There’s only so much we can say about the stunning visuals of the upcoming anime series Blue Eye Samurai, but luckily for us, Netflix decided to show it with a new trailer that just dropped ahead of the show’s premiere next week. The story centers around Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine), a swordmaster who vowed to avenge her family in Edo-period Japan, even if that means going up against the most skilled samurais in the world.
The new trailer for Blue Eye Samurai evokes the same kind of feeling you’d get when watching a Japanese or Chinese movie – the cloud of arrows in the air at a certain moment certainly reminds us of Zhang Yimou’s masterpiece Hero. The extreme violence delivered in simple blows, the concentration it takes for skilled warriors to master their craft, and the incredible landscapes that stay on your mind long after you finish watching are just some more elements.
It’s hardly a surprise that Blue Eye Samurai draws inspiration directly from Japanese and other cinema masterpieces. In a recent interview with Collider, series creators and writers Michael Green and Amber Noizumi cited everything from Genndy Tartakovsky (Primal) to Kill Bill and Harakiri as influences. Green is no stranger to amazing visuals, having written and helped come up with the design of Blade Runner 2049 and American Gods.
‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Sets Pretty High Bar For Itself
In his review of the series, Collider’s Nate Richard wrote that Blue Eye Samurai makes it abundantly clear that Green and Noizumi certainly know their stuff when it comes to samurai stories, and fans can expect to spot Akira Kurosawa (The Seven Samurai) and Takashi Miike (13 Assassins) references throughout the episodes. He also wrote that the series “lives up to its promise.”
The voice cast of Blue-Eye Samurai is also an element that is set to greatly elevate the series. The team was able to gather a slate of actors who are top-of-mind when it comes to modern representation of Asian culture in the U.S. It includes Masi Oka (Hawaii Five-0), George Takei (Star Trek), Brenda Song (Station 19), Randall Park (WandaVision), Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever), Ming-na Wen (The Mandalorian), Harry Shum Jr. (Glee), Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat), Mark Dacascos (Knights of the Zodiac). A European element is bound to make itself known throughout Blue Eye Samurai as well, since Kenneth Branagh (A Haunting in Venice) is also in the voice cast.
Netflix premieres Season 1 of Blue Eye Samurai on November 3 in the U.S.. You can add it to your watchlist and get notified when it finally debuts. Check out the new trailer for Blue Eye Samurai below:
via Collider