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Blue Eye Samurai

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69-396: Blue Eye Samurai is an adult animated action television series created and written for Netflix by wife-and-husband team Amber Noizumi and Michael Green , with supervising director and series producer Jane Wu. It was co-produced and animated by French studio Blue Spirit  [ fr ] . The first season premiered on November 3, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for

138-475: A soba (noodle) shop, Mizu encounters a " flesh-trader " (a purveyor of women to brothels) with a Western pistol. Mizu forces him to reveal the name of the weapons dealer, Heiji Shindo. Ringo, the kitchen attendant, follows Mizu and implores to be taken as an apprentice. Princess Akemi, the only daughter of the Daimyo of Kyoto , Lord Daiichi Tokunobu, convinces her father to approve of her marriage to Taigen,

207-450: A bias towards live-action and raunchy animated sitcoms, compared to early pioneers. However, the result is a new audience that is ready for narratively-sophisticated adult animated works and a new crop of creators exploring the adult animation space. This development allows creators to continue challenging the perceived limitations of animation. Many animators and adult animation fans, both international and non-Disney respectively, boycotted

276-580: A child, Mizu encounters Master Eiji, a blind swordsmith; they recover a glowing blue metallic meteorite. She becomes his apprentice and learns swordsmithing and swordcraft. Reluctantly allowing Ringo to join her, Mizu arrives at a coastal town, seeking to hire a boat to reach Shindo’s island fortress. Shindo and the foreigner plot a 'surprise' for the Shogun in Edo. Taigen pursues Mizu to regain his honor. Because of Taigen's defeat, Akemi's father plans to marry her off to

345-435: A copper plate. To ensure that the puppet head is not damaged, the finishing of the hairstyle is made with water and beeswax, not oil. The costumes are designed by a costume master and are composed of a series of garments with varying colors and patterns. These garments typically include a sash and a collar as well as an underkimono ( juban ), a kimono , and a haori or an outer robe ( uchikake ). In order to keep

414-407: A demon. Less complex heads may have eyes that move up and down, side to side or close, and noses, mouths, and eyebrows that move. Controls for all movements of parts of the head are located on a handle that extends down from the neck of the puppet, and are reached by the main puppeteer inserting their left hand into the chest of the puppet through a hole in the back of the torso. The main puppeteer,

483-575: A guest column in Variety criticizing the Academy for the remark and how Hollywood has been treating animation. The column commented that "no one set out to diminish animated films, but it's high time we set out to elevate them." Alberto Mielgo , director of The Windshield Wiper , later gave an acceptance speech for the Oscar: "Animation is an art that includes every single art that you can imagine. Animation for adults

552-411: A largely black-and-white palette and an altered soundtrack. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a 97% critic rating with an average rating of 8.30 out of 10 based on 29 reviews. The website's critics' consensus says: "Visually dazzling while paying deft attention to character, Blue Eye Samurai is a masterfully rendered animated adventure." Metacritic , which uses a weighted average, assigned

621-402: A moving painting" with character design drawn from bunraku puppets. Inspiration was taken from the character Zatoichi , the " Man with No Name ", and the works of Akira Kurosawa . The creators have stated their aim to make three or four seasons, and possibly a spinoff. Episodes 1-7 have an aspect ratio of 16:9, with episode 8 changing to a more cinematic 2.35:1. On December 11, 2023,

690-482: A note promising to attend their duel at a later time. Taigen is subsequently kidnapped and taken to Heiji's castle. Mizu seeks out Madame Kaji’s brothel to follow up on what Heiji Shindo revealed about how prostitutes enter the castle of Abijah Fowler, the white man she is seeking. Kaji promises to give her the information if Mizu agrees to mercy kill Kinuyo, a deaf-mute girl who was in Kaji's care before being forcibly taken by

759-783: A run at the National Theater. The National Bunraku Theatre also tours within Japan and occasionally abroad. Until the late 1800s there were also hundreds of other professional, semi-professional, and amateur troupes across Japan that performed traditional puppet drama. Since the end of World War II, the number of troupes has dropped to fewer than 40, most of which perform only once or twice a year, often in conjunction with local festivals. A few regional troupes, however, continue to perform actively. The Awaji Puppet Troupe, located on Awaji Island southwest of Kobe , offers short daily performances and more extensive shows at its own theater and has toured

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828-434: A score of 88 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Renowned video game creator Hideo Kojima praised Blue Eye Samurai as the "best anime of the year", describing it as "a visual work that transcends the common sense of animation". Adult animation Adult animation , also known as mature animation , and infrequently as adult-oriented animation , is any type of animated motion media that

897-804: A second season which will be released in 2026. During Japan 's Edo period (17th century), half- white half- Japanese onna-musha (female warrior) Mizu (meaning water) quests for vengeance against four white men, one of whom is her father, who illegally remained in Japan during the closing of its borders by the Tokugawa shogunate . Dacascos, Gallagher, and series co-creator Amber Noizumi also voice additional minor characters. Other supporting voices are provided by Gedde Watanabe , Eric Bauza , Clyde Kusatsu , Keone Young , Brittany Ishibashi , Holly Chou, Marcus Choi, Matthew Yang King , Jane Wu, West Liang, Alain Uy, Takaaki Hirakawa, Sherry Cola , and Christine Ko . In

966-484: A single head. The head of Tamamo-no-Mae , by pulling a string, can instantly cover the face of a beautiful woman with a kitsune (fox) mask. It is possible to represent, with a single head, the true appearance of the nine-tailed fox that was disguised as Tamamo-no-Mae. Note that in Noh , the change in the attributes of the characters is represented by removing one of the double-layered Noh masks. The nashiwari ,

1035-406: A type of head, can be made by pulling a string to split the head in two, revealing a red section to represent a head severed by a sword. The preparation of the hair constitutes an art in and of itself. The hair distinguishes the character and can also indicate certain personality traits. The hair is made from human hair, however yak tail can be added to create volume. The ensemble is then fixed on

1104-457: A young and accomplished samurai. Mizu seeks a meeting with the master of the Shindo Dojo to find out the location of his brother, Heiji Shindo. When the request is denied it leads to conflict; Mizu defeats the students easily. Taigen, who tormented Mizu as a child, is now the dojo's prized champion, but when Mizu defeats him, the master reveals the location of his brother. In a flashback as

1173-544: A ‘Tea ceremony’ with Heiji. Though Taigen suspects this to be a trap, Mizu accepts and they both travel to the meeting. Heiji gives Mizu three options: be paid off to renounce her vendetta, be smuggled into Heiji's castle in sake barrels to kill the white man, or refuse and be killed by archers supposedly hiding nearby. Mizu calls Heiji's bluff and cuts off his arm. Taigen and Mizu escape with Ringo's help while being bombarded by hundreds of arrows. Afterwards, Mizu knocks Taigen unconscious and leaves him with Chiaki's broken blade and

1242-412: Is a fact. It's happening. Let's call it cinema. I'm very honored because this is just the beginning of what we can do with animation." They also suggested to the Academy that the category should be presented by filmmakers who respect the art of animation as cinema. Another factor is that numerous feature-length animated films have been made for older audiences or with ranges of PG-13 or more, starting in

1311-746: Is catered specifically to adult interests and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adults and adolescents, as opposed to children or all-ages audiences. Animated media (includes animated films , television series , and web series ) in this medium could be considered adult for any number of reasons, which include the incorporation of toilet humour , nudity , sexual content (either explicit or suggestive), graphic violence , profanity , dark comedy , political themes, or other thematic elements inappropriate for children and/or younger viewers. Works may explore philosophical, political, or social issues. Some animated productions are noted for their complex and/or experimental storytelling and animation techniques,

1380-438: Is draped over the front and back of the shoulder board, followed by the attachment of cloth. Carved bamboo is attached to create the hips of the puppet, arms and legs are tied to the body with lengths of rope. There is no torso to the puppet, as it would merely block out the puppeteer's range of movement of the individual limbs. The isho , or costume of the doll is then sewn on to cover over any cloth, wooden or bamboo parts that

1449-563: Is later saved by her presumed-dead mother, who goes on to arrange a marriage between Mizu and a disgraced samurai, Mikio. Mizu gradually opens up to her new husband, but when she beats him in a sparring match, he calls her a monster. He fails to help her when soldiers arrive to collect the bounty on her head. Feeling betrayed, she battles the group and kills them. Mikio and Mizu's mother fight over who betrayed Mizu. Mikio stabs Mizu's mother to death. Mizu kills Mikio and leaves. A narrated bunraku puppet theater play intersperses and complements

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1518-416: The shamisen player provide the essential music of the traditional Japanese puppet theater. In most performances only a shamisen player and a chanter perform the music for an act. Harmony between these two musicians determines the quality of their contribution to the performance. The role of the tayū is to express the emotions and the personality of the puppets. The tayū performs not only

1587-405: The ashizukai , operates the feet and legs. Puppeteers begin their training by operating the feet, then move on to the left hand, before being able to train as the main puppeteer. Many practitioners in the traditional puppetry world, particularly those in the National Theater, describe the long training period, which often requires ten years on the feet, ten years on the left hand, and ten years on

1656-407: The omozukai , uses their right hand to control the right hand of the puppet, and uses their left hand to control the puppet's head. The left puppeteer, known as the hidarizukai or sashizukai , depending on the tradition of the troupe, manipulates the left hand of the puppet with their own right hand by means of a control rod that extends back from the elbow of the puppet. A third puppeteer,

1725-426: The forty-seven rōnin is also famous in both bunraku and kabuki. Bunraku is an author's theater, as opposed to kabuki, which is a performer's theater. In bunraku , prior to the performance, the chanter holds up the text and bows before it, promising to follow it faithfully. In kabuki, actors insert puns on their names, ad-libs, references to contemporary happenings and other things which deviate from

1794-533: The Academy over remarking that animation was synonymous with "kids" during the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. The award for the Best Animated Feature was presented by three actresses who portrayed the Disney princess characters in live-action remakes of their respective animated films: Lily James ( Cinderella ), Naomi Scott ( Aladdin ), and Halle Bailey ( The Little Mermaid ) . While introducing

1863-637: The Heron , officially rated PG-13 by the MPA . For the 22-year history since the inauguration , it became the first adult animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 96th Academy Awards ; all the previous winners were either rated G or PG. Bunraku Bunraku ( 文楽 ) (also known as Ningyō jōruri ( 人形浄瑠璃 ) ) is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre , founded in Osaka in

1932-601: The Japanese word for puppet (or dolls, generally) is ningyō . It is used in many plays. Bunraku 's history goes as far back as the 16th century, but the origins of its modern form can be traced to around the 1680s. It rose to popularity after the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1724) began a collaboration with the chanter Takemoto Gidayu (1651–1714), who established the Takemoto puppet theater in Osaka in 1684. Originally,

2001-622: The Shogun and his family. Fowler kills the Shogun, but the Shogun's sons and wife escape after Mizu crashes in, leaving Taigen to kill Heiji Shindo. Mizu subdues Fowler after starting a fire while attempting to stop him from fleeing, which rapidly spreads throughout the castle and then to the city. In October 2020 it was reported that Netflix had greenlit production of the series, with creators Green and Noizumi acting as writers, executive producers and showrunners , with 2D / 3D -hybrid animation by French studio Blue Spirit. They wanted it to "look like

2070-595: The Shogun's son, and of Fowler's impending attack on the Shogunate . Taigen rejects Mizu's broken blade and leaves for Edo to save Akemi and warn the Shogun, vowing to kill her when he returns. After multiple failed attempts and an epiphany that results in mending ties with Ringo, Mizu manages to recreate the metallurgy of her sword's steel but refrains from reforging it until she has slain Fowler. Mizu and Ringo leave for Edo to save Akemi and kill Fowler. Mizu asks Ringo to wait by

2139-409: The Shogun's widowed second son and will take her to Edo in five days, despite her objections. She decides to run away in search of Taigen, although her father's retainer Seki catches her and, unable to stop her, joins her instead. Taigen and Ringo take Mizu to shelter at a nearby shrine. Mizu agrees to a contract to duel Taigen once she is recovered. A huge man with a club delivers an invitation to

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2208-515: The United States, Russia and elsewhere abroad. The Tonda Puppet Troupe ( 冨田人形共遊団 ) of Shiga Prefecture , founded in the 1830s, has toured the United States and Australia on five occasions and has been active in hosting academic programs in Japan for American university students who wish to train in traditional Japanese puppetry. The Imada Puppet Troupe , which has performed in France, Taiwan, and

2277-653: The United States, as well as the Kuroda Puppet Troupe are located in the city of Iida , in Nagano Prefecture . Both troupes, which trace their histories back more than 300 years, perform frequently and are also active in nurturing a new generation of traditional puppeteers and expanding knowledge of puppetry through training programs at local middle schools and by teaching American university students in summer academic programs at their home theaters. The increase in interest in bunraku puppetry has contributed to

2346-408: The artist does not wish to be seen. Finally, a slit is created in the back of the costume in order for the chief puppeteer to firmly handle the dogushi head stick. Unlike kabuki, which emphasizes the performance of the main actors, bunraku simultaneously demonstrates elements of presentation (directly attempting to invoke a certain response) and representation (trying to express the ideas or

2415-469: The beginning of the 17th century, which is still performed in the modern day. Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance: the Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai ( puppeteers ), the tayū ( chanters ), and shamisen musicians. Occasionally other instruments such as taiko drums will be used. The combination of chanting and shamisen playing is called jōruri and

2484-410: The category, Bailey stated that animated films are "formative experiences as kids who watch them," as James put it, "So many kids watch these movies over and over, over and over again." Scott added: "I see some parents who know exactly what we're talking about." The remarks sparked controversy and with those working in the animation industry describing them as infantilizing the medium and perpetuating

2553-537: The clothing and the paint. The heads are in effect repainted and prepared before each presentation. There are approximately 80 types of puppet heads broadly classified, and the Digital Library of the Japan Arts Council ( ja ) lists 129 types of puppet heads. Some of these heads have special tricks on them, and by pulling the strings of these tricks, the expression of the puppet can be changed to show that

2622-431: The costumes soft they are lined with cotton. As the clothing of the puppets wear out or are soiled the clothing is replaced by the puppeteers. The process of dressing or redressing the puppets by the puppeteers is called koshirae . A puppet's skeletal structure is simple. The carved wooden kashira is attached to the head grip, or dogushi , and thrust down an opening out of the puppet's shoulder. Long material

2691-549: The emotional aspects for the audience. In bunraku the futo-zao shamisen which is the largest shamisen as well as that of the lowest register, is employed. The instruments most frequently used are flutes, in particular the shakuhachi , the koto and various percussion instruments. The heads of the puppets ( kashira ) are divided into categories according to gender, social class and personality. Certain heads are created for specific roles, others can be employed for several different performances by changing

2760-1096: The establishment of the first traditional Japanese puppet troupe in North America. Since 2003, the Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe , based at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri , has performed at venues around the United States, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institution , as well as in Japan. They have also performed alongside the Imada Puppet Troupe. The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta , Georgia , has an extensive variety of bunraku puppets in its Asian collection. The chanter/singer ( tayū ) and

2829-457: The evening, but they are not generally pornographic or obscene. AdWeek called adult animation "animated projects aimed at grown-ups, not kids." They also focus on issues that adults handle, and have cheeky, and occasionally crass, humor "that has no limits—bouncing between funny and offensive," while evoking a "balance of reality and fantasy". They may also contain violence or sexual themes. International animators and filmmakers were among

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2898-460: The feelings of the author). In this way attention is given to both visual and musical aspects of the puppets as well as the performance and the text. Every play begins with a short ritual in which the tayū , kneeling behind a small but ornate lectern , reverentially lifts their copy of the script to demonstrate devotion to a faithful rendering of the text. The script is presented at the beginning of each act as well. Despite their complex training,

2967-443: The head of secondary characters before finally developing the requisite skills to move to the manipulation of the head of a main character, as an artistic necessity. However, in a culture like that of Japan, which privileges seniority, the system can also be considered a mechanism to manage competition among artistic egos and provide for a balance among the demographics of the puppeteers in a troupe in order to fill each role. All but

3036-436: The human has turned into a yōkai (strange apparition) or an onryō (vengeful spirit) by activating the trick. For example, by pulling a string, the gabu , a type of head, can instantly split a beautiful woman's mouth open up to her ears and grow fangs, her eyes change to a large golden color and she grows golden horns. It is possible to represent the transformation of a woman into hannya (female demon) in

3105-399: The instructions relayed by Madam Kaji, finding the underground passageway to the castle littered with the skeletons of women and infants. While trying to unlock the door to exit the tunnel, she accidentally triggers a water trap and just manages to escape drowning, but loses most of her gear. Her covert entrance is blown when a soldier sounds the alarm, interrupting Heiji and Fowler's meeting at

3174-456: The late-1990s with South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut , and for those future adult animated films including The Triplets of Belleville , Persepolis , Waltz with Bashir , Chico and Rita , The Wind Rises , Anomalisa , My Life as a Courgette , The Breadwinner , Loving Vincent , Isle of Dogs , I Lost My Body , and Flee . Most of them were nominated in various categories , though none have won until The Boy and

3243-601: The latter with many distinct styles have defined such unique artistry. Adult animation is typically defined as animation that is aimed at an adult audience. It is also described as something that "formative youths should stay far, far away from" or has adult humor and comes in various styles, but especially sitcoms and comedies. Some have stated that it refers to animations with "adult themes and situations", which uses "explicit language" and make jokes that adults, and occasionally teens, are "more likely to understand" than others. On television, such animations often run in

3312-408: The left side is referred to as the shimote (stage right). The puppets are made to appear and then leave the stage through the small black curtains. The blinded screens are just above these small curtains, and they have special blinds made from bamboo so that the audience cannot see inside. The joshiki-maku is a large, low hanging curtain hanging off of a ledge called the san-n-tesuri . It

3381-472: The live broadcast; some speculations suggested that the speech played a role in the decision to not broadcast the award. The winner for the Best Animated Short award was The Windshield Wiper , a multilingual Spanish-American film which is considered adult animated, while another nominee in three categories: Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature Film , and Best International Feature Film ,

3450-412: The local "thousand-claws" mob boss Hamata. After convincing Kinuyo to believe Mizu will protect her, Mizu carries out her task and leaves the scene making Kinuyo's death look like an accident. However, on her way out a boy sees her; Hamata arrives at Kaiji's brothel with his fighters and orders them to kill everyone. After realizing Akemi has run off, Lord Daiichi sends his men after her. Akemi ends up in

3519-466: The most minor characters require three puppeteers, who perform in full view of the audience, generally wearing black robes. In most traditions, all puppeteers also wear black hoods over their heads, but a few others, including the National Bunraku Theater, leave the main puppeteer unhooded, a style of performance known as dezukai . The shape of the puppeteers' hoods also varies, depending on

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3588-430: The next performers on the stage. In the area between upstage and downstage, there are three stage positions, known as "railings" ( tesuri ). Located in the area behind the second partition is often called the pit and it is where the puppeteers stand in order to carry out the puppets' lifelike movements. This stage looks from an angle of the audience, the right side is referred to as the kamite (stage left), while

3657-412: The next scene. The shamisen used in bunraku is slightly larger than other kinds of shamisen and has a different sound, lower in pitch and with a fuller tone. Bunraku shares many themes with kabuki . In fact, many plays were adapted for performance both by actors in kabuki and by puppet troupes in bunraku . Bunraku is particularly noted for lovers' suicide plays. The story of

3726-497: The night with them. The whole environment that gave birth to these puppet shows is reflected in the themes. The yuka is the auxiliary stage upon which the gidayu-bushi is performed. It juts out into the audience area at the front right area of the seats. Upon this auxiliary stage there is a special rotating platform. It is here that the chanter and the shamisen player make their appearance, and, when they are finished, it turns once more, bringing them backstage and placing

3795-750: The notables of adult animation works: Some television channels and their segments or blocks that focused on broadcasting adult animation: Several highly-acclaimed adult animated films and television series have received substantial recognition from critics. Thanks to Bakshi's Fritz the Cat , the film influenced animators and filmmakers over the course of the late-20th century and into the 21st century, catering such important artistic and narrative structures with mature subject matter. Conversely, several works have been largely ignored by many detractors for their depiction of graphic subject matter and sensitive topics, such as violence, race, gender, and sexuality. They still show

3864-419: The puppeteers originated from a very destitute background. The kugutsu-mawashi were itinerants and as a result were treated as outcasts by the educated, richer class of Japanese society at the time. As a form of entertainment, the men would operate small hand puppets and put on miniature theatre performances, while women were often skilled in dancing and magic tricks which they used to tempt travelers to spend

3933-467: The puppets in the Awaji tradition are some of the largest as productions in that region tend to be held outdoors. The heads and hands of traditional puppets are carved by specialists, while the bodies and costumes are often constructed by puppeteers. The heads can be quite mechanically sophisticated; in plays with supernatural themes, a puppet may be constructed so that its face can quickly transform into that of

4002-468: The same town as Mizu and sees her with Taigen's scarf, entering the brothel. Akemi persuades the purveyor to trade her there. To prove her competence when tasked by Madam Kaiji with pleasuring a veteran customer with erectile difficulties, she tactfully uses his interest in poetry and her proficiency in the subject to stimulate and bring him to climax. While she's being applauded for her talent she volunteers to serve Mizu in an attempt to drug her. Faced with

4071-439: The school to which the puppeteer belongs. Usually a single chanter recites all the characters' parts, altering his vocal pitch and style in order to portray the various characters in a scene. Occasionally multiple chanters are used. The chanters sit next to the shamisen player. Some traditional puppet theaters have a revolving platform for the chanter and shamisen player, which rotates to bring replacement musicians in for

4140-591: The script. The most famous bunraku playwright was Chikamatsu Monzaemon . With more than 100 plays to his credit, he is sometimes called the Shakespeare of Japan. Bunraku companies, performers, and puppet makers have been designated "Living National Treasures" under Japan's program for preserving its culture. Osaka is the home of the government-supported troupe at National Bunraku Theatre . The theater offers five or more shows every year, each running for two to three weeks in Osaka before moving to Tokyo for

4209-413: The series was renewed for a second season. Season 2 will consist of six episodes and is scheduled to premiere in 2026. The first episode was released as a "sneak peek" on Netflix's YouTube channel on November 1, 2023. The entire series consisting of 8 episodes premiered on Netflix on November 3, 2023. Netflix released a special version of episode 6 on its YouTube channel on November 14, 2023, featuring

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4278-425: The sewers while she saves Akemi and sends her his way. Taigen finds Ringo and they decide to storm the front gate to warn the Shogun about the impending attack, which shortly ensues as Fowler’s army breaks through the castle defenses. Seki saves Akemi from her cell, locking her father in her place, but they are outnumbered by soldiers until Mizu arrives. Heiji opens the final gate from the inside, giving Fowler access to

4347-469: The stigma that animated works are strictly for children, especially since the industry was credited with sustaining the flow of Hollywood content and revenue during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic . An addition to the controversy was that the award for Best Animated Short Film (the nominees for which were mostly made up of shorts not aimed at children) was one of the eight categories that were omitted in

4416-473: The storytelling, with its female protagonist eventually transforming into an Onryō , a vengeful spirit. In reality, Mizu is pinned down but manages to summon back her strength, turns her sword into a makeshift Naginata , and kills Hamata’s men. The men sent by Lord Daichi arrive to take Akemi back home and though she pleads with Mizu to help her, Mizu doesn't intervene. Ringo, angered over his master's callous decision, ends his apprenticeship. Mizu follows

4485-462: The term bunraku referred only to the particular theater established in 1805 in Osaka , which was named the Bunrakuza after the puppeteering ensemble of Uemura Bunrakuken ( 植村文楽軒 , 1751–1810) , an early 18th-century puppeteer from Awaji , whose efforts revived the flagging fortunes of the traditional puppet theatre. The puppets of the Osaka tradition tend to be somewhat smaller overall, while

4554-427: The threat of Hamata's men, Mizu gathers the women of the brothel in the cellar and tasks Ringo with guarding them. Inside the brothel, she starts taking out the thousand claws individually, but one manages to wound Mizu, resulting in her slowly losing strength. In a flashback Mizu has while being attacked, allegorical with the tale of the first rōnin , Mizu is seen receiving a similar wound from some gangsters, and

4623-403: The upper level with two of the Shogun's advisers as they conspire to kill the Shogun and his family to take power by force using guns in Fowler's possession. Ringo saves Mizu and Taigen, bringing their unconscious bodies to Sword Father’s hut. While recovering, Mizu's relationship with Taigen starts taking a non-combative and suggestive turn. This comes undone when she reveals Akemi's marriage to

4692-419: The voice of each of the characters, but also serves as the narrator of the play. Located to the side of the stage the tayū physically demonstrates facial expressions of each character while performing their respective voices. While performing multiple characters simultaneously the tayū facilitates the distinction between characters by exaggerating their emotions and voices. This is also done to maximize

4761-512: Was Flee , a PG-13 rated animated documentary about an Afghan refugee. Phil Lord , co-producer of one of the nominated films, The Mitchells vs. the Machines , tweeted that it was "super cool to position animation as something that kids watch and adults have to endure." The film's official social media account responded to the joke with an image reading: "Animation is cinema." A week later, Lord and his producing partner Christopher Miller wrote

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