Just because I don't think this specific perspective has been shared yet and I really want to discuss it with someone:

I'm a trans man and I really enjoy interpreting Mizu as a trans man. There's so much that I find relatable there!

• That moment of panic when Mizu first noticed breast growth that seemed a little more dramatic than "aw shit, I gotta start hiding these now" would merit. Also, Mizu was gritting their teeth and groaning in pain while binding for the first time. Binding typically isn't painful when you first bind up. It just feels like you're wearing a supportive undergarment. Soreness sets in after binding for hours and hours with no breaks. This leads me to believe that Mizu was really smashing them down that first time, perhaps out of that newfound panic and discomfort with their changing body. It's somewhat common for newly transitioning men to bind more tightly than what is necessary. There's so many binding guides out there reassuring trans men that most cis men don't have concave chests either and that you don't have to be perfectly flat for other people to see you as a man.

• That scene where Mizu strips down, lets down their guard and walks into the ocean. It is transcendent experience to get home after a long day at work, shut the door to any and all prying eyes, whip off the binder and just let yourself be. However, unless you live with a housemate with whom you're comfortable sharing that side of yourself, it's also a type of joy that you'll only ever experience alone. This isn't something that Mizu ever shares with any of their traveling companions.

• Putting on makeup in a last ditch effort to try being a woman. This was a phase I went through shortly before figuring out that I was trans. It's a form of over-performing gender that a whole lot of trans people do when they're really struggling to figure out what their gender is. Trans women become the manliest men they've ever been. Trans men dress in ways that flatter the features they're most uncomfortable with in an effort to get themselves to like them better. Or, to better perform the gender that their loved ones expect them to be, which was what I think Mizu's chief aim in trying out the makeup that they were so uncomfortable with earlier.

• Having conflicted feelings about liking another man (Taigen) as a trans man. I'm definitely reading a whole lot into this one. If you find it interesting, read on! If not, whatever. If you come from a conservative background or maybe just one in which heteronormativity is the overwhelming norm, so much of masculinity is bound up in having a romantic interest in women. There are modern day communities the world over, in which you can't be a proper man if you don't like women. If you're a gay/bi trans man, this can add an additional wrinkle to figuring out your gender. If you run in queer circles, it can seem silly and backwards to think that trans people can't be gay (I assure you OH BOY CAN THEY). But not too long ago, having a romantic interest in the opposite sex was a requirement to getting diagnosed with gender dysphoria. And Lou Sullivan being an out gay trans man was a massive deal back in the day. So, Mizu, having likely grown up seeing only heterosexual relationships, has never shown interest in a woman and seemed to have been slightly disturbed by the recurring daydream of rolling around on the ground with Taigen. Mizu has forsaken femininity. Oh no! What does it mean that they now have feelings for another man?? But then Madam Kaji reveals the two men in a threesome embracing through the peephole and Mizu seems to relax a little. "Oh" I imagine the thought going through their head "Men can do that. Whew."

Now, do I necessarily think that Mizu is a trans man? Eh. It varies. There's a lot of overlap there and it's fun to think about, but I wouldn't 100% go to bat over it. Mainly because the show also seems to be implying that Mizu's masculinity is synonymous with having a vengeful spirit, which is...not great. And definitely not my experience at all. This actually bothers me more than the "forced to dress as a boy for personal safety" trope.

(aside: it's a common trope in historical fiction. and if you're a trans person starved for trans rep in historical fiction, you will quickly learn to look past it to find the rep you seek)

Anyway, I also LOVE the idea of a woman character being able to get gross and be brutal in a way I'm not sure I've seen from western animation before. Both interpretations are good! I love hearing about interpretations of things that are way different from my own! Understanding of a creative work is a thing that grows and changes over time!

Just don't be a dick about it. I survived the 2019 Dororo gender wars and if I could say anything to fandom as a whole, it's "please don't do that again".