September 10th, 2019 
Charles Solomon 
Alternately ground-breaking, engaging and grisly, Golden Kamuy (2018) can be challenging to watch, but it’s difficult to ignore. Based on the 2014 manga by Satoru Noda, the story takes place near the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912).
While serving in the 1st Division of the Imperial Army during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Saichi Sugimoto (voice by Ian Sinclair) evaded death so many times, he earned the nickname of “Immortal Sugimoto.” But his face is badly scarred and, like Vash in Trigun and No Name in Sword of the Stranger, his body bears the marks of terrible wounds.
Sugimoto is a survivalist, whose quick thinking and fast reflexes have kept him alive despite steep odds. His diamond-in-the-rough exterior conceals a kind, unswervingly loyal heart. During the war, Sugimoto promised his dying best friend Toraji that he would find the money for the medical treatment needed to prevent his wife Umeko from going blind.
While hunting for gold Hokkaido–which was considered a remote frontier region then–Sugimoto learns of a fabulous treasure that would solve his problems—and more. A mysterious criminal known as “Noppera-bo” killed at least seven Ainu to steal about 75 kg of gold (worth nearly $50 million today). While locked up in the brutal Abashiri Prison, Noppera-bo tattooed a map to his hidden loot onto the bodies of 24 prisoners: All 24 tattoos are needed to complete the map.
When he’s attacked by a bear, Sugimoto meets Aspira (Monica Rial), an Ainu girl who helps him survive. They quickly become allies, then friends. In contrast to the modern, hardened Sugimoto, Aspira has learned the ways of nature: How to live in peace in the boreal forests, amid the ongoing cycles of life and death. She is loyal to her people’s traditions but has a mind of her own.
Sugimoto wants to assemble the map to the stolen gold, but he’s not the only one seeking the treasure: Various criminals and rogue military officers are after it. One group is led by the merciless and manipulative Lt. Tsurumi (David Wald) of the Imperial Army’s 7th division. To make sure viewers realize he’s a bad guy right off the bat, he has a hideously mutilated face with a steel plate over his forehead. There’s also the murderous swordsman Toshizou Hijikata (Greg Dulcie), a fictionalized version of the former head of the Shinsengumi, the squadron of samurai the Tokugawa hired to keep order in Kyoto when the Shogunal government was collapsing.
Rather than murder and skin the tattooed men, Sugimoto has Aspira copy the patterns on the bodies of men he captures. His rivals aren’t so squeamish. As the story zigs and zags, the treasure-seekers are pitted not only against each other, but against the bitter Hokkaido winter and wild animals, especially bears.
The Ainu are the aboriginal inhabitants of Japan, who generally have lighter skin and more body hair. As the Yamato people expanded through the archipelago, the Ainu were gradually pushed north into Hokkaido, part of their ancestral realm.
In 1899—about a decade before Golden Kamuy takes place–the Meiji government passed an act labeling the Ainu “former aborigines.” As they were supposed to assimilate, their traditional culture was suppressed and the government forced the people off their lands. But Aspira’s native village remains a peaceful place. Her people are depicted as hospitable, honest and wise in the ways of nature. In the catalog from a recent exhibit on manga at the British Museum, Ainu artist Kaizawa Toru talked about how impressed he was by Satoru’s research, which included commissioning a traditional makiri knife which served as a model for the tool Aspira uses.
These respectful depictions offer a welcome change from negative portrayals of the Ainu in prints, Kabuki plays, etc.—and the discrimination they faced in Japanese society. In 2008, the Japanese Diet passed a non-binding resolution calling upon the government to end that discrimination. Earlier this year, the Japanese government officially recognized the Ainu of Hokkaidō as an indigenous people of Japan, and they will take part in the opening ceremonies of the 2020 Olympics.
A second season of Golden Kamuy ran in late 2018, and plans for a third were announced in July. Viz is releasing Satoru’s manga in English.
Golden Kamuy: Season One
Funimation: $84.98: Limited edition: 4 discs (2 DVD’s, 2 Blu-rays), plus art booklet
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