Golden Kamuy

As the Russo-Japanese War raged on 203 Meter Hill in China, immortal soldier Saichi Sugimoto (Kento Yamazaki) fought valiantly alongside his comrades-in-arms. The battle was a brutal one, with over 130,000 Japanese soldiers deployed to capture Port Arthur, the Russian naval base, and ultimately resulting in the loss of 60,000 Japanese and 40,000 Russian lives. Amidst the chaos, Saichi's friend and fellow soldier Toraji (Yuki Izumisawa) stood by his side, only to fall in battle, leaving Saichi with a deep sense of grief and responsibility.

Two years after the war, Sugimoto found himself struggling to make ends meet due to his disorderly conduct, which had left him without a pension. His post-war life was marred by hardship and despair, prompting him to set his sights on the fabled gold rumored to be hidden in Hokkaido. The promise of this treasure became an all-consuming obsession, driving Sugimoto to scour the riverbanks for any sign of its whereabouts.

It was during one such excursion that he encountered a vagabond who revealed a tantalizing tale about the Ainu tribe's secret hoarding of gold in preparation for a revolt against the Japanese Imperial army. However, this narrative took a dark turn as the old man spoke of Noppera-Bo, a lone individual who had slaughtered the entire Ainu revolutionary force and stolen their treasured gold, worth eight billion yen or 200 Kan. This heinous act was committed under the cover of night, leaving behind only whispers of the location.

Noppera-Bo's subsequent capture by the Imperial Army led to his imprisonment in Abashiri, where he faced endless torture in an attempt to extract the truth about the gold's whereabouts. Despite being unable to communicate with his fellow inmates or leave a message for his friends, Noppera-Bo resorted to tattooing the coordinates on the bodies of select prisoners, instructing them to break free and search for the treasure. The pact was simple: whoever found the gold would claim half of its value.

As news of this story spread, it became a beacon of hope for those seeking riches and fulfillment. Many have since embarked on perilous quests to find the tattooed convicts, driven by the promise of unimaginable wealth and the thrill of the unknown.

As Sugimoto's gaze falls upon the vagabond's lifeless form, he uncovers a cryptic clue to unravel the mystery. The deceased, revealed to be Takechiyo Goto (Makita Sports), had been one of the notorious convicts who had managed to escape from their shackles. The tattoo on his back serves as a tangible link to Sugimoto's quest for answers. Meanwhile, a chance encounter with an Ainu warrior named Aspira yields a surprising ally in his pursuit of truth.

As Sugimoto shares the tale told by Takechiyo, he finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue and deception. The revelation that the tattoos on Takechiyo's back are a ruse, designed to conceal rather than reveal, only adds complexity to the narrative. Aspira, herself haunted by a tragic past, recognizes the significance of Sugimoto's words and agrees to join forces in his quest.

Their journey is not without its perils, as they face yet another life-threatening encounter with a bear, this time rescued by a white wolf named Retar. The duo's resolve to uncover the truth is strengthened by Aspira's personal vendetta against Noppera-Bo, whose actions led to her father Aca (Arata Iura) being brutally murdered.

As they travel to Hokkaido and settle in Otaru, they begin to piece together the trail left behind by the remaining convicts. Their investigation is soon interrupted by the sudden appearance of two fugitives, Kanjiro Kasahara and Yoshitake Shiraishi (Kanjiro Kasahara and Yoshitake Shiraishi), whose presence serves as a reminder that they are not alone in their pursuit.

The arrival of Hyakunosuke Ogata (Gordon Maeda), a ruthless former army officer, further complicates the situation. With his sights set on claiming the treasure for himself, he proves willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. As Sugimoto and Aspira navigate this treacherous landscape, they are forced to confront their own mortality and the true nature of their adversaries.

The encounter with Yoshitake, who initially attempts to flee but ultimately finds common ground with Sugimoto in their shared struggle for survival, yields a surprising revelation: the leader of the convicts is none other than Toshizo Hijikata, the vice commander of the Shinsengumi and a formidable ex-samurai.

In a world where justice is warped and corruption reigns supreme, two contrasting figures emerge: Toshizo Hijikata (Hiroshi Tachi), a former inmate turned mastermind, and Tokushiro Tsurumi, a commander consumed by a thirst for revenge. Assembling a motley crew of tattooed outcasts, Hijikata orchestrates a daring jailbreak, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

Meanwhile, Commander Tsurumi is secretly operating in the mountains, defying the orders of his unit's Captain Wada. His actions are driven by a festering sense of injustice, stemming from Japan's humiliating defeat at the hands of the Russians during the war. With an injured frontal lobe that constantly discharges fluid, Tsurumi's sanity is rapidly unraveling.

Sugimoto, the protagonist, finds himself caught in the crossfire as he searches for his fellow convicts in the city. Hijikata's former cellmate has long since vanished into the wilderness with a valuable treasure map, leaving behind whispers of a cursed gold hoard that has been buried for decades.

Tsurumi's obsessive quest for revenge begins to take shape as he sets his sights on claiming the lost gold, intending to fund his own army and establish the Seventh Division as Hokkaido's ruling regime. His grandiose plans also include the creation of an opium empire, promising a stable source of income for all those affected by the war.

As Sugimoto becomes entangled in Tsurumi's web of deceit, he realizes that the commander's methods are morally bankrupt and ethically repugnant. The stage is set for a tense showdown between two men driven by vastly different motivations: one seeking freedom and redemption, the other fueled by rage and a desire for power.

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Asirpa cleverly outsmarts herself by handing Sugimoto's socks over to Retar for tracking purposes, but fate has other plans when they inadvertently swap with Yoshitake's, leading to a misadventure that finds them both submerged in icy waters. Asirpa then forces Yoshitake into an unlikely partnership to rescue Sugimoto from his precarious predicament.

Meanwhile, Sugimoto manages a daring escape from Tokushiro Tsurumi's (Hiroshi Tamaki) clutches, thanks to the combined efforts of Asirpa (Anna Yamada), Retar, and Yoshitake Shiraishi (Yuma Yamoto). The relieved fugitive soon finds himself sharing his long-buried secrets with Asirpa. A poignant tale unfolds as Sugimoto reveals his troubled past, including his childhood friendship with Toraji (Yuki Izumisawa) and Ume (Mitsuki Takahata), marked by his family's mysterious lung disease that drove them to ostracize him.

Sugimoto's story takes a dramatic turn as he recounts how he burned down his ancestral home, leaving the village behind. Upon his return years later, he finds his former friends Toraji and Ume now married, their union filling him with joy. During the tumultuous Russo-Japanese War, Toraji sacrifices his life to save Sugimoto, imparting a final wish for Sugimoto to find the gold in Hokkaido, which would aid in healing Ume's blindness.

Asirpa agrees to join forces with Sugimoto in his quest to fulfill this sacred purpose. Elsewhere, Hijikata reveals his plans to resurrect the Republic of Ezo, bankrolled by a Russian merchant and aided by Nagakura (Katsumi Kiba), a fellow Shinsengumi member. This vision is rooted in his disdain for modernization, bureaucracy, and democracy, as he longs to wield absolute power over Hokkaido – and potentially the entire country.

In a striking revelation, Noppera-Bo's mention of Asirpa's name sparks a poignant memory of her father Aca, brutally murdered by Noppera-Bo after stealing gold from the Ainu tribe. The only person spared by Noppera-Bo was Asirpa herself, whose unique essence had seemingly halted his bloodthirsty rampage, allowing him to depart with the plundered treasure.