Golden Kamuy Final Episode (24): Changing sides again and again

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I know better than to expect resolution from this series, so I thoroughly enjoyed this finale. I think the shifting alliances in this series are cool to watch, and I liked how Nopperabu was handled. It’s kind of sad to see Asirpa separate from Sugimoto, but it should be funny to watch how Sugimoto interacts with the 7th. As always, the many funny moments in this episode were spectacular.

Inudou’s story wasn’t too bad for how quick it was. I like that this show gives stories to the side characters, even if they’re doomed to die.

I do find the contrast between Sugimoto and Wilk interesting as a father figures for Asirpa. Wilk has great expectations for her, while Sugimoto just wants to keep her safe. I’d say both are valid, but they play out in very different ways. It’s too bad Wilk ends up being shot, but it wasn’t totally unexpected.

Kiroranke finally gets his story revealed, and it actually makes a lot of sense. It sounded like he just wants the Ainu to fight back against the other cultures that threaten them. It’s an extreme stance, but not an unreasonable one. It makes him an interesting faction.

I like watching Sugimoto play the field in this extended war for the gold. He has his own motivations and has no issue allying with whoever is convenient. From the perspective of the audience, it gives us a good chance to look at the characters on each side.

The big question for me in this episode was what Ogata’s motivations were. We’ve seen that he’s generally emotionless, so he could just be a mercenary for hire. I think it would be more fun if he had some kind of personal reason to join Kiroranke, though. Maybe I just missed something.

I loved this joke about eating Sugimoto’s brains and inheriting his obsession with Asirpa.

Final Score: 7/10

Always enjoyable and funny to watch. This show is always surprisingly ridiculous for how serious it wants to be. I felt like the second half built upon the first half and took it to an even more absurd level, which ended up being totally fine.

Golden Kamuy Episode 23: Closing in on Nopperabu

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This week’s episode was definitely full of action with the full-on war-like scenario, but what surprised me the most was how much it managed to make me laugh despite that. It’s probably the best part about this series as a whole. As we get close to the end, it’s starting to look like all of the pieces of the Nopperabo mystery are lining up, but I don’t feel like I have any definitive answers yet. Hopefully, that changes soon.

It’s cool to see that Tsurumi has thought things through, but his bloody approach still seems pretty insane.

I really liked this Ushiyama death fake-out even if it has been done before. The way Ushiyama delivers this line is so perfect that you almost believe he’s ready to die.

Sugimoto’s antics with the fake Nopperabo were also pretty hilarious in this episode. My favorite part is when the fake yells while pointing at the fire in the room, which makes Sugimoto and Shiraishi yell in the same way when they see it.

Oh, the joys of seeing multiple screenshots to depict a large-scale battle. I actually liked the fights in the first half of the episode, so this is disappointing to see.

Wow, Kiroranke had plenty of opportunities to betray people in this episode and get away with it, but he seems to tell the truth in every case. Is he really on the main characters’ side?

Well, that’s awkward.

Golden Kamuy Episode 22: Prison break of epic proportions

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The chaos of this episode sums up this series pretty nicely. To be fair, it wasn’t hard to guess that the mission to meet Nopperabu would go awry, but there was no way I could have imagined how crazy it got. I’m looking forward to seeing how the dust will settle, since this episode certainly hinted at some possible tragedies in our future.

When all is said and done, this is still a solid cooking show. Watching Hijikata join in on the chitatap preparation was hilarious.

I like this scene from Inkarmat a lot, explaining how she has come to doubt her fortunes and why that gives her hope. I truly hope that she’s right, even if the fact that this is anime makes me suspect a more grim ending where all of her fortunes end up coming true.

The way this heist was set up was really cool. I’m totally okay with an early mishap foreshadowing how far the plan goes off the rails. I mean, I suspect that the “mistake” was ultimately intentional, but it was fun nonetheless.

I’m curious to see how Hijikata factors into everything, since he has remained mysterious this entire time.

I’d like to see Asirpa meet Nopperabu in the next episode. It feels like the series has been building up to this moment a lot, and it would be a good climax for the season. Plus, it would suit the tone of this series to have the initial plan fail spectacularly but still allow Asirpa to succeed in her own way.

Having the 7th show up was fairly far into left field, but it’s a nice addition to the chaos. Finally, everything seems to be coming together.

Golden Kamuy Episode 21: A very dark episode

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There’s no Double Decker this week, so the schedule is shifting a bit. For how crazy this episode was, it did a surprisingly good job of bringing story threads together. I’ve been kind of wondering for a while how Tsurumi’s actions relate to the main cast’s actions, and they’re surprisingly connected. As always, it’s entertaining to see how insane this series can be while continuing to be fairly serious.

The setup for the bandits was actually quite interesting. They had more of a story than I would have expected, and I think the idea of miners blinded by sulfur mining seeking revenge is cool.

I honestly expected this guy to be one of the bandits.

Given the extent of Ogata and Tanigaki’s flashbacks, part of me feels a bit cheated with Inkarmat’s backstory.

Hey, it’s been a while since we saw these bears. Good to know that they’re part of this season too. That aside, I’m still confused about Inkarmat’s relationship with Tanigaki. From side research, I’ve seen some discussion about a missing story from their travels together (before rejoining the main cast), so I wonder if it’s just a consequence of adaptation edits. That’s too bad.

The interaction between Toni Angi and Sugimoto in the end. I’m curious to see how Sugimoto reacts to this line about never being able to go back to who he was before the war. It could be an interesting setup for some character growth.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Tsurumi’s plans were related to the weapons that the warden was buying from the blind miners’ efforts. It might not be much, since Tsurumi’s still doing his own thing, but it’s nice to see the stories relate to each other.

The suggestion that Sugimoto might be related to Hijikata came pretty far out of left field. Honestly, I think it’s a great development, and it makes a lot of sense.

Golden Kamuy Episode 20: And suddenly sumo

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Things sure did get serious quickly in this episode. Still, the episode remained true to form with the extended sea otter scene. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. I’m looking forward to seeing how the series will progress now that basically everyone is suspicious of everyone else (except maybe Sugimoto). I think it’s interesting that the series seemed to be pushing characters together into a big group right before dropping a bombshell that puts them all at odds.

Inkarmat’s interest in Tanigaki seems a bit random, but I guess it works. When I started hearing her story with Asirpa’s father later in the episode, I was hoping they might tie together, but I didn’t see a link.

Well, that happened.

I’m not sure what to believe now. The series seems to be pushing hard to debunk the idea that Nopperabo isn’t Asirpa’s real father, with Inkarmat’s story and the brief glimpses at his black eyes. It honestly makes me wonder if it’s trying too hard. Do I need to be suspicious?

I can’t believe Inkarmat and Asirpa both outright accuse Kiroranke of betraying Asirpa’s father, and the episode ends with Kiroranke still in the group. The fact that Inkarmat gets the fingerprints identifying from Kiroranke from Tsurumi introduces a level of suspicion that I wasn’t expecting from this series at all. It’s actually a pretty intriguing mystery.

I think this is a fair summary of the episode. I like that Sugimoto pushes to keep everyone together despite their suspicions, but I’m really curious to see how that will work for them.

Meanwhile, it almost feels like Tsurumi just has his own private story going on to the side of everyone else.

Golden Kamuy Episode 19: Finding out more about the crew

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This week’s episode acted as a pretty seamless reintroduction of Tanigaki back to the cast with a surprise Nihei appearance. Additionally, we got some background on Ogata of all people. I guess the series is finally getting around to showing its characters’ pasts. Surprisingly, Ogata’s story worked really well in my eyes. I’ve been having trouble placing Ogata’s character in the main cast, and his story did a great job of bringing out his unique personality, even if he’s kind of a psychopath.

Having been raised in a Western culture surrounded by highly anthropomorphic deities, I found Asirpa’s descriptions of the kamuy incredibly fascinating. We’re used to the concept of animals as sustenance, but this idea that bears are gods allowing themselves to die for humans is cool.

The scene where Asirpa refuses to return home without meeting her father felt to me like one of those scenes that’s probably necessary even if it didn’t feel too impactful.

Wow, what a good dog.

While it’s pretty disturbing that Ogata would go so far as to kill his mother to see if his father cared, it’s admittedly memorable as a character trait. It’s actually jarring as a scene, since I didn’t see him as that kind of character before this flashback.

I also like how Ogata’s father reacts when learning about Ogata’s mother’s death. The fact that he sees it as an act of pity seems like a nice way of showing the same thought process as Ogata. It might make Ogata’s behavior make a bit more sense. At least, that’s how I saw it.

Ogata’s last question to his father actually comes off as surprisingly pitiful. At the end, I’m not sure whether I’d lean more towards calling this story sad or disturbing.

Golden Kamuy Episode 18: Even more feels

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I can’t even be upset about the random tangent in this episode, because I just enjoyed Tanigaki’s story so much. The redemption of his friend, Kenkichi, wasn’t too hard to predict, but I really liked the fact that they used the kanemochi as a constant device throughout the story. This episode was truly a great introduction for Tanigaki as he prepares to officially join the main group. I look forward to seeing more of him.

This was a weirdly somber moment in the present day. Perhaps it was meant to set the tone for Tanigaki’s story, but I was surprised to see it. To be honest, the lost of the granny character doesn’t mean too much to me, as sad as it might be to say that.

The culturally educational bits in this series are still my favorite moments. Even if it’s a small thing, the fact that the kanemochi was such a reliable food source in Tanigaki’s family tradition is just interesting.

This story was a decent representation of a man consumed by revenge. I thought it was cool that Tanigaki realized after the fact how much he focused on Kenkichi, even blaming him for other misfortune in Tanigaki’s life.

This was such a great moment for Tanigaki. Food has been such a big focus in this series, so it was great to see the kanemochi save the day in a situation where Kenkichi could no longer see or hear. It makes the scene even more impactful, and keeps the kanemochi as the central theme.

So, Tanigaki somehow managed to find everyone else. I’m curious to see how his story impacts his interactions with everyone else. I thought the bit about finding his role was a good setup, so maybe that will play into how he moves forward.

Golden Kamuy Episode 17: The true treasure is clearly dried persimmons

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I really felt like this episode was getting back to what I enjoy in this series. The episode was an amazing mix of comedy, serious, and surprisingly heartwarming scenes. I was totally expecting this episode to get super serious because of how pissed off Sugimoto looked in the previous episode, but I probably should know better by now. The reunion with Shiraishi ended up being pretty funny, and I loved the way the episode ended.

Dang, I was pretty impressed with how Suzukawa handled this whole exchange. He clearly knew his target well, and using a bill plate to bribe someone is kind of awesome.

The sheer shock value of this scene was insane. To be fair, it’s great to see that kind of harsh reality in this series, since I think mixing that with comedy is what the show does best. It’s just a bit of a shame. I was starting to like Suzukawa, but he got written off quickly.

I mean, having Koito swim through the air to catch the balloon is silly, but it was effective.

I get the feeling that I’m just forgetting some small scene from the first season that explains the fake tattoo. But yeah…that worked out, huh? I can’t discount the possibility that Shiraishi was just too incompetent to make an accurate copy of the tattoo.

It’s long overdue, but it’s definitely nice to finally get some insight on who Sugimoto was before the war. I guess the guy in the flashback is his friend who died, and the girl is the one he’s trying to help with the gold.

I didn’t expect feels in this episode! In all seriousness, this was an amazing line from Asirpa. It’s a great ray of hope for Sugimoto, who has clearly had it rough.

Golden Kamuy Episode 16: Save the king?

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Well, it looks like this show still has plenty of crazy, entertaining characters to show us. I really like that this series can keep injecting humor into what would normally be a very serious setting. I’m not sure how I feel about going off on a tangent to reunite with Shiraishi, but his doubts about rejoining the group have been handled pretty well.

It’s nice to finally get some clues about Kiroranke’s secret, even if it’s not that much. I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised to see Hijikata figuring things out.

This scene was predictable as heck, but I still thought it was funny to see Hijikata cutting the bridge to dump Shiraishi into the water with the other soldiers. I guess the fact that Shiraishi is the Escape King gives people the excuse to do whatever they want to him and expect he will survive. I have no problem with this idea.

While I’m not a huge fan of the type of character Nikaidou is, I have to admit that it’s hilarious to see Tsurumi treat him like a bad dog.

We’re going from a taxidermist to a weapons expert? I’m totally on board with this.

I think it’s interesting to give Nikaidou a gun leg, but the delivery of this scene was what really surprised me. Arisaka’s entrance might be my favorite part of the episode. The sheer slapstick value of sending a completely throwaway decoy ahead of Arisaka is something that I’d never have suspected from this show, and I think that kind of subversion is entertaining.

Okay, I take back what I said last week. Shiraishi’s fears are totally justified. I guess Asirpa’s going to eventually change Sugimoto’s mind on this, but I honestly didn’t expect this to be a sticking point. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something from season 1 that makes this statement sound dumb.

Golden Kamuy Episode 15: It’s getting harder to keep these alliances straight

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I had no idea what to expect from the combination of Hijikata’s group and Sugimoto’s group, but it works surprisingly well. Watching the characters from each group interact with each other is really entertaining. It’s easy to forget that half of these people are criminals. In that sense, I guess this week’s episode was more of an introduction to let the characters learn about each other. We also got some background Hijikata, but I’m not too sure how useful it is.

Aww, look. Sugimoto and Ogata are friends now!

So, is this guy going to be the running joke of losing extremities? I guess he’s supposed to be a cockroach that never dies. Still, it’s kind of funny that he puts his ear in front of his face, as though he’s talking directly into it or something.

Wait, is this yet another show with zombies?

I really liked the eating scene in this episode. The love-hate relationship that’s being built between Sugimoto and Ogata seems like it could be pretty entertaining.

I guess we just got our third group to replace the Hijikata group?

I think it’s interesting to show this softer side to Hijikata, saving his old friend in the Shinsengumi days. If they keep working at him, he could end up being a strong character. He’s been too much of an enigma for me to take notice before now.

Aww, man. I wanted this confrontation between Sugimoto and Shiraishi to be real. Honestly, I get the sense that Sugimoto wouldn’t care too much if he found out that Shiraishi had been reporting to Hijikata, so I want to see them talk about it.

You had one job, Escape King.