Taigen x Mizu mentioned in the The Making of Netflix’s “Blue Eye Samurai”

Taken from the livestream organised by Gnomon

Jane Wu:

Next slide, Taigen...

Brian Kesinger:

Everyone's favourite samurai, uh, Taigen. Uh, so, he was designed a bit over the top. The, the, peak of male samurai, even down to the quite prodigious hair bun, which he doesn't have on screen for much. Uh, but, um, he is the visual opposite of Mizu, right, so it was fun to kinda let her design dictate what his design should be, and, you know, I think that, you know, especially for all you Taigen x Mizu fans out there, I think that might be one of the reasons why he's attracted to her. Um, or in my brain, he's attracted to her, uh, is because she is who she wants to be, and doesn't have to put on airs. Uh, and that's a lesson that he has to learn and he literally, I mean, it's on the nose but, he lets his hair down. And that's the start of his journey of discovery, um, which he needs to go. He's, he's got a lot of growing still left to do. Um—

Jane Wu:

I also think he has a, has a talent—he has like a... sword crush on her right, he has like a martial arts crush on her, yeah. Talent crush, yeah.

Brian Kesinger:

Right, yeah. Talent crush. Yes. Yes, for sure.

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For context, Jane Wu is Blue Eye Samurai's supervising director and Producer, while Brian Kesinger is the lead character designer. Others presenting for this livestream were production designer Toby Wilson and art director Emil Mitev.

Blue Eye Samurai characters and the four elements - some thoughts I've had since there are four core character in the story.

Ringo seems like Earth - he's sturdy, solid, as much physically (despite his disability) as mentally. He is very much grounded in his beliefs and rather is the one who changes others, like Mizu. He is the character in the story whose character & goals don't change immensely, he remains steady - he wants to be great and useful, and despite differences with Mizu he near constantly stands by her and goes back to her. Also he's a cook & a healer , giving him a nurturing aspect.

Taigen : That's were it gets interesting ! Taigen at first seems like fire. Relative to Mizu he's presented as a violent bully, vicious & destructive, and later a proud man, quick to anger and single-minded. But we do see that he has evolved positive qualities too ; he has a sweet relationship with Akemi & truly cares about her. He develops respect for Mizu. Which to me means he's swapped element ; how he complements Akemi matters in this. But his own desire to cut his way "out of the net" of his poor upbringing and seemingly predetermined future makes him close to the element of air, as in like Akemi, he seeks a form of freedom. Him embracing the kind of lif were Akemi & him run away from her family & his duties/honor together, confirms it to me.

Akemi : originally the one I'd associate to air. She's the most constrained out of the three protagonists,and the one yearning the most for freedom. She's associated directly to a bird in a cage, which she sets free and emulates when he flies away. But like Taigen, she shifts ; they actually swap, as Taigen renounces ambition while she embraces it in from of a burning bulding. What element better associated to power than fire, after all ? She literally is compared to a sun goddess in the series (and that is related to her sexuality and the way she wields it to take control).

Mizu : this seems like the most forward given her name, since it means water ; and to first explore that there are some two similar quotes from both Blue Eye Samurai & Memoirs of a Geisha that convey the vibe pretty well : "being on your own, you could be like water. Impossible to catch" (The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride) // "[My mother] she told me I was like water. Water can carve its way even through stone, and when trapped, water makes a new path..." (Memoirs of a Geisha). Especially that bit about being trapped & carving your way out of that situation. Mizu really feels like she's capable of anything with her blade. She can be anything, like water can take any shape ; like water Can find its way anywere, so does she. They are both flexible, obstinate and resilient. But then, there is the burning in Mizu's heart. How Mizu's inner conflict and désire for revenge is likened both to her most naturel element (a storm in the soul, a typhoon, a breaze at sea swallowed by darkness...) And to fire (the fire in you rages beyond control). She is water but she is raised in a forge, she knows fire & how to use it intimately ; her relationship to fire is not just negative and destructive, there is actually a meaningful aspect of creation & art through fire in her story (the 2d and 7th episode show that well) but of course, she is the reason why the city of Edo burns at the end. She is mixed, made of two clashing elements that rage in her, like her japanese side clashes with her white side.