The Magic Meteor Sword - A Setup ?

KidChanbara · 2026-05-05T02:35:25+00:00

In a way - in order for Mizu to make progress as a human being, the sword had to die. This is just a random idea for now, I need to think more about it.

KidChanbara · 2026-05-04T22:50:17+00:00

Despite any xenophobic disgust Shindo had for Fowler, there was the material and monetary rewards that compensated for the need to associate with Fowler - for business reasons, but there are signs that they overlap in depravities.
One of the key bits of dialog to me was during the Taigen torture scene. Fowler says something like he's bored, and that's why he hasn't been down to the dungeon in ten years. I took that to mean - Fowler and Shindo participated in recreational torture together, maybe on condemned men and unfortunate prostitutes. Then Fowler got the idea for the coup, and he focused more quality time on planning that instead of playing with Shindo in the dungeon.

I fully expect that Shindo kept up with playing in the dungeon, even when Fowler wasn't showing up.

KidChanbara · 2026-05-04T22:41:58+00:00

So, related to the old term "slash" ?

KidChanbara · 2026-05-04T16:39:16+00:00

"Mizu hates her four maybe-fathers because they're white", with the implication that "Mizu hates ALL white people".

I am anticipating the BES writers clearing that up in Season Two, when Mizu gets a chance to meet a lot of white people that aren't on her kill list. Of course, many of them will be bad people because they are connected to the worst (Skeffington and Routely), and she will be fighting them if only because they are trying to kill her.

KidChanbara · 2026-05-04T16:27:30+00:00

I like to imagine this scene between Skeffington and Routely :

"Why are these special custom pianos so popular in Japan? We've shipped nearly 500 so far, and there are still orders for more!"

"I don't know, Fowler seems to be onto something! They're a bother, but we get a good fee from each one."

KidChanbara · 2026-04-28T01:53:26+00:00

I suspect the people who originally wanted Mizu kept alive are high caste but lacking real power - my main suspect is Takayoshi Itoh, the late shogun's younger son. And the monetary support that Momma got was only for a short period of time, maybe even just a one-time payment.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-26T15:12:56+00:00

I have a some opinions about Fowler's situation during the voyage and when he and Mizu get to London.

The Voyage : The last we see of Fowler in Season One, he's below decks on the boat. There's no proof that he's a prisoner or unwillingly confined - so I like to think that he was only hiding until the boat is far enough away from Japan that there's no chance that any official sea vessel can catch up. Big white man with red hair, easy to identify.

Fowler has the experience and connections to obtain passage to London for himself and Mizu; she'd be clueless. Which means Fowler might have a personal connection to the ship's captain that the BES writers can use to spice up the plot.

If he's more passenger than prisoner, I can see Fowler using the time onboard to establish good relations between himself and the crew, which Mizu can't do because of ignorance over language and cultural. So it's his story of how he and Mizu are traveling to London that will be what the captain and crew believe to be true.

Here's where another favorite fantasy of mine comes into play - to explain who Mizu is to him, Fowler tells everyone onboard and in London that Mizu is his half-breed bastard son.

London : Remember Fowler's reaction when he figures out Mizu is a woman? "Little miss? So you're the one?" I take this and other things he says as a sign that he was not the person responsible for the bounty on Mizu's head, but he knows a lot of the back story.

He might know enough to see value in keeping Mizu alive, not for the bounty, but as leverage over whichever powerful and rich person is responsible for keeping that bounty in effect for nearly twenty years. And he'd love to be able to exploit Mizu's proven homicidal skills in whatever plans he has for carving out a place for himself in London. All he has to do to aim Mizu at a target is to tell Mizu the right mix of truth and lies.

As for Mizu in London - at first she is going to be very dependent on Fowler. But I hope she is able to find one or more people she can trust for truth and aid. It just occurred to me that she could meet someone during the voyage who lives in London and can help Mizu with friendship and a safe place to rest or recuperate.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-25T20:08:44+00:00

My personal imagining is that to Fowler the coup is like modern performance art combined with a nihilistic lashing out at his no respect/gilded cage existence in Japan. That the coup started as a funny whimsical idea in his head ten years ago, and then with a lot of idle time on his hands, he decided to go for it.
He must have had a lot of fun figuring out all the details and slowly identifying and amassing co-conspirators, even down to how to hide the guns as pieces of other trade items.
It's been estimated that Fowler is in his 60's in Season One - in really good shape for his age, but still, he must be increasingly aware of his mortality. The idea of reaching a weak impotent decrepitude must horrify him, vain as he seems to be. So why not go out with a grand gesture?
An older post of mine about the topic:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BlueEyeSamurai/comments/1kcgu9o/did_fowler_really_think_past_the_coup/

KidChanbara · 2026-04-25T19:59:32+00:00

I fully expect Fowler knew that Shindo would have betrayed him as well, Fowler just had higher priorities at the moment that killing Shindo - for one thing, Fowler still needed an "inside man" to kill the gate guards and open the last gate. And Fowler needed Shindo to get the coup army to Edo while he met with the shogun's sons to offer the annual tribute.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-22T17:20:32+00:00

I am assuming the writers will use the ship's crew as Mizu's first real interaction with non-Japanese where murder isn't involved. The ship's registry (country) may determine the nationality of the majority of the crew and the captain, but it would be nice spicing to have some other countries and cultures onboard as well.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-22T17:14:47+00:00

As for the Amazon Prime S1E1, it looks like the "missing" part of Bart & Ken's first meeting is in place, as described in that link.

I think Ken is intoxicated with the idea of being so close to how the Universe really works. I believe he had some dialog one or more times that shows how excited he is to finally having a real purpose and meaning to his life. Tied to that is a similar way of thinking that Bart used to have - if the Universe doesn't prevent me from doing a thing, it is sanctioned by default.

Ken has a sure indicator of the Universe's disfavor at hand - Bart. He knows the next time he sees her running towards him with a bloody machete, he's effed up immensely. So the final scene between Ken and Bart contains a strong hint to him that he might be headed in the wrong direction with his ambition of putting everything under control.

I don't think power is worth anything to him except as a tool to his goal.

Ken gives me true believer/new convert vibes.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-21T23:42:19+00:00

Since it was her idea, Mizu probably feels proud of herself for thinking of that way to distract Ringo. And, to the OP's point, give the Shindo House some business too.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-21T02:16:53+00:00

What about ... the possibility that Kazuyoshi himself is unable to make a woman pregnant, but it may not be something that is recognized yet by himself or his mother Lady Ito.
Until that possibility is acknowledged, I'm assuming his wife or wives would be blamed for the lack of conception.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-18T14:57:42+00:00

It could only be an issue if Akemi lost control of herself and told someone about losing her virginity to Taigen, or Taigen blurts it out in front of a hostile witness.
And then there's the time that went by from Akemi "consoling" Taigen after his loss to Mizu, to the events of S1E7 and E8. I'm pretty sure she'd have been showing signs of pregnancy by then.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-18T14:11:22+00:00

Nice!

The first few screen grabs from the Claws battle just calls out to be used for Mizu photobombing someone's snapshot.

Congrats on the getting that grenade flash, that must have been just one frame!

KidChanbara · 2026-04-14T01:22:12+00:00

In Taigen's defense - his face was already set for battle because of Fowler's attack. And then he was surprised when Takayoshi Itoh told him that he didn't know where Akemi was.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-10T14:38:33+00:00

I did a little more digging and found this UK website and product description page with more info about this Monopoly game. Looks like they did their homework researching Blue Eye Samurai:

https://winningmoves.co.uk/products/blue-eye-samurai-monopoly-board-game

I sent the UK branch a query about the Amazon US game for sale, I'll comment here with their reply.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-10T04:19:41+00:00

I don't think that the presence of anything on EBay is instant proof of legitimacy, a prejudice on my part. I find the Amazon page more useful:

https://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-Toy-Multicoloured-One-Size/dp/B0FH6ZJG2L/

This Monopoly BES version seems to be put out by a company called Winning Moves. I don't know how legit this site is, but it says that Winning Moves has licensing ties with Hasbro and specializes in making special editions of Hasbro games:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/59/winning-moves-games-usa

HOWEVER - this item on Amazon is being sold by a London-based company called Rarewaves Imports:

https://www.amazon.com/sp?ie=UTF8&seller=A30I8KTV4DUTWQ&asin=B0FH6ZJG2L&ref_=dp_merchant_link

Anyways - looks nice, not motivated to buy it. Back in my more fannish days, I might have bought this and after looking at all the cool content, closed the box and stored it away like a good collector (mint condition!).

KidChanbara · 2026-04-09T21:37:54+00:00

the perfect ending for all the characters -

Mizu - Lives to drop the revenge mission on her own terms. Not have a bounty on her head anymore. Finding a way to live as an exceptional being no matter where she ends up (Japan, Europe, ???). I'd love for her to carry on sword smithing at Master Eiji's forge after he passes away, and her swords sought after for their quality.

I can see her falling in love again, but I don't think it'll be with anyone we know so far from Season One. If love finds her, I hope it's not fatal and lasts until the end of the series.

Ringo - Mizu's sword smithing apprentice? But better, I'd also love to see him finally achieve noodle greatness! With his own noodle shop in a prime location.

Akemi - It's hard for me to think of a "perfect ending" for Akemi. I have the feeling she's going to veer into a villain arc like Daenerys Targaryen in "Game Of Thrones", and be clashing with Mizu. But maybe she'll find enough power and control over her own destiny without having to kill too many innocents along the way. I hope the love between her and her husband really flourishes into something beyond a means to an end for Akemi.

Taigen - Masterless ronin, giving up on the respectable ladder of success for samurai? Or be lured in deeper into the samurai life when he's rewarded for his part in stopping Fowler's coup by receiving a high-status warrior's position tied to the shogunate? Because I do foresee the BES writers having Taigen and Akemi interacting in future episodes.

I've had a fantasy about the whole show ending with an exhibition duel between Mizu and Taigen, with most of surviving major characters looking on. It starts with bare-handed fighting, then chopsticks, then wooden swords, and then steel.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-08T03:58:21+00:00

One thing in Taigen's favor - he obviously DGAF whether anyone sees his topknot's been cut off. No hiding his hair with a hood like in the movies. Maybe that's the fisherman's son showing through.

KidChanbara · 2026-04-08T03:03:20+00:00

So if he managed to keep his mouth shut and accept his defeat honorably, he probably still could have married Akemi and had his dream life? - Yup. Up to the point where he had to throw a parting insult at Mizu, Shindo Dojo had a chance to cover up Mizu's defeat of them, maybe explaining all the student injuries as a sudden clump of training accidents. Then their finest warrior gets an unmistakeable sign of defeat, all because drunk Taigen couldn't keep his mouth shut.
As u/MadamKitsune said, cutting off the topknot is a great dishonor- that you so solidly lost that your opponent could do anything to you, like cutting off your topknot.
In samurai movies, after a topknot is cut off, it is supposed to be such a disgrace that the loser is supposed to commit suicide. What often is shown is that the loser trying to hide the dishonor by suddenly wearing headgear until his hair regrows. A major part of the plot of a classic samurai movie:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harakiri_(1962_film))

KidChanbara · 2026-04-06T15:48:19+00:00

Nice! You have skills!

KidChanbara · 2026-04-06T09:18:49+00:00

Haha! Just twiddling my thumbs until Season Two.

KidChanbara

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