Golden Kamuy - Volume 3 (Review)
By: MithrandielMiss my previous reviews? Check out my thoughts on volume 1 & volume 2!
Recap - Spoilers Below!
The hunt for the cursed gold continues in volume 3 of Golden Kamuy. The story picks up with the Immortal Sugimoto being held captive by the exceedingly dangerous (and thoroughly creepy) soldiers of the 7th division. Despite his tenacity, things seem hopeless for our hero until Asirpa coordinates an escape along with the "escape king", Shiraishi. In a macabre ploy, Sugimoto uses the intestines of his defeated foe to make himself appear mortally wounded and negotiate for prompt transportation to a nearby hospital. Once out of the building, a senior officer finally puts two and two together, but by then it's too late. Sugimoto, Asirpa and Shiraishi escape into the mountains and continue their journey to unravel the mystery surrounding that elusive horde of gold!Meanwhile, more dangerous entities make their appearance. Former Shinsengumi samurai Nagakura Shinpachi demonstrates his superb fighting ability along with his henchmen as they dispatch a group of bandits.
As the hunt for the treasure heats up, Sugimoto finds himself at odds with another impressive fighter - a legendary bear hunter named Tetsuzo Nihei.Deep in the mountains, Tetsuzo is on the hunt for none other than Asirpa's companion: Retar. The elusive white wolf is Tetsuzo's, well, white whale, and he's not about to let anyone come between him and his prey.Making things more interesting is the fact that Tetsuzo bears an important clue to the location of the treasure.
What a crazy random happenstance! The legendary bear hunter that has now crossed Sugimoto's path could provide him with the next piece of the puzzle.Problem is, Tetsuzo loves the thrill of the hunt. No...seriously...
The volume ends with Sugimoto and Tetsuzo going head-to-head, each of them fearless and sure of their inability to die. Guess we'll see how that works out once volume 4 gets here!
Review
The latest volume of Golden Kamuy met most of my expectations: the action continues to be a brutal, thrilling ride, and the cast of characters surrounding the cursed treasure gets more interesting by the chapter.Both Tetsuzo and Nagakura are excellent villains to throw into the mix - each presenting their own formidable traits as eventual stumbling blocks for Sugimoto. When it comes to the protagonists, Asirpa and Sugimoto have some endearing interactions, and adding the "escape king" into the mix helps to create some light-hearted fun to help detract from the otherwise serious circumstances.The main thing that weighed this volume down for me was the continued descriptions of various survival and hunting techniques. In previous volumes I've enjoyed them, and even still I can appreciate the depth it adds to the story as opposed to other stories that just have heroes running around the wilderness for weeks at a time with no apparent concern for how they feed, clothe and shelter themselves.That being said, it does get a bit heavy-handed at times.Overall, however, Golden Kamuy continues to be a reliably entertaining series with fantastic art and an engrossing plot. I'm interested in seeing how the story progresses, and I'm sure you are too! To catch the latest of Golden Kamuy, visit Viz's website here!Note: We were provided a review copy of Golden Kamuy Vol. 3 by Viz in exchange for our honest review.
