#kaneko kaeko

[delicourse]

in honor of the first gk woman…..ume….

#golden kamuy #kenmochi umeko #gk #kaneko kaeko #harumi chiyo #deliart #happy shes doing well #drawing gk women is ulitmately my duty as one of the at most 4 lesbiabs in this fandom #Doing My Part 🫡 #(salute emoji) #i like the idea of these three meeting…buying flowers…its nice #also an excuse to draw kaeko ough i loove my 4 chapter backstory only queen

[lynxchu]

art trade

#golden kamuy #kaeko kaneko

[yuramoonbow]

wake up babe, there's a new pretty girl in golden kamuy

#golden kamuy #kaneko kaeko #kaeko kaneko #golden kamuy fanart #gk #fanart #i respect her eagerness to get in sugimoto's pants i think she is being a queen

[chibivesicle]

Golden Kamuy - Kikuta deserved better - 273-276

As I catch up on things, I’m gonna hit the highlights that really stuck with me.  Ogata is able to escape from Vasily using the tactics he observed from the showdown in Barato with Hijikata cutting through random row houses.  He’s seriously gotten into Vasily’s head as he hesitated to snipe aggressively after killing the wrong guy with Ogata’s cloak.

The only worthwhile thing from this continued and seriously a no longer interesting plot point, is getting to see Ogata wiggle under a fence like a cat.

So, I approve of this at least.  My own cat scores this as an 8/10 in cat wiggling.  Minus 2 points for not enough emotion from Ogata’s face.

Thankfully, Asirpa was able to escape with Sofia after Tsukishima gunned down Ariko.  It seemed to me that Koito froze/hesitated during that situation.  Tsukishima had no problem brutally shooting Ariko at point blank while Koito literally just hung back and watched. 

Asirpa is in a state of extreme shock. She just interrogated by Tsurumi to give up the code, watched Ariko be shot and now sees Boutarou’s corpse in the bottle-mobile.  Our girl needs years of therapy - she’s reaching the same level as our male cast members at this rate.

At least she breaks down in tears as Sugimoto tries to console her.  The artwork for this part of the page is excellent, it really does capture the melting of her mind and how she’s realizing how deadly the gold is.

It ties directly back to her argument with Kikuta before all this shit went down.  I’m always giving Sugimoto crap for being a moron, but it seems that he did make the right action by reaching out to allow her to hug his arm.  There is that soft look as he gazes down at her and just lets her be emotional.  It is clear that his presence is a comfort to her as she takes her time before returning to a more lucid mental state.  This is shown by how she opens her eyes and looks up before declaring that they need to meet up with Hijikata since she’s figured out how to crack the code.

Meanwhile, Kikuta rushed Ariko to a clinic to save his life.  Being the father figure/older brother he is, he tells him that it isn’t his time to die; he never made that makiri yet! And to my relief, Ariko wakes up!  Noda didn’t go for the lazy writing of killing of the minor Ainu character, something I was afraid of.

If his father saved him, it means his makiri was where he was shot in the chest under his uniform.  There is a lovely transition about a makiri in a fictional museum that was made by him, implying that he returned home and did make the makiri and likely resolved some of his identity issues, though it was still likely a tough life for him.  Ariko apologies for not being able to work as a spy for Central and really it isn’t like he’d be able to do so anyways.  But he did verbally point out he’s now politically on the side of someone like Asirpa to fight for their culture and right to exist in spite of colonial powers. The middle panel of Kikuta bidding him farewell just gives me the feels.  It is so clear that Kikuta knows he’s toast.  He saw Tsukishima shoot Ariko and Tsukishima likely watched him as he tried to save the man.

The fact that he said a casual line about going to an onsen.  Ugh, death flag for sure right there.  It seems Ariko knows that as he looks forlorn.  Kikuta is that sort of suave man who is going to look cool even though he’s doomed; he’s that awesome.

The action returns to Tsurumi at the church having solved the code.  With Tsukishima gone off to try to kill Ariko, Koito has remained behind.  All of a sudden Koito reverts to his extreme Satsuma accent when addressing Tsurumi in the absence of Tsukishima.  I think he didn’t even realize it at first, just like how after they escaped the fight with Boutarou, Koito spoke normally to Tsurumi without realizing it.

It is clear it took him a moment to realize he was speaking ‘Koito’ as Tsurumi is unable to respond to him and he then panics.  Koito is more than willing to chase after Tsukishima and support him, but Tsurumi instead recalls him.

At first he consoles himself that everything is okay. 

He is trying very hard to convince himself that everything that they witnessed through the keyhole was all an act to get the key!  Yes, it isn’t that Tsurumi doesn’t have some sort of awesome goal and this isn’t about how the death of his wife and daughter left him unhinged!

But the other random members of the 27th then comment on how strongly Nikaido reeks of beer . . . and Koito then thinks about how he and Tsukishima were hiding in the room at the church when Tsurumi ‘checked’ that he was alone.  And then it hits him - they were also played as a part of the ‘Tsurumi theatre’.  Unlike Tsukishima who has whole-heartily given himself over to Tsurumi, it is clear that Koito can’t.

That monologue sounded too good to be true.  He weakly says Tsukishima’s name into the rain as he then thinks ‘No . . .’  The rain is really fitting in this scene, I think it really is a stand in for Koito’s own disappointment and tears in this entire crazy quest for the gold.  Is he worried about his ‘older’ brother figure?  Himself?  Both of them?

He continues to try to rationalize the performance that Tsurumi gave them - even if Tsurumi lied to them, it wasn’t all a lie.  Oh Koito.  I want to give you a hug and pull you away as your little bon-bon-ness has won me over.  Most of that speech wasn’t for Koito, it was for Tsukishima.  Speaking about helping Japan is what Koito would like to hear but we can tell he doubts that as well.  Hence, his waffling.

But then he realizes that as Tsukishima has given so much - all of Tsurumi’s words, even if they were ‘sweet lies’ as he he referred to them on Karafuto, it was just perfect for Tsukishima.  However, Koito has broken the spell that Tsurumi held over him.  The final page of the chapter of Koito looking at the illuminated Tsurumi and shutting the door on him.  It is the exact opposite of when Tsurumi rescued Koito from the kidnappers when in his youth. I now find myself wondering how this relates to the tiger curse.  It is clear that the curse for Tsukishima will not end well.  After he shot Ariko, his eyes regained their sparkle!  Not good, not good at all!  However, have I misinterpreted it for Koito that by becoming disillusioned with Tsurumi he will be cursed to be miserable through him gaining independence from his hero worship of Tsurumi?  The idea that ignorance is bliss, and now Koito is well in the know.  The fact that when he and Tsukishima were sort of on the same page was when he could speak to Tsurumi but now that he’s on a different path from Tsukishima he’s tripped up again.

Chapter 274 finally allows Asirpa to determine the fake skins after what she witnessed with Boutarou in the brewery and thinking about Ainu garments that she figured out that Edogai likely went above and beyond with his fakes.  Thanks money counterfeiting guy from the fake Ainu village for the inspiration.  It is a lot of pages that tie together other plot points nicely but really doesn’t do anything for me as a reader personally.

The most important point is that as Sugimoto falls asleep while Asirpa and Hijikata work with the skins is that we get another flashback - one that links him to Kikuta!

and even more importantly - Hanazawa Yuusaku!  Chapter 275 starts out with an homage to the classic movie ‘Singing in the Rain’.  As soon as I saw Sugimoto spinning on a lamp post, it was obvious.  Yes, small town boy in the big city - causing trouble.  He gets in some sort of brawl with random guys from the army and is ‘rescued’ by Kikuta, who immediately realizes that he’s hungry and decides to treat him to some lunch.

It shows that Sugimoto has a short fuse and is an impulsive youngster.  Really, he is lucky that he didn’t do more stupid shit to get him in trouble.  We can also clearly see that Kikuta is a member of the 1st Division, the Tokyo based one that Sugimoto eventually enlists with.

Kikuta decides that he wants Sugimoto to impersonate Hanazawa Yuusaku and to go on a marriage interview for him.  This is because Hanazawa Hiro, the now identified wife of Hanazawa, is pulling the strings in the background to prevent Yuusaku from becoming a flag bearer.

This then makes us wonder why these two parents have such contrasting expectations for their only son.  It makes me think back to my theory that Yuusaku was a pretty poor solider and lacked any skill or potential.  Long ago, Tsurumi told Nikaido that Ogata is the ‘true heir’ of Hanazawa inheriting his military and [some] leadership skills as he stood on the watch tower in Barato ordering the random gangsters how to fight effectively.  Yuusaku is a disappointment for Hanazawa - he can only save face by having his son become such a symbolic part of the army.

I laughed at the next page where Kikuta confirms that Hiro is colluding with the young heiress to steal Yuusaku’s virginity and thus preventing him from becoming a flag bearer.  I love the posture of the terrified Yuusaku!

However, Hiro’s plan has been found out by Hanazawa and he consulted with the leader of the 1st Division to assist him with resolving this unpatriotic and embarrassing issue.  Recall that Ogata was born as a result of Hanazawa being posted to Tokyo - this implies that he likely became good friends with the leader of the 1st Division during this time.

To prevent anyone from identifying Sugimoto, he’s the perfect substitute for Yuusaku and changes into Kikuta’s uniform.  He’s one of those guys who just has that look.  Sugimoto immediately thinks that since he’s been treated well by Kikuta, joining the military might be a good way to find security - in food.  However, we get a link of the cap to Kikuta and what appears to be his dying younger brother.

Kikuta looks so sad, like there is something unfortunate with Sugimoto’s statement of food.  We don’t get to see his expression, indicating he’s likely hiding his emotions from Sugimoto and instead tells Sugimoto he’s going to have to train him in food etiquette.

He’s presented with some Western cuisine, something that may blow his cover and something that Kikuta didn’t expect as he watches from a tree outside.  But again, due to his extreme luck, he’s able to use nervousness as an excuse and it gives him time to state his family his super traditional so they wouldn’t have eaten food like this.  When he’s removed the cap, Kaneko Kaeko is smitten with his handsome face. He can use his excuse as a way to have an out for not knowing how to eat that tasty ebi fry (why to I hear ‘ebi fry’ in Nyanko-sensei’s voice?).

As she explains the fancy places she’s dined at, Sugimoto thinks about how he was living off of cat food.  Cue another reason why he just hates on Ogata, since he was stealing food from Ogata’s people! 

The rest of the dinner goes well, and Kikuta checks in with him.  Meanwhile, our wealthy heiress is completely smitten with him!

As Sugimoto mulls over the idea of a somewhat arranged marriage as a negative he spills the beans about Toraji and Umeko.  And Kikuta isn’t having any of his bullshit.  I love how Kikuta points out how selfish and downright stupid Sugimoto is being in all of this.  Kikuta gives Sugimoto good advice - which he’s clearly still never followed.

He makes it clear that he’s got to give up on that hometown and move on.  Which will be completely ignored as Toraji will end up in the 1st Division with Sugimoto in the trenches.  I’m now wondering how Toraji and Sugimoto reconnected.  Hrrrmmmmm?  Is this something that Sugimoto encouraged and that’s why he has all of these unresolved emotions about Toraji’s death in the war?

The chapter reveals to us that Tsukishima’s love ended up marrying the cousin of Kaeko, making Tsukishima’s acceptance of her ‘death’ even more heartbreaking as he thought that Tsurumi had lied to him about her fate.  [weeps bitterly]. 

As Kikuta and Sugimoto discuss what appears to be Yuusaku’s lack of a free will, he’s told not to meddle in others concerns.  What does Sugimoto do? The man just can’t keep to himself and he goes and finds Yuusaku to confront him.  He wants to know if Yuusaku wants to be a flag bearer even though it is a death sentence.  How does that conversation go? Just how we’d expect with all of the information we know about Yuusaku.

I love how he’s like it isn’t to meet my father’s expectations!  It is because understand my father’s convictions and fight for my country.  Okay, you keep telling yourself that Yuusaku, but it still sounds like you are doing this for your father, you know tomay-to, tomah-to.  Sugimoto mulls over what Yuusaku would choose if given the choice.  I just sigh as we know enough about Yuusaku’s backstory that the man only does what his father says - with great conviction. All of our Ogata flashbacks have made this so clear, Yuusaku is a doomed man from the moment he entered the army.  Maybe even a doomed man from his birth even.  Perhaps, he’s acutely aware of this, but based on how freakkin’ awkward he’s with Ogata and his older brother actions, I continue to think he’s not the brightest bulb in the pack and can only be used as a patriotic pawn.

Yuusaku then becomes suspicious of Sugimoto’s line of inquiry and realizes that he’s got Kikuta’s cap.

Not sure how to respond, he runs away and we learn that Kikuta’s younger brother died of illness during the first Sino-Japanese war.   That same war that killed Koito’s older brother and that Tsurumi and Tsukishima fought in as well. With the statement of illness, I know what most likely killed Kikuta’s younger brother - malnutrition - specifically beri beri.  As the Japanese military rapidly modernized using European models, they ran into an issue with many soldiers and sailors dying of some sort of mysterious illness and it wasn’t something that impacted the Westerners at all.  Most of this has to do with the ability to eat white rice which was much more processed.  It made it more expensive, but was nutritionally bad for men who came from lower incomes or poverty.  Remember how stoked Asirpa was when she ate white rice all the way back at the herring fishery?  If anyone has read “House of Five Leaves” by Natsume Ono, you’d know the protagonist is a poor ronin and he falls ill due to beri beri.  The solution was to return to the countryside/hometown to eat a more diverse diet.  For a more detailed explanation of how bad this was for the Japanese military check out the video by Linfamy on youtube here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzIBpFDRr5g

The video even highlights the fierce (and counterproductive) competition between the Army and Navy which has already been well defined through Koito’s backstory. The chapter ends with Sugimoto dropping the cap and the polite man who picks it up for him is Tsurumi with Ogata, Usami and Tsukishima in Tokyo. The plot thickens . . . somehow Sugimoto got mixed up in the business of the 27th and apparently Tokyo isn’t a vast city that you can get lost in and everyone knows everyone.  Like how I was on flight to Saskatoon and the man next to me started up a conversation how he was from Burlington and went to Guelph and my friend who I was going to visit was also from Burlington and went to Guelph it is a small world kinda moment and in agriculture.  I digress though.  Things are starting to pull back together but I’m still not 100% on with this plot direction/story arc.

#golden kamuy #golden kamuy meta #sugimoto saichi #ogata hyakunosuke #asirpa #ariko rikimatsu #ipopote #warrant officer kikuta #tsukishima hajime #koito otonoshin #hanazawayuusaku #hanazawakoujiro #hanazawa hiro #kaneko kaeko #Usami Tokishige

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Ramblings and crazy theory time about GK chap 276 “Fried shrimp”

New chapter before the break in which we get to meet…

…yeah, Hanazawa’s sacrificial sheep, Yuusaku. The poor guy seems to believe he shares his father’s beliefs on how he (Yuusaku, sadly not Hanazawa) has to die for the well being of the country… as if he were the antichrist or something like that.

So we’ve left Sugimoto showing, in his hurry to eat the fried shrimp, that he has not the slightest idea how to use western cutlery, realizing he has messed up and thinking, in panic, he’ll have to signal to Kikuta already about his failure.

I mean, Sugimoto, if you’ve no idea what to do just let Kaeko start eating first and then copy what she does.

Anyway, luckily for him, Kaeko thinks she’s making a joke and Sugimoto takes advantage of it, saying he did it to lighten the tension.

She then observes he’s still wearing his cap, asking him if that too is due to him being tense. Sugimoto removes it, then claims at the academy they eat in Japanese style so he’s not used to this.

Kaeko notices there’s a difference between him and the photo but she’s pleased by his look anyway and continues not to suspect anything.

Anyway Kaeko gives him tips on how to eat the food, which, as usual, pleases Sugimoto greatly. He asks her if she comes there often and it turns out she does, as well as visiting other expensive places. Sugimoto thinks at how he, instead, after his father died, was in such a poor situation he resorted to steal the food that was given to cats.

We get a one page image with Sugimoto, in his dark uniform seated in this white and luxurious place, as if he were a dark spot clearly out of place in all that white luxury, his gaze downcast as he looks at the food in front of himself and is forced to take conscience of the huge divide between his world and Kaeko’s.

Later he’s with Kikuta again and claims since he kept silent, he should have felt like a boring guy, which should have displeased Kaeko. Kikuta is predictably happy and tells him since marriage interviews involve more than one meeting he’ll be counting on Sugimoto again.

Sadly for him, Sugimoto is seriously mistaken in regard to Kaeko’s reaction to his behaviour.

In fact Kaeko is delighted with ‘Yuusaku’, thinking he was just a quiet man, who kept on nodding at whatever she said without disagreeing with her and who had an awesome look.

In a way this is interesting because it’s clear Sugimoto thinks to impress a girl he should be vivacious and talkative, strong and assuring, when this isn’t necessarily what girls search in men.

Toraji never beat Sugimoto and was even prone to cry and yet Umeko loved him because he would do everything for her.

Tanigaki is quiet and grumpy as a bear yet Inkarmat ended up liking him because he was actually gentle with her.

Shinpei is a coward, yet Chiyoko wants him because, again, he is willing to leave his life for her.

Girls aren’t all made with the same mould, Sugi, they are different one from the other. Not everyone likes the loud type and it’s kind of relevant how, ultimately, the girl in GK ultimately chose men who just cared for them.

Kaeko assumed Yuusaku did her the kindness to let her speak without him disagreeing, that he tried to make her relax with a joke, in short that he was kind with her, though clearly Sugimoto’s look also played a part in this.

Anyway Kaeko’s maid warns her about how she cares too much for the look of men, which is why she lost many chances to get married so yes, Sugimoto’s good looks played a huge part in why Kaeko liked him.

Back to Sugimoto he complains he can’t believe how someone would marry someone else only after meeting them a few times. Kikuta explains him that’s how it works among the upper classes and Sugimoto ends up on talking with him about Toraji and Umeko… and this is relevant because instead he kept for a really long time the matter for himself when with Asirpa and Shiraishi and was reluctant to talk about it.

Sugimoto concludes his tale pointing out how Toraji told him he was still Umeko’s number one yet she married Toraji so he wonders if this sort of things happen as well.

Kikuta gets angry, asking him if he’s wondering if Umeko is happy after marrying Toraji and what does he understand about women.

Kikuta views his words as arrogance, as Sugimoto thinking he’ll always stay number one in her heart, she always pining after him and never being happy with Toraji… and yes, this is what in a way Sugimoto hopes, because he’s unhappy without her and thinks it’s not fair how Toraji took her from him and a side of him probably would like to hope she’ll jump Toraji for him in the future.

Kikuta points out how this is rude toward Umeko and Toraji, how women are capable to move on from a failed love story and start another, without remaining dependant on the man they had lost and how Sugimoto should apologize to them both.

Sugimoto doesn’t get why Kikuta got so mad and wonders if he’s just being pathetic because he can’t let go of things. Kikuta’s mood changes radically and he assures him it’s absolutely normal for men to be pitiful creatures who can’t let go of the woman they love.

I wonder if part of Kikuta’s reaction is due to him living an experience similar to Sugimoto. Did he too pined for a woman who ultimately chose another? Or was he the replacement for such a man?

Anyway Kikuta tells him that, as a man, he should understand Toraji and leave the whole thing behind himself, firmly and completely. So hum, yes, I tend to think Kikuta lived through something similar as Sugimoto.

Anyway Kikuta’s support brightens Sugimoto up, who smiles and agrees to do so.

I think Sugimoto is starting to see Kikuta as some sort of father figure, who feeds him and scolds him and accept him. He’s a replacement family in a way.

I wonder if it’s due to his discussion with Kikuta that Sugimoto became reserved on the topic, for fear to look pathetic… or it’s just due to Toraji’s death. He feels guilty because deep inside himself he had hoped for Toraji to get out of the picture and when it happened in such way, it broke him.

Anyway Kaeko’s maid is giving her tips on how to seduce ‘Yuusaku’, get him into the right mood and then wrap her legs around him. Kaeko is determined to get ‘Yuusaku’ and her maid is very encouraging about this.

Kaeko comments that since men who chose brides from her school do so for her pedigree and looks, there’s no problems if she does the same. ‘Yuusaku’ is good looking and of a high social ranking so he’s perfect for her.

As she thinks so she realizes her cousin might chide her for focusing too much on appearance but he also picked up a country girl with curly unruly hair merely due to her look and now he seems to be really happy… and so now we know what had happened to Igogusa/Harumi Chiyo.

She really left her hometown because she married the son of a manager from Mitsubishi, which is to say Kaeko’s cousin. Well, in a way it’s a relief. I’m glad to know she’s alive and I hope she’s also happy.

In short Tsurumi was honest the first time, when he said how a man from Mitsubishi wanted her as a wife for his son, and Tsurumi only tricked Tsukishima with the story Tsukishima was told in Mudken, in which he made Tsukishima first believe she was killed by his father, then that Tsurumi merely made things look like that, so he could make Tsukishima feel indebted to him even more.

Also this means Tsukishima really killed his father over nothing, as the man might have many faults but didn’t cause Chiyo to die.

Kikuta and Sugimoto are out eating in a poor restaurant, Sugimoto thinking at the fried shrimps and feeling angry and jealous at how upper class people can eat them. Kikuta reminds him that’s how it works in Tokyo.

Sugimoto then wonders if Yuusaku wants to be a flag bearer. Kikuta says his job is only to protect Yuusaku’s virginity and have the lady rejected as gently as possible. Sugimoto insists Yuusaku might want to eat fried shrimp instead than joining the army. I mean Sugi, in the past chapter you considered joining the army so as to get food… I get your situation is desperate because you were literally starving but food serves little when you’re sent out to fight and die in a war… and you realize this only when you think Yuusaku, instead than dying in a war, might want to eat fried shrimp?

Kikuta insists Sugimoto shouldn’t worry about Yuusaku… but those are wasted words.

Sugimoto dresses up  in Kikuta’s uniform and goes to meet Yuusaku, telling him he’d heard his father wants him to become the regimental flag bearer. Yuusaku is confused but points out this will be only if he gets chosen for the position…

...which makes him pretty naïve because of course his father can hugely influence the choice if he’s already set on having him in that role.

Have I mentioned in this ramblings how Hanazawa senior is a jerk? No, I think I haven’t yet so here it is, Hanazawa senior is a jerk.

Sugimoto asks him why his father would want such a role for him, wondering if it’s maybe Hanazawa thinks there won’t be a war.

Yuusaku ‘reassures’ him it’s quite the opposite, his father believes there will be a war soon and what a better chance than to make use of his son for his honour by putting him in the riskiest position with the highest death rate? Because what’s a son if not cannon fodder meant to be used for his father’s honour?

Hanazawa is a disgusting person.

Sugimoto asks Yuusaku if he wants to be a flag bearer and Yuusaku… circles around the subject, saying if he’s chosen he’ll feel pride. Yeah, because who doesn’t want to die as a sacrificial lamb for his father’s social standing?

Sugimoto asks him if he’s merely trying to met his father’s expectations.

Yuusaku sweats and denies it, asking him what does he wants.

Sugimoto says he just wants to know how he feels.

Yuusaku explains Hanazawa (at this point, as Alessandro Manzoni would have said “I have not the hear to call that guy ‘his father’”) told him about how his life can be used for the good of Japan so Yuusaku believes using his life for the good of Japan is the right thing to do.

Dear God, this man really viewed his sons as pawns to use and dispose when they weren’t useful anymore. Is he ever human? Or there’s only duty and honour running in his veins?

Sugimoto, who has no idea Yuusaku is the kind who’s stubborn as hell and would have refused anyway, thinks Yuusaku’s problem is merely he thinks he only have one path open, but wouldn’t think so if he were to know there’s another path, one they’re hiding from him.

No Sugimoto, the problem is actually Hanazawa completely brainwashed his son, to turn him into a noble and righteous icon without even knowing well why except that daddy thinks that’s the best way for him to live his life.

Hanazawa is a jerk.

On a sidenote I hate this situation even more exactly because Yuusaku is basically brainwashed. Each time he has to explains his position he uses as argument what his father told him, yes, he says he came to believe it too, but it doesn’t seem like it’s something he came up on his own, or something he gave deep thought about, but something that was merely put into his mind by all of Hanazawa’s talk.

Maybe it’s just me but Yuusaku always feel more like not thinking for himself but merely reporting what his father told him to think. Whatever, let’s go on.

Meanwhile Yuusaku proves he can be observant, as he notices Sugimoto is wearing Kikuta’s cap due to it being stitched in a little area due to a hole made when Kikuta has been nearly killed by an officer candidate during shooting training. Sugimoto tries to cover up the thing by claiming he got the hat from Kikuta, but this is even more suspicious as that cap belonged to Kikuta’s little brother who died of illness during the war with China.

This is probably why Kikuta is adopting young men… but at the same time, although he should know Yuusaku since Yuusaku knows him so well, he has little to no sympathy for his fate and will show complete disinterest for Koito as well. I do wonder if Kikuta has issues with people from the upper classes.

He trains officer candidates but this might have exposed him even more to the differences between classes and made him think low of them. We’ll see.

On another side I wonder if Yuusaku will do something out of this information there’s someone wearing Kikuta’s cap and who’s asking him if he’s okay with being the flag bearer.

This little exchange proved Yuusaku can be observant and connect the dots so now if only he were to think a little more he could prove himself to be more than just his father’s puppet.

Anyway as Sugimoto walks for the city, holding his cap in his hands he gets careless and slams against someone… this someone turns out to be the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse…

...pardon, I mean Tsukishima, who’s with Usami, Ogata and Tsurumi (please notice how the light shines on them as if they were some sort of saviours or angels from above), the four of them all enjoying a trip to Tokyo prior to the start of the apocalypse… Tsurumi’s plan, I mean… because really, it would feel to absurd to have those 4 in Tokyo just for a touristic trip, so they had to be there to pursue Tsurumi’s plan.

Okay, I know, maybe the apocalypse was safer than what Tsurumi’s plan will turn out.

Anyway, some random observations on them.

From the 27 on Ogata and Usami’s shoulders we can see they’re already in the 7th division.

From the stripe on Ogata’s sleeve we can see he’s a second class superior private, meaning he has just enrolled in the army since, second class privates should have been automatically promoted to first class after 6 months (at least from the info I have who’re dated past GK so it might be things were different that early on). It’s 1901 so he should be 19. It means he enrolled in the army earlier as although one could join the army from when he was 17, the norm was they would be examined for fitness at 20 and, if judged fit then they would join the army for a 2 years period of training.

Considering Noda said Ogata studied Russian with Tsukishima and Tsukishima went in Russia with Tsurumi much earlier on, it seems that Tsurumi recruited Ogata prior to him being able to enrol in the army.

Usami should be a year older, so he’s still pretty young. Did they join together or Usami also joined much earlier than planned? We’ll see.

Anyway the 4 of them are having a trip to Tokyo… and I can’t help but think if Tsurumi went in Tokyo with 3 of his soldiers whom he has twisted with ‘love’, things are likely going to turn troublesome.

LOL, now let’s only hope Sugimoto won’t introduce himself as Yuusaku… though if he were it could be that Tsurumi would spot the lie immediately and that’s why Ogata knows passing for an officer is a dumb plan.

On another side... this might be the moment in which Yuusaku and Ogata first met. I’m honestly scared.

Oh well, we’ll see.

Overall this chapter provided us some info and was nice but not that emotionally compelling, it merely seemed to plan to set up things for the next developments.

Anyway next week there’s a break so we’re in for a long wait.

#Golden Kamuy #Sugimoto Saichi #Kaneko Kaeko #Yamamura Hamako #Kikuta Mokutarou #Hanazawa Yuusaku #Hanazawa Koujirou #Ogata Hyakunosuke #Tsurumi Tokushirou #Usami Tokishige #Tsukishima Hajime #Kenmochi Umeko #Kenmochi Toraji #Golden Kamuy Ramblings and Theories

[pixie-mask]

#Yuusaku Hanazawa #Kaneko Kaeko #Golden Kamuy

[duckims]

#golden kamuy #gk #kaneko kaeko #thank you noda for blessing us with this queen #if sugimoto wont marry her #i will #myart

[chibivesicle]

Golden Kamuy - Kikuta really deserved better [part 2] 277-279.

Can you tell by my title that I’m a fan of Kikuta and I have some choice words for Noda?  Chapter 277 starts out with an introduction to the regional politics of Meiji era Japan.  The entire political shift occurred with the marriage of convenience between Choushuu and Satsuma (the Sat-Chou alliance) and how that is playing out in government and the military. With Hanazawa on the Satsuma side a commanding officer is having Tsurumi deal with the damage control.  That being Lt. General Okuda (and Kikuta’s boss)

He discloses how he’s the person who helped to cover up the scandal for Hanazawa and more of the regional politics comes into play as he pulls Tsurumi into this.

Recall that Tsurumi is from Niigata and we know he is from a family that lost power and wealth due to political changes.  He assumes that of course Tsurumi would hold a grudge towards those from the Sat-Chou alliance.  Usami is also from a fallen samurai family in Niigata and we know that Ogata is from Ibaraki and also from a samurai family on the losing side.  Tsukishima is from the island of Sado where unwanted people were dumped in Niigata so he is also an outsider.  We learn of his ‘true’ feelings as the tells his core group his opinion on things.

I love how we get unhinged Tsurumi calling it all a farce and he’s over Central.  But most importantly Okuda confirmed his own intel about the gold he learned while in Russia at some point in time.  His gold plan can slowly move along.  So Tsurumi becomes in the Hanazawa scandal cover up looking for the young 2nd Lt. and Kikuta, working under Okuda’s direct orders.

Despite his best efforts, Kikuta’s plan is revealed by a secretary at the Military Academy, while we know that Sugimoto and Kikuta are en route to the engagement dinner.

Hanazawa panics and sprints out to determine what is happening. Right on his tail is Tsurumi and his key team of Ogata, Tsukishima and Usami.  Clearly this is going to become a huge mess.  The next few pages are amusing, but really don’t add value to the plot.  I am impressed that Kaeko has an excellent plot to get Sugimoto naked and I commend her efforts!  GK is never short of strong female characters.  Who enjoy sex.

This sets up a hilarious moment where he’s naked and trapped in a bedroom while she leverages the potential scandal to her advantage.  By that point Tsurumi has caught up to them.  What is most interesting is when Usami addresses Ogata as Hyakunnosuke and asks him what he thinks about meeting his brother.  It is clear this isn’t out of concern from Usami’s part, we know he hates Ogata to his very core.

But as usual, Ogata doesn’t respond and we just see only a part of his eyes, not even a glance of his lips to give us an idea of what he’s thinking.

Kaeko and Sugimoto continue to talk as she reveals what she knows from Hanazawa Hiro.  She had been a nurse during the first Sino-Japanese war so it has allowed her to reflect on the impact of war on individual soliders.

This tells us a few things;  Hiro’s patriotism is more nuanced.  If she were being selfish and just saying she doesn’t want her son to go off to war without experience it, that would be one thing.  Instead, she knows being a military spouse first hand what happens - no one could say she didn’t do her own duty and go likely above and beyond.  Ultimately, she wants to protect her son from her own experiences and observations and be a mother.

Sugimoto then realizes he needs to bail and leaves poor Kikuta confused.  And then bam! The 27th is there.

Of course this leads to the most Sugimoto situation of all time!  Tsurumi threatens Kaeko with his handgun and Ogata asks where Yuusaku is.  Of course Sugimoto flies out of the bathroom naked sans Kikuta’s hat and Ogata is just amused beyond belief.

This would be complete if he were relaxed eating a box of popcorn or something like that. 278 continues this absolute chaos and lots of fan service for Miss Kaeko!  I really don’t think the fight scene needs much meta.  Ogata just finds it amusing (and btw sucks at hand to hand combat) while Usami rumbles with Sugimoto.  Tsurumi realizes he’s not Yuusaku and Kikuta rushes in and gets shot in the shoulder by Tsukishima.

Somehow, Kikuta is able to get the rest of them to flee but not without running into the actual Hanazawa Yuusaku.  Awkward.  Tsurumi only then realizes that Kikuta was doing his job and they run out into the street.

Kaeko tries her best to convince Sugimoto to marry her.  Granted he is a very heroic figure and he fought to protect her.  However, reality wouldn’t allow that to happen and Sugimoto decides to join the army - thinking he won’t starve that way.

Kikuta looks so sad and disappointed when he hears this.

He’s definitely thinking of his younger brother who died b/c he told him to join the army with him.  I loved the fact that we learn that Kaeko got to be a successful woman who was also compassionate to others. 

There is a quick exchange that shows the first encounter between Ogata and Yuusaku.  Yuusaku notices Ogata and salutes him as a cadet.

Ogata doesn’t even return the salute and he look he gives him out of the corner of his eyes.  What is he thinking?  I’d say Yuusaku doesn’t know who Ogata even is.  But something has him very suspicious to be this leery of him.  This also makes me think of this previous encounter between Koito and Ogata in chapter 200.

This time Ogata is bolder when he walks by Koito who is also currently still in the Army Academy.  Except unlike Yuusaku who doesn’t seem to pick up on Ogata’s vibes, Koito does!  And the two of them stare each other down.  I think that this in part shows that Koito has more innate awareness of things and could be considered more of a ‘natural’ in the military.  Which Yuusaku isn’t.  We have no evidence Yuusaku has any sort of military talent or skills. 

The chapter ends with Kikuta asking Sugimoto if he’s serious about joining the military and how he’s already fated to go to hell based on what he’s done in his life.  279 continues the conversation between Kikuta and Sugimoto and he flat out tells Sugimoto about how his brother died of illness in the army during the Sino-Japanese war.

Sugimoto then becomes Kikuta’s younger brother telling him that it is time to move on.  This continues the trend in GK where a character that is speaking becomes someone else to the listener.

This is most evident with Asirpa when she becomes Yuusaku on more than one occasion to Ogata.

But this facial expression from Kikuta [sobs].

No wonder Kikuta worked so hard to save Ariko’s life!  He can’t just always be responsible for the deaths of others.

Sugimoto convinces Kikuta that he’ll be alright in the army and he relents and lets him keep the cap.  This shows that Kikuta has moved on from the death of his brother - a big deal!  In an unusual way, Sugimoto has helped Kikuta move on and take the next step in the healing process. Kikuta reports to his commander in the 1st.  Okuda wants him to keep an eye on Tsurumi.  Obviously, he knows now that Tsurumi interfered with Kikuta’s plans for Hanazawa rather heavy-handedly so he would need someone else to balance it out.

It then reveals that Ogata is also working for Okuda in the 1st.  This explains why when the two of them crossed paths in the brewery they did not engage but nor did they appear to exchange any information.

I can’t help but feel like something is still off with this.  Ogata does have skills from working in intelligence with Tsurumi.  He’s observant, makes himself invisible and can get others to talk easily.  But Ogata being a 100% willing spy - it seems like he wants something else out of this. Kikuta’s character screams secret agent - but Ogata, he’s something else.  I’m not sure if Ogata’s choice to be a spy on Tsurumi was a real choice.

When Ogata and Tsukishima had their shoot out in Yubari at Edogai’s, Tsukishima told him he was a pet cat for Central.  Ogata replied that they were part of a rebel element.  We know that Ogata was working with Tamai at the beginning of the manga.  I struggle to see how Ogata has loyalty to anyone honestly.  He seems to be moving throughout this game with again his own mysterious objective.  Ogata is cynical and has no belief in the nation state nor does he harbor any sort of deep patriotism towards Imperial Japan.

Since Okuda is friends with Hanazawa and is based in Tokyo, he may have known Ogata since his birth and has kept tabs on him after the Ogata grandparents took him back to Ibaraki with his mom.  Ogata’s existence might be a sort of trump card that Okuda is keeping . . . but others found out as well like Tsurumi.  Did Okuda have Ogata tell or leak information that Ogata is Hanazawa’s first son? The chapter jumps to the 203 meter hill in the war and we see Yuusaku fallen on the battlefield.  Ogata watches from distance, his face cut off while other members of the 27th run out to help Yuusaku.

This finally reveals Yuusaku’s eyes!  Not the anticipated reveal - I kept thinking this was something that Ogata was going to see but it shows us clear eyes.  Which look sort of similar to Asirpa’s eyes.

So many thoughts are jumping around in my brain about this reveal.

1.) These eyes are not the ‘trademark’ Hanazawa eyes.  Dark black orbs with those eyebrows!  This indicates his eyes aren’t from his father.

Seeing this, I can’t help but think that Yuusaku is not Hanazawa’s son.  Instead, Hiro had an affair with someone else.  A major theme in GK is that the children inherit the skills of their parents.  Asirpa is able to do many things as she inherited the intelligence of Wilk.  And that Ogata is the true inheritor of Hanazawa’s military skills.

Recall this from chapter 58.  Ogata leads the crappy local gang against Hijikata and acts like a commander.

We know that Tsurumi’s lie about Ogata wanting to avenge Hanazawa is to keep Nikaido in the dark.

This would also explain why everything we learn about Yuusaku is terrible at military things.  If he also isn’t Hanazawa’s son it would make it even more reason for Hiro to try to prevent him from entering the military since he’s not even genetically related to this great line of Hanazawas.  I wish we knew more about the Ogata side of things - I think we’ll also learn that the Ogata side had competent military men on it as well.  2.) Yuusaku’s eyes are the same as Asirpa’s and indicate their sort of innocence.  In this case, it would perfectly explain why Ogata sees Yuusaku instead of Asirpa when he has the fever and then the melt down on the ice floe.  Yuusaku kept himself naive and innocent to meet his father’s expectations.  A man who I don’t think is even his father at this moment.  Therefore, Ogata’s guilt on killing Yuusaku is tied to his sort of innocence in these situations and why he can’t seem to shake his mental confusion when it comes to Asirpa.  However, unlike Yuusaku, Asirpa has never forced herself on him to do things or guilt tripped him so it leaves things open for him to not link her to Yuusaku.

3.) Yuusaku was going to blow Ogata’s cover working for Okuda.  Now that we know that Ogata was working for Okuda while in the 27th it means he’d have to keep his role quiet.  If Yuusaku found out that Ogata was working for Okuda, I could see him going to Tsurumi and telling him this information.  Therefore, to protect his status, Ogata used this as his rationale to kill Yuusaku on the battle field.  I have never figured out if Ogata was nudged to kill Tsurumi by his ‘don’t kill him right now.’ comment as one of Tsurumi’s backwards motivations that lead Ogata to directly killing him. So many possibilities!  I want more Ogata backstory dammit!

Anyhoo, to not make this meta super long let’s get back to the action. Asirpa begins working out how to try to break the code.  Hijikata notes that Wilk could have used something other than kanji, since he’d know the Latin alphabet for Polish and Cyrillic for Russian.  Shiraishi makes a clear point that this could be a message from Wilk towards her, though it feels like he’s channeling Kiro.  Out of many of the Japanese characters Shiraishi time and time again comes out much more sympathetic to the minorities than others.

Asirpa begins to wonder how the coin is linked to the skins. She’s thinking things through and is on her way to solving the puzzle.

After saving Ariko, Kikuta is returning to Tsurumi’s group in the church.  Oh Roger, this is why I love you so much.

Look at that smirk with a slightly watery eye.  At the same time Tsurumi is also looking at the coin and realizes he’s figured it out.

Kikuta approaches the rest of the group and comments on if he’s found the location.  Tsurumi states that things are just getting started.  He casually pulls out his gun and fires two shots into Kikuta at point blank range.

And with this I am deeply saddened and shocked.  How dare you do that to Kikuta!!!  He was my Kiro replacement and now he’s also going to die.

First Boutarou died and now Kikuta.  [cries].  We know that Tsurumi is a shinigami but this is just brutal.  The bear death trio died early on in the manga.  Ogata escaped.  Kikuta now is the next link to Central that goes down.

#golden kamuy #Golden Kamuy manga #golden kamuy meta #warrant officer kikuta #sugimoto saichi #asirpa #tsurumi tokushirou #Usami Tokishige #Hanazawa Yuusaku #Hanazawa Hiro #hanazawakoujiro #koito otonoshin #okuda #ogata hyakunosuke #tsukishima hajime #wilk #hijikata toshizo #Kaneko Kaeko #okuda hidenobu

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Ramblings and crazy theory time about GK chap 278 “Miss Kaeko and the free-swinging vagrant boy”

Okay, so we’ve a new chapter that continues the flashback and as we read it we should all remember that...

... the choices we make shouldn’t do us more harm than good and joining the army when a war is about to start is SURELY a very harmful decision.

So we start with Sugimoto kicking away Tsurumi’s gun, a type 26 revolver by the way, which means he hadn’t managed to have Arisaka give him a Borchardt yet. Maybe the two weren’t friend yet or maybe Arisaka just didn’t have it yet.

Anyway, as Ogata enjoys what’s going on as he thinks he’s witnessing Yuusaku making a show, Sugimoto tries to reach for the gun and is stopped by Usami. While poor Kaeko gets a close look to Sugimoto’s privates from assorted angles and gets scolded by Hamako who tells her not to look, Tsukishima joins the fight telling Ogata to quit grinning and help. Not that Ogata is even considering to do it, as he has a lot more fun enjoying the show.

As Sugimoto beats Usami and Tsukishima Tsurumi realizes, to Ogata’s disappointment, he’s not Yuusaku…

and my mind goes back to chap 95, when Sugimoto wanted Suzukawa to dress up as a high-ranking officer, Ogata said they would see through the guise immediately and Sugimoto just makes an interesting expression.

I get the feeling when Sugi suggested it he was thinking at this experience and when Ogata shoot the idea down he was thinking at how Sugimoto got recognized by Tsurumi rather quickly.

I swear back then I would have never figured this was what was behind that exchange…

Anyway disappointed Ogata just doesn’t make a move to go and help Usami and Tsukishima. Noda in the fanbook said Ogata isn’t so bad at fighting but he clearly isn’t in Tsukishima or Usami’s league and Sugimoto is holding his ground against them both so he figured if he were to take part to the battle he would only get beaten.

Anyway as the fight progresses Tsukishima grabs the gun and is about to shoot Sugimoto but Kikuta, who was observing the scene not knowing what was going on as he had no idea who Tsurumi and his gang were, pushes Sugimoto away and tells him to run.

Hamako volunteers to keep them busy so as to allow them to escape and… stops Ogata, who had no intention whatsoever to do something right from the beginning...

Hamako, really, stop either Tsukishima or Usami, not him.

Sugimoto runs away with Kaeko (who only manages to grab his shirt). Tsukishima would like to chase them but Tsurumi stops him.

He has figured the man who got in the way should be Kikuta, and that this means Kikuta was doing his job properly.

This meeting probably gave Tsurumi a measure of the kind of man Kikuta is.

Capable but also self sacrificing for his men since he took a bullet for Sugimoto.

Meanwhile, as Sugimoto’s group escape they cross path with Yuusaku. Kaeko, from Sugimoto and Yuusaku’s conversation, realizes Sugimoto is a fake but doesn’t care. She’s now the one that pulls Sugimoto away as they escape.

I love how Yuusaku believes he has recognized Kikuta and Kikuta tells him he has the wrong guy.

Once they’re out Sugimoto wore his shirt and covered his privates with his hat. Really, I would have just bought him pants instead of stopping in the middle of the way to talk with Sugimoto’s lower half naked but whatever, let’s go on.

Sugimoto asks Kikuta who were those guys and Kikuta says he has no idea but maybe they were men working for Hanazawa.

Sugimoto explains he believed that was Kikuta’s “plan B” and at this Kikuta says his “plan B” actually involves fake Mr. and Mrs. Hanazawa, which Sugimoto still judges pretty horrible.

His worry though is all for Kaeko. Will someone come to try to silence her?

Kaeko, blushing and smiling, says there’s no need for someone to try to silence her because, to Sugimoto’s shock she now wants to marry him.

Sugimoto is clearly not interested though as he points out he’s a nobody with no parents, family, home or everything.

Kaeko says her family has money so he shouldn’t worry but Sugimoto points out that his world is just too different from her own and he has no place in Kaeko’s luxurious world.

This ties in an interesting way with how Sugimoto early in the story was chasing the gold to cure Umeko, yes, but also to get rich. Maybe a side of him, with time, started to long for a place in such a luxurious world and while he’s clearly not interesting in Kaeko but still holding a candle for Umeko, he clearly wanted to improve his social standing.

Kaeko tries to persuade him by telling him he could get used to it and starts living with her, especially since he has anywhere to stay, asking him what he plans to do otherwise.

She doesn’t look like she’s attempting to manipulate him, she just seems really invested in having him with her. She really got a big crush on Sugimoto if she’s willing to take him even if he has nothing.

Sugimoto confirms he thinks to join the army so he can at least have white rice to eat.

A side of me feels bad for him, life for him was very harsh before and now he’s saying he’s joining the army with such a big smile as if this were to fix everything but really, I get he was starved and desperate previously but Yuusaku just told him a war is about to start, joining the army is the last thing he should consider as his previous life will look like heaven once he’s thrown on the battlefield.

For as harsh as it was, his previous life didn’t gave him nightmares, countless scars and traumas. War is hell, thinking the opposite is naive.

Anyway Kikuta’s face darkens at this.

He took part to the Sino-Japanese war and lost a brother during it, he can see that’s not a bright decision.

Meanwhile Hamako joins them and informs Kaeko his family would never allow her to marry Sugimoto.

She then tells her she understands Kaeko is so focused on getting a good looking man because she feels inferior to her friends who already got married. As we learnt in the past chapter in fact, there was a certain pressure in getting married before finishing school, but Hamako points out how Kaeko doesn’t need an handsome man at her side as a decoration, she’s already an awesome woman excellent in both scholarly and athletic abilities.

It’s a rather strong talk, especially for a time in which a woman was viewed as nothing if she didn’t have a man by her side. Hamako surely has a modern mindsetting and I love how Noda included such a talk in his work.

Kaeko accepts Hamako’s statement and suggests to leave. Sugimoto bows deeply, apologizes to her for deceiving her and thanks her for showing him a short glimpse of a different, gorgeous world.

Although it’s nice Sugimoto apologizes, I’ll say it’s clear he isn’t interested in Kaeko, as he doesn’t have a single nice thing to say about her, not even he’s sure she’ll find someone better than him or that she’ll make it on her own, or that she’s a nice person or that he enjoyed being with her.

Kaeko instead, saying goodbye to him, tells him to become a truly dashing soldier, showing she’s interested in his future and that’s not all.

Kaeko will marry a big name in the world of finance (this big name likely based on Shibusawa Eiichi), ending up on being called ‘Empress’ but what’s more relevant is she joined the women’s association and dedicated her energies nursing injured soldiers returning from war and supporting their widows.

Although many rich women would do so, the reference here is likely to how she volunteered because a side of her still cared for Sugimoto and this pushed her to take care of the soldiers as a whole.

Meanwhile at the hotel Ogata, who’s alone for some reason, happens to cross path with Yuusaku. Yuusaku salutes him and then they walk separates way but we can see Ogata is giving his a sideway glance and it’s possible Yuusaku too is doing the same. There’s a chance they both have understood who the other is as Ogata might have suspected Yuusaku would be around and Yuusaku might have noticed how Ogata looked like his father.

Back to Sugimoto and Kikuta, Kikuta is sore due to the bullet he took and Sugimoto tells him he should be a carzy man to take a bullet for him. Kikuta says he’s responsible for involving Sugimoto in this mess and that it doesn’t matter anyway as he has got VIP seats on the train headed straight to hell so Sugimoto should forget about him and Yuusaku, which was the scene we saw in chap 274, the one that started this flashback.

Kikuta then tells him Sugimoto couldn’t have been serious when he said that would join the army, thanks him for his hard work and asks for his cap back. It’s worth to remember that cap was his brother’s cap so it has a sentimental value for Kikuta.

The chapter ends here.

I love how it remarked Kaeko’s value as a person who doesn’t need a man at her side in order to be wonderful. On the other side, although Sugimoto protected her, he really didn’t seem to be interested in her. At all.

Tsurumi and Kikuta’s first meeting was interesting and, as I’ve already said, how Ogata came to figure out that people would easily recognize fakes in the army was pretty unexpected.

I’m still not sure what Tsurumi planned to do when he got involved in the whole Yuusaku thing, he clearly wasn’t there due to Hanazawa’s orders as he had no idea of the scandal before Okuda mentioned it. Did he want to make Hanazawa feel indebted to him in the same way as he did with Koito? Did he want Yuusaku to join his collection of soldiers he groomed with love?

Hard to say.

On another side… really Sugi, Kikuta is right, joining the army is a dumb idea.

On another side I love how protective Kikuta is of him. He didn’t ask his name, which is a sign he tried to keep distance, yet he was willing to take a bullet for him. Kikuta is a good guy in his own way.

#Golden Kamuy #Sugimoto Saichi #Ogata Hyakunosuke #Kikuta Mokutarou #Tsurumi Tokushirou #Tsukishima Hajime #Usami Tokishige #Kaneko Kaeko #Yamamura Hamako #Hanazawa Yuusaku #Golden Kamuy Ramblings and Theories

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Ramblings and crazy theory time about GK chap 277 “Operation ‘Protect Yuusaku’s Virginity’”

Sorry, I’m obviously late with the ramblings but the scanlations were out late and, due to work, I didn’t have any free time once they were out. Anyway here’s there are the new ramblings and...

...yeah Kaeko’s attempt at stealing Sugimoto’s virginity gets a special place in the GK horror scenes... but let’s got with order.

We start with Tsurumi sitting on a chair in the Imperial Japanese Army 1st division Headquarters pretending he had no idea the Ainu gold ever existed in front of Lieutenant General Okuda Hidenobu, Commander of the 1st division. The latter wants Tsurumi to find the gold for the Central Government as Tsurumi’s information-gathering ability is highly regarded.

Just this should make Okuda realize Tsurumi is lying when he pretends not to know about the Ainu gold but whatever, Okuda is clearly not the sharpest pencil in the box.

Anyway Tsurumi asks Okuda if this means he should report to him instead than to his superiors. Okuda waves off his concerns saying Hanasawa is in his debt so of course he wouldn’t mind if Tsurumi were to report to an officer that’s not him… especially if he never discovers about it because I honestly doubt Okuda is planning to warn Hanazawa about this.

Whatever.

Okuda, who evidently has no idea that everything he’ll say to Tsurumi will be used against him and for Tsurumi’s advantage, better explains him the whole entity of the problem.

We learn that inside the Army people from Satsuma domain and people from Choushuu domain, are held in high esteem and considered the only true military men, likely due to them being the winners in the Boshin war and Meiji restoration. However, despite their past alliance, they basically can’t stand to each other and are always struggling one against the other.

Hanazawa is from Satsuma so, of course, he doesn’t want a scandal to befall to his family for fear of consequences from people from Choushuu.

He asked Okuda’s help because Okuda is from the Kokura domain and so he looked like an impartial and safe choice, proving Hanazawa’s understanding of men is quite terrible because Okuda fully plans to take advantage of what he knows about Hanazawa and, as we’ll learn later from Tsurumi, he’s likely on the Choushuu side. Really, Hanazawa can’t even pick up his allies. -_-

Okuda is no better.

He knows Tsurumi is from Niigata, from a highly-esteemed family of former samurai from the Echigo-Nagaoka Domain which had an awful time during the battle of Hokuetsu (one of the last battles of the Boshin war) against the imperial forces composed mostly by people of Satsuma and Choushuu so he thinks Tsurumi would be willing to help to put an end to the control those factions have over the army because he should have a grudge against them.

We see that Tsurumi’s face darkens, which might mean that yes, Tsurumi has no sympathy for them, but Tsurumi is the sort of man who doesn’t merely follow his feelings, but remains calm and plans the doom of his adversaries quietly. The Akō vendetta probably felt like an amateur work to Tsurumi.

In fact, instead than asking more about the Ainu gold he’s supposed to find, Tsurumi asks more about the scandal in which Hanazawa is involved, planning to use it as ammunition in his own personal plans.

Then, as he leaves the place with his men, he shows his true colours.

He didn’t buy at all Okuda’s words that he’s “impartial” believing he’s actually on Choushuu side and afraid if Hanazawa were to get the gold, it would strengthen the Satsuma position. Tsurumi, who’s much more intelligent than Okuda or Hanazawa, finds all this a pathetic face, admitting he’s sick of Central.

He also confesses that yes, he knew about the Ainu gold already from his time in Russia (it’s unsure if from his time in Russia as Hasegawa or from his time in Russia with Tsukishima), and that Okuda’s words merely corroborated the info Tsurumi had about it… which is interesting because it confirms Okuda learnt about the Ainu gold from a source that’s not Tsurumi.

Then Tsurumi informs his men they’ll pay a visit to Yuusaku and Kikuta because evidently Okuda had told him also who he had tasked with protecting Yuusaku’s virginity.

Meanwhile Kikuta informs Sugimoto Kaeko wants to meet Yuusaku again at the Imperial Hodel.

Sugimoto worries about what will happen should Kaeko find out he’s a fake.

Kikuta thinks he’s worrying for himself and tells him he’ll just have to return the uniform and go on his way… although as he says so we don’t see Kikuta’s face.

Sugimoto is actually worried about Kaeko as if she were to figure out, this would mean she would know something dirty about the Army (read= Hanazawa).

Kikuta gives him a sideway look, his face slightly shadowed as he tells him he has a plan B Sugimoto doesn’t need to know.

It’s interesting how Kikuta never asked Sugimoto his name. Of course the Doylistic explanation is that so he won’t recognize him when he’ll heard his surname from Tsurumi during the gold hunt but I wonder if the Watsonian explanation is this was to protect Sugimoto. Sugimoto too by now know things he would be better not knowing. If they were to tell Kikuta to kill him he could let him escape and then cover up for him by saying he didn’t even know his name so he can’t track him. Alternatively it can be to protect himself, as he might be trying not to get too close to Sugimoto.

Meanwhile at the Army Academy Mrs. Suzuki accidentally asking Yuusaku if Kikuta had relied to him the message, informs him that today was the day in which ‘the matter at the imperial hotel’ (帝国ホテルの件 Teikoku hotel no kudan) was scheduled. To make matter worse a man immediately scolds her as she wasn’t supposed to talk with Yuusaku about it. In the end they’ve to confess that they were told to pass all the letters and telegrams for Yuusaku to Kikuta which prompts Yuusaku to decide to go ask him directly.

A moment later Tsurumi drops at the place and he’s told that Yuusaku just left and the same guy who has scolded Mrs. Suzuki for informing Yuusaku about the meeting has no problems telling Tsuurmi about were Yuusaku went.

So we jump at the Imperial Hotel where Sugimoto expects to have another luxurious dinner with Kaeko and, instead Kaeko’s maid drops the beef stew all over him.

Using as excuse that Yuusaku has to absolutely change himself Kaeko pushes Sugimoto upstairs, claiming she booked a room there. As they walk they’re spotted by Tsukishima who informs Tsurumi while a worried Kikuta follows the action with his binoculars.

Once in the room a panting Kaeko urges ‘Yuusaku’ to rip off his clothes and strip naked in the bathroom.

While a naïve Sugimoto worries about how pretty the room is, Kaeko drags him in the bathroom and tells him to wash up.

Sugimoto finds a little odd how the bathtub is already filled but strips naked anyway.

Meanwhile big bad wolf Kaeko, with an expression that would make Jack Nicholson in “The Shining” proud, tries to get into the room. To Sugimoto’s credit he doesn’t scream like a banshee as Wendy Torrance did but tries to close her out of the bathroom.

Kaeko asks him to not bring her shame as a woman. Sugimoto weakly defends his own virginity by claiming she doesn’t know him well. Kaeko claims she doesn’t mind as he looks handsome and steals his clothes from under the door before threatening to let ‘Yuusaku’s’ situation be known to other people if he were to refuse her.

Sugimoto worries as he knows he has been called in as a stand in to avoid this kind of situation.

Meanwhile outside Tsurumi asks to Kaeko’s maid, Hamako, if she has seen a candidate officer. She denies it as she’s clearly there to stop everyone from interrupting but Tsurumi hears Kaeko calling Yuusaku.

Tsurumi says out loud to his men that Kikuta was ordered to break off the engagement so he doesn’t understand why Yuusaku and Kaeko are in a room by themselves.

I wonder if Tsurumi came there because he was hoping to be the one to save Yuusaku’s virginity so as to put Hanazawa in debt… or if he’s saying this out loud so as to let the maid know about Kikuta’s involvement. We’ll see.

Usami instead tells Ogata this will be the first time he’ll get to meet his little brother, a man worthy of waving the regimental flag.

Usami again calls Ogata just Hyakunosuke, as if the two of them were friends… or if he just were looking down on him taking confidence when he shouldn’t, as Ogata in past chapters always called Usami by surname.

Whatever, this means that Usami, and by default Tsukishima and Tsurumi, are informed of Ogata’s parentage. Does the whole 7th know? Maybe. If that’s the case I wonder who told them.

Back to Sugimoto he asks Kaeko if this is all because Yuusaku’s mother wants to keep him away from the army. Kaeko explains Yuusaku’s mother worked as a nurse at a special military hospital in Hiroshima during the Sino-Japanese war. This experience pushed her to decide her son shouldn’t take part to the war. Kaeko adds Yuusaku should show consideration for his mother’s feelings.

Sugimoto says this is something Yuusaku should decide by himself as it’s his own life, basically betraying the fact he’s not Yuusaku. Kaeko is confused while Sugimoto tells her to ask Yuusaku which he wants to chose before signalling to Kikuta there are problems.

In that same moment Tsurumi and his men barges in the room claiming they’re there to protect Yuusaklu’s virginity.

I wonder if Tsurumi is practising for when he’ll have to ‘rescue’ Koito.

As for Kaeko, she thinks Tsurumi is working for Hanazawa and tells him if he doesn’t get out she’ll tattle everything to the Army. At this Tsurumi threatens to kill her and Sugimoto, thinking killing Kaeko is Kikuta’s ‘plan B’, decides to barge out completely naked, threatening to kill them all.

Ogata, who has no idea the naked man with murdering intentions is not Yuusaku, grins, likely thinking ‘Yuusaku’ is rather far from pure.

Likely he believes Yuusaku’s state means he was about to sleep with Kaeko, and Sugimoto’s statement about murdering people might have caused Ogata to think the ‘oh so perfect’ Yuusaku, is actually not perfect at all.

I feel bad for him because, when he’ll discover Yuusaku isn’t the guy in front of him, he’ll be in for a disappointment.

Anyway this chapter ends here.

This chapter gives us some interesting info about the Army, Tsurumi and how Ogata’s status of bastard son was known to Tsurumi’s inner circle and, possibly, to the rest of the 7th. It fleshes more the Hanazawa family, although I’ve to say I noticed when Noda has to talk about Hanazawa or his wife he recycles always the same image.

Well, I guess that’s all. Sorry if it’s late and kind of jumbled but the whole timing and work didn’t help me at all.

#Golden Kamuy #Tsurumi Tokushirou #Okuda Hidenobu #Ogata Hyakunosuke #Usami Tokishige #Tsukishima Hajime #Golden Kamuy Ramblings and Theories #Hanazawa Yuusaku #Hanazawa Koujirou #Hanazawa Hiro #Kikuta Mokutarou #Sugimoto Saichi #Suzuki #Kaneko Kaeko #Yamamura Hamako

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Ramblings and crazy theory time about GK chap 275 “Tokyo Love Story”

So we’ve a new chapter and I’ve discovered…

Yeah, the fake Yuusaku theory turned out right and wrong at the same time as we’ve someone posing as Yuusaku… but it’s definitely not how I was expecting things to be.

But whatever, let’s start.

We’re in Kanagawa, in 1901. The scene is placed after the one in chap 35, when Toraji and Sugimoto fight the night of Toraji’s marriage, because Toraji is afraid Sugimoto came back to snatch Umeko away from him.

Since Sugimoto’s father died in 1899 according to the official timeline, this confirms Sugimoto waited 2 years before coming back to his village.

Evidently the two have calmed down because they aren’t fighting anymore and Toraji is asking Sugimoto where will he do now. Sugimoto informs him his father told him to search for a place he can be happy. You might not remember this bit being included in chap 236 because it was a volume addition.

Sugimoto says he wants to go to Tokyo, since up until now he was in places with few people, which makes sense since he feared he was infected with tuberculosis.

In the Q&A section from the Golden Kamuy fan book it was said:

Q8: What did Sugimoto do in the 2 years between leaving the village after burning his house and coming back to Ume’s wedding? Noda: He travelled to places such as Tokyo and Kyoto. [translation here]

But it’s likely Noda means Sugimoto didn’t stay in the big cities, but in the areas around them.

So okay, we move to Tokyo and after getting a glimpse of Sugimoto moving overly excited through the city playing ‘singing in the rain’...

...we see him being involved in a fight with more than 10 candidate officers.

Kikuta is called in to stop the fight. Evidently they forced him to interrupt his meal as he is still holding chopsticks and a bowl of rice.

We learn from the info box that Kikuta, full name Kikuta Mokutarou, was at the time a Sergeant in the 1st division (which tells us in his future he was promoted and transferred in another division, the 7th in fact in 1902 he’s working for Tsurumi during the Koito kidnapping), in charge of instructing and providing guidance to the officer candidate students enrolled at the Imperial Japanese Army Academy.

He’s also keeping his hair short and there’s no facial hair on his face, giving him a much more proper appearance than the one he’ll have later on, although he keeps his uniform unbuttoned, which is less proper.

As Kikuta tells at the rather bruised officer candidate students to stop fighting as it’s disgraceful for them, they protest they can’t let Sugimoto go as he’s dangerous while Sugimoto, completely restrained by their weight, seems to bark and growl like a wild dog. Kikuta offers him his bowl of rice and this gets Sugimoto to calm down as he starts eating the rice.

LOL, Noda couldn’t have made more obvious with this scene that Ogata and Sugimoto fight like cat and dog because THEY ARE A STRAY CAT AND A STRAY DOG.

Kikuta comments that by how it took such a huge number of students to stop him, he expected Sugimoto to be some sort of monster… but now he thinks Sugi can be of some use for him, so he tells the students he’ll take him and tells Sugimoto to follow him as he’ll get him something to eat.

As they eat Sugimoto confesses he got into the fight because the students glared at him, revealing quite a horrible temper. Kikuta points out how his was a stupid reason to start a fight, asking him if he’s a STRAY DOG (ノラ犬 ‘nora inu’). This leads him to nickname Sugimoto “vagrant boy" (ノラ坊 ‘nora bou’), warning him Sugimoto was lucky Kikuta got in between the fight, because otherwise, if the students had managed to take him away, Sugimoto would have been in deep troubles.

As Sugimoto asks why he’s called in such a way, Kikuta explains it’s due to the norabou vegetables that grow in his area. Kikuta then proceeds to explain that there’s an officer candidate in the army named Hanazawa Yuusaku, son of the commander of the 7th division.

Kikuta wants Sugimoto to take his place. So okay, it’s a chapter in which we’ve a fake Yuusaku… only he’s not the one I was expecting.

Kikuta then proceeds to explain how Hanazawa ‘I’m the worst father of the century’ Koujirou, wants his son to become the regimental flag bearer because whoever cares about the high death rate of flag bearer when he can gain more honour through Yuusaku?

Yuusaku’s mom, Hanazawa Hiro, from whom Yuusaku got his nose and, probably, his eyes, doesn’t like the idea of her son being used as cannon fodder for her husband’s glory,

but know better than to say it out loud and also know it would be a crime to murder her husband so she did the next best thing, she plotted against him, secretly contacting a “marriage agency” in Tokyo so as to find a girl desperate enough to get a husband she would be willing to steal Yuusaku’s virginity (you might remember virginity is a fundamental requisite for a flag bearer), Kaneko Kaeko, daughter of an executive in the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu.

If the name Mitsubishi feels familiar to you yet it doesn’t make you think of a car, it’s probably because we already had to deal with someone from the Mitsubishi in the Igogusa/Harumi Chiyo story.

In GK it seems people from Mitsubishi are always desperate to get married... it makes you wonder if Tsurumi had a hand in this mess as well or it’s just a coincidence...

Sugimoto, who’s poor, doesn’t get why a rich girl would be desperate to find a man, so Kikuta explains him her potential partners wouldn’t care about her being rich as they’re rich as well.

Overall Sugimoto ends up on showing again how he’s not very good at placing himself in the shoes of people of upper classes.

Turns out though Hanazawa figured out how his wife his plotting behind his back and tried to plot behind her back as well, asking the help of the commander of the 1st division, whom he trusts, who passed the job to Kikuta (I guess Kikuta might still be loyal to his former commander, which might be he’s okay with plotting against Tsurumi... or was he sent there specifically to do so? We’ll see...).

Anyway Sugimoto, who’s so NOT FAMOUS for sitting around a table and having a honest discussion with people, asks why they didn’t just do that. Really, Sugimoto, if you know talking can solve problems why don’t you try implementing it?

Kikuta replies the things had gotten too far and they’re afraid this could cause an incident that will affect the morale of the division, and, more importantly, could put Hanazawa’s wife patriotism into discussion and this would SURELY reflect bad on Hanazawa who was already willing to sacrifice his son on the altar of his own honour.

To all those who’re reading my meta for the first time, in case you’re wondering no, I don’t like Hanazawa. Not one single bit. Sorry for being biased against him.

Anyway Sugimoto gets a haircut and then Kikuta has him wear an uniform with some stars on the collar so as to make him look like a candidate officer.

Sugimoto wonders why Kikuta picked him and isn’t just using another candidate officer. I don’t know if this is relevant but Kikuta seems thoughtfull when Sugimoto says so, his hat slightly shadowing his face.

Hopefully this doesn’t mean this deception is going to put Sugimoto in serious troubles.

He then explains Sugimoto if they were to use someone from the army they would risk bad rumours about the Hanazawa to spread around.

Kikuta then comments that Sugimoto, wearing the full uniform, looks good as there’s a touch of elegance on his face that can help him impersonate Hanazawa Yuusaku, son of a high-class general. I wonder if this is meant to foreshadow Sugimoto is actually more than the commoner we believe him to be or if it’s just another way to inform us Sugimoto is good looking, in case we’ve missed it.

Sugimoto wonders if, by joining the army, he wouldn’t have to worry about food anymore and I facepalm here because really, if this is what pushed him to join, he really made a poor decision, but his expression as he talks makes me wonder if he’s just being so very naive I kind of feel bad for him... did he really have no idea what joining the army could include?

His words cause Kikuta to remember his younger brother, apparently sick, telling him to take the army cap back with him.

I guess Kikuta is kind of adopting all those young men, Ariko, Sugimoto, maybe even Nikaidou and Ogata, because he lost his younger brother.

It’s interesting how Noda shadows his face here...

Anyway Kikuta proceeds to educate Sugimoto, as he’ll have to be capable to eat great food at a fancy restaurant. So, once Kikuta thinks Sugimoto is ready as he mastered enough good table manners, a nervous Sugimoto can take part to the marriage interview… where Kikuta discovers with horror they served western cuisine… with Sugimoto being completely ignorant about western etiquette and trying to eat the shrimps using two forks… and Kikuta, who’s pecking through the window while being seated on a tree, panics, thinking he’ll be discovered immediately.

Well, that’s all for this chapter.

It was undoubtedly a fun flashback chapter that reveals that the fake Yuusaku theory wasn’t completely baseless… but definitely not what I expected it to turn out as I would have never guessed Sugimoto impersonated Yuusaku.

On another note this give me additional fun when I think at this scene.

Sugimoto should have been thinking at the time he played the high ranking officer, here... though I guess the idea is that Kaeko didn’t immediately recognize him because she’s not in the army? Didn’t they gave her a photo of Yuusaku? Sugimoto’s nose and probably his eyebrows too are different.

We’ll see.

I don’t dare to think Kaneko is also a fake sent, this time, by Tsurumi, to steal Yuusaku’s virginity because Tsurumi doesn’t want Yuusaku among them.

This would just be too crazy.

On more serious topics we can assume now that Kikuta saying Sugimoto to forget about Yuusaku in the previous chapter is due to the interview failing and Yuusaku now being forced to become a flag bearer, high mortality rate and all and the whole fake Yuusaku thing having to remain a secret between the two of them so likely Sugimoto doesn’t know anything dark about Yuusaku… beyond the fact his father wanted to use him as cannon fodder to increase his own prestige but whatever, I hardly think someone could have missed it.

I find rather fun how Noda isn’t really fond of drawing Hanazawa, he’s just using the same image of him over and over… and how instead he had no problems showing us Yuusaku’s mom, name and all, but we still have to see Yuusaku’s face. Really, I can’t wait for the big reveal.

Oh well, we can only wait and see.

#Golden Kamuy #Sugimoto Saichi #Kikuta Mokutarou #Hanazawa Yuusaku #Hanazawa Koujirou #Hanazawa Hiro #Kaneko Kaeko #Golden Kamuy Ramblings and Theories #Kenmochi Toraji

[goldenkamuyhunting]

I'm not so sure if the fake yuusaku theory will work now but but but but I'm praying something like that will happen bc I like him so much and it pains me to know what's gonna happen to him (unless that wasn't him then uh rip) his hidden face gives so much opportunity for something like that to happen... I just want him to be ok

To be honest...

I’m pretty confident the 'fake Yuusaku’ will be limited to having Sugimoto impersonating him. Poor Yuusaku is probably, more than a character, a plot device.

So far Yuusaku had been a sacrifical sheep all along.

His father used him to get some honour, Kaeko, who doesn’t even get to meet him, sees him as a chance to have a good looking husband, Kikuta saw him as a job, Usami saw him as a rival to Tsurumi’s affection, Ogata couldn’t connect with him as he saw him merely as someone on the way of his goal, being acknowledged by his father, until it was too late and Yuusaku became the personification of his sense of guilt.

Even Sugimoto, who meant well, basically tried to force him to reveal what he thought with a trick (he disguises himself instead than presenting himself as he was) and only gets answers that speak more of the beliefs Yuusaku were taught by his father than of Yuusaku’s inner thoughts.

Overall, poor Yuusaku as a person doesn’t really exist for those characters.

He has no friends, he’s used as a tool, he doesn’t know how to connect with his own stepbrother because, ironically, he too isn’t capable to see Ogata as his own person.

Yuusaku was doomed and, in fact, he’s not even alive during the story as his role was exactly that, to be someone sacrificed, to have a role as a plot device, not as a person with ambitions and goals.

And this is sad, because if we look at him as a person... well, he didn’t deserve all this.

He tried to be a good son and a good little brother, giving his father what the man wanted and clinging to Ogata the way he believed a little brother should cling to an older one, refusing to accept he was a stranger for Ogata, one that, he was told, stole his chances at being accepted by his father and that, with his well meaning behaviour, only ends up informing everyone of Ogata’s condition as a bastard son.

In a way Yuusaku is oblivious of the world around him, of the dynamics around him and those are what ultimately kills him.

In all this story Yuusaku is maybe the one who meant well the most... and the one who failed most spectacularly at that.

As Diderot said “Il ne suffit pas de faire du bien, il faut aussi bien le faire“ (It's not enough to do good, you also have to be good at doing it).

Yuusaku tried... but he just wasn’t very good at doing it and this ruined him. It’s sad and it would be nice if it weren’t true but, I fear, there’s no helping here...

Thank you for your ask!

#Hanazawa Yuusaku #Sugimoto Saichi #Ogata Hyakunosuke #Tsurumi Tokushirou #Hanazawa Koujirou #Usami Tokishige #Kikuta Mokutarou #Kaneko Kaeko #Hanazawa Hiro #Ask

[duckims]

#golden kamuy #kaneko kaeko #spoilers #?? just in case.. #I made this way too cutesy but jfc kaeko has my heart #don't look kaeko~ #myart

[goldenkamuyhunting]

I have the feeling we are going to see Yusaku’s face very, very soon... At first I thought he would get a face reveal only through Ogata’s memories/allucination (once Ogata accepts his brother’s idea that all people feel guilt, ofc) but from the recent chapters I feel like we will see Yuusaku through Sugi’s eyes. Ofc Noda might still want to keep him in the dark...

Well...

I truly hope we’ll do as it’s basically a lifetime Noda is teasing us with images of Yuusaku without never showing us his face!

I don’t know if we’ll see Yuusaku through Sugimoto’s eyes, it depends if Yuusaku will show up at the marriage interview.

Considering the way Yuusaku is, if he hears about it, he might even show up to apologize to Kaeko for how his mother involved her in this and explain her he has to stay virgin. This if the image Yuusaku projected of himself is true.

All in all this chapter told us something about his parents, but nothing about him beyond that he was manipulated by them both, so, if it continues not having any revelation about him as a person, likely it won’t reveal his face either.

We’ll see but I can’t deny I’m curious to see him.

Thank you for your ask!

#Hanazawa Yuusaku #Sugimoto Saichi #Hanazawa Koujirou #Hanazawa Hiro #Kaneko Kaeko #Ask

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Golden Kamuy Manga through 2021

So this is a very long and image filled post which goes through all the 38 chapters (same as the past year) and 4 volumes of GK that were printed during 2021, giving a REALLY short summary of the relevant events of each chapter and posting 1 or 2 pictures for each chapter plus the colour covers which happeared as well as the covers for each volume.

In short yes, this is a very imege filled post but I felt images would wake up feelings we had through the year reading GK much better than summaries.

So please, enjoy travelling with me through the plot of GK for what had been the year 2021 and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!

Let’s enjoy GK through this 2022 as well!

In 2021 in JANUARY:

We saw Sofia being taken captive along with Asirpa, as she got a concussion trying to protect Asirpa [Chap 264]

While Tsukishima and Koito try to eavesdrop what’s being said [Chap 265]...

...Tsurumi talks with Asirpa and Sofia, letting them figure out he was Hasegawa Koichi [Chap 265],

...and informing them about the plan of the Ainu who originally gathered up the gold [Chap 266].

In FEBRUARY:

We learned why Kiroranke and Wilk argued [Chap 267]...

and why Kiro believed Wilk had chanced [Chap 267].

We also discovered how Tsurumi created discord in Wilk’s group... [Chap 268]

... how this ultimately lead Wilk to become Nopperabou... [Chap 269]

...and why Kiro decided Wilk had to die [Chap 269]

In MARCH:

We got confirmation that it wasn’t Sofia but Wilk the one who, by mistake, shoot Fina and Olga [Chap 270]

...and Tsurumi of course took care to traumatize us and Asirpa as payback for finally getting this information [chap 270]

Tsurumi then explains to us his point of view on Wilk and Kiro’s plans as well why the manga is called as such... [Chap 271]

...before forcing Asirpa to reveal to him the code [Chap 271]

We had a new colour cover [Chap 272] 

Along with Asirpa and Kikuta, we’ve been shocked by how coldly Tsukishima ‘murdered’ poor Ariko, who helped Sofia and Asirpa to escape [Chap 272]

We’ve felt worry as Asirpa started to have a melt down... [Chap 273]

relief when Ariko ‘resurrected’... [Chap 273]

...and a feeling of incoming doom when Koito, despite figuring out Tsurumi was aware they were eavesdropping, decided not to inform Tsukishima about it. [Chap 273]

Also Vol 25 was released.

In APRIL:

We saw Asirpa figuring how to discover which were the fake skins [Chap 274]

We’ve learnt about Sugimoto and Kikuta’s first meeting [Chap 275]

and we’ve seen Sugimoto impersonating Yuusaku in order to protect Yuusaku’s virginity from Kaneko Kaeko [Chap 276]

We’ve also learnt that Harumi Chiyo/Igogusa is alive and married to Kaeko’s cousin [Chap 276]

And assisted to the first meeting between Sugimoto and Yuusaku [Chap 276]

And between Sugimoto and Tsurumi, Ogata, Tsukishima and Usami [Chap 276]

In MAY:

We’ve met Lieutenant General Okuda and see how he tried (unseccessfully) to manipulate Tsurumi [Chap 277]

...and felt as amused as Ogata felt while he was watching a naked 'Yuusaku’ fight Usami completely naked... [Chap 278]

...before groaning when Sugimoto claimed he decided to join the army, thinking this was a clever way to fill his belly [Chap 278]

We also got to see the first REAL meeting between Ogata and Yuusaku [Chap 278]

We learned about Kikuta’s backstory [Chap 279]

of how Sugimoto got his cap [Chap 279]

and of how Ogata works for Central. [Chap 279]

We were annoyed by how Tsurumi was the first to solve the code [Chap 279]

...and shocked as he suddently shot Kikuta [Chap 279]

We helplessly witnessed Tsukishima finishing Kikuta before the latter could shot Tsurumi [Chap 280]

...and discovered the gold is in Goryokaku [Chap 280]

In JUNE:

We discovered that the gold was previously in the Russian consulate and Wilk’s group went to retrieve it at the same time in which Tsurumi was carrying out the final part of his Koito kidnapping plan [Chap 281]

We had a new colour cover [Chap 282]

We’ve seen Sugimoto’s group decide they’ll entrench in Fort Goryokaku where they would fight Tsurumi’s incoming forces [chap 282]

...and discovered Sofia and her men would come help them as well [Chap 282].

We’ve learnt that Sofia (and her men) would now fight to fulfill Wilk and Kiroranke’s goal (chap 283)

...saw Ogata dreaming his mom [Chap 283]

...and be informed than on Hijikata’s tattoo was likely hidden the location of a treasure... [Chap 283]

...the treasure being a land deed that would ensure the Ainu would have the fight of a vast part of the Hokkaido land [Chap 284]

Also, Tsurumi’s attack began [Chap 284]

Also Vol 26 was released.

In JULY:

We had a new colour cover [Chap 285]

We saw Nagakura informing Tsurumi of the existance of the land deed, so as to force him to stop his attack [Chap 285]

In AUGUST:

We met Mansur [chap 286]

... saw Ogata might have overheard Nagakura (or only saw him escaping) [chap 286]

...and discovered Kadokura’s tattoo was actually relevant thanks to Kadokura’s never failing good luck [Chap 286]

...and lead us to discover where the gold was [Chap 287]

We also learnt that Hijikata and Kimuspu, one of the Ainu who first tried to use the gold, knew each other, Kimuspu having saved Hijikata... [Chap 288]

...and how he informed Wilk of how Hijikata was in Abashiri and how they could use him to contact Enomoto Takeaki so as to be able to use the land deed [Chap 288]

In SEPTEMBER:

The 7th division resumes charging against Fort Goryokaku and falls into Hijikata’s trap [Chap 289]

We had a new colour cover [Chap 290]

We learn Asirpa hid the land deed in her quiver [Chap 290]

...and that Nagakura, Kadokura, Kirawus and Mansur are pulling out a cannon to counterattack the destroyers [Chap 290]

We see them counterattacking, Mansur proving he has a formidable aim, hitting two destroyers, one of them, while sinking, hitting with a bullet the aerostatic balloon by mistake [Chap 291]

We discover Ogata is hidden somewhere... [Chap 292]

...and the same goes for Vasily [Chap 292]

We see Kirawus heroically contributing to the battle [Chap 292]

so that they manage to sink the last destroyer, the one on which Koito Heiji was, he letting himself sink with his ship [Chap 292]

Also Vol 27 was released.

In OCTOBER:

We saw Nikaidou trying to kill Hijikata, who’s saved by Toni Anji who takes the bullet for him [Chap 293]

and Koito being forced to go back into the building in which he was held prisoner [Chap 284]

while Toni Anji finds finally peace in death [chap 284]

We cheered for Koito as he finally managed to confront Tsurumi [Chap 285]

and said goodbye to Nikaidou as, after a last fight with Sugimoto, he finally met his brother again in death [Chap 295]

In NOVEMBER:

We learn of a talk between Hijikata and Nopperabou in which the latter told him Asirpa’s Japanese name [Chap 296]

We also see how Sofia is the only one who’s not letting Tsurumi’s men pass from the entrance she’s defending, although all her men sacrifice to protect her [Chap 297]

Worriedly we watched how Shiraishi’s escape plan failed and he was surrended by Tsurumi’s men, Koito included and saved by Nagakura [Chap 297]

...and also how Asirpa’s melt down continues as she sees Toni Anji’s corpse before being chased by Tsurumi [Chap 297]

With relief we saw Sugimoto rescuing Asirpa from Tsurumi and then escaping with Shiraishi toward the north entrance [Chap 298]

while Nagakura shows us he’s a stronger swordman than Koito [Chap 298]

We cheered at the words Sofia told Asirpa [Chap 298]

before seeing she can’t shoot Tsurumi Hasegawa while the latter has no qualms shooting her [Chap 298]

In DICEMBER:

We enjoyed how Kantarou saved Nagakura [Chap 299]

and how Tanigaki saved Asirpa [Chap 299]

We raged as Sofia apologized to Tsurumi for his loss and the latter claimed he forgave Sofia for Fina and Olga’s death only to finish her off and imply he has a grudge against Wilk instead [Chap 299]

melting down with Asirpa due to the pain of losing such a cool character like Sofia in such way [Chap 299]

...before learning where Ogata is and how he has figured out they would escape in that direction but also how, if he wants to do something, he has to track Vasily [Chap 299]

We had a new colour cover [Chap 300]

We finally saw Ogata and Vasily’s new sniper duel [Chap 300]

In which Ogata gets shoot to a leg but manages to take out of commission Vasily [Chap 300]

We also discovered Hijikata, Ushiyama, Sugimoto, Shiraishi, Asirpa and Tanigaki got on a train full of soldiers which Ushiyama takes care to trash [Chap 301]

We worried as Tanigaki got shot and fell from the train [Chap 301]

...and while Sugimoto kept Tsurumi away, Asirpa, trying to reach the front exit, melted down in trauma further [Chap 301]

...all this while Ushiyama tries to enter in Ainu’s legends [Chap 301]

Also Vol 28 was released.

#Golden Kamuy #Sugimoto Saichi #Asirpa #Shiraishi Yoshitake #Ogata Hyakunosuke #Vasily Pavlichenko #Oosawa Fusatarou #Tsurumi Tokushirou #Ariko Rikimatsu #Kikuta Mokutarou #Kikuta Toujirou #Sofia #Tsukishima Hajime #Koito Otonoshin #Koito Heiji #Nikaidou Kouhei #Nikaidou Youhei #Usami Tokishige #Hasegawa Fina #Hasegawa Olga #Wilk #Kiroranke #Hijikata Toshizou #Ushiyama Tatsuma #Toni Anji #Nagakura Shinpachi #Mansur #Okuyama Kantarou #Kadokura Toshiyuki #Kirawus

[delicourse]

it might’ve only been for 4 chapters, but i loved having kaeko around

#kaneko kaeko #golden kamuy #gk #deliart #flashback only woman....thank u #honestly make her come back in the present have her be the main character its not too late #overall the flashback was fun great content. really makes me think abt women tho #anyway we are lesbian married and hanging out rn rating holes <3