English Dub Review: Golden Kamuy “Making a Homeland; Pinky Bone”

A “Golden Hand” Double Feature..


Overview

“Making a Homeland”

Botaro has his own ideas about what to do with the gold.


“Pinky Bone”

Asirpa is captured by Lt. Tsurumi and learns the truth about the gold, along with her father’s connection to it…



Our Take

Picking up from the previous episode, Crunchyroll surprised viewers by dropping two dubbed episodes at once, with the first diving immediately back into chaos. As a series of betrayals, pursuits, and sudden reversals upends fragile alliances, culminating in a pivotal capture that shifts momentum dramatically. At the center of this turmoil is Botaro, whose controversial choices spark the spiral yet earn him a layered, memorable sendoff, leaving viewers with a mix of frustration and reluctant respect. In contrast, Kadokura’s improbable survival delivers perfectly timed comic relief, exemplifying the series’ ability to balance intense action with absurd humor, while simmering rivalries and quieter character moments hint at even greater confrontations ahead.

In the second episode, Asirpa is taken by the 7th Division and, along with Sofia, faces a tense psychological duel with Lt. Tsurumi inside a quiet church. Outside, Tsukishima and Koito listen in, their loyalties tested as revelations cast Tsurumi in a more unsettling light. Meanwhile, Sugimoto and his allies race to intervene, but the episode relies heavily on dialogue over action, maintaining intensity while highlighting Tsurumi’s calculating, theatrical, and enigmatic nature. Layers of past choices centered on Wilk and his comrades emphasize the emotional stakes, portraying complex decisions shaped by family, revolution, and survival, all while flashes of absurd humor preserve the series’ signature tonal balance.

Overall, these episodes combine gripping character work with high-stakes tension and well-timed humor, deepening the story’s intrigue without relying solely on spectacle. Themes of loyalty, cultural identity, and its ties to Japan & Russia’s political histories at the time are interwoven seamlessly, while heightening the stakes for the converging factions. Even as trust falters and decisions carry weighty consequences, the series maintains momentum, setting the stage for a climax that feels both inevitable and unpredictable.