English Dub Season Review: Golden Kamuy Season Two

What’s the worst you’d do for a mountain of gold?

Our Take:

Altogether, the main plot of this series, historical basis aside, is one thing: will you kill for money? Is it honestly worth it to some people to murder another person if that would give you? Each time the answer is- yes, absolutely. Everyone comes closer and closer to the gold this season, and even if the location still isn’t clear by then, it shows just how far people are willing to go.

Hijikata shows his acute manipulations this time around. He is able to wrangle the many different parties (with the exception of Tsurumi), even stragglers and wild cards like Ogata, into one cohesive group that all functions together. He was the ringleader of the prison escape, and his leadership and charisma come to play. Thing is, his manipulations are never overt; he uses what people want and the taunt of the gold as a way to get people to follow him. At the same time, he has the insight to see how people truly are. When the time comes, he will discard them if they might end up being a hindrance later on. In the end, he comes out fairly victorious- he unfortunately doesn’t have Asirpa on hand, but he does still have all the members of his party alive, and he got his revenge against Inudou.

From the last season we know that Tsurumi was willing to fight for the gold, and he was a little bit behind on the scene overall. He only had one skin, after all. This time, the stakes get ramped up when Tsurumi’s secret weapon is revealed in Edogai, who manages to make him fake skins. With only the Seventh Division able to decipher which are genuine, that throws a wrench into everyone’s plans, and could make the hunt much harder in the long run. Tsurumi also further shows his resolve by conducting a full-scale military operation on Abashiri, complete with battleships and all. Most importantly, post-operation, he displays that he only really cares about the end result. As long as he gets the gold, he’s willing to make deals with and work together with anyone- even former enemies such as Sugimoto.

As for Sugimoto himself, he and Asirpa grow even stronger this time around. Not in power, but in their bond. Their time hiding in the carcass together was one of the absolute highlights of the season, because they’re not just partners in search for the gold, but have truly come to trust each other. Asirpa truly believes in Sugimoto, and Sugimoto makes it his mission to keep her safe. They have some great comedic moments, that’s supplemented with an ironclad trust. Asirpa has a dream of her own and Sugimoto is so willing to see it through that he doesn’t even care that much for the gold. He may want a small share if he finds it, but he has no intention of hoarding it for himself, but rather watching over Asirpa. For someone who started on the hunt for curiosity, that’s a huge leap.

Of course, a lot of side bits are omitted to end the season on the breakout. Tsurumi going after the convict couple, Ogata and Hijikata first working together and… that one guy with the bears has been omitted. The one guy with the bears (and manga readers will know exactly what I’m talking about) I know the studio had to take out because it couldn’t be shown on public television even if they wanted to animate that and- well, that’s pretty understandable. The other two were likely chopped for time, and while that makes sense, it’s a shame what we lose in the process. The group that ends up coming together is an unlikely one, but has managed to form connections through a shared cause and shared experiences. Everyone has run into each other in one way or another, and through getting through problems together, they’ve found (some) way to trust each other. It’s that this group has managed to coexist and survive through different situations that makes the fallout of the ending that much greater. We all to some extent knew it was coming, but we didn’t think it would be this bad.

The ending does close on one of the lowest points in the manga, with everyone being struck by tragedy, but it also paves the way for a coming season. The manga is still ongoing, and a lot more is to come. In the meantime, we have a story that’s full of intrigue, bloodshed, and so many twists and turns that you stay on your toes.