Відео

Mizu is a trans male to me. I think mizu's gender is a vague and that's the point. They are an androgynous characterso you can interpret _him/her/they_ with whatever connection hits you the viewer the hardest. Personally I see them as a solid trans man by the end of the show. While everyone says "Mizu is a girl that was FORCED to be a man" that is only true for the first part of _his_ story. _They_ were born female but society forced them to be a boy. However in Episode 5 they are given a chance to return to a life with his birth gender and _he_ fights it. There is a small part in their life where they are presenting female and while they do enjoy some elements of femininity it could be argued that they simply enjoyed having a loving partner. Either way, Female or Closet male, _they_ make it clear that _she_ can only be truly happy if their husband accepts both the *male side AND the female side*. When Mizu isn't accepted the demon is shown, the demon being neither male nor female because such concepts are silly when in the fight. The plot illustrates the 3 parts extremely well with the play, Mizu being the ronin ( _his_ male side), the Maiden ( _her_ female side), and the demon representing the hatred in _his_ soul in which gender doesn't matter. After the trauma in episode 5 Mizu completely presents male and everyone refers to _him_ with male pronouns. While for most of the cast it can be argued they simply don't think a woman can be a samurai or just see _her_ as a monster... but the reason I personally believe _him_ to be a trans male is Ringo's use of male pronouns when the two are completely alone. Ringo knowns Mizu's secret and yet he respects Mizu's desire to be male presenting even when the stakes don't matter. If Ringo see's Mizu as male, then _he's_ male to Me! There is a large comparison with mulan and while I see the similarities To me there is a clear reason why Mizu *is* a trans male and Mulan *isn't* . Mulan's Happy ending is with a husband while female presenting despite her tomboyish side. I have a feeling that if Mizu does settle down with a partner in future season's, regardless of the partners gender or sex, Mizu would only be truly happy if _he_ presents masculine or at the very least present both masculine and feminine traits as they asked their past partner to accept. Likely with Male pronouns given their kinship with Ringo.... Anyways I always refer to the character as he/him unless specifically describing their trad wife era in episode 5 lol This is of course all my interpretation of the story and I feel people are allowed to disagree with me. I am not trans. I am a cis male. I thought the trans rep was VERY intentional, especially by Episode 5. I am INCREDIBLY disheartened that I saw "Mizu is Trans" came up with such negative results. You didn't deserve hate on this video and I stand by the trans rep. TLDR its up for interpretation but personally, life is a journey and I see them as forced to be a boy, then briefly an insecure woman, then a man by choice therefore cementing as a trans male in a time where the label wasn't known. And the key is Ringo's respect for their gender.

Wow people can be really intense when doing a trans analysis of a "cis character" (which the show didn't explicitly said she is). You guys sure are boring, just ready to repeat what other characters reactions on Mizu being FMAB said. Btw, how the characters interact and what they say ≠ true on how Mizu perceives herself. I personally think she's more on the non-binary/genderfluid spectrum. Yes, she was told as a child that she couldn't be a girl because society sucks, etc, etc and for that she (didn't) exactly decided on how to present herself, she acted as a man and dressed like a man (ik clothes and how to act shouldn't define your gender but this show is settled in the Edo period Japan so, we can't really apply the same logic, specially in a time and country with such fixed gender roles). So let's talk about how Mizu reacts to feminity and masculinity. Btw I'm on chapter 5 so maybe I'll be proved totally wrong inater chapters. Mizu tends to be a little uncomfortable with the traditional feminity expectations, which makes sense even as a cis person because patriarchy and all, and she likes being independent and strong, straightforward; qualities not expected from women. But feminity is also related to being sweet, empathetic, caring, which as far as I've seen has only displayed when killing the girl the Madam asked her to kill, and with her mom. The way I've seen it, Mizu resonates way with being a man and socializing as one (can't fault her I mean, being a woman specially in that era really sucked) but the thing is that if she was so sure about her womanhood she'd still seek ways to live with that part of herself, but no, she prefers to be a man (yes, u can say is for practical reasons, but again she tends to reject when other people socialize with her as a woman). In a way I think Mizu ultimately doesn't care whether she's a woman or a man, I think he's just his own person. In Japan there's an specific term to refer to non-binary people which is the "X-gender". We also have a counterpart which is Akemi, who was raised to filled the model of the perfect traditional wife, but had to change her whole perspective through the story, relying solely on herself, but guess what, we don't see Akemi's gender starting to get confusing. She's still true to herself even when starting to act out of the norm. Something I would like to add which was what made me be convinced that Mizu is more on the "X-gender" spectrum is when, in the brothel, when the Madam is guiding them to watch all kinds of people with different preferences, in a room with a heterosexual couple who kiss and get intimate when another man joins them to kiss the man and THAT'S WHEN Mizu recalls their fight with Taigen, the moment their faces were too close (sexual tension idk) and feels a little embarrassed. But that'sssss the thiiinnggg, Mizu remembered that not when the girl and the guy were kissing, no, it was when the other dude appeared and all of the suden it was super gay. If she is super sure of being a woman as a lot of people presume them to be, why did they react that way in that moment? Aaaniways that's my take on Mizu's gender dilemma. In general I don't think it's "She's a woman/she's a man because she was told to be a man". For me they're still queer as fuck and definitely in the trans spectrum.

Mizu is definitely trans. He hides his blue eyes but will happily take off the glass when he needs to or wants to shock someone but he never stops being a man in the show. Even when hes by himself he presents masculine. if the writers didn't want him to be trans they could have shown him happy as a wife or removing the chest binding when relaxing, but they don't.

As a trans man, seeing Mizu pretending to be a man made me think the show was gonna go that way. I was disappointed to say the least lol. She, of course, is still representation as you say. I mean when her flashbacks as a woman happened, i felt wierd seeing her be seen as a woman and dressed femininely, it felt wrong. And i feel that it shows how even if Mizu says to the camera that she is cishet, she still gave a lick of representation to queer folks watching it. Even if a show rejects a certain view, it does not mean the audience can't and shouldn't see it that way. That's the beauty of art, it's subjective, anyone can watch and get their own views, theories and representation whether its confirmed or not.

A few further points since this video seems to be getting a lot of attention: 1) Accidental trans representation is *STILL* trans representation. Just like how almost every "quirky" character you like is actually autistic representation (e.g. Wednesday Adams, Jess from New Girl, etc.) If a character resembles a marginalized group, then that group was drawn upon to create said character, whether conciously or not. On top of that, majority representation is completely unimportant in the face of minority representation. Mizu being cis would be a waste of a character. Does that make you angry? Then you should analyze why you're against characters you like being trans. 2) Presenting as the opposite gender to gain certain privileges*IS QUEER.* If it wasn't, you'd see movies doing this all the time. Amd yet you don't, *BECAUSE IT'S INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE TO GO AGAINST YOUR INTERNAL SENSE OF GENDER* If Mizu did not identify as a man, he'd be looking to escape having to present male in private, something that doesn't happen. The only time he presents feminine is when their are others who expect that of him, and the show visually shows that he finds this crushing. It's like, blatant and very basic film language. 3) Did... Did you guys seriously not realize Mulan is a trans allegory? Like really? Erika Dapkewicz was at the heart of the movie, involved in every step of production. She worked on the film before realizing she was trans, and has since been very vocal about how much her gender dysphoria influenced the whole project. 4) Why are you assuming Mizu is cis? Why are you presuming that she must fall in line with her agab? Mizu doesn't barrel the camera and say "I identify as a man," sure. Why is that what you NEED from the character to recognize them as trans? If you have to assume someone's gender, the safer bet is almost ALWAYS the way they ask to be referred to and present themselves. But because you think trans people are some minor exception, you assuming Mizu must be cis as long as he doesn't out and out call himself trans. 5) Trans may be a "modern" label, but trans people are as ancient as humanity itself. Being trans is nothing new, there were definitely trans people in Feudal Japan, even if they would've called themselves something different than "trans," specifically.

You are reaching. Mizu is not trans. What the hell are you talking about? Mizu is a girl who has to hide everything about herself to stay safe in a society that considers her a freak and from people who would kill her for simply existing. And yes, your discussion trying to make everything about trans is beyond tiring. It's sick. Trans is not the majority or the norm. We were willing to give you all inch but you just had to push for a mile (in other words, world domination). It's not going to happen.

sveeeeeeensk

As someone who is asian, mixed, and a trans man I can’t lie I have to disagree with this video. Is it alright to interpret Mizu as trans representation? Yeah, sure. But she isn’t exactly *good* trans representation in itself and certainly isn’t trans. If Mizu in herself was trans or good representation it would have been more of a focus such as the focal point of the show- her being ostracized for being mixed which is something I much more heavily relate to rather than your points of Mizu supposedly being trans. Sure, I can relate to not wanting to accept the roles your AGAB has set for you, but so can many cis people, because the binary is something that is rigid and affects all of us. It is made very clear that the lines of *acceptable femininity* in her setting is something Mizu isn’t comfortable with at all. Her disgust at her chest and feminine pronouns can also be chalked up to her innately wanting to get away from those roles, not inherently changing her gender. What Mizu represents is more so breaking out of rigid gender norms in itself, to chalk that up directly to being trans would be innacurate for many people who do not identify as trans. Good trans representation should be better than the signs left here

Mizu has never self-identified as a man.

Blue eyed samurai is not a trans representation to begin with. Just because Mizu pretended to be a man to actually get rights women couldn't have at the time doesn't make her a man.

women in that era could not do shit by themselves especially things that mizu was doing in the show unless they were a male and mizu knows that herself and thats why at a young age she wanted to appear more masculine and be presented as a male, so she can work on her revenge without the difficulties that she would have to go through if she presented feminine. when mizu threatened the bald guy, she wasnt offended that he misgendered her, she probably thought the guy was going to tell others that mizu is a woman and stop her from doing shit that she needs to do and thats why she reacted like how she reacted. i mean i think mizu trans hc is valid but i js want you to know that this character is not a trans representation in the slightest but instead shes representing women in edo period who crossplayed as a male for more rights

I watched Blue Eye Samurai quite a while back now so there's details I can't remember entirely, but I do remember watching it as a trans man myself and praying the show would make Mizu's trans identity an undeniable fact. I remember watching scene after scene and thinking about how much of myself I saw in him. I will say though, what upsets me more than the show not exploring that route, is the response I've seen so many (mostly cis) fans give every time a trans person dares to bring up the clear coding. Regardless of if you (re: anybody) personally view him as a trans man or not, regardless of if he's "really" trans or not, his relation to gender at the very least could be used as an analogy. I think denying that really says something about your ability to comprehend media. And furthermore, I think calling people, especially trans people, who believe Mizu is trans sexist (an argument I've seen way too many times) really says something about your views on trans people and gender as a whole. Mizu being a trans man wouldn't take away from his experiences with sexism or being "burdened by gender roles". Gender and transgenderism isn't so black and white. Being trans would not take away from any sort of message the show hoped to portray. In many ways I think it would even add to it. Sorry if this is rambly or doesn't make much sense, it is very late at night.

I loved Blue Eyed Samurai. Mizu is not trans, you cannot just put a lable on something because it might fit your world view. Mizu does struggle with being a woman, absolutely, but that does not make her trans (why are you misgendering her btw?). She just shows that being a woman is more than just pure femininity and no one is arguing against that. She has very masculine features and behavioral patterns compared to other women in the show and women in general but that does not make her trans. Femininity is a spectrum in a sense that some women are really feminine and some are comparatively masculine or anything in between, but that does not mean that they're not women.

well the problem here is that Mizu is not a form of trans representation in the slightest. She's burdened by her gender role of being a woman because obviously she wants revenge and old timey japan is rooted in beliefs that think women should not be samurai. Mizu doesn't like to be viewed as weak because she was weak her entire life and the one time she actually leaned into her femininity with becoming a wife it ended terribly. It's not trans representation which is actually better for the themes of the story. If she was trans then it wouldn't really add anything, but since she's blatantly a woman we can talk about themes like gender roles given by society and she's an excellent female character who doesn't abide by the mary sue tropes. not trans, just a damn good female character.

I don't personally agree with your take because I don't see Mizu as being inherently trans but rather an outcast due to her race, forced by the circumstances to be a boy rather than being so as an act of transition. I felt differently too about her peforming femininity as a wife as it felt like she was finally able to express that side of hers and was fully embracing it only to be reminded she could never ever be seen not just as a woman, but as a human at all. For Mizu dressing like a boy is more an act of survival and pure practicality rather than an act of gender affirmation.

This was a great video! You really made alot or valid nuanced points in under 10 mins. That shit fire. Keep cooking. Cheers~ 🥂

i think my comment got deleted so i assume anything not agreeing with what you said in this video isn't welcome here? kind of defeating the whole point of making a video expressing your opinion if you don't allow discussion on it.

I literally just saw that on netflix. I might consider watching it depending on your take!

Howdy. I found you on threads.

I was actively against Chihiro being trans for a bit because I thought it went against her arc, and all the things people pointed out as trans things eggs do like Alter Ego being female and crossdressing and stuff were just repressed feelings that all guys had and that people were making a big deal out of nothing… Yeah, I’m a girl now. Chihiro is trans.

WRONG, BRIDGET IS A PERFECT FEMBOY AND NOT TRANS, GIRLY BOY! NOT WOMAN TURNED MAN OR VICE VERSA! RAHHHHHHHHHH!

Thank you for this video essay, very relatable topics. And also thanks for letting me know that I could watch this in the background while doing something else in the meantime (as you said on threads), I ended up cleaning with the phone being nearby :3

Obsessed with your earrings willow 🥺

your earrings are so cool!

You seem very kind and chill!! Definitely feels like hanging out with a friend💕 I’m excited to see you keep posting!

The voice! Very important and neglected. For me it is helping me make the total transformation I need to make. Boobs are nice if you can get them. First year I got some nice development. Sometimes I think it has slowed now. I think our transition can have plateaus and peaks. It is important to be patient and maintain mental and physical health. Support helps, but it is not always there. Therapy also eases the way. FFS, oh my, a big challenge for me too. Willow, keep the content coming.

I think you should do a video reacting to queer memes

I have *these* now! Boobas

This woman seems so friendly!! And her makeup is so PRETTY

I wish you would make more videos. As the mum of a 30 year old trans woman that only just come out as trans, 5 months on HRT. I really want to understand her journey better as I never saw any signs she was trans.

more videos!

Envy and wish. Want to pass, bottom surgery. Me too! I am 6' tall with very broad and square shoulders. It is a process. I think the percentage of trans people is less than 2%. Hard figure to get at. Certainly, the percentage who transition is tiny. Nice to see your channel. I think you have a lot to share that can help many of us. Willow, you describe many things I experience. I am interested in being with a man now which is a shift for me. This is different than you. By the way, you are very cute!! 😊Be happy in your journey.💖

You look fine . The earrings are to die for . 🎉🎉

It is not just the new trans women who watch these kinds of videos. I have been living in the roll for 5 years and on HRT sense January 2021. I watch videos from my new sisters as every one's journey is different and I try to be there for support. I am still pre-op do to lac of funds working towards clearing that issue up. Being low income sucks and I fought who I am most of my life do to that. Turns out doing that was even more of a risk to my life than just unwanted thoughts. My testosterone levels were causing high blood pressure. I was put on Spiro around 2014 give or take a year when the other blood pressure pills I was put on were not lowering my it enough. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure it was 210 ish over 110 ish. I have no clue how I did not have a stroke but once on Spiro my bp started going down and when I gave in to my true self and it got upped to 100 mg from 50 mg my bp dropped to normal levels and has stayed normal even with out taking any thing other the Spiro and estradiol. I always failed at fighting being female as the harder I tried fighting it the more it showed in my mannerisms.

You are doing great! You are sincere and clear about what you are doing, feeling, and becoming! You are, also, pretty🎉❤

Them ear rings r cute!

Hi Willow, Thank you for the encouraging words. I’m also new to HRT. Scheduling my procedures and living my truth. It’s great to hear your voice. It makes me feel not so alone. Thank you! By the way I’m Bianca…

You are pretty, Willow.I love your earrings.

Thank you so much for educating anyone that might have any questions and also for sharing your story! Great video 🎉 PS. I love your earrings!!!! 💜💜💜💜💜