Golden Kamuy Season 3

Episode 5-6

Asirpa and co are travelling near Shizuka, and come to a river and find a coffin lifted up on pieces of wood. Kiroranke explains it is known as a sky burial, a rite practiced by the Uilta. However, it is slowly falling out of fashion because “When your gods change, your lifestyle changes too.” Not long after, Ogata shoots an ezo deer and make an antler necklace that they hang around Shiraishi's neck. It turns out that deer belonged to a group of Uilta travelling nearby with their herd. They go over to apologize for shooting the reindeer, and Ogata has a choice: give us another or help us hunt another. Apparently, Asirpa's father once had to do this as well.

Soon they set off and take care of the entire herd. They camp out for the night to skin and eat the deer, with everyone taking particular pleasure in the taste. Kiroranke gives one of the women of the village the gift of a needle to help with sewing all of the skins. Soon they begin discussing their plan to enter Russia, disguises as Uilta.

Meanwhile, Lt Tsurumi discuses Kiroranke's connection with the assassination of Russian Emperor Alexander II. He was involved in the assassination as a teenager, and Tsurumi leaked information to Russia that he would be entering soon. Asirpa and crew take an Uilta sled team into the Russian border. However, the moment they cross the border a sniper's round hits one of the Uilta driving the sled and stops their advance. They all take cover behind their baggage and livestock, pinned down by the shooter. Ogata identifies that they are Russian border guards, but is without his rifle. Shiraishi rushes to try and get the rifle but he is pinned. Kiroranke suddenly stands and walked determinedly towards the fallen Uilta and carries his body back. In that moment Ogata manages to get his rifle and fire off a shot that wounds one of the border guards and allows their escape.

Ogata and the Russian marksman Vasili separate from their groups to engage one another in the snowy woods. They try and suss out one another's movements, with two of Vasili's squad mates being injured by a bomb trap they foolishly fell for. The Russian marksman sees Ogata and goes to take his shot as dawn breaks. A bit of a slower episode for Golden Kamuy this week.

For myself, this was something of a lower ebb for this season. It was very functional – exposition about the Uilta and the various practices/beliefs regarding reindeer. None of it was poorly handled or anything mind you, but in absence of Golden Kamuy's more outrageous reaction faces while eating food, most of this was very much fun facts/trivia. Perhaps it was because it was mostly being delivered by Kiroranke to Asirpa rather than Asirpa to Sugimoto; whenever Asirpa and Sugimoto discuss Ainu practices there is a different tenor to their back and forth. Here it was mostly Kiroranke explaining and little else.

The big setup is obviously for next episode. Bringing a new set of characters into the story with the Russian border guards, Alexander II's assassination, and the sniper duel is going to be a great way to mix things up. When Ogata and Vasili truly face off next episode my guess is it will be really engaging.

The episode also felt rather functional from an execution standpoint. Nothing uniquely good or bad to make it sand out visually and I couldn't recall any over the top visual flourishes that really wowed me. Asirpa's expression while she was eating the reindeer brains was fun, but after the outrageous fun of the past few episodes there was not much to write home about.

I personally felt that the reindeer content was simply not engaging. Given that the majority of the episode involved reindeer, hunting them, and rites surrounding them, that made for a large portion of the runtime that struck me as rather dull. Not bad mind you, but not particularly engaging.

Similarly, the sniper battle was sort of… odd. I cannot quite put my finger on it but I just did not feel much tension during the battle with the Russian border guards. I find it odd to be honest, given how similar battles – say the time Ogata had Tanigaki pinned in the shack – had a sense of urgency to them. This is all a bit reserved. I'm hoping things ramp up next episode.

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Asirpa, Kiroranke, and Shiraishi look over the bodies of the border guards already slain. They find Kiroranke's face on the wanted poster, and he begins to explain his involvement in the assassination. In addition, they find Asirpa's father's face on another wanted poster – he was involved as well.

Meanwhile, Vasili is sizing up his shot on Ogata. He thinks he has him dead to rights but knows he is dealing with a professional. Moving into position he takes his shot, but Ogata catches him instead with a shot through the cheek. Ogata did not escape unscathed though and stumbles away in a cold sweat. When he returns to camp everyone says he looks horrible and he says it's just from eating too much snow. Ogata begins having visions of his half brother Yuusaku. He remembers their time together going to a bar, where Ogata waxes poetic about virgins cannot be shot. That was why Yuusaku was chosen to be banner bearer. Ogata tries to pressure him to have fun in the company of a few women, but Yuusaku refuses and leaves.

Back in the present Asirpa works to heal Ogata. The Uilta villagers begin using a drum to provide healing by summoning the gods, with Asirpa and Shiraishi joining in and drumming on Shiraishi's head. Kiroranke describes his background. He is fact of the Tatar, and that they fought for all the peoples of the Far East trying to get out from under Russian occupation. The Uilta give charms to help with Ogata's healing. They have specific charms for each type of ailment.

Ogata returns to his flashback. There Lt. Tsurumi visits him at the bar, and they discuss how hard it will be to win Yuusaku over to their cause. Ogata is leading Yuusaku through no man's land at night. They walk past the corpses to find a Russian soldier held prisoner. Ogata asks if Yuusaku has killed even a single Russian since the fighting began. He says he has not drawn his sword because protecting the flag is the job given to him by the Emperor. Ogata pressures him but he refuses because his father told him not to ever take a life. Yuusaku asks about whether he feels guilt over who he's killed, and when Ogata denies it he hugs him and weeps. Ogata feels nothing. The next day he shoots him in the back of the head on the battlefield. In the vision Yuusaku turns to face him one last time, then he awakes in the present.

With Ogata better it's time to move on. Kiroranke tells Shiraishi to go ahead and go, since they have copes of his tattoos and they are now wanted by Russian authorities. Kiroranke, Ogata, and Asirpa head off on their own, with Shiraishi planning to go back to suck up to Lt Tsurumi… but remembers what Sugimoto asked of him so many times: take care of Asirpa. He runs back to rejoin them and keep Asirpa safe.

As predicted, this was a far more engaging episode. Unlike the reindeer of last episode, Ogata is genuinely fascinating and his backstory has the appropriate amount of intrigue, drama, and tension. The battle between himself and Vasili was fine, largely what was expected with a decisive victory after a single exchange. But the real meat of the episode was the flashback.

And wow what a flashback.

Ogata unpacking everything that went on between himself and Yuusaku was riveting for me. I think the juxtaposition of Yuusaku's eyes always being shadowed except for that final decisive moment where he turns back to look at Ogata after murdering him and his eyes are blood red was an absolute masterstroke. The visual flourish of Yuusaku's exit wound trailing a stream of bright red blood that waved like a ribbon in the wind was similarly evocative, and struck a profound contrast with the muted colors and subdued look Ogata usually bears.

This episode also managed to rope back in the mystery surrounding Asirpa's father. I think her quest to understand her father was one of the most engaging threads the series has had thus far, and it's nice to see that even after he has exited the narrative (you know, by dying) he is still an enigma to her. That's a smart move and emblematic of the quality plotting at work.

Also more Shiraishi comedy, always welcome.

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Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Golden Kamuy Season 3 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.