Netflix’s recent series Blue Eye Samurai turns away from the current ways of Hollywood by writing female characters with actual depth.
What’s wrong with modern Hollywood?
More films and TV series are including female leads and characters beyond the damsel in distress or the protagonist’s dead mother. Many of these female leads are memorable and well written. San from Princess Mononoke, Peggy Carter from Agent Carter and Elle Woods from Legally Blonde are well-rounded and realistic female characters with their own struggles.
However, screenwriters and directors now think that a strong female character is a woman who can fight an army single-handedly and doesn’t make any mistakes. Someone who is flawless.
But this is not what it means to be strong. Strength is withstanding fear or pain, even if it is within you. The character keeps going on. A well written character must grow and change with the story. They must face their own flaws and better themselves as the plot progresses.
Mizu and Akemi from Blue Eye Samurai achieve this by embracing their femininity and learning to accept others.
Story
Contains spoilers for Blue Eye Samurai.
The series (set in 1600s Japan) follows the main character, Mizu, who is mixed race. At the time the series is set, Japan was shut off from the rest of the world to prevent foreign influence. People who were mixed race were considered inhuman and monstrous. Because of this mentality, Mizu was tormented her whole life and forced to live away from society for her own safety.
She later came to live with a blind swordsmith, who taught her that impurities make a sword stronger. As she grows, she learns to hide her femininity and mixed heritage, as she sees them as weaknesses. Mizu later swears to kill all four white men who were in Japan at the time of her birth out of vengeance for her troubled life.
She meets Ringo and Taigen on her journey to kill the men who could be her father. Ringo wants to be her apprentice but she is not interested in helping anyone. Taigen wants to have a duel with her after losing the first time.
Throughout the series Mizu is detached from Ringo and Taigen as she seeks to kill Abijah Fowler. She is solely focused on her mission despite Ringo saving her several times, and her improving relationship with Taigen.
Without giving too much away, Mizu learns that impurities and flaws can strengthen a person as well as a sword. She admits that she cannot achieve her goal alone and entrusts Ringo and Taigen with helping her.
Mizu changes from being distrusting, cold and unfeeling, to a humble and trusting person who owns up to her mistakes.
Akemi
Akemi is the opposite of Mizu. She is fully Japanese and is a princess in a wealthy family. Her father intends to marry her off for political gains. However, she is in love with Taigen. When he is away trying to regain his honour after losing to Mizu, Akemi fights back against her father and his wishes.
She eventually marries the Shogun’s son but uses her femininity to become more powerful. She starts to gain influence over her husband and seeks power of her own. Something that was not accessible to her before.
Akemi changes from being a sheltered princess destined for an arranged marriage, to a woman with the means to fulfil her ambition by using her influence over others.
Final notes
The growth of the characters is realistic. The episodes span over the course of a few weeks, so the characters do not completely change by the end of the series. This is refreshing and humanises the characters. Akemi and Mizu embrace their femininity and accept their flaws. Akemi uses her femininity to live her life on her own terms, and Mizu welcomes Ringo and Taigen into her life as she continues to pursue her potential father.
Strong characters are more than dramatic fight scenes and stoicism. They understand their shortcomings and work to change themselves for the better.
An excellent video essay by Flying Walrus explains the writing of Blue Eye Samurai in more depth:
Featured Image Credits: Netflix
Third year journalism student. 2025/2026 Lifestyle and Comment Editor at Brig. Published in The Yucatán Times, Mi Campeche and The Mourning Paper. Host of From the 40s with Air3Radio.
