alien movies), The Bride (Kill Bil), Sarah Connor (Terminator), and so on. This show has a good balance of artistic style, good writing and great character development (and obviously the action sequences), which keeps the audience immersed in the story. l havent felt this good about an animated series since Arcane. Hats off to the entire Blue Eye Samurai team, cant wait for season 2!
@TankInATree5 ай бұрын
Regarding the discussion about "Woke" etc. (I really hate that word, because it is stupid and can mean anything): It isn't the blood and samurai stuff that makes this great... it is the character development. The idea that a character is more than just one moment where they suddenly power up and is capable of incredible feats, without knowing why or because of a personality trait shared by millions of others. It is not about gender. Staying in the Star Wars universe; think of Anakin Skywalker. His story was equally stupid and disliked in EP1, because it is a childs fantasy. He is just magically great at everything. Same with Rey... same with She-Hulk... same with Captain Marvel. They just had it "inside them all along" and that is why they are great... even though millions of people share their exact qualities and have similar experiences. They have basically no faults, always picks the right decisions that will work out, and magically has the right "tools" for the job. Mizu has plenty of faults... but she also has very traumatic past experiences that makes sense for her to be suicidal on the path of revenge. She has the training and the physical strength because she worked for years. She fails quite a bit on her way. She is just so very human. IMO, it is not the blood and action that makes this show SO freaking good... it is the characters.
@vincentvoillot63655 ай бұрын
Blue Eye Samurai, what if Tarantino wrote Kill Bill taking place in feudal Japan as a prequel to The Last Samurai.
@scottwatrous5 ай бұрын
I look at it as "what if Mulan but Samurai Champloo?"
@vincentvoillot63655 ай бұрын
@@scottwatrous Agreed Mugen/Jin -> Taigen/Mizu, but this episode is a love letter to Kill Bill Vol 1. The bloodied bride in white drive by revenge, camera work indoor from above, breakdancing while cutting limbs, fighting an litteral army. PS : Thematically, Ringo is Po from Kung-fu Panda (make noodles, mocking for his handicap, but quite capable) and the over the top stylize violence bring me back to Afro-samurai (who remember this ?).
@scottwatrous5 ай бұрын
@@vincentvoillot6365 I def agree with you on all points hah.
@billberndtson5 ай бұрын
The fact that fans of Attack on Titan or any other show would send you death threats is insane and makes me glad no one knows who tf I am. And might explain why KZfaq won't let me watch a video without trying to sell me a "tactical" something or other.
@Kyoril5 ай бұрын
I *love* the D&D references. Keep em up. They are funny. =)
@nothingtobeconcernedabout74775 ай бұрын
This guys speaks nonsense? This guy makes more sense than most other react dudes... Also technically not a naginata but a nagamaki. Small head on a pole, naginata. Full sword blade on a pole, nagamaki.
@The_Scienceboy5 ай бұрын
Debating is something that needs to be reintroduced into schools so this reactionary bellyaching can be turned into something halfway constructive.
@steveowen31555 ай бұрын
It's a masterpiece because it is. This is just much better than Ahsoka and the ST.
@Watcher-of-Forms3 ай бұрын
All that anti-sjw stuff scares me, genuinely. You two soothe my anxiety, thank you for standing up for your fellow humans :)
@niektromp55505 ай бұрын
Love the show, would love this studio making an mistborn adaptation!
@cutter10095 ай бұрын
I believe the reason this show does not get the "woke hate" is because the issues it presents which people would find woke, come naturally in the story telling. They are not just thrown in your face for shock value. First you have Ringo and you are shown simultaneously how his disability gets him mistreated, but also how he overcomes it. The blind Sword father and how he can see deep into the soul. Mizu portraying a man is truly secondary in this show. It is a means to an end, it is not her true nature. Episode 5 allowed us to understand this better. She was happy being the woman she is, it is society that is making her into something else.
@Marius2295 ай бұрын
in regards to the “woke” criticism missing from this versus Ahsoka. I think the biggest factor is that Blue Eye Samurai simply does not exist as big in the culture the way Star Wars does, so any accusations of wokeness won’t get the same media/viral attention that that section of “fandom” craves. they don’t really care if something is woke or not. they just want as large a target as possible to attack so that they can get attention.
@jprojenito5 ай бұрын
It has already been renewed for a second season.
@LMironono5 ай бұрын
THIS FUCKING EPISODE
@dapeach065 ай бұрын
If they invent the strap-on, Taigen's the one itll be used on
@peterepeatepete28455 ай бұрын
I think the big difference between Misu and, for example Rey (sorry my dude but saying they are similar is a bad take) is that Misu does not always do what we think she should, she is allowed to be flawed. This episode is the perfect example: she abandoned her friends for her own goal and murdered her husband when she didn’t Need to. I don’t think we can reasonably judge those actions as “right” or “wrong”, but they are absolutely things a cardboard cutout of a female protagonist would never do, because they aren’t allowed to be real people.
@DarkKnightBatman4205 ай бұрын
Dude the attack on titan behavior was out of control. Not yours. The commenters. I was there for the last video and I read those comments. It was out of hand. The toxic opinions were mental. The harshness. I wanted to voice my support but I felt like the comments were so awful I didn’t even wanna place my comment next to theirs. A part of me wondered if the usual spiel of leave mean comments down below helped foster such a foul comment section that episode, because dozens of times I meant to leave a nice comment but hearing that made me feel like it would be contrary to your asking that, so I don’t bother and good attitude can snowball and grow. The only thing I that I hoped y’all just took those reactions to patreon exclusively. There must be non toxic fans out there willing to appreciate the content. But real though. They went too far. Hitting the brakes was the appropriate response. Those people need both counseling and to learn to chill out. Probably more than that. They need to learn how to be better people. I found both your opinions to be a refreshing perspective. No one I’ve ever seen called the characters on their bs like y’all did. Thanks for that. Forever support. Y’all are great.
@Simyonovich5 ай бұрын
Media literacy and communication should be a more widely taught subject, for sure.
@leostarrs-cunningham85765 ай бұрын
Its a great show, but oh wow does it goes to some really dark and twisted places by the end. And it does have a pretty definitive end to the season but as said, its been renewed for s2.
@darrenl32895 ай бұрын
fun trivia: this show was originally a kid's show. XD
@mickeybarfield80475 ай бұрын
LOVE that you speak in D&D terms! I create TTRPGS and would love to send you a few of ours.
@NerdyNightly5 ай бұрын
Oh my gosh! We would absolutely be interested! Shoot me a DM on insta or twitter!
@mickeybarfield80475 ай бұрын
@@NerdyNightly sent to insta dm.
@3Kings_Industries5 ай бұрын
Did you recognize Mikeo's cloak?
@LMironono5 ай бұрын
best episode of 2024
@DoctorAvenue5 ай бұрын
It just got renewed today!
@sinneroid15925 ай бұрын
The meaning of Woke was already changed into negative word thanks to Disney. Today, if a movie or show have bad story writing and characters, and the only positive thing the creators can spout in their mouth is the message they are sending (female empowerment, lgbtq, disability etc..) then it is woke. Just because you have a good message doesn't equals to good quality show. And people behind these shows blames the audience rather than accepting they suck on making a show and put more negativity to the word Woke. If a movie or show have the same message but it have good story and characters, it is not woke. It is called a masterpiece. That's the difference. No matter how many youtubers place a negative review on a good quality movie or show, people will still watch it and spread good word of mouth. It will keep it profitable. So if a movie or show flops and called woke, it is not a youtubers fault. It just simply failed to entertain people.
@Redjack105 ай бұрын
No, the meaning of “woke” was changed into a negative because white people once again stole shit from black people and completely made up their own definition.
@Jcewazhere5 ай бұрын
Spoilers, minor ones, for the live action ATLAB: Here in BES this dude runs when he sees how good of a fighter Mizu is and people rightly call out the sexism. Meanwhile in ATLAB LA when Sokka does basically the same thing, running away when he sees how strong Suki is, they continue to claim "waaah, Sokka's sexism went away. The story is ruined!!" The cartoon is/was better so far, but I like most of the changes they've made in the show. Breaking Bumi especially.
@racerx36545 ай бұрын
Season two confirmed.
@nullunit5 ай бұрын
One of the things I hate about folks is that run to calling something "woke" is then I I can't engage with them when something is actually just poorly written or executed. Then again, f they had any critical thinking skills and could actually give a valid criticism, I guess they wouldn't be a bunch of baby dick incels. An ouroboros of stupidty. This is probably my favorite episode. The parallel story lines of the bunraku play and more of Mizu's origin is heartbreaking. The fight scenes are cool but the most affecting part for me is that doomed love story. She was so close to happiness if daddy Mikio didn't have a little baby dick. I understand his fear because she really was hiding her true self from him but to entirely betray her just because of his fragile ego was just unforgivable. If I could pull a baddy like Mizu we we just be on a murder vacation together and then live happily ever after. I think Mama did it but Mikio or Mama could have been the ones to turn her in for the bounty. In the end they both betrayed her so their fate is earned. Moms betrayed her like many times over abandonment and then, mostly likely, with turning her in after Mikio's emasculation. Dope fiends can only be trusted to look out for their next high. In an earlier episode Mizu prays at a shrine, re-affirming her vow of vengeance to her mother's spirit, but after you meet her mother here, her mom was just trash. The mother Mizu is making her vow to is just an ideal in her head and also the vow Mizu is making is basically just to kill the people that forced her into existence by making her a halfbreed in a xenophobic and racist society. It is a vow that is basically an annihilation of self and that's some sad shit. Then seeing Akemi given over to the Shogun's family, teeth painted black like they mentioned earlier. Just rough. Another dope reaction, thank y'all.
@artiemedley93695 ай бұрын
Boy, are you guys in for a treat.
@rufusmay96155 ай бұрын
I actually watched a couple of those anti-woke channels reviewing Blue Eye Samurai out of curiosity a while back. It was pretty funny because they recommended the show, but they had to preface it with "look, I know it's got a strong female lead BUT" because of their typical audience. Anyway I think the main issue is that BES is so good that if they did trash it they would look foolish, and if they called it woke it would contradict the usual 'woke media is bad' narrative, so they have to acknowledge that it's good but pretend it's not woke (whatever that even means these days).
@jacobwansleeben33643 ай бұрын
A prime example of humans not understanding what words mean.
@rufusmay96153 ай бұрын
@@jacobwansleeben3364 Well, words mean whatever we collectively agree they mean so at some point when the incorrect understanding gets popular enough it becomes the correct understanding. Although when it comes to 'woke' I don't think most of the 'anti-woke' people who use it today even have a clear definition in mind.
@ericmicke41305 ай бұрын
It's just setting boundaries, he asked her to stop. Ahead of his time I'd say. Lol
@DarkKnightBatman4205 ай бұрын
Great episode
@Jcewazhere5 ай бұрын
What was that about inventing pegging? Pinocchio's dark side has entered the chat.
@pauldhoff5 ай бұрын
I wish wish that you two would watch Nimona.
@dustinherk81245 ай бұрын
been waiting for this one. my favorite episode.
@Johury5 ай бұрын
Wait so you actually thought people that say woke as a reason something is bad are able to think?
@markhomer25245 ай бұрын
That's what I'm asking. That's kind of hypocritical right.
@crimson66665 ай бұрын
i think it all comes down to better writing
@sepulfan025 ай бұрын
Most of the "woke" criticism is criticism of poor writing. I believe Mikios transgression was probably cowardice
@midnight16725 ай бұрын
While this is my favorite episode of season one, I didn't particularly like the portrayal of Mizu's husband in it. It felt a bit forced to me. If there had been signs of him being the type to have a fragile ego - sure, go ahead - but they made a point out of defying our expectations and making him appear like someone exceptionally tolerant and progressive considering how racist and misogynistic society in general is at that day and age. To me it felt like he did that 180° turn just for shock value.
@jasonmarbach5 ай бұрын
It’s baked into the dna of the show. Just like no one ever recognizes Mizu as a woman - even powerful, wise, experienced women in the show - simply because in feudal Japan it’s actually inconceivable for a woman to be anything but a wife or a sex worker, so too has Mikio never, ever had to even contemplate - much less actually face in real-time - the reality that a woman might be his superior in combat, the thing which he’s trained for and which has dominated most of his life. The thing he truly considers himself is a warrior, it’s his identity. Taming horses is just the avenue for him to try and get back to his true identity. So to be confronted with a thing he could never have conceived of at all, much less prepared himself for, which shatters the illusion his entire self-identity is built on…yeah, he flopped. He tanked. He failed, hard. It’s one of the realest things in this whole show, I thought, and that’s saying something. So it didn’t feel forced to me at all, it felt like exactly how anyone would react in that moment, in that context, with his lived experiences.
@Saphthings5 ай бұрын
Man who had high position and is now super low finally has something beneath him again. Someone who thinks everything he does is awesome and everything she does he does better. Man is super happy and loves treating this poor inferior woman with gifts and look how thankful she is at benevolence. The woman says she can actually do a bit more and just wasn't bc she's a woman. Man decides to humor the poor weak woman for fun. Man learns he's actually inferior to her. Man decides to show he's the one in charge because he can go back in his word, sell her property, and there's nothing she can do. It all fits. It's just that just like Mizu, we misread his excitement at finally being above something as pure because we wanted to believe it. Of course he's nice to her. Here's a strong good looking woman that is slowly learning to cook for you every day, do all your house work, do all your shopping, and you can hang out in the garage all day working on your cars while she brings u a beer *COUGHCOUGH* I mean work on your horses lol. He was living a fairy tale life for him. She was literally suppressing every single desire, wish and plan of hers in order to please him 24/7, of course he'd be nice.
@bridgethaines71275 ай бұрын
Season 2 is already greenlit.
@nacktmulle102495 ай бұрын
I hate this narrative oh people don't like shows because they are simply to woke ... no it's because of bad writing that comes with these "woke" shows ... arcane universally loved with a lesbian female protagonist and guess what good writing ... it's the same here
@dbjdi5 ай бұрын
It wasn't just that she was good, she was hurtful and attacked his wound about being banished then attacked his masculinity. It was hurtful of her and overly competitive.
@vinsanity40k5 ай бұрын
yeah there's gentle teasing between partners, but she repaid his kindness and patience by literally putting a blade to his throat. but she's a flawed hero and that's a far cry from the mary sue's that are killing entire genres because many male script writers can't seem to figure out how to do strong female characters correctly. go figure.
@dbjdi5 ай бұрын
@vinsanity40k oh I definitely love her character, in some ways because of the flaws, but to act like she did nothing wrong in that and he betrayed her just because his machismo was hurt is silly. She hurt him personally and showed no mercy, which is one of her flaws she learns to try and overcome
@myjams71804 ай бұрын
Thanks for your Aot comparison. Both are great shows, but I saw your Aot reactions and sadly you bore the brunt of the terrible side of the fandom. Aot is definitely not a "pro-Nazi" show, but the cringe self-proclaimed Jaegarists really made it their whole personality and ruined it (some were probably trolls). Thanks anyway and sorry for that side of the fandom :(
@Shugoshin97205 ай бұрын
Pain.
@markhomer25245 ай бұрын
It's woke but it's wrote so well. Has nothing to do with the blood. It's all about the writing. Rey! come on bro?!? These two characters don't compare. You all are hypocrites. Your guilty of wich your accusing others of. And you're kind of pompous. I love this show and everything about it. U all got it all figured out though. Anyways I'm probably over reacting but I just recognize one of the best episodes ever. And have to hear your negative opinions on what ppl might think. Peace out.
@ClarusCloset5 ай бұрын
That was a ride
@jeremybousquet41365 ай бұрын
Unskippable ads, can you please make your content more annoying ? (also you have a thing under your nose)