A more slower and relaxed episode this time, with only a tiny bit of action. And even if the action this time was small, it was pretty violent with a return of the evil CG bear! But we also got a cute baby bear!
When it comes to actual plot, it progressed VERY slowly, or maybe not at all, depends on how you look at it. Sugimoto and Asirpa were chased by some soldiers of the 7th division. After splitting up, they both try to play dumb but finding the skin, and recognizing Sugimoto, things go wrong. However, things went insane as the white wolf returned and protected Asirpa from the Matagi man (who ended up surviving), and a bear attacked and slaughtered the three soldiers after Sugimoto. It was nasty, with guts and blood strewn all over the snow, a mangled body hanging in a tree, and a face getting ripped off. But someone had actually posted the pages from the manga of this scene, and WOW the anime totally toned down the violence. I mean…it’s ugly bad. And I understand why they toned it down but I kind of wish they had kept the gory violence and maybe just censored it for TV, and uncensor it with the BDs like they did with Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Anyway, after that scene, Sugimoto becomes a temporary mommy to the dead bear’s baby, and he and Asirpa head to her village.
We see more characters near the end, such as this terrifying Lieutenant Tsurumi in charge of the 7th Division, and Hijikata makes his appearance in the end. We have three groups of people that are inevitably going to meet each other soon as they search for the prisoners and the gold: Group 1 being Sugimoto and Asirpa, Group 2 as the 7th Division, and Group 3 being Hijikata’s gang. As if that other soldier Sugimoto faced off wasn’t warning enough, Tsurumi doesn’t seem like the type of man that will show any mercy, like the man that spared Asirpa her life. And from that small flashback scene we saw of Hijikata, he doesn’t look any better either. It’ll be a blood bath for sure.
Other than that, the episode was relatively slow. There were many charming moments this episode, such as visiting Asirpa’s village. There were lots of comedic moments again, such as the poop/miso part, and Sugimoto instantly falling in love and being protective of the baby bear. I….really love this guy.
And man I love Asirpa! I don’t like repeating myself, but I love everything about her. I love her pride about her culture, I love how intelligent she is, and I love that even though she is not like a typical Ainu female (not liking weaving, etc.) she still is very proud of herself and her people and considers herself a new type of Ainu woman. And…yes!! I love that! She hunts, but she doesn’t weave and make clothes, and for now doesn’t want her tattoos, but she doesn’t hate or denounce her culture. I also love watching her teach Sugimoto more things about the Ainu culture. Very interesting and strange, the Ainu give their children gross names to drive demons away from them, and when they reach their 6th birthday, they get names that reflect who they are and the things that’s happened in their life. Very interesting, but odd. The ritual they’re going to do with the bear in the future is kind of sad and beautiful at the same time, but I totally understand why Asirpa warned Sugimoto not to get too attached.
Also, because Asirpa is not a typical Ainu female, no Ainu male will marry her, so her grandmother wants Sugimoto to marry her! Um…exactly how far apart in age are they? Though, it’s interesting that her grandmother said this, so I guess that means she doesn’t have ill will towards the Japanese like some of the other villagers do.
I understand Kamuy’s big appeal with manga readers is how it blends together gritty violence with SOL comedy/Ainu cultural explorations.
The mangaka’s a Hokkaido native, btw.
https://www.mangaupdates.com/authors.html?id=14813
Fun fact – Hijikata’s based on the historical Toshizo Hijikata, leader of a Kyoto-based shogunate police force, the Shinsengumi.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijikata_Toshiz%C5%8D
Being one of the 1st ever samurai groups to allow commoners to join (and since he was also a commoner), he and most of its members opposed the new Meiji government, since they’d lose their traditional livelihoods amidst the new govt’s Western-style restructuring. They’d retreated to the town of Hakodate in Hokkaido to form a new government, Ezo, headed by shogunate loyalists, but Meiji forces pursued and made Ezo surrender. Hijikata was killed in battle.
Japanese history tends to romanticize Hijikata and the Shinsengumi as idealists fighting to preserve the samurai way of life amidst the coming of Western-style change.
Given the historical backdrop, I’d wager anime Hijikata’s aim is to use the gold to fund another rebellion against the Meiji and chase them out of Hokkaido, paving the way for a new independent Ezo to be reestablished where the old samurai ways are free to be practised again.