I am very interested in Japanese culture and I've been watching some anime related to it in the past few months.
One of my students recommended I watch Golden Kamuy. Since I like Japanese culture, she said I might enjoy it because it showed some information related to the Ainu people. They're an ethnic group that is indigenous to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
I know some information related to Ainu because I read them online a few years back... and watching this anime reminded me of those articles. Anyway, let's start!
NOTE: The photos I used are screenshots from the anime...
The anime Golden Kamuy us set in Hokkaido following the Russo-Japanese War. In that war, a soldier named Sugimoto Saichi was given the nickname "Sugimoto the Immortal" due to his death-defying acts.
Sugimoto is in need of money because he wants to fulfill his friend's final wish which is to support his family. His wife is suffering from her deteriorating eyesight and he hopes to take her to the US for treatment.
One day, Sugimoto heard a story from a drunk acquaintance. It was about how a man murdered a group of Ainu and stole their gold. This man was imprisoned, but before that, he was able to hide the gold somewhere in Hokkaido.
While he was in prison, he tattooed a coded map into his fellow inmates' bodies in exchange for a share of the treasure if they managed to escape.
Sugimoto didn't believe him at first until he found out that that man was among the tattooed prisoners. He saw it on the man's corpse which was attacked by a Grizzly bear.
The bear that killed the man came back to finish its meal and attacked Sugimoto. He was then saved by an Ainu girl named Asirpa who happens to be the daughter of one of the murdered Ainu.
They decided to pair up to find the hidden treasure for two reasons, to get what originally belonged to the Ainu and the other to fulfill Sugimoto's friend's final wish.
The anime is so fun and interesting to watch. There were a lot of comical scenes which made me laugh a lot. It's crazy how comedy is inserted in such a story.
There are a lot of interesting characters in the story... be it a human or an animal. But so far, I find Shiraishi (one of the tattooed prisoner) the funniest. He's crazy and he makes the mood so much lighter. I hope to see more of him in the coming seasons. (I'm about to start season 2!!!)
The scenes with the Ainu people are also really entertaining and educational. The anime showcased their way of living, especially how they interact with nature. There are also bits and pieces about their culture like music, food, family relationships, and so on. I love Asirpa's grandma, Huci... <3
The snowy views of Hokkaido, particularly in Otaru, during that time (early 1900s) were magical. It's a winter wonderland, indeed! I believe in the next season, it won't be winter anymore since spring flowers started blossoming in the latter part of season one.
I can't wait to see what happens next. There are a lot of characters I want to know more of and I hope they'll have more exposure in the next seasons. If you've already watched this, NO SPOILER PLEASE!. hahaha
I enjoyed the first season, so I have high hopes for the next few ones. There are four seasons so far, but I guess there's a final one coming soon. Before that, I'd need to catch up!
Thanks for reading and see you around! Hinna hinna!!! (^^,)/
