First half was nothing compared to the spellbound second half! Can't say that I've enjoyed this volume completely. It was kind of an okay read for me. I enjoyed Koito's full-on entertaining backstory.
what a wild ride, the volume is split between sugimoto and asirpa's crew trying to not let ogata die and the 7th division chapters, including a very interesting backstory of tsurumi recruiting one of t=his most precious subordinates.
Estoy sumamente conflictuado por Ogata. El personaje me encanta. Se nota que está atormentado pero también que tiene algún tipo de trauma o desorden que le impide empatizar. El desenlace de este tomo me encantó.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
An excellent volume. The way it establishes how Asirpa and Sugimoto's relationship has darkly changed in a way neither of them yet realize is SO strong while still being subtle. We get an incredible flashback sequence that shows the lengths Tsurumi has gone to in order to build his following of angry and lost young men who look up to him as a father. And of course we get some ridiculous bawdy humor, wouldn't be Golden Kamuy without that. They're all bangers right now.
My original goal this month was to read through volume 19, which covers up through season thee of the anime (ish), however, the friend who got me into this series hinted that maybe volume 20 would be a good idea.
She was right.
Noda's already been pretty clear that Tsurumi, the absolute diabolical madman of an antagonist, is about 25 steps ahead of the rest of the characters, but the end of this volume Noda reveals a history between Tsurumi and Koito (one of his hero-worshipping subordinates*) that changes not only that relationship, but the relationships between Koito and almost everyone around him, once he figures it out.**
*It should tell you something that Koito shrieks like a monkey when enraged and sometimes speaks in Saitama dialect so quickly no can understand him, and yet counts among the more sane of Tsurumi's group.
**My god am I side-eyeing Tsukishima now. THAT is going to be a conversation.
The tricycle for two chase downhill is hilarious! More layers are added to Tsurumi and his cast of crazy loyalists. The flashback chapter is probably one of the more consequential in recent memory. Of course, the convergence of multiple parties last volume has significant ramifications in this one. We are twenty volumes in and Golden Kamuy continues to be a seat-of-the-pants ride. There were some quirks with the art this volume, but not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment. If you are bothered by Satoru Noda’s proclivity for depicting the naked male form, you don’t get a break here... some cringe-worthy juvenile humor bits in the hot springs chapters.
The art, as always, is absolutely stunning and continues to amaze me. I really enjoyed the addition of Koito and Tsurumi's backstory—it was both entertaining and intriguing. Aside from their backstory, I struggled to stay fully invested in most of the events this time around. There were a few new characters introduced, but I’m still uncertain about how they’ll tie into the larger story. Hopefully, their significance will become clearer in the next volumes.
Unexpectedly getting Koito’s backstory but it was super interesting! And I totally see how he could have developed his feelings for Tsurumi. Knight in shining armor type infatuation, for sure. I did chuckle at the comment about Tsurumi being a master manipulator, it’s so true.
Now, we wait for the next big thing to explode in our faces and reveal shit I never saw coming!!
Aún quedan cosas por resolver. Nuevos personajes han aparecido, sabemos algo más del pasado de Tsurumi y Koito, y con ello, de la relación de este último con Ogata.
Tras su fuga, ¡solo aguardan más aventuras! ¡Qué ganas de seguir leyendo!
First half was a nice diversion and great detour in Noboribetsu. Second half was kinda weak sadly. Interesting, but nothing special. Ending had me frustrated.
For it to go 20 volumes to have a just ok volume instead of a good or amazing one is a testament to how fantastic this series is!
Again, plenty of action and we get some back story to Koito here as well. This is a very interesting series, and the culture of the Ainu, Nivkh and Uilta are all done well too.
More like 3.5stars. 杉元がかっこいいしアホだし、白石/アシリパとの絡みもおかしいし、野郎どもが素っ裸になりがちなのはいつになってもウケる。 また、鯉登少尉のバックストーリーがわかって面白い。(方言を読むのはしんどいが) この「ボンボンが」ってセリフ、重要になる?(というか、尾形って他にも裏がありそうで興味深い)
Kiroranke is laid to rest and the group is making its way back to Hokkaido... or will be after Tsukishima and Ogata recover from their injuries. But for that we need a surgeon.
In other news, we get a flashback to when Koito met Lt. Tsurumi and a confrontation at a hot spring with a cold ending.