This study analyzed expressive speech acts used by the protagonist Mizu and antagonist Fowler in the Netflix series "Blue Eye Samurai.” This study examined how these linguistic choices reflected their character development across narrative stages (orientation, complication, evaluation, resolution). This study adopted a subset of expressive speech act classification proposed by Zhabotynska and Slyvka (2020) based on Searle (1979), which was divided into positive expressive speech acts (liking, satisfaction, pleasure, sympathy, gratitude), and negative expressive speech acts (disliking, dissatisfaction, displeasure, guilt, shame, regret, disappointment). Findings indicated Mizu produced 66 expressive speech acts and Fowler 40, with the dominant negative expressive speech act for both characters. Mizu evolved from a flat and static character who was dominated by disliking and dissatisfaction linked to her revenge quest, into a round and dynamic figure expressing guilt and sympathy in later stages. Fowler, though round due to his backstory, remained static across the narrative stages.
