GOLDEN KAMUY
a manga written by satoru noda
when i first was told about this show from my sibling, i was skeptical. i tend to not care for historical fiction, especially historical anime. however, after a few mere episodes, i was hooked. i fell in love with the characters and wanted to see where they would go next.
my first favorite character was shiraishi, the escape king. he's just instantly likeable to me, and i still love him, even if he isn't my number one anymore. he's a great comic relief and works well with so many of the other characters. not to mention the moments he is truly serious and stands his ground. he's not just comic relief and it is great. he is such a loveable character.
yes, my favorite character now would have to be.... this is a hard one, but likely tsukishima. i heavily dislike how the fanbase sees him as the "sane" one in tsurumi's following because he is arguably the deepest in that pit of a man. he's a very compelling character to me and i love his comradery with koito (i may ship them but even in canon they are shown to be important to each other). the way he carries so much sadness, the way he feels he is only good as a means to someone else's goals, it's so well written and god i love him.
the story centers around sugimoto, a russo-japanese war veteran, and asirpa, an ainu kid. they meet by chance, and after some team work they decide to pursue the legendary gold together, meeting all sorts of allies and foes along the way. many allies are foes at some points, and vice versa. there's a man who's incredibly into the main antagonist who uses people's skin to make clothing. there's a transgender character who eats people to stay young and is treated respectfully by the main cast. there's tanigaki, the most sexualized man on earth. hell, all the men here (grown) are sexualized, and it's great for my gay heart. did you know sea otter meat acts as an aphrodisiac? i didn't.
there are some gripes i have, not every series can be perfect. the ending was a bit rushed amongst some other things, and if you watch the anime that CGI bear can be rough. overall though, i love this series to bits. i love so much of the cast, and it's just a lot of fun, without taking too much away from the serious moments. i am glad i gave this a chance, even if i was reluctant, as it has invaded my psyche and it is here to stay.
