Within days of its release on Netflix, Blue Eye Samurai has found itself a place in the top 10 series on the platform. The graphic portrayal of Mizu’s revenge story may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Interestingly, the showrunners had to carefully assemble an animation team who were ready to take up the challenging task of handling the show’s explicit content.
The husband and wife team of Michael Green and Amber Noizumi serve as the showrunners, while Maya Erskine, George Takei, Brenda Song, and Kenneth Branagh lent their voice to the series. Both Noizumi and Green opened up about their process of handpicking the production team.
Blue Eye Samurai’s Ultra Violence Required A Content Warning For The Animators
Blue Eye Samurai did not hesitate to let the blood flow, pushing some boundaries on Netflix. However, audiences seem to love the gory scenes that will put Quentin Tarantino to shame, as the series has quickly emerged as one of the most popular series on the platform. With bodies severed and limbs hacked on screen, one might wonder how brutal it was for the animators working behind the scenes.
Amber Noizumi and Michael Green shared insights into their production process during a ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ event at Netflix. They were careful in selecting the production team, especially the animators, who needed to be accommodative of the show’s unconventional approach. Despite having a long list of artists with decades-long experience, most were not suited to the graphic nature of the series.
Once they found those with the ambition and sensitivity needed, it was a constant back-and-forth with the animators. The showrunners would often assign tasks to animators with a content warning, seeking their consent to work on particular scenes. Michael Green shared that they had an exceptional team, so good at their jobs that director Jane Wu referred to them as the ‘SEAL team’. Green told at the Netflix Event (via SlashFilm):
“We definitely shook some people who saw what we were doing, and suddenly, when we were giving assignments out, some came with a content warning, ‘Are you okay with this?’ Giving it the context for why these more visceral things were going to be on the screen. But what came together was an incredible team that — I mean, every one of them, Jane [Wu] always refers to them as our SEAL team. Every one of them, Navy SEALS, just the best at their jobs.”
Their efforts paid off as the animations and fight sequences of Blue Eye Samurai received overwhelmingly positive responses.
What Is Blue Eye Samurai About?
Netflix describes Blue Eye Samurai as the “single-minded quest” of a lone warrior, Mizu, voiced by Maya Erskine. Set in the 17th century during the Edo period in Japan, Mizu decides to track down and kill four white men to seek revenge for her shameful birth. In order to execute her mission, Mizu must disguise herself as a male because “under the law, revenge is a luxury for men and women must be practical.”
The first episode, where Mizu begins her quest and finds a companion in Princess Akemi, voiced by Brenda Song, was released on YouTube two days prior to its Netflix release. Showrunner Michael Green has written screenplays for Logan, Blade Runner 2049, and Murder on the Orient Express. Director Jane Wu has worked as a stunt choreographer in The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Fans can enjoy all the eight episodes of Blue Eye Samurai, which were released on Netflix on November 3.
