Sometimes if you read manga, you will encounter a story that is truly something special. Golden Kamuy is one of those manga. The background for this series is that it takes place during the Russo-Japanese War, which ended in September 1905. The main premise of this series has us on an adventure with Sachi Sugimoto and Asirpa in which they are searching for the lost Ainu gold.
One thing I can say for certain is that Golden Kamuy delivers on its premise, but how it does is what makes it special. As in the name of the title, Kamuy represents various gods that are important in Ainu culture. A big part of this manga is where we are learning about Ainu culture with Sugimoto as the series continues forward. Satoru Noda did tons of research into it, which you can see in the physical copies of the manga. What really helps here is how charming the full cast is. Not only is learning about the Ainu culture a blast, but learning aside from the cast too.
As Sugimoto is learning about the Ainu, this also serves as a coming-of-age story for Asirpa. Her growth is very interesting, as at the age of 12 she is quite independent in the wilderness of Hokkaido. A big part for Asirpa is her dynamic with Sugimoto. We get to see the influence that Sugimoto has on her and what he has gone through. Though at the same time we get to see Asirpa’s own influence on Sugimoto, which creates a great and well-written dynamic between them.
One of the issues in a lot of weekly manga is the preparation of elements in the story. There are many issues in the stories of these mangas towards the end of them. Golden Kamuy avoids that pitfall and uses a narrative principle called Chekhov’s gun. Essentially “emphasizing that every element in a story be necessary, while irrelevant elements should be removed.” It is outstanding how payoff is so well done and everything Noda puts into the story has a purpose. This is even more noticeable when binging the series. Every notable character in the cast gets fleshed out to some extent, and the characters are more than what they appear on their surface. However, Noda trusts the reader to understand what he is planning without babying them.
The one character in this series is Tokushirou Tsurumi who is the main antagonist of the series. Who truly stands out as a top-notch antagonist that you will find in manga? Though part of why he is great is we spend so much time with him. Also by the fact he shows that he is a great threat. Instead of being told that he is dangerous, it is shown to us. Though he is constantly shown as a complicated character to grasp one’s thoughts around, as one moment you may empathize with him and then the next he scares the crap out of you.
The manga’s pacing can be a bit surprising if you come from the anime. As the first two seasons covered around 16 volumes. Golden Kamuy is dense when it packs so much world-building, character interactions, and storytelling. Every destination in the story has a purpose. Definitely best enjoyed if you enjoy the ride and then wonder about the destination.
Also, one big praise of the series is its comedy. As the series can create the most batshit comedic moment and switch to a tense storytelling moment. Those familiar with Jojo will see the influences in Golden Kamuy. If you thought the series went as far as it could with the comedy, Noda goes up another one. The comedy is also done in great taste and never undermines any of the characters and their arcs. In fact, the comedy can also showcase the characterization of the characters.
The art of this manga is truly outstanding. It is very well detailed and has great usage in visual storytelling. The paneling is top-notch in both dialogue and action. The storytelling through dialogue is even great as well. The icing on the cake is that Golden Kamuy was able to wrap up everything nicely. Truly, Golden Kamuy is a must-read manga for anyone who reads the medium. I hope anyone reading this gives it a try.