Despite critical acclaim, Blue Eye Samurai did not make any noise when it first premiered. In good time, though, folks started tuning in to the wonder that is this series, and when they did, questions began to arise.
In this gory tale of vengeance, not everything is clear-cut, especially when it comes to the main character’s past. As Mizu travels in search of the four European men who remain in Japan illegally (one of whom is probably her father), we slowly get to discover more about her and come to understand what turned her into the person we see on the screen. Needless to say, she has gone through a lot in life.
One of the most significant events in the swordmaster’s backstory is also one that evokes curiosity and confusion among viewers. Of course, I’m talking about those flashbacks in episode 5, “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride,” in which we see soldiers show up at Mizu’s doorstep to collect the bounty on her head. She had been living there for over a year with no issues, meaning that someone must’ve tipped the men off on her whereabouts. But who?
Who betrayed Mizu?
It’s impossible to say for sure if Mizu was betrayed by her husband or mother, and that’s precisely the point. It doesn’t matter to Mizu which of them ratted her out, as she felt betrayed by both. Despite Mikio’s claim that his only crime was cowardice, though, it’s tough to believe that he wasn’t involved in the betrayal, at the very least.
It’s easy to imagine Mikio divulging Mizu’s location out of anger at having been defeated by her and to win back his overlord’s favor. Besides, his actions during and after the attack seem pretty suspicious. Not only did Mikio leave Mizu to fend for herself, but he also accused her mother of selling her out and stabbed her when she launched an accusation back. Was it his desperation to shut Mizu’s mother up that drove him to kill her? Or was it his hurt ego over being called weak by her?
On the other hand, it’s implied by Fowler that the mother had betrayed Mizu before, so there’s a good chance that she did it to buy opium. Or maybe Mikio and the mother were both in on it, and that’s why none of them helped Mizu. After all, they both had something to gain by selling her out. They may very well have expected her to die, and when she didn’t, they were quick to blame each other in an effort to save their own skins.
All that said, at the end of the day it was Mizu’s feelings of betrayal by both that set her back on the path of vengeance. Thus, it’s irrelevant to the story which of them actually betrayed her, and that’s exactly why viewers never got to find out. Mizu never did, so why should we?
The first of hopefully many seasons of Blue Eye Samurai is now fully available for streaming.