When it comes to the best and most binge-worthy shows on Netflix, Blue Eye Samurai takes the lead for me in a million different ways. While a second season is confirmed (which you'll be able to watch with a Netflix subscription whenever it releases), originally Blue Eye Samurai wasn't guaranteed a continuation, especially when underrated Netflix shows get canceled so frequently – that is, until the edits began to pour in, something for which the creators are ever grateful for.
I am, of course, talking about how social media aided this Netflix series, which follows a Japanese female warrior of mixed race. Blue Eye Samurai exploded after edits of the main character, Mizu, and several other characters, began to spread across mediums like TikTok, Twitter, and more in December 2023 and into the new year.
After the adult animated series scored a 2024 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, I had the chance to speak with the co-creators (and real-life married couple), Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, and I knew I had to ask about the effect social media had on the show. Noizumi was quick to say they are so "grateful" and there's no better accomplishment than being able to "capture the attention" of younger generations these days:
Well, we are grateful for it. We are very grateful for the people who make these edits. Our daughter showed us some edits. She's like, 'Oh my gosh, it's on my For You page!' And it's amazing some of the edits these people make…is there any bigger praise than capturing the attention of young people like this?
Green agreed, saying that while the two are "not really on social media," they love to see the edits from their kids and what people "gravitated" towards with the show. Of course, some edits can be a bit hard to decipher, so much so that he's felt the need to ask his children if it's a "compliment" or if it's "making fun" of the series, jokingly saying, "it's both" sometimes:
It was really fun seeing what they gravitated to relationships. They seemed all about two characters finding each other or fighting each other, and they didn't agree about what was the most important relationship either. It was great. It's one of the most fun forms of engagement, but it's something that's very alien to me. We're not really on social media. Our kids are, and we had to have them explain to us certain things. One of my favorite things I've had to ask: 'Is this a compliment or are they making fun of us? I can't tell.' And it's both.
Green has also written for movies like the X-Men feature Logan, Alien: Covenant, Blade Runner 2049 (which is receiving a sequel TV series, Blade Runner 2099), and more, but I think Blue Eye Samurai is some of his best work to date with his Noizumi – and the fan edits are clear proof of the love of that.
Blue Eye Samurai’s second season is expected to appear on Netflix's TV schedule at some point. While it might not be part of the 2024 TV premiere lineup, there's hope it will arrive within the next year – and when that happens, I'll be ready with my TikTok algorithm.
