黃金神威 31

ゴールデンカムイ [Golden Kamui] #31

by Satoru Noda, 野田サトル, 賴思宇 (Translator )

搭檔、未來、榮耀、同胞、
家人、祝福、憑弔、武士道。
冒險．歷史．文化．狩獵美食．
驚悚．GAG＆LOVE！
全部巧妙融合的情感闇鍋西部風味，
大團圓的最後一集!!!!!!!

Genres: Manga, Seinen, Historical, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels Manga, Comics

258 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2022

About the author

Satoru Noda (野田サトル, Noda Satoru) is a japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[dari ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a ride. i can say with confidence this is probably one of my favourite manga. i can't describe what these 31 volumes were to me. a complete new journey, with the most memorable and beloved cast, a whole rollercoaster of emotions which ended thankfully for me with as a happy ending it could be.

usually when it comes to manga i read recently, i like 3 characters tops and that's it, it happens so rarely that i like 80% of the cast, that's how good written gk characters are. also the main antagonist of the manga is so deliciously written, every scene with him is so disturbing and manipulative yet you can't be angry. some characters and arcs were a bit boring but these are in minority.

overall i can't even describe how glad i am i read this. truly a piece of media that will stick with me for a long time.

[bryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

this manga is of the most obscene things i've ever read and also one of the most technically perfect stories ever written. 10/10 no notes i read all 314 chapters in 3 days. noda did a bang-up job with so many aspects of this story - the plot, the art, the action, the character writing, the research - but one ogata hyakunosuke stands proudly above the rest as noda's best creation and absolutely the best thing this story has to offer. unforgettable.

[Côme Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je m'attendais à être triste mais pas ému à ce point. Un voyage sans arrêt pour ce dernier tome d'une série qui va rester dans mon coeur et ma tête. Cette œuvre m'a offert beaucoup, humour, découverte, curiosité, affection, réconfort, joie, tristesse, agacement, etc. Cela témoigne du talent de Satoru Noda pour nous transmettre sa passion et son amour de sa région. Golden Kamui m'a marqué par son récit et ses personnages mais ce que j'en retiens c'est une magnifique île qu'est Hokkaido, que je ne connaissais pas avant de découvrir l'œuvre, il y a déjà plusieurs années. Mais aussi les Aïnous et leur culture, proche de la nature. Puis l'histoire de ce coin du monde qui est loin du mien mais désormais lié grâce à ce manga. C'est avec un grand respect que je remercie l'auteur, peu de chose en comparaison de tout ce qu'il m'a apporté.

[Kim Novice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Golden Kamuy is easily the best Historical-drama-comedy-cooking-action-adventure-documentary-western manga I've read.
I think it might have genuinely the best action in a comic I've ever read. Noda likes to stage them across large areas and spends a long time making sure the reader understands the layout, distances and positions of each before and during the action. It's very elaborate and planned-out.
It balances all it's desperate elements and tones and characters beautifully. It can go from comedic to serious to tragic to comedic again in a turn of a page. There's a very large cast and much of them are sympathetic and have very developed motivations and back stories, so you end up liking people on different sides a lot.
I get why it'd turn people away, especially animal lovers. It's frequently weird and obscene, very violent and disturbing and comedic all at once. I think some people might feel some tonal whiplash.
But I do really really really recommend it. It's so clearly passionate about Hokkaido and the time period and the Ainu culture. It's a fantastic education on so many historical, political and cultural elements and I desperately want to tour Hokkaido. There's nothing like it and I'm so glad it exists. I love it and so glad I read it.
This final volume does a good job wrapping it up with some of the best, most impactful action so far. The final chapter feels a bit rushed but it holds true to the nature of the series and while I could be happier, I think Noda did a very good job with the end.

[Ailbhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to finish the series! When I tell you I cried, it was like a flood. Was it a bit predictable? of course but it doesn't make it any less good. this series as a whole is 10/10 for me. The journey and growth (some) of the characters go through is perfect and it was filled with humour along the way. I also loved the fact that the author actually researched Ainu culture and incorporated into the manga so you actually learn while reading, it was so interesting! I'm sad its over but so so so glad I read it.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a ride. This was a series I started when I was still a teenager lol, it was literally the first mature manga I ever read that I got my dad to go buy for me since I didn’t know if I was allowed to purchase it myself😭.

There wasn’t ever really I character I hated, and the plot always developed in interesting ways. It had an amazing blend of historical fiction, comedy, drama, and action that made it really compelling. Just overall one of the most unique manga i’ve ever read.

Highly recommend, 9.8/10👍🏻

[Olly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manga stupendo, fin troppo sottovalutato. Storia semplice, ma la presenza di molte parti in gioco la rende più complessa del dovuto, consiglio di leggere l'opera di fila, altrimenti si perde il segno.
Il livello generale è alto, con picchi incredibili, la lettura è fluida, i disegni sono ottimi e i personaggi sono uno meglio dell'altro, scritti e diretti benissimo nella loro costante evoluzione, questo vale per tutti i personaggi.
Assolutamente consigliata, uno dei migliori seinen che abbia mai letto.

[Víctor López López · Rating 5 out of 5]

Último tomo de la serie, y ha sido increíble la verdad, what a ride.

La verdad que es complicado describir este manga. Es como un western, pero en Japón y a principios del siglo XX. Es muy homoerótico, sangriento, visceral, irreverente y en el que por algún motivo aprendes un montón de cosas socioculturales, históricas y de biología. Y con un sentido del humor muy único. Es un tema.

Gracias a Elena por la recomendación.

[Eressea · Rating 4 out of 5]

為了恢復記憶不要直接裸讀最後一集
花了兩週從第一集看到完結篇
只能說表現方式不是我的菜

但角色塑造和劇情安排都頗為用心
很巧妙的把史實鑲嵌到平行世界裡
提出另一種日俄戰爭的結局
不同勢力各懷鬼胎搶黃金
想達到不同的政治目標
在劇情推進中
可以順便學到北海道以及愛奴人的風土民情
因此可說本作頗富教育意義(吧

[Bailey Renalds · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO FUCKING GOOOOOOOD

[TakisMunch 421 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall series about 8.5/10, had its silly moments along with its serious ones, but felt like there could've been slightly more closure at the end of the series especially with side characters.

[Vizpochita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó el final, ojalá la gente leyera más este manga. Mezcla perfecta entre humor y drama, y con mucha información para aprender sobre los Ainu y su cultura. Por otro lado la construcción de villanos y sus motivaciones también me parece otro punto fuerte, al final uno logra quererlos más allá de que no compartas sus motivos (me es imposible odiar a Tsurumi).

Lo volvería a leer porque estoy segura que me reiría y lloraría como la primera vez.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more of a review of the entire series. I haven't had this much fun reading a comic book, manga or otherwise, in a long time. Noda pours everything he has into this series. Historical specificity, cultural exploration, wild, memorable characters, heart, comedy, utterly beautiful art, and a deep love of Hokkaido itself. I finished reading this series on a trip to Sapporo, and that has made this series all the more personal to me. It quite honestly has everything I could want from a pure entertainment standpoint, while also inspiring me to visit a part of Japan I don't think I ever would have gone to without reading this series. I'm sitting here wistful, waxing poetic about a series that features a literal jerk-off fight between two serial killers. But it's just that kind of comic. You can never expect what insane nonsense it's gonna pull out of nowhere, and then a few pages later you're on the verge of tears. Pure manga. Now one of my favorites of all time.

[pareidolia]

I finally finished it. Feelings were had, also a few thoughts, but I have to let it settle before I put them into definite words. Maybe watch how the anime adapts the remaining chapters. Definitely read the tankobon version, because for the last two volumes I only know the chapter releases, and Noda infamously changes a lot.

Till then, here are a few preliminary opinions. Spoilers abound.

Overall, I liked how things played out. Ever since the Hasegawa flashback, I was a bit worried if Tsurumi being primarily motivated by a personal grudge would work, but it did. He’s a uniquely effective, genuinely scary antagonist, and the fact that no one – not the other characters, not the readers, maybe not even Tsurumi himself – knows how much of his claim to work for his fallen comrades in Manchuria is bullshit and how much of it is true only strengthens his impact.

Still not my favorite character in Golden Kamuy, though. That honor goes to Kiro (whose death kept me from continuing with the story for more than two years), foxy grandpa Hijikata (what a last stand), and, surprisingly (for me, because I sure didn’t expect that), Koito, who, aside from Asirpa, goes through the biggest character development. Unfortunately him and Tsuki fucking off and joining the circus was never a feasible option, and he’s an army brat through and through, which leads to the conclusion Noda cooked up for KoiTsuki being somewhat unsatisfying, with Tsukishima staying the most frustrating character around till the end and getting robbed of the chance to be his own person once again.

Tanigaki being written out of the story till he magically popped up again when it was most convenient, Inkarmat’s only role being to have Tanigaki’s children, Ienaga getting killed for one single act of kindness – that are decisions one can make, I guess. Doesn’t mean I have to like them, especially as it reduces the number of adult female characters with actual stakes in the story to Sofia. Who’s great, but simply not enough.

Ogata’s demise on the other hand – a rather divisive act, as I gather from fandom chatter – seems fitting. Admittedly I never cared about him and his end could’ve been whatever, but he dies as pathetically as he’s lived, and I can’t deny to get a tiny bit of glee out of that. It’s a narratively and thematically sound conclusion to his character arc, although I find the way Noda makes his feelings of guilt explicit unnecessary and a bit clumsy. Vasily’s drawing is a nice touch and belatedly kind of justifies his being in the story.

There’s probably something to be said about Golden Kamuy’s depiction of Ainu by someone from outside the culture and where it falls short, or the way Noda uses the story to show the impact of war but still excuses individual soldiers from their culpability, and so on. A lot of that has already been said by people better suited than I. And I can’t deny that my enjoyment got somewhat marred by fandom being so dismissive and sometimes outright cruel towards Ainu readers criticizing a piece of fiction that’s ostensible about them. I still can’t fully divorce this feelings from my feelings for the story itself. I have to sit with this a while longer.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, what an emotional roller coaster of a last volume. But a very satisfying end to this fantastic story! This journey for Sugimoto and Asirpa has such a bittersweet conclusion, because every choice has a price. But overall a beautiful, beautiful adventure that I definitely will revisit when I feel the urge to see these fun characters again!

I look forward to seeing what Noda makes next, for sure! Passion is imbued through all of Golden Kamuy and I’m positive the next project would be more of that energy.

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, what a beautiful adventure that was! I'm so glad I got to witness their journey. It was full of sentiment, knowledge, and history! Adding to this the flavors of actions and feelings that comes with the whole story. I'm really so glad!

I'm extremely sad with most of the [redacted] characters but they're all wonderfully written! Tsurumi is such a great character. I mean all of them! Especially for Ogata. He is loved and truly blessed; they all are! I'm hoping for the best in their next lives. Thank you so much!

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review will serve as a review for the entire series.

While I had originally thought to give Golden Kamuy 5 stars, I have now adjusted to four, and would honestly rate it at around 4.6 stars if I could tk be accurate. I will explain further down.


Golden Kamuy is historical fiction at its most excellent. Through its vivid scenery, and backdrop, it avoids the cardinal sin of historical fiction, being ignoring the fictional for the historical as a crutch for authors incapable of telling their own story. When a piece of historical fiction relies too heavily on its history as it's defining feature, it has failed as a story.

Golden Kamuy does none of that. Set in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War, Golden Kamuy oozes with personality. It's characters range for eccentric to esoteric, all remaining mostly grounded. The historical backdrop enriches the story, serving as the proverbial glue that holds together and informs the story rather than directing it.

The story suspends your disbelief from time to time, as all stories do, but there are no truly supernatural forces at play in Golden Kamuy, barring perhaps the protagonists seeming ability to survive in any situation, giving it an air of historicity. The stakes become more real, more tangible, more human.

And the stakes are what drive the story.
The simple concept of a gold hunt takes on a unique life of its own in Golden Kamuy, weaving in and out of focus inbetween subplots and side plots. The long shadow of the Ainuu gold gives the story an ever increasing tension, so that even when you're enjoying the lighter parts of the series, such as it's deep dive into Japanese and Ainu cuisine, the overarching tension remains. One of the many factions is out there, hunting.

The story is not all series though. Golden Kamuy blends humor and drama like you couldn't believe. Each character feels truly alive this way. Levity gives them a sense of humanity and belivablity.

As for the characters, there is a vast ensemble cast that truly is the selling point of the series. There are very few truly Unlikable characters. Villains yes, but none that are a bore to read.

The protagonists, Immortal Sugimoto, Shiraishi the Escape King and Asirpa are ultimate main trio. You will never find yourself not rooting for them, until of course, you meet the other bands of characters.

The villains of this series are interesting, in that allegiances shift and vacilitate. Villains become allies, become enemies, become friends, and become villains again. Lt. Tsurumi stands above them all however, as one of the most charming, wicked, loveable, humorous, intelligent, and utterly tragic villains you can find in fiction. His dialogue, alongside everyone's dialogue, frankly, is among the big leagues.

Satoru Noda brings his A-Game on every page.

So, why the four stars? It has the greatest heroes, the greatest villains, the greatest in betweens sometimes bad, sometimes good, sometimes evil, the setting, the story and the wit.

The ending. Don't get me wrong, the ending was great, but the pacing of the final arc feels off, and rushed. Several characters that survived should have not, arcs feel fulfilled but rushed, and one entire set of characters feels a bit unfulfilled for me, that of Hijikata.

Still, it was a good ending that left me mostly fulfilled.

Golden Kamuy is a must read for those that are looking for the perfect historical fiction that respects the reader with its subject matter and doesn't mess around with its narrative.

4.6/5

[Zibbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well. That was a ride. A wild, bone-shaking, gut-punching, heart-wrenching ride, the kind where you disembark covered in metaphorical (and possibly literal) blood, take a deep breath, and think, “Well, that was absolutely terrible in the best possible way.”

The battle on the train barrels forward at full throttle, and, no surprises here, it hurts. We’ve seen violence, loss, and absurdity in equal measure throughout this series, but this volume takes it to another level. People fighting for each other, dying for each other, clinging to whatever scrap of hope they can grab, and somehow, through all the chaos, it all feels right. Because that’s the thing about this manga, it’s never just been about survival or gold. It’s been about grit, loyalty, madness, and the kind of friendships that get forged in fire, bullets, and a whole lot of questionable decision-making.

And then, just like that, it’s over. And I have to say, for once in my perpetually nitpicky, never-quite-satisfied life, I actually feel content. The ending was everything it needed to be: grand, tragic, elaborate, and so well-planned that I have to tip my hat to Noda for pulling off such a massive feat. With a cast this huge, complex, and incredibly messy, it’s almost miraculous that nearly everyone got their due. This story doesn’t tell you who to root for, it just throws you into the fray and lets you decide.

If I had one complaint, it’s that the last three chapters felt a little rushed. Given how spectacular the previous volumes were, I can understand why. But still, I would have liked just a bit more breathing room. And Vasily. My dear, wonderful sharpshooter. I’m not satisfied with how his story played out. He deserved more.

At the end of it all, I’m left with a deep sense of loss, admiration, and the overwhelming urge to re-read the whole damn thing again. These characters—every last ridiculous, tragic, chaotic one of them—will stay with me. This was unforgettable.

Now, off to watch the live-action adaptation. Please be amazing.

[Sanny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sin palabras.
Me ha encantado. Esta historia, que ha dado tantos giros, ha dado tantos momentos inolvidables y emocionantes, llega a su final con una merecida conclusión.

La preservación de la cultura, la búsqueda de un hogar, el aferro al pasado y la superación del control son solo algunos de los temas que trata, excelentemente, esta obra. Me ha sorprendido especialmente el final de uno de los personajes, que, más que oro físico, iba detrás, desde el inicio, de uno ficticio, una época dorada que jamás volvería.

También, se revela por fin la motivación de otro personaje, que es de hecho, mi favorito. Su motivación fue la búsqueda de aceptación. El solo quería sentirse querido. Y en esas, acabó con la única persona que le había mostrado verdadero afecto. Impactante final para él, también.

Me encanta el uso que se le acaba dando al oro. ¡Di que sí! Además, este tomo tiene muy buenas splashpages.

No tengo muchas palabras que decir. Esta obra ha significado y significa mucho para mí. Solo me queda darle gracias al autor. De corazón, este donde esté ahora mismo, quiero expresarle mi apoyo. Leeré su pròxima obra con muchísimo gusto.

Gracias, Satoru Noda.

[Kash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to give it 5 stars because the final arc was amazing... But the ending itself (the last chapter or two + epilogue) was frankly lackluster in how rushed it was and how some of the arcs were closed (in particular, regarding Sugimoto's past, though personally I'm also bitter about Vasily's handling, just to mention a couple lol). So the final taste is somewhat bittersweet. Bitter because I think the ending, and the epilogue in particular, should have been better. And please, don't get me wrong, it's not so much the thing itself but the execution.

That being said, this manga was overall a great ride. I loved the characters, I loved the wild mix of genres, the character design is some of the most effective I've ever seen, the art is great, the story is compelling and it has so much heart and love and care behind it.
It's hands down one of my favorite manga. Thank you for the ride Mr. Noda.

[Alex Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the volume is the continuation and conclusion of the phenomenal action set-piece that was set up in the previous volume - it succeeds in trumping everything that's come before and earns its place as the climax of the greatest action adventure manga story I've ever read, if not of all time. If I can nit-pick a little I wish that the epilogue had been bigger, longer, and more thoughtful in the way that so much of the story was thoughtful about history and place and people - however the needs of the series being kept a history series and not an alt-history series mean you can only do so much, and I liked all the decisions about each characters fate.

A triumphant conclusion to the best adventure story you'll ever read.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series ends the way it starts, full speed on a runaway train with men fighting over gold that they may never see... and there's also a bear tearing people apart because... bears.

Now, I'm very ignorant of all the historical stuff this series has stuffed into it (I like the cultural aspects more) so I have no idea if all/most these characters actually existed. I know there are some, like Hijikata. But either way, it's a wild ride and it all comes to a crashing conclusion.

This series has 31 volumes.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

正直、誰がどういう思惑で動いていて、誰と誰が味方同士なのかとかすっかり忘れてしまってるけど、主要登場人物達の最期が、アクションシーンの中で華々しく描かれるのが、映画のようですごい。
それぞれ死の間際に昔の記憶を並行して生きたり（新選組のシーンとか）、弟という姿で現れる罪悪感に殺されたり。（この新選組のシーンは特に、英訳とかした場合どこまで分かるんだろう、とちょっと不思議には思った。）

が、やはり一番ぐっと来たのは、アシリパの「私は杉元佐一と一緒に地獄へ落ちる覚悟だ」と弓を構える姿だ。
杉元もアシリパも最後まで相棒でいいし、白石も最後までいい。
マッカーサー元帥についてちらっと言及されていた最後の最後も、「ゴールデンカムイ」に翻弄された歴史、という描写で面白い。

というわけで、最後だし、星3.5.

[Hollay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down one of the best written manga I have ever read. It made me laugh, it made me cry. I loved all the characters, each villain was so well written. I am so excited to reread the series, and will easily consider this to be my favorite manga series I’ve ever read.

Only complaints.

Not enough Ogata, and not enough Vasily. We needed more of them.

[Cristina Herondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥲 no tengo palabras para describir lo que siento ahora mismo la verdad...
😭💔 Feliz pq el final ha sido bueno, triste pq ha acabado y pq han habido finales que no ojalá no hubieran habido 😭😭😭
Quiero más aventuras de Asirpa y Sugimoto!!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could rate higher than five stars!! My favorite series got its perfect ending and I could not be more stoked about it. It broke my heart into a million pieces and filled it at the same time - I will miss these characters so so much... until I reread it SO soon.

[Vinícius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personagens muito bem escritos, uma história linda, envolvente e com muito significado, arte espetacular... isso é Golden Kamuy, uma das melhores histórias que eu já li, e essa incrível aventura acaba aqui. Muito obrigado Satoru Noda!

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Golden Kamuy ha sido, sin duda, un viaje inolvidable.

Hacía muchísimo que no me enganchaba de tal forma a un manga, pero si algo ha conseguido Satoru Noda es que devorara cada tomo como si me fuera la vida en ello. Es difícil que, después de treinta tomos, mi opinión del manga (que ya era muy buena en mi primera reseña) mejorara, pero así ha sido.

El autor logra que todos los personajes que nos presenta tengan su espacio. Consigue contarnos sus historias, explorar sus motivaciones y mostrarnos cómo crecen, al mismo tiempo que crecemos con ellos.

Nunca me ha interesado el tema bélico, pero Noda ha conseguido sumergirme en una trama centrada en la política, y no solo que la disfrutara, sino también que entendiera los conflictos que presenta.

Todo esto, por supuesto, acompañado por un dibujo exquisito y una manera impecable de controlar la narrativa visual y los tiempos. En cuanto al final, creo que era muy difícil darle el enfoque adecuado, pero a mí personalmente me ha encantado.

Hubo momentos de mucha tensión, otros que me hicieron reír y algunos en los que lloré. Una verdadera montaña rusa emocional. En resumen, una serie recomendadísima y completa en todos los sentidos. Sin duda, se ha convertido en uno de mis mangas favoritos.

(Y aunque dudo que lea esto, ¡mil gracias Aitor por prestarme los tomos y descubrirme esta joya!)

[Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

*just lies on the ground sobbing*
This is the best manga ever written. Full stop. Everyone needs to read this in full. By god. Nothing is better than this. I already want to reread it. Noda. God. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alizée Ce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hinna hinna ! Fin de la série. J'ai beaucoup aimé. C'était drôle, épique, complément barré, parfois difficile à suivre (quand pauses trop longues entre les lectures) historique, culturel. Découvrir la culture Aïnou et vouloir embarquer pour Hokkaido immédiatement.