6 Historical Facts Portrayed in Blue Eye Samurai
Minor spoilers for Season 1*
With Season 2 of Blue Eye Samurai set to be released next year, eager fans of the award winning Netflix animated series are brimming with anticipation. Created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, Blue Eye Samurai is set in Edo-period Japan and follows Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine), a mixed-race master of the sword who lives a life in disguise seeking the deliverance of revenge. Mizu’s journey through 17th century Japan has captivated audiences worldwide and immersed them in a world of honour, samurai, duels and revenge.
Like any show set in a historical period, Blue Eye Samurai takes care to accurately represent the time period with regards to clothing, food and local traditions and more. There may be a few cultural significances that slipped past you on your first viewing, so let’s expand on that!
Here are 6 historical facts portrayed in Blue Eye Samurai.
- No Foreigners Rule
The Edo period in which Blue Eye Samurai is set involved Japan being largely closed off to almost all foreign countries, specifically the influence of the West (with the exception of the Dutch and Chinese). This period was commonly known as the sakoku period, and began in 1633 with new policies and edicts being gradually introduced in Japan until it finally closed itself off completely in 1639.
The shogunate at the time believed that isolating Japan from foreign influences and Christianity would stop further rebellions and help create a more homogenous Japanese identity. Japan would remain in this isolated state until it was forcibly reopened in the mid-1800s by the United States.
- Blackening the Teeth
With teeth whitening kits, veneers and pearly whites all the rage of modern day preferences, it’s fascinating to see that black teeth were once quite fashionable in Japan. Originating sometime around 920 A.D., it’s not known exactly why this practice began, but is theorized that it was to indicate one’s marital status, as married women were typically the ones who had their teeth blackened.
Teeth blackening was also practiced by men before being outlawed in 1870. The blackening solution (which was composed of a variety of things including iron-fillings, sake, and gallnuts) would be painted onto the teeth with a small feather brush, and had to be regularly reapplied as it would only last for a few days.
- Bunraku Puppetry
Gorgeously portrayed in episode five of the series, bunraku is a traditional form of Japanese puppetry consisting of elaborate puppets and productions. With origins pointing as far back as the 16th century, it started as entertainment for the lower class in Osaka before being co-opted into higher artistic sensibilities and popularized.
Nowadays, the size of the puppet could range from being one to four feet tall, but they are typically half-life sized and are operated by three performers who have to train extensively to be able to operate the stringless puppets in synch and with deep emotions. The stories told in these shows are usually heroic epics, historical tales or tragic love stories such as the story of the ronin we see in Blue Eye Samurai.
- Persecution of Christians
Although only mentioned briefly in the show, Christian persecution in Japan had a lot of historical impacts on the nation. Christianity was first brought to the country in the mid-1500s, and it wasn’t long before Christians were being persecuted as their beliefs were believed to be a threat to the shogunate.
In 1635, the then shogun – Tokugawa Iemitsu – banned Japanese nationals from going overseas to stomp out further foreign influence. This caused an uprising – the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637 – which was quelled by the shogunate, but led him to more extreme efforts to expel Western influence in the country. This continued expulsion of foreign influences would eventually lead to the total exclusion of foreign trade and Japan entering its 200+ year isolation period.
- Poetry
Most people are familiar with the Japanese haiku, a short poem consisting of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively. Blue Eye Samurai also mentions another ancient form of Japanese poetry – renga. Renga is a form of linked-verse poetry invoking a call and response pattern.
Typically authored by two (or more) poets, one writes the first three lines of the poem (following the syllabic structure of a haiku), with the other writing the next two lines comprised of seven syllables each. Renga’s collaborative nature is used by Akemi during her encounter with “Watari the Walrus” in episode 4. She also recounts some of her favourite poets, Minamoto no Shigeyuki, Shōtetsu and Ono no Komachi – whose poem “I long for him” is recited by Akemi in full in the same episode.
- Onryō
Throughout the series, Mizu is referred to as an onryō – a demeaning insult meant to comment on her mixed race heritage. Specifically, an onryō is a type of ghost from Japanese folklore, typically one who has died with unfinished business or strong emotions still tying them to this world, leaving them unable to cross over into the afterlife – with many interpretations imagining them as women who have been unjustly murdered or betrayed. Fitting for Mizu, onryō are vengeful ghosts. They are known to curse the living indiscriminately, causing deaths and even natural disasters.
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References
Britannica: Bunraku, The Cambridge History of Japan Volume 2, Yokai, Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies, We Japanese, PBS, Yoshida Shoin Forerunner Of The Meiji Restoration, All Poetry, Britannica: Renga, Britannica: Sakoku, Japan-guide, Britannica: Shotetsu.
Jaidah-Leigh Wyatt (she/her/elle) is a Canadian-Jamaican writer/filmmaker, currently based in Toronto. A writer first and foremost, she enjoys bringing her words to life through various mediums, whether that be film, photography, interactive or audio based projects — making her a mixed media artist as well. Above all else, she adores the weird, uncanny, macabre, anything horror-related (specifically psychological horror) and the absurd.