Golden Kamuy

Remember The Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio? I was thinking about him a few times while I was watching this anime series. If only because Golden Kamuy, like The Revenant, contained a memorable bear scene! However, be warned, while the bear in The Revenant is the best CGI bear I have ever seen, and it is hard to tell that it is not a real bear, the bear in Golden Kamuy is the most hideous of animated creatures that have ever seen the light of day. In general, watching any fight scene involving a bear is sheer agony and is going to make you look like someone put what Ainu refers to as "osoma" in your food or just laugh in despair. You will hang your head or laugh because you cannot take this too seriously. The bear does not do very well, and the wolf does not come out well in some scenes. In other words, in terms of the animation, there is room for improvement. Fortunately, this is probably the only thing that went wrong because Golden Kamuy has a lot to offer otherwise! It is a narrative about an adventure set in a beautiful environment, the harsh but charming Japanese wilderness. Golden Kamuy knows how to draw you into it. You can get to find out something about the animals, or even something about the customs of the local natives, hunters, and everyday people. On the one hand, everything is a bit rough, even though at the same time it is fascinating and visually attractive. Golden Kamuy is also a thrilling treasure hunt with an atmosphere, primarily due to the solid and distinct characters. Indeed, one very quickly remembers who is who; each character is unique in their charming way. The chemistry between the two main protagonists, which is spiced up with witty interactions, definitely puts them ahead of the rest. Even the actual hunt for the tattoos that lead to the treasure is decently dramatic at times, featuring various surprises and amusing situations. In conclusion, you are definitely not going to find this show boring because it is gritty, suspenseful, and entertaining. It even manages to be cute, and most importantly, it is interesting + I liked the opening a lot. 7.8/10. (06/26/2018)

I have to say that the second season is even better than the first. It still retains all the redeeming features of the previous season, so it is really interesting and entertaining with lots of fun facts from Ainu's life, all in a beautiful and stunning setting combined with a thrilling treasure hunt full of many twists - and all perfectly balanced!!! In addition, we get to know the characters in a deeper way, which deepens our relationship with them. So, for me personally, it is no longer just about Sugimoto and Asirpa, because everyone in this show is quite relatable in some way (whether it be the charming Incarmat, the valiant Tanigaki, the cool samurai Toshizou, or the "slightly" crazy First Lieutenant Tsurumi). Sure, sometimes this is a very strange show that makes me roll my eyes while wishing I had never watched it (like the parts with the highly dedicated taxidermist, or when the gentlemen eat a certain kind of meat with aphrodisiac effects), however, even these will be powerful scenes that will be remembered even months later... So I really had a great time watching this show and I hope the next season is going to be even better. 8.4/10. (12/25/2018)

It is great to see how far we have come since the first season of this show. The hideous CGI bear has been replaced by a gorgeous and deadly wolverine, which has taken on all the cat-like beasts that have come along... The scenery is once again both beautiful and rugged, and the trip to Russia is incredibly entertaining and informative, full of all sorts of surprises, and very emotional. I am very satisfied with this show! I was already really into it from the second episode, which was one of the most masculine episodes in this anime series so far, and which I enjoyed immensely. Some of the twists were great, and I did not expect the biggest twist to involve someone who is not actually a part of the whole expedition (those who have seen are going to know what I am talking about, however, I am not going to spoil it for the rest). Again, I learned a lot, not only about Japanese and Russian people, fauna, and flora but especially about the characters themselves. I did however miss the relationship between Sugimoto and Ashiripa, which was perhaps the most entertaining aspect of this show, and I also felt it was lacking some interesting facts regarding the customs and traditions of Ainu, and I also really missed some of the characters who we left in Japan. However, it was still an excellent show - just like the previous season, and I am looking forward to the next one. 8.4/10. (12/24/2020)

The penultimate season of Golden Kamuy  has failed to disappoint me again (as a non-manga reader), and not even the unplanned interruption in the middle of the season could ruin it for me. Animation-wise, it gets better with each new season. I love the moments when I learn new things about Ainu’s life, discover new Kamuy, admire breathtaking scenery, or just watch a new dish being prepared. It's a shame that there are fewer and fewer of these moments every season. Most of the characters are great, and I really like the relationship between the main trio and how it keeps developing. I also appreciate every flashback and the development of some of the supporting characters, especially Lieutenant Tsurumi. Nevertheless, I'm starting to get the feeling that some stories could have been fleshed out a little more.  As manga readers claim, a lot of the original story is left out. I do like the humor in this series, even though it's incredibly masculine, and I get the impression that Noda Satoru has an unhealthy obsession with male anatomy. I don’t think I’ll be able to get the scene with the manly "shootout" from the penultimate episode out of my head for a long time. What a bizarre moment. I was also pleased with the satisfying conclusion of the storyline involving Tanigaki (the one Noda Satoru mentions as having the biggest balls of all the characters – you can look it up in the Trivia section of anime wiki) and Inkarmat. The opening theme was also great which means I’m giving this show a strong 4, and I'm looking forward to the already confirmed grand finale. I’m hoping it will affect me enough to finally give Golden Kamuy five stars. This time, it's an 8.4/10 again. (06/26/2023)