Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Netflix has renewed its ‘best show of 2023’ a month after quietly releasing it

The hidden gem has a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes

Jacob Stolworthy
Friday 15 December 2023 12:39 GMT
Comments
Blue Eye Samurai - trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Netflix has just renewed one of its best new shows of the year – a month after quietly adding it to the service.

The streaming service releases a bunch of new movies and TV series each month, many of which have been heavily promoted. However, there are also plenty of projects that arrive without much fanfare that end up becoming sleeper hits.

One such series – Blue Eye Samurai – was released on 3 November. The animated series is a French-American production from husband and wife duo Michael Green and Amber Noizumi.

Set in 17th-century Japan, it follows a half-white half-Japanese swordsmater named Mizu (Maya Erskine) as she hunts down four white men who illegally remain in Japan ahead of the closing of its borders by the Tokugawa shogunate

Shortly after its release, word-of-mouth generated excitement around the series, with many calling it “the best Netflix show of the year” – and that positive chatter has led to a season renewal.

“When we started this project, we made a commitment to take this very personal story set in Edo-period Japan and bring it to life in the most authentic and beautiful way possible,” Green and Noizumi said.

“Our animators, historians, musicians, martial artists, and voice cast made this a reality beyond our expectations. We are thankful to our entire team and to our viewers from all over the world who have shown such passion for Mizu and her path of revenge.

They promised: “Mizu has a lot more blood to spill! We are deeply grateful to our incredible partners at Netflix for letting the journey continue.”

The renewal of Blue Eye Samurai, which has 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, is a win for the show’s cult following. In recent years, the streaming service has increasingly seemed hesitant to renew acclaimed shows that don’t top the service’s most-watched charts and clock a certain number of hours viewed.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free
Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

Over the years, series including Mindhunter, The OA and, most recently, Shadow and Bone have been cancelled, without being able to conclude the story for fans.

‘Blue Eye Samurai’ is one of Netflix’s best shows
‘Blue Eye Samurai’ is one of Netflix’s best shows (Netflix)

Blue Eye Samurai arrived one week after another animated show being called one of the best recent examples of the genre – the Japanese manga adaptation PLUTO.

It’s currently unknown whether PLUTO will return for a new run.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in