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ゴールデンカムイ [Golden Kamui] #1
Golden Kamui, Vol. 1
Nel pieno dell’Era Meiji Saichi Sugimoto, ex soldato d’élite sopravvissuto a una delle battaglie più sanguinose della guerra Russo-Giapponese, lasciato l’esercito ha ormai un solo obiettivo: la corsa all’oro. È questa a portarlo in Hokkaido, l’estremo nord del Giappone abitato dal misterioso popolo degli Ainu e dove secondo una leggenda qualcuno ha nascosto una enorme quantità del prezioso metallo giallo… ma Sugimoto non è l’unico a seguire le tracce che portano al tesoro nascosto e per trovarlo dovrà affrontare spietate bande di criminali, l’esercito e il clima proibitivo dell’Hokkaido con l’aiuto di una giovane e decisa Ainu in cerca di vendetta.
150 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2015
118 people are currently reading
2384 people want to read
About the author
Satoru Noda
63 books91 followersSatoru Noda (野田サトル, Noda Satoru) is a japanese mangaka.
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October 27, 20206/10/20
Having read so many first volumes of manga series in recent times, I have come to notice how rare it is to find one that pops off from the start and Golden Kamuy certainly does! The storyline really has me intrigued, the unfamiliar setting and the action absolutely thrills me and I can't wait to read more of this series!! :)
5/10/20
I surprisingly hadn't heard of this title until twee weeks ago. Looking forward to dive in and watch a bit of the anime as well :)
You can find me on
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Having read so many first volumes of manga series in recent times, I have come to notice how rare it is to find one that pops off from the start and Golden Kamuy certainly does! The storyline really has me intrigued, the unfamiliar setting and the action absolutely thrills me and I can't wait to read more of this series!! :)
5/10/20
I surprisingly hadn't heard of this title until twee weeks ago. Looking forward to dive in and watch a bit of the anime as well :)
You can find me on
Youtube | Instagram | Twitch | Twitter | Tumblr | Website | The Storygraph
October 24, 2017
Some excellent manga works have strong research background and present setting with rich details in setting, and sometimes the details influence the plot too. Golden Kamuy is one of those manga works.
The setting is one of the most exotic that I have found in this manga. The time is in early 20th century after Russo-Japanese War, the place is in Hokkaido Island, especially in wilderness of the island. The plot's background involves Ainu people, and one of the main characters is an Ainu girl. I can't praise enough for the details of many aspect of the story: The Ainu-style survival skills in wilderness, and Japanese military related details, to name a few of the gems.
A strong start for a historical thriller manga. I really wish the quality of the manga could be maintained until the end. I have high expectation after reading this first volume.
Just be warned: the violence scenes are graphic enough. No nude scene so far.
The setting is one of the most exotic that I have found in this manga. The time is in early 20th century after Russo-Japanese War, the place is in Hokkaido Island, especially in wilderness of the island. The plot's background involves Ainu people, and one of the main characters is an Ainu girl. I can't praise enough for the details of many aspect of the story: The Ainu-style survival skills in wilderness, and Japanese military related details, to name a few of the gems.
A strong start for a historical thriller manga. I really wish the quality of the manga could be maintained until the end. I have high expectation after reading this first volume.
Just be warned: the violence scenes are graphic enough. No nude scene so far.
December 9, 2017
Surprisingly enjoyable for a historical tale about the gold rush in Hokkaido at the end of the Meiji era.
Updated below
So I'm up to volume 4 right now and I'm probably not going to review any other books in this series just because honestly, they're all about the same quality, which is good. I really want to point out something though, that if you've read/liked A Bride's Story this would be a perfect series to also check out. Wonderful art, special care made for historical details, and great characters who quickly grow on you. Both take place in about the same time period as well.
I highly recommend this and that series as well.
Updated below
So I'm up to volume 4 right now and I'm probably not going to review any other books in this series just because honestly, they're all about the same quality, which is good. I really want to point out something though, that if you've read/liked A Bride's Story this would be a perfect series to also check out. Wonderful art, special care made for historical details, and great characters who quickly grow on you. Both take place in about the same time period as well.
I highly recommend this and that series as well.
September 1, 2021
This was surprisingly good and is set during the gold rush in Hokkaido near the early 20th century.
Its about a man named Saichi Sugimoto who after learning that there is a gold rush and the location of it after learning from a prisoner makes it his mission to find it and meets an Ainu woman named Asirpa and its fascinating seeing their adventures together as they fight bears and other wild animals and more and cooking and catching criminals and having weird adventures. They learn of the 71st division also after the gold and its fascinating seeing these two groups battle and more. Until Sugimoto meets another prisoner and learns more about this quest.
Its a good volume and like has so much thing of quest and gold rush and the main character is fascinating and his attitude is quite cavalier and interesting. Plus the girl sidekick is good too and I love knowing more about the Ainu culture. Plus the art is so good and I love how the author is also making it a cooking sort of manga. And I like the exploration of the early 20th century attitudes and more.
Its about a man named Saichi Sugimoto who after learning that there is a gold rush and the location of it after learning from a prisoner makes it his mission to find it and meets an Ainu woman named Asirpa and its fascinating seeing their adventures together as they fight bears and other wild animals and more and cooking and catching criminals and having weird adventures. They learn of the 71st division also after the gold and its fascinating seeing these two groups battle and more. Until Sugimoto meets another prisoner and learns more about this quest.
Its a good volume and like has so much thing of quest and gold rush and the main character is fascinating and his attitude is quite cavalier and interesting. Plus the girl sidekick is good too and I love knowing more about the Ainu culture. Plus the art is so good and I love how the author is also making it a cooking sort of manga. And I like the exploration of the early 20th century attitudes and more.
October 26, 2020
Some of the best manga art I've seen yet, and a pretty engaging story, a real page turner.
December 22, 2020
Golden Kamuy is a series about a Russo-Japanese War veteran searching for a secret hoard of Ainu gold in the harshly beautiful Hokkaido wilderness with an Ainu girl for a guide. This treasure hunting story has the feel of a Western (since this is set in Hokkaido, an eastern northern?), frontier life, renegade soldiers, escaped convicts, indigenous survivalist, and lost gold. The story is briskly paced, one chapter in, and the duo are already looking for pieces of the map to the hoard.
The characters are also well developed. Asirpa the Ainu is a skilled hunter, that a former soldier named Sugimoto the Immortal looks up to her in awe, and with a name like that, he's no pushover himself. The first time they meet, she ends up saving him from a massive bear looking to snack on his tender entrails.
The story itself has a veneer of realism that can only be achieved by extensive background research, and the author supports this with a list of references as an appendix and even cites an Ainu language consultant. This is important because one of the charms of this series is the detailed depiction of Ainu hunting culture and the flora and fauna of the region.
This is truly an excellent first volume because now I want to know if our intrepid treasure hunters will even behold the gold in the end.
The characters are also well developed. Asirpa the Ainu is a skilled hunter, that a former soldier named Sugimoto the Immortal looks up to her in awe, and with a name like that, he's no pushover himself. The first time they meet, she ends up saving him from a massive bear looking to snack on his tender entrails.
The story itself has a veneer of realism that can only be achieved by extensive background research, and the author supports this with a list of references as an appendix and even cites an Ainu language consultant. This is important because one of the charms of this series is the detailed depiction of Ainu hunting culture and the flora and fauna of the region.
This is truly an excellent first volume because now I want to know if our intrepid treasure hunters will even behold the gold in the end.
January 2, 2021
Слагам началото на годината с тази страхотна манга, чиято аниме адаптация е част от класацията ми "аниме на годината - 2020" (просто го открих в последния месец).
Прекрасен арт и много добре разказана история. Авторът определено ти позволява да му вярваш, изглежда идеално запознат с времето, в което се развива разказът му - Руско-японската война от 1904-та година. Действието се развива в Хоккайдо, с намесата на айну (допълнителна силна мотивация за мен, тъй като винаги съм се интересувала от темата, но информацията е катастрофално оскъдна). В основата на всичко лежи "треската за злато", но в доста по-необичаен вид. Всеки от участниците в търсенето на златото на айну си има своя причина да бъде тук, в "Златният Камуй". И всички са развити поравно, което допълнително печели читателя за каузата да разбере какво ще стане с тях.
Авторът не пести в никаква степен отвратителните страни на "войната", била тя за злато или друго. И макар отвреме-навреме в "Камуй" да правят най-отвратителните комични простащини, нищо не е игра. Всичко е до болка реалистично. Невероятна история! Както понякога ми се случва да повторя това - историческата ми душа е в тотален възторг!
Прекрасен арт и много добре разказана история. Авторът определено ти позволява да му вярваш, изглежда идеално запознат с времето, в което се развива разказът му - Руско-японската война от 1904-та година. Действието се развива в Хоккайдо, с намесата на айну (допълнителна силна мотивация за мен, тъй като винаги съм се интересувала от темата, но информацията е катастрофално оскъдна). В основата на всичко лежи "треската за злато", но в доста по-необичаен вид. Всеки от участниците в търсенето на златото на айну си има своя причина да бъде тук, в "Златният Камуй". И всички са развити поравно, което допълнително печели читателя за каузата да разбере какво ще стане с тях.
Авторът не пести в никаква степен отвратителните страни на "войната", била тя за злато или друго. И макар отвреме-навреме в "Камуй" да правят най-отвратителните комични простащини, нищо не е игра. Всичко е до болка реалистично. Невероятна история! Както понякога ми се случва да повторя това - историческата ми душа е в тотален възторг!
August 23, 2020
There's something gruesome and off-putting about using your standard cutesy wide-eyed anime style to portray realistic blood and gore. Golden Kamuy has this contrast down strong, and I don't think I'll ever be able to quite look past it.
But besides that, it's pretty good. The characters are compelling, the plot tense and thrilling, the action fast and visceral, and there's a lot coming up ahead. This is only the beginning.
But besides that, it's pretty good. The characters are compelling, the plot tense and thrilling, the action fast and visceral, and there's a lot coming up ahead. This is only the beginning.
April 27, 2016
Read April 27, 2016
Really cool historical graphic novel set in northern Japan after the end of Russo-Japanese war. A veteran soldier called Sugimoto the Immortal and an Ainu girl team up to find escaped prisoners whose bodies are covered with tattoos that hold the key to the secret gold stash. Each of them is on this journey for reasons of their own.
I really enjoyed this volume, especially since I spent some time in Hokkaido and certain places are familiar to me. It was fun to learn that Otaru used to have so many brothels disguised as udon restaurants that it was actually very difficult to find a place to eat. The best part about this series in learning about Ainu culture. The author did quite a bit of research and actually has his own language consultant. It's hard to find manga set in the northern wilderness of Hokkaido, so I'm super excited to continue on.
Really cool historical graphic novel set in northern Japan after the end of Russo-Japanese war. A veteran soldier called Sugimoto the Immortal and an Ainu girl team up to find escaped prisoners whose bodies are covered with tattoos that hold the key to the secret gold stash. Each of them is on this journey for reasons of their own.
I really enjoyed this volume, especially since I spent some time in Hokkaido and certain places are familiar to me. It was fun to learn that Otaru used to have so many brothels disguised as udon restaurants that it was actually very difficult to find a place to eat. The best part about this series in learning about Ainu culture. The author did quite a bit of research and actually has his own language consultant. It's hard to find manga set in the northern wilderness of Hokkaido, so I'm super excited to continue on.
October 6, 2017
MAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN
saya tau manga ini karena follow salah satu orang yang gemar membaca manga di twitter. kalau ditanya ''saya mau baca komik jepang nih, enaknya mulai darimana ya?'' maka jawaban orang itu akan memberikan 5 judul komik dan ini salah satunya. saya penasaran baca karena ada beberapa orang yang sudah mulai mencoba baca dan katanya suka.
naaaah, pas saya mulai baca vol 1 nya ternyata memang BAGUS BANGEET
pertama dari gambar detail. cakep.
dari segi cerita juga lumayan walaupun masih gak jelas akan dibawa kemana. saya gatau ini based true story atau gak, tapi ini bahas tentang sejarah jepang setelah perang dunia dan ditambah mitologi2 jepang.
baru vol 1 udah nagih banget. padahal genrenya bukan saya banget karena di buku ini ada beberapa distrubing pic kayak tembak2an dan keluar darah gitu (mungkin menurut beberapa orang itu gak serem2 banget).
seru!
dan saya cukup setuju kalau serial komik ini wajib dibaca buat siapapun yang mau kenal sama komik2 jepang hehe.
suka!
saya tau manga ini karena follow salah satu orang yang gemar membaca manga di twitter. kalau ditanya ''saya mau baca komik jepang nih, enaknya mulai darimana ya?'' maka jawaban orang itu akan memberikan 5 judul komik dan ini salah satunya. saya penasaran baca karena ada beberapa orang yang sudah mulai mencoba baca dan katanya suka.
naaaah, pas saya mulai baca vol 1 nya ternyata memang BAGUS BANGEET
pertama dari gambar detail. cakep.
dari segi cerita juga lumayan walaupun masih gak jelas akan dibawa kemana. saya gatau ini based true story atau gak, tapi ini bahas tentang sejarah jepang setelah perang dunia dan ditambah mitologi2 jepang.
baru vol 1 udah nagih banget. padahal genrenya bukan saya banget karena di buku ini ada beberapa distrubing pic kayak tembak2an dan keluar darah gitu (mungkin menurut beberapa orang itu gak serem2 banget).
seru!
dan saya cukup setuju kalau serial komik ini wajib dibaca buat siapapun yang mau kenal sama komik2 jepang hehe.
suka!
July 30, 2017
What an odd book! Set in Hokkaido immediately following the Russo-Japanese war, the tone is reminiscent of an American Western, specifically The Outlaw Josey Wales. A war veteran seeking gold teams up with a native Ainu girl seeking vengeance. And a wolf shows up in a small supporting role, which I always appreciate. I enjoyed the fact that as much or more time is spent on small game trapping and fighting a rogue bear as on the main story of seeking a group of tattooed men one by one. The weakest link in this intriguing set-up is the protagonist, whose personality is a bit of a muddle. Still, I'll certainly come back for more of this wacky action series.
July 27, 2017
I had to emergency read this (the usual Manga Book Club bookseller had something come up). It's pretty intriguing - although very graphically violent. I like the two main characters Saichi and Asirpa (and all the cultural bits about the Ainu people) and their hunt for the hidden gold so I may actually read more of this series.
February 19, 2023
3,5/5. Un buon inizio, disegni stupendi e molto puliti, narrazione chiara e accattivante e un sacco di storia giapponese ben romanzata.
February 22, 2022
Golden Kamuy is Everything I Wanted in A Manga. Great Drawing, Interesting Cast of Characters and Complex Story With a Brilliant Storytelling Which is Filled With History, Mystery, Comedy, Action and Drama…Might Say How Could a Story Combine Those Genres Together Well Golden Kamuy Did That.
The Story Take Place After The Russian-Japanese War and it Follows Sugimoto Saichi or as he’s called (Immortal Sugimoto) Who Comes Back From The War and Started Searching For Gold, Where He Stumbles across a Story about a fortune in hidden Ainu gold.
What I Like The Most About Golden Kamuy is That it Takes Different Genres and Mix Them Together Brilliantly. It Give Us History About The Ainu (Indigenous people of Japan), Their History, Traditions, Food and Hunting Style. While Building For The Gold Hunt and The Various Clashes Between Different Characters.
Golden Kamuy is Surely One of The Best Manga Currently Published and I’m Positive That It’ll Be a Considered One of The Classics Within The Manga Industry After it Finishes.
The Story Take Place After The Russian-Japanese War and it Follows Sugimoto Saichi or as he’s called (Immortal Sugimoto) Who Comes Back From The War and Started Searching For Gold, Where He Stumbles across a Story about a fortune in hidden Ainu gold.
What I Like The Most About Golden Kamuy is That it Takes Different Genres and Mix Them Together Brilliantly. It Give Us History About The Ainu (Indigenous people of Japan), Their History, Traditions, Food and Hunting Style. While Building For The Gold Hunt and The Various Clashes Between Different Characters.
Golden Kamuy is Surely One of The Best Manga Currently Published and I’m Positive That It’ll Be a Considered One of The Classics Within The Manga Industry After it Finishes.
October 10, 2023
Golden Kamuy, Vol. 1 (My Kindle Review)
Taking place during the early 1900s after the Russo-Japanese war, we follow young war veteran Saichi Sugimoto who has supreme soldier and survivor skills. He is currently on a life threatening quest in the middle of a postwar gold rush involving a long-hidden fortune of gold and is determined to find it. When he gets caught in a bear attack, he gets help from an Ainu girl named Asirpa with strong huntress skills. As the two survive their attack, they will find themselves with some very powerful hunters who may have info about the fortune.
It’s been ages since I found a good action-packed manga and “GK” is just so powerful and suspenseful. From start to finish, its war-themed survival lore and scenes of action definitely give off a thrilling postwar story of gold and survival. It is really all worth it to find this fortune of gold?, I’ll see. A (100%/Outstanding)
Taking place during the early 1900s after the Russo-Japanese war, we follow young war veteran Saichi Sugimoto who has supreme soldier and survivor skills. He is currently on a life threatening quest in the middle of a postwar gold rush involving a long-hidden fortune of gold and is determined to find it. When he gets caught in a bear attack, he gets help from an Ainu girl named Asirpa with strong huntress skills. As the two survive their attack, they will find themselves with some very powerful hunters who may have info about the fortune.
It’s been ages since I found a good action-packed manga and “GK” is just so powerful and suspenseful. From start to finish, its war-themed survival lore and scenes of action definitely give off a thrilling postwar story of gold and survival. It is really all worth it to find this fortune of gold?, I’ll see. A (100%/Outstanding)
August 25, 2021
An action packed historical manga set during the gold rush at the end of the Meiji era.
Artwork is very captivating, characters are memorable, and I throughly enjoyed how much detail was noted in this story-It shows a lot of the writing was based on solid research done on this time period.
Highly recommend
Artwork is very captivating, characters are memorable, and I throughly enjoyed how much detail was noted in this story-It shows a lot of the writing was based on solid research done on this time period.
Highly recommend
March 14, 2024
Sí, sí voy a poner todo el manga que lea aquí. Ni mode.
This one is so good tho im enjoying it sm.
This one is so good tho im enjoying it sm.
August 28, 2017
Dear Noda sensei,
I love Sugimoto.
I love Asirpa.
I love Retar.
I love Obata eh Ogata.
I love Shiraishi.
I a half love Tsurumi (kan baru nongol dikit-dikit yak, berupa bayang-bayang)
I love Hijikata.
I LOVE ALL OF THEM.
Thanks for bringing them to my life.
Best Regards,
Rini Dolok.
I love Sugimoto.
I love Asirpa.
I love Retar.
I love Obata eh Ogata.
I love Shiraishi.
I a half love Tsurumi (kan baru nongol dikit-dikit yak, berupa bayang-bayang)
I love Hijikata.
I LOVE ALL OF THEM.
Thanks for bringing them to my life.
Best Regards,
Rini Dolok.
July 4, 2017
I love the historical and realistic emphasis of this narrative. I'll definitely continue on with the series.
January 1, 2019
A well researched historical fiction manga with a great mix of tension and humor. I especially loved all the hunting and survivalist themes, and learning about Ainu culture.
Score: a tentative 9/10
Score: a tentative 9/10
March 16, 2022
We're in the early 1900s in Hokkaidō Japan. A legend on the battlefield, soldier veteran of the Russo-Japan war Saichi "Immortal" Sugimoto finds out about a tale of a stolen gold rush from indigenous Ainu miners. Sugimoto needs to find the gold to help his childhood friend's and former comrade's widow and child. Clues of its hidden location are tattoed in sets onto escaped prisoners of the Ashiri prison, the same prison the person who stole the gold was locked up in.
A local young Ainu girl by the name of Asirpa saves Sugimoto from being eaten/killed by a brown bear with a poisoned arrow. She decides to help Sugimoto get the treasure as revenge for her father who was one of the Ainu people that got killed while guarding the gold five years ago.
A brutal and graphic story full with cultural and historical facts set in a gorgeous scenery.
A well-written story that deserves your attention.
Satoru Noda is an ethnic Japanese living in Hokkaidō and you can tell he researched a lot on the Ainu people. Scholars who study the Ainu history and culture give Noda their advice. He incorporates a lot of their myths, values and practices in Golden Kamuy. There's even a bibliography at the end of the book.
In fact, his great-grandfather's name was Saichi Sugimoto, just with a different Kanji character for "-moto". You can read more on it here:
https://yunhokick.tumblr.com/post/164...
A local young Ainu girl by the name of Asirpa saves Sugimoto from being eaten/killed by a brown bear with a poisoned arrow. She decides to help Sugimoto get the treasure as revenge for her father who was one of the Ainu people that got killed while guarding the gold five years ago.
A brutal and graphic story full with cultural and historical facts set in a gorgeous scenery.
A well-written story that deserves your attention.
Satoru Noda is an ethnic Japanese living in Hokkaidō and you can tell he researched a lot on the Ainu people. Scholars who study the Ainu history and culture give Noda their advice. He incorporates a lot of their myths, values and practices in Golden Kamuy. There's even a bibliography at the end of the book.
In fact, his great-grandfather's name was Saichi Sugimoto, just with a different Kanji character for "-moto". You can read more on it here:
https://yunhokick.tumblr.com/post/164...
May 24, 2025
Finished reading like, the whole series in the past few weeks because I couldn’t put it down. what a treat. it’s a great balance of serious and humorous tone, i love the art style, the character work is fantastic. a surprising amount of historical knowledge packed in here, and it’s clear that a lot of research and care was put into writing about the Ainu people. also the author really loves to draw buff dudes naked.
May 29, 2021
The art is an effective unnerving mix of pointy whitespace manga elegance and spinal columns n gore. Both clean and grotesque. A lot of hunting and zoology facts involved: Someone cared. Also Sugimoto chamber-punches a bear.
July 9, 2021
CAWPILE rating: 8.14/10
STAR rating: ★★★★
Golden Kamuy... good.
STAR rating: ★★★★
Golden Kamuy... good.
May 1, 2019
This is some amazing art but I seem to be so so on tbe historical story.
January 22, 2020
Good entertainment, I hope the rest of the story is the same or better.
August 19, 2021
I freaking love this anime and can't wait to watch the next season. Until that time...gonna gather up all the Manga volumes (I NEED to own them and have them on my shelf) and experience it all over again.
November 11, 2022
Un premier tome super prenant !
March 25, 2025
Insane research, great characters and amazing story. Wow…
February 10, 2026
Such a fun read with lots of delicious gore and thriller moments. Can't wait to keep going in the series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 391 reviews