Pros:
- Originality. It's not about high schoolers, it's not in the future, the MCs aren't detectives, there's no superpowers, and it's not set in Tokyo. There you have it, an anime like no other.
- Culture/Setting: A huge part of the show is Japanese Ainu culture, which is something I never heard of until watching. A lot of it has to do the way they lived, how they hunted, cultural beliefs, preparation of food, etc. It ends up being pretty educational while not getting in the way of the story; best part is that the manga author did a ton of research while writing the story, so it's actually all fairly accurate historical information.
- Characters: They're great. All of them. I guess you could complain that there's not many women in the show (2, to be exact) but the vast quantities of effeminate men kinda balances it out. No two characters are the same, and they all play off of each other in a different way. Everyone has their personal motivations and beliefs to the point where you can't even point to one as being a true "bad guy."
-Animation: I'll start by admitting that I'm no animation stickler. With that in mind, all the designs and animations in the show seemed excellent to me. Except for the CGI bears. The CGI bears can go screw themselves.
- Story: Ah yes, the STORY. The core part of any show. Golden Kamuy does a great job at establishing the main goal in the very first episode and following that all the way to the end. It's by no means a straightforward plot, but every episode involves steps taken towards that goal. Even the few side-questy/fillery episodes had importance to the plot.
-Humor: The icing on the cake. I would venture to say that this show could have still been great without a speck of humor, but the unique brand of unexpected, dark, and occasionally stupid jokes throughout the show are majestic.
Final note: If you are uncomfortable with "visual celebration of the male body," perhaps this anime is not for you. To put it clearly, there's more nudity than you can shake a stick at. Saunas? Yep. Hot Springs? Of course. Ripping off clothes? Oh yes. In fact, I believe there's an episode where everyone is in the buff for the whole time. It's only ever male nudity though, and always for comedic effect. Never thought I'd be able to give an anime with FaNsErViCe a 10/10, but, well, here I am.
