The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride

The most striking episode of the series. It will satisfy you incredibly and raise the bar in cinematic terms.

I think you will feel great pleasure in finding yourself in a completely different story, because it is impossible not to be like that. Mizu's character becomes completely ours, you understand her and you connect much more.

While instilling this in us, you will also be dragged between intertwined stories in this episode.

This series will be highly valued and you will tell people about this episode in the future. You will wonder what that fifth episode was and you will want to watch it again. Have a good time in advance.

Enough here have mentioned the (quite literally) killer storyline and similarities to certain cult classics, so please, if you will, allow me to focus on the animation.

This entire show is a visual poem and a graphical ode to beauty in its many forms: from the light to the very very dark. Every single scene and shot of every episode is steeped in it; each is carved out like a woodblock print in meticulous detail with loving care and attention and rendered frame by frame for our viewing pleasure.

I've lived in Japan the better part of my life as an immigrant and a long time ago, as a youngster, I would eagerly take part in all those traditional things that young foreigners enjoy... shodo, kendo, kyudo, sado, kado etc. Etc...

And have watched many Kabuki and Noh but one of the most remarkable things I have ever watched since coming to Japan was Bunraku, the puppet shows. The puppets seem to take on a surreal life of their own and someway through the show, you cease to even see the men in black that manipulate the characters and the master puppeteer himself merges into the background, despite often remaining entirely visible the whole time he manipulates the protagonist.

All that remains is the puppets, living their lives that feel as real as yours and mine. Amazingly they managed to express that remarkable transition from wooden object to living being via the medium of animation in such a convincing way that I found myself moved to tears at a few points in this incredible episode.

This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful pieces of animation I have had the pleasure of watching.

Outstanding.

The storylines in this episode weave into each-other beautifully, creating a tense atmosphere as you wait to find out what happened in the others. Many heartbreaking scenes as it touches on Mizu's backstory further. The puppet show is a beautiful idea and was also quite entertaining just on its own.

The fights are beautiful, though. Showing how she learns from her past, and showing the multi-purpose use of her attire. Mizu is badass in this episode and the pacing is amazing too.

All in all a beautiful episode i adore watching whenever i rewatch the show. It is difficult to describe how much i enjoyed the show and this episode.

MY GOD... I am speechless! It is rare to see a TV episode that makes you feel so much in so little time! This was legendary! A combination of beauty and horror! Love and hate!

This episode combined a beautifull and tragic lovestory with nervewracking action! And to top it off, its all wraped around "The tale of The Ronin and The Bride" in this one big Crescendo! Who came up with this? This was unreal!

By the end my heart was in pieces, poisened by hate and betrayal! At first I cried, but then i was in shock.. cold! The character of Mizu makes sense and the origin of her bloodlust was painfull!

This episode deserves its place among one of the GREATEST of 2023! Please go watch this if you haven't!

This is a tale i will always remember.. and never forget!

This episode was truly amazing. There are flashbacks intertwined with the present action, that give a whole new perspective to the harsh battle that Mizu is facing.

Some elements reminded me of the Bride in Kill Bill, of which I'm very fond.

The music elegantly illustrates the beats of the story.

What an emotional rollercoaster neatly packed in a single episode ! A true beauty filled with old school puppets, romance, sadness, sweetness, betrayal, combat, bravery and cowardice. This episode was like a noodle soup where the writer/cook uses only the best ingredients for the broth, noodles and toppings : each bite makes you long for more while being exactly satisfying.

It's rare that I'm afraid to discover the next episodes of a series because I'm enjoying the story so very much.

Blue Eye Samurai is so well written, the action is so visceral, the characters so endearing and true to themselves, that I'm torn between the need to know what is going to happen and the sadness of consuming each episode because it's the last time that I'll be able to discover its beautiful contents for the first time. I guess if Schoppenhauer was alive, he would come up with the accurate german term to express this state of inner turmoil which I feel when finishing an episode and asking myself if I should wait at least 24 hours before watching the next one. Something like Schadenfreudebingewatchoderwarten.