Being half Asian and half Caucasian, this is a real thing where neither group will claim you as being one of them. It was very strange growing up not feeling accepted by either side of your ancestry. My Hungarian grandfather refused to go to the hospital when I was born, saying "I'm not going to see some yellow baby". I am sure other mixed-race kids of other cultures have had similar experiences.
@@ireallycant4416 That's a new one on me, but I'm sure it's every bit as reliable as every other racial/ethnic stereotype regarding male genital size. 🙄
@@LPTheGas what I mean is Hungarian blood have it’s benefits also… and fun fact Mongolian blood is also mixed in Hungarians but I get op… life sucks honestly because I also experience not being accepted by the family
My parents also married across racial-cultural boundaries and though the two sides of the family will never admit it, I can tell which set of grandparents were more bigoted about it. There's a reason I still light candles for one pair whereas the other are lucky if I remember their names every six months. As the embodiment of their legacy, I made the executive decision to let the bigotry die along with them and move forward by bringing pride to the family line that accepted me rather than acknowledge the one that didn't.
Well, it was beautifully animated, and the style of the film is abundantly visible, i just hope the lack of mainstream interest in animation doesn't hold back this stylistic masterpiece.
It feels like word of mouth has grown in the month since it was released? Netflix didn't give it any push to me, I had to hear about it from Nick. Which is great, but... not ideal.
Share it with friends. Talk about it. Bring attention to it however you can or prefer. Too many great projects get cancelled because no one knows about them and never get a chance to be seen.
@@Darren_Mooney I personally think word of mouth is a great way for these shows to spread. The old concept of blowing half of your budget on a show to advertise it needs to end. It's that and greedy execs that are to blame for the low caliber shows, games and tv shows IMO. Put the money in the product and its development and people will like it and it will spread.
I sat down to watch it and was completely blown away by episode 1. I binged the rest in two days (I've got kids so not easily done) and I have put off watching the finale. I don't want the show to be over.
*SPOILER* Wait, hold on. Fouler doesn't burn down Edo. Mizu starts the fire, and intentionaly, to corner him. The city becomes another victim of her single-minded pursuit of revenge. Great essay! Keep it up!
Yep, I maybe should have worded that more carefully. That's on me, apologies. I was trying to convey that the fire doesn't start, though, unless Fowler army invades the city.
Spotted this, came to say it, but it has already been noted, and addressed by the author. Excellent video on and interesting topic and a fabulous piece of art, thankyou!
@@gengisgio I looked into this for 3 minutes and there really was a fire in 1657 that burnt down Edo, allegedly from a cursed kimono catching fire in a temple and that fire being carried by extremely strong winds. About 100k people died too. So the fire starting from a random unlucky incident is a bit more believable this way.
On the topic of the villain, Abijah Fowler, guns and Western influence (some spoilers): I believe that the second season will focus on what had been occurring in Europe in the century before 1657 (when BES takes place). The Thirty Years War had ended in 1648, which was a conflict (tied to some smaller ones happening simultaneously mainly called the Wars of Religion) that devastated most of Central Europe. The results of the wars due to the Europe entering its 'Modern" period with introduction of modern professional armies and firearms, much of that is due to the introduction of gunpowder from... Asia, in the High Middle Ages, but the technology rapidly advanced when various Catholic and Protestant nations fought each other or the Ottoman Empire, a Muslim state. After the conflicts began to simmer down, many of the European kingdoms began to look to the Americas, Africa and Asia for resources in order to rebuild their ruined lands, to the lament of indigenous populations. The beginnings of what we know as 'colonialism' in earnest, rather than exploration and territory grabbing that occurred in the 1500s. As for Fowler, in the show, he mentioned surviving war and famine in Ireland. This was during the Nine Years' War (1593-1603) in which the Tudor Royal Army crushed a rebellion by the Irish against their rule, for religious and ethnic reasons; the war caused a large-scale famine to sweep the island. Fowler was shaped into a monster by the death of his sister and the cannibalization he had to partake in to survive, on top of the ethnic disdain the English had for the Irish at this time and centuries before. This likely created a dark hole in his soul that could not be filled no matter the horrors he could commit to other humans, especially to races or ethnicities he might view as lesser than he is. By the time the show occurs, Great Britain is a republic under the domination of the ailing Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. He conducted a brutal suppression of Irish Loyalists after the English Civil Wars from 1649 to 1653. The sheer destruction has often attributed Europe's first modern genocide to Cromwell. Fowler, by this time living in Japan, would have heard of what had been happening and that would have probably made his bitterness worse, hence his need to depose the Shogun and then take his tactics and scheme back home to depose the English as he alluded to in the show. Fowler is by no means a shallow villain. He is a product of personal tragedy and national atrocity, so he aims to inflict his pain unto others, even at the point of doing it to nations. He is essentially a walking microcosm of Europe itself in the 1600s. So... in a way... he and Mizu are two sides of the same coin; created from horrid experiences in their youths which has led them on a path to destruction, though Mizu wants to redeem herself for the pain she knows she has caused, while Fowler is lost to his madness.
As someone who was born in Japan, but grew up in the UK, I really enjoyed the series. I think Darren has got it right - It's not a 'Japanese' viewpoint, a Western one , but specifically a Mixed one. As a child I desperately wanted to connect to japanese culture but in the 70s and 80s and beyond Western popular media was simplistic, romanticised and more than a little racist, but I grabbed onto it as the only thing I had - whether that was Karate Kid, or James Clavell's Shogun etc ... which in retrospect look pretty dodgy but I still can't not feel affection towards them, and I get that sense from the series. Yes it's cheesy and No its not a portrayal what Japan is or was. And yes Racism exists in both the west and Japan, and for mixed race people you get a double whammy. So anyway, I connected with Mizu and the writers of this one. I loved it.
It is a beautifully animated story, loved every second of it... I really got invested in Mizu story and her path... hopefully there will be a Season 2.
It'll be very interesting to see how Season 2 plays out because Mizu will be seen as too Asian for London. She's seen as too White for Japan which marks her impurity but in London, she'll be seen as too Asian which marks her impurity there too. Imagine when she gets off the boat and hears ENGLISH for the first time, that'll reveal to the audience that the whole time she's been speaking Japanese and now has to learn a new language and learn a new culture.
Great show, great vid. You mention the last 4 letters of Noizumi's name is Mizu. The first 3 letters are also an anagram of Oni, or demon. Oni Mizu - she's seen as (and sees herself as) a demon frequently, so I wonder if this was intentional too
@@Aanzeijar the oni would be interpreted in English since that is the part of her that is "tainted". So I think it fits even better if its the English translation of Oni. Her white side is the "devil" after all.
Silly thing to bring up, there was a metal gear solid parody I saw floating around that compared the katana to the revolver in that both had been similarly romanticized by media and pop culture. Hearing just how much cross-pollination occurred between the samurai and western genres, it seems that observation was more true than the parodies creator intended.
@@ASpaceOstrichI’d argue it makes all too much sense when you think about the fighters involved. The driving force of an era quickly fading into history, trying to maintain a way of life that wider society sees as more and more obsolete. Am I describing Samurai immediately following the Meiji Restoration or Frontiersmen at the turn of the 1900s?
Great video! Just one critique. It wasn't Fowler that burned down the city, it was Mizu. It was a pretty significant moment for her so I think it's worth mentioning the error.
I have one last episode to watch tonight, but I just wanted to chime in that the layered storytelling in episode 5 - between Mizu's current situation, past experience, and the puppetry play/narration - is in my opinion one of the best pieces of video I've seen in a while. Maybe not groundbreaking, but exceptionally well produced. Glad to have Darren's commentary back so soon and almost uninterrupted. Wishing Second Wind all the best, I'll be here to watch it all.
I was bored one day browsing netflix and saw this, I was like ‘eh ill give it a try’. It completely blew away my expectations, its a very well made show.
Been following Mr Mooney's work since discovering his blog several years ago, and just want to say again how glad I am that he made the jump with the rest of the Second Wind team. I'll definitely miss his written columns, but having a visual component to essays written about film and television is undoubtedly a wonderful fit.
If it helps, I do twice/thrice weekly columns on the Patreon at the $5 tier? I know it’s a lot to ask, but they are there. I am also pitching other sites with individual article ideas, but haven’t heard back from any of them. Such is life.
@@Darren_Mooney Right! I'd actually forgotten that Nick mentioned that at some point. Unfortunately, exchange rates and an intern's salary don't make $5 the most affordable where I live, especially with local journalism needing all the support it can get, but I'm looking into how to support The Escapist as best I can too. In any event, always happy to read or hear your thoughts, whatever form they take. :)
I'm happy to hear you point out the beauty in the crossing of cultures and races. I personally finds people of mixed heritage to be more beautiful than those of who aren't. The show not only tells us that Mizu is beautiful and desirable to the people that let themselves get close to her, it also demonstrates that she's smarter and more capable than anyone else despite her being considered as a lesser being.
I still appreciate that all of your discussions remain as far away as "this thing good, thing thing bad" and focus in on what makes them interesting. Not good, not bad, but interesting.
Honestly the princess thing they did so damn well. Unlike say a Disney princess that dreams of more, she realizes a much more realistic way to succeed. Which isn't changing your path, but owning a path you are stuck facing. Taking the reigns yourself instead of just hoping for a knight in shining armor or the world to change to suit your whims.
What's really interesting to consider is that the ideological viewpoint fueling american isolationism this time around is partially rooted in the an idealized version of the old west depicted in the westerns that took influence from the samurai films. Films that have had time for three generations to grow up watching them and internalizing them.
Glad to see Darren’s videos going stronger than ever. Honestly not enough people talking about one of the best shows of the year. Hopefully we can get more of his coverage of less mainstream film and television. You can tell that the corporate types on the other channel never gave him the freedom he deserved.
Kazuo Ishiguro's novel When We Were Orphans deals explicitly some of the same themes, and has a similar moment to Mizu's conversation about impurity and strength, in which an elderly man advises a young child of two cultures: "Perhaps one day, all these conflicts will end, and it won't be because of great statesmen or churches or organisations like this one. It'll be because people have changed. They'll be like you, Puffin. More a mixture. So why not become a mongrel? It's healthy."
On the theme of someone being alienated due to their foreign heritage, "Sword of the Stranger/ストレンヂア無皇刃譚" had done it best for me so far. Even today, the animation holds up incredibly well and has one of the best, if not the best, sword duels I have ever seen in animation. The plot is rather simple and straightforward despite the animation's elaborate animation; however, that simplicity is perfectly sufficient for the emotional narrative the movie wishes to convey. A plot that honed in more on the political dynamics of the time would have taken away from the themes of alienation and the philosophy of antimilitarism at the movie's core. As for the edo period (ended by the Meiji Restoration) and the narrative of a more advanced western world encroaching upon Japan (oh the arrival of the black ships, complicated tales of misguided good intentions, revolution and the tragedy of revolution, anything to do with the Shinsengumi or the romantic ideas they represented etc etc), the setting lends itself so naturally to so many interesting ideas. One of my favorite fictional work (Full Metal Daemon Muramasa) takes place in said setting.... or well, a setting loosely based on said time period (instead of the samurai class and guns, you have human sacrifice mechas with superpowers and the invention of super laser guns transforming warfare.) So a show that touches upon the two points above is automatically going to pique my interest. However, I also worry that Blue Eyes Samurai will go for a safer route and take a more western perspective that focuses solely on the positives of culture blending. (This approach might portray the Meiji Restoration as some wholly positive symbolic affair where it's a blend of rapid westernization and a return to traditional japanese values with power being restored to the imperial family.) Or that it would turn out to be a watered down "colonialism bad" take like the Last Samurai where the traditional values of Japan become romanticized as this fragile beauty that must fade with time (something something wabisabi, but the western watered down version of it.). In reality, the Restoration and the whole mess surrounding it is a complicated affair where there are no simple answers. Many obvious good things came of it from Japan's rise in power and the rapid technological improvements; however, it also gave way to many evils which had been more than sufficiently explore in far too many other japanese literary works of the last century (especially with the easy parallels to the japanese leftist movements of the 60s and 70s) I suppose the only way to know is to watch the show and find out myself. Time to check the show out!
@@Darren_Mooney Without looking further into the show it's pretty obvious from what was shown that it is oversimplified and has no room for nuance. We have plenty of shows and movies about important subjects that don't take time to show nuance and as a movie nerd I just don't find the simple tropes compelling enough on their own to watch from what seems like a very Western perspective overall. It was piquing my interest and there are so many things to be said about how badly the west has treated Japan since WW2 and how it still does. If it's bothering me already despite taking inspiration from many different sources that I love, I don't think a watch will change that.
@@luvhair255 I don't have the highest hopes either. The metaphor of the blade, used as an example in the video, makes me worry about the depth with which the show actually delves into regarding the culture of that particular time period. The metaphor feels like something the writers saw elsewhere and used wholesale; or that they read how katanas were made on wiki and came up with it on the spot. (If anything, I would say that the sword broke because she had likely been employing it improperly. Who uses a sword to block a bullet!? And a Katana of all things. Plus the impurity part is a bit off since while the sword folding process is aimed at distributing the impurities and evening the metal quality, they are unfortuante necessities brought about by Japan's lack of metal resources. If high quality metal was in abundance, japanese swordmaking would have likely developed in a different direction.) But that being said, I get what the writers are going for, and it's not the worse thing to happen. I suspect it'll be more of a japanese-flavor American animation if that makes sense. I'll be saddened and disappointed, but that's Ok. Even if I do end up finding its critique shallow, it may just mean that I'm not its target audience. And being shallow isn't the worst thing to happen; to the contrary, having something insightful to say is rare and saying it in an entertaining manner only happens every so often.
I dont think sword of the stranger did the alienation them that well. The main theme was guilt and redemption. Nanashi's heritage was brought up once but that wasnt the reason he drifted from place to place, it was the guilt for what he did. He would have been able to climb the military ladder according to a flashback otherwise. Several Chinese and Japanese characters did show distaste for Luo Lang but 1)Luo Lang dont live in Japan and Japan is shown as more backward than China in the movie 2)Most of the Chinese characters are equitable to him. And I can assure you that this show dont offer any simple answer. Even when the character "grows", it doesn't mean they are growing into something wholly positive. It's very much growth due to survival pressure. The metaphor was not the best but it would be very likely what a person of that time, in that period, who know no other way of making sword, would make. If he was aware of how swordsmithing in other more resource rich regions work, he might have made other metaphor (like just import better steel lmao). The villain did make a wrong point about those swords tho, but, well, he is the villain.
@@mdd4296 Thank you for your response! I agree in part with your argument regarding Sword of the Stranger's take on alienation. While I personally identified with the themes of alienation in the film (foreign pawns used by their respective governments), I can clearly see how the film does not do enough to convey this aspect to others. (So more so bias on my part) In retrospect, I do think the comment on the sword forging metaphor was a little unfair. It is a metaphor that fits well into the show's context and I believe I may have conflated some of my personal gripes (maybe not even that, perhaps it had just been unsubstantiated knee jerk joke reactions) with actual criticism. Regardless of my preconcieved notion (and my worries which are mostly personal preference), I do have high hopes for it based on the show's own merits. I have heard mostly good things about the show. Plus Michael Green, one of the show's creators, has a pretty solid track record of being part of things I really liked in the past few years (Logan, Bladerunner 2049, American Gods season 1)
Thanks for this vid! Checked the show out as a result and was delighted and impressed. It hits a tone and approach to storytelling that worked for me really well, with compelling characters and gorgeous animation. Wouldn't have watched it if not for you.
I was surpired by the end, since I felt there was more to explopre, but what an amazing piece... I was flabbergasted by the insights in this review. Was hoping for more, but maybe that is asking for more then you can ask for.
2:07 huh, I never would have guessed! and yeah that was the exact scene I was thinking of... but man the wife and I watched this series and enjoyed every minute of it. Hoping it gets a second season I'd love to see how that story plays out.
I award this video with my biggest compliment (i watched it while having lunching). This is a nice series so far, glad I'm giving the other content a chance this time, keep up the good work
Took your advice and binged it. Holy god that was an awesome show. Now that I have seen it listening to your review did make a few areas make more sense.
It's gorgeous to look at. Stunningly animated. Reminded me a lot of Renaissance-era Disney, although that's very reductive. (I am not an animation expert, which is why the video steered clear of it.)
Fantastic show. As a side note to your explanation of American and Japanese cultures, if I want a Japanese product, it better be made in Japan and for good reason. Fantastic quality.
Spectacular script Darren Amazing edition Omar As always It has always being astonishing to me the Love/hate relationship that Japan/USA have always had. This profound respect but envy at the same time of the other ways that you can clearly see in the representation of one in the other, whatever is movies, games or anything else. and that has impacted their culture, their "ways"
Great video! Minor note in the close caption at 2:50, the character is saying "onryō" (a type of yokai that comes up repeatedly in the show), not "un-real"
I really enjoyed this series. Off topic: I recently enjoyed Lockwood and Co - somehow it went under my radar and has apparently not been renewed for a second season
Loved this show, and was very excited to see this video come up in the schedule! And I finally know who Darren Mooney (no relation) is. That was a joke without a punchline for the longest time.
i am of two mind on this show. Because animation and the premise are very good, the story is interesting but every once in a while there is a scene or a piece that seems out of place, "edgy" or forced that was always preventing to consider it awesome. I'd still recommend it though.
The Dutch traded at Dejima even during the Japan's isolationist period and guns were an important part of Japanese warfare since before the Shogunate even came to power. So parts of the central plot were based on shaky historal ground.@@jachyra9
@@TheSpeedyTurtle4- In the first episode Mizu remarks to the flesh trader that his pistol wasn't Japanese, indicating that she was familiar with firearms. I didn't read Fowler's plan to import his firearms as implying the Japanese had none of their own.
Small note: A Fistful of Dollars is an Italian remake of Yojimbo, not American. It's a weird outside step of the Japan/America media influence game, but was such a big influence on bringing Westerns back in America (along with stuff like The Magnificent Seven remaking Seven Samurai)
Wondering how the dynamic will be in the 2nd season. Will Mizu have some sort of exotic clout in a foreign culture or be doubly disadvantaged by everything being so alien? Also, here's hoping Gerard Butler is somehow one of the white devils she's hunting.
2 things that stuck out to me that this show did well, that are usually the weakpoint of 99% of anime: realistic dialog and no pauses Most anime has dialog that drones on forever, spelling everything out. People don't talk like that, and it promotes "tell, don't show" where everyone sits around monologuing about how clever something is rather than show something clever. BES has the characters say just as much as they need to, and shows the rest. It lets the viewer figure out the subtext or veiled threats of each line, rather than someone monologuing the subtext of everything. It SHOWS cool moves during fights and the viewer immediately understand why the moves work; no one is monologuing in the middle of a fight how totally brilliant each move and strategy is. Excessive pauses is what kills most anime for me. It seems like 50% of the runtime of most anime is characters standing with their mouths agape, "What's this?" "I see" "So that's how it is" "Nani?" "Soka". I think a big reason Cowboy Bebop is held up as a high water mark is because it avoided all those pauses. It also just SHOWED you the action instead of stopping for a monologue to explain it.
For what it's worth: What you/we regard as "excessive pauses" are not in the least to the Japanese. They are conditioned to listen, to place an importance on the other person/persons. We are conditioned to see ourselves, and only ourselves, as important. The Japanese naturally have these pauses in their conversations, allowing time for the other person to listen and absorb what is being said. We naturally dominate any conversation, talking at each other instead of to each other. Seems pretty binary, but that's because it is. Additionally, Japanese animation is rooted in other forms of Japanese storytelling, notably plays, where actors who are normally reserved and conservative in their speech and gestures become loud and large on the stage for dramatic effect. This would also explain why characters monolog in anime as much as they do, as opposed to Western live action and animated storytelling where silent action has more free reign. Sorry to be pedantic. But what you view as a weak point in anime is not, just something not to your taste.
I'm a little sad this doesn't mention the bunraku episode. Mizu perfectly fits the role of the vengeful samurai and the woman becoming an onryo both. Also I kept thinking I recognized Taigen's voice as Dante Basco of Avatar TLA fame and had to look it up lol I did the same thing with The Dragon Prince thinking Claudia was voiced by the same actress as Mei.
My only "one tiny fix" thing for this show would be to make it so Mizu throws the candle at a cart of Fowler's gunpowder, thus neatly tying everything together and make it a little less nonsenstical that a tiny candle burned all of Edo in minutes.
Supposedly the real fire which gutted Edo all started from a single kimono catching fire in a temple, so while I agree it seemed unrealistic in the show, I guess it wasn't so unrealistic after all.
@@bauul. That's clearly a legend, since it was a cursed kimono that they tried to burn and its cursed nature made the fire spread. This show is a lot more grounded than that.
Being half Asian and half Caucasian, this is a real thing where neither group will claim you as being one of them. It was very strange growing up not feeling accepted by either side of your ancestry. My Hungarian grandfather refused to go to the hospital when I was born, saying "I'm not going to see some yellow baby". I am sure other mixed-race kids of other cultures have had similar experiences.
I'm sorry about this.
Though Hungarian blood have big pps
@@ireallycant4416 That's a new one on me, but I'm sure it's every bit as reliable as every other racial/ethnic stereotype regarding male genital size. 🙄
@@LPTheGas what I mean is Hungarian blood have it’s benefits also… and fun fact Mongolian blood is also mixed in Hungarians but I get op… life sucks honestly because I also experience not being accepted by the family
My parents also married across racial-cultural boundaries and though the two sides of the family will never admit it, I can tell which set of grandparents were more bigoted about it.
There's a reason I still light candles for one pair whereas the other are lucky if I remember their names every six months. As the embodiment of their legacy, I made the executive decision to let the bigotry die along with them and move forward by bringing pride to the family line that accepted me rather than acknowledge the one that didn't.
Well, it was beautifully animated, and the style of the film is abundantly visible, i just hope the lack of mainstream interest in animation doesn't hold back this stylistic masterpiece.
It feels like word of mouth has grown in the month since it was released? Netflix didn't give it any push to me, I had to hear about it from Nick. Which is great, but... not ideal.
Share it with friends. Talk about it. Bring attention to it however you can or prefer. Too many great projects get cancelled because no one knows about them and never get a chance to be seen.
@@ethannolastname Yeah that would imply I have friends or talk to people
Then just shout it into the internet. Sometimes the void isn't completely empty.
@@Darren_Mooney I personally think word of mouth is a great way for these shows to spread.
The old concept of blowing half of your budget on a show to advertise it needs to end. It's that and greedy execs that are to blame for the low caliber shows, games and tv shows IMO.
Put the money in the product and its development and people will like it and it will spread.
This show definitely needs more exposure.
Agreed.
So glad to see people giving this show the attention it deserves. hope we get a second season
They confirmed it earlier today!
@@SecondWindGroupwhoooo!
Thanks for the good news!
I hadn’t heard about this.
I sat down to watch it and was completely blown away by episode 1. I binged the rest in two days (I've got kids so not easily done) and I have put off watching the finale. I don't want the show to be over.
Season 2 is confirmed, so it's not over yet!
Episode 5 is a masterclass of storytelling and action. Mizu's backstory is painfully tragic.
*SPOILER*
Wait, hold on. Fouler doesn't burn down Edo. Mizu starts the fire, and intentionaly, to corner him. The city becomes another victim of her single-minded pursuit of revenge.
Great essay! Keep it up!
Yep, I maybe should have worded that more carefully. That's on me, apologies. I was trying to convey that the fire doesn't start, though, unless Fowler army invades the city.
Spotted this, came to say it, but it has already been noted, and addressed by the author. Excellent video on and interesting topic and a fabulous piece of art, thankyou!
It will go down in history as the quickest and biggest fire ever caused by a single candle.
@@gengisgio Wasn’t there a fire in Chicago started by a cow?
@@gengisgio I looked into this for 3 minutes and there really was a fire in 1657 that burnt down Edo, allegedly from a cursed kimono catching fire in a temple and that fire being carried by extremely strong winds. About 100k people died too. So the fire starting from a random unlucky incident is a bit more believable this way.
On the topic of the villain, Abijah Fowler, guns and Western influence (some spoilers):
I believe that the second season will focus on what had been occurring in Europe in the century before 1657 (when BES takes place). The Thirty Years War had ended in 1648, which was a conflict (tied to some smaller ones happening simultaneously mainly called the Wars of Religion) that devastated most of Central Europe. The results of the wars due to the Europe entering its 'Modern" period with introduction of modern professional armies and firearms, much of that is due to the introduction of gunpowder from... Asia, in the High Middle Ages, but the technology rapidly advanced when various Catholic and Protestant nations fought each other or the Ottoman Empire, a Muslim state. After the conflicts began to simmer down, many of the European kingdoms began to look to the Americas, Africa and Asia for resources in order to rebuild their ruined lands, to the lament of indigenous populations. The beginnings of what we know as 'colonialism' in earnest, rather than exploration and territory grabbing that occurred in the 1500s.
As for Fowler, in the show, he mentioned surviving war and famine in Ireland. This was during the Nine Years' War (1593-1603) in which the Tudor Royal Army crushed a rebellion by the Irish against their rule, for religious and ethnic reasons; the war caused a large-scale famine to sweep the island. Fowler was shaped into a monster by the death of his sister and the cannibalization he had to partake in to survive, on top of the ethnic disdain the English had for the Irish at this time and centuries before. This likely created a dark hole in his soul that could not be filled no matter the horrors he could commit to other humans, especially to races or ethnicities he might view as lesser than he is.
By the time the show occurs, Great Britain is a republic under the domination of the ailing Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. He conducted a brutal suppression of Irish Loyalists after the English Civil Wars from 1649 to 1653. The sheer destruction has often attributed Europe's first modern genocide to Cromwell. Fowler, by this time living in Japan, would have heard of what had been happening and that would have probably made his bitterness worse, hence his need to depose the Shogun and then take his tactics and scheme back home to depose the English as he alluded to in the show.
Fowler is by no means a shallow villain. He is a product of personal tragedy and national atrocity, so he aims to inflict his pain unto others, even at the point of doing it to nations. He is essentially a walking microcosm of Europe itself in the 1600s. So... in a way... he and Mizu are two sides of the same coin; created from horrid experiences in their youths which has led them on a path to destruction, though Mizu wants to redeem herself for the pain she knows she has caused, while Fowler is lost to his madness.
As someone who was born in Japan, but grew up in the UK, I really enjoyed the series. I think Darren has got it right - It's not a 'Japanese' viewpoint, a Western one , but specifically a Mixed one. As a child I desperately wanted to connect to japanese culture but in the 70s and 80s and beyond Western popular media was simplistic, romanticised and more than a little racist, but I grabbed onto it as the only thing I had - whether that was Karate Kid, or James Clavell's Shogun etc ... which in retrospect look pretty dodgy but I still can't not feel affection towards them, and I get that sense from the series. Yes it's cheesy and No its not a portrayal what Japan is or was. And yes Racism exists in both the west and Japan, and for mixed race people you get a double whammy.
So anyway, I connected with Mizu and the writers of this one. I loved it.
Thank you. I really enjoyed reading this. Thank you for sharing.
It is a beautifully animated story, loved every second of it... I really got invested in Mizu story and her path... hopefully there will be a Season 2.
Season 2 confirmed, homie!
It'll be very interesting to see how Season 2 plays out because Mizu will be seen as too Asian for London. She's seen as too White for Japan which marks her impurity but in London, she'll be seen as too Asian which marks her impurity there too. Imagine when she gets off the boat and hears ENGLISH for the first time, that'll reveal to the audience that the whole time she's been speaking Japanese and now has to learn a new language and learn a new culture.
Great show, great vid. You mention the last 4 letters of Noizumi's name is Mizu. The first 3 letters are also an anagram of Oni, or demon. Oni Mizu - she's seen as (and sees herself as) a demon frequently, so I wonder if this was intentional too
Oh, that's *good.* That's very good.
Not how anagrams would work in Japanese though. Keeping the syllables intact it would be Ino - dog.
@@AanzeijarThat's いぬ (inu), not いの (ino), which has no meaning in Japanese
@@Aanzeijar the oni would be interpreted in English since that is the part of her that is "tainted". So I think it fits even better if its the English translation of Oni. Her white side is the "devil" after all.
@@agromchung means boar
Silly thing to bring up, there was a metal gear solid parody I saw floating around that compared the katana to the revolver in that both had been similarly romanticized by media and pop culture. Hearing just how much cross-pollination occurred between the samurai and western genres, it seems that observation was more true than the parodies creator intended.
Not silly at all. I love this stuff!
@@ASpaceOstrichI’d argue it makes all too much sense when you think about the fighters involved. The driving force of an era quickly fading into history, trying to maintain a way of life that wider society sees as more and more obsolete.
Am I describing Samurai immediately following the Meiji Restoration or Frontiersmen at the turn of the 1900s?
Great video! Just one critique. It wasn't Fowler that burned down the city, it was Mizu. It was a pretty significant moment for her so I think it's worth mentioning the error.
It’s a fantastic show! Really enjoying it so far.
Yep. It's great. I'm really hoping for a second season.
Watched this, less than two hours later the advertisement for season two popped into my TH-cam feed. Someone somewhere is paying attention. 😅
This is like the reverse of when I accidentally cancelled “The Great.”
Jesse Cox recommended this on the Geekenders and my wife and I immediately binged the whole thing. So so good, I can't wait for season 2!
You guys are rock stars!!!
I hope everyone is settling in at Second Wind and I look forward to more and more of these deep takes on games and cinema.
Thank you!
I have one last episode to watch tonight, but I just wanted to chime in that the layered storytelling in episode 5 - between Mizu's current situation, past experience, and the puppetry play/narration - is in my opinion one of the best pieces of video I've seen in a while. Maybe not groundbreaking, but exceptionally well produced.
Glad to have Darren's commentary back so soon and almost uninterrupted. Wishing Second Wind all the best, I'll be here to watch it all.
Can´t believe you actually made me regret not having Netflix anymore...
Yes Mr Mooney! We need The Recap back please 😍
There are plans afoot. I can't say more. But there are plans afoot.
I was bored one day browsing netflix and saw this, I was like ‘eh ill give it a try’. It completely blew away my expectations, its a very well made show.
It is indeed surprising
Been following Mr Mooney's work since discovering his blog several years ago, and just want to say again how glad I am that he made the jump with the rest of the Second Wind team. I'll definitely miss his written columns, but having a visual component to essays written about film and television is undoubtedly a wonderful fit.
If it helps, I do twice/thrice weekly columns on the Patreon at the $5 tier? I know it’s a lot to ask, but they are there.
I am also pitching other sites with individual article ideas, but haven’t heard back from any of them. Such is life.
@@Darren_Mooney Right! I'd actually forgotten that Nick mentioned that at some point. Unfortunately, exchange rates and an intern's salary don't make $5 the most affordable where I live, especially with local journalism needing all the support it can get, but I'm looking into how to support The Escapist as best I can too.
In any event, always happy to read or hear your thoughts, whatever form they take. :)
Finally finished it! Thanks for recommending it! Came right back here when I was done :)
this show was amazing, thoughtful and entertaining.
This was the best show I've seen this year, period
I'm happy to hear you point out the beauty in the crossing of cultures and races. I personally finds people of mixed heritage to be more beautiful than those of who aren't. The show not only tells us that Mizu is beautiful and desirable to the people that let themselves get close to her, it also demonstrates that she's smarter and more capable than anyone else despite her being considered as a lesser being.
I still appreciate that all of your discussions remain as far away as "this thing good, thing thing bad" and focus in on what makes them interesting. Not good, not bad, but interesting.
This by far is the best analysis I've come across of BES.
So glad I became a patron. I did it for your work on games but you may be becoming the best voice in media criticism. Thanks 🥰
Genuinely the best show I’ve ever seen, and man did it suprise me
Honestly the princess thing they did so damn well. Unlike say a Disney princess that dreams of more, she realizes a much more realistic way to succeed. Which isn't changing your path, but owning a path you are stuck facing. Taking the reigns yourself instead of just hoping for a knight in shining armor or the world to change to suit your whims.
Thanks for bringing this series to my attention! Glad to see this one get a second season.
After this review i watched the whole show, it was incredible, thanks Second Wind team!!
What's really interesting to consider is that the ideological viewpoint fueling american isolationism this time around is partially rooted in the an idealized version of the old west depicted in the westerns that took influence from the samurai films. Films that have had time for three generations to grow up watching them and internalizing them.
Yep. There’s a nice symmetry there, I think.
I had no idea this existed before coming across this video. I would've missed out on one of the best shows of the year.
Glad to see Darren’s videos going stronger than ever. Honestly not enough people talking about one of the best shows of the year. Hopefully we can get more of his coverage of less mainstream film and television. You can tell that the corporate types on the other channel never gave him the freedom he deserved.
Thank you! Much appreciated.
Blue-eye samurai and Arcane are my personal examples of perfection.
It's rather amazing to see the contrast between the quality of Netflix's animated shows versus their live-action shows.
Love seeing this, it's great to see visual to your article on the same subject. Thank you Darren Mooney and Second wind team.
Thanks for watching!
I paused this video at the time it released, and I've just come back to watch it having finished the show.
I love Back Drop
Blue eye samurai was probably my favourite show of 2023
Best show of the freaking year. So good. It's getting rewatched.
Thank you very much for the recommendation Darren! Just started watching and the first episode was magical!
Hope you enjoy!
Kazuo Ishiguro's novel When We Were Orphans deals explicitly some of the same themes, and has a similar moment to Mizu's conversation about impurity and strength, in which an elderly man advises a young child of two cultures:
"Perhaps one day, all these conflicts will end, and it won't be because of great statesmen or churches or organisations like this one. It'll be because people have changed. They'll be like you, Puffin. More a mixture. So why not become a mongrel? It's healthy."
On the theme of someone being alienated due to their foreign heritage, "Sword of the Stranger/ストレンヂア無皇刃譚" had done it best for me so far. Even today, the animation holds up incredibly well and has one of the best, if not the best, sword duels I have ever seen in animation. The plot is rather simple and straightforward despite the animation's elaborate animation; however, that simplicity is perfectly sufficient for the emotional narrative the movie wishes to convey. A plot that honed in more on the political dynamics of the time would have taken away from the themes of alienation and the philosophy of antimilitarism at the movie's core.
As for the edo period (ended by the Meiji Restoration) and the narrative of a more advanced western world encroaching upon Japan (oh the arrival of the black ships, complicated tales of misguided good intentions, revolution and the tragedy of revolution, anything to do with the Shinsengumi or the romantic ideas they represented etc etc), the setting lends itself so naturally to so many interesting ideas. One of my favorite fictional work (Full Metal Daemon Muramasa) takes place in said setting.... or well, a setting loosely based on said time period (instead of the samurai class and guns, you have human sacrifice mechas with superpowers and the invention of super laser guns transforming warfare.)
So a show that touches upon the two points above is automatically going to pique my interest. However, I also worry that Blue Eyes Samurai will go for a safer route and take a more western perspective that focuses solely on the positives of culture blending. (This approach might portray the Meiji Restoration as some wholly positive symbolic affair where it's a blend of rapid westernization and a return to traditional japanese values with power being restored to the imperial family.) Or that it would turn out to be a watered down "colonialism bad" take like the Last Samurai where the traditional values of Japan become romanticized as this fragile beauty that must fade with time (something something wabisabi, but the western watered down version of it.). In reality, the Restoration and the whole mess surrounding it is a complicated affair where there are no simple answers. Many obvious good things came of it from Japan's rise in power and the rapid technological improvements; however, it also gave way to many evils which had been more than sufficiently explore in far too many other japanese literary works of the last century (especially with the easy parallels to the japanese leftist movements of the 60s and 70s)
I suppose the only way to know is to watch the show and find out myself. Time to check the show out!
To be fair, the one European character here is a complete and unequivocal monster.
@@Darren_Mooney Without looking further into the show it's pretty obvious from what was shown that it is oversimplified and has no room for nuance. We have plenty of shows and movies about important subjects that don't take time to show nuance and as a movie nerd I just don't find the simple tropes compelling enough on their own to watch from what seems like a very Western perspective overall. It was piquing my interest and there are so many things to be said about how badly the west has treated Japan since WW2 and how it still does. If it's bothering me already despite taking inspiration from many different sources that I love, I don't think a watch will change that.
@@luvhair255 I don't have the highest hopes either. The metaphor of the blade, used as an example in the video, makes me worry about the depth with which the show actually delves into regarding the culture of that particular time period. The metaphor feels like something the writers saw elsewhere and used wholesale; or that they read how katanas were made on wiki and came up with it on the spot. (If anything, I would say that the sword broke because she had likely been employing it improperly. Who uses a sword to block a bullet!? And a Katana of all things. Plus the impurity part is a bit off since while the sword folding process is aimed at distributing the impurities and evening the metal quality, they are unfortuante necessities brought about by Japan's lack of metal resources. If high quality metal was in abundance, japanese swordmaking would have likely developed in a different direction.) But that being said, I get what the writers are going for, and it's not the worse thing to happen.
I suspect it'll be more of a japanese-flavor American animation if that makes sense. I'll be saddened and disappointed, but that's Ok. Even if I do end up finding its critique shallow, it may just mean that I'm not its target audience. And being shallow isn't the worst thing to happen; to the contrary, having something insightful to say is rare and saying it in an entertaining manner only happens every so often.
I dont think sword of the stranger did the alienation them that well. The main theme was guilt and redemption. Nanashi's heritage was brought up once but that wasnt the reason he drifted from place to place, it was the guilt for what he did. He would have been able to climb the military ladder according to a flashback otherwise. Several Chinese and Japanese characters did show distaste for Luo Lang but 1)Luo Lang dont live in Japan and Japan is shown as more backward than China in the movie 2)Most of the Chinese characters are equitable to him.
And I can assure you that this show dont offer any simple answer. Even when the character "grows", it doesn't mean they are growing into something wholly positive. It's very much growth due to survival pressure.
The metaphor was not the best but it would be very likely what a person of that time, in that period, who know no other way of making sword, would make. If he was aware of how swordsmithing in other more resource rich regions work, he might have made other metaphor (like just import better steel lmao). The villain did make a wrong point about those swords tho, but, well, he is the villain.
@@mdd4296 Thank you for your response! I agree in part with your argument regarding Sword of the Stranger's take on alienation. While I personally identified with the themes of alienation in the film (foreign pawns used by their respective governments), I can clearly see how the film does not do enough to convey this aspect to others. (So more so bias on my part)
In retrospect, I do think the comment on the sword forging metaphor was a little unfair. It is a metaphor that fits well into the show's context and I believe I may have conflated some of my personal gripes (maybe not even that, perhaps it had just been unsubstantiated knee jerk joke reactions) with actual criticism.
Regardless of my preconcieved notion (and my worries which are mostly personal preference), I do have high hopes for it based on the show's own merits. I have heard mostly good things about the show. Plus Michael Green, one of the show's creators, has a pretty solid track record of being part of things I really liked in the past few years (Logan, Bladerunner 2049, American Gods season 1)
i was glued to my screen from start to finish! great stuff!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!
Top notch presentation... keep it up Second Wind
Thank you! Jesse's edit is incredible. And very quick. This came together in about three days.
Fantastic video essay! Definitely going to follow you alongside Cinemastix, Nerdstalgic, and others for this kind of awesome analysis
Loved the article you did on this, which made me want to watch it, and I'm glad I did. The video was even better
Thanks for this vid! Checked the show out as a result and was delighted and impressed. It hits a tone and approach to storytelling that worked for me really well, with compelling characters and gorgeous animation. Wouldn't have watched it if not for you.
Great video! I havent watched blue eye yet but ignored your warning at the start.. Wanna watch it more now after seeing this!
I was surpired by the end, since I felt there was more to explopre, but what an amazing piece... I was flabbergasted by the insights in this review. Was hoping for more, but maybe that is asking for more then you can ask for.
Didn’t finish the video, I’ll be back once I’m done with the series!
Enjoy!
I paused, now I need a series 2
2:07 huh, I never would have guessed! and yeah that was the exact scene I was thinking of... but man the wife and I watched this series and enjoyed every minute of it. Hoping it gets a second season I'd love to see how that story plays out.
This was a beautiful analysis, really loved it ❤❤❤
I award this video with my biggest compliment (i watched it while having lunching). This is a nice series so far, glad I'm giving the other content a chance this time, keep up the good work
"The Backdrop: Food for Thought!"
(More seriously, thank you. Much appreciate it.)
Took your advice and binged it. Holy god that was an awesome show. Now that I have seen it listening to your review did make a few areas make more sense.
Great look at this wondaful show. Big fan of your new intro too.
The intro sequence is incredible. The team did an amazing job.
Beautiful design.
It's gorgeous to look at. Stunningly animated. Reminded me a lot of Renaissance-era Disney, although that's very reductive. (I am not an animation expert, which is why the video steered clear of it.)
Sounds almost like a more philosophical mature expanded version of Mulan. I'll definitely check this out.
I hope you enjoy!
The show is so beautiful!
Fantastic show.
As a side note to your explanation of American and Japanese cultures, if I want a Japanese product, it better be made in Japan and for good reason. Fantastic quality.
Well guess I will come back to this episode next week!
Spectacular script Darren
Amazing edition Omar
As always
It has always being astonishing to me the Love/hate relationship that Japan/USA have always had. This profound respect but envy at the same time of the other ways that you can clearly see in the representation of one in the other, whatever is movies, games or anything else. and that has impacted their culture, their "ways"
Oh, Jesse edited this!
Ow! Sorry
Amazing work Jesse@@Darren_Mooney
Great video! Minor note in the close caption at 2:50, the character is saying "onryō" (a type of yokai that comes up repeatedly in the show), not "un-real"
In a lot of modern fiction, cowboys are American samurai, and samurai are Japanese cowboys
Yep. It's a fascinating illustration of globalised culture is now, that even national archetypes are in conversation.
I really enjoyed this series. Off topic: I recently enjoyed Lockwood and Co - somehow it went under my radar and has apparently not been renewed for a second season
Loved this show, and was very excited to see this video come up in the schedule!
And I finally know who Darren Mooney (no relation) is. That was a joke without a punchline for the longest time.
Aaron Mooney (no relation).
i am of two mind on this show. Because animation and the premise are very good, the story is interesting but every once in a while there is a scene or a piece that seems out of place, "edgy" or forced that was always preventing to consider it awesome. I'd still recommend it though.
I was so impressed with this series and I loved it!
Wonderful show. Some of the historical inaccuracies are pretty frustrating if you care about that. I very much hope for a season 2.
Which historical inaccuracies did you find frustrating?
The Dutch traded at Dejima even during the Japan's isolationist period and guns were an important part of Japanese warfare since before the Shogunate even came to power. So parts of the central plot were based on shaky historal ground.@@jachyra9
@@TheSpeedyTurtle4- In the first episode Mizu remarks to the flesh trader that his pistol wasn't Japanese, indicating that she was familiar with firearms. I didn't read Fowler's plan to import his firearms as implying the Japanese had none of their own.
Love this channel
Thank you! We love you too!
The plotting gets a bit messy towards the end of the season, but I'm here for the ride.
It's good fun.
Love this show
Nice review, thanks for sharing. Love this show, so glad to hear of its renewal!
Thanks for your great analysis
Haven't seen it yet, thanks for the recommendation and breakdown 🤘
Much appreciated, thank you!
Small note: A Fistful of Dollars is an Italian remake of Yojimbo, not American. It's a weird outside step of the Japan/America media influence game, but was such a big influence on bringing Westerns back in America (along with stuff like The Magnificent Seven remaking Seven Samurai)
As ever, an opinion that fascinates and entertains in equal measures
Please talk about Captain Laserhawk a blood dragon remix.
I was going to pass this show off as another Netflix weird show but you have convinced me to give it a shot
Yep. It completely passed me by initial release, Nick had to call my attention to it. I'm glad he did.
Y'know, "another Netflix show" doesn't mean anything lmao, it ain't like Netflix is making any of them.
Yes. If you can, go watch this.
This was pretty dam good.
Thank you! (The show was great, but I hope the video was also good.)
I've missed Darren's deep dives!
Thank you! Wonderful that I got to dig deep on Kurosawa.
Thanks for the video!
Thank you for the watch.
Wondering how the dynamic will be in the 2nd season. Will Mizu have some sort of exotic clout in a foreign culture or be doubly disadvantaged by everything being so alien? Also, here's hoping Gerard Butler is somehow one of the white devils she's hunting.
Next season is gonna be culture shock for the protagonist
I think that cliffhanger is a really good hook, just inverting the show's central premise.
One small twerk: Fowler didn't start the fire, Mizu did when they threw the candle.
that was a really good take on the whole sitch
2 things that stuck out to me that this show did well, that are usually the weakpoint of 99% of anime: realistic dialog and no pauses
Most anime has dialog that drones on forever, spelling everything out. People don't talk like that, and it promotes "tell, don't show" where everyone sits around monologuing about how clever something is rather than show something clever. BES has the characters say just as much as they need to, and shows the rest. It lets the viewer figure out the subtext or veiled threats of each line, rather than someone monologuing the subtext of everything. It SHOWS cool moves during fights and the viewer immediately understand why the moves work; no one is monologuing in the middle of a fight how totally brilliant each move and strategy is.
Excessive pauses is what kills most anime for me. It seems like 50% of the runtime of most anime is characters standing with their mouths agape, "What's this?" "I see" "So that's how it is" "Nani?" "Soka". I think a big reason Cowboy Bebop is held up as a high water mark is because it avoided all those pauses. It also just SHOWED you the action instead of stopping for a monologue to explain it.
For what it's worth: What you/we regard as "excessive pauses" are not in the least to the Japanese. They are conditioned to listen, to place an importance on the other person/persons. We are conditioned to see ourselves, and only ourselves, as important. The Japanese naturally have these pauses in their conversations, allowing time for the other person to listen and absorb what is being said. We naturally dominate any conversation, talking at each other instead of to each other. Seems pretty binary, but that's because it is.
Additionally, Japanese animation is rooted in other forms of Japanese storytelling, notably plays, where actors who are normally reserved and conservative in their speech and gestures become loud and large on the stage for dramatic effect. This would also explain why characters monolog in anime as much as they do, as opposed to Western live action and animated storytelling where silent action has more free reign.
Sorry to be pedantic. But what you view as a weak point in anime is not, just something not to your taste.
Loved the video, great analysis! 💙
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
Thanks again
Thank you!
how come the title cards from second wind are so much better than the old ones on the escapist
great reccomendation it was amazing i now like more than just ghibli anime, i never would have thought
Got it. Brb. Watching episodes
I'm a little sad this doesn't mention the bunraku episode. Mizu perfectly fits the role of the vengeful samurai and the woman becoming an onryo both. Also I kept thinking I recognized Taigen's voice as Dante Basco of Avatar TLA fame and had to look it up lol I did the same thing with The Dragon Prince thinking Claudia was voiced by the same actress as Mei.
My only "one tiny fix" thing for this show would be to make it so Mizu throws the candle at a cart of Fowler's gunpowder, thus neatly tying everything together and make it a little less nonsenstical that a tiny candle burned all of Edo in minutes.
Supposedly the real fire which gutted Edo all started from a single kimono catching fire in a temple, so while I agree it seemed unrealistic in the show, I guess it wasn't so unrealistic after all.
@@bauul. That's clearly a legend, since it was a cursed kimono that they tried to burn and its cursed nature made the fire spread. This show is a lot more grounded than that.
But it was Mizu who started the fire in the city not Fowler.