Golden Kamuy

Long before seeing Golden Kamuy I had that feeling that when I started watching it it would become one of my favorite anime. And indeed that happened, the series has that right dose of comedy, seriousness, emotion. Although it has some strange middle parts (I'm talking to you, sauna episode) it is all well measured and makes everything fit perfectly. Beyond that, the story never loses strength, rather it intensifies even more, gradually incorporating very varied characters. In general everything is perfect.

If you hesitate to start it, don't be hard on the bear.

I started watching this anime with very low expectations, but it truly became one of my favourites. Totally recommended. You will have no idea how the story will continue, everything can happen xD I also love the lore of the native people of Hokkaido, a great way to learn a little about their culture ^^

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.

I'm heard that one of the reason why Golden Kamuy got slept on by many people is because the CGI bear scare them off right from the first episode of season 1 and I refuse to believe it. Sure the CGI bear and fire look incredibly jarring to watch but once the gold hunt started I don't think you will care about the animation aspect anymore cause everything after that is a god damn feast of blood, weirdness and comedy. The story of Golden Kamuy is the most original thing I ever see from an anime in a long time when it fill with rich lesson about the culture of the Ainu people and the Russo-Jap war both I never heard about and the way the anime told it through the eyes of the main character Sugimoto the Immortal while he following Asirpa around to learn how to survive in nature is comedy gold. Not a single character in this anime feel boring or undeveloped even through some we only see them once in a while but the moment they re-appear you knows you will got something new out of them.

I really liked this anime, so much that I immediately went on to read the manga. Since season 4 is not over yet, I have decided to write a review focused only on the first three seasons. What they all have in common is how an absurd humor is masterfully mixed with engaging drama. One moment everyone is having fun, and in the next moment there is an intense battle - it's pretty cool. Also, one of the best things about this series is definitely the characters, many of them are colorful and interesting (And also what they all have in common that they are not particularly adequate people).

Now we can talk about the three seasons separately.

The first season, as for me, is the weakest of the three, as it was clear that it had a small budget (I'll never forget that CGI bear) and the plot was just starting to unwind. (7/10) The second season is better than its predecessor, the budget has increased significantly and the plot has already entered the active stage. (8.5/10) I liked the third season the most, as it seemed to me that there was the strongest drama and the most unpredictable plot twists, the animation remained at the level of the second season (which is not bad). (9/10)

As for the disadvantages, I can only highlight that sometimes the humor goes too far and becomes more repulsive than funny, the best example being the main plotline of the third OVA in the second season, which revolves around one particularly disgusting character. If you've seen it, then you know what I'm talking about... In conclusion, I want to say that Golden Kamuy is a good show and it is worth giving it a shot.