Blue Eye Samurai is heading back to Netflix with the announced release of Season 2.
The R-rated animated series stunned viewers at the end of 2023. It provided a stylish animated samurai story about a mixed-race Japanese warrior on a quest for revenge in Edo-period Japan.
Created by husband-wife duo Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, the series has been heralded as a true blue critical darling, receiving plaudits for its stunning animation and gripping character study.
When Is the Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 Releasing?
Thankfully, fans excited for more storytelling in the Blue Eye Samurai universe will not have to wait for a Season 2 announcement.
Shortly after Season 1's debut in November 2023, Season 2 of the animated series was officially greenlit by Netflix (per The Hollywood Reporter).
This comes as series creators Amber Noizumi and Michael Green have made it clear they have a four-season plan for the series.
With Season 2 officially rubberstamped in December 2023, fans can start to look ahead at when the next batch of Blue Eye Samurai episodes will be released.
Season 1 was officially greenlit in October 2020 before being released three years later in November 2023.
Production will likely be slightly expedited for Season 2. The initial set of episodes was produced during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which may have slowed things down.
However, that does not mean fans should expect a miraculous turnaround for the animated series' second season.
It will still take some time to complete Season 2 production, so the series should not be expected earlier than 2026.
Who’s Cast in Blue Eye Samurai Season 2?
While casting information has not yet been made public for Blue Eye Samurai Season 2, there are some actors fans can expect to return in the series' sophomore effort.
The biggest name likely definitely coming back for Season 2 is Maya Erskine as Mizu.
Born as the illegitimate daughter of a Japanese woman and an unknown French man, Mizu is the titular blue-eyed samurai from which the series takes its name.
Other major players likely to appear in Season 2 are the Shogun-allied Irish smuggler Abijah Fowler (played by Kenneth Branagh), the charming Japanese cook Ringo (Masi Oka), and the strong-willed Princess Akemi (Brenda Song).
It is worth noting that a few names will certainly not be back in a second season of the hit Netflix series, namely George Takei's Seki, Randall Park's Heiji Shindo, and Mark Dacascos's Chiaki, as they all died during the events of Season 1.
Here is a full list of the expected returning cast for Blue Eye Samurai Season 2:
- Maya Erskine - Mizu
- Kenneth Branagh - Abijah Fowler
- Masi Oka - Ringo
- Brenda Song - Akemi
- Darren Barnet - Taigen
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa - The Swordmaker
- Stephanie Hsu - Ise
- Ming-Na Wen - Madame Kaji
- Harry Shum Jr. - Takayoshi
What Will Happen in Blue Eye Samurai Season 2?
Major narrative changes are seemingly coming to Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 as the series heads for Europe.
Season 1 ended with Maya Erskine's Mizu leaving Japan and going anchors up to take her revenge tour to London.
This likely means that (at least part of) Season 2 will occur in Europe, specifically England.
Two of Mizu's potential fathers are still out there, and her bloodlust to bring them to justice is an exciting prospect as she leaves the country she has called home since the day she was born.
Speaking with Netflix's Tudum, series writers Amber Noizumi and Michael Green said they think it will be "interesting" to see how "Europeans react to her" and how she internalizes the ins and outs of Western society:
"It would be an interesting part of Mizu’s personal journey to see how Europeans react to her. What would she think of Western culture when she’s suddenly immersed in it? Are they all the monsters she thinks they are?"
Supervising director and producer Jane Wu told Variety that the idea of London came from Noizumi and Green and made the team go "Wow" upon hearing about it for the first time:
"The idea of going to London was always Michael and Amber’s idea, and I remember when the last script came out and we were reading it. In the end when Fowler says ‘London,’ I think the team collectively just went ‘Wow.’ Because how cool would that be, right, to take a character that’s so Japanese and drop-kick them in London?"
She added that Season 1 addressed the Japanese side of Mizu's heritage, while Season 2 would tackle the half of her that is European:
"And also, half of [Mizu’s] heritage is there. How does she deal with that? Does she accept that she’s not accepted? What do the people in London think? So I think that’s such a wonderful opportunity to talk about Mizu’s struggle more, and just go down that rabbit hole."
As for where exactly she sees Season 2 going, Wu posited, "We will probably explore London," but how much ultimately depends on "the budget and the schedule:"
"Story-wise, I can’t clearly say what we’re expecting in Season 2, because I don’t have the script in hand. But I do think we will probably explore London — and how much of London is really depending on the budget and the schedule."
Blue Eye Samurai Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
