“We wanted the audience to have that experience”: Blue Eye Samurai Had One Hidden Nod to Clint Eastwood That Many Fans Might Have Missed
The legendary actor-director was known for his roles in Westerns that were directed by Sergio Leone.
SUMMARY
- The Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai was recently released to universal acclaim and love from the audience.
- Creators Michael Green and his wife Amber Noizumi revealed that they were influenced by Clint Eastwood’s classic Westerns.
- They also mentioned that they had included a reference to the actor’s iconic character in the show.
The Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai has been gaining traction and has been acclaimed by many critics. The show, created by Academy Award nominee Michael Green along with his wife Amber Noizumi follows the story of a mixed-race ronin, who seeks revenge on the men responsible for her discrimination in 17th Century Japan.
The show has many influences and is extremely cinematic. The makers revealed that the series was inspired by classic Spaghetti Westerns such as The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in The West, and more. They also mentioned that they gave a specific reference to star Clint Eastwood and his iconic character.
The Story Behind Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai
Creator Michael Green is known for writing a variety of blockbuster films. He has written the screenplays for films such as Green Lantern, Alien: Covenant, Blade Runner 2049, and the upcoming MCU film Blade. The writer was nominated for the Academy Awards for his screenplay for Logan, the James Mangold-directed Hugh Jackman starrer.
Green co-created Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai with his wife Amber Noizumi, who revealed in an interview with ScreenRant that it took them fifteen years to realize the project. She said,
“The short answer is we had a baby. Much to my surprise, she had blue eyes. We started calling her our little blue-eyed samurai, and we’re like, ‘Wait, that’s a great idea.’ But a lot of it came from just my mixed race background, just feeling stuck between two worlds.”
The show follows the protagonist Mizu, a mixed-raced ronin who is on a quest to exact revenge on four white men whom she believes to be the cause of the discrimination she has faced throughout her life. The story is set in 17th Century Japan, during the Edo Period when the country closed its borders.
Blue Eye Samurai stars Maya Erskine, Masi Oka, Brenda Song, Kenneth Branagh, and Randall Park among others. The show was recently released on Netflix and has received universal acclaim for its animation, writing, and performances.
Blue Eye Samurai Gave A Subtle Nod To An Iconic Clint Eastwood Character
Creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi mentioned that they had a host of references for the show Blue Eye Samurai. The adult animated series is set in 17th Century Japan and has a Western sensibility to it. The creator mentioned many names such as Akira Kurosawa, the Zatoichi films, Lady Snowblood, Kill Bill, and more.
One of the most prominent influences on the show seems to be the Spaghetti Western style, especially the Clint Eastwood starrer The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, as well as director Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West. Michael Green mentioned that the character of Eastwood’s The Man with No Name which features in the Dollars trilogy was a huge inspiration. He said,
“When we spoke to Maya Erskine about building her performance, that Mizu is literally the man with no name in the first episode. She does not get called Mizu until later. We wanted the audience to have that experience of treating a mixed race woman as a Clint Eastwood type, strong, silent male character.”
The creators also mentioned that they would be honored if any of the audiences compared their show with any of the classic films that they were inspired by. Blue Eye Samurai is currently streaming on Netflix.
