There are plenty of great TV shows that have earned Emmy nominations in 2024. Amidst them, Blue Eye Samurai has not only earned several primetime noms but has also already won three in the creative category. The animated series is on a roll, and I was stoked to speak with creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi, who shared with me their inspiration behind the main character and how the show came to be. Get prepared, because it's an important and emotional topic.
For those who want a more detailed description, Blue Eye Samurai is an adult animated series on Netflix that follows the tale of Mizu, a half-white, half-Japanese warrior who travels across Japan to find the men who harmed her mother years ago. But the story behind Mizu is actually an interesting one, focused on real-life experiences.
The two creators are married in real life, and I had the chance to talk with them after the series aired as part of Netflix's 2024 schedule. I wanted to ask about Mizu's story, as she feels like such a powerful character, and Amber Noizumi revealed that Mizu was originally based on her and Green's own daughter, and the experiences she had after her daughter was born.
We had the idea when our daughter was born. She's almost 16 now because she was born with blue eyes. And me, looking at it and being excited about those blue eyes, and then thinking, 'Why would I be excited about having a child… having blue eyes? Why wouldn't I want a child to look Asian like I look?' And so we started to think about Edo-period Japan, and how the borders were closed and what a child with blue eyes…what their life would've been like. And that just sort of spun into this story over the years.
Taking personal life experiences and turning them into fiction worked. Personally, I find the series, overall, to be one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix. It was also a huge hit, resulting in not only a Season 2 renewal but several thirsty TikToks and edits online about the main characters because, well, of course --they're badass.
It's worth mentioning Mizu experiences much backlash for the way she looks and how she has acted within the storyline, despite becoming one of the best warriors on the show, and a big focus in the series is on the fact she is of mixed race. Hearing the background from this story has real-life origins makes it that much more interesting.
In addition, Green told me more about the inspiration behind the Netflix show, noting they also used a lot of Noizumi's experiences as an Asian woman "in the world" as well to flesh out the storylines in the animated series, though they are "universal" in tone.
And then it was just a lot of conversations about Amber's experiences in the world. And it turns out sublimated anger is a bit more universal than I certainly thought.
Producer Jane Wu went on to tell me the experience of putting together a series like Blue Eye Samurai thta has great Asian representation was "very satisfying," also noting people in her community have "interesting stories to tell too."
The end result is beautifully done Edo-period authenticity, a "unique show" (per Wu) that is also one of the best animated series I've seen in a long time. But it hits a little harder knowing that Mizu was inspired by Noizumi's real-life experiences.
In a world where underrated Netflix shows get cancelled too soon, and we don't have the chance to see stories continue, I'm so ecstatic this series has jumped over that hurdle (at least for now) and can continue to give us insightful and personal storytelling.
Season 2 is far away, but for now, we can rewatch the first episodes -- which you can check out with a Netflix subscription if you haven't had the chance to see it yet. Here's hoping the series wins the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program because I'd give anything for this story and Mizu's journey to continue for years to come… and then some.
